To the sludentHow do you learn a language? There is no easy answer to this question. People learn

languages in many different ways. The lnlrorriliolrg series starts from the basis of natural

conversations people have every day, then teaches you the language you need to have similar

conversations in English.

To make this process as interesting, motivating, and productive as possible, the Innoilttllcnc

series:

. contains numerous examples of the way grammar and vocabulary are naturally used.

You can learn a lot of useful vocabulary from good grammar exercises, and good

vocabulary activities will give you practice with the grammar of English.. introduces you to many new features of spoken grammar and useful idiomatic language,

followed by opportunities to practise them in meaningful contexts.. includes reading texts that are intriguing and challenging, giving you plenty to talk - and

think - about.. features'Learner advice' pages, which will help you study better.

We hope you find lmcrrriloltt as fun and interesting to 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:

David Frank Barnes,The British Institute of Florence; Richard Booker, School of Professional and Continuing

Education, University of Hong Kong;Michael Bowles, The British CouncihJohn Cargill,The British Councih

Alex Chevrolle, EF English First ;Jose Olavo de Amorim, Col6gio Bandeirantes; Audrey Don, Universidad

Latina deAmerica;John Eaglesham, British School of Milan;Frank Farmer, Universidad de Quintana Roo,

Unidad Cozumel;Kirsten Holt, St Giles Eastbourne;Pamela Humphreys, The British Councih Maria Helena

Primon lema, Sociedade Brasileira de Cultura Inglesa Sdo Paulo; Belgin Ogrek, Ozel Florya Koleji; Guy

Perring,The British Councih Mark Rendell, EF English First;Mark Rossiter, American University of Dubai;

Andre Joao Rypl, Cultura lnglesa Porto Alegre.

In addition to those atThomson, and in particularJimmie, Andrew would like to thank Harry and Shirley

Walkley for being great parents and true internationalists, Macu for her love and support, and Harry Dancey- a good friend made through teaching.

Hugh Dellar has taught EFL, ESP and EAP in Indonesia and Britain, where he is now a teacher and teacher-

trainer at the University of Westminsten London. He trains both native-speaker and non-native speaker

teachers. He has also given papers and teacher development workshops all over the world. He would like to

thank the following people: Lisa - for just being there;his mum and dad,Julian Savage, Maud Dunkeld, Andy

Fairhurst, Nick Groom, Carole Patilla, Sally Dalzell, Nick Barrett, Darryl Hocking, AndrewWalkley, Rob

Batstone, lvor Timmis, Scott Thornbury, Chris Wenger, Howard Middle, Stuart Tipping, Michael Lewis and

Jimmie Hill for their help, support, inspiration and enthusiasm over the years and Thierry Henry, Patrick

Viera, Robert Pires, Curtis Mayfield, Pharoah Sanders, lain Sinclair and Wong Kar-Wei for bringing beauty and

joy to my rare moments of free time and for helping me get through!!

Darryl Hocking is a teacher and teacher-trainer in both ESOL and EAB as well as a lecturer in art anddesign, atAuckland University of Technology, New Zealand. He specialises in developing academic literaciesprogrammes in art and design and has also worked in this area at Goldsmiths, University of London. Hewould like to thank Rosemary, Lucia and lsaac.

Conlents

Unit ITolking oboulpeople

Listening:The Brother from Hell ! l0

Reoding:Ful l - t ime Job! l2

Using Grommor

Modif ierszvery,reol ly,o bit . . . g

Present tenses: l'm o journolist My dod's working in Monchester. l3

UsingVocobulory

Describing people: good-looking, a bit dull ... g

Adjectives - positive or negative: tidy, messy ... | |

Unit 2Friendr erndrelolives 14

Reoding:Surprise for Jai lbirdDad 14

Using Grammor

Comparatives: not os .. . os .. .

Comparing the present with the past:It wosn't os hot os the lost time ...

UsingVocabulory

ldioms focus: like o house on fire,Body idioms: cost on orm ond a leg, keep o stroight foce ... | 5Phrasal verbs with up: fill up, cheer up, mix up ... 17Talking about disasters: Everyone's been evacuated. ... I g

Giving bad news: Oh, haven't you heord? ... | 9

t 6

t5

Unit 3Yourinleresls 26

Listening:So What ShallWe DoTonight? 22

Reoding;AreYou a Bag Person? 74

Using Grommar

Agreeing?, me too, me neither ... 23Auxiliary verb practice: so do l, neither om I ... 23

UsingYocabulory

Free timez going to see bonds, eoting out ... 20Expressions of frequency: not os often os I used tqhow often do you ... 2lHow- questionsz how much, how long ... ZlExpressions of (dis)interese not reolly keen, I reoily love it ... 23ldioms focus: not my cup of teo, right up your street . .. ZSExpressions with thingz the thing is, for one thing ... Zs

Unit 4Unusuolinleresls ZO

Reoding:lt's a Man's World? 28

Using Grommar

The -ing form as a verb: He spends oll his free time singing. ... 26The -ing form as a noun z Mountoineering con be pretty dongerous. . .. 26Would and 'd: I would if I could. I'd quite fike to. ... 3 |

Using Vocabulory

Yiofent or dangerous sports: boxing, bungee jumping ... 30

Revlew: Units l-4 32

Unit 5Big decisions

Listening;Forty a Day! 40

Using Grommor

Giving explanations with the past perfect continuous:I hodn't been getting on with my flatmotes, so I just decided r neededa place of my own. ... 37Second conditionals: lf I hod o job like that, t'd go crozy. ... 39Likely or unlikely (conditionals): lf I poss my exom.lf I won o lot of money ... 39

Using Yocobulary

Tough decisions: deciding ro get morried, deciding to chongejobs . .. 36Expressions: Whot o nightmore, 36ldioms focus: piece of cake, nothing to it .. . 37Taf king about jobs: surge on, mechonk, builder ... 3gDecisions: wise, wrong ... 39How come? How come you're leoving eorty? ... 4l

4

l l O r , t J

UNTT Oftying 42

ReodingThe Cost of a Cigarette 43

Using Grommar

Gerunds and infinitives: I cleorly remember posting your lener.I must remember to post your letter. ... 46

Using Vocobulory

Ffying vocabularyz o boording card, an eight-hour flight ... 44

Adjectives - strong comparatives: much worse, much nicer ... 45

Strong adiectives: disgustlng, enormous ... 45

Smoking: o choin smoker, o heovy smoker ... 47

Unit 7Your weekend

ListeningThank Goodness lt'sFriday!

Using Grammor

Four difrerent future forms: 'll I going to / present continuous /present simple 49

More ways of talking about the futurez I've gogl'm supposed to,I might be ... 5 I

UsingVocobulory

Typicaf weekend activities: go out for o wokhove people round ... 48

Collocations with goz l'm going on o dote ... 52

ldioms focus: No rest for the wicked ... 53

Unit 8Porty onimcrls 54

ReodingRave to the Grave 56

Using YocobuloryParties: o dinner porty, o birthdoy porty ... 54

Party collocations: breok up o party,goteuosh o porty ... 54

Party politics: left-wing, right-wing ... 58

Talking about the law: introduce o low,tighten o low ... 58

lp,vlc,wc Unlts 5-8 60

Unit 9Losl nighr 64

Listening:The Worst Disco inTown! 66

Using Grommor

Responding with auxiliary verbs: Oh,did you? Oh,hove you? ... 67

Not untiL' I didn't get in until three. ... 68

Linking ideas: lt wos so loud, I could hardly heor myselfthink.... 69

Using Yocobulary

Lifestyle activities: I went to my evening closs. ... 64

Colfocations with gefi get up,get some money... 65

Problem words: chotltokwoshlwosh-up ... 65

Unit rOlelotionships 70

Reodingls She Really GoingOut with Him? 72

Using Grommor

Appearances: looks (adj),looks like o (n),looks os if (clause) ... 70

Expressions with modals: I could've told you thotYou might soy thot ogoin! ... 74

Using Yocabulory

Descriptive adjectives: musculor, moture ... 7 |

I bet: I bet het studying computing. ... 7 |

Chat-up lines: Do you come here often? ... 7l

Stages of a relationship engaged, manied, separated ... 73

Iend to: Men tend to eot more junk food thon women. ... 75

Unit llTelling slories 76

ListeningHair Today,Gone Tomorrow!

Reoding:SpiderWoman

76

Using Grommor-ing clauses.' I wos just stonding there, minding my own business. ... 19

UsingYocobulary

Hairstyfes: She's got curly hoir. ... 77Sfang: Het o reolly nice bloke. ... T7Different kinds of storieszbedtime story,the some old story .. . 78Storytelling expressions: You're joking. Reolly? ... 7gldiomatic comparisons: like clockwork,like o log ... gl

Exaggerating using idioms: I'm dying for o coffee. ... I I

Unit 12Difficuh robelieve 82

ReodingHome Alone 83

Urban Myths 87

Using Grammor

Past simple and past continuous: I resigned from my job onFridoy .. . I wos living in ltoly when ... 84Being vague: ... or something, ... or onythifrg, ... -ish ... 86

UsingVocobulary

On the woy: As I wos on my woy bock from France ... 85Travel words: tip,tour, journey ... 85

Review: Units 9-12 88

Unit 13Old friends 92

Listening:LongTime, No See! 93

ReodingLong Lost Friends 96

Using Grommor

Present perfect simple and present perfect continuous:Where on eorth hove you been? I've been waiting for on hour. ... 94Adverbs with the present perfect: I've never been to Siberio. ... 94Present perfect collocations: l've been trovelling. ... 94I wish (with past perfect): I wish lU osked for her oddress. ... 94

Using Yocobulary

Expressions with pointz get the poin[ see the point, moke o point ... 95

Unit l4Art 98

ReodingArt Attack 100

Using Grommar

Relative clauses: I went to thot new Motisse exhibition,which wosreolly nice. ... 102

UsingYocabulary

Recommending: You should go ond see it ... 99Describing paintingsz portroig londscape,st/l life ... 99

Oh,thot reminds me! Oh,thot reminds me! I must phonemy mum tonighL ... 102

Unir 15Describingthings 104

ListeningNot ExactlyShakespeare! | 06

Using Grommor

Conjunctions: olthough,considering,in spite of ... 105Negative questionsz Don'tyou like cheese? ... 107ldioms focus: deod tired,brond new ... 107Comparing: lt wos o bit like ... but not os good. ... | 08/l4ust for guessing: Oh, thot must've been wonderful. ... 109

5

Unit 16Film crndtelevision I l0

ReodingTV Robocop:NotViolent EnoughforViewers I 12

Using Grammor

Past perfect simple:TheW version had been censored. ... | | 3

Mixed conditionals: lf it hodn't been for him,l would neverhove gone. . . . | | 5

Using Vocabulory

Fifm types: sci.-f, onimoted, blockbuster ... I l0

Asking questions about films: Who's in it? ... | | |

Fi lm vocabulary: bonned,dubbed,direaor.. . l l l

Tefevision vocabulary: series, chonnel,digitol ... I 14

Audiences: spectotors, congregotion, fans ... I 14

Reviewr Units 13-16 i l6

Unit 17Gors ond ci l ies 120

ListeningMore SleepingPolicemen l2l

Using Grommar

Second conditionals for making suggestions: lt'd be betterif the shops stoyed open loter. ... 122

The passive: fhe bonk hos been turned into o video shop. ... 124

ldioms focus: black sheep, wild goose chose ... | 25

Using Yocabulory

Personal opinions: personolly, os for as l'm concerned ... | 23

Talking about cities: inner city,shonty towns,industrial ... 124

Unit 18Annoyingthings 176

ReodingA Sticky Problem 126

Using Grommor

Was/were going toz l thought it wos going to be the holiday ofo lifetime ... | 28

Using Yocabulory

Phrasaf verbs: put up with, go on obout ... 127

Complaining about things: to top the whole thing off,the lost thing I need ... 129

Expressions with bother: Sorry to bother you ... | 3 I

ldioms focus: a Cotch 22 siuation, the tip of the iceberg ... | 3 |

Unit l9Your fu lure 132

ListeningNow You're Talking! 133

Reoding:Economical withtheTruth! | 36

Using Grommor

Starting with whotzWhot I really need to do is ... 134

lf expressions (to talk about future plans):lf oll goes well ... ' '37

Using Yocabulary

Plans for the future: woit ond see, cont really soy ... 134

Collocations: my own county,where I grew up ... 135

unir 20lhe world ofwork 138

Reoding:We Can Work ltOu t . 139

Using Grommor

Future continuous: l'llbe meeting my boss next week.... 143

Using Yocobulory

V(ork or job? hord work, o dirty job ... 140

Questions about work: How are things atwork? ... l4l

The ideaf boss (describing your boss)z opproochoble,domineering ... 142

Review: Units l7-2O t44

t 4 8t57t 5 9t67

Tapescript

Grommor lntroduction

Grommor Commentory

Expression Organiser

Describing people

Think of three people you know - friends or family. Write their initials beside three of theadiectives or expressions below. Then tell a partner about your choices.

Tick the six adiectives or expressions which best describe you. Then describe yoursetf toyour partnen

Age

young

in his/her twenties

quite elderly

younger than (s)he looks

older than (s)he looks

Looksgood-lookingnot very good-looking

Hair

fair

darkish

completely white

going grey

losing his hair

almost bald

Weight

a bit thin

overweight

on the plump side

Heightquite talla bit on the short side

Other

lazy

hard-working

bad-tempered

easy-going

friendly

moody

energetic

a bit of a fitness fanatic

Personalityamusinga bit dullconservativewarmnarrow-mindedindependentfuna bit of a workaholicreligiousmusicalsPortycreativevery politicala good sense of humour

Speaking

Discuss these questions with a partner.

f . When you're speaking your own 2. What features of alanguage, which adjectives do you appearance do you

person's 3. Are you happy with your ownusually notice appearance? Why/why notl

use most to describe people? firstl

f, t-isten to the descriptions of fenny, Nick, Matt, and Kirsty. Decide who's who. Then workt7 in pairs, trying to remember as much as you can from the descriptions you heard.

3.

8

2.

Usi rtg grarrrrrBr

The words used before adjectives or nouns tomd<e a comment strongeri weaker, or moreecceptable are called modifiers. Add adjectivesin the spaces to talk about people you know.

l. verylreolly + adiectiveShe's very nice. He's really bossy.I've got a friend who can be very . . . . at times,but usually shet really . . . .

guite + adjectiveHe's quite creative - he paints and draws.My father's quiteMy teacher can be quite . . . . sometimes.

o bit + negative adjectiveHe's a bit boring. She's a bit immature.I have to admit , I can be a bi t . . . . somet imes.

o bit of o + negative nounShe s a bit of a moaner. He's a bit of a workaholic.M y m u m / d a d i s a b i t o f a . . . .

o bit too + positive adjectiveShe's a bit too nice, if you know whar I mean.I've got a friend who's very .In fact, I think he's a bit too

Tell your partner as much as you can about whatyou have written.

For more information on modifiers, see G l.

A Listen to the stress and intonation of theseI l ' .r.-ples.

It l quite exoensive.(This means it 's expensive, but not too expensive.)

It 's quite expensive.(This means you think it really is expensive.)

ff t:sten to these examples. Each is said in twoI d aif.rent ways. Then try saying them yourself,so that the difference is clear.

l. I l ive quite near the office.2. She's quite nice.3. He's quite a good cook.4. We're quite h"ppy with the colour.5. He's quite friendly.6. I think they're quite conservative.7. The weather was quite good.8. lt's quite interesting.

1 Talking about people

Do you agree with these statements?

l. Jeans are a bit old-fashioned nowadays.2. Tattoos are really cool.3. Body-piercing is a bit too risky for me!4. Surfing the net can be a bit of a bore.5. Long hair is very attractive.6. Vegetarians can be a bit of a pain in the neck.7. Alcohol is very dangerous.8. Parents can be a bit too protective.

Friends and relatives

Do you say the following in your language?

A friend of a friend is a friend.A friend of an enemy is an enemy.An enemy of a friend is an enemy.An enemy of an enemy is a friend.

Check you understand these useful expressionsfor talking about your friends and relatives.

l. I don't really know John Baker. I only know him bysight.

2. Mary's an old girlfr iend of mine.3. We're old schoolfriends.4. He's her ex.5. This is my parrner^,Jean.

6. Bil l 's just an acquaintance. I don't really know himthat well.

7. She's my sister-in-law.8. I don't know rhem, but I know of them.9. I 'm his godson.

10. My sister and I are really close.

Are there people in your life who fit the abovedescriptions? Who and what are they?Tell apartner about them.

3.

4.

5.

I

Speaking

Modif iers

Reell Englisht a pain in the neck

l f someone is a pain in the neck, they are veryannoying. You can also use it about a situation.Porking's become obsolutely impossible in the towncentre. lt's o reol poin in the neck.

Pronunciat ion

Lls'ier! irr

1 Talking about people

Tell a partner as much asyou can about your family.

A Simon and Melanie work| ? in the same office. Simon'spopped in to Melanie's houseafter work for a cup of tea.As you listen to theirconversation, try to answerthese questions.

l. Do Melanie and Simon have anybrothers and sisters?

2. Do Melanie and Simon get onwell with the other members oftheir families?

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

Discuss these questions with apartner.

l . Melanie th inks her mum is a bi ttoo nice. ls it oossible to be toonicel Do you know anyone likethat?

2. Melanie is an only child. Do youknow any only childrenl Whichwould you prefer: to be an onlychild or to be one of ten oreleven?

3. Do you know anyone whocomes from a really big family?How many brothers and sistersdid your parents havel Whatabout their parents?

The Brother from Hell!

i

Melanie:

Simon:

Melanie:

I can't remember. Do you take milkl

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

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. Youknow,like an advertising agency. They're both really busy.

Simon: Oh, they sound really interesting.

Melanie: Do you think so? | f ind my dad (3) . . . dul l , to be honest.He works late every day, even works some weekends, doesn't read,d o e s n t g o o u t . l m e a n , d o n t ( 4 ) . . . . . . . . . , h e ' s(5) . . . nice, but I don't know, I just don't have anythingto say to him. I think (6) . . . , we just don't spendenough time together.

Simon: How old is he, then?

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

Simon: Oh, yeah.

Melanie: But my mum's lovely. She's (7) . . . , a bit too nicethough, sometimes, always trying to look after me. She worriesabout me leaving home. She's (8) . . . over-protective, ifyou know what I mean. I 'm an (9) . . . , SO...

Simon: Oh, I didn't know that.

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

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's two 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 aboutthem very much.

Simon: Well, my brother,'not ( 12) . . . well, actually. He'sdifferent from me, (13) . . . old-fashioned,( 14) . . . traditional. Well, actually, he's a bit, how canI ( 15 ) . . . , r i gh t -w ing .You know- th ingsa ren twha tthey used to be, more police, death penalty - that kind of thing.He ' s (16 ) . . . f oo l , ac tua l l y .

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

Simon: But my sister, she's great. We ( 17) . . . We've got thesame kind of ( l8) .

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 yousteer (19) . . . of certain topics. Anyway, you were tellingme about your parents.

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

Real English3 the brother from heltThis meahs that he is not a very pleasant person. In fact, he is ratherunpleasant. The kind of neighbours who play loud music in the middle ofthe night are the neighbours from hell! Other people's children can bethe children from hell!

Speaking

1 0

l . religiousZ traditional3. quiet4. alkative5. tidy6. laid-back7. conservative8. ambitious

9. strict10. business-mindedI l . n ice12. indiv idual

13. messy14. l iberal15. hard-working16. sensible

Uging r r .abular 11 | edlectives

ltark each of the adjectives below P or N,depending on whether you think they are positiveor negative. Use your dictionary if necessary.Then discuss your answers with your partner.

1 Talkrng about people

We often use more than one adjective to describethings or people. These adjectives are ofilenemphasised by using the same adverb before eachadjective.

It was really cold and really windy.She's very nice, very interesting.It was extremely long and extremely boring.

We can use two different adjectives with a similarmeaning.

He's a bit strange, a bit weird.He's a bit old-fashioned, a bit rraditional.It was really scary, really frightening.

A Listen to the six sentences above, and practiseI l saying them.

Now talk about the pictures below using twoadjectives and the same adverb. For example:

What a bike! lt's really big and really fast.

Underline the adjectives and adverbs which makethis dialogue sound interesting.

A: Didn't you go to Turkey last summer?

B: No, we went to Thailand. lt was really nice, reallyinteresting.

/r: Whereabouts did you go?

B: Well, first we went to Bangkok, which was a bit toocrowded, a bit too mad for me, so we went off to theislands instead, which were really beautiful, reallyrelaxing.

Now describe the following to your partner in asimilar way.

l . your last hol iday2. the best place you've ever been to3. food from your country4. your best friend5. your home town

Underline the main stressed syllable in eachtdjective. Look back at the adjectives used todescribe people on page 8. Which is the mostpositive for you? Which is the most negative?

Hd<e a list of the four most positive adjectivesend the four most negative adjectives you canuse about someone.

Positive Negativet .

2.

3.4.

t .

2.

3.

4.

Compare your lists with a partner.

Work with a partner. Decide what you thinkthese people are l ike. Use more than oneadjective for each person. Begin: Helshe looks ...

t

1 1

Judging by appearances

i iaadirrg

1 Talk ing about people

Discuss these questions with a partnea

I. Do you have any kids? lf so, how many?2. lf not, do you want anyl Why/why not?3. What's the best number of children to havel4. What's the best age to have them at?

ff, Now read this text about a family with moreld chilAren than any of your parents - thePridhams. As you read, underline anything thatsurprises you.

Every English-speaking child knows the nursery rhymeabout the old woman with lots of children:

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.She had so many children she didn't know what to do.

Nicola Pridham must understand the old 'woman's

predicament very well. She's expecting her twentiethchild and she's only forty! She and her husband Kevinalready have twelve sons and seven daughters.

Kevin Pridham is a self-employed builder, but what heearns is not enough to feed and clothe their large family.Every week their grocery bill comes to f400. They gothrough thirty-five loaves of bread and twenty-five boxesof breakfast cereal per week.

lf you have a child in Britain today, researchers haveshown that it will cost you almost f100 per week whenyou take into consideration food, clothes, pocket moneyand all the other expenses involved in bringing upchi ldren.

Before they are eighteen you will have spent almostf100,000 per child. This means that Nicola and Kevinwill have to find two million pounds! You can be fairlysure that the Pridham children will be handing clothesdown to each other and doing odd jobs to providethemselves with pocket money.

Speaking

Tell a partner what surprised you about the article above. Then discuss these questions.

l. Do you know anyone who's expecting a child at the momentl2. Do you know anyone who's self-employed? What do they do?3. Did you ever get clothes handed down to you?4. Do you think housewives should be paid by the state? Why/why not?

1 2

l*rc are four ways of talking about what youdo br a living.

l"m a journalist / a civil servant / out of work.| rcrk in a factory I in lT / as a DJ.| run a guest house / a restaurant.I do cleaning jobs / a lot of work for the BBC.

Cornplete these sentences with a suitableE 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 . . . . i n a b a n k .

7 . S h e . . . . a b u s i n e s s w o m a n .

8. My dad . . . . unemployed ar the momenl

9. My brother : . . . in the army.

10. I somet imes . . . . bar work.

I l. He . . . . the occasional design job.

lL My mother . .. . a retired teacher.

1 3 . 1 . . . . o n a b o a t .

1 1 . S h e . . . . h e r o w n b u s i n e s s .

Ask some other students in the class about theirjobs and/or their parents' jobs. Who has the mostinteresting job? The most stressful? The mostunusual?

Grammar discussion

With a partner, discuss the difference in meaningbetween the verb forms in these sentences.

la. My dad works for the BBC as a cameraman.lb. My dad's working in Manchester this month.

2a. | find my dad a bit dull. He's only interestedin making money.

2b. I'm finding my job a bit boring at the momenc

3a. He even works some weekends.3b. He's working this weekend. He's finishing off

a special report.

4a. My mum is a really nice person.4b. She's being really nice 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 timeexpressions used with the present continuous.

1 Talking about people

Grammar in context

Complete these sentences using the presentsimple or present continuous.

l. He usually . . .(work) in the centre of town,but this week he ... (work) from homebecause he . . . (try) out a new computerlink-up for the company. lt could be the thing of thefuture.

2. Don't you think John . . . (act) prettystrangely at the moment? | mean, he ...(not be) normally that quiet. Do you think he's OK?

3. My dad . . . (run) his own business, but he'ssick at the moment, so my older brother(look after) it for a while. I think they want him to takeit over eventually.

4. You . . . (not talk) about your parents a lot.. . . (you not get on) wi th them very wel l?

5. He .. .(be) very left-wing. I think he

6;. 1::': ;l::iff:iiT::[:;::ilff'actually. He .. . (be / sti l l) annoyed with mefor forgetting his birthday last year.

Now complete these pairs of sentences withinformation which is true.

7 . M y . . . w o r k s

M y . . . i s w o r k i n g . . . . . . . . . a t t h emoment.

8. I get on very well with .

I 'm not getting on yery well with . .. atthe moment.

9 . M y . . . l i v e s i n . . .

My . . . is l iv ing in . . . at themoment.

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

Famous present tenses

These two famous quotations use the presentsimple. Which is your favourite?l. Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not

want to hear.

2. Foreigners have sex lives; the English have hot waterbottles.

Here are some famous sayings. When would yousay them?

3. What goes up must come down.4. An elephant never forgets.

5. lt never rains, but it pours.

6. You're making a mountain out of a molehil l.

Speaking

Reol Englisht prettyThe adjective pretty means beautiful or artractive.As an adverb it means fairly.I'm pretty good ot bodminton.He's oaing prefty strongely.

\s there an)th\ngyou're prettt good atl.

1 3

iizaCirtu

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. Who are the most infamous criminals in yourcountryl Tell your partner as much as you canabout them.

2. Can you think of any examples of an infamouskidnappingl An infamous murder? An infamousrobbery? An infamous terrorist act?

3. How would you feel if your parents were involvedin cr imel

You are now going to read about a son beingreunited with his infamous father. When you

have read the text, answer these questions.

l. Why has Bronson spent so long in prisonl

2. How did his son feel about meeting him?

3. How realistic are their plans for their future?

When the two men finally met in prison, Michael said thathe got on like a house on fire with his father. 'I gave hima great big hug. It was very nice to finally meet him afterall these years. People get the wrong impression of himfrom the media. He's not as bad as they make out. He'sactually a very sensitive and talented guy.' Interestingly,the facts do back up this claim, because as well as having areputation for violence, Bronson also has a reputation forhis cartoons and poetry. He's been attempting to have hiswork published, but the prison authorities have stood inthe way of any such plan, because they don't want him toprofit from his crimes.

Michael also commented on the fact that he and his fatherlooked very similar, except for his dad's large bushybeard. Bronson himself said: 'I'm delighted to be back intouch with my son. It's taken twenty-two years to get himback into my life.'

When Charles Bronson is eventually released, father andson want to open up a restaurant. Mike plans to be thechef - while Bronson intends to be the security on thedoor! These plans, however, may have to be put on hold -

it seems that old habits die hard. Only last week, Bronsonwas involved in yet another violent incident and an earlyrelease looks increasingly unlikely. If you would like toknow more about Charles Bronson's amazing life, abiography is currently being written about him. You canread it with a clear conscience because any profits will begoing to charity.

While

(urprise for JcrilfDird Dcrda 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 beingreunited with the famous parents they did not know theyhad, but perhaps one of the most unusual is that of atwenty-five-year-old chef from Liverpool, who wasrecently informed of the fact that the father he had neverknown was actually one of Britain's most dangerous men.

Originally jailed for robbery and burglary, CharlesBronson has spent twenty-two of the last twenty-six yearsin prison. Much of this is because he has repeatedly takenhostages in jail and attacked fellow inmates. He is a manof incredible physical strength and has a terrible temper.He has already caused over half a million pounds' worthof damage to prison propeny and has had to be moved toa special secure unit, costing the taxpayer over f60,000 ayear.

Twenty-five years ago, he became a father, when his son,Michael, was born. However, he split up with the boy'smother when he began a prison sentence three yea.rs later.Last year, though, an old friend managed to track downBronson's son in Liverpool. The news that his father wasthe infamous 'most dangerous man in Britain' obviouslycame as a total shock to the son, who nevertheless decidedto get in touch with his father. When Bronson first heardfrom Michael, he said: 'I was on a mission of madness,now I'm on a mission of peace. All I want to do now is gethome and have a pint with my boy.'

14

t-

L

3.

4-

3 Speaking

f*cuss these questions with a partner.

Would you be interested in reading a biography ofCharles Bronson? Why/why notl

Do you think locking people up for a long time is agood idea?

\A/hat effect does prison have on people? What aboutdreir familiesl

Can you think of any alternatives to prisonl

1 Vocabulary check

Corrrplete these sentences with words from thetext

l- lf you haven't met someone for fifty years, it can be ayery emotional occasion when you are

lf you are found guilty of breaking into someone'shome and stealing from them, you are guilty of

Sometimes one country tries to put pressure onanother country by taking some of its cit izens

. . . . Somet imes theseare kil led;sometimes money has to be paid for theirrelease.

lf you are famous for something bad or evil, you are

lf you put your arms round someone, you are givingt h e m a . . . .

l f a beard is . . . . i t means that it is largeand very th ick - l ike a bush!

lf you can't carry out a plan immediately because ofsome problem, you have to put the plan on

ff you give away the money you make from somethingto a good cause, the profits go to

2 F r iends and re la t r ves

Use two of the idioms to tell a partner about twopeople in your l i fe.

The Real English note on page 9 explained a painin the neck. Circle the correct word in the bodyidioms in these sentences.

l. My car's on its last feet / legs. I 've alreadystarted looking for a new one.

2. Have you seen Paula's new laptopl I bet it costher an arm and a leg / hand.

I'm under a lot of pressure at work. My boss isbreathing down my back / neck all the time.

I'm afraid I 've just put my foot / mourh in it.I 've just said something to Kate withoutrealising she and Pete have split up.

When Frank slipped on that banana skin, Inearly laughed my legs / head off.

Yes, it was funny, wasn't itl I tried to keep astraight mouth I face, but it was impossible.

7. lf you're worried about something, tell me - it 'sfar better to ger it off your chest / back.

8. I can't even have a morning off. I'm up to myeyes / nose in work.

Can you translate the eight idioms above intoyour language?

When was the last t ime you ...

put your foot in ir? why? What did you say?found it impossible to keep a straight face?bought something that cost an arm and a leg?

3.

4.

5.

6.L

3.

1.

5.

6.

7.a

a

a

8.

UsirtE J"-,1 'cbdar 1

Michael said he goton l ike a house onfire with his father.

Complete the idioms inthese sentences withmomen( eye, wavelengthand close.

t .

2.

3 .

4.

We argue about everything. We simply don't see eyet o . . . . o n a n y t h i n g .

T h e r e ' s n e v e r a d u l l . . . . i n o u r h o u s e .There's always something going on!

I get on really well with my mum. We're really

It 's incredible. Although my gran is in her seventies,we really are on the same

Body idioms

Speaking

ldioms focus

1 5

Comparatives:

JJJ-JJJ

2 Friends and relat ives

In the article that you read about CharlesBronson, his son, Michael, said that his dadis not as bad as the media make out.

Make six more examples of sentences that usethis structure. Match the sentence beginnings l-6to the endings a-f.

Complete these dialogues using the adjectivesin brackets in the comparative form.

t . Did I hear you say you've got a new bike?What's it like?

B: Brilliant! lt's I l00cc, so it's muchthan my old one. l'll take you out on it nextweek sometime, if you like. (powerful)

What's their new flat like? ls it nicelLovely, it's much . . . than their oldone and it's not nearly(big, dark)

What's your new teacher like? ls he all rightlYeah, he's OK but he's not . . . . . . . . . asour last one,Jane. I mean, he's clear andeverything, but he's . . . than Jane.We used to have a laugh with her. lt was just

. . . with her. (good, serious, fun)

How was your journey? Was there muchtrafficlYeah, it was awful!We thought it would be

. . . taking the motorway than theway we came last time, but it was much

. .. . We were stuck in thisterrible traffic jam for about an hour.(quick, slow)

You went to Lake Como again, didnt you? Wasit nice?Yeah, it was OK, but it was a bit .than I remember it being. (touristy)

What do you think touristy means?

2.

t .

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

I dont see my mum

I'm not as close to my older brother

I don't get on as well with my sister

He's not as serious

She's not as old

We don't get on with them now as well

as she looks.

as I do with my brother.

as I am to my younger.

as often as I see my dad.

as we used to.

as he seems when you first meet him.

3. A:B:

4. A:

B:

5. A:

B:

Now complete these sentences in ways that aretrue for you.

7. I'm not as close to my . . . . as I am to

8. I'm not as .. . . as some people think.

9. I dont see .. .. as often as I used to.

10. My dad's not as . . . . as he might seem.

I l. . . . . isnt as old as he/she looks.

Now explain what you have written to yourpartner.

Have you ever got the wrong impression ofsomeone when you first met them?

Comparing the present with the past

We often compare the present with the past. Forexample, we often compare recent experienceswith past ones. Look at these examples:

A: How's the new carl

B: Great! Honestly, it's much easier to park than the oldone, 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 fewertourists about.

Pronunciat ion:

The sound we call 'schwa'/ / is used for mostrnstnessed vowel sounds. In the sentences betow,tfp stressed words or syllables are underlined.llost of the other syllables are unstressed. Try tosey this sentence stressing the underlined words.

k's much better than it used to be.

Hqr practise saying these sentences.

l- lt's better than my old one.

L lt's better than it was before.

3- lti bigger than the last one.

1- lt's much more touristy than it used to be.

5. lt's much cheaper than it used to 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 Now listen and check your pronunciation.tl Then tisten again and repeat the sentences.

What do you think it means in each of thesentences above?

How many of the sentences above can you use totalk about things that are true for you? Comparewith a partnen Who can use the most sentences?

Discuss these questions in groups of three. Try touse as much of the grammar from this unit asyou can. Spend five minutes planning what youwant to say first.

l. How do you like the flat/house you're living in now,

compared to places you lived in beforel

2. What's the best place you've ever lived in? Why?What made it so good?

3. ls your city better or worse than it used to be tenyears agol In what way?

4. ls your country better or worse than it used to belIn what wayl

5. Can you think of anything that you found a bitdisappointing the second time around - a place, a fi lm,a book, a restaurant?

For more information on comparatives. see G3.

2 Fr iends and re lat ives

Ig:ailu Iar 1

Michael's parents split up. There are lots ofphrasal verbs with up. Complete the sentencesbelow with the correct form of the verbs in thebox.

fiil cheer mix get look pick

t . lf the tickets go on sale at nine, we'd better. . . up early and be there by eight.

l ' l l . . . you up in the car around seven andwe can go into town and have a bite to eat.

You look really sad! . . .up! lt 's not theend of the world!

l ' l l just go to their website and . . . up thetimes of their f l ights to Zurich.

We can ... up with petrol before weleave.

I always .......... up Pete with his brother Ed.They look so similar.

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. Can you think of three reasons why couples split up?2. Can you think of three things you could do to cheer

yourself upl

3. What kind of things can you look up?

Using

2.

3 .

4.

5.

Speaking

Speaking

2 F r iends and re la t i ves

Talk ing about d isasters

What do you think has happened in thesepictures?

With a partner, discuss in which picture eachof the following is most l ikely to be said.

l. Everyone's been evacuated.

2. l t a l l just happened so suddenly.

3. My car's been totally turned upside down.

4. Everything's been smashed to pieces.

5. Luckily, no one's been hurt.

6. lt 's balanced right on the edge.

7. Everything's gone up in flames.

8. lt 's spread very quickly.

9. lt could go ar any minute.

10. lt destroyed everything in its path.

I l . l t 's done mi l l ions of pounds' worth of damage.

12. They're sti l l trying to pur it out.

13. Our roof was blown off.

_l-Jj

-J_t-J-J-J_i-J

II

I

-J

Speaki ng

Have there been any naturaldisasters in your country? When?What happened?

1 8

A

B:A

I

:&:

:

:

-J-JJ-J-J-J-lJ

6-

7.

&

1

b.

t -

z

3.

1-

5.

5 i Givinq bad newsl J

llotke how the highlighted expressions warnrlc other person that bad news is coming.

: I haven't seen Mary for ages. How is she?& Oh, haven't you heardl She was made redundant last

month.Oh, that's awful. She must've been really upset.

Howl your motherlWell, actually, she passed away last month.Oh, I om sorry to hear that. ls your father all right?Oh yes, he seems to be coping very well.

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

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

Can you give me a lift home?

Do you think I could get that camera back off

'ou sometime soon?

Have you heard from Jan recendy?

ls your grandfather any better?

So, has Peter had his results yet?

Are you feeling all right, Steve?

Hello, how are youl

I thought you had a dog.

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

Oh, fine thanks. Well, actually, I think I 'mgeming the flu, so I'd stay away if I were you.

I don't know how to put this, but I think I lost itlast night while I was out. I'm really sorry, butI've searched everywhere and I can't find it. l'll

8et you another one. I'm extremely sorry.

We did. But unfortunately, it ran out into thestreet and was run over. I'm afraid we had tohave it put down.

I'm sorry, I'm afraid I can't. I lost my licencelast week - had a bit too much to drink and

tot stopped by the police!

Well, actually, I haven't - not for about sixmonths - we had a bit of an argument last year.

Well, actually, no. I've just had some very badnews.

Well, yes, I 'm afraid he has. He didn't pass -

so he's got to re-sit part of his exams in July.

A C" back and undertine the expressions usedlJ to introduce the bad news. Now listen andcheck your answers. Then work in pairs readingthe dialogues.

2 Friends and relat ives

Real Englisht have it put down

l f an animal is seriously i l l or badly injured, youtake it to the vet and he puts it down. Anotherway of saying this is he puts it to sleep.

lmagine you live in one of the places shown in thepictures on page 18. A friend has rung you, notknowing what has happened. Give them the badnews. For example:

Hello, is that you,Jack?This is Ron in Sydney.Hi, Ron, how are things down under?Well, actually, it's like an inferno. Everything's on fire.The bush . . . t rees . . . housesAnd are you all rightlFor the time being, I think we are.

Now change partners. Think of five questionsyour friend might ask you about the terriblesituation you are in.

t . . . . . . . . . . ?

2 . . . . . . . . . . I

3 . . . . . . . . . . 1I

I

Now role play a similar conyersation to the oneyou've just had. This time, use a different pictureand the questions above.

d

e.

h.

t J i i r t7 t r .A I rda r 1

Which of the following do you like doing in yourfree 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

l istening to classical music

going to see bands

going clubbing

playing an instrument

reading

working out at a gym

watching videos

going to art exhibit ions

going to an evening class

playing a sport

eating out

going round junk shops

playing computer games

t'ai chi or something l ike that

_JJJJJ-JJ_JJJJJ-JJ

i Real Englishr junk

Junk is stuff of l i tt le value whicyou consider useless, forexample, old furniture, books,CDs, or other things you haveno use for.

Use your dictionary to translate any yocabulary

you are unsure of. Find out what you have incommon with your partner.

ll,tl .rl

h-s

20

2 Not as often as I used to

A Listen to June, a bus driver, talking about howtl stre spends her free time. As you listen,cnplete the time expressions she uses below.

l . Not al l that .L All the3, Not as . . as I 'd l ike to.4- About . . for tn ight.5 . . . I c a n .6 . 4 . . . . . . . . o f t i m e s a y e a r .7. Hardly8 . N o t a s o f t e n a s l . . . . . . . . t o .

Practise saying the eight expressions above.

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.

How often do you . . .

l. have your hair cutl2. get up early on Saturdays?3. see your parents/grandparentsl4. cook in the eveningsl5. work in the evenings?6. see your best friend?7. have friends round for dinnerl8. read in Englishl9. watch fi lms in Englishl

10. buy presents for friends?I l. go away for the weekend?12. go to the cinemal

3 Your rnterests

How- questions are useful for asking for moreinformation.

How much did it cost?How long did it take youlHow diff icult was it l

Make how- questions by adding an adverb, anadjective, or a quantity word l ike much to thesequestions.

l. A How . . did it take you to learn toplay the guitar as well as thatl

B: About ten years. I started when I was reallyyoung, though.

2. A How . . is your work from yourhomel

B: About an hour's drive, I think.

3. A: How . . d id you move here?B: Oh, ages ago. In fact, I've forgotten how

long!

4. A How . . does dinner usual ly costyou?

B: lt varies, but I suppose about tB or t9.

5. .A: So how .. have you been learningEngl ishl

Ever since I can remember. I started when Iwas really really young.

How . . can you speak Chinese?I guess I 'm OK, but I could be better.

How . . is i t to learn Chinese?Some people say it's the most difficultlanguage to learn as a foreigner.

How . . do you go away, then?Every couple of months, I suppose,providing I've got the money.

A: How . . people do you need in ateam?

B: Usually it 's eleven, but you can also play withfive.

A: How . . are you about your examslB: Very! But I 'm trying not to think about them

too much!

Now write questions you would like to ask apartner. Then work in pairs to find the answers.

l . H o w m u c h . . . . . . . . . 1

2 . H o w o f t e n . . . . . . . . . ?

3 . H o w l o n g a g o . . . . . . 1

4 . H o w f a r a w a y . . . . . . ?

5 . H o w d i f f i c u l t . . . . . . . ?

6 . H o w e a s y . . . . . . . . . . ?

7 . H o w m a n y . . . . . . . . . 1

B:

6. .\,

B:

7. ,ri.

B:

8. ;\

B:

9.

t 0 .

questions

2 1

Speaking

L. i ' [ ? t t ! f tg

3 Your interests

Discuss these questions with apartner.

l. Do you have much in commonwith the rest of your familylWhat interests do you share?

2. Do you think men and womentend to be interested in differentkinds of things?

3. ls it best to marry someonew h o . . .. shares all your interests?. shares none of your interests?. shares a few of your interests,

but has some of their own?

4. ls there something you wouldreally like to be able to do, buthave not yet had the opportunityto do?

A Dan and Helena have onlyll iur. started going outtogether. They are not findingit easy to decide what to dowith their evening. Cover theconversation. As you listen,try to decide which of thesestatements is the mostaccurate.

l. They have nothing in common.2. They have lots in common.3. They have less in common than

they think!

Listen again and complete thegaps in the conversation.

So what shall we do tonight?

Dan: So what do you feel like doing tonight? Any ideasl

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

Dan: Yes, that's an idea. (l) .. music do you like, then?

Helena: Oh, all sorts, really, you know, a lot of pop and I quite like bluesand iazz and (2)

Dan: Oh, reallyl I 'm more into dance music myself, so maybe ...

Helena: Well, (3) . . , we could always go and see a film.I like realb/ scary things.

Dan: What?You mean like Holloween?

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

Dan: Oh, right.To be honest with you, I 'm not really (5) ..violent f i lms.

Helena: You're kidding!And I thought this was going to be the perfectrelationship!

Dan: (6) .. ! But it doesnt sound like we've got all thatmuch in common, really, does it?

Helena: Oh come on, there must be something we can do!

Dan: Let me think. Well, I suppose we (7) . . go clubbing.

Helena: What? Somewhere like Paradox?

Dan: ls that the new place that's just opened?

Helena: Yes, just last week. Right, so (8) . . going clubbing, thenl

Dan: OK. Why notl Do you go much yourself?

Helena: No, (9) . . , actually. A couple of times a year, I guess.

Dan: Oh, me too now, but I ( l0) . . a lot more when I wasyounger - almost every weekend. The thing was, though, it justgot to me after a while, staying out dancing all night and thenhaving to go to work ( | l) . . in the morning. I 'mgetting a bit too old for it now.

Helena: Oh, well, that's that off the menu, then! So, what shall we do then?

Dan: ldon' t know.(12). .get a v ideo and a curry,and havea nice quiet evening in in front of the telly?

Helena: Oh, you've got to be joking!We're not in our graves yet. I mean,that's the kind of thing my parents are probably doing( | 3) . . ! Look, it's not what I'd normally do on aMonday night, but let's give clubbing a go! lt might be a laugh.

Recll Englisht The thing was ...

This is a natural way to add extra details or an explanation.The thing is ... introduces a problem, an excuse, or a diff iculty of some kind.

Do you and your friends eyer have problems trying to decide whatto do in the evenings?

At what age are you too old to go clubbing? Twenty-five? Thirty?Forty? Never?

Speaking

| | Agreeing

f n share someone's interests, we can say:

: I really love classical music.& Really? What's your favourite piece? or

So do l. Who's your favourite composerl orMe too! Especially Mozart.

When we agree with a negative idea, we say:

s I dont really l ike classical music.& Neither do l. or Me neither.

2 | Grammar in context

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

tlorrP.

I really love Mexican food.So do l. / Me too. / So have l. lt's great, isnt itl

I don't really l ike much modern fashion.Neither do l. / Me neither. / Me too. lt's dreadful.

I'm not really keen on big Hollywood movies.Neither do l. / Neither am l. / Me neither. They're

3 Your interests

2.

3.4.5.

6.

Going out with a crowd of friends and havingfun, that's what I really like doing.

I'm really interested in politics.

f 'm really into older music, you know, before 1967.

My favourite kind of things are comics andcartoons.

I'm really into roller-blading. lt's a bit likeroller-skating.

a. Oh, it's not really my kind of thing, I'm afraid. I don'treally understand what makes all the parties different.They all seem the same to me!

b. Really? I'm not really very keen on them, myself. I oncebroke my leg skiing and it put me off - for life!

c. Are you? lt's not really my kind of thing. I'm alwaysworried I might get hurt.

d. I don't really like things like that myself. I dont see thepoint of them. I prefer a good novel - the longer thebetter!

e. Are you? I'm not really that keen on anything before| 980.

f , Do you? lt's not really my kind of thing, I'm afraid.I prefer to go out with just one or maybe two people.I hate crowds.

ff Now listen and notice how att the responsesf d Si". extra information. Go back and underlineall uses of really. All the language in this course iscarefully chosen to help you to learn useful naturalEnglish. Complete these collocations from theexercise above.

l . w i n t e r . . . . . 5 . g e t . . . . .2 . h a v e . . . . . 6 . c l a s s i c a l . . . . .3 . i n t e r e s t e d . . . . . p o l i t i c s 7 . l d o n ' t s e e t h e . . . . . o f i t .4 . l t ' s n o t m y . . . . . o f t h i n g . 8 . l t . . . . . m e o f f . . . . . l i f e .

Do you like doing these activities or not? Discusswith a partner using expressions from this page.Explain why.

golf snorkell ing cycling tennissurfing football skiing singing

Uging

lf we do not share someone's interests, we oftensoften the way we express this. Notice how reallyis used in these examples:

A: I really love classical music and opera.B: Oh, do you? I'm not really very keen on it myself . or

It's not really my kind of thing, I'm afraid. orI don't really l ike things l ike that.

Without really, these statements would sound quitestrong and even rude. Make short dialogues bymatching the statements l-6 to the responses a-f.

l. I love nearly all winter sports.

'laca!, ular 1

l - AB:

L { :B:

3- A:B:

-JJJJJJ

so predictable.

1- A: I've seen all the Bond films.B: So have l. / Neither have l. / Me too. Some are

better than others.

5- A: ld love to go to Africa sometime.B: So do l. / So would l. / Me too. lt sounds amazing.

6- A: I hate most classical music.B: Me too. / Me neither. / So do l. l t doesn't do

anything for me, I'm afraid.

lJse So + auxiliary + I or Neither + auxiliary + Ib agree with the following.

l. I prefer coffee without milk.L I dont like things that are too sweet.3. I'm going to stay in tonight and do nothing.1. I've just booked my summer holiday.5. I never go abroad.6. I'd love to meet someone really famous.7. I was born in Australia.8. I can't stand sea water.

Auxiliary verb practice

For on see

Reol Englisht What kind of fitms areyou into?

lf you are into something, you are very interested inat.She\ reolly into heolth food.Heb into okernotive medicine.Tell your partner about something you're really into.

23

i ' - 7 r r l ' : ( , ? l. - - ? d . . . : )

3 Your interests

Look at the examples belowof two people talking abouthobbies and interests they hadin the past, but don't have anymore.

Speaker l : I used to col lectcans when I was younger, l ikecoke cans. I l ived near the seaand I'd find them on the beach.I grew out of it after a while andI can't remember what happenedto all the cans.

Speaker 2: I used to have a trainset when I was younger, but I just

lost interest in it once I got intomus ic .

Think of two hobbies you usedto have when you were younger.Tell your partner as much asyou can about them. Try to usethe following:

l . I used to col lectwhen I was younger. I kept themin a . . I g rew out

of it when I was

years old.

2. I used to play . . whenI was younger.

When we ask about people'sinterests and hobbies, we oftenask the question:

What do you do when you're notworking/studyingl orWhat do you do in your freet ime/spare t imel

It sounds a bit strange if you ask:What are your hobbies?

f r Now read the text aboutI ?' collecting.

Are you a bag person?Come on, admit i t ! You can't resist classy carr ier bags. You have

some cheap and nasty bags from the local supermarket which you

put your rubbish in. But somewhere at home you've got a col lect ion

of bags that you wouldn't part with for the world. An Armani bag?

A Gucci one? Or maybe i t 's that one from the Duty-Free Shop at

Kuala Lumpur Airport? They prove that you're the sort of person

you'd l ike to be.Recently, a London gal lery held an exhibit ion to celebrate the

carrier bag. They asked thirty top art ists and designers to design a

carrier bag for thirty shops which took part in the exhibit ion. The

show was a tremendous success because i t seems we are al l secret

carr ier bag col lectors. Some people go into expensive designer

shops and buy the cheapest thing - 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 col lect ion. l t seems that i t 's not the bag

we want. lt 's what it represents. That's why we throw away our

boring Tesco and Marks and Spencer bags, but make sure our

Harrods or Louis Vuitton ones remain in perfect condit ion.

Discuss these questions with a partnen

l. Which is your most treasured carrier bag? Where did it come from?2. What makes a classy carrier bag?3. Do you collect anything else which might seem strange to other people?

4. Do you ever wear any designer clothesl Why/why notl

I

t-rl-.u&EIU

Speaking

24

2.

3 .

4.

t_

L

3.

+

Llsln vof,abu laryi r l ldioms focus

Ccnplete the idioms in the sentences below with& words in the box.

-counting cuP

I must admit, I dont really l ike this kind of music.hi not really my . . of tea.

lf you're into action movies, you really should go andsee Explosiye Device. lt should be right up your

You like Disney movies! | can't believe it! Oh well,each to their .

My favourite kind of food is cheese - blue cheese.I know it's an acquired

You're into techno musicl Well, there's no. . for taste, I suppose.

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

1 Different people like different things. (two idioms)

b. I don't really like that kind of thing.

c- I'm sure you'd like it.

d. lt's something you learn to like gradually.

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

l. What kind of food do you like?

2. What kind of things do you usually do at theweekend?

3. What kind of music are you into?

4. What kind of things do you like watching on TVI

5. What kind of films are you into?

6. What kind of things do you like doing in class?

7. What kind of restaurants do you like going to?

8. What kind of things do you like reading?

3 Your interests

Complete the sentences below with theexpressions in the box.

t . I've had such a dreadful day. lt's just been. . since I got up.

I don't know why you're asking me. .cars. Ask Mark.

A: I 'm sorry to hear you've lost your job.B: Yes, well,. , I guess. We could

all see it coming.

Whatever you do when you're in Indonesia, don't useyour left hand to offer or take things.

5 . I ' d l o v e t o c o m e w i t h y o u , b u t , . . . . . . . . ,I've already agreed to go out with Samantha.

6. A: So why don't you l ike him, thenlB: Well, . . , you cant trust

anything he says, and for another, he's a bit of ashow-off

Thing/things is a useful word in English. Find threemore thing expressions you like in a dictionary.Tell your partner what you have chosen and why.

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

L using your left hand to pass things2. burping after dinner3. starting to eat before everybody else4. blowing your nose in public5. asking how much someone earns6. women smoking7. living together before you're married

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

Expressions with

a

a

i t 's just not the done . the thing isthing . one thing after anotherit's just one of those . t dont know the firstthings rhing about

. for one thing

Speaking

Speaking

25

I

Tell a partner which of these things you enjoydoing.

a

a

a

a

o

a

a

a

a

a

a

o

a

o

a

a

planning your summer holidaysplaying the piano/viol in/gu itarhelping homeless peopleraising money for sick animalscollecting things (e.g. stamps, phonecards, etc.)going folk dancinggoing to the theatrestudying a foreign languagegoing camping or youth hostellinggoing abroadsurfing the netgardening or visiting gardensmountaineering or hill-walkingreadingpainting or drawing

singing or acting

Complete these sentences with the ideas aboye.

l. No wonder John's eyes are so sore. He spends hiswhole l i fe . .

2. This French friend of mine's just got back fromNewYork where he spent most of the winter

. . at a school in Brooklyn.

3. Kevin feels very strongly about animal rights.He spends a lot of t ime .

4. Pedro wants to be the next Pavarotti. He spends allhis free time .

5. His mother really loves her plants and flowers.She spends all her t ime .

6. I've spent ages . ., and I'm finally offin three days. Two weeks in the sun!

7. Bil l has just splashed out f 100 on these new boots.You know he goes .. nearly everyweekend, dont you?

8. Marie works with poor people in the inner city.She spends every Saturday nightat 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 expressionb. I spend + time expression +...-ing

Go back and underline the time expressions inthe sentences l-8. Then decide if these timeexpressions fit best into pattern a or b.

whenever I can all my lifemost of my evenings half my lifeall my Saturday mornings quite oftenas often as I can onTuesdays

Now complete these sentences about your owninterests.

9 . l g o . . . a l m o s t e y e r y w e e k .

10. I go . . . quite a lot in the summer.

I l. I spend most Sundays

12. I sometimes feel like I spend half my life

Tell a partner what you have written.

We can use the -ing form to talk about an activitywhich is the subject of a sentence.

Mountaineering can be pretq/ dangerous.

Use your own ideas and the ideas in Exercise I tocomplete these sentences in pairs. For example,the answer to number one might be ballroomdancing. What do you think?

l. . . . is all r ight for old people, but not forpeople in their twenties.

2. I know ... can be very dangerous, butthere's no need to ban it, just because some peopleget killed every winter.

3. . . . around the Greek islands in thesummer is great fun.

4. . . . is all right if you've got the time andthe money.

5. . .. is more useful than learning Chinese -

unless, of course, you happen to be Chinese!

6. . .. is a very worthwhile thing to do.

7. . . . is something I've always wanted to do,but I've just never had the time.

8. ... is all r ight for women, but not formen.

Now compare your ideas with your classmates.

The -ing form as a noun

26

beil English3 atright / al right \

lr Brit ish English some people write alright as onerord. Others write it as two. Writing it as one word-nds to be more informal. In this course it is alwaysrrrnren as two words.

3 Al l r ight

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

Are you feeling all right now?

l'm really nervous about making the speech.

ls everything all r ight, sir?

ls your coffee all right?

Shall we take the car?

Just l isten to that wind. I hate flying in weatherl ike th is!

ls it all r ight if I borrow your video for theweekend?

Well, actually, it 's a bit cold.

Yes, thanks. The room's perfect.

Yes, thanks. I 'm much better.

Yes, all r ight. lt ' l l be quicker than the train.

Yes, sure - so long as you're careful with it.

Don't worry, it ' l l be all r ight on the night.

Now, calm down. Everything's going to be all right.

-J-JJ-J-JJJ

4 Unusua l rn te res i s

Make short dialogues using the words in bracketsand the pattern you have just seen. Then practisethe dialogues with a partner.

l. ' ' i . I 'm really interested in boxing.

B: (watch it / box yourselQ

No way!You'd never catch me in the ring! No,I just love watching it.

I really love American football.

B: (watch I play)

"' Oh, I'm in a team. We play every Sunday.

" I really love Chinese food.B: (go to Chinese restaurants / make it yourself)

come round sometime.

4. ;t I 'm really into art.

B: (go to galleries i paint yourself)

No, I wish I could paint. I just l ike going roundgal ler ies.

I 'm very interested in culture.

(youth culture / Beethoven and things l ike that)

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

2.

3 .')

t

1.

5"

7.

t-

e.

5-

Practise reading out the dialogues with a partner.Then cover the responses a-g. Your partner willread out the questions and comments l-7. See ifyou can remember the exact responses.

4 | More - ing forms in use

Good listeners check they understand what isbeing said to them. This encourages the speakerto give more information. You might have tointerrupt to do this. Look at the following yeryuseful 'checking' technique.

Whatl Do you mean just l istening to it oractually playing an instrument?

Both, really. I play the drums in a band atweekends and I've got piles of CDs at home.

27

Speaking

i '-?ading

4 Unusual in terests

Discuss these questions witha partner.

l . Do you think men and womenare treated equally in yoursociety? Why/why not?

2. Should women be allowed to doexactly the same sports and jobsas menl

You are going to read an articleabout the way in which women'sposition in British society has -and hasn't! - changed. To helpyou understand the text better,here are a few definitions:

. A l icence gives you permission todo something.

. lf something is a spectacle, it isstrange or interesting to watch.

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

. lf you are unstable, you are notmentally fit.

. l f you commit suicide, you kil lyourself.

A Now read the article andI I unaerline any examptes ofdiscrimination mentioned.

It's a man's world?l- ot the last thirty yearu, we've been told that the war of the sexes is over

J-and that women now have equal rights with men.To try to prove this,

I some have pointed to the way in which women have reached thehighest offices. Mrs Thatcher, for example, led Britain for thirteen years,whilst many other countries have also recently elected their first femaleleaders.

In the traditionally male-dominated world of sport, women have also madegreat progress. In kick-boxing, for instance, two young Scottish women haveforced their way into the Brit ish team. whilst many conseruativecommentators may disapprove, Kate Kearney and Teresa Dewan are proudof 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 bebeaten by a woman. They usually go off in a huff afterwards. You should seetheir faces!'

However, several recent news stories have highlighted the fact that womenare still being discriminated against in all areas of life. A suruey last yearshowed that on average women earn 300/o less than men and that in manycompanies, there is still a glass ceiling, preventing women from getting thetop iobs. As if this wasn't bad enough, evidence also suggests that womendo more than their fair share of the work in the home. Women today havethe burden of having to go out and fight for their rights in the workplace -

and are then still expected to come home and cook and clean.

Sadly, despite the success of women like the Scottish kick-boxers, sexism isalso still alive and well in sport. The unofficial world women's lightweightboxing champion, Jane Crouch, is today waiting to hear whether the BritishBoxing Board of Control GBBO will allow her to continue her career: TheBBBC is deciding whether women boxers will be allowed to box officially orwhether they will have to remain in the shadowy world of unofficial boxing.

Miss Crouch could expect to earn around €100,000 a year if she is given alicence. However, there has been much opposition to the spectacte ofwomen in the boxing ring. There was laughter at the BBBC inquiry thisweek when it was suggested that women should not be licensed to boxbecause they were biologically and emotionally unstable.

To counter these arguments, Miss Crouch's lawyer, Dinah Rose, saidsarcastically: ,\A/e are all taking a hell of a risk allowing women to pilotaeroplanes, aren't we? Perhaps all women airline pilots should be tested tosee 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 weshould also say that only men are stable enough to look after children,'MissRose asked, to which Mr Blackson could only respond by saying, That's aninteresting question.'

Miss Rose went on to suggest that it was men who were more likely to beunstable, to commit violent crimes or commit suicide. Mr Blackson told theinquiry that until further research had been done, the BBBC should not allowMiss Crouch to box.

Before you

While you

28

4 Speak ing

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l . Do you think any of the th ings ment ioned in theart ic le happen in your country?

2. Do you think there is discr iminat ion against anygroups of people (other than women) in your society?

5 I Comprehension check

Now answer these questions about the text.

l. How do male kick-boxers react when they arebeaten by womenl

2. What's stopping women from getting top jobs incompanies?

3. What does BBBC stand for?

4. Does Dinah Rose believe that women make badpi lots?

Complete these sentences with words from thetext.

l . A sports person who wins a very importantcompetit ion is the

2. The place where boxing matches take place is calledboxing

3. lf you say something which is the opposite of whatyou believe, because you want to mock or insultsomeone, you say it . . . .

4. lf you study something in detail to gain newknowledge about it, you do . . . . on it.

Now complete these sentences with words fromthe text.

5. You can expect to . . . . f30,000 ayear.

6. There's a lot of . . . . to the proposed landfil lsr te.

7. I think we're . . . . a big risk if we don't go tothe doctor immediately.

8. lf you commit a violent . . . . , you should goto prison for a long time.

Voca bu la ry check

29

( "J J t ' . e

J

4 Un t - r s la l i n te res ts

J l t ' -7 . ! ' - . . ' ) '

Boxing joke

f . Pract ise te l l ing th is joke in pairs. Think about0y'which words to stress and where to pause.Who tells the joke better, you or your partner?

When I was a kid, we couldn't afford aTV so one day,my dad dr i l led a hole through the wal l , which meantwe could look into the house next door. After that,we used to watch the boxing and the wrestl ing everynight . . . unti l we finally realised that the neighboursdidn't have a TV either.

Violent or dangerous?

Make sure you understand what these sports are.Are they violent, dangerous, or both?

snowboardingwrestl ingcanoeingsky-diving

bungee jumpingwater-skiinghorse-racingkick-boxinghang-gliding

c l imb ingski ingcanyonrnSfootballscuba-div ing

Now talk about the activit ies above using thesestructures:

I 'd qu i te l i ke to . . .I wouldn' t . . . even i f you paid me! I 'd be scared of . . .

Why do you think so many people l ike sports l ikeboxing or bullf ighting?

Have you got any dangerous interests?

+

f30

: \

Tb responses a-e use would, wouldn't or thecrEacted form U. Make short dialogues byrEdring the sentences l-5 to the responses a-e.

l- Im not really very keen on going out tonight.

L lf tou wanr a ticket, I'll get you one.

3. Could you possibly give me a lift home?

+ Ive no idea where to go on holiday.

5. I think l'll have the Madras curry.

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

b, Well, ld quite like to go somewhere exotic.

c lf you d rather, we could always stay in instead.I dont mind either way.

d. I wouldn't if I were you! lt's really hot!

c- ThatU be great, if you could.

Grammar in context

Complete the sentences below with theqressions in the box.

A: So what do you feel like doing tonightlB: . . go out for a meal, if that's all

right with you.

A: Do you want a lift?B: Oh, thanks. . . . I 'm in a real

hurry to get home.

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.

;;;b il ;;;;. ' ' ' so to the PartY on Your own'

Well, i f you could persuade Jim to come to thelecture this evening, then . . , butdon't worry if you can't.

A: I'm really sorry you can't come with us tonight.B: Well, you know, . . , but I've

really got to finish this work.

I'm really very tired . . . . go to bed,if that's all right.

. . come a different weekend, that'sfine. lt's all the same to me.

t .

L

3.

1.

4 Unusual interests

Here are three common expressions with U andwouldn't:

You'd never catch me in a boxing ring!I wouldnt be seen dead wearing leather trousers!I wouldn't go parachuting even if you paid me!

Use them to say something amusing aboutyourself.

For more information on how to use would,see G5.

Reol Englisht Do you want a tift?

You ask this question when you offer to takesomeone in your car. Look at these examples:Could you give me o lift to the stotion?You couldn't give me o lift could you?I'll give you o lift if you wonL

This is different from the expression thumb a lifr,which means that you are hitch-hiking.

Reaching decisions

With a partner,try to agree what to do in each ofthese situations. Use the expressions with wouldfrom Exercise l.

l. An important guest is visit ing your home town.You have been asked to take them out and showthem the best it has to offer. What would yousuggest to theml

2. You and a friend have just won f 1,000 in a lottery.How would you most like to celebrate?

3. You and some friends are totally broke, but want tohave a nice day out tomorrow. You have absolutelyno money to spend. Where would you go?

Once you have reached your decisions, join upwith another pair and reach a group decision.

8.

-J-J-J-JJ

i dat'd be great if you'd ratherI would if I could

Comparing

t .

2.

Choose the correct form.

\. [m \ookrng I \ \ook for a new lob at the moment.

2. My dad is l iking / l ikes playing golf a lot.

3. I 'm doing / | do odd jobs now and then.

4. She's running / She runs her own business from homeand always has.

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

6. How often are you having / do you have your haircut?

Choose the correct alternative.

H e ' s . . .

a. a bit of a show-off

H e ' s . . . .

b. a bit too show-off

a. quite fun to be with b. a bit of fun to be with

3. a. To learn English is not easy.b. Learning English is not easy.

4. t ' I don't really l ike this kind of food much.B: a. Me neither. b. Me too.

5. ., I don't really l ike places with lots of people.B: a. So do l . b. Nei ther do l .

6. Pete spends a lot of t ime out in the country . . . .

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

The country is much worse than it used to be.

l. l t used to be much trlor€ / less violent than it is now.

2. People aren't as rude / polite as they used to be.

3. Unemployment is higher / lower than it used to be.

4. There used to be a lot more / less crime than therers now.

5. The cities aren't as clean I dirty as they used to be.

Now do the same in sentences 6-10.

The country is much better than it used to be.

6. lt isn't as safe / dangerous as it used to be.

7. Inflation used to be much lower / higher than it is now.

8. lt 's easier / more diff icult to find a job than it usedto be.

9. They're finally spending less / more on health andeducation than they used to.

10. There didn't use to be nearly as many policemen /drug addicts on the street as there are now.

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

Put the jumbled conversation below into thecorrect order.

a. So, do you feel l ike doing anything tonight?

b. Oh, really. I didn't know you had a brother.How old is hel

c. Well, actually, I 'm already going to see a fi lmwith my brother.

You mean action movies and that kind of thing?

Yeah, that kind of thing. So, what were youthinking of doing tonight, anyway?

And do you get on with him all r ight?

Yeah, he's great. We get on really well.He's into the same kind of f i lms as me.

About thirty-two or thirty-three, I think. I cannever really remember. He's a good bit olderthan me.

a. h i l l -walk ing

7 . I s p e n d . . . .

a. as often as I can studyingb. most of my evenings studying

8. How . . . people are coming tonight?a. many b. much

9. l. Do you want to go out somewhere later ontonightlTc be honest , . . . .I 'd rather just stay in b. I rather just stay in

swimming in the lake when I was younger.I had gone b. I used to go

b. to hi l l -walk

B:a.

t 0a

IJJJJJJI-J

d.

e .

f.

g.

Compare your answers with a partner and discussyour choices.

h .

1,,

Mult ip le choice

Speaking

Conversation

Look back and check:Describing people

look back at the language for describing peoplear pages 8, 9 and I l. Tick all the words you canrcrnember. Then ask your partner about anythingyou have forgotten.

lfse as much of this language as possible todescribe another student in the class. Can your

Frtner guess who you are talking about?

Cornplete the sentences below with thecrytessions in the box. All the expressionsr= fiom units l-4.

Review: Units 1-4

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

I'm afraid I can'thryent you heardI would if I could

not really keenone of those thingscheer up

9. hand down

10. finish off

I l . break into

12. give

| 3. be stuck

14. steer clear of

I 5. evacuate

I 6 . d o

for myself

the net

self-employed

for the weekend

a lot of work

well with my family

clubbing

my own business

a rePort

someone a big hug

religion and polit ics

the bui ld ing

a lot of damage

clothes

in a traffic jam

the bank

l . d o

2. run

3. go

4. surf

5. work

6. go away

7. get on

8. be

a.

b.

c.

d.

e .

f.

g.

h .

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

i .

j .

k.

t .m.

n.

o.

P.

t .

L

1. A:B:

5. A:B:

6. A:B:

A: Where's Jim? Hasn't he turned up yet?B: Oh, . . . . I He 's been taken i l l and

rushed to hospital.

Look, it's not that I dont want to see you. I mean,.. . . , but I just can't get away from work

until after seven.

3. A: Could you look after my kids on Friday for a fewhours?

B: No, sorry, I'm already doingsomething else.

I'm sorry I broke your vase.Don't worry about it. lt's just .

So, what do you think? Do you like my new tielN o , l c a n ' t s a y l d o r e a l l y . l ' m . . . . . . . . . . o nthat colour.

. . . . ! lt's not the end of the world.I suppose not, but I still feel bad about it.

Who would do each of the things in numbers9-16 above and why?

Match the statements and the questions l-8to the responses a-h.

l. What's all that noise?

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

3. Do you want a lift?

4. So, how long have you been collectingphonecards, then?

Can you get there by sevenl

What's your little brother like then? ls he OK?

How do you get on with your in-laws?

He's great, isn't he, that new teacher?

That's a pretty conservative view, isnt itl

Do you think so? I 'm not that keen on him.

It's the neighbour from hell again.

Only if you're going my way.

e. Pretty well, I suppose, all things considered.

f. No, not really. The thing is, I'm supposed to bemeeting Jim at 6.30.

g. I suppose I've always been into it, really.

h. You're joking, arent you? He's a pain in the neck!

You have one minute to memorise the responsesa-h. Now coyer Exercise 9 above. Your partnerwill read out the statements and questions lJ.How many responses can you remember?

JJJJJJ-JJ

How many different endings can you think of tofiollow:'Oh, haven't you heard?' as in number oneebove?

How many different endings can you think of tofollow:' l would if I could, but... ' , as in numbertwo above?

5.

6.

7.

8.

a.

b.

c .

d .

Collocations

Expressions

Engl ish

33

ld ioms

Review: Uni ts 1-4

Make sentences with idioms by matchingbeginnings l-7 to the endings a-g.

l. l t never rains,

2. You're making a mountain

3. We don't always see eye

4. My car is on its last

5. I'm up to my eyes

6. lt's not really my

7. lt's just not

a. in work at the moment.

b. legs.

c. out of a molehi l l .

d. the done thing.

e. cup of tea.

f. but it pours.

8. to eye.

With a partner, note down as muchremember about the two texts you2 and 4.

Answer these questions with a partner. Thencompare your answers with another pair. Whogot most answers right?

L How do you get your driving l icencel

2. lf you want to do well in your career, are youambitious or greedyl

3. Do vegetarians drink milk and eat cheesel

4. lf you hardly ever do something, does it mean thatyou do it very often or very rarely?

5. Where does a retired teacher teach?

6. lf you are messy, are you tidy or untidyl

7. lf someone kil ls themself, do they commit suicide orsuffer from suicidel

8. lf you are keen on another person, do you want tostart a relationship with them or notl

9. lf someone with red hair is called a redhead, whatis someone with blonde hair cal led?

10. Where are you likely to be if you are having apint?

I l. lf you were a laid-back sort of person, how oftenwould you be in a huff with someone - often orhardly ever?

12. ls a biography a book someone writes about theirown or another person's l i fe?

13. Do cr iminals make cr imes or commit them?

14. How do you get on with someone if you're not onthe same wavelength?

15. A fr iend of yours is descr ibed as narrow-minded.Does it mean they are open to new ideas or aretheir ideas fixed in a negative way?

16. lf you have no brothers or sisters, are you a singlech i ld o r an on ly ch i ld?

17. When do you need to get things off your chest?

18. Can you think of three things a hurr icane could doto a house?

19. Does a boxing match take place in a ring or asquarel

20. How well do you know an acquaintancel

the

as you canread in units

-|_J_J_J_J_lI

Now compare what you remember with anotherpair. Who remembers more?

Which text did you enjoy more? Why?

134

Vocabulary

remember?

It's a man's world?

Review: Uni ts 1-4

Discuss these statements with a partner. What do you think?

l. I need to learn more grammar and do more grammar exercises in class.

2. You can say more with vocabulary than you can with grammar.

3. English grammar is very complicated.4. lt's important to know all the grammar terminology.

5. What's more useful when you go abroad - a grammar book, a coursebook, a dictionary ora 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 use any books to help you study English at homel

2. Has this text made you change your mind about anything?

3. ls there anything you strongly disagree with herel Why?

35

J-J-JIJJ-JJ

Usirr vora ular 1decisions

What is the most important decision you haveever made in your life? Did it turn out well orbadly?

On your own, put the following decisions in orderifrom the most difficult to make ( l) to the easiestto make (8).

deciding to change your job

deciding to get married

deciding to start a family

deciding to work abroad

deciding to stop smoking

deciding to get divorced

deciding to move house

deciding on a name for your child

Compare your answers with a partner. Can youthink of any other tough decisions not l istedabove?

A Now listen to these three people talkingld about their experiences of some toughdecisions. Listen carefully and write down theirdecisions.

Check you understand the expressions in the boxbelow. Use a dictionary to help you translate anyvocabulary you're unsure of.

I felt really pleased with 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.

E

t .

ff Usten to the three people again and tick thet/ expressions when you hear them.

Use the expressions to talk about experiencesyou have had.

nightmare!

36

When we explain why we did something, we oftentalk about what had been happening (the pastperfect continuous) before we did what we did.took at these examples:

So why did you decide to move out of your old fladIt was mainly because I hadn't been getting on withmy flatmates for ages, so I just decided I needed aplace of my own.

So how come you started smoking?Well, all my friends had been smoking for ages andtheyd been trying to get me to start, so eventuallyI just gave in.

Complete these short dialogues by putting theverbs in brackets in the past perfect continuous.

A :B:

A :B:

2. A:B:

3. A:B:

5 Big decisions

Ask each other these questions. Use yourimagination and the past perfect continuouswhen you answer.

l. So how come you decided to get engaged?2. So what made you decide to buy your own flat?3. So why did you finally decide to get a jobl4. So why did you decide to get rid of your cats?5. So how come you gave up salsa dancing, thenl6. So why on earth did you get rid of yourTV?

Tell your partner about a big decision you'yemade, and then explain the background to thatdecision, using these structures:

lU been -ing.

I hadn't been -ing.

For more information on how to use the pastcontinuous, see G6.

l . A :B:

4. A:

B:

5. A:B:

6. A:

B:

So why did you decide to go to India, then?W e l l , l . . . . . . . . a l o t a b o u t i t s i n c eSally told me about her trip, so I just took amonth off work and went on my own. (read)

So what made you decide to stop eating meatlW e l l , l . . . . . . . . a b o u t i t f o r a w h i l e .A few of my friends were vegetarians and they

. . to convince me for ages, soI just decided to give it a go. (think, try)

So how come you finally bought a computer?It was really because for years I

. . all my writ ing on this ancienttypewriter, so I decided to splash out. (do)

So how come you two split up, if you don't mindme askinglWell, basically, we . . constantlyfor months, and, to be honest, we weren't reallyenjoying each other's company. (argue)

I hear you've moved into a flat,JimlYes, | . . in the university hostelsince I left home. I thought it was time to get aplace of my own. (live)

So, you and Karen didnt move back to Swedenafter all?No, we . . second thoughtsfor a while, so we decided to stay here in Cardiff,at least for the time being. (have)

Usirr

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

ldioms focus

Complete the idiomatic expressions in the shortdialogues below with the words in the box.

sailing cake stone nothing done depth

It must've been really hard learning Spanish.No, not really, I already speak ltalian, so it was ap i e c e o f . . . . . . . . . . !

Did Lee give you your money back?Eventually, yes, but it was like getting blood out ofa . . . . . H e ' s s o m e a n !

Did you go and give blood in the endlYes, and I 'm glad I did. There was . . .. to it!I didnt feel a thing.

So how come you decided to quit the classlOh, everyone else was so much better than me.I f e l t t o t a l l y o u t o f m y . . . . . . . . . . !

Did it take you long to get used to living in GreecelWell, the first six months were quite hard, butafter that it was all plain

Why not try and get a work permit and stay?That's easier said than lt's fine if you'vean EU passport, but I 'm Chilean.

l . A :B:

2. A:B:

3. A:B:

4. A:B:

5. A:B:

6. A:B:

Grammar

Reol English3 Basicaly, ...

This is a common way to introduce an explanation.

A: So why do you need to leorn English,then?B: Well, bosically, my boss told me I had to.

A: How come you sold your cor?B: Well, basicolly,l just couldn't offord to keep it

running.

What other reasons can you give for selling an old carl

37

t t

t r

surgeon

chemist

bouncer

f ireman

mechanic

social worker

pol icewoman

POStman

bu i ldersoldierpi lotmodel

Which jobs can you see in these pictures?

Compare your answers with your partner andexplain your choices. These expressions mighthelp you explain why a job does or doesn't reallyappeal to you.

On the positive side:I imagine itd be really rewarding.I think it 'd be a really creative job.I imagine it 'd give you a lot of freedom.I'm sure the money would be good.It wouldn't be all that demanding.You'd meet a lot of people.

On the down side:

You'd have to work really long hours.I imagine it? be really stressful.I think it 'd get really boring after a while.It 'd be dangerous.It'd be dirty.I 've got a feeling it 'd drive me mad.The money wouldn't be very good.You'd end up doing the same thing every day.

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 g a . . .

I 'd qu i te l i l ce to be a . . .

I cou ld never be a . . .

Talk ingabout

Sf ft

Second condit ionals

The first conditional uses the present simple:lf I get that job, it'll be really well-paid.

The second conditional uses the past simple:lf I had a job like that, lU go crazy.

Complete the paragraph below with the pastsimple of the verbs in the box.

Some people spend half their l i fe wishing their l ives were

bet te r - i t rea l l y annoys me. ' l f | ( l ) . . . .a b i t more

m o r e m o n e y - i f l ( 2 ) . . . . a b e c e r j 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 say things 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

happier place.

Hake second conditional sentences using thewolds in brackets. For example:

(you / look better I if Iwear / suit)I think you d look better if you wore a suit.

f . (Rachel / understand / if I you explain it / her)I 'm sure

2. (if / we haveIt's a shame.

more time / look round / museums)

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

(af I I I not have any children / | / travel round theworld)I often think that

(life / be easier I if I everybody I tell lthe truth)I often think that

Choose the most suitable verb form - past for anunlikely situation:

lf I won a lot of money, ...

and present for a likely or more likely situation:lf I pass my exam, ...

l . l f I meet / met the Pr ime Minister, . . .

2. lf everybody thinks / thought l ike me, ...

3. lf I l ive / l ived to be seyenty, ...

4. l f I l ive / l ived to be 120, . . .

5 Big decisrons

Now finish the sentences l-4 with your own ideasor choose from a-d below.

a. I d probably have great-great-grandchildren.b. I dont know what lU say to him.c. the world would be a better place!d. l ' l l be quite h.ppy.

For more information on how to use secondconditionals, see G7.

Decisions, decisions

Deciding on your career is one of the biggestdecisions you'l l eyer make in your l i fe. Completethe sentences below with the words in the box.

wise wrong unpopularimmediate joint right

t . We definitely made the .. .. decision coming bytrain. lt 's so much easier than driving.

Look, we've got three days to make up our mindsabout it. lt's not as if we need to make a(n) .decision or anything, is it?

A: I've decided to stay and finish my course. lt wouldbe mad to leave it now.

B: I th ink tha t ' s a (n) . . . .dec is ion .

Oh no, look at the traffic. We made the ..decision coming this way.

The government's decision to raise income tax to35% has been very

Some of our friends think it was my idea to give upour jobs and move to the country, but it wasn't.We d both talked about it for years. lt really was a(n)

. . . . d e c i s i o n .

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. Has your government made any unpopular decisionsrecently?

Have you made any joint decisions recently? Whowithl What about?

Have you ever made a wrong decision?

Uging Iscab'ular;1

2.

3 .

4.

3.

1.

2.

Speaking

Likely unl ike ly?

39

5 Big dec is ions

Before you listen

You are going to hear a man talking about somebig decisions he's made. The expressions in thebox are all connected to these decisions. Discusswith a partner what you think he decided to do.

pass a physical

stuck in front of a computer all day

It's dead!

n Phil and f ason are both in the same eveningtd.lass

"ni"r. chatting during the coffee break.

Listen to them talking about some big decisions.

Cover the conversation. As you listen, try andanswer these questions.

l. What big decisions has Jason made?

2. Why?

Listen again and try to fill in the gaps in theconversation.

Crawley is a nice quiet town in the country abouthalf an hour by train from London. lt's nearGatwick Airport, so there are a lot of jobs. lt's gotgood schools and few social problems. Wherewould you rather live - London or Crawley?

Would you like to move to another town - oreyen another country - or are you happy whereyou are?

Forty a day!Phil: Just t ime for a quick smoke. Oh sorry, do you

want one?

Jason: No, thanks. I gave up years ago.

Phil: ( l) . . ! I 've given up even tryingto give up!

Jason: Yeah, it's a nightmare, isn't it?

Phil: (2) .. ! | don't know how youmanaged it.

Jason: Well, it's funny, but it was my job that did it.I mean, (3) . . , and you knowit's destroying your lungs, don't you, and I knewI wouldnt be able to become a fireman if I didn'tgive up.

Phil: So, what's becoming a fireman got to do with it?ls it the fire risk or somethingl

Jason: No, it 's just that (4) .. pass aphysical to get in, and I wouldn't be able to dothat if I was smoking forty a day.

Phil: Forty a day! Just as well you gave up! So,(5) .. you decided to becomea fireman anyway?

Jason: Mm, ld have to think about that. I suppose it allgoes back to when I got out of college. I wantedto do something exciting and different, youknow, and a friend of my dad's was in the localfire brigade.

P h i l : O h , r i g h t . S o , ( 6 ) . . . . . . . . ?

Jason: Yes, he helped me get the job. I mean, I knew Ididn't want to (7) . . sitt ing inan office pushing bits of paper round a desk orstuck in front of a computer screen!

Phil: Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I'm halfblind already! So, (8) .. moveto London, thenl Was it for work or because ofa relationship or what?

Jason: Well, i t was mainly work, but also because I wasjust (9) . . where I was living atthe time.

Phil: lt was down in Crawley, wasn't itl lt's prettyquiet down there, isn't it?

Jason: Quiet? Yeah, it's dead. There's absolutely nothingto do there.

P h i l : ( 1 0 ) . . . . . . . . ?

Jason: What? Becoming a fireman?

Phil: No, no, moving to London, I mean.

J a s o n : O h y e a h , ( l l ) . . l l o v e i t .I don't think I could live anywhere else now.

Phil: No, it 's the same for me.lt gets you after a while,doesn't it? lt's like a drug.

Real Englisht Good for you!

This is a common way of congratulating someone.A: I'vejust possed my driving testB: Good for you!

Speaking

40

llow come is an alternatiye way of saying why.took at these examples:

}Yhy did you decide to move to LondonlHow come you decided to move to London?

tVhy did you decide to do that, then?l{ow come you decided to do that, thenl

Wtry are you leaving early?l{ow come you're leaving early?

Practise saying the expressions above.

Re-write these sentences starting with why.

l. How come you paid so much for your car?

2. How come you got here so early?

3. How come you refused the invitationf

4. How come you didn't accept the job in LAf

How come you're so interested in Tibet?

How come there's no beer left in the fridge?

Now complete these sentences with how comeor why.

7. So, . . you're studying Englishl

8. So, . . did you choose this school?

9. So, . . did you decide to do that, then?

10. So, ..you chose to study that?

I l. So, . . do you want to go to lceland?

12. So, . . you decided to move there, thenl

Now ask your partner two intresting questionsstarting with how come.

fl Comptete these'How come?' jokes withl/ tn. clrrect response in the box betow.

o I wanted to be near my mum!. Because I left the plane tickets on it!. They didnt look!. I want to be ready in case there's an

accident!

3. A:B:A:

4. A:

B:

A:

5 Big decisions

I wish I'd brought the piano with me.How come?

When I was a kid, I ran away from home.It took them six months to find me.Six months! How come it took them so longl

Here are six expressions for explaining why youmade certain decisions. Put the words in thecorrect order.

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

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

c. always I to lwanted / I'd

d . jus t /w i th / up / | | fed I i t /go t

j u s t / l / f e l t / i t l l i k e

him / of / fr iend / recommended / mine / a

Now complete these short dialogues with theexpressions a-f above.

l. A: Why did you decide to write a booklB : . . e v e r s i n c e

I was at school.

2. A: So, how come you went to Dr Martin?B: . . and I 'm

glad I did. He's wonderful.

3. A: So, why did you decide to stop dancing lessons?B : . . . l m e a n ,

it was fun to begin with, but it started eating upall my free time.

So, what on earth made you decide to dye yourhair grey?

.. . I thoughtit might make me look more mature.

So, what made you study Greek philosophyl. . , bel ieve i t

or not!

So, why did you and Jane split up?

It's sad, I know, but that's life, I suppose.

Tell a partner about:. something you got fed up with.o something sil ly you just felt l ike doing.. something you've always been interested in.

e.

t.

5.

6.

4. A:

B:

5. A:B:

6. A:B:

l . A :B:

2. A:B:

How come you drive with your brakes on?

3 | Explaining your decisions

Jokes !

How come you were born in New Zealand?

41

iteadirr g

2.

3 .

4.

5.

6.

Your captain speaking

With a partner, discuss whether you think thesestatements about air travel are true or false.whv?

l . Only you or members of your family may pack your

luggage.

No aerosols are allowed in any luggage.

Only two items of hand luggage may be carried on

board.

No cigarettes or alcohol are allowed on board.

The use of mobile phones is strictly prohibited.

No toy weapons are allowed on board.

You're going to read an article that features airtravel, the law and smoking. Check that you

understand the words in the box beloq using adictionary to help you if necessary. Then put

them into the correct categories.

air travel:

the law:

smoking:

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

A Read this article about a woman whoseld.r"ring for a smoke tanded her in big trouble- at 30,000 feet! When you've read it, answerthese questions.

l. Why did Joan Norrish l ight up on the plane?

2. When was she arrested?

3. What happened to her after thatl

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

7. smoking during take-off and landing

8. using a CD player

9. wearing high-heeled shoes in an emergency

10. where to put your hand luggage

I l . using the toi let

12. seats in the upright position

I3. wearing seat belts during the fl ight

14. special seat belts for babies

While

The cost of a cigaretteA businesswoman's desperate need for a cigarette on an eight-hour flight from America resulted in her being arrested andhandcuffed, after she was found lighting up in the toilet of aBoeing 747, not once but twice.

Joan Norrish, aged 33, yesterday became the first person to beprosecuted under new laws for smoking on board a plane,when she was fined t440 at Uxbridge magistrates' court. MsNorrish, from Radwinter, Essex, said: 'l 'm such a nervouspassenger, and I couldn't have handled the flight without acigarette. lf they'd told me I couldn't smoke on board, lwould'veavoided going by plane altogether.'

Ms Norrish first attracted the attention of the in-flight staff whenshe had her first puff in the toilet after the plane touched downfor refuelling at New York's JFK airport. One and a half hourslater, she went into the lavatory again, causing passengers tocomplain to the cabin crew. However, on inspection, they couldfind no sign of cigarettes in the toilet, and were concerned thatMs Norrish may have hidden the cigarettes, thus adding to theirfears for the safety of the plane.

Relations between Ms Norrish and the crew soon got worse, asMs Norrish turned violent when the plane landed at Heathrow,where the police were alerted. She was subsequently arrestedand handcuffed.

Outside the court, Ms Norrish commented on her f ine. ' l t wasquite high, much higher than I was expecting. lt al l seems likean avvful lot of fuss over just a couple of cigarettes.' Ms Norrishis being encouraged to appeal against the fine by a pro-smoking organisation who have offered her legal aid. Aspokesman for the group said: 'This is yet another example ofthe way in which smokers are being discriminated against andmarginalised in society. We generate millions of pounds for thegovernment every year through the taxes we pay - and yet weare treated like second-class citizens. We're banned fromsmoking in all kinds of public places and people expect us tostand outside in all weathers if we want to smoke. lt's got tostop!'

However, anti-smoking lobbies have welcomed the judge'sdecision and have claimed that there is no excuse forendangering the l ives of others by l ighting up in public. 'This isa step in the right direction,' a spokeswoman said, 'and we lookforward to the day when all smoking is banned.'

6 F ly ing

Discuss these questions with apartner.

l. Do you have any sympathy forMs Norrishl Why/why not?

2. ls smoking banned in yourcountry? Can you think ofanything else that is?

3. Are you more pro- oranti-smoking? Why?

Complete these sentences withwords from the article.

l. I quit after two years workingthere. I just couldn't have

. . . . t h e p r e s s u r e a n ylonger.

2. lf I'd known we'd get delayedfor six hours, I would've

. . . . f l y inga l together .

3 . W h e n w e . . . . d o w n ,there was a great big crash. ltwas really scary.

4. I've looked everywhere for her.She's just totally vanished.T h e r e ' s n o . . . . o f h e ranywhere.

5. Since the war ended a fewyears ?go,. . .. betweenour two countries haveimproved a lot.

6. lt was lovely this morning, buti t ' s s u d d e n l y . . . . r e a l l ycold, hasn't it?

7. Has the postman been yet? I'm. . . . s o m e i m p o r t a n t

mail today.

8. I was going to complain, but Ididn't want to make a

I hate it when Ifeel like everybody's looking atme.

9. I'm going to apply for. . . . a i d s o l c a n t a k e

them to court.

10. I 'm a fireman and we're goingon strike next month. We'resick of being treated likesecond-class . ..

Speaking

Vocabulary check

43

Ui ing

6 F ly ing

l . your boarding

2. the drinks

3. an eight-hour

4. the overhead

5. your oxygen

6. the in-fl ight

7. the smoking

8. the emergency

9. the cabin

10. an unscheduled

rs.abularT

f

Match the words l-10 to the words a-j to makecollocations which are commonly used to talkabout things to do with flying.

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

l. Could you have a look on the TV page to . . .what's on after the news?

2. A: Can you . . . . anything wrong, doctor?B : N o , y o u r t h r o a t . . . . f i n e .

3. I think l ' l l . . . . the match on TV tonight.

4. The amount of food at the wedding was incredible.I ' ve never . . . .any th ing l i ke i t !

5. I want you to . . . . him closely. I think he's upto something.

6. Here, . . . . out of the window. Have you everseen a car like that before!

7. Can you . . . . my bag while I go to the loo,please?

8. When the sky is this clear, you can . . . . formiles from up here. lt's fantastic!

9. Have you . . . . that new film yet? lt's great.

10. I 've .. .. ever)rwhere for my wallet. I can't. . . . i t a n ) r w h e r e .

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

A Try to guess the ending of this joke. Listenl/ anA check. Then tell i t to each other in pairsand decide who tells it better. These people thentell it to the class, who vote on who tells it best.

Alfred had never flown before and was extremelynervous. He was f ly ing across the At lant ic to v is i t h issister, who had emigrated to Canada. When he got onthe plane he found he was si t t ing in a window seat.After a few minutes, the person next to him arrived -

an enormously fat American. Not long af ter the planetook off, the American fell asleep and began to snoreloudly. It was obvious to Alfred there was no way hecould get out, even to get to the toilet, without wakingthe man up.

After the in-fl ight meal had been served, the planeentered an area of severe turbulence. The Americancontinued to snore. Alfred, however, started to feel sick.He was desperate to get to the toilet. Finally, he wassick - a l l over the man's t rousers.The American didn' twake up, but he just cont inued to snore. Al f red didn' tknow what to do.

As the plane touched down, the American f inal ly wokeup and saw his trousers. Alfred turned to him and said,

a.

b.

c .

d .

e.

f.

entertainment

flight

locker

crew

stoPover

trolley

card

section

exit

mask

g

h

I

t 3 .

14 .

Discuss these questions with a partner.

I l. Have you ever had to use your oxygen mask?

12. Can you remember things fall ing out of theoverhead locker?

When was the last t ime you went on a really longfl ightl

What is the longest flight you have ever been on?

Now imagine you have just touched down afterthe worst flight eyen You had problems with allof the things in Exercise I above. You're going tophone a friend back home and tell them aboutyour journey. Spend five minutes planning whatyou are going to say. Ask your teacher for helpif necessary.

Flyingvocabulary

Flying joke

44

What is your worst flying story?

Adjectives: strong comparatives

Here are expressions which show that the endresult of something was different from ourexpectations.

A: How was your flightlB: 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 tothe following questions. Here are some wordsend phrases to help you.

fine much hotter

tr€at much nicerwent well much betterinteresting much easiernicesweltering

l. How was your examl

L What was the weather in Tunisia like? ls it hot at thistime of yearl

3. So, you've moved into your new house. How did itgol

1. How did you feel about your presentation the otherdayl Were you happy with it?

5. What did you think of the restaurantl Was it nice?

6. So, how was the exhibition? As good as all theadvertising said it would bel

Now ask your partner questions about somethings you know they have done or seen recently.They should answer as above. Continue theconversations for as long as possible.

Strong adjectives

took at ways of responding in the examplesbelow.

A: Having someone throw up all over you is quiteunpleasant, isn't it?

B: Unpleasant? lt's disgusting!

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

l . A :B:

2. A:

B:

3. A:

B:

5. A:

B:

6. A:B:

7. A:B:

8. A:

6 Fly ing

We often respond by repeating an adjective asa question and then adding another strongeradjective. Respond to these questions orcomments in a similar way using the strongadjectives in the box below.

tiny freezing boiling shockedterrifring dead enormous gorgeous

It must've been really hot in Greece.

Oh, you're from Sio Paulo originally, are you?It's a pretty big city, right?

How's your flatl lt must be a bit cold with all thissnow we're having.

B:

4. A: It's pretty quiet down in Devon, isn't itl

You must've been pretty surprised when you readthe report in the papers.

It 's a bit small in here, isn't it?

So, is he good-looking, then, your new boyfriend?

It must've been a bit scary, going so high up likethat.

A lt is important that you can keepI d.on"ersations going-Here are A's nextcomments a-h from the conversations above.First match them up. Then listen to theconversations. Finally, practise reading themwith a partner.

a. There's no way you'll catch me doing that again!

b. That's why I've decided to have central heatingput in.

c. That's why I moved to a small town out in thecountry.

You can hardly swing a cat in here!

That's why we made sure the hotel hadair-conditioning.

That's why I decided to move to the city!

You'l l die when you see him!

That's why I contacted my solicitor straightaway.

B:

d.

e.

f.

8.

h .

45

gratn{r la l

IIII

6 F lyrng

U;ingGerunds and infinit ives

Look at these two patterns:

Verb + gerundThere's no way you'll catch me doing that again.

Verb + infinitiveThat's why I've decided to move to the city.

Some verbs can take either pattern, but the

meanings may be different:

I clearly remember posting your letter.I must remember to post your letter.

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

Verbs often work together in specific patterns.

Circle the correct form in these sentences.

l. Why did you decide to learn i learning English?

2. Well, because I wanted going / to go to America.

3. Well, because I was interested in travelling / to travel.

4. Well, because I was fed up with working / to work in

the evenings.

5. Well, I was really bored with doing / to do the same

thing every day at work.

Because I was trying getting / to get into university

and I needed it for my exams.

Because I was hoping to go / going to Australia for six

months.

Grammar in context

With a partner, think of two possible answers for

each of these questions, starting with the wordsgiven.

l. A: So, why did you leave your jobl

B : I w a n t e d . . . .I was fed up

2. A: So, how come you decided to move to Milan?B: I was bored

I was interested in . . .

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 suddenly decided to stop

smoking?B: I was try ing to . . .

I was just fed up with

For more information on how to use gerunds and

infinitives, see G8.

6.

7.

l . t ry to do / doing

2. ask him to do / doing

3. promise to do / doing

4. suggest to do / doing

5. forget to do / doing

6. expect to do / doing

7. love to do / doing

8. remember to do /

doing

9. enjoy to do / doing

10. avoid to do / doing

I l. begin to do / doing

12. prefer to do / doing

13. carry on to do /

doing

14. manage to do / doing

15. start to do / doing

16. plan to do i doing

Now cross out the impossible verb forms.

Complete these sentences in ways that are true

for you. Use the gerund or the infinitive.

l. l ' l l never forget

2. I must rememberthis week.

3. I promisedbut I didn't.

4. I'm always forgetting

5. I've never quite managed

6. I usually avoidif I can.

7. There's no way you'll catch me . .

8 . I ' m p l a n n i n g . . . .sometime in the next couPle of years.

Tell your partner as much as you can about what

you have written.

Grammar

6 F ly rng

UsingSmoking

Complete these collocations byadding the missing words.

a a heavy/a chain /an occasional

b. smoke a / l ight a / put our a

king-size / low-tar I mild Imenthol / strong

. . . . l i g h t e r / p a c k e t /ends / advertising

give up / start / stop / beanti-

Now complete these sentenceswith collocations from a-eabove.

l. I used to be a reallysmoker, you know, fifty a day, butnow I'm just a(n)smoker.

I've been trying to . . .smoking for years now I wish ldnever . . . . in the f i rs t p lace !

W h e r e c a n l . . . . t h i scigarette? ls there an ashtray orsomething around?

I saw this old homeless guy in thestreets yesterday picking up allthe old cigarette

Cigare t te . . . . i s banned ontelevision in some countries.

The l ink be tween . . . . andlung cancer has now beenproved.

Discuss these questions with apartnen

l. Do you know anyone whosmokesl What kind of smoker aretheyl

2. Do you know anyone who's givenup? How did they manage to doit?

3. How do you feel about cigaretteadvertisingl

JDCADular l

c.

d.

A We ofilen need to pause when we are asked difficult questions, toI J glve us time to think. We do this by using,delayers'. Listen andpractise saying these'delayers'.

So how come you decided to start smoking?

Why did I start smoking?That's a good question.That's a difficult question.Well, ld have to think about that.I 'm not really sure.Um, I don't really know.Why? | haven't really thought about that.

with a partneri take turns asking and answering the questionsbelow. Before answering, use delayers to give you thinking time.

l. How come you decided to wear those clothes this morning?2. Why did your parents call you (your name)?

3. What made you decide to sit nexr to me todayl4. Why do you think everyone ends up learning English and not French,

German or Spanishl

5. What makes English so hard to learnl

Pick someone in the class to pretend to be a famous person. For acouple of minutes, the rest of the class should prepare to ask themdifficult questions about their l i fe and experiences. The famousperson should answer the questions, remembering to use.delayers'if they need time to think before they answer.

3.

4.

6.

Role play

Speaking

47

A typical weekend

Here is a list of things people do at weekends. Tick the ones you

do. Think of some others.

Compare your answers with a partner.

5 . I h o p e t o . . .

6. Unfortunately, I've got to . . .

3 . l w o u l d n t m i n d . . . i f l g e t t i m e . 7 . I ' m g o i n g t o t r y t o . . .

4. lf I get the chance, l ' l l . . . 8. I 'm planning to . . .

Now practise saying the expressions above.

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 anybody whose house is a tip?

3. When did you last have a big night out? Did it take you long to recover?

do the weekly shopping

have a lie-in

have people round

tidy up your house/flat/room

wander around town

go out with friends for a meal

go to church

stay in and relax

do some studying

catch up with your e-mails

go out for a walk

go to the cinema/the theatre/

a concert

clean the car

catch up with work

visit you r parents/grandparents

play football/tennis

Reol English3 What are you up to this weekend?

This is a common way of asking what your plans are.

Whot ore you up to tonight?Whot ore you up to on Soturdoy?

Planning expressions

ft Listen to Gavin talking about his plans for the weekend.ld ri.t the expressions you hear.

l . I guess l ' l l probably . . .

2 . I imag ine l ' l l . . .

Speaking

=ing gra rtrrfttl

Here are four common ways to talk aboutdre future.

l . ' l l

Thatl the phone. I'll get it.\Afait for me. l'll only be a minute.I think l ' l l have the chicken.

2. going to

took at those black clouds. lt's going to rain.We're going to catch the early train.We're going to go to New Zealand this winter.

3. prcsent continuous

We're meeting in town tomorrow.fm leaving at the end of the month.I'm going out to the cinema tonight.

1. present simple

We leave for Calcutta tomorrow morning.The last bus leaves at I l .15.India play Australia in the final next month.

With a partner, discuss which of the followingbest describes each group of sentences.

a- We use this form because there is some kind ofevidence now for the future event. This mightbe a decision, a plan, or something you can see.

We use this form for things which are ascertain as a timetable.

We use this form for things we've alreadyarranged.

We use this form to give a reaction, an opinionor a decision at the moment of speaking.

Read these sentences. Then discuss the questionin brackets after each sentence.

l. I 'm going to tidy up the house tomorrow morning.(When did you decidel)

L We land at eight in the morning US time. (How doyou knowl)

3. l ' l l call in on the way home from work. (When didyou decidel)

1. We're having my grandparents for Christmas dinner.(ls this a plan?)

You will learn best from good, natural examples.

t .

2.

3.

4.

5.

7 Your weekend

Complete the sentences below with the correctform of the verbs in the box.

get in do (x2) go give sneeze

A: What're you up to this afternoonl Any planslB: I th ink I . . . . some gardening i f i t 's n ice.According to the timetable, the earliest busat seven.

A: Did you manage to post that letterlB : O h , I ' m s o r r y . I c o m p l e t e l y f o r g o t . | . . . . . . . . . . i t

on my way home tonight. I promise!

S o r r y I c a n t m a k e i t t o c l a s s t o n i g h t . | . . . . . . . . . . o u tto dinner with some friends.

As soon as I pass my driving test, my fatherme his old car.

5. Pass me the paper hankies. Uh, uh, uh, I

Grammar in context

Make sentences by matching the beginningsto the endings a-d.

l. I 'm just going to have a quiet night in tonight,

2. I've got ro work really late tonight,

3. I'm so pleased that my exams are over

4. l4y mother's arriving tomorrow

a. so I 'm planning on having a l ie-in tomorrow.b. so I've got to get up really early and meet her.c. and watch a bit ofTV.

d. that I'm going to go out and celebrate tonight.

Now make sentences by matching the beginnings5-8 to the endings e-h.

5. I 've been going out such a lot lately

6. I'm just going to take it easy tonight

7. I've got a big night on Friday

8. I'm just going ro stay in tonight because

e. because my brother's wedding's on Saturday.f . I've got some things to do around the house.g. because I was out until three last night at a party.h. that I'm just going to sray in tonight for a change.

Ask some other students:,So, what're you up tothis week?'

For more information on how to use these structunes,see G9.

a 4

J_|

JJ

d.

49

J-JJ-J

Grammar

Grammar discussion

While

7 Your weekend

L. ;g 'e f l ' : f t !

Steve:

Ken:

Steve:

Ken:

Steve:

Ken:

Steve:

night. I'm going to my friends Pete and Rachel's

party. lt's on a boat.

O h , t h a t s o u n d s g r e a t . ( 7 ) . . . . . . . . . ?

Down by the river. You know, in the docks.

Oh yes, I know where you mean. I went to a

party there myself (8) . .

Right. ls it OK down there?

Yes, it's great, but it's (9) . . . . .. . .big.

There's not that much room on the boat.

Mm, sounds cosy!

Oh, yes, you can get really close to people!

Lots of sweaty bodies!

l d o n ' t t h i n k i t ' s ( 1 0 ) . . . . . . . . t h a t s o r t o f

party!

Well, you never know. lf you're lucky it might

become one! No, I'm only ioking, it's actually

a great place for a party.

G o o d . I ' m r e a l l y ( l l ) . . . t o i t .

But then on Sunday, unfortunately, I've got to

do some things for work.

No rest for the wicked!Well, l isten, I

( 12) . . . give You a ring on SundaY,

then, just to hear all about your quiet night out

down on the river!

A lt" Friday evening. Kenf l

",ra Steve have both iust

finished work for the daY, and

are about to go home. Listen

to them talking about theirplans for the weekend.

Cover the conversation. As Youlisten, try to answer thisquestion.

What are Ken and Steve doing this

weekend?

Listen again and fill in the gaPs

in the conversation.

Thank goodness it's FridaY!Steve: Thank goodness it's Friday!This week's been

dragging on forever.

Ken: Tell me about it! So, what are you up to this

weekendl

Steve: Oh, nothing special, really. This evening, I'm

( l) . . . for dinner with mY Parents'

Ken: Oh, that should be nice.

Steve: Yes, we're going to this little French place near

where I live. The food's Sreat there, and then

tomorrow I've got to get up really early - at

least for me! - and do some cooking, because

I ' v e ( 2 ) . . . s o m e P e o P l e(3) . . . . . . in the a f te rnoon. And I ' l l have

to give the place a really good clean as well' Ken:

And, I 'm not sure, but I think (4) . .

be going out after that - to see a film or Steve:something. We haven't really planned anything'

What about yourself?

Ken: Well, tonight I 'm (5) . . . going out Ken:with some people from my old iob, but I don't

really feel l ike it any more. I 'm feeling really

tired. Steve:Steve: So you're just going to (6)

then?

Ken: Yes, because tomorrow night I've got a big

Real Englisht Tell me about ittyou say this to people when they tell you something negative and you want to symPathise

because you have had a similar experience.A: I've hod so mony bills to poy this week. I con't believe how much it costs to hove my own flot!

B: Tetl me obout it! MY ploce is costing me o fortune!

Are there any more expressions in the conversation which you have not met before or find

surprisingl

50

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. Who do you think is going to have a better weekend- Steve or Kenl

2. Do you ever ger that Friday afternoon feeling or rharMonday morning feeling?

3. Have you ever been to a party on a boatl What was

4. How often do you go out for dinner with yourparentsl What kind of places do you go tol

5. Are you usually too tired on a Friday to want to goout in the evening?

With a partner, use one of the patterns t-4 to teltsomeone that . . .

l. a friend has arranged to come to your flat to helpyou with some homework on Sunday.

2. you've arranged to go shopping with a friend onSaturday, but you'll probably stay at home.

you've thought about going to the cinema, but you'renot sure yet.

you have to do a lot of work this weekend becausethe deadline for your essay is Monday, and you haven'teven started it yet.

your flat is really untidy. You know you must clean itthis weekend.

there's a possibility your friend, Steve, is having aparry tomorrow night.

you've arranged to meet some friends on Sunday forlunch, but you don'r know if you'l l feel l ike it becauseyou're going to a party on Saturday!

your mother has arranged to visit your new flat onSaturday afternoon.

For more information on how to use these srructuresto talk about the future, see G 10.

lmagine you want to invite your partner toa special event (e.g. the wedding of a relative,a day at the races, a masked balt). Howeverlyour partner can't come and wil l make anexcuse. Practise using the example below.

A Debbie and I are getring married next Saturday andweU really like you to come to the reception in theevening.

B: Oh, I 'd love to, but I 'm afraid I can't. I 've alreadyarranged ro go away for the weekend.

A: That's a shame. ls there no way you could putit offl

B: Well, I would if I could, bur we've already booked thetickets.

A: Oh well, too bad. We'l l save you a piece of the cake!

Do you find it easy to turn down invitations?

Would you turn down an invitation to any of thethings shown in the pictures on these pages?

3 .

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

UgirryUl 'c i l t { f fa f

ways of talkingthe future

i '

Moreabout

Here are some more ways to talk about things indre future. All are common in spoken English.

l. I 've got somebody coming round.I've got some friends arriving from Spain tomorrow.

2. I've got to do something.I've got to get up really early tomorrow to take myfather to the airport.

3. I 'm supposed to be doing somerhing, but . . .I'm supposed to be playing football on Saturday, butI've got a bit of a cold.

4. I might be doing something.I might be going to the coasr for the weekend, but Ihaven't decided for sure yet.

Speaking

'1J Listen and practise saying these sentences.J J

7 Your weekend

Famous futures

What's your favourite song?

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

gonna.

shall ' l lSOnna

l . W e . . . . o v e r c o m e .

2 . 1 . . . . te l l youwhat lwant ;what l rea l l y , rea l l y

want.

3. She .. .. be coming round the mountain when

she comes.

4. Everything's .. . . be all right.

Find some more song lyrics which include future

forms.

Here are three famous quotations, each using a

future form. Which is your favourite?

'Wfun I was !ruU, I uas to[], Tou'$see wficnyou're Ififty.' I *rfiftg onl I finoen't seen o tfi.ing!'

IE4s:Y-

_-_-^*_.d-*nff- ..-r-€'-3

'Otd nen ore {a,ngerous. It doun't ffi.o.tter to tfum ufrat is f;

goiry to frappen to tfu wor{i.' I/t-tttsemardsfraat -f-*-..--- ._...-nF*

- - - - . ' * - , - * _ * F - ^ 8

'I {isapprooe of wfrot you say' 6ut I wilt fufenl to tfiz dcatfi Iyour rigfit to say it.' I'l/o[taire *-.e<*e-a

--..-*.-**. ^^-'f^**

Can you say this short Poem?

Tomoto l(stcfr.up IIf y* do rct sfrn"kp tfu, 6ott[2, I^{qu'ff cortt, anl tfun o {ot'ff. *-t'-F

l. Right, l'll see you later.

2. lt'll be all right on the night.

3. She'll be with us in five minutes or so.

4. What'll you say to your boss?

5. How'll we recognise each 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'l l we meet,then?

10. I'm sure we'll meet again.

In what kind of situation would you say number 6?

Below are six sentences with go for talking aboutyour plans for the weekend. Cross out the wrongcollocation in each grouP.

f . f'm going on a date I a day-trip to Cambridge /shopping tonight / a guided walk.

I'm going out to see a film / my friend up in Yorkshire /

a bar tonight / see a musical.

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

Saturday / a drink with some friends.

I'm going away to the mountains / Brighton this

weekend / France for three days / the pub.

5. I'm going out to get something to eat / some things

for the house / some shopping / driving.

6. I 'm going fishing with my dad / shopping / some

shopping / clubbing tonight.

Compare your answers with a partner, then make

six statements about what you plan to do next

weekend, using the vocabulary above.

Answer these questions.

7. Do you like going to barsl

8. How often do you go away for the weekend?

9. When was the last time you went away

somewherel

lO. Have you ever been fishing? What did you catch?

I l. What was the last day-trip you went on?

What is the difrerence between a meeting, anappointment and a date?

Make sentences by matching the beginnings l-'{to the endings a-d.

l. I've got an appointment

2. I've got a blind date with

3. I've got a meeting with

4. I'm meeting up with

a. my boss at four, which should last until six or so.

b. some friends of mine later for a drink.

c. at the dentist's at five. I'm dreading it.

d. this friend of a friend.

Now make sentences by matching the beginnings5-8 to the endings e-h.

5. I'm going to go and visit

6. I'm going round to

7. I've got a date with

8. I'm meeting

e. a friend's tonight.

f. some friends later on this evening.

g. a friend of mine in hospital this afternoon.

h. this gorgeous guy/girl I met yesterday.

2.

3.

4.

a

JJJJA ln the conversation Steve said:'l'll

f d git. the place a really good clean'

saying these common sentences with

have to. Practise' l l .

JJJJ

Collocations

Vocabulary

Pronunciation

52

Real English3 a friend'sThis is how you talk about a friend's house or flat.We're meeting ot Steye's before going round to Stewortond Jone's.We often also say Steve's ploce or/one's ploce.Whose ploce do you go to most often?

7 Your weekend

Steve used the expression'No rest for thewicked!' at the end of his conversation with Kenon page 50. We use this expression to make funof friends when they have to work - and we don't!Complete the common idioms below with thewords in the box.

choosers joking me see devil present

Discuss these questions with a partnea

l. What is the difference between a date and a blinddatel Have you ever been on a blind date?

2- How often do you have a dentist's appointment?

3. Do you ever have to go to meetingsl Who with?

1. Do you remember your last date, meeting orappointmentl What about your first datel

In pairs, plan an idealwtrether you want to

' stay at home or go away somewhere.' 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 themtbout your plans for your ideal weekend.

Next, plan a really cheap weekend with your newpartner. When you have done this, talk to adifierent student and compare your plans.

Ar= you interested in going to festivals such asdre one shown in the pictures? lt's Samhuinn(pronounced Soyin) - an old Celtic festival, heldh Edinburgh to celebrate Hallowe'en (All Souls)and the end of summer. Do you have anything3e this in your country?

L o n g t i m e n o . . . . . . . . . . !

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

Beggars cant be

Rather you than

There's no time

Y o u m u s t b e . . . . . . . . . . !

Complete these short dialogues with the idiomsa-f above.

A : H e l l o , J a c k , . . . . . . . . !B: I know. I haven't seen you for ages.

A: When are we going to plan the partylB : Wel l , . . , i s there?

A: We're going to the opera tonight.B : Opera? . . . . . . . . ! | can ' t th ink

of anything more boring!

4. A: I think Jane's just a bit annoyed because ofwhat happened earlier.

B : Oh, . . ! Here shecomes now. Let's ask her about it.

5. A: Look, the cheapest flight leaves at midnightand gets in at four in the morning.

B: Let's take it! .. . .. . . . !

6. A: I was wondering if you could lend me f50till next Friday.

B : . . . . . . . . ! l ' m s t i l l w a i t i n gfor the f5 | lent you last week!

Which of these idioms do you think you'l l usemost often? Why?

a.

b.

c .

d .

e .

f.

weekend. Think aboutt .

3.

Festivals

UEirry Jr rabular l

With a partner, discuss what each of these kindsof parties involves.

. a birthday party . a house-warming party

. ad innerpaf ty . a rave

. a family get-together ' a stag night/a hen night

. a fancy dress parq/ . a surprise party

. a farewell party

Which of these kinds of parties do you enjoygoing to the most? And the least? Why? Are thereany you've never been to?

Reell Englisht a raveA rave is a party with hundreds of young peopleand very loud dance or techno music, often held ina warehouse or other large empty building.Sometimes the venue is kept secret till a fewhours before it starts so that the police will notknow about it. People discover where the rave istaking place by ringing a special number or f indingout via the Internet.

Recl Englisht a stag night/a hen night

These refer to the parties usually held beforetwo people get married. A stag night is whenthe bridegroom gets together with his malefriends. A hen night is when the bride has anight out with her girlfr iends.

2.

3 .

Complete the sentences below with the correctform of the verbs in the box.

break up gatecrash invite sort outfinish go on ruin throw

t . I t w a s a g r e a t p a r t y . | t . . . . . . . . . u n t i l t h e s m a l lhours.

My girlfriend dumped me in front of everybody. lt really. . . t h e p a r t y !

The neighbours complained about the noise and, in theend, the police turned up and . . . the party.

We had a lot of trouble with these guys who tried to. . . the party. We told them they weren't

invited, but they just wouldnt l isten!

W h a t t i m e d i d t h e p a r t y . . . . . . . . . ?

Hey, remind me later. I must remember to ...Louise and Arthur to the house-warming.

You know Russell's leaving soon, don't you? I think weshould . . . some kind of farewell party forh im.

Have you . . . everything for the officeChristmas party yet? Do you need a hand withanythingl

Discuss these questions with a partner.

t . Have you ever gatecrashed any parties? Have any ofyour parties ever been gatecrashed?

What kind of things would ruin a surprise party? Adinner partyl A family get-together? A fancy-dresspartyt Have you ever been to a Party which wasruined by something?

What's the longest party you've been to?

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

2.

3.

col locations

What kind

Speaking

;

4 i P l a n n i n g a p a r t yi .

You are going to have a party.put the following inorder of importance.

B Par ty an ima ls

You and your partner have got ( 100 to organise aparty for some friends. plan it together. Here aresome of the questions you wil l need to discuss.. What kind of parry do you want to have?. When are you going to have it and wherel. What do you think you'l l need to buyl. How many people are you going to invitel. Will your party have a themel

Now walk around the class and invite as manypeople to your party as possible. Use thefollowing:

We're having a party on ... night. Would you like tocome alongl

When you are asked to someone etse's party,make sure you ask these questions.

. Whereabouts is it?

. When's a good time to turn upl

. Should I bring anything?

lf you have already accepted an invitation toanother party on the same night, make sure youturn down the new invitation using an exprerrionfrom the role play on page 5l.

lots of food

loud fast music

really slow musiclots of your friends

some new people

lots of different kindsof things to drink

somewhere withatmosphere

Now compare your order with a partner and tryto agree.

Re-order the jumbled conversation below aboutorganising a party.

a. Right, l ' l l bring some music if you sorr outthe food. How does that soundl

b.

c .

d.

e.

Bril l iant. I 'm looking forward to it already.Yeah, OK, no problem. l ' l l try and bring crispsand things l ike that. What about the invites?Well, to be honest, ld rather organise the music,if i ts OK with you. Couldn't you do the foodlOh, l ' l l do those. l ' l l be seeing most people atschool this week, so that'il be easy.

]J-JJ_J

-J

Reql Englishs the invites \The normal word is invitations.Invites is common in informalspeech.

Now underline the expressions above that youcoufd use when planning a party. When you are invited to a party at afriend,s,

what do you normally take as a present? Whatpresent would you give in these situations?

l. A friend is getting married.2. lt's your best friend's eighteenth birthday.3. A friend is moving into a new flat.

Look at the picture below. What do you thinkeach object is for? Would you like to get any aspresents? What would you say if you were givenany ofthe others?

rlr

6IL- lJ .

Planning expressions

Speaking

Collocations

i'.?adirry1

B Par ty an imals

Before you read the article,complete the sentences belowwith the phrases in the box.

led to calls for tighter lawslose controlsuffering from shockended in tragedyorganised crimegot out of hand

Our holiday in Canada wassupposed to be the trip of alifetime, but the whole thingnearly whenour hired car went off the roadin the middle of the mountains.

One of the problems withmind-altering drugs is that peoplewho take them can sometimes

. . . . . a n d e n d u pdoing really stupid or dangerousthings.

The demonstration was meant tobe peaceful, but the whole thing

and ended upas a full-scale riot.

Most murders in London areconnected to . . .rather than individual criminalsworking alone.

The massacre of fifteen studentsin America hason the possession of guns.

After the crash, three passengerswere taken to hospital

The article on the right is called'Rave to the graYe' and containsthe six collocations in the box inExercise I above. Discuss with apartner what you think theconnection between themmight be.

,^

t . A rave party nearly ended in tragedy last night, when over a hundredpeople fell through the floor of the fourth-floor f lat they were dancing inand into the f lat below. Amazingly, no one was ki l led, a l though sevenpeople were taken to hospital suffering from shock. The party wasorganised by a group called Tribal Spiral, and was held in a deserted flaton a housing estate in East London. lt is believed that the extremely highvolume of the techno music being played weakened the structure of thefloor.

Bert Jones, aged 54, who lives in the third-floor f lat below, said: ' l mustadmit , I hadn' t real ly not iced the party going on. l 'm a bi t hard of hear ingand I d idn' t have my hear ing aid in, but I could feel the v ibrat ions f romsomewhere. I just thought it must be kids messing around upstairssomewhere. Then, the next thing I knew there was an almighty crash inthe l iv ing room, so I ran in and the place was ful l of dust and plaster andpeople screaming. I just couldn't believe my eyes. I got the shock of mylife, I can tell you. Now l 'm waiting for the council to send someone roundto f ix th ings. '

The incident follows a number of complaints about techno parties all overthe capi ta l and publ ic outcry about raves. A recent tabloid headl inescreamed, 'SPACED OUT! 11,000 YOUNGSTERS GO DRUG CRAZY ATBRITAIN'S BIGGEST EVER DANCE PARTY', while the number of drug-related deaths at raves has risen dramatically over the last year. All of thiswil l undoubtedly lead to calls for t ighter anti-rave laws. The governmentis already consider ing introducing a new law which wi l l help pol ice crackdown on unoff ic ia l gather ings of th is k ind. They are proposing a bi l lwhich wi l l a l low pol ice to break up any groups of more than twentypeople l istening to 'music with repetit ive beats' and also intend to makeclub owners responsible for any drugs being sold on their premises. Aspokesman for the Metropolitan Police said, 'Things are getting out ofhand, and obviously what worries us the most is that where you have raveparties and where you have drugs, you're bound to come up againstorganised crime. We'd obviously appreciate any new law which gave usmore powers to tackle this problem.'

David Goodyear, a Stepney ambulanceman, claimed that many of thepartygoers at the Tribal Spiral event had failed to notice the floor hadcollapsed. Most of the young people just carried on dancing - a fact heput down to the mind-altering affects of Ecstasy and other so-called'dance drugs'.

However, there are signs that young people themselves are alreadylooking for alternatives to the rave scene. One of the most successful newclubs to have opened this year is the Domino Club. Here, young people sitaround drinking cocktails whilst a DJ plays laid-back jazz.There isn't muchdancing - instead, the club-goers play board games such as Scrabble andMonopoly. Another club which has become very popular is The Big Chil l,which is held in a church cal led the Union Chapel. l ronical ly, maybe youngpeople today are closer to God than the government and the policerealise !

3 .

4.

5 .

6.

While

56

A Now read the article andf l ,"" if you were right.

Comprehension

Without looking back at the article, try tocorrect these false statements using the exactwords from'Rave to the graye'.

l. The party was held inTribal Spiralt f lat.

L Dancing weakened the structure of the floor.

3. Bert Jones is fixing his flat himself.

1. This is the first complaint there's been about technoparties in London.

5. There's been a small increase in the number ofdrug-related deaths over the last year.

6. The dancing stopped when the floor collapsed.

Now go back and see if you remembered theexact words correctly.

l. What's the noisiest party you've ever been to?

L Why do you think young people take drugsl

3. ls your country'hard' or'soft ' on drug-taking?

1. ls organised crime a problem in your countryl

In the article, Bert fones said:'l just couldn'tbelieve my eyes.' Can you remember why?

What do you think just means in theseexpressions?

just couldn't make up my mind.just couldn't bear it any longer.just couldnt wait.just couldn't resist them.just couldn't believe my eyes.

Now complete these sentences with theexpressions a-e above.

l. Sorry I've started without you, but I was expectingyou at five. I got so hungry that.There's still a little bit of chicken left if you want it.

L When I saw what he'd done to his hair,. ! l t was bright pink and green!

3. A: Did you manage to get some shoes?B: Oh, it was awful, it really was. I went into dozens

of shoe shops and tried on I don't know howmany, but . . So, in the end,I didn't buy anything!

1. The meeting was supposed to run from nine till six,but after a couple of hours it got so boring

. . So I made my excuses and left.

5. I know I'm supposed to be on a diet, but the cakes alllooked so delicious that . Oh well,I just won't eat all day tomorrow now!

B Par ty an rma is

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. Have you ever been in a situation where you justcouldn't believe your eyes?

2. When was the last t ime you had to admit tosomeone that you just couldn't resisr something?

3. When was the last t ime you just couldn'r make upyour mind? What about?

4. When was the last time you got so bored bysomething that you just couldn'r bear it any longer?

5. Have you ever been so annoyed by somebody thatyou just couldn't bear it any longer and had to saysomething? What did you sayl How did they feel? Didit make you feel better?

a

b.c.d.e.

Speaking

Speaking

couldn't wait

57

) i i r ry l r .abu lar l

B Par ty an imals

Check you understand the meaning of the

highlighted words below. Then ask some

other students in your class the questions.

l. Do you know anyone who is a member of a polit ical

partyl

2. What kind of things do left-wing polit ical parties

believe inl

3. What kind of things do right-wing polit ical parties

believe in?

4. What are the main polit ical parties in your countryl

5. Which party came to power in the last election?

6. Which party leaders in your country do you think

are strong/weak at the moment?

7. Are any polit ical parties banned in your country?

Whv?8. What was the last political party to be set uP in your

country?

9. Have any parties in your country split over the last

few years?

Complete these sentences with the correct form

of do or make.

l . I th ink he 'd . . . .avery good leader .

2. The People's Party didnt . . . . very well in the

last election.

3. I dont know why they . . .. him PartY leader.

He's completely incompetent.

4. They've . . . . a big difference since they came

to power. Things are much better now.

' 5. I can' t . . . . up my mind who to vote for .

6. We've got to try and . . . . a decision by

tomorrow.

7. I wouldnt take those pills if I were you. They won't

. . . .you any good!

8. At some time in our l i fe, we allsomething wrong and we all .. . . mistakes!

9. Do you think you can . ' . . the shopping later,

if you get time?

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 coming over later, so

please . . . . an effort to look your best.

12. I don't know why you like this kind of music! lt

doesn ' t . . . .any th ing for me.

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're going to introduce a new law to ban

2. They're going to introduce a new law to Protect

3. They're going to introduce a new law to crack

down

4. They're going to introduce new tax breaks to

encouraSe

a. on illegal street trading.

b. smoking in all public places.

c. people to have more children.

d. the environment.

Now make four more sentences by matching

the beginnings 5-8 to the endings e-h.

They're going to relax the drinking laws

They're going to tighten the immigration laws

They're going to change the old adoption laws

They're going to legalise

because they're out of date.

to allow pubs to stay open longer.

genetic cloning.

to make it more difficult for people to get into

the country.

-JJJJ

5.

6.

7.

8.

e.

f.

g.

h .

II

_JJ

Talking

poli t ics

58

r--lf ' -

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

I t ,

t In groups of three, you are going to set up yourown polit ical party. You wil l need to decide thefollowing:

. what you want to ban' what you wil l crack down on. what tax breaks you wil l give and to who' what laws you're going to tighten' what laws you're going to relax' if you're going to legalise anyrhing

Decide on a name for your party and then goround your class campaigning. Your teacher wil lthen organise a class election. You're not allowedto vote for your own party!

Poli t ical quotes

Do you agree with the three quotations below?Why/why not?

The natural relationship between a journalist and apolit ician should be that of a dog towards alamppost.Henry Mencken

Power tends to corrupt and absolutepower corrupts absolutely.

Lord Aaon

I must study polit ics and war so that my sonsmay be free to study Mathematics andPhilosophy.

John Adams

5 9

I

Condit ionals

7.

8.

9.

t 0 .

Choose the correct form.

l. Before I left home, I haven't / | hadn't been getting

on very well with my parents.

2. I 'd / I ' l l die if that happened to me.

3. ,ir. What are you up to tonightlB: I 'm meet ing / l ' l l meet some fr iends.

4. i'ri So, how come you decided to go to the doctorlB: Well, I didn't feel / | hadn't been feeling well for

ages, so it seemed like the right thing to do.

5. lf he does that one more time, l ' l l / I 'd scream!

6. We weren't / We hadn't been getting on very well

for ages, so we decided to end the relationship.

Make sentences by matching the beginnings l-6

to the endings a-f.

l. l f he does that one more time, J2. lf he did that to me, J3. I 'd give that a miss -|4. I won't be able to do that -l5. I'd be able to do that _|6. I'll buy that for you _J

a. I 'd leave him.

b. if you don't f ind the instructions.

c. if I had the money.

d. if I get a Christmas bonus.

e. I th ink l ' l l scream.

f. if I were you.

With a partner, discuss what you think'that'could mean in l-6 above.

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

7. l f I was a man/woman. . . .

8. lf I spoke better English, ...

9. l f I was older, . . .

10 . l f lwasn ' t s i t t ing here , . . .

| 1. lf I could take a year off, ...

Put the jumbled conversation below into thecorrect order.

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

b. I don't know. I haven't got a clue. I suppose itdepends how good my Greek gets.

c. Don't you think it 'd get boring after a while?

d. Studyingl Oh right, your Greek course.How come you decided to start that?

e. I'm going away to Wales. Would you like tocomel

It couldn't be more tedious than being stuckin front of a computer all day!

Oh, I'd love to, but I'm afraid I can't. I've got todo some studying.

Well, I suppose it was because I've alwayswanted to l ive and work on a Greek island.

I know what you mean. I'm half-blind already.So, you think you'l l get a job out there, thenl

We'l l go /We're going to the cinema tonight.Do you want to come with us?

lf I 'm / | were you, I 'd be really upset about it!

Will you / Are you going to tell me when it 'sfive o'clock, pleasel

l ' l l / I 've got to go and pick the kids up from schoolin a minute, so I ' l l phone you back later, OK?

b. to l ive here

Choose the correct alternative.

l . H o w c o m e . . . Ia. you bought such an old carb. d id you buy such an old car

2. Did you manage . . . ?a. f inding those shoes b. to find those shoes

3. l t was real ly . . . .a. much more better than mineb. much better than mine

4. I real ly enjoy . . . .a. l iv ing here

I was real ly fed up . . . .a. with sitt ing around all day b. to sit around all day

I 'm go ing . . . .a. on a day-trip to Bathb. out for a day-trip to Bath

7 . I 'm supposed . . . .a. playing tennis b. to be playing tennis

8. Don't worry. ... .a. lt 's just a simple mistakeb. l t just is a s imple mistake

9. I always try to avoid ... .a. talking to him if I can b. to talk to him if I can

10. I can st i l l remember . . . .a. watching her leave b. to watch her leave

Compare your answers with a partner and discuss

how you made your choices.

IJJJJ_t_lJJJ

g.

h .

5 .

6.

Mult ip lechoice

Conversation

60

Review: Units 5-8

Match the verbs l-10 with the best collocationsa-j.Look back at the strong adjectives and follow-up

Gorrrments on page 45. Tick all the words you canrernember. Ask a partner about anything youItrye forgotten.

Can you think of some instances from your ownIfe where you could use some of the words andphrases? Tell a partner as much as you can aboutdtem.

Complete the short dialogues below with theexpressions in the box. All the expressions arefr.om units 5-8.

Now match the verbscollocations k-r.

smokingyour cigarette outreally earlya photograph

too much TVfor a mealat home

a big decision

everywhere for something

on a date

I l -18 to the best

a fuss

a new law

a job

them like second-class cit izenspleased with myself

income tax

l. watch2. make3. go out4. stop5. go

6. take7. get up8. put

9. stay10. look

I l. gatecrash

12. eat up13. fee l14. introduce| 5. accept| 6. treat47. make18. raise

a.b.c.d.

e .f.

I

I-JJ_JJJ

g

h

J

make up my mindI lust felt like itwhat a nightmare

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

k.

t .m.

n.

o.

P.l . A :

B:

2. A:

Why did you go and have all your hair cut offlI don't know.

They lost all my luggage and then we got delayedfor three hours.O h , n o ! . . . . . . . . !

Can you give me a hand to move this tablelNo, sorry. . . , but I've got to rush.I'm late for work.

I'm just going to have one more cream cake.I y o u l d n t i f I w e r e y o u . . . . . . . . . !

:: T: :::: :i::'ft ?::: .',;il-,".,T:*i,'$:Did you buy anything in the end?No, nothing. I just couldn't .. whatI wanted.

Discuss these questions with a partner.

19. What eats up most of your free time?

20. When was the last time you had to look everywherefor something? Did you find it in the end?

21. Have you ever made a big fuss?WhylWhat happened?

22. Have they introduced any new laws in your countryrecendy?

Match the statements l-6 to the responses a-f.

l. I 'm going to Guinea Bissau next year.

2. I'm going to study in Edinburgh for a year.

3. lt's so expensive here in London, isn't itl

4. What are you up to this weekend?

5. Doing anything tonight?

6. Did you get an invite to Ann's party?

a. Tell me about it! I've already spent most of themoney I came with!

b. Good for you!You'l l have a great t ime.c. No, I didn't eyen know she was having one!d. Yes, I am, actually. I'm going round to Jane's.e. Where on earth is that?f. I'm going to my country cottage on Friday nighc

You have one minute to memorise the respons/esa-f. Now cover Exercise 8 above. Your partnerwill read out the statements l-,6. How manyresponses can you remember?

q. all my free timer. a Party

3.

4.

5.

6.

Can you think of three other sentences you mightrcspond to by saying:'Oh no! What a nightmare!'?

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

Collocations

Expressions

Engl ish

ld ioms

l. lt's a real weight

2. No rest

3. After that it was

4. lt'd drive

5. Long time

6. Talk of

7. Beggars can't

8. Rather you

a. plain sail ing.

b. me mad.

c. be choosers.

d. the devil.

e. off my shoulders.

f . for the wicked.

g. than me.

h. no see.

Review: Units 5-B

Make sentences with idioms by matching thebeginnings l-8 to the endings a-h.

Answer these questions with a partner. Thencompare your answers with another pair. Whogot most answers right?

l. lf there's no sign of someone, does that mean thatyou can't find them an)rwhere or that they haven'tsent you a letter?

2. How many different kinds of parties can you thinkofl

3. Could you be arrested for l ighting up on a plane?

4. lf you spent the weekend just messing around, whatdid you do?

5. What's the difference between left-wing andright-wing?

6. Who would break up a party and whyl

7. When you go to the dentist's, do you make anappointmenr or a date with him?

lf you don't like, for example, earing frogs, would yousay:' l wouldn't eat a frog if you paid me' or'l wouldn't eat a frog if you asked me'?

lf you and some friends go to a nice l itt le Frenchplace, what are you going to dol

lf you're a heavy smoker, does it mean you're fat orthat you smoke too much?

What is the difference between going shopping anddoing the shoppingl

Does a plane touch down at the beginning, in themiddle, or at the end of a fl ight?

lf something drags on, does it happen really quicklyor does it take foreverl

lf you can be on board a plane, can you be on boarda boat?

How could a government tighten laws on drinking?On immigrationl

16. Are your relations the same as your relativesl

17. Do you go on a day-trip or have a day-tripl

18. You play tennis on one and you might end up in oneif you're arrested. What is it?

ls a cosy room large or small?

Where do you work if you are one of the cabincrew?

With a partner, note down as much as you canremember about the two texts you read in units6 and 8.

-Y-Y-Y r \. i-

n n t ! i i ! ' , r i\ \ \ \ \ 1

8.

9.

1 0 .

i l .

12.

The cost of a cigarette

Rave to the graye

Now compare what you remember with anotherpair. Who remembers more?

Which text did you enjoy more? Why?

t 3 .

14 .

I t 5 .

t 9 .20.

remember?

62

_ a- - ? i l l " L* < a J J - aL=ar r .'= l : ' f t , I l ' t l t ? ? -

J - i J ' J j j

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. How do you learn vocabularyl Do you think you do it well or badly?L Do you read texts to learn vocabularyl What kind of texts?3. What do you do if you don't understand a word?1. What kind of dictionary do you usel5. Do you translate words into your language? Why/why not?

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

t r= - r t ' - !

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

Uging Jacabular l

What sort of lifestyle do you lead? Do you go out

every evening or are you the stay'at'home tyPe?

Read these descriptions of what some people did

last night.

l. I went out for a walk around town.2. I rang my sister.3. I watched the semi-final on TV.4. I just had a quiet night at home.5. I went to my evening class.6. | f inished painting the kitchen.7. I had an early night.8. I visited my neighbour in hospital.9. I tried to find a cheap flight on the Internet.

10. I went to the laundrette.

Which of these things do you do? Which do you

never do?

Complete the sentences below with the words in

the box.

absolutely housecatch up loadsdepth seathalfiruay singlehorrendous taking it up

l. I had a terrible time. I didn't know a(n) .person there.

2. I had a terrible time. The service was

3. I had a terrible time. We had .. .. nothing in

common.

4. I had a terrible time. I was completely out of my

5. I had a terrible time. I fell asleeP . . .. through.

6. I had a great time.We got on like a(n) . .. . on

fire.

7. I had a great t ime. I met . . . .of interest ingpeople there.

8. I had a great time. lt was really nice toafter all this time.

9. I had a great t ime. I 'm thinking of . ... more

seriously.

10. I had a great time. I was on the edge of my . .

the whole way through.

With a partner, practise asking and answeringthese questions using the answers above. Try and

keep each conversation going for as long as you

can.

a. So how was the play?b. So how was your datelc. So how was your ltalian class?d. So how was the party?e. So how was the meal with your friends?

When was the last time you had a great time?A terrible time? Why?

fl Listen to four people talking about what theyI d aia last night. When you have decided whatthey did, tick the correct number in the listabove.

night?

Lifestyle

Speaking

b Erercise I on page 64, one speaker said theyr:le guite tired when they got in from work.Tbt? :u1e many collocations with get. Completet -ntences below with the words and4rcssions in the box.

I got . . . last night. Do you like itlI think it's a bit too short at the back myself.I tried to get some . . . from the cashmachine last night, but it wasn't working.I got . . . from an old friend of mine lastnight. I hadn't spoken to her for ages, so that wasnrce.

I got really . . . last night watchingTV.I watched that documentary/ about Hiroshima.I'ye never seen rain like it - | got really

. . . on the way home last night.I got a real . . . last night. An old schoolfriend of mine turned up out of the blue!

Hey, you won't believe it. I've finally gotI start next Monday.

My car broke down, so I had ro get the last. . . h o m e .

I walked around town a bit, but ended up getting.. . I had to ask someone where 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 yoursetfor people you know.

9 Last night

With a partneri discuss the differences in meaningbetween the highlighted words in these pairs ofsentences.

I had a chat with her.I had a talk with her.

We gossiped about the boss.We talked about work.

I did the washing-up.I did the washing.

I went to a disco.We ended up going to a disco.

I missed the last bus home.I really missed her when she was in Spain.I went out last night after work.I left work last night about five.

Now complete these sentences with thesentences a-f above.

I'm sure Eve won'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 Bil l last week.and nothing else all evening!

Some of us went for a drink after work the otherday. lt was awful . . . . . for ages. I'mglad he wasn't there!

I haven't got anything to wear tomorrow. lt really ist i m e .

Just look at all those dirty dishes. lt 's t ime

I had a crazy evening. I met some old friends and wewent out for dinner and then eventually

a.

c.

d.

e.

f.L

3.

+ :.::: :::]1.T*:'so

I popped out to set r. yes, Mr Fairhurst, . . about it.

4.

5.

6.

7.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

r0.

annoyedbettertiredwell paid

anSrysoakedmarriedlazy

uPsetworriedsleepyPregnant

9.

1 0 .

i l .

t2.

My legs are kil l ing me this morning!and didn't stop dancing all night!

I'm really annoyed. I didn't get home until rwo lastnight.

Jane came back last week.

and just went straight home.I should have known better. . . . with afew people from my department and I didn't get inti l l 3 am. I feel terrible.When was the last t ime you ...

. had to get a taxi homel' got in really late?. got stuck in traffic?' got stopped by the policel

' - 7 ? ? ? . ?l - ' l '

- . J - r . - . . . : J

Q l : < t n r n h t

Are there any places youin your town? Why not?

would never go out to

fi Rose and Lucy are having breakfast in theO J kitchen of tne flat they tf,.t". Listen to themtalking about what they did last night. Cover theconversation. As you listen, try to answer thesequestions.

l. What did Rose and Lucy do after work?

2. What time did they go to bed?

Listen again and try to fi l l in the gaPs in theconversation below.

Reol Englisht get a cabCab is correct spoken English for a taxi.

You get o cob.l'll wolk.

Lucy: Hey, Rose, there's a letter for you.

Rose: Thanks. You must've got in late last night. I didn'teven hear you come in - and ( l ) . .after one.

Lucy: I did, actually, yes. I went and met some old friendsfrom college that I hadn't seen for ages.

Rose: Oh, (2) . . . ? That must've been nice.

Lucy: Yes, we had a drink and a chat and caught up withall the gossip. You know what it 's l ike.

Rose: Uh-huh.

Lucy: Then we had (3) . . . and then anotherdrink and then we (4) . . . going on tothis awful disco in town.

Rose: Oh, did youl Which one? Not Stardust! No, surelynot Stardust?

Lucy: I 'm afraid it was, actually - and it was reallyterrible, just full of kids and the music was so loud(5) . . . l t was l ike being back atschool all over again. Kids of fourteen acting as ifthey were eighteen!

Rose: I could've told you that!

Lucy: This boy came up to me - you know, bottle ofbeer in his hand, acting all macho, and asked me todance! | bet he hadn't even started shaving!

Rose: And did youl

Lucy: What? Dance with him? (6) . . lThenI told him I was thirty-five!

2.

3 .

4.

Discuss these questions with a partner.

t . Have you ever been chatted up by someone muchyounger than youlWhat happenedl

What's the worst club, disco or party you've everbeen tol What made it so bad?

How often do you eat foreign foodl What's yourfavourite?

Do you ever feel you watch a bit too much TV andthat you should go out a bit more instead?

Real Englishs I bet he hadn't even Lstarted shaving.

It is very common for friends to make commentsto each other start ing I bet . . . .

I bet John's going to osk Angie to the porty!I bet you're wishing youA gone!I bet their cor will breok down!

We say I bet ... when we are fairly sure that whatwe are saying is true.

Rose: You're so cruel.

Lucy: Well, I just f igured it was better he found out(7) . . . that I was old enough to be hism u m !

Rose: I thought you were supposed to be there talking toold f r iends.

Lucy: I was, but there was so much noise, you couldn'treally have a proper conversation. And then to topit all, I missed the last train home and had to get acab and (8) . . . three!

Rose: Didn't you?You must be feeling exhausted thismorning, then.

Lucy: Yeah, I could do with another hour or two in bed,that's for sure. (9) . . . , what aboutyou? How was your night?

Rose: Oh, it was OK. I just did a bit of shopping on myway home, cooked myself some ramen noodles.

L u c y : C o o k e d y o u r s e l f ( 1 0 ) . . . . . . . . . I

Rose: Ramen noodles, you know, just Japanese noodles.

Lucy: Oh, OK.

Rose: They're really quick and easy, and then I iust did abit of t idying-up, you know, nothing amazing oranything, read for a bit, watched ( | l) .- some fi lm - you know the kind of thing that's onlate on Channel 4. Actually, I was so tired, I fellasleep in the middle of i t !

Lucy: Oh, don't!You're making me feel even moreexhausted!

\

The Worst Disco in Town!

Speaking

l isten

Whi le l isten

56

Us tng

f, Look at these common ways of responding tov7 what someone says. Then listen and practisesaying the expressions in colour.

Auxil iary question + follow-up question-1, I met our old English teacher on the train last night.B: Oh, did you? How is she?: She's fine, shet working at another school now,

teaching younger kids.

Auxil iary question + follow-up comment': H.y - great news! I've just passed my driving test!B. Oh, have youl Congratulations. You must be really

pleased.: Yes, it 's excellent. Now all I need is the money for a

car.

First respond to the statements l-8 with anauxil iary question. For examplezCon you? Hoveyou? Then add one of the follow-up commentsatr.

t . A :B:

f \ :

B:

rt or not.

A: I had a fight with my boy/girlfriend yesterday.B : . . . . . . . . . . ?

A: I was thinking of going to rhe circus thisweekend.

I think I 'm getting the flu.. . . . ?

A: I usually play football on Saturdays.B : . . . . . . . . . . ?

7. A: Eventually, I 'd l ike to end up l iving overseas.B : . . . . . . . . . . ?

8. A, I 'm going to see Marco tonight.B : . . . . . . . . . . ?

a. Who do you play for?b. How was it?c. Say'Hel lo ' f rom me.d. Have you sorted everything out yet?e. Keep away from me, then.f. Where's it onl

t. So, when are you going to invite me round fordinner, then?

h. An)rwhere particular in mind?

With a partner, practise reading out the diatoguesaboye, but add a third comment - as in the twoexamples at the top of the page.

9 Last n ight

Complete these sentence starters in ways thatare true for you. lf you can, think of things whichare interesting or unusual.

l . I c a n .2. I'd really love to3. Believe it or not, I've never4. When I was younger, I once5 . L a s t n i g h t l . . . .

Now tell a partner what you've written. Yourpartner should respond first by using an auxiliaryquestion and then by adding a follow-up questionor comment. Try to continue these conversationsfor as long as you can.

For more information on how to use auxiliary verbswhen responding, see G I l.

gra{ f i t f tVf

3.

4.

B:

5. A:B:

6.

Talking

Responding with auxi l iary verbs

9 L a s t n i q l r l

Making sure you understand

How do you feel when you don't understandsomething 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 surfed the net last night.B: You did what last n ight l

Surfed the net - played around on the lnternet.

I went on holiday to Phuket last year.B: You went where?

Phuket. lt 's a beach resort in Thailand.

( Listen and practise the dialogues above withO d ^partner.

Now complete these dialogues by writ ingquestions to make it clear exactly what you

don't understand.

l. My car cost over two grand.B : . ' . . . ?

Over two grand, two thousand pounds.

2. I had dinner in Bel l in i 's last n ight.B : . . . . . I

In Bel l in i 's , that new l ta l ian place.

3. I downloaded this great article last night.B : . . . . . I

I downloaded an article, you know, copied it off

the lnternet.

4. I arrived here on Boxing Day.B : . . . ' . 1

On Boxing Day,you know, the daY afterChristmas. 26th December.

5. I went bungee iumping last year in Canada.B : . . . . . ?

Bungee iumping, you know, when you iump from a

bridge with elastic round your legs.

6. This shir t cost me eighty quid.B : . . . . . I

Eighty quid, you know, eighty pounds.

I found a baby wren in my garden today.. . ' . . ?

A baby wren. lt must've fallen out of its nest.

We went to Alton Towers at the weekend.. . . . . 1

To Alton Towers. lt 's a kind of theme park, l ike

Disneyland, but much smal ler .

Compare your answers with your partner, then

practise the dialogues above in pairs.

Real English3 My car cost over \two grand.

In in formal spoken Engl ish a grand is one thousand

pounds. In number s ix in Exerc ise 3 e ighty qu id is

in formal Br i t ish Engl ish for e ighty pounds.

In the conversation on page 66, Lucy says:' l d idn ' t get in unt i l th ree. '

Why didn't she say: ' l got in at three?'

Complete these sentences by choos ing

the more appropriate of the two choices.

l . I had t o wo rk l a te , so . . .

a . I got home at seven

b. I d idn ' t get home unt i l seven

2. The traff ic on the way was real ly heavy, so .. .

a . I d i dn ' t ge t t he re un t i l n tne

b. I got there a t n ine

3. We managed to get the bus OK, so . . .

a . we were there by n ine

b. we weren ' t there unt i l n lne

4. I was a late starter.

a . I d idn ' t have a g i r l f r iend unt i l I was twenty-one

b. I had a g i r l f r iend when I was twenty-one

5. I just had a fair ly quiet night.

a . I d idn ' t get to bed unt i l e leven

b. I went to bed at e leven

6. There were three s tanding ovat ions. The concer t . . .

a . f i n i s h e d a t I l : 3 0

b . d i d n ' t f i n i s h u n t i l I l : 3 0

7. I 'm not too bad at Engl ish, cons ider ing . . . .

a . I d idn ' t s tar t s tudy ing unt i l I was e ighteen

b. I s tar ted s tudy ing when I was e ighteen

8. I was so busy that . . . .

a. I had breal<fast at midday

b. I d idn ' t have breakfast unt i l midday

Can you explain your choice in each example?

With a partner, answer these questions. Try to

use not unti l . . . . Give reasons for your answers.You don't have to tell the truth.

l . What t ime did you get in last n ight l

2. When did you have your first boy/girlfr iend?

3. What t ime did you go to bed last n ight?

4. When did you start studying Engl ishl

/

B:

B:

7.

8.

Discuss

68

Linking

JJJJJJ-JJ

Cln page 66, Lucy talked about the disco:It was so loud, I could hardly hear myself think.'This is a common way of linking two ideas:lwas very tired.| ft l l asleep in the middle of the fi lm.- | was so tired, I fell asleep in the middle of the fi lm.

l'ld<e sentences by matching the beginnings l-8b the endings a-h.

l. l t was so cold,

9 Last n ight

There's a thief in the class!At I pm last night, a terrible crime wascommitted - your teacher's car was stolenfrom the school car park. The police suspecttwo students from this class.

The class decides which two students are mostlikely to have committed the crime. The pairof suspects leave the room to prepare theirstory. They should try to use as muchlanguage from this unit as possible.(Where were you when the crime happened?Who were you withlWhat were you doinglAll the details are important!)

The rest of the class prepare to interview thetwo students. (What will you ask theml)

Student one comes back into the room aloneand is interviewed by the class. When theinterview is finished, student two comes in tobe interviewed.

When both students have been interviewed,the class vote. Are they both guilty? ls onlyone guilty? What should happen to them?Decide on a suitable punishment!

t .

2.

3 .

L

3.

1.

5.

6.

7.

I was so exhausted,

I was so hungry,

It was so hot,

His conversation was so dull,

I was so angry,

I was so worried,

The film was so bad,

I could've kil led him!

I rang the police.

I could hardly breathe.

I walked out halfway through.

I just went straight to bed as soon as I got in.

I could hardly srop myself from yawning.

my hands felt like they were going to fall off.

I could've carried on eating all night!

4.

8.

a-

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

t-h.

n Listen, then say all these sentences, makingsure you stress so.

With a partner, complete these diatogues usingideas of your own. For example:

A: So, how was that club you went tolB: Terrible!The music was so loud, I just had to leave.

l. A: So, what was that film like you saw last nightlB: Well, to be honest, it was so bad, ... .

2. A: What was the food like in that French place youwent tol

B: Really good. lt was so deliciouS, ...

3. A: So, did you do anything special last nightlB: No, I was so exhausted, | ... .

4. A: So, how did your meeting go last night?B: Terr ib le, i t was so . . . , | . . . .

A: So, did you sort everything out with your bossyesterdayl

B : No, I go t so . . . , | . . . .

A: So, did you pass your driving test?B: No, I 'm afraid not. I was so . . . , | . . .

For morc information on how to use this linkingstructune, see G 13.

conversations

6.

J i : ! . ' i tl ' - - , ' / ' ? l i 7 . a

' l o t c . a . . t o ' '

Which of the peoPle in the Picture below do you

find most/least attractive? Why?

Comptete these sentences by adding looks, looks

like or looks as if.

l . He/she . . . . he's/she's got some kind of disease'

2 . H e / s h e . . . . a m o d e l o r s o m e t h i n g .

3 . H e / s h e . . . . a b i t o f a n e r d .

4 . H e / s h e . . . . a b i t d u l l .

5. He/she . . . . he/she wouldn't say boo to a goose'

6 . H e / s h e . . . . q u i t e s e x Y .

7 . H e / s h e . . . . a r e a l c r e e P .

8. He/she . . . . he's/she's about to collapse.

9 . H e / s h e . . . . a b i t d o w n .

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,

see G 14.

Recrl EnglishS a real creep/a bit of anerd

Creep is a very negative word used to describe

someone very weird - usually male - who makes

women feel uncomfortable. Nerd is a negative

word used to describe someone - usually male -

who is so obsessed with a hobby, such as

computers, that they haven't really developed any

social ski l ls .

Have you ever met anyone like this?

Speaking

Judg ing appearances

70

Ugir tg Jr .aeular 1

10 Relat ionsh ios

2 l I b e t

When we make guesses about people based ontheir appearance, we often use I bet + a statement.

For example:

A: He looks l ike a bit of a nerd.B: I know. I bet he's studying computing or something

like that.

A: He looks a bit mad.B: I know. I bet he likes playing practical jokes on people.

With a partner, haye conversations like this aboutthe people in the pictures at the bottom of the

Page.

lf you chat somebody up, you talk to them in afriendly way to show that you're attracted tothem.'Chat-up l ines' are openings that peopleuse when they want to chat you up.

Decide which of the following you think are thebest and worst chat-up lines. Compare youranswers with a partner.

l. Do you come here often?

2. Someone call heaven - | think they're missing anangel.

3. What's a nice girl/guy l ike you doing in a place l ikethis l

4. Are you here by yourself?

5. Excuse me, but have you got a light?

6. Can I get you a drink?

7. Has anyone ever told you you've got really lovelyeyes?

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 ofany other chat-up lines you'ye ever heard? Didthey work?

JJJJJJJJ

muscular

pushy

plain

forward

warm

quiet

skinny

down-to-earth

flirty

sexy

macho

unpredictable

dishy

mature

cuddly

hairy

71

First decide if these adjectives describe characteror appearance or both. Then mark them P or N,depending on whether you think they are positiveor negative.

JJ-J-J-JJJI

Now describe someone else in your class to yourpartner using some of the adjectives above. See ifth.y can guess who you're talking about.

Real Englishs dishyl f you find someone dishy, you find them physicallyattractive. Some dictionaries say that this is arather old-fashioned word, but many young Britishpeople in their twenties use it, particularly women.

Chat-up

10 Relat ionsh ips

Which of the following are mostimportant for you in a partneror friend? Give each of thefollowing ideas a score ( l-5):I means you think it is notimportant;5 is very important.

money

sense of humour

age

looks

nationality

dress sense

intell igence

cooking ability

honesty

religion

Before you read the article,complete these sentences witha suitable preposition. Checkyour answers after you've readthe text.

t . It was awful when I had to breakthe news of our grandmother'sdeath . . .. my brother.

My girlfriend's a belly-dancer.I was worried that my parentswouldn't approve .. .. her.

I 've been going out . . .. myboy'riend for almost six years.

Personally, I dont really go. . .. blondes. I much prefer

brunettes.

He kept on asking me all thesereally personal questions, soI just told him it was none

. . . . h i s b u s i n e s s !

It took the children a long timet o c o m e t o t e r m s . . . . t h edeath of their rabbit.

What do you think a mixedmarriage is? What advantagesand disadvantages do you thinkthere are to mixed marriages?

JJJJJ-JJJJJ

3 .

4.

realluThe 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

often ostracised and verbally abused. 'We actually found it difficult to find a

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

obviously been very painful.'

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

thought he was pulling her leg. 'l 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

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.

We haven't really talked about it.'

5.

A Now read the article andf l r"" if any of your ideas arementioned.

Prepositions

72

tDid the article mention any advantages or-Gadvantages to mixed marriages that youddn't think of?

Do you think the two relationships described in||te article are likely to last? Why/why not?

Which of the two couptes ...

l. get on well with their parents?L have been insulted in the streetl3. f'aced a lot of discrimination?1. dont socialise very much togetherl5. have been ignored by most people in their societyl

Now go back and underline the parts of thearticle which confirm your answers.

Complete these sentences with words from thearticle.

l. Marriages between people of different religions is. . . . c o m m o n n o w .

2. There was a lot of family .. . . on me to becomea doctor.

3. My mum didnt approve of my girlfriend, but I got alo to f . . . . f rom my s is te r .

4. A: Excuse me, but is there somewhere I can leave mycoat?

B: Yes, there's a . . . . just at the top of thestairs.

5. He's a typical macho . . . . , you know always outfor a good time with his mates.

6. I don't know about you, but personally I don't findthat kind of man very . . .. . He's a bit too tallfor me.

Reol Englishs I thought he was puilingmy leg

lf someone pulls your leg, they are loking with you.

10 Relat ionsh ios

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. Have you ever gone out with anyone much older oryounger than yourself?

2. How do you feel about relationships where there's alarge age difference?

3. How would your parents and friends react if youstarted going out with someone much older oryounger than you?

4. How would you feel about marrying a divorceelWhv?

5. How do you know when you're in love?

6. Would you consider marrying someone if there was abig age difference? What do you think of relationshipsbetween these pairs of people?

a. a man of fifty and a girl of eighteena woman of fifty and a boy of eighteen

b. a man of twenty-five and a girl of eighteena woman of twenty-five and a boy of eighteen

c. a man of eighty and a woman of thirtya woman of eighty and a man of thirty

How would you complete these statements?I wouldn't get involved with anyone who ...I 'd never marry someone who . ..

Can you think of any famous people who have hadrelationships with people much older or youngerthan themselves?

Stages of a relationship

Decide in which order you think the followingwould probably occur. Use a dictionary or askyour teacher to help you with any yocabularyyou are not sure of.

a. My wife/husband and I are separated.

b. I'm getting married next week.

c. We've just got engaged.

d. I 'm going out with him/her.

e. My marriage is on the rocks.

f. We're having marriage guidance counselling.

g. I proposed to her/him last night.

h. We're in the process of getting divorced.

Now compare your order with your partner andexplain your choices.

Do any of the sentences a-h above describe anypeople you know?

-JJJJJ-lJJ

Speaking

Usirl

10 Relat ionsh ips

Expressions with modals

Complete the fixed expressions in the shortdialogues below with the modal verbs in the box.

can might must could couldn't should

Grammar in context

With a partner, choose which of the nineexpressions in Exercise I is the best responseto the following.

l. We spent the whole day on the beach yesterday.

2. Can you believe they wouldn't let me in because Iwas wearing jeans?

There were so many kids there yesterday, weren'tthere?

That guy Mike we met last night is a bit of a nerd,don't you think?

So, what was that exhibition you went to last weeklike? Any goodl

Look at another useful modal verb expressionfrom the conversation that you heard in Unit 9between Rose and Lucy.

Rose: You must be feeling exhausted this morning,then.

Lucy: Yeah, I could do with another hour or two inbed, that's for sure.

Complete the sentences below using I could dowith and one of the expressions in the box.

a bit more time a breakmore money a good night's sleepsomething to eat a lie-insome help a holiday

l. ls anyone free?This thing's really heavy.

2. Hey, can we pop in here for a snack? | didn't get a

chance to have anything earlier.

3. I 'm so tired staring at this computer screen. . . .

I haven't quite finished it yet.

. . . , t o b e h o n e s t

I 've been up to my ears in work this month. .. .

;,;;""; ;;; """,r;,r;; ;;,,*J ::: ::l :::. . . tomorrow, that's for sure.

I'm pretty tired.tonight, if possible.

I'm pretty happ)r at work, but . .I mean, I always end up

broke by the end of the month.

For morc information on horv to use modals, see GlS.

l . A :

B:

5. A:

B:

7. A:

B:

8. A:

B:

I used my best chat-up l ine on her, and then shewent and told me she was married!| . . . . 've told you that. I thought it wascommon knowledge.

Paddy's must be one of the best clubs in town.You . . . .say that again!What a night!

The food there was terrible - again!Well, you . . . .'ve known better after whathappened last t ime.

Does Rob ever invite you round to his place?You . ... be joking! Rob never invites anyoneround to his place.

I went for a walk with my parents yesterdayafternoon, down by the river.Oh, that . . . .'ve been nice. You had somelovely weather for it.

So, did you have a good chat with Steve last nightlN o t r e a l l y , n o . l t w a s s o l o u d i n t h e p u b , | . . . . . . . . .hardly hear myself think!

Did you see Jamie trying to chat up the cloakroomattendant last night?Yes, I know. I just . . .. believe it. She's oldenough to be his grandmother.

We climbed over the fence and went for a swim intheir pool last night.You . . . . be mad doing that!They've got analsatian and a rottweiler!

My husband forgot my birthday - again!You never know. He might be planning to surpriseyou later.Yes, right! And pigs . . . .fly!

3 .

4.

2. A:B:

3. A:B:

4. A:B:

6. A:B:

9. A:B:

A:

Complete the nine expressions used above.

l . been nice.

2. . .say that again!

3. be ioking!4. . be mad!

5. believe it!

6 . . . . t o l d y o u t h a t .

7 . . . . .hard ly hear myse l f th ink !

8. .. known better!

9 . P i g s . . . . . . . . . . . !

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

74

Discuss

Tend to

In the art ic le on page 72, larnie said that he tendsto f ind gir ls his own age a bi t immature.

We often use tend to after the subject of asentence and before another verb. l t means'general ly, but not always' . We also use i ta lot to ta lk about our habi ts.

Complete these sentences in ways that are t ruefor you and then compare your answers wi th your

Partner.

I tend to watch about . . . . hours of TV a day.

I I t e n d t o s p e n d a b o u t . . . . h o u r s a w e e l <s tudy ing Eng l ish .

: I tend to go to bed at about . . . . mosr nights,and I tend to get up at around

- | tend to spend abour . . . . most days.

i I tend to try and . . . . at least twice a weel<, if Ican .

: I tend to ear chocolate maybe-

| tend to do some sport or some exercise maybe

3 | tend to . . . . every weel<end, i f I have the r ime,o f course .

Who's harder-working, you or your partner?Who's healthier? Who's lazier?

Do you agree with these statements? Tick thoseyou agree with and compare your answers with apartner. Try and explain your choices.

t .2 .3 .4.5 .

Men tend to eat more jun l< food than women.

Women tend to be much more carefu l dr ivers .

Women tend to tal<e longer to get ready to go out.

Men tend to be much more se l f ish .

Men tend to be more in to spor ts .

The class wi l l now spl i t into male/ female groupsand your teacher wi l l g ive you a few minutes tocome up with some more ideas about thedi f ferences between men and women. Make sureeach sentence uses tend to - you don' t want tostart World War Three, do you!

Once you have come up with a l is t you al l agreewith, f ind a partner of the opposi te sex andexplain what you have written. Do you agree onthe differences between the sexes or does one sextend to have more r id iculous ideas than theother?!

\

I

Have you eYer not recognisedsomebody you knew? When?What happened? How manydifferent reasons for notrecognising someone can youthink ofl

A Oiane and Cathy are taking| ? ttt" underground acrossLondon, chatting as they go.Listen to Diane talking about astrange thing that happened toher.

Cover the conversation. As youlisten, try to answer thesequestions.l . Where and when did th is happen

to Diane?

2. What was the problem? Whathappened in the endl

Listen again and try to fill in thegaps in the conversation.

Real Englisht pinchhis wallet

lf you pinch something, yousteal it. Pinch is a very informalword.

Do you ever ignore people youknow? In what situations?

What's the strangest/mostinteresting thing that's everhappened to you while youwere travelling?

Cathy:

Diane:

Hair today, gone tomorrow!Cathy: So, we've got to take this one and then change at Cannon Street,

right?

Diane: Yes, that's it. Hey, ( l) . . what happened with

me and my dad on the underground last yearl

Cathy: No, go on, whatl

Diane: Well, (2) .. , I decided to get all my hair cut

off, right? | always used to have really, really long hair - ever

since I was about fourteen or fifteen, you know - way down past

my shoulders - parted in the middle l ike curtains. So,

(3) . . , about a week after I had it all cut off,

you know - really short - and I looked quite different.

Yeah, I bet.

So, anyway, (4) . . home on the tube, and I was

half asleep because it was five or six o'clock and I was just

standing there, (5) . . - and little did I know

that my dad was actually coming back from a business trip

abroad, passing through London on the underground to get his

train back to Durham. And (6) .. ? He got

into the same carriage as me!The doors closed behind him. So

there I am, standing there face to face with my own father!

I dont recognise him at first, but then I think,'Ah, that's my dad"

and, of course, he's obviously only seen me with really long hair

for the last ten years, and so (7) . . there,

staring at him and he (8) . . on glancing at me

nervously,thinking,'Who's this lunatic staring at mel' and I 'm

thinking - you know it's the strangest feeling not being

recognised by your own dad - so I just stood there thinking,'Well, (9) .. just get off at the next

stop without tell ing him, or ( l0) . . r isk giving

him a nervous breakdown and a heart attack by saying,'Hello,

d a d l ' B u t , a n y w a y , ( l l ) . . . . . . . . 1 w e n t , ' H e l l o , d a d '

and he went, 'Diane!' and then said how he was Setting really

worried because he thought I was a pick-pocket or a drug

addict (12) . .who'd been getting ready to

pinch his wallet or something - and, um, yeah, that was a Pretty

strange and funny thing.

Lig's3rringBefore you l isten

While you

Speaking

76

Cathy: Yeah, reolly strange.

' i - ' ? ? : t ,i t i t t ' j J r : L r l i 7 ! J

1 r Hairstvlest -

l ' latch the descriptions l-8 to the picturesA-H.

I

2.

3 .

4.

IJ-JJJJJJ

5 .

5.

7.

8 .

He's got spiky hair.

She's got curly hair.

She's got a fringe.

He's got dreadlocks.

She's got dyed red hair.

She's got pigtails.

She's got hair extensions.

He's got short back and sides.

Have you ever thought of changing your hairstyle,dyeing your hair or b leaching i t b lond?

Have you ever had a really bad, unusual ordifferent haircut? How did people react to it?

In the conyersation you heard pinch his wallet.Match the slang words l-8 to the neutralequivalents a-h.

l . Chuck i t to me. a .

2. Have you got a fagl b.

3. They went out boozing. c.

4. My bicycle's been nicked. d.

5. I 've decided to flog the car. e.

6. l t only cost ten quid. f .

7. He's a really nice bloke. g.

8. He f l ipped his l id. h.

lost h is temper

stolen

throw

se l l

dr inking

crSarette

pounds

man

Always be careful with slang. You may think youknow what a slang word means, but sometimes ithas an extra meaning. In the examples in thisexercise, boozing means drinking in order to getdrunk. Slang is a dangerous area in all languagesand you should always check with a teacherbefore using it.

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. Have you ever fl ipped your l id? Whyl

2. Has anything of yours ever been nicked?What happenedl

Slang

Spea ki ng

1 1 Tel l ing stories

Different kinds of stories

Complete the sentences below with the words in

the box. Then underline the expressions formed

with the words.

t . The story of Romeo and Juliet must be one of theworld's greatest . .. stories.

I ended up sitting beside this guy who d iust gotdivorced and lost his job. I spent the whole six-hourflight listening to his .. . story.

A: The lift's broken down again!B: The same . . . story, then!

The kids say they won't go to sleep unless you 8o uPand read them their ... story.

You're a friend of Jane's. Nobody understands whyshe's leaving. Come on, you must know the . .story!

6. A: Jason told everyone at work that heU wonf 10,000, but then managed to leave it in a taxi!

B: I wouldnt believe a word he says. lt sounds likeanother one of his . . . stories.

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. What are the most famous love stories in yourcountry?

2. Do you know anyone who tells tall stories?

3. What bedtime stories can you remember from whenyou were a kidl

Storytel I i ng expressions

fi First complete the dialogue below with theld *otas in the box. Then listen and check youranswers.

well really go onyou're joking so anyway

A: Did I tell you about what happened to me in Francelast yearl

B: No, I dont think you did. ( I) . .

A: (2) .. . ., I was on holiday with my Parents inthis little village near the sea, and we ran out ofmoney.

( 3 ) . . . . ? T h a t ' s a w f u l .

Yes, (4) . . . . we went into town to find a cashmach ine - wh ich we d id , no t roub le . (5 ) . . . . . . . . . . ,when we put the card in the machine, it iust startedspiaing out loads and loads of money.

(6) . . .. ! So did you keep it l

Of course we did!Wouldn't youl

Telling a story

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 oneexpression from each group and plan how to tell

each story.

A. Introducing your story

Did I ever tell you about the time II must've told you about the time IDid I ever tell you about this friend

B. Giving background details

A few years ago, when this friend of mine wasLast August when my family was on holiday in

C. Introducing the problem

Al l of a sudden, . . .Then suddenly, . . .

D. How the problem was solved

Well, what happened in the end was

E. Finishing off the story

It was one of the funniest/silliest/strangest/worst thingsthat's ever happened to me!Looking back on it, it was all very exciting/ interesting/strange/upsetting.It seems funny now, but it didn't seem like that at the time!

For more information on tense usate in storytelling, see

of mine who

3.

4.

5.

B:A:

B:A:

hard-lucklove

bedtimeinside

oldtall

Speaking

78

Practise reading out the dialogue with a partnea

: . " .J J .

J J

2.

3 .

4.

5 .

6.

- ing clauses

Itrn dre conyersation on page 76, Diane says:.1 wasltr,rst standing there - minding my own business.'

Not ice that she did not say: ' l was standingctere. I was minding my own business.'

Crpss out the words which are not needed in theseJ€ntences.

I saw a man. He was breaking into a car.

Two f iremen died. They were trying to get a chi ldout of the blazing f lat.

The car broke down. l t was go ing up the h i l l .

He had a heart attack. He was playing golf.

I was smnding outside the bank. I was wait ing for aD U S .

The police caught them. They were trying to breakinto the shop.

We caught sight of the Queen. She was driving paston the way to the funeral.

We had to wait ten minutes. We were standingoutside in rhe pour ing rain.

Some chi ldren were in the shop. They were steal ingsweets.

Look back at the conversation on page 16 andcomplete these sentences.

0. lt was five or six o'clock and I was just standingthere,

I . My dad was actual ly coming back from a businesst r i p a b r o a d , . . . .

12. He keeps on glancint at me,

With a partner, complete these sentences byadding as many -ing ctauses as you can.

t. There was this really strange-looking guy, . .

I was rushing around madly,

o. rnr^;", , ;", o;t ;, . "h8,

. .

So there we were, in this fancy restaurant

;r r.:;" *.r r,, "r

there in tr '" o;. . .

There was this huge crowd outside the par l iamentb u i l d i n g , . . . a n d

1 1 T e l i r n q s t o r e s

Now report some of your sentences to the wholeclass and see who has made the funniestexamples.

r''t I

t-:tt"n and notice where the speaker pauses:

There was this great big dog, sitt ing there, barking at me.

Listen to these short sections of speech and markthe pauses.

l . l t was f ive or s ix o 'c lock and I was just standingthere, minding my own business.

2. My dad was actually coming back from a business tripabroad, passing through London.

3. He keeps on glancing at me, th inking,,Who's th islunat ic star ing at me?'

4. I was dancing about in the streer, acting l ike a fool.5. I was ly ing there on the ground, screaming in pain.

Now listen again and underline the strongeststress l ike this:

There was this great big dog, sitt ing there, barking at me.

Practise saying the sentences above, stressing thecorrect syllables and pausing in the right ptaces.Then do the same with the sentences l -12 inExercise l .

Re-tell your story from page 78 to a differentpartner. This time, try to use some -ing clauses.

Pronunciat ion

Speaki ng

Practice

7 9

I

1 1 Tel l ino stories

Different kinds of stories

Complete the sentences below with the words inthe box. Then underline the expressions formedwith the words.

bedtime old hard-luckinside tall love

t . The story of Romeo and Juliet must be one of theworld's greatest .. . stories.

I ended up sitting beside this guy who d just gotdivorced and lost his job. I spent the whole six-hourflight listening to his . . . story.

A: The lift's broken down again!B: The same .. . story, then!

The kids say they wont go to sleep unless you go upand read them their .. . story.

You're a friend of Jane's. Nobody understands whyshe's leaving. Come on, you must know thestory!

6. A: Jason told everyone at work that he'd wonf 10,000, but then managed to leave it in a taxi!

B: I wouldn't believe a word he says. lt sounds likeanother one of his .. . stories.

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. What are the most famous love stories in yourcountryl

2. Do you know anyone who tells tall storiesl

3. What bedtime stories can you remember from whenyou were a kid?

A First complete the dialogue below with thef ? words in the box. Then tisten and check youranswers.

well really go onyou're joking so anyway

A: Did I tell you about what happened to me in Francelast year?

No, I dont think you did. ( l) . . ":

(2) . . .. , I was on holiday with my parents inthis little village near the sea, and we ran out ofmoney.

( 3 ) . . . . l T h a t ' s a w f u l .

Yes, (4) . . . . we went into town to find a cashm a c h i n e - w h i c h w e d i d , n o t r o u b l e . ( 5 ) . . . . . . . . . . ,when we put the card in the machine, it just startedspitting out loads and loads of money.

(6) . . .. ! So did you keep it?

Of course we did!Wouldnt youl

2.

3 .

4.

5.

Look at the pictures below and try to imagine thestories. The expressions below will help you tellthe stories. Work with a partnea Use oneexpression from each group and plan how to telleach story.

A. lntroducing your story

Did I ever tell you about the time | ...I must've told you about the time | ...Did I ever tell you about this friend of mine who

B. Giving background details

A few years ago, when this friend of mine wasLastAugust when my family was on holiday in

C. lntroducing the problem

Al l of a sudden, . . .Then suddenly, . . .

D. How the problem was solved

Well, what happened in the end was

E. Finishing off the story

It was one of the funniest/silliest/strangest/worst thingsthat's ever happened to me!Looking back on it, it was all very exciting/ interesting/strange/upsetting.It seems funny now, but it didn't seem that at the time!

For more information on tense usate in storytelling, see G

B:A:

B:A:

B:A:

Tell ing

Speaking

Storytel I i ng expressions

78

Practise reading out the dialogue with a partner.

5f fr

In the conyersation on page 76, Diane says:.1 wasjust standing there - minding my own business.'

Notice that she did not say:' l was standingtfrere. I was minding my own business.'

Cross out the words which are not needed in theses€ntences.

l. I saw a man. He was breaking into a car.

2. Two firemen died. They were trying ro get a childout of the blazing flat.

3. The car broke down. lt was going up the hil l .

4. He had a heart attack. He was playing golf.

5. I was standing outside the bank. I was waiting for abus.

The police caught them. They were trying to breakinto the shop.

We caught sight of the Queen. She was driving paston the way to the funeral.

We had to wait ten minutes. We were standingoutside in the pouring rain.

Some children were in the shop. They were stealingsweeB.

Look back at the conversation on page 76 andcomplete these sentences.

10. lt was five or six o'clock and lwas just standingthere,

I l. My dad was actually coming back from a businesst r i p a b r o a d , . . .

12. He keeps on glancing ar me,

With a partner, comptete these sentences byadding as many -ing clauses as you can.

l. There was this really strange-looking guy, . .

2. I was rushing around madly,

3 . " " t n , ^ d r y

| ; , ; , ^ ; ; ; ; r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4. So there we were, in this fancy restaurant

s ;; ; ; : ," ; ' ' , ; . ' ; ; , ; . ; ; , ; . ;" ; . ; : : : : : : : : : : :

6. There was this huge crowd outside the parliamentbui ld ing, . . . and

1 1 Tell ing stories

Now report some of your sentences to the wholeclass and see who has made the funniestexamples.

/^'f J

l-:tt.n and notice where the speaker pauses:

There was this grear big dog, sitting there, barking at me.

Listen to these short sections of speech and markthe pauses.

t . It was five or six o'clock and I was just standingthere, minding my own business.

My dad was actually coming back from a business tripabroad, passing through London.

He keeps on glancing at me,thinking,'Who's thislunatic staring at me?'

I was dancing about in the street, acting like a fool.

I was lying there on the ground, screaming in pain.

Now listen again and underline the strongeststress like this:

There was this great big dog, gltting there, barking at me.

Practise saying the sentences above, stressing thecorrect syllables and pausing in the right places.Then do the same with the sentences l -12 inExercise l.

Re-tell your story from page 78 to a differentpartner. This time, try to use some -ing clauses.

For more information on how to use -ing clauses, see G 17.

2.

3 .

6.

7.

9.

Pronunciat ion

Speaking

I I T e l l r n q s l o r r c , s

Have you ever heard of anyone putting an animalinto a microwave or f inding a mouse in a pie oranything l ike that?

Read the art ic le below and then discuss witha partner whether or not you think i t 's t rue.

3 ] Speak ing

Discuss these quest ions wi th a partner.

(e j

l . Has anything l ike th is everanyone you knowl

2. What would you do i f you' a spider in your bath

happened to you or

found the fol lowing?

a caterpi l lar in your salad a restaurant

a mouse in your bedroom

a cocl<roach in your hotel bathroom

a snake in your l< i tchen

a sp ider in a f r iend 's ha i r (she 's ter r i f ied o f them)

Before

Wh i l e

5 5 p i d e l "H a v e \ / n l 1 - e a r d h p s t o r i r o l t h e

_ y " * r f v u r v L r r v , ' c v l

J v l

wornan who drred her cat ln themrcrowave after il had got wei - or theone about the woman who opened ah e r r n f n r a n z r o r ] c r l r . l r n r l n r r n n 'u u v v , y , v y u r - - s d l a u a l l 0 o u . p u p o e O

^ f " r ' ^ , - { - 1 r l ? l A i h o r h o r l h o v : r r oO l U I l y - V I U V V . t l l l l . r v I v v r r u ( . r u r L . t r L j s - v

true or not, we love telhng each otherscary sLorres iJnfor tunate ly , the storVthat fol iows rs defrnrtely true

R c r - p n l l v a \ ^ / o n A n l i r l r n o ' l K e n l I l ]r L v v v r l r r J , u v v u f l l u t l 1 r v l t r v I l l 1 \ u

qor thprn Fnol :n f l V/ent l :O j - ie i dOCtOlu v ! r L t r v 1 1 M r Y r L r r 1 ,

Fot dal ts she hadn' l j leen al l re lo sLeep

b e c a r i s e o f n o i s e s , n l L e i e a r T h e

alocior -oiii r tel ilrat 'r:-ir-r ,''\ia-s ltot

ull ' . iS-.a- Lo-s ci i-reople ha.r.e l-iolseS ln

ilelI eaIS ;i3..,.,rgr,rgi, wlen le ,ooked

lnto her eal , he gor i re st .ccn of hrs

hfe He could see legs ar..r sottethutgrnn r r i nn I t 1^ / , r c ' a .a i3g S l tdeL l Thet l l v V 1 1 l V 1 L V V L I U

wonan was absol i i le iY ie lLr f red of

q n ' d c ' q l - h p d o r - t o f w a s a b l e

'

' ' n l i ek l v a ' r d qe t i l f r ee" Y * ' " " ' , j

Whert speaki t tg IO a c( .few days later, the doctor r-. :that that was the fust trme he -f ^ , r - r - l a o n i r - l a r l i -ruu| r i a spruej - . \ ' lng ]n sor t .Hrs co l league suggesredsprder was probably loc, .sornewhele warm rn order ,,eggs

ldiomatic language

Colourful expressions are a common feature ofstorytelling, and help to make stories moreinteresting. As you study this page, try to thinkwhat these expressions would be in your ownlanguage.

ldiomatic comparisons

We use strong comparisons to emphasise what weare 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 theexpressions in the box.

like clockwork like dirt

like a chimney like death warmed up

like a house on fire like a fish

like a lunatic like a log

l. I used to have this friend who drank

This guy was driving along

He's horrible to his wife. He treats her

4. When I saw myself in the mirror, I looked

5. My granddad used to smoke

6. The tube system in Tokyo runs .

7. I was so exhausted that I slept

8. My sister and I get on . .

With a partner, check how many of thesecomparisons you can remembea Cover the listand test each other.

Tell your partner about anybody you know who:

1 1 Tel l ing stones

Exaggerating using idioms

In Diane's story about her father not recognisingher on the tube, she uses exaggeration in thefollowing way:

. . . so I just stood there thinking,'Well, shall I just get offat the next stop without tell ing him, or shall I r isk givinghim a nervous breakdown and a heart attack by saying,'Hel lo, dad' l '

What do you think she really means here?In English, it is yery common to exaggerate bytalking about i l lnesses, death, kil l ing, and so on.Complete the sentences below with the words inthe box.

died die murder (x2)death kil l ki l l ing dying

l . I ' m . . . . f o r a

2. She gets away with

coffee.

3 . My fee t a re . . . . me!

4. ltk . . . . trying to ger him to do anything.

5. I nearly . . . . when he told me that!

6 . I near ly . . . . laugh ing .

7. I 'm sick to . . . . of it.

8. I'd . . . . if anybody else found out.9. lf he does it again, I ' l l . . . . him.

With a partner, discuss what you think thecommon exaggerations above actually mean.

Now add one of the sentences I-9 above to theend of each of the following.

a. I used to be really into dance music, but now

b. I cant wait to get these new shoes off and get into anice hot bath.

c. I can't wait for the break.

d. That film was so brilliant. lt was so funny.

e. And then he said I'd been accepted for the team.

f. Only you know it's a wig.

g. Dad's a bit too easy-going with her.

h. I asked him time and time again to fix it, but

i. That's the second time he's thrown his rubbish overinto our garden.

Do you have similar expressions in your language?Are there any phrases above you wouldn't feelcomfortable using? Why?

2.

3.

. smokes l i ke a . . .' e a t s l i k e a . . .

. d r i v e s l i k e a . . .

. looks l ike . . . in the mornings

Have you ever heard any of the followingexpressions? Can you guess what they mean?

I've got a memory like a sieve.I felt like a fish out of water.She spends money like water.

When was the last time you slept like a log?Have you ever met anybody who youimmediately got on with like a house on fire?

l .

2.

3 .

4.

5 .

6.

. f € J -

Before you read the text on page 83, makecollocations by matching l-8 to a-h.

With a partner, think of three naughty things that

children sometimes do. Add them to this l ist:

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. to the groundb. parkc. their wedding anniversaryd. the other kids to ice creame. for a weekf. was refusedg. burnsh. a spending spree

fight with their brothers or sisters

watch videos they shouldn't

experiment with cigarettes

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.

Did you ever do any of the things on your l ist?

Do you know any children who do?

Have you heard the saying'Boys wil l be boys'?Does your language have an equivalent?

You are going to read about five different youngpeople being left on their own by their parents.With a partner,try to guess what their storiesmight be, using the eight collocations above.

f . Now read the article and see if you were right.I / Wnich story is the most incredible? Why?

Collocations

nice!

fuc Alone' is one of the biggest box office successes in movie history. Alongrih fus sequel, 'Home Alone 2', it grossed over half a billion dollars worldwide.fp ask me, they're not particularly funny films. There's too much slapstickhorr for my liking - people slipping over or having their faces covered inGrm - but there is something about the films which appeals to a deep-heldtrasy we all had when we were children: the freedom to escape from ourFcils and do whatever we wanted.

Uhm I was in my teens, my parents went away for the weekend leaving me andr; si:rteen-year-old brother to fend for ourselves. We immediately rang up allc friends (and our friends rang their friends) and we had a p^rty. The policetrne and broke it up at three in the morning because the neighbours werearrrrplaining about the noise. when we cleared up the following day, I foundhrmdreds of cigarette burns in the carpet. Luckily, we had an old piece of thestrDe carpet lytttg around, so I got my younger brother to go round the housed stick little bits in the holes to cover them up. It actually looked quite goodad when my parents got back, it seemed they didn't notice a thing and Itharght we were in the clear. Unfortunately, when my mum came to do thehmvering later in the week, all the bits we'd put in the holes came unstuck. Sheszrs not very pleased and I was grounded for a week, while my brother got awaysith it because he said I'd forced him into it. Typical! Still, this little story ismthing compared to some of the other horror stories about kids who have beenleft 'home alone'.

Terry andJerry Schneider didn't just find a few cigarerre burns when they cameback, they found their whole house burnt to the ground. The couple had lefttheir two children, aged twelve and fourteen, in the house, while they went ona romantic weekend to Las Vegas to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Thechildren had bought what they thought were indoor fireworks and were playrngwith them. Unfortunately, the explosive Roman candle they lit was for useqttside and it soon set fire to the sofa, curtains and carpet in the front room. Bythe time the children called the fire brigade half an hour later, the fire wasalready completely out of conrrol.

John Thomas, a ten-year-old from Yorkshire, an area in the north of England,was arrested after he shot a dog and terrorised walkers near his home inKeighley. He had taken the gun from a kitchen cupboard while his parents wereout shopping and had decided to do some shooting practice in some fieldsnearby. 'I didn't realise I could kill anything, I just thought they were pretendbullets,' he explained.

Lamine, a twelve-year-old French boy, went on a ten-day spending spree at theEuroDisney theme park near Paris with the ten thousand pounds he found ly,rgaround 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 threehundred-pound-a-night hotel.

Peter Kerry, a schoolboy of fourteen, went halfway round the world after he stolehis father's passport and credit card. He had visited three separate countries intwelve days and spent almost six thousand pounds before he was finally caught:his credit card was refused after his father cancelled it. It wasn't actually thefirst time it had happened. Two years earlier he spent a week on his own inGermany. 'I like travelling,' he said.

12 Di f f rcul t to bei ,eYe

I can't believe it!

We often comment onincredible stories by makingquestions using the pastcontinuous. These aren'treal questions - they areexpressions of surprise.We often reply to questionslike this using modal verbexpressions.

Match each question l-3 totwo of the responses a-f.

l. What were the parents doing,leaving all that money lyingaroundl

2. What were the security guardsdoing, letting him on the plane?

3. What was the kid thinking of,spending all that money?

I know! He could've been aterrorist or something.

I know!They should've locked itaway more safely.

I know! He must hate his

Parents.I know! He shouldn't have takenit in the first place.

I know!They should've checkedhis passport betrer.

I know!They musr have moneyto burn.

Now write four questionsabout the article showing whatyou are surprised about. Usethese sentence starters.

*li:::: ':: -::::::::T::1 ,What were Terry and Jerry doing,

What was John Thomas thinking ol

And what were his parents thinking,,

Ask a partner your questions.They should try to respondusing a modal verb expression.

b.

c .

d.

e.

Using gtarnfftar

12 Di f f icul t to bel ieve

Past simple and Past continuous

Make logical sentences by matching the

beginnings l-8 to the endings a-h.

l. She was just sitt ing there, reading,

2. Just as I was leaving the house,

3. lt was raining really heavily as I was leaving,

4. I was living in ltaly

5. I was just going home

6. Just as I went into my daughter's school,

7. While we were trying to decide where to 8o,

8. I resigned from my iob on FridaY

a. I remembered the tickets were on my bed.

b. so I grabbed an umbrella.

c. when the big Mafia trials were happening.

d. when this guy suddenly started talking to her.

e.

f.

8.h.

I won this fabulous holiday to Jamaica!

and found a better one on SaturdaY!

she came running up to me, crYing.

when my boss rang and told me I was going to

Washington!

2a. I was driving through town when I got stoPped by

this police car.2b. I was driving through town when I was getting

stopped by this police car.2c. I was driving through town when I realised I was

getting really tired.

3a. I was coming home on the tube when I suddenly

bumped into an old friend.3b. I came home on the tube when I suddenly bumped

into an old friend.3c. I came home on the tube when I missed the last bus.

Compare your answers with a partner.

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.. . (break down)

2. When | . . . . . . . . home last n ight,

I bumped into an old friend of mine. (walk)

3. My mother was tidying my room up when she. . the letter. (see)

4. We . . along the beach when we

suddenly saw a body in the sea. (walk)

5 . 1 . . . . . . . . o f w r i t i n g t o h e r w h e n t h enext thing I knew she turned up on my doorstep.

(think)

6. I was talking to a friend on the phone when my

dad .. rushing into mY room'

(come)

7. You can imagine how angry he was when he.. how much theY were charging

him. (find out)

8 . O h , i t w a s s o s t u p i d ! 1 . . . . . . . . s o m e

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,see Gl8.

I-J_JJ-JJ-JJ

Underline the past verb forms in each sentence.

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 cleaning the carpet when we were finding

the diamond.lb. We got the system checked out because we were

finding lots of problems with it.

lc. We got the system checked out because we found

lots of problems with it.

Grammar check

Grammar discussion

84

When we talk about things that happened to usct a journey, we tend to say where we wereFing. 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 brokedotf,n.Ytb stopped off and had something to eat on the wayo dre match.

Complete the sentences betow with the phrasesh the box.

We .. on the way to Dorset.We had to call someone out from a local garage tofix the engine.

We .. on the way to Lisa's mum'shouse. We must've gone up and down the samestreet about ten times!

1 . . . . . . . . o n t h e w a y t o w o r k t h eother day. There's so much glass on the roadsnowadays, it makes cycling hell!

We .. at a beautiful old castle onour way here and went and had a look around.1 . . . . . . . . o n m y w a y t o s c h o o l t h eother day. This guy cut in front of me and I wentstraight into the back of him!

We .. on the way to Cologne,and had to do a U-turn in the middle of themotorway!

Rebecca . . on the way toRushden. She was sick all over the back seat.1 . . . . . . . . a n o l d f r i e n d o f m i n e o n t h eway to work this morning. I hadn't seen her forages.

We saw .. on the motorway onthe way to Malmir. lt was awful!There must've beenat least three or four cars involved.

We . . on our way to Nara. Wenearly hit a truck which was coming in the oppositedirection.

12 Diff icult to belreve

Have any of the things described in Exercise Iabove eyer happened to you? On the way towhere? Spend a few minutes thinking about whathappened and where. Decide if you'll need to usethe past simple or the past continuous and thentell a few other people your stories.

Complete the sentences below with the wordsin the box.

trip tour travel journey flight travelling

l. A: What time is their . . . . supposed to begetting in now?

B: About six thirty, I think. lt's already been delayedan hour!

3.

4.

9.

t0.

6.

7.

8.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

t0 .

i l .

t2.

t .

What a . . . . !Twe lve hours on a p lane, thensix hours on a freezing cold train.

I always try and . . .. light, if I can.

When I graduated, I worked for a bit and then went. . . . f o r a y e a r .

I was thinking of going on a day-. . . . ro. Brighton this Saturday. Do you fancy comingl

He's away on a business .. . . , I'm afraid. Tryagain on Monday.

I never . . . . by bus, if I can help it. I muchprefer just cycling or walking.

I spent a couple of months . . . . round peru.

I can't believe my parents are planning to go on a. . . . ro Disneyland when they retire!

There's a coach . . . . of the city this afternoon.Do you hncy going?

Once you land, have you got a long . . . . aheadof you before you get home?

While I was in Granada in Spain, we went on thisguided . . . . round the Alhambra, which wasreally interesting.

Discuss these questions with a partner.

Have you ever been on a guided tourl When? WherelWhat was it likel

When was the last time you went on a day-trip?What's the longest journey you've ever been onlWoufd you like to take a year off and go travellinglWhere would you most like to go?

2.3.4.

Speaking

I a pile-up almost had an accident

I broke down bumped into

I tot a puncture got car sick

! got lost had an accident

I tropp"d off took a wrong turn

Speaking

3 .

12 Di f f icul t to bel ieve

When talking about things that have happened tous, it is common to use yague or approximatefanguage. Choose the best definit ion )a or b forthe highlighted expressions in these sentences.

l. There must've been about thirty or forty peoplethere.a. Either thirty or forty people.b. Between twenty-five and forty-five people.

2. He was sort of smiling at me.a. lt was a particular kind of smile.b. lt wasnt exactly a smile, but it was more l ike a

smile than anything else.

His skin had turned a weird blueish colour andhed stopped breathing.a. lt was bright blue.b. lt wasn't exactly blue, but it was more blue than

any other colour.

There must have been 500-odd people there.a. The 500 people were very strange.b. There were approximately 500 people.

And the policeman looked at me and said,' ls thisyour carl ' you know,'blah, blah, blah.'a. And some other things I didn't understand.b. I 'm sure you can imagine what else he said, and

you don't need me to tell you.

It must have been built about 1985 or so.a. l t was bui l t in 1985.b. lt could have been 1984 or 1986.

It cost two hundred and something pounds.a. Just a l itde more than two hundred pounds.b. Almost three hundred pounds.

And I spoke to that man who works in the officethere, you know, what's his name, and he told me . . .a. I can't remember his name, but I 'm sure you

know who I mean.b. Please tell me his name.

Look at these two examples:

My dad thought I was a pick-pocket or a drug addict orsomething.

There was no hot water or showers or anything!

Phrases with or something/or anything arecommon in spoken English when we wantto be vague. Complete these sentences withthe language in the box below.

or something like that food or anythingshowers or anything a bit of wire or something

a hammer or something

I. He managed to get the lock to work by using

The campsite was horrible. There were no propert o i l e t s o r . . .

They must have broken into the car withThey did a lot of damage.

I didn't really see the registration number, but I 'msure it started TKP .

We flew on one of those budget airlines. There wereno dr inks or . . .

For more information on how to use these structures,see G l9 .

Adding -ish to an adjective or number isa common way of being less precise.

He's about forty-ish.Her hair is a sort of reddish brown.

Complete the sentences below with the words inthe box.

seven-ish yellow-ish purple-ishlong-ish tall-ish sixty-ish

l. He's not retired yet, but I'm sure he's about

2. When you get malaria, your skin turns a sort of. . . . . c o l o u r .

3. I think we'll have to get the train about . . . . . toget there in time for eight.

4. Although it was red wine, it was a kind of deep. . . . . c o l o u r .

5. Eva's the one with . . . . . dark hair.

6. You'l l recognise him. He's a sort of . . . . . versionof Charlie Chaplin without the moustache.

3 .

4.

5.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Reol Englisht sort of / kind of

Sort of and kind of are both very common inspoken English. They are often used when youcannot find the right word to express what youmean. Some people do not l ike these phrases, butthey are extremely common even in educatedspeech.

It wos kind of expensive-looking.She wos sort of onnoyed with me.

86

. . - - .

1 Whi le you read

-.- Here are four stories. Three are urban myths and only one is true.I I Reaa them and decide which one you think is t rue.

Safety first !

Did you hear about the plane which crashedsomewhere in South America as it was coming in toland ?

Apparently, it was fitted with a device whichs-arns the pilot that he's approaching the ground - aGround Warning Alarm (GWA) sysrem. Some pilotsfind this warning irritating, so rhey switch it off.

When the black box was examined, the crash wasblamed on pilot error. The decision had been easy roreach. When the plane had been coming in to land,the GWA had gone off, telling the pilot he was rooclose to the ground. On the tape rhe pilot can beheard sa).lng, 'Shut up, you stupid machine!' Thenr-ou hear the sound of the crash.

True story or myth?

Drowned in a drain

\ man from Wakefield in Yorkshire went out onenight for a few drinks at his local pub. He left his carin the street near the pub. When he decided ro gohome, he went out to his car, took out the keys, andthen accidentally dropped them down a drain in theroad.

He could see the keys down the drain on top ofsome leaves. So, he managed to lift the drain cover,but the keys were too far down for him to reach. Helay down in order to reach them.

Suddenly, he fell into the drain head firsr. Jusr ashe did that, it started ro rain heavily. Nobody heardhis cries for help. The next morning he was founddrowned, his head down the drain, his legs srickingup in the air.

True story or myth?

What a rat!

Then there was the story of the couple who were inThailand on holiday. The morning after rhey arrived,they found a thin little cat sitting on rheir balcony.

They immediately fell in love with it. Theycleaned it and fed it. By rhe time they were ready toleave, they couldn't bear to be parted from it. Theyarranged for the cat to come home with thern.Waiting at home was rheir pet poodle. The poodleand the cat seemed to get on together very well, sothe couple decided to go out for dinner. When theygot back, they found their sitting room covered inpoodle hair and the dog halfway down rhe cat'sthroat !

It turned out the cat was not a cat. but anenormous Thai water rat !

True story or myth?

Sunk by flyng cow

A few years ago, rhe crew of a Japanese fishing boatwere rescued from the wreckage of their boat in theSea ofJapan. They said that their boat had been sunkby u cow falling our of the sky. Nobody believedthem.

A few weeks later the Russian Air Force admittedthat the crew of one of their planes had stolen a cowin Siberia and put it into the plane's cargo hold.

At 30,000 feet the cow started to run around theplane out of control. The crew decided there was onlyone thing they could do. So, they opened the cargodoor and the cow jumped our, landing on rop of theJapanese fishing boat.

True story or myth?

Do you know any other urban myths? lf you l ike this kind of story, they are allon the Web. Find them under 'urban myths' . Br ing one in to the next lesson! ttt

llitt

lil

5 peaki ng

87

4.

5.

Choose the correct form.

l. Oh, you stayed in Bahia? That must be / must've been

lovely.

2. I was breaking / | broke my leg skiing.

3. Would it be OK if I was leaving / | left an hour early

todayl

I was walking down the road when suddenly a

woman came up / was coming uP to me and started /

was startrng screaming.

A: I phoned you last night at about nine.

B: Oh, sorry. I was cooking / | cooked, so I wasn't

answering / | didn't answer it.

I watched / | was watchingTV when the lights just

suddenly went / were going out.

Were you living / Did you live in Paris when Princess

Diana died / was dying.

A: Did you manage to see the first performance?

B: No, I wasn't arriving / | didn't arrive until after

theyd finished.

Choose the more natural alternative.

t . A: I had an argument with my flatmate last night.

B: Oh, a. had you? What aboutlb. did you?What about?

I'm exhausted this morning.a. I got in at four in the morning!b. I didn't get in unti l four in the morning!

A: This traffic's absolutely awful, isn't itl

B: a. You can say that again!b. You could say that again!

A: I'm going parachuting this weekend.B: a. You mustn't be serious!

b. You can't be serious!

I was lying by the pool, ... .a. I was sunbathing

I arrived at ... .a. sort of nine o'clock

b. sunbathing

b. about nine-ish

a. He was sort of just standing there.

b. He was about just standing there.

I do drink wine and beer, but I never touch vodka

or whisky . . . .a. or something like that b. or anything like that

He looks . . . .a. really sad b. like really sad

She looks as if ... .a. a model b. she's iust won the lottery

Rewrite these sentences using tend to or tend

not to instead of the adverbial phrases.

l. On the whole, I prefer not to eat sweet things.

2. By and large, I don't go out much during the week.

3. As a rule, I don't drink.

4. Generally speaking, I take the bus to work.

5. As a rule, people in my country are quite religious.

By and large, people in my country don't invite friends

round to their houses.

Generally speaking, people in my country spend

their holidays with their families.

8. On the whole, women don't smoke much in public.

ls each of the sentences l-8 above true or false

for you? Why? Tell your Partner.

Are there any other generalisations you can make

about yourself? About people in your country?

Put the jumbled conversation below into the

correct orden

6.

7.

6.

7.

8.

gJ3_il3

_lTtII

f.

8.

h.

i .

j .

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

So when did you find out Dave had bought a dogl

That sounds terrible. He must be mad!

It's a he. Dave wants to call him Arsenal.

I bet you couldnt believe it! ls it a he or a she?

He is mad!And what's worse, it's a boxer or

something, and the stupid animal barked all night

long!

You know - Arsenal - after the football team.

Well, I told him - you've got to choose! lt's either

Arsenal or me! One of us will have to go!

He wants to call him what?

Did it? You'll end up getting divorced!

Last night. I didn't get in until eleven, and there it

was, just sitting there.

Mult iple choice

Conversation

88

t0 .

f.-t back at Linking ideas in Exercise 6 on pagelf- 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.

Complete the sentences below with theqressions in the box. All the expressionsre

sick to death of or something like thatyou must be mad when all of a suddenyou went where you can say that again

l. A: I went to Burkina Faso last year.B: last year?A: Burkina Faso, in West Africa.

L A: lt's freezing outside, isn't it?B : . . . . . ! l h a d t o w e a r t w o

pullovers when I went out.

3. I was just walking down the roadthese two guys came running up to me and accusedme of stealing their car!

1. You paid two grand for a 1985 Renault with ruste v e r y w h e r e ! . . . . . . . . . . !

5. A: What does her boyfriend do for a living?B: I think he's a lawyer

6. Shall we eat out tonightl I'm . . . cooking!

Can you think of three other situations where youmight say:'You must be mad!'?

Can you think of four things you could be sick todeath of?

Match the verbs l-10 to the best collocations a-j.

Now match the verbs I l-18 to the bestcollocations k-r.

I I . fa l l

12. flog

| 3. read

14. download

| 5. treat

| 6. break

17. go on

18. face

Revrew: Unrts 9- ' i2

k. my car

l. the kids their bedtime story

m. you to dinner

n. the news to his family

o. a spending spree

p. a lot of discrimination

q. asleep halfway through

r. an article

JJJ-J_J-JJJ

Now discuss these questions with a partner.

19. When was the last t ime you bumped into an oldfriend?

20. Have you ever had to break any bad news to someonel

21. What was the last thing you downloadedl

Match the statements l-8 to the responses a-h.

l. What's your brother l ike?

2. Do you love him?

3. Are you OK? You look dreadful.

4. lt hurt l ike hell when he pulled the tooth out.

5. I heard someone pinched your bag.

6. Did you do anything special yesterday after work?

7. I tend to go to bed earlier in the winter.

8. I heard the house cost your sister a fortune.

a. Yes, I bet it did! Rather you than me.

b. Yes, it was over eighty grand!

c. He's a bit of a nerd, actually.

d. Kind ol I suppose.

e. No, I just went straight home and had an early night.

f . Yes. I'm really annoyed about it!

g. Yes, I'm OK. I just had a bit of a late night, that's all.

h. Yes, so do l.

You have one minute to memorise the responsesa-h. Now coyer Exercise 8 above. Your partnerwill read out the statements l-8. How manyresponses can you remember?

l . m i n d

2. smoke

3. spend

4. go

5. do

6. glance

7. bump

8. feel

9. catch up

10. get

a.

b.

c.

d .

e .

f.

8.h .

i .

j .

l ike a chimney

into an old friend

your own business

at my watch

exhausted

something to eat

out for a quick run

a bit of washing up

the evening round at Dave's

with the gossip

Expressions

Engl ish

Collocations

ld ioms

l . I near ly

2. I s lept l ike

3. I could hardly

4. I 'm dying for

5. He dr inks l ike

6. Pigs

7. He was driving l ike

8. My marriage is

a. a log.

b. a f ish.

c. on the rocks!

d . a lunat ic .

e. might f ly!

f . died laughing.

g. a coffee.

h. hear mysel f th ink !

Rev iew: Uni ts 9-12

Make sentences with idioms by matching the

beginnings l-8 to the endings a-h.

Answer these questions with a partner. Thencompare your answers with another pair. Whogot most answers right?

l. lf you wanted to show someone you were angrywith them, would you stare at them, glare at themor glance at theml

2. Can you think of f ive things you can run out of?

3. ls a sensible person someone who understands theirfriends' feelings or someone able to make gooddecis ions?

4. lf you're'going out with' someone, what twomeanings could this havel

5. l f you bump into an old f r iend, does i t hurt?

6. How could my younger brother get away withmurder l

7. ls a divorcee someone who is divorced or someonewho is getting divorced?

8. lf you propose to someone, what is the questionyou ask?

9. l f you get on l ike a house on f i re wi th someone, doyou get on well or badlyl

10. Why would you wear a wigl

I l. l f you're tired, do you go asleep or fall asleepl

12. lf you don't have any clean clothes to wear, wouldyou do the washing-up or the washingl

13. l f someone tr ies to chat you uP, do they just wantto talk to youl

14. l f I say: 'That 's none of your business' , what k ind ofquestion have you just asked me?

15. ls someone who ki l ls a lot of people over a per iodof t ime a ser ious k i l ler or a ser ia l k i l ler l

16. Do you surf the net or the beachl

17. Are lads young men or young women?

18. Can you think of three recent blockbustersl

19. lf you go to a club, do you leave your coat in thecloakroom or the bathroom?

20. lf you find someone appealing, do you like them ornot?

1 0 What can you remember?

With a partner, note down as much as you canremember about the two texts you read in units

l 0 a n d 1 2 .

ls she really going out with him?

Now compare what you remember with anotherpair. Who remembers more?

Which text did you enioy more? WhY?

J

Vocabulary

90

' - l

Lr groups, show each other the notebooks you keep of language you learn inctass and/or any vocabulary record books you have. Explain how you recordhnguage 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 thebest method? Why?

Now read this text and see if you are l ike the student mentioned.

Has the text made you change your mind about the way you learn and record vocab ulary?

9 1

: . i f U r t f t " ' :- . J - J . j . t ; 2

Eleven questions

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 . Hel lo, (Carr ie,) how are youl

2. I haven't seen you for ages.

3. You haven't changed one bit.

4. You look exacdy the same! Not one day older!

5. What've you been doing for the past (ten) yearsl

6. What're you doing nowl

7. Are you marriedlWhat does your husband/wife dol

8. Have you got a familyl

9. Are you sti l l (afraid of spiders)l

10. Do you st i l l (p lay tennis)?

I l. Where do you live now?

First, work alone and decide how you wouldrespond to these questions and comments. Then

talk to other students in the class and find outwhat you have all been doing.

I haven't seen you for ages

Who is your oldest friend? When did you firstmeet?

Can you think of someone you haven't met for along time? Why not? Are you sti l l in touch? Whatare they up to now?

A Sharon and Barry are friends who live in theld ,"-. area. They;ve bumped into each otherin the street and are catching up with eachother's news.

Cover the conversation on Page 93. As you listen

to them talking about what they've both been upto, try to answer these questions.

l. What's Barry been up to?

2. What's Sharon been up tol

Listen again and try to fill in the gaPs in theconversation.

While

92

Long time, no see!Sharon: Barry! Hi, how are you? | haven't seen you for

a8es.Barry: Hello, Sharon. Long time, no see.Sharon: I know. So how're you doinglBarry: I 'm all r ight, thanks. And you?Sharon: Yeah, not too bad. So, what've you been up to

since I last saw you?Barry: Not a lot - working mostly -

( l ) . . real ly long hours th isweek, getting really fed up with it, you know.

I Recll Englishs Long time, no see!r This is an informal expression, used between

friends. lt means:' l hoven't seen you for o longtime.'

1 3 O l o f r e - : s

I-J

Real Englishs I actually thought itwas excellent.

Actually is used like this when we wantsomething we see as a fact, and which isfrom what the other person expected.

A: Thot jocket must'ye cost you o lotB: Well, it wos octuolly quite cheop.Sharon:

Barry:

Sharon:Barry:

Really?Yeah, but I went down to Kent last weekend,for my grandma's birthday party.Oh, how old was shelEighty-five. lt was really great.We(2) . . this lovely meal andthen we (3) . . a walkalong the beach. lt was good to get out of thecrty.

S h a r o n : l b e t . l ( 4 ) . . h a v e aweekend away myself.

Barry: I know. You get to the point where you reallyneed it, don't you? lf you don't get out ofLondon from time to time, it starts drivingyou crazyyou know. (5) ..w h a t a b o u t y o u ? ( 6 ) . . . . . . . . I

Sharon: Well, on Sunday morning I(7) .. that exhibit ion at theRoyalAcademy.

Barry: Oh yes, the one there's been(8) . . about - dead sheepand pictures of toilet rolls and things.

Sharon: Yeah, my friend Angela - she's at art school -

she kept nagging me to go and see it, soI went.

Barry: And what did you think of it?( e ) . . . . . . . . ?

S h a r o n : O h , l ( 1 0 ) . . t h o u g h t i twas excellent, really good and challenging.There's only one thing that made you go'yuk!'- the dead sheep. I think it 's meant toshock you, though. Anyway, after that, I( | l) . . and saw a friend ofmine, Richard, for a bit and then we went upto Camden market to do a bit of shopping.

Barry: Oh yeah, it's nice up there on a Sunday, isn'tit?

Sharon: Yeah, it's great. And then I

Barry:Sharon:

( 12) . . at my mum's, whichwas nice.Oh, that sounds good.Yeah, and apart from that,( 13) . . things for college,really.

Barry: Uh-huh, sti l l being a good student, then.Oh look, there's my bus into town.(14) . . l ' l l see you soon,then. Bye.

Sharon: Yeah, OK, bye.

to stressdifferent

Has there been an exhibit ion or concert thatcaused a big fuss in your country? Why was itso controversial?

What makes you go 'yuk'?

In the conyersation, Barry said that if you live ina big city l ike London, you get to the point whereyou really need a weekend away. What do youthink i t means?

Get is a very common verb in English.Here are eight things you can get. Use themto complete the sentences below.

the impression five yearsa terrible shock to the topsome sleep a l ifea doctor the message

t . I got . . . . when I saw Mary after allthose years. She looked really old.That guy got . . . . for knocking down oneof our neighbours' children. He was driving when hewas drunk.

Qu ick ,ge t . . . . !She 's s topped brea th ing !

Sorry, I 've been working non-stop for eighteen hours.I really need to get . .

Do you sometimes get . . . . that Claire isbored with her job?

I can't believe you spent the whole weekendstudying. You should get out more and get

I

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7. I keep dropping hints that I 'm not interested, but henever seems to get

8. He's incredibly ambitious. He'd do anything to tet

Speaki ng

Expressions

93

13 Old fr iends

I

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 have you been? I've been waiting

here for an hour.b. Where on earth have you 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 breaking my 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.

Adverbs with the Present Perfect

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 . I ' v e . . . . b e e n t o S i b e r i a .2. I 've .. .. bumped into Harry on the tube.

3. I've . . . . finished. Give me two minutes.

4. I 've.. ..forgotten Your name.

5. I've . . . .tot to the end of the book.

6. I 've . . . . had an idea.7. He's . . . had an original idea in his life!

8. I've .. .. seen somethint really funny.

9. She's . . .got over the death of her son.

10. I've . . . . seen anything so funny.

Use these sentence starters to tell your pattner

some interesting things about yourself.

l. I 've just . . .2. I 've never ...3. I 've almost f inished ...4. I 've completely ...

_ l:,'#f, Present perfect collocations

Some verb forms occur very often with the sameexpressions. Choose the correct expression tocomplete these present perfect sentences.

l. I've been at college a.b.

2. I've been travelling

3. I've been studying

4. I've been abroad

5. I've been working

6. I've been on a course a.b.

7. I've been away

8. I've been ill

for the past three years.since the last three years.

about Africa.around Africa.

for a doctor.to become a doctor.

studying.for studying.

as a volunteer in Africa.as volunteer in Africa.

to better my English.to improve my English.

since two months.since Christmas.

for the past fortnight.since the past fortnight

a.

b.

a.

b.

a.

b.

a.

b.

a.

b.

a.

b.

Present perfect simPle andperfect continuo

Pronunciat ion

13 O ld f r rends

Now complete the sentences below with theadjectives in the box.

$ tisten to the intonation pattern of this linelJ f"om the conversation. high turning strong sore

How are youl I haven't seen you for ages.

Pnactise the following,which have similar patterns.

l. How are youlWe haven't spoken for weeks.L How are you? We haven't had a chat for ages.3. How are they? | havent seen them for months.1. How is hel I hear he's just got back.5. How is shel I haven't seen her for ages.6. How's your dadl I haven't seen him for years.7. How is she? | heard she's had a boy.8. How much was itl I heard it cost a fortune.

Now ask your partner the questions in Exercise 5above. Try to keep each conyersation going for aslong as possible.

For more information on how to use the present perfecisimple and present perfect continuous, see G20.

5. The real .. . . point in my life was when I wastold ten years ago rhat I only had three months to live.

6. One of Mary's .. . . points is the fact that shenever gets annoyed with anyone.

7. Dont talk to Bill about his divorce. lt's still a very. . . . point wi th him.

8. I think the . . . . point of my trip to Africa wasstanding atVictoria Falls.

Now complete the sentences below with thecommon expressions in the box.

on the point of there's no point

Jane's working in Greece for a month, sotrying to ring her.

I was leaving when the phone rang.

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. What are the strong and weak points of your EnglishlGrammar? Pronunciation I Vocabulary?

Have there been any turning points in your life?

What has been the high point of your year so farl

9.

t 0 .

girr

You can record expressions in your notebook indifrerent ways. For example, you could put theexpression Barry used in the conyersation -'youget to the point where you need a weekend away'- under the heading of get or as an expressionwith point. Doing both is a good idea.

Here are sentences with some other expressionswith point. Complete them with the words in thebox.

get see make (x2)

l. Do you think you could . . . . to the point,please?

2. Please . . .. a point of being early.3. I just dont . . . . the point of complaining.4. lf you don't . . . . your point strongly, people will

just ignore what you're trying to say.

Grammar practice

Speaking

Expressions with point

13 O ld f r i ends

i ' = 7 , r \ ' , ( ? 1. . 1 - a - . . . . t

ft ttrere is aTV programme in Britain calledld'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 fi lm 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 friendsBob's story

When I was in the army, I was very friendly with a

chap called Tom Ramsay from Leeds. We lost touch

when we left and I wish we hadn't. I would love to

meet him again to talk about all the things we went

through together.

Jill's story

When I was a young girl of fifteen, I had a baby. My

parents forced me to have it adopted. All I know is

that she was born on March 14th, 1975 and the

people who adopted her lived in York. I would love

to meet her. I think about her every day of my life.

Jim's story

l'm now eighty-five. When I was a young lad of

fifteen, I spent a summer working on a farm in Kent,

picking fruit. I fell in love with a girl called lrene

Smithson. She came from Canterbury.At the end of

that beautiful summer, we went our separate ways

and never met again. My wife died last year. I would

love to meet lrene again. I have three children and

twelve grandchildren.

Hugh's story

l'm twenty-five and single. I live in Birmingham. Last

month, I spent the weekend in London with some

friends. On the Saturday nigh[ | met a fabulous girl

called Melanie Brown at a disco. We danced together

all night and talked for hours. We iust hit it off

immediately. The trouble was she had a boyfriend

who was abroad on business that weekend. She gave

me her telephone number, but l've lost it.l'm

desperate to see her again. I wish l'd asked her for

her address as well. The only thing I know is that she

lives in Notting Hill Gate. But that s all I know -

except that she had huge brown eyes.

t .

2.

Discuss these questions with a partner.

ls there anybody you've lost touch with who you'd l ike

to be reunited withl

ls there anybody you really wouldn't l ike to meet

againl Why 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

downhil l from there.

2. We decided to go our seParate ways'

3. I 've got a bit of a soft spot for him.

4. She's good if you need a shoulder to cry on.

5. There's no love lost between them.

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 always talk to me if you need a

s h o u l d e r t o . . .

b. Have you seen much of Nick and Ling lately?

B: Oh, haven't you heard? They've gone their

ls there something going on between those two?

It 's a long story, but basical ly they iust hate

I met him when I f irst started work, and we iust. . . immedia te ly .

He's a bit of an idiot, really, isn't he?

I know what you mean, but I have to admit, I do

h a v e a b i t o f a . . . . . . . . . f o r h i m .

Those two don't get on, do theY?You can say that again!There's certainly no

. . . be tween them.

How come you and Marianne don't get on?

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.

d .

e .

B:

B

gB

Speaki ng

While you

96

' , : l ? , t ,J J ) J J . :

J

I wish

In the text on page 96, Hugh said:,1 wish I 'd askedher for her address.'

i . Can you remember why he fel t l ike th is?7. What tense do we use after wish if we want to talk

about past regretsl

Complete these sentences by putting the verbs inbrackets in the correct form. Some sentences wil lbe negative.

. I s o m e t i m e s w i s h | . . . . . . . . . m ygrandfather on my mum's side. (know)

i . I w i s h | . . . . . . . . . s o m u c h e a r l i e r . ( e a t )3 | o f ten w ish I . . . more when I was

younger. (travel)

I really wish | . . . ro see the doctorabout it earlier. (go)

I s o m e t i m e s w i s h | . . . . . . . . . s o m u c h t i m ewhen I was at university. (waste)

I w i s h | . . . . . . . . . s o m u c h m o n e y w h i l e Iwas on holiday. (spend)

I w i s h | . . . . . . . . . h e r e a r l i e r . ( m e e t )

I really wish | . . . my address book.( lose)

Now match the sentences l-8 above to thefollow-up comments a-h below.

: I wouldn't be working here if ld got a better degree.: I wouldn't have had to spend so many years of my life

on my own!

I just don't have the time to do it now.It wouldn't have got so bad if I had.

I wouldn't be so badly in debt if I hadn't.l 'm going to lose touch with loads of people now.He was supposed to have been a really interestingguy.

- | feel really sick!

lJ Now listen and check your answers.

Express regrets that are true for you using theser€ntences starters.

9 | somet imes w ish I 'd . . .3. I really wish I 'd. I really wish I hadn't

2. I often wish I hadn't

Tell your partner what you have written and tryto explain why you feel l ike this.

With a partner, decide which of the four possiblestories from the TV programme ,surprise, Surprise',described on page 96, you would l ike to act out.Spend five minutes thinking about what you'regoing to say. Ask your teacher for help if youneed to. Then role play the people being reunited.

i l r i l t ! ! i - - ; f

J-JI-J-JJ_JJ

lll

rltl

lillFor more information on how to use wish to talk aboutdrings you regret, see G2l.

Ui i r tg J r .abu la r l

Discuss these questions with apartner.

l. Do you ever go to exhibit ions?What k ind?

2. Has your home town got an artgalleryl When was the last t imeyou went to it?

3. What is the best exhibit ion youhave ever been tol

4. The pictures on this page are aportrait of Lunia Czechowska byAmedeo Modigl iani and'St i l l l i fewith apples' by Paul C6zanne. Doyou like them? Can you say whyl

5. Have you ever painted,sculpted or drawnl Has any ofyour work ever been exhibited -

perhaps at schooll

Speaking

Recommending

14 A r r

A Listen and check your answers. Whicht7 expressions recommend an exhibit ion?Put the jumbled conversations

order.

Conversation I

a- | went and saw an exhibit ion atGallery earlier in the week.

b. So, you'd recommend it. then?

the Hayward

c. Quite good, actually, the photos weregreat, quite amazing _ some of them.

d. Oh, reallyl lt sounds quite interesting.it l ike?

e. Yes, you should go and see it.f . lt was a collection of photos from the

landing.

g. Oh, did youl What was it?

Conversation 2

I went and saw that new exhibit ion at theNational Gallery the other day.Oh, it was this collection of Flemish paintingsfrom the seventeenth century.

c. Oh, did you? Which one's that 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 _ unless you

really l ike that sort of thing, of course.f. Oh reallyl What was it l ike?

t. So, you wouldn't recommend it, then?

f Ura.n and check your answers. Then practise'r both conversations with a partner, making

sure you sound enthusiastic or not, asappropriate.

Recom mend i ng expressions

When we talk about an exhibition we,ve been to,we usually say whether we think it was worthseeing or not. Put the words in order to makenecommending expressions.

f . you ' re / OK l i t ' s l sor t / i f / in to / th ing l tha t lo f

a i m u s t / i t ' s

recommend I really I I I it

you I give / if / were / miss I a I l,d I it | |

visit / well / it's / a / worth

entrance / not I it 's lthe / fee / worth

its / my | rca lcup / of I really / not

into the correct Which do not?

really

What was

first lunar

Think of an exhibit ion you'ye seen. Decidewhether youU recommend it or not. UseConversations t and 2 as models and tellyour partner about it. you should begin:

I went and saw an exhibit ion at ... the other dayltheother week.

Describing paint ings

lJ_J-JJJ-JJ

IJ_J-J-J

_JJJ

lere are eight ways of describing paintings.Check that you understand the words, uring

"dictionary if necessary. Use them to completethe sentences below.

b.

portrait detailedlandscape traditionalstill life originalabstract colourful

l . I th ink his work is very indiv idual , very .I 've never seen anything else l ike it.

2. I 've just been to a(n) . . . . exhibit ion _ it,ssomething I've tried to do myself, but my applesalways look l ike peaches!

3. We've got a(n) . . . . of my great_grandfather athome. He was a general in the army.

4. Renaissance paintings were always very .You could see all the stitches on the clothes.

5. His most famous . . . . was a picture of thescenery around his home in provence.

6. I don't actually rike modern art. I much prefer more. . . . t h i n g s .

7. ldon't l ike paintings that are all greys and browns.I like really . . . . things. you know, lots of brightgreens and reds and yellows.

8. I don't understand her work at all. l t 's just too. . . . f o r m e .

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. You've just learned what a portrait, a landscape and asti l l l i fe are. What other kinds of art can you think of?

2. What's your favourite piece of artl Why? How wouldyou describe it?

Irl iI

l ll l

t ,

2.

3 .

4.

5.

6.

7.ht

II

e e lI

Practice

Speaking

14 Ar t

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?

n Now read the article and decide how theld writer woutd answer the three questionsin Exercise l .

It's November, which means it's the time of year when thepapers are full of articles by people who are shocked about

art. This is because in November the Tate Gallery in Londonholds the annual Turner Prize exhibition of modern aft. Each

year four of the best British artists are selected from all those

who have exhibited during the year and of these, one is

chosen. For the most part, the shock journalists express is not

moral outrage, but more of the 'You call that art? !' variety. We

are treated to a string of the usual complaints and clichds:Anyone could do that!' 'My five-year-old daughter could do

better than that.' Abed in the middle of a room! Where's the

skill in that?' 'Whatever happened to people just paintingpictures?' 'Fifty thousand pounds for that! You're pulling myleg.' 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.These people just want an to be pretty pictures. For them, it'sjust. an extension o[ interior design - something which willmatch the sofa or look good in the bedroom. For me, theworst thing anyone could say about art is that it looks quitenice. Art should make you think. Art should be the result of

artists thinking about the world they see and their reactionsto it. It shouldn't be about seeing something and saying, 'Oh,

that looks nice. I'll paint that and make it look just like aphotograph, and I'll take ten years to do it,' which is what

these journalists seem to 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 timedoing research for themselves, so I've done it for them.Perhaps they could ask the question Wolfgang Tillmans, aprevious winner, poses. 'These scenarios might appear

strange to some people, but I try to ask through them, what is

so strange here, the scenario in the picture, the world aroundyou, society, your ideas about beauty or my ideas aboutbeauty?'

Richard Long caused outrage with his work, which was aline of bricks laid on the floor of the gallery. He made a

similar piece with bits of slate, a kind of grey stone, whichhe'd found on a walk in the countryside.

Martin Creed won the prrze with a piece which involvedthe audience walking into an empty gallery space and thelights suddenly being turned off and then sometime laterturned back on again.

Rachel Whiteread uses common objects as a mould. Shefills the inside with concrete and exhibits the sculptures rvith

the objects removed. She has used tables, chairs, bookcasesand, most famously, a whole house.

Simon Patterson, in a work called 'The Great Bear'.painted a replica of the London Underground map, butreplaced the names of the stations with the names of famouspeople from history.

Chris Ofilli paints religious figures, and as well as paintuses other media such as mud and elephant dung. MayorGiuliani in New York once tried to ban one of his works of theVirgin Mary because he said it was an insult to the Catholicreligion.

Tracy Emin was famous for making an installation of herslept-in bed in the middle of a gallery. She also made a tentand pinned on the inside the names of all the men she'd slepwith.

Douglas Gordon won for showing Alfred Hitchcock'sthriller, 'Psycho', which he slowed down so much that it tooktwenty-four hours to play instead of two.

Personally, I don't really care if you don't /ike these pieces:that's not the point. What should be absolutely clear, though.is that these ideas are not the work of five-year-olds, but ofcreative, intelligent adults. It's a shame we can't say the sanrcof some journalists and critics!

100

q *F,

&

14 A r t

t , - ' \ ?

J t ) )r ? ( - . 7 ( i r ?

2 . - . . ) . . .Now make short dialogues by matching thestatements l-6 to the responses a-f.

l. I visited Alan in hospital last Friday to see howhe was getting on.

2. I spent all day Sunday catching up on all my mail.

3. I went and saw that musical,Chicogo, last week.

4. I went round to Mike and Sue's the other day tosee that new car they've been tell ing everyoneabout.

Relative clauses

When we talk about the things we've been

doing, we usually fol low facts with comments.

For example:

I went to that new Matisse exhibit ion, which was real ly

ntce.

There was a r iot in the city centre, which meant I

couldn't get to the airport.

Try to think of comments for the fol lowing.

l . l t was pour ing wi th ra in on Sunday, which meant . . . . .

2 . I went to v is i t a whisky d is t i l le ry , which was .

3. mi"r.o .na r"ir.o ..t" ou"r^ tr. ; ;"", *n .i *rr'

4. I went to see Iosco at the opera last night, which was

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

5. I missed the t ra in th is morn ing, which meant

6. I fai led my exam, which meant

Think of two things you'Ye donetell your partner about them. Becomments starting with which.

recently, andsure to add

For more information on how to add extra commentsusing relative clauses, see G22.

) i ' ) | t ( j J ra- t i i tuJT; I J

When people are talking about what they havebeen doing, it often reminds us of things whichwe have thought of doing ourselves. Look at thehighlighted expressions in these examples:

I went to see the Turner Prize exhibit ion the otherd.y.

B: Oh, yeah. I keep meaning to go and see that myself.What was it l ikelOh, it was OK, but nothing special, really.

I went round to see my mum on Sunday.B: Oh, that reminds me, I must phone my mum

tonight. I always try to ring her once a week.Yeah, parents get upset if you don't keep in touch,don't theyl

__J

_J_J

_J

5. I went down to Bristol for the weekend a couple I

of weeks ago. I

6. I just stayed in last night and watched TV. There'sa great thing on on Fridays at the moment aboutAntarctica.

Oh, that reminds me. I must record that new thing orChannel Four tonight. lt 's meant to be really funny.

Oh, reallyl I 've been thinking about having a weekendaway myself. Were you camping or whatl

Oh, that reminds me. I must send in my passportappl icat ion.

Oh, did you? | keep meaning to go and see himmyself. How was he?

Oh, that reminds me. I must give them a cal l . I haven' tspoken to them for ages.

Oh, I 've been meaning to go and see that for ages.Was it as good as everybody says?

b.

c .

d .

e .

' l j N"* l isten and check your answers.

Speaki ng

reminds me!

102

14 A r1

2 i Practice

Practise reading the dialogues in Exercise I aloudwith your partner. Try to add a third response, asin th is example.

I visited Alan in hospital last Friday ro see how hewas getttng on.

Oh, did you? | keep meaning to go and see himmyself. How was he?

Not bad. You should go and see him. I 'm sure he'dlove to see you.

With a partner, have similar conyersations usingtfiese ideas.

l. buy a birthday card for my brother

2. phone my parents

3. pay my telephone bil l

1. book my summer hol iday

5. send in my application form

6. have my hair cut

Discuss these questions with a partner.

L Here are six examples of things you might go andsee. Do you find any of them morally offensivelPolit ically offensive?

a. a display of Egyptian mummies

b. an exhibit ion of the body of a man foundfrozen in the Alps after hundreds of years

c. a zoo with l ions and tigers in cages

d. a museum in Britain displaying starues takenfrom Greece 200 years ago

e. a science museum with human foetusespreserved in formaldehyde

f. an exhibit ion about some of the most famousmurderers in history

Would you ban any of them?

Would you be happy taking your children or youryounger brothers or sisters to them all?

What do you think of the example of street artbelowl

2.

3 .

4.

Speaking

103

III

I

L:g I ? I t ' : l tg

Here are eighteen ways to describe something.Six of them mean very good; six mean very bad;six are mildly crit ical. Put them into groups.

terrific horrible awfula bit bland marvellous nothing specialexcellent horrendous on the dull sidevery ordinary dire a bit over-the-topdreadful bri l l iant superbwonderful terrible a bit disappointing

. ', i4 "ri+$dl;riir r+ agiq

1'.e..i;,.3"e* :f 4rl*;-: +'1si

Underline the main stressed syllable in eachexpression and practise saying them.

ff You are going to hear three conversationsul where people describe what things are l ike.As you listen, take notes on what they aredescribing and which adjectives they use. Listenagain if you need to.

Use some of the adjectives on this page todescribe:

1. a fi lm you've seen recently2. the weather recently3. a journey you've been on4. a meal you've had recently

Recll English3 oventhe-topOver-the-top means'exaggerated or extravagantin some way'. lt could refer to someone's dress orbehaviour or the amount of food or drink at a party.Didn't you think their house wos o bit over-the-top?I thought ten Rolls Royces at the wedding wos o bit over-the-top.

Sometimes we say OTT instead.It wos o bit OTT!

While l isten

Practice

I

n

I Asking l inked questions

Itb sometimes ask two questions at the sametine. For example:

So what's that new fi lm likel Any good?Yes, it's great - if you like Hugh Grant.

What was Malta l ike? Was it hotlYes, it was really lovely. We were never out of thewater.

Write similar questions to suggest these answers.The first one has been done for you.

f . : Whot's his house likeT ls it big?B: Yes, it's huge. lt's got four bedrooms and an

enormous garden.

1 5 D e s c r c ^ : : - - : )

Now complete these sentences with although orconsider ing.

l. Talking about a new CD

a. I think the whole CD is really good -

how many changes the band's had since their lastone.

b. I think the third track's the best -

I qui te l ike that song cal led'Dolphins' too.

c. I th ink i t 's a great CD - . . . . i t 's st i l l notas good as their f irst album.

d . I th ink i t ' s rea l l y g rea t . . . . . . howdifferent it is from what they usually do.

2. Talking about a trip

a. The trip was great the mosquitoeswere a bit of a problem at night!

I b. I really enjoyed the fl ight in the end -L :B: No, it wasn't, actually. lt was

: :::: :r:: i::: :::.:: ;really boring. ln fact,

Yes, very much. My boss is really nice and it 's quitewell paid, really.

how nervous I was before we took off

c. I had a real ly br i l l iant t ime - . . . . I probablywouldn't go back.

d. We had a great trip, . . . . how little it cost!

Now complete these sentences with although orin spite of.

3. Talking about buying a watch

a. I reckon this one's got to be the best buy,I know I shouldn't really spend more than f 100 ona watch.

5 i .

B

6 i

B

3 . :B:

1 . :B:

t .2.3 .4.5.6.

Yes, it wos quite warm, but not as hot as the lastilme we went.

Yes, I think it 's great. The third track is bri l l iant.

No, we lost three-one. lt was just terrible.I can't believe it.

ff Check with a partner to see if you havell similar questions. Then listen to the modetquestions and practise saying them.

Now ask your partner two linked questions aboutthe following.

the weather on their last holidaytheir jobtheir house or f lathow they get on with their parentshow they aretheir day yesterday

b. I th ink th is one just looks nicer -

lot cheaper than the others.

c. I 'd go for that digital one,. . . . the strap.You can always get that changed later.

d. I think the Rolex one's the nicest . . . . . i t isgoing to nearly bankrupt me!

For more information on how to use these conjunctions--see G23.

Make three questions youU like to ask a partnerwith this pattern.

So what 's . . . l i ke l

Now take turns asking and answering thesequestions. Try to describe things in as muchdetail as you can, using as much of the languagefrom these pages as possible.

being a

I

liir)

U;irrygl? i r r r f r tar

Look at these examples of sentences withalthough, considering and in spite of.

I quite l ike her new shoes - although I think the heelsare just a bit too high.

I quite l ike her new shoes - considering how cheap theywere.

I quite l ike her new shoes - in spite of the flashy designerlabel.

IrI

Practice

Conjunctions

15 Desc r i b i ng t h i ngs

L , ; t ' e t t ' : f t r tJ

Dl;Jl;l:J::,[:".y:coffee. Listen to them talkingabout the films they have seenrecently.

Cover the conversation. As youlisten, try to answer thesequestions.

l. Which fi lms are they talkingabout?

2. What do they think of them?

Listen again and try to fill in thegaPs.

Not exactly Shakespeare!Paul: Guess what I went and saw last night - Titonic - it's on again this

week at the Duke ofYork's.

Mick Oh, yeah. I saw that when it f irst came out. What did you thinko f i t l ( l ) . . . . . . . . . ?

Paul: Oh, it was great. I really enjoyed it. I thought the special effectswere amazing, and the acting was brilliant. lt's one of those filmswhere, you know, when | first heard about how much moneythey'd spent on it, (2) . . . , but it was really great.It was a bit l ike one of those old disaster movies, you know, l ikeTowering lnferno or Eorthquoke, (3)

Mick Really? I 'm surprised. I thought the acting was a bit woodenmyself, and the dialogue was just awful. (4) . . . .youactually thought it was worth the money they'd spent on it.I mean, (5) . . . the whole thing just a l itt le bitover-the-topl

Paul: Oh, no. (6) . . . I thought it was bril l iant.

Mick But the acting was horrendous!

Paul: Well, I know it's (7) . . . Shakespeare, but it's notmeant to be, is it l l ' l l tell you something weird though, there wasthis guy sitting nexr to us who snored all the way through thef i lm!

Mick Reallyl That (8) . . . really, annoying. How couldanybody actually sleep through all that noise!

Paul: I don't know - just dead tired, I suppose.

Mick Yeah, I guess so, but really, though, (9) . . . it was alljust a bit too sentimental?

Pau l : (10) . . . ,bu t lhones t ly d idn ' t . I rea l l y thought i twasall done just right. lt was so romantic.

Mick Oh well, each to his own. Have you seen Bomb Alert 2 yett

P a u l : N o , l h a v e n ' t e v e n h e a r d o f i t . ( l l ) . . . . . . . . . ?

Mick Um, Jean-Paul van Klam, he's great in it and, um, that woman fromKomikoze, you know who I mean. Remember? She wasT u r t l e - w o m a n t o 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 ' s i t l i k e ? ( 1 4 ) . . . . . . . . . ?

Mick Yeah, it's great - if you like blood all over the place and that sortof thing.

Paul: Oh, it doesn't really sound like ( 15) . . . , actually.I think l ' l l give it a miss.

Discuss these questions with a partner.

f . Which film would you rather go to - Titonic or Bomb Alert 2?

2. What's the most over-the-top film you've ever seenl

Speaking

Uging ' i)t rr{ttf f t=tr

1 Negative questions

}lkk asked:'Didn't you think it was all just a bitbo sentimental?' Negative questions can expressn indirect opinion or surprise.

Do you like cheese? (normal question)Don'r you l ike cheesef (l 'm surprised.)

Vl/hat did you think of it? (normal question)Didn't you think it was really boring? (, did.)

Negative questions are often followed by thercrts find and think.

f . Don'tlDidn't you find it + adiectivei I really l ike l iving out here in the counrry.B: Oh, really. Don't you find it a bit boringli No, not at all. lt's great.

L Don'tlDidn't you think it + verb-r. f 'm going to see Dogs ofWor tonight.B: Oh really. Don't you think it looks really

violent?A Yes, a bit, but then I l ike that kind of thing.

,\l j Listen to these examples and practise them

wtth a partnen

Grammar in context

Complete these short dialogues with negativequestions.

t . I really l ike watching fi lms with subtit les.Reallyl . . them hard to readlI really loved that ltalian actress.Did you? . . she over-acted a bit?Did you see that Chinese fi lm last nightlYes, but .. i t was a bit slowlI thought that last scene was a bit slow.Yes, it was a bit, but . . it wasreally romanticl

A: I thought the plot was a bit too predictable.B: Did you? . . i t quite funny,

though?

15 Desc r rb ing t h rngs

lmagine your partner lives in the biggest city inthe country. While you make a list of four or fivenegative things about l iving there, your partnershould make a l ist of the positive things. Thenhave conyersations like this:

^ Don't you find Tokyo just a bit too big and crazytB: Yes, I know what you mean, but I love the night l i fe.,,\ You must be mad! | can't stand ir.

In the conyersation, Paul said that the man whowas snoring next to him must've been dead tired.There are many more idiomatic expressionswhich make common adjectives stronger.

Match l-8 to a-h to make eight such idiomaticexpressions.

l . b rand

2. razor

3. d i r t

4. stark

5. dead

6. fast

7. wide

8. rock

a.

b.

c .

d .

e .

f.

sharp

asleep

hard

easy

cheap

awake

8. new

h. naked

l t .3 .

4.

I thought that lead actor was bril l iant in it.Real ly? . . h im a bi t too muchlike Robert De Niro?

Titonic won loads of Oscars, didn't itlI know. . . it's a bit over-rated?

It was rubbish, but at least it was funny rubbish!D i d y o u t h i n k s o ? . . . . . . . . i twas just sil ly and typical of late-night cable TVI

Now complete these sentences with the idiomaticexpressions you formed above.

9. Be careful with that knife. lt's . .10. I got these shoes cheap in a second-hand shop, but

they're almost

It was so embarrassing. He walked into theb a t h r o o m a n d s a w f f i € , . . . . . . . . . . !I wish the kids would go to sleep. They're sti l l

. . . . and it 's almost midnight!I bought five bottles. They werel' l l never see them at that price again!

14. Don't wake him. He's

15. | f inished the crossword in a couple of minutes.It was

|.6. Throw that bread away! lt's . .

t2.

t 3 .5.

6 . AB:

7. A:B:

8. A:B:

i l

I

I

Grammar

With a partnerr practise the conversations above.

107

Compar ing

J_JJ_J

JJ

JJ

B:

B:

B:

B:

B:

B:

B:

B:

2.

3 .

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

1 5 D e s c r i b i n g t h r n g s

One way of describing something is to compare it with somethingelse. For example:

So, what was that fashion show you went to l ikelB: Oh, all r ight, I suppose. lt was a bit l ike last year's really, but not as good.

Here are some more common expressions for comparing.

but not as good/nice.

I t w a s a b i t l i k e . . . but there are a lot fewer people there.only a lot louderiquieter/more beautiful.only there are more/there aren't as many cars on theroad there.

Complete these short dialogues with the expressions below.

t . What's lndonesian food like?Del ic ious. A bi t l ike Thai food, I suppose,

What was Lizzie's party l ike, then?Oh, i t was OK, a bi t l ike her last one,

So, what's New Zealand like, thenlA bit l ike lreland, really,

So, what's Nick and Beth's flat l ike, then?I suppose it 's a bit l ike ours, really,

What's snowboarding? I 've never heard of it.Snowboardingl Well, i t 's a bit l ike skiing,

So, what's Graham's sister l ike, thenlWell, actually, she's a bit l ike him,

What's your new laptop l ike?It 's the same as my old one,

So, what're the Spiders l ike, thenlThey're OK, they're a bit l ike the Beatles,

a. only the kitchen's not as big.

b. but there's more sheep.

c. only a bi t more modern-sounding.

d. only a lot faster.

e. but a l itt le bit less spicy.

f . only a lot more diff icult, really.

g. but there weren't as many people as I 'd expected.

h. only she's easier to get along with, I suppose.

Describe the things in thesepictures.

Now describe these things in asimilar way.

l. a fi lm you have seen2. a big city you know3. a caf6, restaurant or club you know4. a d r ink5. a band you like6. a vegetable7. a piece of furniture8. a new television programme

Read your descriptions to adifferent partner. Can they guesswhat you are describing? Forexample:

OK. l t 's an alcohol ic dr ink which isa bit l ike vodka. but it 's made fromf lce.

B: Oh, it must be that stuff they drinkin Japan. What do you call i t l Ohyeah, sake.That's it. Have you ever tried it?

Practice

Describingth ings

For more information on how tomake comparisons like these, see G24.

108

t I Must for guessing

We often make guesses about something. Hereru two ways of doing this using must:

must be- Have I told you yet? We've finally moved into our

new house.& Oh reallyf lt must be really nice to have a bit more

space at last.

must'Ye been: I grew up in a small vi l lage near Ludlow.B: Oh, that must've been wonderful. lt must've been a

bit of a shock when you first moved to Birmingham,then.

Complete these sentences with must be orrnust'Ye been.

l. Sally's new boyfriend has a foreign accent. I think he. . . French.

L The car won't start. The battery ...dead.

3. I 'm not sure where Pete went to school. I think it. . . somewhere in Wales, judging from

something he said the other day about Cardiff.

Well, i f this pen's not yours, it . . . mine!

I ' m t i r e d . S u r e l y i t . . . . . . . . . t i m e t o g o h o m e l

Bali . . . wonderful!Are you planning togo backl

Just look at those poor people. lt . . . .dreadful having no money and no food.

1 5 D e s c r i b i n g t h t n g s

Grammar in context

Complete the responses in these dialogues usingmust or musttve.

l. A. My brother and his wife have actually got elevenkids now.

B: Eleven!

2. /.: We stayed in this huge twenty-storey hotel.B: Oh, one of those places!

3. ,t I usually cycle into work, if i t 's not raining.B: Oh reallyl

4. A I got up at f ive, just as the sun was coming up, andwent for a walk along by the river.

B : W o n d e r f u l ! . . . .

5. A\ | like my job, but I have to work a six-day weekevery week!

B: Every week?

6. A The plane was delayed forty-eight hours! Can youimagine what it was l ike?

B: Forty-eight hours!

7. J', ' ' Did you hear that over 200 people were kil ledin that crash?

B: I know.

8. .r Every year we have our annual sales meeting at abeautiful castle in the Scottish Highlands.

B: Really?

Compare your responses with a partner, thenpractise the conversations in pairs.

Tell a partner about two interesting things youhave done or seen. Your partner should respondwith a comment using must be or must'ye been.For example:

A: I spent a week in Hong Kong, which was great.

B: Wow!That must've been interesting. I've alwayswanted to go there. lt sounds like an amazing place.

Where do you think the places in the picturesbelow are? Use must to make your guesses.

For more information on how to use must for guessing,see G25.

1.

5.

6.

7.

8. Two years ago we paid f30 a night. I should think it. . . at least f40 now.

9. Did you see that police car? lt . . . doingover a hundred.

Reell English3 doing over a hundredThis means the car was going at over a hundredmiles an hour. Look at these examples:You con't do more thon thirty in town.We did on overoge of sevenry on the motorwoy.

Practice

t .2.3 .4.5 .6.7.

l t t - . ' , 7 .J i . !? t 7

2 J I - ' - - ! J

Do you recognise any of the fi lms shown in thesepictures? Have you seen any of them? What werethey l ike?

Which of these descriptions match the threefi lms in the pictures?

It 's a kind of sci-f i thing.It 's a costume drama.It 's a typical Hollywood blockbuster.It 's a romantic comedy.It 's a cult movie.It 's a real weepie.Itt an animated fi lm.

Can you think of other examples for each kind off i lm?

What kind of f i lms do you like most? Why?

Are there any kinds of f i lms that you really can'tstand?

of f i lm

1 1 0

r \A/-ho's in it?1 What's it aboutla Where's it onla What's it likel

e. Who's it bylf. When was it madelg. Where's it fromlh. What kind of f i lm is it l

2 Asking quest ions about f i lms

Hcre are common questions to ask about films. f\ eractise saying the questions from Exercise 2.t7 Listen, then say them again.

With a partner,try to have your own conversationsabout fi lms you have seen, using these questions.

Use the'forgetting' expressions from Exercise 3 ifyou can't remember specific details.

Fi lm vocabulary

Complete the sentences below with the words inthe box below.

banned stars directordubbed cur special effects

t . My favourite . . . . is Hitchcock. There's neverbeen anyone else l ike him.

The governmenr thought the fi lm might corruprp e o p l e , s o t h e y . . . . t t .

Have you ever seen Meon Streets? lt . . . .Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel.

I thought that the . . . . in lurossic Pork wereamazing.

When they showed Robocop on TV, they .about f ifteen minutes out of it, because it was soviolent.

I prefer to see foreign fi lms in their original versionswith subtides, rather than

Now complete the sentences below with thewords in the box.

soundtrack set scenedialogue plot ending

The thing I love about that f i lm is that the ..is just so sharp and witty. I laughed at almost everyl ine .

I loved the . . . . so much that I went out andbought the CD the next day.

I loved all the twists and turns in the . . . . , andthe way it only made sense right at the very end.

I l iked most of it, although I did think that the. . . . was just a bit too sentimental.

I t looks amazing. l t 's . . . . in NewYork in theyear 2050.

My favourite . . . . in the whole fi lm is the bitwhere the aliens finally come out of the spaceship.

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. Do you prefer foreign fi lms to be dubbed or to havesubt i t lesl

2. What are the best special effects you've ever seen ina f i lml

3. Do you have a favourite fi lm soundtrackl

2.

3 .

4.

5.

6.

6.

7.

8.

lld<e short dialogues by matching the questions>lr above to the answers l-8 below.

t .B: Two or three years ago.

zB: Juliette Binoche and that guy who was in Dimples.

3 .B: Japan, but it 's subtit led.

1-B: At the Odeon in Queen Street.

5.B: This guy who has a mid-life crisis and drives

across America looking for his parenrs.

Some ltalian director.

It's a cross between a traditional cop movie and amore arty kind of movie.

It 's sil ly. I mean, it was amusing for a while, butthen I just got bored by it.

Real EnglishS some ttatian director \

Using some in number 6 in Exercise 2 means thatyou don't know the person's name.

Some womon came to the door colleaing for chority.

I

3 | And when you can't answer!

Put the words in order to make expressions thatwe use when we can't remember something.

l. Sorry, / completely / gone / mind's / blank / my

2. Wait , / minute I to I a / come / in / me / i t ' l l

3 *.n, i ;.:, ; ;onr"" ) ', ) oo r ,t,1," on I or

4 . S o r r y , l 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 /

:: ":

f, Now listen and practise saying the expressionst 7 above.

a. Which expression means' l 'd need to look i t up'?

b. Which two expressions mean'l can almost - but notquite - remember'l

c. Which expression means'l 've forgotten'l

Ilrt:7.

8.

9.

t 0 .

i l .

t2.

III

Pronunciat ion

1 1 1

1 6 F r l m s a n d t e l e v i s i o n

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l . Do you think f i lm censorship is a good thingl Give anexample.

2. Did your parents ever stop you watching anything onTV? What? Whyl

3. Have you ever seen Robocop? What did you think ofi t l

f, '1 Read this article about what happened whenI J Robocop was shown on British TV. When youhave read it, answer these questions.

l. Why did the TV version of Robocop offend so manypeoplel

2. What effect did censoring the fi lm havel

3. Who was MaryWhitehouse and how does herorganisation feel about the TV version of the fi lm?

i ' - 7 r ? i ' i ( ? ,. . r a 3 . . . 2

The news thot Mory Whitehouse hos died ot the oge ofninety-one hos brought the some klnd of opposingreoctions thot she provoked when she wos olive. For overthirty yeors she wos the heod of the Notionol Viewers'ond Listeners' Associotion, which she set up in the lotesixties. She formed the orgonisotion olong with two othermothers in their mid-forties to 'protect children from thefi lth ond violence thot is f looding our W screens ondruining our children's l ives'. When it f irst storted, the NVLAottrocted hundreds of people to the meetings it heldround the country, ond the group forced the governmentond TV componies to creote o nine o'clock wotershed,before which progrqmmes should not contoin sweoring,excessive v io lence or sexuol behoviour. l t o lso co-ord ino ted le t te r wr i t ing ond phone compoigns tocomplo in obout cer to in f l lms ond progrommes. Aspokesmon from the NVLA soid, ' l t 's very sod thot she hosdied, but she mode o greot contribution to this country. lfi t hodn't been for Mory Whitehouse, the quolity of TV inthis country would be much worse ond the effect on ourchildren would've been terrifying.'

One TV producer soid in reply, ' l would soy thot!rubbish reol ly. Mrs Whitehouse wos iust on ul t roconservotive who didn't understond ort. She coused o lotof problems for producers of serious dromo ond, os oresult, she might've persuoded some writers ond ryexecutives not to show one or two things, but bosicolly l i femoved on oheod of her. In the end, we're odults ond welive in o democrocy ond we should be oble to wotch whotwe like.'

Porodoxicolly, o recent incident perhops proves bothsides of the orgument. Following the showin g ol Robocop,the sci-f i movie best remembered for its comic-bookviolence, hundreds of people rong up to comploin oboutit. However, whot offended the oudience wos the politelonguoge ond the foct thot it wos not violent enough!Angry viewers colled their locol television stotions soyingthot the TV version hod been censored so much thot thefi lm hod been ruined. All the f-words hod been over-dubbed ond the violence wos so reduced thot ot t imes itwos opporently hord to follow the plot. One mon whocomploined soid, 'This is o clossic exomple of over-the-top censorship we constontly get on Brit ish TV becouse ofpeople l ike Mory Whitehouse. When ore you going toreolise these people ore dinosours ond let us choosewhot we wont to wotch?'

The strong publ lc reoct ion hos octuol ly led TVexecutives to consider putting bock some of the bodlonguoge ond violence when i t is shown ogoin. The f i lm,shown lost Soturdoy night ot

.|0.05 pm, ottrocted more

comploints thon ony other fi lm this yeor. One executivecommented thot 'one con't help but notice we've moybetoken too much out of o film like Robocop. Moybe we'vegone o bit too for this time.'Mrs Whitehouse must've beenturning in her grove.

However, o spokesperson for the NVLA soid, 'People

who moke these kinds of comploints ore only concernedobout their own interests rother thon the good of societyos o whole. Anybody who con't give up o l itt le bit of f i lmin order to reduce the current climqte of violence shouldnot be token seriously.'

Reol English3 bad tanguage and the f-wordBad language is swearing. Saying the f-word is a common way of avoiding saying fr*k

'

i tself. You should only use the word itself in very informal situations with people you iknow who are huppy using it in conversation. Many people find the f-word very t,

offensive. :

112

Complete the highlighted collocations in this$rmmary of the article on page I 12.

i

The TV version of Robocop caused a strong public i( l) . . . Many people rang their local (2) |to complain that too much violence had been cut Ifrom the film. In fact, so much had been cut, it wasdifficult to (3) . . the plot. lt was a classic(4) . . of over-the-top censorship. The NVLA, anorganisation opposed to violence on television, was inhvour of the cuts because rhey object strongly to thecurrent (5) .. of (6) . . on relevision.

Look at these statements about films. Decidehow strongly you agree.

| = strongly disagree6 = totally agree

l. Violent f i lms can be really offensive.

2. Cutting fi lms ruins them.

3. Bad language should be cut out of f i lms.

4. Very few people complain about violence.

5. Banning violent f i lms wil l cut crime.

6. The TV version of a film should be censored morethan the cinema version.

16 Fi lms and televis lon

Discuss your opinions with a partner. See if thewhole class can agree.

Do you agree more with the NVLA or theviewers who complained about Robocop? Why?

i t a ih ' ! { ta - f

Look at these examples from the article.

The TV version had been censored_The fi lm had been ruined.

The past perfect is used to talk about an actionor event which happened before another event inthe past. For example:

f 'd passed the turn-off for Leeds before I realised.The house had burned to the ground by the time thefire brigade got there.

What sentence comes to mind in thesesituations? 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 feeling sick at the thought of my speech.. . . . in my life before!

3. I was worried about meeting Mary's parents.

4. ; ;r;:; ,,," n' o ,i. *.,",";;. ' berore!

. before.

5. The woman in red was his first wife.

6. ; ; " ; " ; ' , " ,0 .n",r ; ; r , ; " , " ; " . r .

' ' once berore'

an earthquake.

7. He left without saying goodbye to me.

I : i:: :j::::j :: i ::t: J :1" :"J::" ;.;'

Can you say something true about yoursetf usingthe past perfect and these ideas? For example:

lU never eaten paella unti l I went to Spain.

l . . . . . unt i l I went to a Chinese restauranr.2. . . . unt i l I went abroad.3 . . . . . . u n t i l l d i d m y m i l i t a r y s e r v i c e .4 . . . .un t i l lwent to un ivers i ty .5. until I went to Britain/America.6 . . . . . . u n t i l l f e l l i n l o v e .

For more information on using the past perfect simple,see G26.

UEing

III

Past perfect simple

Collocations

Speaking

1 1 3

real ly good

16 F i lms and te lev is ion

U;i r tg I rar -Jbular 1

Put the jumbled conyersations about fi lms intothe correct order.

Conversation I

a. No, I haven't actually, but I've heard it's reallygood. Friends have told me it's worth seeing.

b. Have you seen Doy of the Dogs yetl

c. Really? Well, I must admit it looks a bit tooviolent for me.

d. Yes, I'm not sure if I want to see it myself.

Conversation 2

a. I 'm thinking of going to see that new De Nirofi lm.

b. Well, the reviews I've seen were very good.

c. Are youl I've heard that it's terrible.Just typicallyHollywood.

d. Were theyl I 've heard the opposite.

Conversation 3

a. But it's meant to be one of the best horror filmsever made!

b. ls it?You're not going to watch it, are you?It's supposed to be really horrible.

c. Excellent. lt sounds right up my street, then.

d. Thriller Killer is on tonight.

e. Well. someone told me that it 's the mostdisgusting thing they'd ever seen in their l i fe.

With a partner, use the language highlighted inthe conversations in Exercise I above to talkabout a new film that you would really like to see.

Television vocabulary

Complete the text below with the words in thebox.

series remotechannel documentariesdigital aerialsadvertisements cable

As I sit here today in front of my TV with my

( l) . . . . control in my hand, it's easy to forget

that when I was growing up in the fifties, there was

only one (2) . . . . in the UK. l t was BBC and i t

was years before we got ITV and BBC2. The main

difference was that tTV had (3) . . . . and BBC

didnt.

During the fifties, lots of houses had television

(4) . . . . on their roofs, but nowadays they are

becoming a thing of the past. Things have changed so

much with the arrival of (5) . . .. , (6)

and satellite TV.

At first, the idea in the UK was thatTV should be

educational, so there were lots of (7) . . . . , but

today the channels seem to do nothing but fight to see

which one gets the biggest audience for soaps such as

Nerihbours, Eostenders and Coronotion Street

The BBC is sti l l one of the best companies when it

comes to making serious drama (8) . . . . - Pride

ond Prejudice and things like that.

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. Have you got satell i te or cable TVI What about digiral- is it really better?

2. Do you know anyone who doesnt have a television?Why don't they have one?

3. How much TV do you watch per week? What kind ofthing do you normally watch? What makes you switchthe television off?

Exercise 3 above talked aboutTV audiences.Complete the sentences below with the words inthe box.

spechtors congregation on-lookersfans audience viewers

l. The . . . . gave the singers a standing ovation.

2. The . .. . were silent as the priest came in.

3 . B o y b a n d s u s u a l l y h a v e m o s t l y g i r l . . . . . . . . . . !

4. Lots of . . . . object to violence on TV.

5. Some . . . . were in jured when Hakkinen crashed.

6. The police couldn't get to the crash because of allt h e . .

Which of these different groups of people haveyou been part of? When?

-JJJJ

-JJ-J-J

JJJJJ

Speaking

Audiences

Speaking

114

Ui ' : i : '1? r 7 , " ( , ? ? i 7 (2 1

1 . . . ' . . j - . .

Mixed condi t ionals

ln the text on page | 12, the person from theI{YLA said:' l f i t hadn't been for MarylrVhitehouse, the quality of TV in this countryrould be much worse and the effect on ourcfiildren would've been terrifying.' The speakerdtinks Mrs Whitehouse had a very positive effectqt the country and we should be grateful to her.The speaker uses would be and would've been.YYhat's the difference between them?

Look at sentences l-6 about influential peopte.Decide which ones talk about an imaginary pastrcsult and which ones talk about an imaginarypresent result.

l. l f i t hadn't been for him, I would never have gone touniversity.

2. lf i t hadn't been for him, I 'd probably be dead.3. lf i t hadn't been for her, the country wouldn't be in

such a terrible state.1. lf i t hadn't been for him, animation would never nave

become so popular.lf i t hadn't been for her, mil l ions more people wouldbe dying every year.lf i t hadn't been for her, I probably wouldn't be doingwhat I 'm doing now.

What kind of person do you think sentences l-6tbove are talking about?

Now complete sentences 7-12 by putting theverbs in brackets in the correct form.

7. lf i t hadn't been for my friend Reo, Ito Japan last year. (never / go)

8. lf i t hadn't been for my mum, I . . . .anyone to babysit my daughter when she wasgrowing up. (not have)

9. lf i t hadn't been for the unions, you .a pension now, Joyce. (not get)

10 . l f i t hadn ' t been fo r Feder ico Fe l l in i , | . . . .foreign fi lms as much as I have. (never / get into)

I l. l f i t hadn't been for our first president, we. . . in the Dark Ages. (sti l l / l ive)

'|2. lf i t hadn't been for her parents, nothing

'.,,,"ir ir":;;,ilil] and we

Now make five sentences about people whoinfluenced your l i fe - or your country. Use thesame pattern as the examples above.

Tell your partner what you have written.

1 6 F r lms and te lev i s io r r

Discuss these questions with a partner.

Do you know who the people in the pictures beloware?

How do you think they have influenced the worldl

t .

2.

5.

6.

Speaki ng

For more information on how ro use mixed conditionalsl

1 1 5

conditionals, I wish l 'd ...

Choose the correct form.

l. I've been / | went to China last year on holiday.It was great.

2. I 've played tennis / I 've been playing tennis twicethis week.

3. Have you been staying in / Have you stayed in quitea lot latelyl I haven't seen you about.

4. I've asked / | asked him five times now, and he stillhasn't done anything about it!

5. A: lt rained the whole time we were in Wales.B: Really? That must be / must've been horrible!

6. I've been trying / I've tried to do it all week, butI still havent managed to get it done.

7. Did you speak / Have you spoken to him before heleft to go home?

8. A: I'm working six days a week at the moment.B: Wow, that must be / must've been really

exhausting!

9. What's happened to Mike? | haven't seen / | haven'tbeen seeing him for ages.

10. I wish I hadnt done / | didn't do that! lt was reallystupid of me!

Choose the correct alternative.

l. I 've worked here ... .a. since five years b. for five years

2. I 've . . . .a. never been an)rwhere like Kos beforeb. never been somewhere like Kos before

3. a. Dont you think him a bi t dul l?b. Don't you find him a bit dull?

4. I do quite l ike l ife in central London, ... !a. in spite of the fact it's so noisyb. considering it 's so noisy

5. I've been trying to understand the present perfect ... !a. since agesb. for ages

6. We spent a couple of weeks in Hawaii, ... .a. that was niceb. 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 meant a bit of a painb. which was a bit of a pain

Compare your answers with a partner and discussyour choices.

Match the statements l-6 to the follow-upcomments a-f.

l. I wish I 'd studied computing at school.

2. I wish we'd done some shopping earlier.

3. I sometimes wish I 'd never married you!

4. I wish I hadnt flogged my stamp collection whenI did.

5. I often wish ld kept in touch.

6. I wish I hadn't gone to rhat party.

a. We wouldn't have to have rice again tonightif we had.

b. I'd probably get a much better price for it now.

c. lt'd be easier to find a job now if I had.

d. I'd love to know what she's up to now.

e. lt would've been more fun just staying in.

f . My life would be a lot easier now if I hadnt!

With a partner,try and think of another possiblefollow-up comment for statements l-6 above.

Tell a partner five things you wish you had doneor hadn't done. Try to use mixed conditionals toexplain why you feel like this.

Put the jumbled conyersation below into thecorrect order.

a. I bumped into Richard and Judy the other day.

b. I must admit, it doesn't really sound like mysort of thing, actually.

c. No, they really enjoyed it, actually. They said itwas a bit l ike Thailand, only wilder!

d. Oh really? How are theyl I haven't seen themfor months.

e. What did they think of it? Didn't they find itreally difficult?

f. They're great. They've been travelling aroundIndia and have just got back.

JJJJJJ

IJJJ

JJJ

SpeakingMult iple

Conversation

1 1 5

5 i Look back and check: Recommending

Look back at Conversation l, Conversation 2end Recommending expressions on page 99.Underline any bits of language you haveforgotten. Ask your partner about anythingyou have forgotten.

With another partner, do Exercise 4 on Page 99again. This time you should begin:

I went and saw that f i lm called ... the other daylthe otherweek.

Complete the sentences below with theerpressions in the box. All the expressionsere f rom uni ts l3-16.

he's not exactly

get a life

it's not worth the entrance fee

that reminds me

I haven't seen you for ages

a sore point

l. A l was thinking of going to see the new Storlrekmovie tonight.

B: Reallyl I wouldn't bother if I were you.

I can't believe you haven't been out an)rwhere sinceyou arrived here!You really need to

Rev iew Unr t s 13 -16

Match the verbs l-8 to the best collocations a-h.

l . fo l low

2. dub

3. cut

4. give

5. star

6. go

7. make

8. get

a. a point of doing somethingb. twenty minutes out of a moviec. and see an exhibit iond. to the point

e. the plot

f. in a movie

g. it a miss

h. a film into a foreign language

Now match 9-!6 to i-p.

9. get

10. have

I l . object

12. cause1 3 . s e n d i n14. give

1 5 . l i k e

16. come over

a mid- l i fe cr is is

the third track besta lot of sufferingfor a meal

the message

to violence on TVyour application formthe performers a standing ovation

3 . AB:

1 . AB:

-J-|

JJJ-J-|

5.

What's your brother l ikel ls he good-looking?W e l l , l e t ' s j u s t s a y . . . . . . t h ebest-looking guy you've ever seen.

Whatever you do, don't mention cars to Andy.Why on earth nor?His was pinched last month and itt sti l l a bit of

Now discuss these questions with a partner.

17. Have you ever seen a fi lm you couldn't follow theplot of?

18. Do you object to anything on TVI Why?

19. What's your favourite album?Which tracks do youlike best on it l

Match the questions l-7 to the responses a-g.

l. Hi, Dave. How are you?

2. How's things at workl OKI

3. What are his paintings l ikel Any goodl

4. Did you see thar 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? Anywheregood?

a. Well, we've actually been incredibly busy justlately.

b. Yeah. lt musr've been doing about a hundred andtwenty!

c. Oh, just some guy asking if we wanted any workdone in the garden.

d. Well, he's not exactly Picasso, if you know what Imean!

e. Lee! Hello. Long time, no see!f . Oh, I can't really remember. Some Greek island

or other, I think.g. Well, he's not exactly Einstein, is he!

6.

A: ld better just give my mum a call, to say I 've arrivedsafely.

B: Oh,. . I must remember to sendmy mum a birthday card this week.

Hi, how are youl

Can you think of three other situations where youmight tell somebody to get a l ife?

Can you think of six words you coutd completethis sentence with?

He's not exactly the most . . .guy I 've ever met.

Collocations

Expressions

Engl ish

117

l. We got off

2. lt drives

3. ld give i t

4. He was stark

5. He hates

6. They went their

7. You're pull ing

8. I've got a bit of a soft

a. naked.

b. my guts.

c. spot for him.

d. on the wrong foot.

e. my leg.

t. separate ways.

g. a miss, if I were you.

h. me crazy!

Review: Uni ts 13-16

Make idioms by matching the beginnings l-8 tothe endings a-h.

Answer these questions with a partner. Thencompare your answers with another pain Whogot most answers right?

l. lf you don't see the point of something, do you needglasses?

2. Do the police look for reasons or motives forcr imes?

3. Does a weepie make you cry or laughl

4. Can you think of three things that could be rockhard?

Can food be a bit bland?

Where are sci-f i f i lms usually set?

What things might you need to get over?

Name two things you can pickle.

Do censors dub films into foreign languagesl

Can you go and see a banned fi lm at your localc inemal

What's the difference between a still life anda portrait?

12. What does OTT mean?

13. When are costume dramas usually set?

14. Does an old friend have to be old?

15. Complete this sentence in five different ways:I t caused a(n) . . . .

16. ls a plot the same as a storyl

17. Do you find turning points in the road or in yourlife?

18. lf you give someone your consent, are you stoppingthem from doing something?

19. lf two people hit it off immediately, are they friendsl

20. Was the film Titonic set in Hollywood or made inHollywood?

1 1 What can you remember?

With a partner, note down as muchremember about the two texts you1 4 a n d 1 6 .

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

t 0 .

i l .

as you canread in units

Now compare what you remember with anotherpair. Who remembers more?

Which text did you enjoy more? Why?

Vocabulary

1 1 8

f)iscuss these questions with a partner.

l- Are you happy with your English accent at the momentlWhy/why notl

L How much betrer do you think you can getl3- What do you think the best way of improving your pronunciation is?

Now read this text and see what the authors of this book have to say about pronunciation.

Tell your partner which of the things above you atready do. Are there any other thingsyou'd like to start doing? What?

Review: Uni ts 13-16

I

IlI

lit:Il l

tir !

ii

119

l7

o

&lle-

You are doing a survey of traffic probtems in thetown where you live. Here are ten possible stepswhich could be taken to improve the si tuat ion.

l . instal l speed cameras at a l l accident black spors2. increase parking f ines3. put more sleeping pol icemen in quret srreets4. ban all on-street parlcing in the rown cencre5. pedestr ianise the main shopping area6. set up more bicycle lanes7. provide better and cheaper publ ic rransport8. ban all cars from the town centre9. double the number of t raf f ic wardens

10. start a one-way system

In pairs, decide which four should have thehighest pr ior i ty, which three are of mediumprior i ty, and which three should have thelowest priority.

Recr l Engl isht steeping pot icemen \ '

Sleeping pol icemen is the normal way in Br i t ishEngl ish of referr ing to speed humps on theroad, designed to slow cars down in town.

{. -, Ctrris and Claire are having coffee in a town? ? centre caf6. Cover the conversation on pagel2l . As you l is ten, t ry to answer these quest ions.

l . What t raf f ic problems do they ment ion?2. What suggestions for solving these problems do they

come up w i th l

Listen again and try to fi l l in the gaps in theconversation on the next page.

Traffic survey

Whi le you

Chris: Did you hear about rhat kid who was knockeddown on Junction Road the other dayl

Oaire: Yes, it was awful, wasn't itl Still. itt( l ) . . . , i s i t ?

Chris: What do you mean?

Chire: Well, there are always accidents down there,aren'r there, (2) . . . with the speedcars go at. And, well, basically, the crossing's inthe wrong place, isn't it? | don't know whythey've never moved it. I mean,(3) .. . i t was exactly opposite theshops, wouldn't it l

Chris: Yes, (4) ... . They could dosomething to slow the traffic down, couldnttheyl Maybe they could put sleeping policementhere or something l ike that.

Chire: Yeah, maybe - maybe one every so often wouldhelp, but (5) . . . really great is if theyhad one of those speed cameras.

Chris: Big Brother, you mean!

Cb.ire: No, they really make a difference. you shouldsee how they've slowed the traffic down wheremy parents live.

Chris: Yeah, (6) .. I'm only againstthem because I got caught by one last month.

Gaire: You're kidding!

Chris: No. A hundred and fifty pounds it cost me!A fine ond six penalty points!

Oaire: Oh, that's terrible!

Chris: Yeah, but it was my own silly fault. I mean,I should've known better, but (7)to what you were saying about the crossing,you're right. lt would be far safer if it wascloser to the shops, because that's whereeverybody crosses, you know. That's wheremosr kids cross, so (8) . . . if it wasmoved down.

Cbire: Yes, I think that's the root of the problem.I mean, it does seem a funny place for acrossing. And (9) . . . the orherproblem with it is the fact that lots of cars parkall round there.

Yes, that does make it difficult to see, I suppose.Apparently, the car rhar hit that kid had justdriven off from there.

Oh, really? Had it? Well, you see what I mean,then.

17 Cars and c i t i es

I mean is very common in spoken English. lt isused before we go on to make our meaningclearer.

A: So, whot wos lcelond like?B: Oh,l loved the ploce.l meon,l wouldn,t wont to

live there, but it's o greot ploce for o hotidoy.

Real Englishr six penatty pointsIn Britain there is a system of penalty points. lf youare caught speeding, for example, you could getfour penalty points. lf you ger too many, you loseyour driving l icence.

ls the system the same in your countryl

Driving vocabulary

Complete this story with the words in the box.

one-way pull over U-turn headlightspetrol turning direction brakes

were (5) ... . coming straight towards me, so I quicklys lammed on my (6 ) . . . . and t r ied to (7 ) . .so that I could wait t i l l the road was clear. The carsuddenly stalled and I realised that I 'd run our of(8 ) . . . . !What a n igh tmare !

Now complete these collocations with verbs fromthe text above.

l . . . . . a w r o n g t u r n2 . . . . . in the wrong d i rec t ion3 . . . . . a U - t u r n4. . . . . down a one-way street5 . . . . . o n t h e b r a k e s6 . . . . . o u r o f p e t r o l

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. Do you drivel Have you got a car? Do you use it intownl

2. Have you ever driven in Rome, Athens, London, orParisl

3. What's the worst city you've ever driven in?4. Have you ever been stopped by traffic policel What

had you donel

5. Have you got any stupid/embarrassing/funny drivingstories?

More sleepirg policemen! Recrl Englishs I mean

Chris:

Speaking

Chire:

121

UEin ratrtff.:.a:-

17 Cars and c i t ies

Second condit ionals for makingsuggestions

In the conversation on page | 21, Chris and Clairetalked 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 theresponses a-d.

l. This town's dead at night, isn't it.

2. The traffic's impossible, isn't it?

3. They've made the main car park bigger.

4. So, what do you think they should do about allthe homeless people sleeping rough?

a. Yes, but it'd be more useful if they built amulti-storey.

b. Absolute chaos!What would be really great is ifbuses were cheaper and there were more ofthem.

c. Well, I 'm not an expert, but I think itd be areally good idea if they spent more on trying tobuild flats for single people.

d. I know. ltd be far better if the shops stayedopen a bit later in the evenings.

Now match 5-8 to the responses +h.

5. lt really annoys me that they close the libraryfor the whole of August.

6. The pollution in the High Street is really bad.I wish theyd do something about it.

7. So, what do you think they should do about allthe street crimel

8. I can't believe that people are still allowed tosmoke on the buses.

e. I know. ltd be better if there was just a total banon it in all public places.

f. Well, I think it'd be a really good idea if they hadmore police cameras around.

Me too! lt'd be more useful if they kept it openall through the summer.

I know. What would be really great is if therewere some way of importing fresh mountain airfrom Switzerland or somewhere like that!

In the responses a-h in Exercise l, find fourdifrerent if- sentence starters. Write them below.

I-J-JJ

Practise reading out the dialogues in Exercise Iwith a partnen Then change partners and thistime, use the four different sentence starters inExercise 2 to make your own suggestions aboutthe problems expressed in l-8.

For more information on how to use secondfor making suggestions, see G28.

Uging trraeular l

Here are some useful expressions for talkingabout your views on things. Circle the wordthat collocates correctly in each.

l. Well, that's a difficult / big question to answer.

2. I don't really have any heavy / strong views on thaLWhat do you think about itl

3. You would've thought they'd be able to tackle / putaway that problem somehow, wouldn't you?

4. I know what you mean, but that also brings / raises thequestion of how you could do that, doesn't it?

5. Yes, but I think that that can cause / do problems aswell as solve them.

6. You d think that it was such a large / major issue thatthey'd do something about it.

7. Oh well, it seems that we've got completelydifferent / unlike views on that.

8. I think you're trying to escape / avoid the issue bysaying that.

Do you have any strong views on anything? Wha€

What are the major issues in your country/in theworld at the mom6nt? How do you think theyshould be tackled?

Real Englisht impersonal they

They is common in spoken English when, for somereason, we don't know, or dont need to name, thesubject. In these examples, they refers to the localcouncil or the police.They could do something to slow the trofficdown.They could creote o pedestrion precinct-

With a partner, decide who they refers to inthese sentences:l. They're supposed to be getting tougher on car

crime, aren't they?2. They haven't taken the rubbish this week.3. They're thinking of putting up income tax.4. I only arrived five minutes after the flight closed,

but they wouldn't let me through.

J

-J

JJ

2.4.

h.

t .

3.

Collocations

Sentence starters

122

hrsonally, I think it'sAs far as I 'm concerned, I think it 's

2 Personal opinions

llere are some ways of giving your opinion.

17 Cars and c i t i es

Put the words in the correct order to make verycommon sentence starters which show youdisagree.

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

4. don't /Yes, / forget I that / but

/a Listen and check your answers. practise sayingu? them. Then in pairs,take turns puttingforward and disagreeing with the views below. Tryto continue the conyersations.

l. There's too much sport on TV, isn't therel2. The way I see ir, most TV these days is just a load of

rubbish.

3. I don't mind a bit of violence in fi lms. lt 's morerealistic, isn't it l

4. People like footballers get paid far too much. At least,that's what I think.

5. lf you really wanr to improve your English, the onlything to do is go and live in Britain or America.

Now do this exercise again, but this time begin bysaying:'Oh yes, I know what you mean.' Then addwhy you agree.

bril l iant.a great idea.not a bad idea.outrageous.r id iculous.mad.

With a partne4 use the expressions above andjve your opinions on these topics.

l- shops staying open twenty-four hours a dayL men in kilts3. getting married at sixteen1. legalising cannabis5. one car per family6. body piercing7- free coffee during English lessons

You and your colleagues have decided it's time tomeet to discuss your working conditions. youwork lor a yery old-fashioned bank, founded in| 748. The management don't tike change. Suggestchanges to the following - which you are nothappy about. Use as much tanguage from thesetwo pages as you can.

' The computer system is ten years old and there is nonetwork system.

' People can smoke wherever they want.' There are no plants or pictures or anything on the

walls.' There is only one toilet for both men and women.' Everybody has gor to srart at 8.30 and finish at 4.30.' Women must wear skirts and men must wear ties.. Private Internet use and telephone calls are not

allowed.' There is nowhere to relax during breaks or

luncht ime.. You have to buy your own tea and coffee. lt is not

provided by the bank.

Can you think of any changes you'd tike to maketo the place where you work or study?

Disagreeing

17 Cars and c i t ies

Talking about cities

Complete the sentences below with the words inthe box. The words are commonly used whendescribing cit ies.

shanty towns historic overcrowded inner city

capital cosmopolitan industrial centre

l. ls Sydney the . . . . of Australia?

2. Sheffield used to be nothing but factories and steelworks - very . .. . , but not any more.

3. NewYork's one of the most . . . . places I'velived in - every nationality under the sun!

4. There are a lot of slums in the You know,lots of tiny bedsits with no bathrooms.

5. York's a really . .. . city - Roman ruins and themedieval walls sti l l in good condition.

Thousands of the poorest people l ive in

The city . . . . shopping mall is the place to go.

There's seventeen million people living in Jakarta. lt'sreally

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. What's the most historical city you've ever been to?And the most cosmopolitan?

2. Have you ever been to a very industrial city? A veryovercrowded cityl

Reol Englisht inner cityWhen Brit ish people talk about the inner city, theyusually mean the poor, overcrowded areas aroundthe city centre. lt's a negative expression. Wesometimes talk about inner city crime and innercity problems. lf this is different in your country, it'sprobably better to say I live near the city centre,not I l ive in the inner city.

6.

7.

8.

Look at these modern pictures of Brighton. Saywhat each place used to be and then make apassive sentence about each one. For example:

It used to be a bank.It 's been turned into a video shop.

--+ l'€St?UF?Ilt

2. insurance office --+ trendy bar

4. public toilet --+ sandwich bar

Now talk about your home town and tell otherstudents how buildings have changed and whatthey have been turned into. You might also wantto say:

There used to be a ... near my house/near where I work,but it was knocked down and they've built a ... thereinstead.

l. estate agent's

Speaking

3. bank -- fish and chip restaurant

124

Grammar check

17 Cars and c i t ies

The passive is often used to talk about thingsping on in our town or city. The passive canbe used with most tenses.

How good are you at using this structure?Try to complete these sentences and find out.

Prcsent perfect

l. They've found an old bomb in the town centre.An old bomb

2. They've closed the High Street.The High Street

Prcsent continuous

3. They're cleaning the swimming pool today.The .

4. They're building a multi-storey car park.A . . .

Prresent simple

5. They collect the rubbish on Wednesdays.The .

6. They never clean the streets round here.The .

Past simple

7. They closed down that restaurant last year.That .

8. They found rats in the kitchen.Rats .

Past continuous

9. They were sti l l cleaning the toilets when theQueen arrived.T h e t o i l e t s . . . .

10. They were repairing the road all last week.The .

Going to

I l. They're going to build a new airport.A . . .

12. They're going to improve the street lighting.The .

Should

13. They should do something about all the l itter.Something

|.4. Maybe they should put a zebra crossing there.A . . .

For more information on how to use the passive,see G29.

A zebra crossing is a kind of pedestrian crossingwhere the road has black and white stripes.Complete the idiomatic expressions in thesentences below with the animat words in the box.

cat dogs fish horsecows donkey goose sheep

l. That night club is dreadful now. lt's usually half empty.It really has gone to the

2. A: I discovered Pascal's got a black belt in judo.B: Rea l ly? He 's a b i t o f a dark . . . . , i sn ' t he l

3. You've done absolutely nothing today!you can'texpect to sit around while I do all the . .work.

4. lt was really weird. I was the only Asian person there.l f e l t l i k e a . . . . o u t o f w a r e r .

5. Please dont tell mum that we're going to have asurprise parry for her. And tell Jane not to let the

. . . . out of the bag either!

6. Our daughter is always watching TV instead of doingher homework. She could watch soap operas ti l l the

. . . . c o m e h o m e .

7. I suppose I 'm the black . . . . of the fami ly.I mean, I went away to New Zealand and didn't get intouch for twenty years.

8. No wonder we couldn't f ind the right house!You sent us on a wild . . . . chaselyou gave usthe wrong address.

Can you translate the idioms above into yourlanguage?

ldioms focus

125

f ' .EaCirrg

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. What problem can you see in this picture?2. Do you have this problem in your town/cityl3. Can you think of some ways of tackling itl

fl Now read this article about ways of tryingI J rc solve the chewing gum problem in twodifferent places.

Which idea do you prefer? Why?

A sticlry problemYou can imagine the scene. You're walking down the streetof an old English town. You decide to sit on a bench toadmire the fine buildings and beautiful flowers a little bitlonger. Then as you stand up, you feel that nasty pull onyour dress or trousers and turn round to see the remainsof a lump of chewing gum, half of which is now stuck toyour behind! A wonderful moment is destroyed and yourmood changes for the rest of the day, or however long ittakes you to remove the awful stuff from your clothing.Well, one town has finally had enough of all the complaintsit receives each year and is not going to put up with it anymore. Darlington, which last year won a'Beautiful Britain'competition, has decided to act by providing special boardswhere people can stick their gum once it has been used.

Up to thirty chewing gum'parking boards' are to be put upin an area in the town centre, which recently underwent aa one-mill ion-pound facelift. They wil l cost f3,000 toprovide, are aimed at the thirteen-to-twenty-three agegroup, regarded as the worst offenders, and will bear themessages'Don't Gum Up Darlintton', 'Chew lt, Bin lt ' and'Park Your Gum Here.' The town council believes boardswill help save some of the f6,000 a year it spends oncleaning up gum from the streets.

The boards, to be situated at places such as sports centresand cinemas, will have a bull's-eye target so youngsters canaim at them. Keith Atkinson, head of Darlington'senvironmental and consumer protection department, said,'Most people don't see chewing gum as litter, but we arehoping the boards will help people to start thinking thatway. We've been flooded with complaints, mainly fromvisitors, who say gum on the streets, sticking to pavementsand shoes, is both unpleasant and makes Darlington lookuntidy.'

Darlington isn't the first place in the world to try to tacklethe sticky issue of chewing gum. In 1992, the Asian citystate of Singapore banned all eating and importing ofchewing gum after it was claimed trains had been delayedbecause trapped chewing gum caused the automatic doorsto stick. The ban came with severe penalties for breakingthe law. Smugglers bringing gum into the country could geta jail sentence of one year plus an eight-thousand-dollarfine. The government also tried to reinforce its messagewith advertising campaigns, which included slogans such as:'lf you can't think because you can't chew, try a banana.'

The policy has been a great success as even its criticsadmit.'The whole ban idea was not a good idea to startwith, but it did help to educate Singaporeans about thenuisance effects of chewing gum. Now Singaporeans,including kids, are more mature about their c iv icresponsibilities,' said one man we spoke to. And certainly,Singapore is acknowledged to be perhaps the cleanest cityin the world.

However, it now looks as if the ban will at least be partiallylifted. This is not the result of thousands of frustratedSingaporean gum chewers, but instead it's come aboutbecause of pressure from the American government. Theysee the policy as a restriction on free trade - particularlyof the big American gum manufacturers. As part of thenegotiations on the new trade deal, the Singaporegovernment has agreed to allow sugar-free gum prescribedby doctors and dentists to be sold by pharmacists. Therelaxation of the law will only apply to smokers who aretrying to give up by using nicotine gum and sufferers ofdental and gum diseases for whom chewing offerstherapeutic benefits.

126

t_

L

3-

{.

5-

6.

Without looking back at the article, try toGrrtct the following false sentences, using|Lc exact words from ,A sticky problem'.

The town centre hasnt been improved recently.The council havent had many complaints aboutchewing gum.

In 1992, Singapore banned the export of chewing gum.There's only a small punishment for breaking theanti-chewing gum laws in Singapore.

The Singaporean policy has been a failure.They're going to legalise chewing gum completely inSingapore.

18 Annoy ing th ings

Using rs.at)ular1Phrasal verbs

In the article, you read that Darlington isn't goingto put up with chewing gum on its streets anymore. Here are some more phrasal verbs oftenused when complaining. Make sentences bymatching the beginnings l-5 to the endings a-e.Use a dictionary to check the meaning of any ofthe highlighted phrasal verbs if you need to.

l. l f work carries on l ike this, I 'm going to end up

2. I dont know how they can get away with

3. lt drives me mad the way she goes on about

4. The dry-cleaners have completely messed up

5. I just can't put up with

a. these people any longer. I 'm call ing the police.

b. my shirt! Just look at the state of it!

c. her sil ly l i tt le problems all the time.

d. having a nervous breakdown.

e. such awful service. lt should be i l legal!

Now complete the pairs of sentences 6-10 withthe correct form of one of the phrasal verbsabove.

6a. lf this weather doesn't get betten I'm going to. . . . g o i n g m a d !

8a.

lf they don't do something about all these cats, rheplace is going to . . . smel l ing awful !I really don't think I can . . . . the flat being insuch a state any more!

I dont know how you can .. .. him treatingyou like that. I'd resign if I were you.l f I t h o u g h t I c o u l d . . . . i t , I w o u l d n ' t p a y t a xat all.

She's the office golden girl. They let hermurder!

8b.

9a. I somehow spilt my coffee and managed to totally. . . . that essay I've been working on.

9b. I don't trust them, personally. I'm sure they'll. . . . the economy, just like the last

government did.

lOa. She's always . . . . how hard life is and howlittle money she has to live on.

l0b. I hate the way he's always . . . . how muchmoney he's earning and how rich he is.

Look again at the sentences above. What followsthe phrasal verbs - a verb or a noun? pay ctoseattention to the context of each example.

Does anywhere you know get away with reallybad service - a restaurant, petrot station, shop?

Have you ever messed up anything reattyimportant? What was the last thing you reattymessed up?

-J_J-J-JJ

Xow go back and see if you remembered thenrds correctly.

Discuss these questions with a partner.

What are the litter laws in your countryl How doyou feel about theml Do you ever break them?Do you think the Singapore government should haveto lift its ban on chewing guml Why/why not?Do you think free trade is a good thing or notl WhylHas your country had any trade problemsl Whowithl Whyl

5. Which of the slogans mentioned in the article do youlike the best? Whyl

L

3.

1.

6b.

7a.

7b.

Speaking

{"otter?oor INE

127

Speaking

I

18 Annoy ing th ings

Are you a complainer or do you just tend to putup with things? Which of these situations wouldyou complain about? What would you say?

l. You get to your hotel room and discover they havegiven you a room at the back. You had booked aroom at the front with a balcony overlooking thebeach.

Your hotel room has a shower and you wanted onewith a bath and shower.

Your soup has arrived at your table. lt is warm, butnot hot.

Your bill has arrived for your meal. They haveovercharged you by fl0.

Your bill has arrived for your meal. They haveundercharged you by fl0.

It is 2 am. You're trying to get to sleep. Yourneighbour's dog is barking. You like your neighbours.

It is 2 am. You're trying to get to sleep. Yourneighbour's dog is barking. You don't like yourneighbours.

Someone has just lit a cigarette on the train.Smoking is not allowed in any part of the train.

We often complain about things that havehappened to us using was/were going to.For example:

I thought it was going to be the holiday of a lifetime, butit was a nightmare from start to finish.

I thought the hotel was going to be really romantic, but itwas horrible.

The advert said we were going to have a sea view, but wehad a tiny room at the back of the hotel.

With a partner, imagine you were on this holiday.Complete these sentences using was/were goingto and the verb in brackets.

l. I thought we . . in a five-star hotel,but it turned out to be only a three-star. (stay)

2. lt said there . . a drinks party onarrival, but there was nothing. (be)

3. lt said the new swimming pool .ready, but it wasn't. (be)

4 . l thought thehote l . .a f i ve-minutewalk from the beach, but it was more like twenty!(be)

5. They said every room . . . . . fresh flowersevery day, but we didnt see any. (have)

6. The brochure said that we . . newtowels eyery day, but we only got one! (have)

Now complete these sentences using was/weregoing to and a passive form of the verb in brackets.

7. I thought we .. at the airport andtaken to the hotel in a taxi, but we werent. (meet)

8 . l t h o u g h t o u r t o w e l s . . . . . . . . e v e r y d a y ,but they were only changed once. (change)

9. lt said we .. on a moonlight cruiseround the bay, but we never were. (take)

Now take a minute or two to think of things fromyour own experience which you thought weregoing to be better than they actually were. Tell apartner about them.

With a partner, take it in turns to moan aboutthese things.

l. a bad haircut/hairdo you've just hadI thought i t was going to be . . . , but . . .

2. a diet someone told you aboutI thought I was going to lose . . . , but . . .

a second-hand car you boughtI thought i t was going to . . . , but . . .

a film you went to seeI thought . . . , bu t . . .

your favourite TV show not being onI t h o u g h t . . . , b u t . . .

For more information on how to use woslwere going to,see G30.

Reol Englisht a haircut/a hairdoBoth men and women can have their hair cut.It is usually only women who have their hairdone. A hairdo implies more than just cutting.What other things might having your hair doneinvolvel

What's the worst hairdo you've ever seenl

3.

4.

6.

7.

Ugirr

3 .

4.

5.

complaints

128

Jmn:Itlike:

Complete these dialogues with the correctcxpressions.

l. Complaining about a meal

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

How was the meal last nightlOh, it was awful! The food wasnt very good.

the waiters were really rude as well. (2)

they tried to overchargeus. Then when wecomplained about it (3)

. . . . . t t w a sour fault!

L Complaining about a situation

. I wish they wouldn't

. I've tot a bit of a problem witho I mean, the last thing I need

How's college going?Not very well, actually. ( l)

: : : : : : : : : : : : : :1 :':::i:: :lililliiSl;*; ;;a Friday. (3) . .change the timetable every term. Last term wasmuch better.

With a partner, take turns complaining aboutthese situations, using expressions from Exercise r.Spend a few minutes preparing what you willsay before you start.

Student A

l. a terrible English course2. the trouble you had trying to find a friend's house

using the map they gave you3. roadworks going on right outside your house

Student B

l. a horrible hotel you stayed in2. the trouble you had trying to work out how to use

a new video recorder

3. a doctor who you don't feel is treating an injuryyou have properly

Now think of two really annoying situations fromyour own life that youU like to comptain about.Spend a couple of minutes planningwhat you,regoing to say. Then get things ofr yol" chest bytelling your partner about these things. Use asmany expressions from this unit as possible.

Recll Englisht get it off your chestThis is a common idiom which means,to tellsomebody about something that is annoying orirritating you'.

Terry:fulie: tl

Complaining

Gillrt |T rtttvorDlt

129

18 Annoy ing th ings

Put the words in brackets in order, to makeexpressions that are typical responses whenpeople are complaining to us.

l. A: Doesn't it bug you the way shops always charget9.99 when you know it's really f l0?

B: I must admit,(like / me / things / that / really / bother / dont)

2. A: Look, I'm really sorry. There's no way I can cometo your Part), tomorrow night. I've got to worklate.

B: Oh, well, don't worry(world / not / end I the lthe / it's / of)

3. A: I really thought I'd got the job. I mean, myinterview went really well, and then they tell meI'm not even short-listed!

B: Oh, well.(let / you I get I down / it / don't)

A: I've got about five bills I'm supposed to pay bythe end of the month. What do they think I am?Made of moneyl

B : Oh we l l , .(you / do / nothing / can / about / there's / it)

Tell a partner which of the things in the list belowreally annoy you. They should respond using someof the expressions from Exercise 3.

l. f inding public telephones always out of order whenyou need to use them

2. chewing gum on the pavement sticking to your shoes

3. people letting their dogs foul the pavement

4. people talking loudly in public on their mobiles

5. finding out before breakfast that you've run out ofmi lk

6. discovering that a pair of trousers you bought haveshrunk in the first wash

7. uncollected rubbish in the street

Choose the three most annoying things anddiscuss how to prevent them from happening.Can you use some of the if- sentence starterson page 122 to make suggestions?

a, iI, l

,lt'

4.

f, titt"n and check your answers, then practiset7 th" conversations with a partnen Try to keepthe conversations going by adding furthercomments of your own.

J I free practice

l|re these sentence starters to make statementsfu are true for you.

l- One thing that really drives me mad is . . .1 Doesnt it really bug you the way . ..3- h real ly annoys me when people . . .1- | don't know about you, but personally I can't stand . . .

]aqr wdk around the class talking to some othersurdents about the things that really annoy you.

leol English3 it realy bugs me b-lf something bugs you, it annoys you.It reolly bugs me when people don't return my pen ofterthey've borrowed it..

I

More expressions with bother

Make short dialogues by matching l-g to theresponses a-h. Then underline all the expressionswith bother.

l. Do you fancy coming out for a quick jogl

2. I'm going to complain about that guy smoking.

3. That was really delicious. Let me wash up.

4. I think I'll try that new bar tonight.

18 Annoy ing t h i ngs

5. Sorry to bother you, but have you got the timel

6. I was really upset by her letter.

7. I cant stand mobile phones going off in public!

8. Are you sure you dont mind giving me a liftl

a. No, it 's OK. You needn'r bother! l ' l l do it tater.b. Really? Things l ike that don't bother me.c. Oh, it 's no bother at all. I 'm going your way.d. Sorry, no, I haven't.

e. Oh, don't let it bother you. She didn't mean it.f . No, I can't be bothered. I 'm too tired.g. Why bother!You'l l only start an argumenr.h. I wouldn't bother if I were you. lt 's dead.

Spend two minutes trying to memorise theresponses a-h. Then coyer Exercise 6 while yourpartner reads out l-8. Can you remember alt theresponses?

Translate the eight expressions with bother intoyour language. You will almost certainly need touse more than one verb. How many verbs do youneed?

Complete the short dialogues betow with theidiomatic expressions in the box.

It's a Catch 22 situation, isn't itlYes, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.Its a bit of a mixed blessing, isn't it?Yes, poor guy. lt's a vicious circle, isnt itl

l . ,: John drinks to stop himself worrying about money,and the more he drinks, the more he spends, andso on and so on.

B

2 A

B

3 AB

I think there's worse to come.4. ,",. Our neighbours won half a mill ion on the

National Lottery last year, but six months laterthey separated and now they're divorced.

Can you think of any other examples where thefour idiomatic expressions in Exercise 7 abovecould apply?

The thing is, I can't ger a work permit unless I 'vegot a job and I can't get a job till I've got a work .permit.

One hundred people have already lost their jobs.

-JJJJ

B:

JJJJ

Speaking

1 3 1

2.

3 .

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Ji ' !3n I r f

Optimistic about the future?

Do you agree with these statements?

l. The world is a better place than it was twenq/years a8o.

A Rachet and Nick, two friends both in their lastI J y" , at university, are chatting oyer cofree.Listen to them talking about what they seethemselves doing in the future.

Cover the conversation. As you listen, try tocomplete these sentences.

l. Nick's thinking about , but it depends on

2. He'd like to . . . . . ., but he probably won't have

-J_JJJJJJJ

You arent even safe in your own home today.

Young people today have got a good chance ofgetting a well-paid job when they leave school.

There's no such thing as a safe job today.

Pollution is getting worse.

I feel much more confident than I used to.

The world is becoming a less tolerant place.

People are more aware of environmental issuesthan they used to be.

R a c h e l w a n t s t o . . . . . . a n d3.

4. l f she , then she'l lOtherwise, she'll probably go . . .

Listen again and try to fill in the gaps in theconversation.

Complete this sentence by adding a pessimist andan optimist

. . . .. is someone who always thinks the glass ishalf-full,while ..... always thinks it 's half-empty.

Now mark the eight statements with an O or a Pdepending on whether you think they areoptimistic or pessimistic.

Tell your partner how optimistic you feel aboutyour own future, the future of your country,or the future of the world.

The young person in this picture are protestingagainst the cutting down of trees. Would you?ls there anything else you feel strongly enoughabout to protest against?

Speaking

132

Now you're talking!Rachel: So, have you had any more thoughts about

what you're going to do next year, then?Nick Mm. I don't know really. I mean,

( l ) . . . . . . tha t i t m igh t be a good ideato do that art course I was telling you about,but it all depends on my results.

Rachel : So what about Francel (2) . . . . . .goingto Paris a while backl

Nick Oh, for that French course?Well, I would sti l llike to do it, but I just don'r know if I canafford it.

Rachel: Oh, I know what you mean. Money's always aprob lem, i sn t i t l I mean, (3 ) . . . . . . nex tyear is to learn to drive and buy a car, but I'mnot sure if I'll have the cash. (4) . .I 'm just so sick of having to get buseseverywhere.

Nick Dreadful, aren't theyl You wait half an hourand then three come along at the same time.So,you ' re (5 ) . . . . . . jus t go ing to bestaying around here, just trying to save upsome money, thenl

Rachel: Yes, I suppose so. lt depends, really. I mean, if Ican find a good job, then l'll stick around, butotherwise (6) . . . . . . eventual ly is goingback to Glasgow.

Nick Oh right, because you grew up there, didn'tyou?

Rachel: Yes, that's right, yes, so I suppose I do seemyself ending up there eventually.

Nick Yeah.Rachel: So,(7) . . . . .you do this art course, what

do you see yourself doing after that, in thelong terml

Nick Oh, I dont know. No idea really. I haven'tthought that far ahead. I'll just (8) . .and see what happens.

Rachel: Just l isten to us, Nick!We just sound sob o r i n g ! ( 9 ) . . . . . . g o o f f s o m e w h e r etogether this summer, you know, maybe - |don't know - work abroad for six monthsl

Nick What? You mean picking grapes in Francel Thatkind of thing?

Rachel: Yeah, o4 I don't know - working in a hotel inSpain, or -

Nick Or going to Australia. lf the Aussies can workover here , (10) . . . . . go and ge t ajob over there?

Rachel: Yeah, ld love to do that.Where's the paper?What's the cheapest flight to Sydney?

Nick Now you're talking!

19 Your f u ture

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. Are you the kind of person who could just suddenly goabroad for six months, on the spur of the momentlHave you ever done anything like that?

2. Have any of your friends ever gone off to work inanother country? Where did they go?

3. ls it possible to plan too much for the futurel

I Real Englishs the AussiesThis is an affectionate term used by British peoplefor Australians.

New Zealanders are known as Kiwis whileAustralians call Brit ish people poms or pommies.

I

In the conyersation, you met save up, end up andgrew up. Complete the sentences below with theverbs in the box. Then go back and underline thephrasal verbs.

do cheer put turnedbeat hung come bottling

t . This really strange thing happened last night. An oldfriend from school just . . . . up on my doorstep,totally out of the blue!

That was weird. Whoever it was on the phone just. . . . up as soon as they heard my voice!

Once we've saved up enough money, we're going to. . . . u p o u r f l a t a b i t .

A: Why don't I cook tonight, if you're not feelingup to itl

B : W o w ! T h a t ' s t h e b e s t i d e a y o u ' v e . . . . . . . . . . u pwith all week!

I wish you d . . . . up a bit! lt's really starting toget me down, seeing you like that!

I got mugged last year, and when I wouldn't give themmy watch, they . . . . me up really badly.It's not healthy, you know, . . . . up all yournegative emotions like this. lt's much better to justget things off your chest.

lf you're stuck for somewhere to stay, we couldalways . . . .you up on our sofa.

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. Do you ever bottle things up?2. How do you usually cheer yourself upl3. Have you ever been beaten upl

2.

3.

4.I

llI

5.

7.

8.

Speaking

Phrasal verbs with

Speaking

133

19 Your fu ture

U;irry glarnfirar

Rachel said'What lU really like to do next year islearn to drive'. What can be placed at thebeginning of a sentence to give special emphasisto what follows. lt means'the thing that'.

What I really need to do is get away for a break.What I'd really like to do is learn to drive.What I was thinking of doing is going abroad.

Rewrite these sentences using the expressionswith what above.

l. Your company is sending you to Japan, so youhave to start learning the language.What

What

3. You have no money and desperately need tostart saving.What

You think you would quite like to travel roundIndia in the not-too-distant future.

t .

What

You'ye always wanted to start a family as soonas you get married.What

You've had an idea - maybe go abroad forChristmas this year rather than stay at home.What

Complete these sentences in ways that are true 4.for you.

l. What I really need to do before the end of the weeks

What I was thinking of trying to do next year, if I getthe chance, is .

What ld really like to be doing in a few years' times

Now tell a partner about what you have thoughtof, giving more details if you can.

For more information on how to use sentenceswith whoq see G3l.

Ugi ng

Complete the sentences below with the words inthe box.The sentences are all common answersto the question:'What are your plans for thefuture?'

wait and see perfectly happycant really take thingschange see myself

a. I 'm . . . doing what I 'm doing.

b. My plans . . . fairly often.

c . l c a n ' t . . . s t a y i n g t h e r e f o rmuch longer.

d. l'll just have to . . . whathappens.

e . l j u s t . . . a s t h e y c o m e .

f . | . . . . . . . . .say yet . l t a l l depends.

Now complete l-6 using a-f above.

I 'm a fairly laid-back kind of person. I mean,and only worry about things

if and when they happen.

A: So, what are you going to do once you get backto Madridl

B: Well, I might try and get a job as a chef, butyesterday I was thinking about maybe going backto college. Ask me again in a week!

., you know.

A: So, how's it all goinglB: Well, to be honest, I'm really fed up at work.

A: lt sounds to me like it's time to move on.

A: So, what are your plans for the future?B: Well, right now, life's great. Maybe in a

couple of years I might change my mind, but atthe moment . . .

A: So, are you still off to Kenya in the spring?B: Well, I'm not 100% sure just now, because my

dad's sti l l very i l l , so . . .

A: So, how long are you going to be staying here forlB : . . . . o n m y

girlfriend. lf things work out between us, we mightthink of getting married and settling down.

Do any of the expressions a-f apply to you inyour present situation? For example:

I wouldn't say,'l just take things as they come' now, butI might've done when I was eighteen or nineteenbecause I didn't have a job then, and I didn't really knowwhat I wanted to do in the future.

vsraeulary

2. You think it wouldin the next couple

be a great idea to buy a flatof years.

4.

5.

6.

2.

3.

5.

6.

4.

134

2 | Coflocations

l .

2.

3 .

4.

5.

7.

8.

9.

Complete each of the sentences l-4 in twodifferent ways, using two different endings fromthe box below to make some commoncollocations about the future.

my own country back to universityabroad with my girlfrienda new job somewhere nicer to l ivestudying where I grew up

Now complete sentences 5-9 in the same way.

reading southa better laptop my familyto buy a flat for a DVD playerhouse sportthe world a new car

::: :: :::: :: ::1: ::: '::: ::I'T:i:i':::: Tl:Tld l ike to start doing a bit more

t . . . . .

l f I can, l ' l l probably save up

: J:: il :' i: :i':lHow many of the sentences above are true for you?

In the conyersation on page 133, Rachel and Nicktalked about going to Australia. lf you had a yearfree, what would you do? Do any of these appealto you?

l . bui ld ing a pr imary school in Bangladesh

2. working for an aid agency in Ethiopia

3. going on an expedition to the North Pole

4. working with homeless people in Manchester

5. sail ing round the world

6. writ ing a book

Speaking

i ' -=aCir t '7

19 Your f u ture

Make sentences about the future by matchingthe beginnings l-7 to the endings a-9.

l. My parents have

2 . l w i s h

3. I hope

I've always dreamed

One of my greatest fears is

I 'm really looking forward to

I'm really dreading

I didn't have to go back to Japan next year.great expectations for my future.ending up on my own when I 'm old.the summer! lt gets so unbearably hot here!seeing all my old friends again once I 'm back home.of maybe one day going to live in Hawaii.I can find a good job once I graduate.

Now use the sentence starters in 2-7 to tell yourpartner 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.

E c E N o M I t r A L W I T H T H E T R U T H !

Dear Adam.

Hi. How're you doing? Hope everything's all right withyou. I just thought I'd better write to let you know thatI may not be able to come over and visit you inSeptember like I said I would. The thing is, I've had totake a few weeks off recently because I've donesomething weird to my back. Also, as you know, I'vegot my end-of-school exams in June and I can't reallymake any concrete plans until I know how I've done inthem, so everything's a bit up in the air for me at themoment. Hopefully, everything will work out fine and Iwill be able to come and see you, but don't be toosurprised if things fall through.

By the way, I also wanted to ask you lor a word ofadvice. Since I've been stuck at home a lot lately, I'vebeen surfing the net quite a lot and spending a lot oftime in various chat rooms, and basically what's

JJJ-J

I__J

J--|

Discuss these questions with a partner.

L Do you ever visit chat rooms? Which onesl2. Have you got an online name?

happened is I 've fal len for this woman I met. Her on-l ine name is Foxy and she sounds amazing. She's 22,blonde and comes from Denmark. She's studyingalternative medicine and we get on like a house onfire. The problem is, though, I haven't been entirelyhonest with her. I told her I was seven years olderthan I am, and said I was already working - in a reallywell-paid job. I also told her I had my own apartmentright in the centre of town. Anyway, to cut a long storyshort, I've stupidly arranged to meet up with her nextweek. I'm really dreading it now! What do you think Ishould I do?

Hope to hear from you very soon,All the best,

Max.

3. Do you think chat rooms are a good place to meetpotential partners? Why/why not?

4. Have you ever been economical with the truth? When?Whv?

With a partner, either write Adam's reply to Maxor role-play the conyersation between Max andFoxy when they first meet.

Speaking

1 3 6

4 Language development

l{atch the sentence adverbs l-5 with theirmeanings a-€.

Basical ly

: Real ist ical ly

: ldea l l y

t Eventually

! Hopeful ly

I th ink th is wi l l happen in the end.This would be the best possible resul t , but i t mightnot happen.

I would l ike th is to happen.

This wil l probably happen, even though I may notwant lt to.

This is my general /s imple v iew of what wi l l happen.

Which two adverbs did Max use in his e-mail?

Complete these sentences in a way that is truefor you. Then compare with a partner.

Basically, what I 'd really l ike to do in the future is . . . .

2. ldeally, I 'd love to be able tosometime in the next few years, but realisticallyl ' l l p r o b a b l y . . . .

3. Next year I can see myselfand after that l ' l l hopefully

4 Wel l , i f I carry on doing what I 'm doing now,.e v e n t u a l l y l ' l l . . .

5. Well, you know that I really l ike . .so idea l l y I 'd l i ke to end up . . .

a

I t

, : . ?J J . i . < i

J

19 Your fu ture

There are seyeral if- expressions with which weuse to talk about our future plans. For example:

Wel l , i f everything goes according to plan, I should beliving in Morocco this time next year.

Complete the short dialogues below with thecorrect form of the verbs in the box.

go (x3) fall fail work

So, what do you see yourself doing when you getback home?Wel l , i f a l l . . . . wel l , I should be able ro getmy old job back. Touch wood!

So, you're off to Australia for Christmas, are youlYes, if everything . . . . according to plan.We're just waiting for our visas.

So, you've applied for the manager's job?Yes, and i f that . . . . through, I th ink l ' l l lookelsewhere.

We're too late to get tickets for the final now!Well, if all else . . . . , we'l l just have towatch it on TV then.

So, you're thinking of building your own house.That sounds a bi t ambit ious.

B: Yes, it is a bit, but my father's a builder, and ifnothing . . . . wrong, it should only takeabout a year or so.

6. What am I going to do about my boyfriend?B: Tell him you're going to work in Greenland if he

doesn'r ask you to marry him - and if thatd o e s n ' t . . . . , r h e n n o t h i n g w i l l !

Now go back and underline the full expressionswith if.

Recll English3 Touch wood!I t is common when using' touch wood' to touch apiece of wood at the same time. This is a commonBritish supersririon when talking about the future.I m seeing the doctor tomorrow ond if otl goes well,l'llbe bock ot work pretty soon, touch wood!

This is a very old superstirion. The idea is that ifyou touch wood - the same material which thecross of Christ was made of - you wil l havegood luck. Do you do anything l ike that?

t

II

II

_J

II

II

Ia

!

B:

B:

B:

B:

2.

3 .

4.

5 .

l

if- expressions

137

20

What do you look for in a job? ff A casual worker normally works for al/.o-pany, but without a contract of

I-JIII_tJ-JJJ

Mark each of these ideas from | (not important)to 5 (very important), depending on howimportant they are for you when you're lookingfor a job.

being able to work flexi-time

getting holiday pay and sick pay

earning a good salary

doing a really interesting job

knowing your job is secure

not being stuck behind a desk all day

doing something useful for society

being able to work from home

getting a company car

getting maternity or paternity leave

Compare your answers with a partner. What elsewould you add to this list?

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

full-time lots of benefits paid holidayunfairly treated sick pay income taxmaternity leave contract

t . When my son was born, I took . . . forthree months and then went back to work part-time.

I can't go away much, because I only get three weeks'

3 ;;"; ; ;;;-" ;iil | managed to set two months'

4. ... starts at20% and goes up to amaximum of 40%.

5. I appealed to a tribunal because I felt lU been

I used to do only two days a week, but I work. . . n o w .

I've been there six years now, but I've never beengiven a proper

The best thing about my job is that I get. . . - a company pension, private

health insurance and things like that.

employment. He or she is not permanentlyemployed and in many countries has few rights.Read the article on page | 39 about two casualworkers who had a problem with their employer.When you have read it, answer these questions.

l. Why did Mrs Carmichael and Mrs Leese take theiremployers to court?

2. What was the judge's decisionl

3. What are the implications of this decision for othercasual workers?

2.

6.

7.

138

Cretting a good job in Britain today is far from easy. Moreand more young people are going to university, so a degreehas become the minimum qualification required, whereasonce it was a magical door-opening piece of paper. If yourO/ does catch a potential employer's eye and you're luckyenough to get called in for an interview, you then encounterthe next hurdle: you find yourself in a Catch-22 situationr*'here you can't get a job unless you've got workexperience and, of course, there's no way you can get anyr*'ork experience until someone feels like giving you a job !If and when you do finally manage to land a job, you rhenrealise that your troubles have only just begun.

The last twenty years have seen radical changes inemployment laws, very few of which have benefited youngworkers in any way. Full-time contracts seem to havebecome a thing of the pasr, and instead you'll probably beoffered a short-term casual contract - even if they'retalking about employing you full-time ! I've heard of peoplewho've worked full-time for six or seven years and who arestill being paid by the hour! One good rhing that haschanged recently, though, is that at least you're nowentitled to the national minimum wage. Living on lessthan five pounds an hour isn't easy, but at least you can'tbe totally ripped off by your bosses anymore.

Because of all these changes, there's not much job securityanymore. Companies have learned how to dress up massredundancies in media-friendly language, calling huge jobcuts 'down-sizing' or 'corporate restructuring'! If you doend up out of work, don't expect your union to be muchhelp. The power of trade unions was cut dramatically in

20 The world of work

the 1980s after the endless industrial acrion of the 70s andtoday they've become a little bit toothless. However, as arecent landmark legal case has shown, it's nol all doomand gloom, and there is still hope for the workers.

Last month two casual workers, who were never offeredproper contracts of employment, won the right to the samebenefits as full-time workers. A judge said that becauseMrs Carmichael, 35, and Mrs Leese, 36, had signed lettersaccepting jobs at Blyth Power Sration, they should havebeen treated the same as any other full-time employee ofNational Power. However, the two women had been deniedholiday and sick pay and many orher benefits normallygiven to full-time staff.

Despite taking income tax from their pay, making thewomen wear company uniforms, and giving them the useof company cars, National Power tried to insist that MrsCarmichael and Mrs Leese never worked directly for thecompany. They were, therefore, refused a proper contract,and were not given any employment protection or benefits.

The judge's decision means that casual workers all over thecountry can now fight for the right to sick pay, holiday pay,maternity leave and other benefits. The judgement alsomeans that casual workers can appeal against unfairdismissal by their employer if they are sacked withoutreason. A solicitor acting on behalf of the rwo women saidit was a major breakthrough in employment law, whichwas likely to have a very positive effect on the workinglives of thousands of men and women employed on a casualbasis.

We can work out .i t

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l . Does the si tuat ion in Br i ta in sound simi lar ro thesituation in your countryl In what way? What'sdifferentl

Have you ever done any casual workl How were youtreated? What was the money likel

Who's the worst employer you've ever worked for?

Have you heard of any companies which have agood/bad reputation for the way they rreat theirworkersl

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l. What is the difference between a full-t ime worker,a part-t ime worker and a casual workerl

2. What are the usual reasons people get sacked?

3. What's the difference between getring sacked andbeing made redundant?

4. What kind of things do you pur in your CVI

5. What are the names of the biggest trade unions inyour country? What do they dol

2.

3 .

4.

*.;S'.- ':;=wijr'$*€'-+--- *.*-* lF-

Speaking Vocabulary

20 The wor ld o f work

i - l ?

J J ; J t

Complete these sentences with work or job.

l. He's never done a day's . . . . in his l i fe!

2 . A r e y o u s t i l l l o o k i n g f o r a . . . . , t h e n l

3. lt 's quite hard . . . . f inding a flat in a big city l ikeMi lan .

4. lt 's a dirty . . . . , but someone's got to do it!

5. I know the money's not very good, but at least you'reget t ing some good . . . .exper ience.

6. Oh, the kitchen looks lovely now. You've made ar e a l l y g o o d . . . . o f i t .

7. I 'm sorry, but I can't let you use the phone to ringAustralia. lt 's more than my . . . . 's worth!

8. I 've been up to my eyes in . . . . a l l week!

Discuss these questions with a partner.

l . Do you know anyone who's never done a day's workin their l i fe? How do they get byl

2. Can you think of three other things that are quite hardwork l

With a partner, decide what the people in thepictures on these pages do for a l iving.

Which of the jobs in the pictures would youmost/least like to do? Why?

What do you think these jobs would involve?Could you or would you do any of them?

i l t aT t ' i i z r J

e ? O ? ? ?r r - ! t i

- . J - e . J t J t 2

/* , Now listen to three of the people in thel/ pictures talking about their jobs. As youlisten, try to decide what their job is. ThencomPare answers.

t .

2.

3 .

Speaking

Before l is ten

140

How are things at work?

Hatch the common questions about work

l. How are things at workl

2. So, what exactly does your job involve, thenl

3. Have you been doing it long?

4. What are the hours likel

5. What's the money like?

l-5 with typical answers a-e.

a. . lts OK. lt 's enough to l ive on.. lt's not very good - more like slave-labour!. Well, actually, I don't think it's any of your business!

$. o They're OK, the usual nine to five.a

a

c . .a

a

61. r

a

a

e . .a

a

Awful. I don't usually get home until ten!Great. I'm usually home by two or three.

Crazyt I've been rushed off my feet all week!Oh, we've been pretty quiet, actually.Oh, it's OK, the same as ever.

Well, I'm in charge of Accounts.I do all the marketing.I deal with all the complaints that we get.

Yes, it's about ten years now I suppose.No, I've only just started, actually.Yes, too long!

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 twominutes thinking about how you would answer the questions in Exercise Iabove, using the typical answers if necessary. Your partner should then askyou the questions and try to guess which job you do.

141

jokes

20 The world of work

Below are three joke answers to the question:'Sowhat's your boss l ike?' Discuss with your partnerwhich one you find the funniest and why.

l. He's really f lexible. He lets me come in any timeI want before nine, and then lets me leave wheneverI want after five!

2. He's so mean that if you're three minutes late forwork, he fines you, and if you turn up five minutesearly he actually starts charging you rent!

3. He's really hard on late-comers. Actually, one dayone of his assistants turned up over an hour late,covered in blood, and as he staggered over to hisdesk, my boss went up to him and asked him wherehe d been. The assistant apologised and said he'dfallen down three fl ights of stairs.'What?' said my boss,'that took you a whole hour,did i t ! '

f 1 Listen to the jokes. Mark the stresses andld ptrres. Then tell the jokes to each other inpairs with one student asking:'So what's yourboss l ike, then?'

Make answers to the question:'What's your boss l ike?' by matching thebeginnings l-8 to the endings a-h.

l . Well, he's not exactly the most

He's awful, a real2.

3. Dreadful! All he ever does is

4. Oh, he's great, he's a really

Oh, she spends the whole

Terrible, she's really

Oh, she's br i l l iant , real ly

8. He's always getting on to

sit at his desk and give orders!talk to the other guys about football.

domineer ing.bossy and dictatorial.

on the phone to her boyfriend!jetting off to Paris and Rome on business

easy-going and easy to talk to.nice and friendly.

me about things that aren't my fault.everyone about spending too much money.

approachable person I 've ever met, but he's OK, I guess.intell igent bloke I 've ever worked for, but I guess he's OK.

dictator!slave-driver!

nrce 8uy.good person to work for.

t rme5.

6.

7.

a . o

a

b . .a

c . .a

d . .I

e . ra

f. .a

g . 'a

h . o

I

Discuss these questions with a partner.

L Do any of the comments in Exercise 4 above remindyou of your boss or one you have known?

2. Tell your partner what kind of a boss you think you'dmake and why.

3. Which person in your class do you think would makethe best boss? Why?

ls it important for a boss to be friendly andapproachable or is it OK if they're a bit distant fromtheir staff?

Are there other qualit ies which are important?

What do you call the boss of a schoolf Adepartmentl A football teaml

How many other words can you think of with asimi lar meaning to 'boss'? For example: head,employer, manager, supervisor, superior, etc. Whichdo you preferl

4.

5.

6.

7.

Spea ki ng

142

-J_J-JJJJ

Usinggfl{ftfftZtf

Future continuous

Notice the highlighted words in these sentences.

l ' l l be meeting my boss next week, so I 't l talk to herabout my chances of promotion then.

The twins wil l be starting school this autumn, so l ' l l havea 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 thefuture continuous form to be followed by a clausethat begins with so.

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

l. I ' l l be doing some work in your area tomorrow,

2. l ' l l be going back to Japan in the autumn,

3. I'll be passing your front door,

4. l ' l l be doing a computer course in April,

5. l ' l l be writ ing my MA thesis all summer,

6. l'll be going down to my dad's next Saturday,

a. so it's no trouble giving you a lift.b. so then I ' l l be an expert on the Internet.c. so don't try and call me unti l Sunday night.d. so I ' l l be working in the l ibrary a lot.e. so l ' l l pop in and say hello if I get a chance.f . so l ' l l try and get you a cheap Walkman, shall l?

Grammar in context

Make short dialogues by adding sentences fromExercise I above.

l . A :

20 The world of work

5. A: l'll give you a call over the weekend about thefollowing week.Yeah, that's OK, butSure. I probably won't know what I'm doing untilthen anyway.

6. A: Thanks to this rail strike, I dont know how l ' l l gethome.

B: You're in luck. I drove today.

Walk around the class and chat to some otherstudents about the kind of work you see yourselfdoing in the future, where you see your careergoing in the short term, any long-term careerplans you'ye got, and so on. Try to use as much ofthe new language from this unit as you possiblycan. For example:

lf we meet in ten years' time, if everything goes accordingto plan, l'll have my own company. l'll be driving a top-of-the-range Mercedes. I ' l l be l iving in a huge house with myown private plane. I'll own an island somewhere hot.

For more information on how to use the futurecontinuous, see G32.

B:A:

plans

Well, I realexpensiveWell, look,Oh, that'd be great if you could. ld pay you forit, of course.

So,John, when are we going to see you next, then?Well,Oh great. Try and make it around twelve or soand then maybe we could have lunch.

So, are you looking forward to the holidays, thenlWef l , no actual ly. . . . .Oh well, l ' l l be thinking of you while I 'm lying onthe beach.

So, are you still having problems gefting onlinelWell, actually, things are looking up.

ly like this Sony, but it's just tooreally.

B:A:

2. A:B:A:

3. A:B:A:

4. A:B:

143

Second conditionals

Choose the correct form.

l. They still haven't been fixing / haven't fixed ourTVyeL

2. The restaurant was redecorated / was beingredecorat€d, so we had to find somewhere else.

3. Bills have to pay / have to be paid within a month,or else they cut your electricity off.

4. I wish they'l l / theyd do something about all thestray dogs in the park.

5. I see / l ' l l be seeing Bil l later, so l ' l l ask him if he gotyour e-mail.

6. I thought the film will be / was going to be grear,but it wasn't as good as the book.

7. A new stadium is being built / is going to be builtsometime in the next four or five years.

8. lf everything goes / went according to plan, weshould be able to move by the end of the month.

9. That bridge should've been widened / should'vebeen being widened years ago.

10. l ' l l be back / I 'm back at university quite soon, touchwood!

Choose the correct alternative.

| . What would be really great is if my parents ... !a. wil l buy me a car b. bought me a car

2. I 've applied for a job in Stockholm, but ... , I mighttry Denmark.a. if that falls throughb. if nothing goes wrong

3. lf i t doesn't stop raining, I 'm going to end up ... !a. going mad b. to go mad

4. ... is get other people to do her job for her!a. All Kate ever does b. All Kate is ever doing

5. lU l ike to end up with my own business, but ... ,I'll probably have to 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 playb. doing this year is learning to play

7. ... to wait outside till he was ready.a. He told me b. He said me

8. Dont ring before nine.a. We'll be having dinner b. We'll have dinner

Compare your answers with a partner and discussyour choices.

Complete these sentences by putting the verbs inbrackets into the correct form.

l. A: Have you heardl They're going to knock thecinema down and turn it into a car park.

B: i::i':i.'1.. ;".""; ,;ffl1uch

better ir thev just

2. A: They're going to charge people to drive into thecity centre, arent theyl

B: Yeah, but if you ask me, it . . . . (b") far better

:i :i ::':':(il ;;;; ;; ['Ji[TflH1'f r an d3. A: There's so much litter everywhere.B: i llll *[T,,":;i ,; ;,Ji:["fl''"i;lln;"n"'4. A: This bus is hardly moving!The traffic's awful.

B: I know! | th ink i t . . . . (be) a real ly good ideaif they . . . . (bring) back the trams.

5. I think it . . . . (be) a really good idea if they. . .. (not charge) people to get into museums.

You . .. .(get) a lot more people going.

6. A: They're going to open another coffee shop there.B: Really? lt . . .. (be) far more useful if we

. . . . (have) a decent supermarket instead.

Make a list of things that annoy you about yourtown/city. Tell your partner your ideas andsuggest alternatives using the second conditionalstructures above.

Put the jumbled conversation into the correctordea

a. So, how are things at work?

b. I think of nothing else, actually! I've got anappointment with Personnel tomorrow so thatmight make a difference.

c. Dreadful, to be honest! | feel as if I'm going toend up having a nervous breakdown!

d. How will that help?

e. Well, l'll have the chance to talk about theproblems in my department. They might listen.On the other hand, they might not!

f. ls it as bad as that? Have you had any morethoughts about leaving them?

-1J-JJ

JJJ

Mult iple choice

Speaking

Conversation

1 M

Look back and check:More expressions with bother

Look back at'More expressions with bothe/ onpage l3l. Tick any of the expressions you cantemembea Ask your partner about anything youhave forgotten.

With a partneq write eight new sentences thatwould produce the responses a-h. Compare whatyou have written with another paia Did you haveany similar ideas?

Now cover Exercise 6 on page l3l. your partnerwill read out your eight new sentences. Can youremember all the responses?

Complete the short dialogues below with theexpressions in the box. All the expressions arefiom units ll-20.

just doing what I 'm doing

dont let it get you down

wait and see

if everything goes according to planI know what you mean

Review: Uni ts 17-20

Match the verbs l-10 to the best collocations a-j.

l . deny2. see3. move4. buy5. take6. deal7. tackle8. go on9. do

10. s lam on

a. a flat nearer where I workb. housec. with all the complaintsd. a probleme. about her problems all the timef . a bit more of my wife and kidsg. things as they comeh. a casual worker his holiday payi. the brakesj. a U-turn

I'm getting tired of Mr Owens complainingabout our department all the time.Look, . There'snothing you can do about it. Forget him!I just can't believe that all the banks here shutat four! How can I get to one if I'm working!Yes,. .It'd be far better if they were open in theevening.

So, what exciting plans have you got?Nothing, really. To be honest, I 'm quite h.ppy

for the time being.

So, you're going to be in Nepal next year, then,JameslY e s , . . . . . . . !So, did you get that job you applied for?I haven't heard yet. I'll just have to

Now match the verbs I l-18 to the bestcollocations k-r.

k. in the washl. my flat

m. myself l iving abroadn. made redundanto. the issuep. going to the dentist'sq. my examr. your feelings

Match the questions l-6 to the responses a-f.

l. So, when wil l you be able to go back to work?

2. Have you seen Emma's new hairdo?

3. I wish he'd stop coughing! lt's really bugging me.4. Have you tried talking about working in Wales

with your girlfr iend?

5. I'm sorry to bore you with my problems.

6. So, what happened nextl Did they fine youl

a. Really? Things l ike that don't really bother me.b. That's OK. lts good to get these things offyour

chesq isn't it.

c. Yeah, five hundred pounds - and six penalty pointson my licence as well!

d. No, not yet, but I heard she's had it bleachedblonde.

e. In a week or two, I think - touch wood!f . Of course I have. I mean, that was the first thing

I actually did. But she just won't talk about it.Whenever I mention it, she changes the subject!

I l . ge t12. mess up1 3 . s h r i n k14. do up15. bott le up| 6. see17. dread18. avoid

Now discuss these questions with a partner.

19. Have you ever messed up any examsl Whathappenedl

20. Do you know anyone who really bottles up theirfeelings?

2l'. Do you know anyone who's always going on abouthow awful their life is?

l . A :

B:

2. A:

B:

3. A:B:

4. A:

B:

5. A:B:

_J-JJJJJ

Can you think of three other situations when youmight say:'Don't let it get you down'to someone?

Can you think of three other questions you coutdanswer by saying:' l ' l l just have to wait and see'?

Collocations

Expressions

Engl ish

145

ld ioms

I

l . That bar has gone2. He let the cat3. I 'm the black sheep4. lt 's a vicious5. I 've been rushed6. lt's good to get things7. ... and to top8. I changed9. lt's a bit of a mixed

10. That's just the tip

of the family.off my feet all week!off your chest.my mind.

out of the bag!blessing.to the dogs.

the whole th ing of f . . .

of the iceberg.

circle.

as you canread in units

Review: Uni ts 17*20

Make sentences with idioms by matching thebeginnings l -10 to the endings a- i .

Answer these questions with a partner. Thencompare your answers with another pair. Whogot most answers right?

l. lf I send you on a wild goose chase, what do youcome back with?

2. Apart from people, what else might need a facelift?

3. Are shanty towns nice places to l ive or notl

4. What is the difference between working flexi-time,ful l - t ime and part- t imel

lf you find your boss domineering, does it mean youget on with him/her or not?

ls an optimist afraid of the future?

ls it only bosses who can be bossy?

When would a woman get maternity leavel

lf women get maternity leave, what do men getl

lf you find your boss approachable, does it mean youget on with him/her or notl

Name one other thing apart from water that anoffice can be flooded with.

12. lf someone is in charge of all the complaints, do theymake complaints or deal with them?

13. What is the capital of the counrry you're studyingin? And what's the capital of Australial Bulgaria?Chile? South Africa?

14. Give an example of a v ic ious c i rc le.

15. Give one reason why you might appeal to a tribunal.

16. Where might you pull over? Why?

17. lf you do most of the hard work on a job, doesthis mean you have done the rat work, the dogwork, or the donkey workl

18. lf I tell you that they've banned all on-street parking,who are' they' l

19. Can you think of two things you sometimes justhave to put up withl

20. What's the difference between the inner city andthe city centre?

With a partneri note down as muchremember about the two texts you18 and 20 .

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

t 0 .

i l .

A sticky problem

Now compare what you remember with anotherpair. Who remembers more?

Which text did you enjoy more? Why?

Vocabulary

remember?

146

Review: Units 17-20

Ifscuss these questions with a partner.

l- Are you h"ppy with your English at the momentlWhy/why notlL How much better do you think you can getl3- How are you going to improve your English after 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 ofimproving your English in future that you can think of?

147

;

*rrlt -*

Kirsty

Kirsty? She's really interesting. She's quite sporty andmusical as well. She plays the piano a lot. She's actuallyquite good. She's in her twenties and has got lovelyshoulder-length blonde hair.

Nick

You'd l i l<e Nick. He's really nice. He's very easy-going.He's got a great sense of humour. He's only thirty-five.He's got really short hair - shaved, I thinl<. He's veryinterested in photography and arty things.

Jenny

Jenny is in her forties. She's a really energetic sort ofperson - always doing things" She's got a very warmpersonality and enjoys helping other people. She hasshort, dark hair and darl< eyes"

Matt

Matt is sti l l at university. He's really friendly and is one ofthe most popr.rlar people I know. He's very hard-workingand serious, but he's also a lot of fun. He's got fair hairand he wears glasses.

Melanie:Simon:

Melanie:

I cant remember" Do you take millclPlease, but no sugar. Thanks. lt 's weird, youl<now, but I 've been to your house three timesnew, and I sti l l haven't met your parents.Yes, they're out a lot. My dad worlcs for theBBC and my mum's a, she does sort of tempingwork for a company. You l<now, like anadvertising agency. They're both really busy.Oh, they sound really interesting.Do you thinl< so? | f ind my dad a bit dull, to behonest. He works late every day, even worl<ssorne weel<ends, doesn't read, doesn't go out.I mean, don't get me wrong, he's quite nice, butI don't know, I just dont have anything to sayto him. I think the thing is, we just dont spendenough time together.How old is he, then?About fifty-five, I thinl<. I can never reallyrememDer.Oh, yeah.But my mum's lovely. She's really nice, a bit toonice though, sometimes, always trying to lookafter me. She worries about me leaving home.She's a bit over-protective, if you know what Imean. I 'm an only chi ld , so . . .Oh, I didn't know that.What?You mean you cant tell!

S imon:Melanie:

Simon:Melanie:

Simon:Melanie:

Simon:Melanie:

Simon: I don't l<now. I 've never thought about it,I suppose.

Melanie: So, what about you? Have you got any brothersor sisters yourself?

Simon: Yes, I've got one of each, actually.Melanie: Oh right. Older or younger?Simon: My sister's two or three years younger than

me, but my brother's quite a lot older. He'sabout forty now

Melanie: Do you get on with them all r ight?You haventreally talked about them very much.

Simon: Well, my brother, not that well, actually. He'sdifferent from me, a bit old-fashioned, a bittraditional. Well, actually, he's a bit, how can Iput it, right-wing. You l<now - things aren'twhat they used to be, more police, deathpenalty - that lcind of thing. He's a bit of a fool,actually.

Melanie: Oh, well, i t tal<es all sorts, I suppose.Simon: But my sister, she's great. We get on really

well.We've got the same kind of sense ofhumour"

Melanie: Just a pity about the brother from hell, eh?Simon: Yes. Oh, but he's not that bad. We get on all

r ight, as long as you steer clear of certaintopics. Anyway,you were tell ing me about your

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

f i. ; i : { J

,4: Can you give me a lift home?B: I 'm sorry, I 'm afraid I can't. I lost my licence last

weel< * had a bit too much to drink and gotstopped by the police!

r\r Do you thinl< | could get that camera back off yousometime soon?

B: I don't know how to put this, but i thinl< | lost itlast night while I was out. I 'rn really sorry, but I 'vesearched everywhere and I can't f ind it. l ' l l get youanother one. I 'm extremely sorry.

A: Have you heard from Jan recently?E: Well, actually, I haven't - not for abor-lt six months

- we had a bit of an argument last year.

Al ls your grandfather any better?B: I 'm afraid not.We're very worried about him. But

then, he is ninety.

,\; So, has Peter had his results yet?E: Well, yes, I 'm afraid he has. He didn't pass - so he's

got to re-sit part of his exams in July.

"A: Are you feeling all right, StevelB: Well, actually, no. I 've just had some very bad news.

3.

5.

148

i.Jr;irr S

7. A: Hello, how are you?B: Oh, fine thanks. Well, actually, I think I 'm getting the

flu, so I'd stay away if 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 afraid we had to have it outdown.

Not as often as I used to (page 2t)

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 have to.

Some people lil<e the extra money, but I prefer tobe at home with my kids.

2. A: How often do you get up early on Saturdays?B: Oh, all the time! My boys play football every

Saturday morning, so I've got to be up by eight.

3. A: How often do you see your parents?B: Well, they l ive in Wales, so, not as often as ld l ike

to. I suppose I see mum and dad two or threetimes a year.

4. A: How often do you have your hair done?B: Oh, about every fortnight. lt depends really. lf I 'm

going out somewhere, I might have it donespecially.

5. A: How often do you see your best friend?B: Whenever I can. She lives quite near me, but shet

a nurse, so she's got to worl< at weekends quite alot.

6. A: How often do you go away for the weekend?B: Oh, only a couple of t imes a year. lt 's diff icult when

you've got children.

7. A.; How often do you go to the cinema?B: Oh, hardly ever. I usually wait t i l l f i lms 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 used to go out every weekend.

Dan: So what do you feel l ike doing tonight? Anyideasl

Helena: Well, I 'd quite l ike ro see a fi lm, or, I dont know,see if there's any good bands around, if you'reinto bands.

Dan: Yes, that's an idea. What lcind of music do youli l<e, then?

Helena: Oh, all sorts, really, you know, a lot of pop anoI quite l ike blues and iazz and things l i l<e that.

Dan: Oh, really? I 'm more into dance music myself,so maybe . . .

Tapescripl

Well, if you'd rather, we could always go andsee a fi lm. I l i lce really scary things.What?You mean like Halloween?Yes, that kind of thing, and I also quite l ikeaction movies, you l<now, car chases, guns,bombs, anything that's fast and exciting.Oh, right. To be honest with you, I'm not reallythat keen on violent f i lms.You're kidding! And I thought rhis was going tobe the perfect relationship!

Dan: So did l! But it doesn't sound like we've got allthat much in common, really, does it?

Helena:

Dan:

Oh come on, there must be something we cando!Let me think. Well, I suppose we could alwaysgo clubbing.

Helena: What? Somewhere l ike Paradox?Dan: ls that the new place that's just opened?Helena: Yes, just last week. Right, so how about going

clubbing, then?Dan: OK. Why not? Do you go much yourself?Helena: No, not all that often, actually. A couple of

t imesayea r , l guess .Dan: Oh, me too now but I used to go a lot more

when I was younger - almost every weekend.The thing was, though, it iust got to me after awhile, staying out dancint all night and thenhaving to go to work first thing in the morning.I'm getting a bit too old for it now.

Helena: Oh, well, that's that off the menu, then! So, whatshall we do then?

Dan: I don't know. Couldn't we iust get a video, and acurry, and have a nice quiet evening in in frontof the telly?

Helena: Oh, you've got to be joking! We're not in ourgraves yet. I mean, that's the kind of thing myparents are probably doing right now! Look,it 's not what ld normally do on a Mondaynight, but let's give clubbing a go! lt might bea laugh.

A: I love nearly all winter sports.B: Really? I'm not really very keen on them, myself.

I once broke my leg skiing and it put me off - forl ife!

A: Going out with a crowd of friends and havingfun, that's what I really like doing.

B: Do you? lt 's not really my kind of thing, I 'm afraid.I prefer to go out with just one or maybe twopebple. I hate crowds.

A: I 'm really interested in polit ics.B: Oh, it 's not really my l<ind of thing, I 'm afraic.

I dont really understand what makes all theparties different. They all seem the same to me!

A: I 'm really into older music, you know, before 1967.B: Are you? I'm not really that l<een on anythint

before | 980.

Helena:

Dan:Helena:

Dan:

Helena:

2.

3 .

4.

Not really keen (page 23)

149

5. A: My favourite lcind of things are comics andcartoons.

B: I don't really l ike things l ike that myself. I don't seethe point of them. I prefer a good novel - thelonger the better!

6. ,4r I 'm really into roller-blading. lt 's a bit l i lceroller-sl<ating.

B: Are you? lt's not really my lcind of thing. I'm alwaysworried I might get hurt.

- J . . - - . " .

Speaker l: l t was total chaos. We had all our thingslying around all over the place, making it impossible toget in or out of the house. lt tool< forever to geteverything all boxed up and into the van. We had tomake five trips just to shift everything - and then therewas the unpacking! What a nightmare!

Speaker 2: lt was a real weight off my shoulders. Thingshad been bad for a while and I 'd iust got to the pointwhere I just couldn't stand it any more. Every day therewas hell, but then once I 'd handed in my notice, I felt freeagain, and the future suddenly looked a lot brighter.

Speaker 3: I had my last one and stubbed it out, andthen I felt really pleased with myself, but a couple ofhours later the craving really started and I found myselfabsolutely dying for one. I was so tempted during thelunchbreal<, but I managed to get through the whole daywithout one, and after that it was plain sail ing.

I

I Fcr4r a day! {pase 4CI}

Phil: Just t ime for a quicl< smoke. Oh sorry, do youwant one?

Jason: No, thanks. I gave up years ago.Phil: Good for youl I 've given up even trying to give

uP !

Jason: Yeah, it! a nightmare, isn't it?Phil: Tell ryre about it! | don't know how you managed

it.

Jason: Well, i t 's funny, but it was my job that did it.I mean, l 'd been smoN<ing for years, and youlcnow it 's destroying your lungs, don't you, andI knew I wouldn't be able to become a firemanif I didn't give up.So, what's becoming a fireman got to do with it?ls it the fire risl< or something?No, it's just that I knew l'd have to pass aphysical to get in, and I wouldn't be able to dothat if I was smol<ing forty a day.Forty a day! Just as well you tave up! So, howeome you decided to become a fireman anywaylMm, I 'd have to thinl< about that. I suppose it allgoes back to when I got out of college. I wantedto do something exciting and different, youknow, and a friend of my dad's was in the localfire brigade.

Phil: Oh, right. So, he helped you, did hel

Jason: Yes, he helped me get the iob. I mean, I knewI didn't want to sperid my life sitt ing in an officepushing bits of paper round a desk or stucl< infront of a computer screen!

Phil: Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I 'm half-blind already! So,why did you decide to moveto London, then? Was it for work or because ofa relationship or what?

Jason: Well, i t was mainly worl<, but also because Iwas just realiy fed up with where I was l iving atthe t ime.

Phil: lt was down in Crawley, wasn't it? lt's prettyquiet down there, isn't it l

Jason: Quiet?Yeah, it 's dead. There's absolutely nothingto do there.

Phil: So, was it the right deeision, then?

Jason: What? Becoming a fireman?Phil: No, no, moving to London, I mean.

Jason: Oh yeah, definitely. I love it. I don't think I couldlive anywhere else now.

Phil: No, it 's the same for me. lt gets you after awhile, doesnt it? lt 's l ike a drug.

How come you drive with your bral<es on?I want to be ready in case there's an accident!

How come you were born in New Zealand?I wanted to be near my mum!

I wish I 'd brought the piano with me.How come?Because I left the plane ticlcets on it!

4. ,$,; When I was a kid, I ran away from home. lt tookthem six months to find me.

B: Six months! How come it tool< them so long?Ar They didn't look!

Alfred had never flown before and was extremelynervous. He was flying across the Atlantic to visit hissister, who had emigrated to Canada. When he got onthe plane he found he was sitt ing in a window seat.Aftera few minutes, the person next to him arrived - anenormously fat American. Not long after the plane tookoff, the American fell asleep and began to snore loudly. ltwas obvious to Alfred there was no way he could getout, even to get to the toilet, without wal<ing the man up.

After the in-fl ight meal had been served,the planeentered an area of severe turbulence.The Americancontinued to snore. Alfred, however. started to feel sick.He was desperate to tet to the toilet. Finally, he was sick- all over the man's trousers. The American didn't walceup, but he just continued to snore. Alfred didn't knowwhat to do.

As the plane touched down, the American finally wol<eup and saw his trousers. Alfred turned to him and said.'Are you feeling better now?'

l . l \ :B:

2. fo.:

B:

3. A;E;rtl

*r:,i'i S

Phit :

Jason:

Phit :

Jason:

Wh* did wrhat? {pase 36}

Jmkes {page 4t}

Fiying joke {paEe aai

1sCI

l . r\: l t must've been really hot in Greece.B: Hot? lt was boiling! That's why we made sure the

hotel had air-conditioning.

2. ,41 Oh, you're from 56o Paulo originally, are you?It's a pretty big city, rightl

B: Big? lt's enormous! That's why I moved to a smalltown out in the country.

3. A; How's your flat? lt must be a bit cold with all thissnow we're having.

B: Cold? lt's freezing! That's why I've decided to havecentral heating put in.

4. /\; lt's pretty quiet down in Devon, isnt it?B: Quiet? lt's dead! That's why I decided to move to

the city!5. A; You must've been pretty surprised when you read

the report in the papers.B: Surprised? | was shocked! That's why I contacted

my solicitor straightaway.

5. A; lt 's a bit small in here, isnt it?B: Small? lt 's t iny! You can hardly swing a cat in here!

7. A: So, is he good-looking, then, your new boyfriend?B: Good-looking? He's gorgeous!You'l l die when you

see h im!

8. A; lt must've been a bit scary, going so high up likethat.

B: Scary? lt was terrifying! There's no way you'll catchme doing that again!

*r,ix dFlanning express;CIns (page 48)

Gavin: Well,tonight i guess l ' l f probably just stay in andhave a quiet night in front of the telly. I'm a bit too tiredto do anything. really. Then on Saturday morning, I'mgoing to try to get up really early and go off and playfootball with some mates of mine in the park, whichshould be fun. Then Saturday afternoon, unfortunately,I 've got to do some things around the house, because theplace is a tip at the moment. Then, Saturday night, I'vegot a big night because a friend's having a party at herplace and Karen's going to be there. And Sundaymorning I imagine l ' l l need to have a l ie-in just torecover, really, and then in the afternoon, I've got a friendcoming over. And then, f inally, Sunday night, I guess l ' l lprobably just stay in and have an early night.

Thank gsodness itk Friday! {page 50}

Steve: Thank goodness itt Friday! This week's beendratging on forever.

Ken: Tell me about it! So, what are you up to thisweekend?

Steve: Oh, nothing special, really. This evening, I 'm justgoing out for dinner with my parents.

Ken: Oh, that should be nice.

Steve:

Tapescr'ipt

Yes, we're going to this little French place nearwhere I live. The food's great there, and thentomorrow I've got to get up really early - atleast for me! - and do some cooking, becauseI've got some people coming over in theafternoon. And l'll have ro give the place areally good clean as well. And, I 'm not sure, butI think we'l l probably be going out after rhat -to see a fi lm or somethint. We havent reallyplanned anything. What about yourself?Well, tonight I 'm supposed to be going out withsome people from my old job, but I don't reallyfeel l ike it any more. I 'm feeling really t ired.So, you're just going to stay in, then?Yes, because tomorrow night I've got a big night.I'm going to my friends Pete and Rachel's party.It's on a boat.Oh, that sounds great. WhereaboutslDown by the river. You know, in the docks.Oh yes, I know where you mean. I went to aparty there myself a while ago.Right.ls it OK down there?Yes, it's great, but it's not all that big. There's notthat much room on the ooat.

Ken: Mm, sounds cosy!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

become one! No, I 'm only joking, it 's actuallya great place for a party.

Ken: Good. I 'm really looking forward ro it. But thenon Sunday, unfortunately, I've got to do somethings for work.

Steve: No rest for the wicked! Well, listen, I mlght giveyou a ring on Sunday, then, just to hear all aboutyour quiet night out down on the river!

l. I hate going there, but I 'd run out of things to wearand, to be honest, some of my clothes were a bit -well, you know, so I thought I'd better have someclean shirts before work on Monday.

2. ltt not something I normally do but I just felt l ike abit of fresh air and it was a nice summer's eveningand quite a few shops were open so, yes, it was reallyntce.

Not.much really. I was quite tired when I got in fromwork, so I iust got myself something to eat and thenwrote a couple of letters, read a bit, watched a bit ofTV and before I knew it, it was nearly midnight.

Sorry I couldn't ring you last night, butWednesdaysare my evenings for Art History. lt's something I'vealways been interested in, so I thought I'd try this ten-week course that the university's running thisautumn.

Ken:

Steve:Ken:

Steve:Ken:Steve:

Ken:Steve:

3.

*v,l'x &il-ifestyie {page 64}

' !51

Tapescript

Lucy: Hey, Rose, there's a letter for you.Rose: Thanks. You must've got in late last night. I didn't

even hear you come in - and I went to bed afterone.

Lucy:

Rose:Lucy:

Rose:Lucy:

I did, actually, yes. I went and met some oldfriends from college that I hadn't seen for ages.Oh, did youlThat must've been nice.Yes, we had a drink and a chat and caught upwith all the gossip. You know what it's like.Uh-huh.Then we had something to eat and then anotherdrink and then we ended up going on to thisawful disco in town.

Rose: Oh, did you? Which one? Not Stardust. No,surely not Stardust?

Lucy: I 'm afraid it was, actually - and it was reallyterrible, just full of lcids and the music was soloud I could hardly hear myself thinl<. lt was l ikebeing back at school all over again. Kids offourteen acting as if they were eighteen!

Rose: I could've told you that!Lucy: This boy came up to me - you know, bottle of

beer in his hand, acting all macho, and asked meto dance! | bet he hadn't even started shaving!

Rose: And did you?Lucy: What? Dance with him? Of course I did!Then I

told him I was thirty-five!Rose: You're so cruel.Lucy: Well, I just f igured it was better he found out

sooner rather than later that I was old enough tobe his n-rum!

Rose: I thought you were supposed to be there talkingto old friends.

Lucy: I was, but there was so much noise, you couldn'treally have a proper conversation. And then totop it all, I missed the last train home and had toget a cab and didn't get in unti i three!

Rose: Didn't you?You must be feeling exhausted thismorning, then.

Lucy: Yeah, I could do with another hour or two inbed, that's for sure. ,Anyway, what about you?How was your night?

Rose: Oh, it was OK. I just did a bit of shopping on myway home, cool<ed myself some ramen noodles.

Lucy: Cooked yourself some what?Rose: Ramen noodles, you know, just Japanese noodles.Lucy: Oh, OK.Rose: They're really quick and easy, and then I just did a

bit of t idying-up, you l<now, nothing amazing oranything, read for a bit, watched a bit of telly -

some fi lm * you know the kind of thing that's onlate on Channel 4. Actually, I was so tired, I fellasleeo in the middle of it l

Lucy: Oh, dont! You're making me feel even moreexhausted!

Linking ldeas (pase 6e)

l . l t was so cold, my hands felt l ikefall off.

2. I was so exhausted, I just went straight to bed assoon as I got in.

3. I was so hungry, I could've carried on eating all night!

4. lt was so hot, I could hardly breathe.

5. His conversation was so dull, I could hardly stopmyself from yawning.

6. I was so angry, I could've l<il led him!

7. I was so worried, I rang the police.

8. The fi lm was so bad, I wall<ed out halfway through.

Cathy: So, we've got to take this one and then changeat Cannon Street, right?

Diane: Yes, that's ir. Hey, did I tell you about whathappened with me and my dad on theunderground last year?

Cathy: No, go on, what?Diane: Weil, about a year and a half ago, I decided to

get all my hair cut off, right? I always used rohave really, really long hair - ever since I wasabout fourteen or fifteen, you know - way downpast my shoulders - parted in the middle l i lcecurtains. So, anyway, about a week after I had itall cut off, you know - really short - and I lookedouite different.

Cathy: Yeah, I bet.Diane: So, anyway, I was going home on the tube, and

I was half asleep because it was five or sixo'clocl< and I was just standing there, minding myown business - and litt le did I know that my dadwas actually coming bacl< from a business tripabroad, passing through London on theunderground to get his train bacl< to Durham.And guess what? He got into the same carriageas me! The doors closed behind him. So there Iam, standing there face-to-face with my ownfather! | don't recognise him at f irst, but then Ithink,'Ah, that's my dad,' and, of course, he'sobviously only seen me with really long hair forthe last ten years, and so l 'm standing there,staring at him and he l<eeps on glancing at menervously, thinking,'Who's this lunatic staringat me?' and I 'm thinking - you know, it 's thestrangest feeling not being recognised by yourown dad - so I just stood there thinlcing,'Well,shall I just get off at the next stop withouttell ing him, or shall i r isk giving him a nervousbreakdown and a heart attacl< by saying,'Hellodad'l But, anyway, eventually I went,'Hellodad' and he went,'Diane!' and then said nowhe was tetting really worried because hethought I was a pick-pocket or a drug addict orsomething who'd been getting ready to pinchhis wallet or something - and, um, yeah, thatwas a pretty strange and funny thing.

Cathy: Yeah, reolly strange.

-,': ; I '; ";

1 5 2

they were going to

Story-tell ing expressions (page 78)

Did I tell you about what happened to me in Francelast year?No, I dont think you did. Go on.Well, I was on holiday with my parents in this littlevillage near the sea, and we ran out of money.Really? That's awful.Yes, so we went into town to find a cash machine -

which we did, no trouble. Anyway, when we putthe card in the machine, it iust started spitt ing outloads and loads of money.

B: You're joking! So did you keep it?A; Of course we did!Wouldn't you?

Sharon: Barry! Hi, how are you? | havent seen you forases.

Barry: Hello, Sharon. Long time, 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

since I last saw you?Barry: Not a lot - working mostly - I 've been working

really long hours this week, getting really fed upwith it, you l<now

Sharon: Really?Barry: Yeah, but I went down to Kent last weekend,

for my grandma's birthday party.Sharon: Oh, how old was she?Barry: Eighty-five. lt was really great. We went for this

lovely meal and then we went for a walk alongthe beach. lt was good ro get out of the city.

Sharon: I bet. I l<eep meaning to have a weekend awaymyself.

Barry: I know. You get to the point where you reallyneed it, don't you? lf you don't get out ofLondon from time to time, it starts driving youcrazy,you l<now. Anyway, what about you?What've you been up tol

Sharon: Well, on Sunday morning I went and saw thatexhibition at the Royal Academy.

Barry: Oh yes, the one there's been all that fuss about- dead sheep and pictures of toilet rolls andthings.

Sharon: Yeah, my friend Angela - she's at art school -

she kept nagging me to go and see it, so I went.Barry: And what did you think of it?Was it any good?Sharon: Oh, I actually thought it was excellent, really

good and challenging. There's only one thingthat made you go'yuk!'- the dead sheep.I think it! meant to shock you, though.Anyway, after that, I popped round and saw afriend of mine, Richard, for a bit and then wewent uD to Camden market to do a bit ofshopping.

Barry: Oh yeah, it 's nice up there on a Sunday, isn'tit?

Taoescriot

Yeah, it's great. And then I spent the evening atmy mum's, which was nice.Oh, that sounds good.Yeah, and apart from that, I've been doingthings for college, really.

Barry: Uh-huh, sti l l being a good student, then.Oh look, there's my bus into town. I'd best be off.l ' l l see you soon, then. Bye.

Sharon: Yeah, OK, bye.

I sometimes wish ld known my grandfather on mymum's side. He was supposed to have been a reallyinteresting guy.

I wish I hadnt eaten so much earlier. I feel really sick!

I often wish I had travelled more when I was young6r.I iust don't have the time to do it now.

I really wish I had gone to see the doctor about itearlier. lt wouldn't have got so bad if I had.

I sometimes wish I hadn't wasted so much time wnenI was at university. I wouldnt be working here if I 'dgot a better degree.

I wish I hadnt spent so much money while I was onholiday. I wouldn't be so badly in debt if I hadn't.

I wish I 'd met her earlier. I wouldn't have had tospend so many years of my life on my own!

I really wish I hadn't lost my address bool<. I 'm goingto lose touch with loads of people now

- * * :

Recommending {page 99)

Conversation I

A: I went and saw an exhibit ion at the Hayward Galleryearlier in the week.

B: Oh, did you? What was it?A: lt was a collection of photos from the first lunar

landing.B: Oh, really? lt sounds quire interesting. What was it

l ike?A.; Quite good, actually,the photos were really great,

quite amazing - some of them.B: So,you'd recommend it,thenlS,: Yes, you should go and see it.

Conversation 2y'\: I went and saw that new exhibition at the National

Gallery the other day.Oh, did you? Which one's that again?Oh, it was this collection of Flemish paintings fromthe seventeenth century.Oh really?What was it l ike?Well, I didnt think much of it myself. lt was all a bitdull, you l..now

B: So, you wouldn't recommend it, then?A: No, I 'd give it a miss, if I were you - unless you really

l i l<e that sort of thing, of course.

Sharon:

Barry:Sharon:

A,:

B:l{:

B:A:

2.

3 .

*s;i'*

7.

8.

B:A:

B:A;

*,r:i"l i X

1 5 3

Reeclrfr mxendFr"rg expresslons {page 99i

2.

3.

4.

5 .

6.

2.

3 .

4.

Tapescripl

l . l t 's OK if you're into that sort of thing.2. lt's a must.3. I really recommend it.4. I 'd give it a miss if I were you.5. lt's well worth a visit.5. lt's not worth the entrance fee.7. lt's not really my cup of tea.

#h, that remind$ rncF (page 1s2)

t . "4,; I visited Alan in hospital last Friday to see how hewas gettrng on.

B: Oh, did you? | l<eep meaning to go and see himmyself. How was he?

A,: I spent all day Sunday catching up on all my mail.B: Oh, that reminds me. I must send in my passport

application.

A,: I went and saw that musical, Chicogo,last week.B: Oh, I 've been meaning to go and see that for ages.

Was it as good as everybody says?

l\l I went round to Mike and Sue's the other day tosee that new car they've been tell ing everyoneaDout.

B: Oh, that reminds me. I must give them a call.I havent spoken to them for ages.

/-h.r I went down to Bristol for the weekend a couDteof weel<s ago.

B: Oh, really. I 've been thinl<ing about having aweekend away myself. Were you camping or what?

6. lc: I just stayed in last night and watched TV. There's agreat thing on on Fridays at the moment aboutAntarctica.

B: Oh,that reminds me. I must record that new thingon Channel Four tonight. lt 's meant to be reallyfunny.

Conversation I

,&: Mm, this fish is really nice. What's yours l ike?B: Well, I 'm beginning to wish I 'd had the same as

you. I usually love chicl<en, but, to be honest, this isa bit bland. The waiter said it was in a deliciousmushroom sauce, but it doesnt taste of anything.

Conversation 2

.&: So, is the wine all r ight?B: Mm, yeah, it 's all r ight, but it 's nothint special.,A^r I see what you mean. f l5 for this! lt really is very

ordinary.B: Yes, it 's a bit disappointing, to say the least. Shall

we send it bacl<lA; No, I cant be bothered. lt's not that bad.

Conversation 3

.s': Didn't you go to see Mocbeth last week?B: Yeah, it was bril l iant. I 've been to it a few times

before, but I think this was the best production I 'veever seen.

,*",; Yeah, someone I worl< with went and said it waswonderful. I wish I 'd been able to get a ticl<et.

Asking l inked Errestiems {page 105}

t . A; What's his house li l<e? ls it big?B: Yes, it's huge. lt's got four bedrooms and an

enormous garden.

,4,: What was that book like?Was it interesting?B: No, it wasnt, actually. lt was really boring. In fact,

I didn't even finish reading it.

/4: What's your new job lil<e? Are you enjoying it?B: Yes, very much. My boss is really nice and it 's

quite well paid, really.

A.r What was Tunisia l ikel Was it warm?B: Yes, it wos quite warm, but not as hot as the last

time we went.

,4: What's this CD like? ls it any good?B: Yes, I think it 's treat. The third track is bri l l iant.

l.\: How was the match? Did you win?E: No, we lost three - one. lt was just terrible. I cant

believe it.

Paul: Guess what I went and saw last night - Titonic- it's on again this week at the Duke of York's.

Mick Oh, yeah. I saw that when it f irst came out.What did you thinl< of it? Did you li l<e it?

Paul: Oh, it was great. I really enjoyed it. I thought thespecial effects were amazing, and the acting wasbril l iant. lt 's one of those fi lms where, you know,when I f irst heard about how much moneythey'd spent on it, I just couldn't believe it, but itwas really great. lt was a bit l ike one of those olddisaster movies, you know, like lowering

lnferno or Earthquoke, oniy better.Mick Really? I 'm surprised. I thought the acting was a

bit wooden myself, and the dialogue was justawful. I can't believe you actually thought it wasworth the money theyd spent on it. I mean,didn't you find the whole thing just a l itt le bitover-the-toP?

Paul: Oh, no. l.{ot at all. I thought it was bril l iant.Miclc But the acting was horrendous!Paul: Well, I know it's not exactly Shakespeare, but it's

not meant to be, is it? l ' l l tell you somethingweird though, there was this guy sitt ing next tous who snored all the way through the fi lm!

Mick ReallylThat must've been really annoying. Howcould anybody actually sleep through all thatnoise!

5.

Nct exaetly S$rakespeare {page t11i

. - ' , " I I

5o what rruas l ike? {page f 0a}

154

Paul: I dont know - just dead tired, I suppose.Mick Yeah, I guess so, but really, though, didnt you

think it was all iust a bit roo sentimental?Paul: I know what you mean, but I honestly didn't. I

really thought it was all done just right. lt wasso romantic.

Mick Oh well, each to his own. Have you seen BombAlert 2 yett

Paul: No, I haven't even heard of it.Who's in it?Mick Um,Jean-Paul van Klam, he's great in it and,

um, that woman from Kamikqze, you knowwho I mean. Rememberl She was Turtle-womantoo, although I must admit she wasnt very goodin that.

Paul: Oh, her. So what's it l ike? Any good?Mick Yeah, it's great - if you like blood all over the

place and that sort of thing.Paul: Oh, it doesnt really sound like my sort of thing,

actually. I think l ' l l give it a miss.

* : , : ' : ' j

*

l . Sorry, my mind's gone completely blank.

2. Wait, it ' l l come to me in a minute.

3. Wait, it's on the tip of my tongue.

4. Sorry, I cant remember off the top of my head.

*s,i.': .j 3Mlore sleepinE policemen! {page 121)

Chris: Did you hear about that l<id who was knockeddown on Junction Road the other day?

Claire: Yes, it was awful,wasnt it? Sti l l , i t 's hardly,' surprising, is it?

Chris: What do you mean?Claire: Well, there are always accidents down there,

aren't there, especially with the speed cars goat. And, well, basically, the crossing's in thewrong place, isn't itl I don't know why they'venever moved it. I mean, it'd be better if it wasexactly opposite the shops, wouldn't it?

Chris: Yes, I know what you mean. They could dosomething to slow the traffic down, couldn'tthey? Maybe they could put sleeping policementhere or something lil<e that.

Claire: Yeah, maybe - maybe one every so often wouldhelp, but what would be really great is if theyhad one of those soeed cameras.

Chris: Big Brother, you mean!Claire: No, they really mal<e a difference. You should

see how they've slowed the traffic down wheremy parents live.

Chris: Yeah, I suppose you're right" I 'm only againstthem because I got caught by one last month.

Claire: You're kidding!

Tapescripl

Chris: No. A hundred and fifty pounds it cost me! Afine ond six penalty points!

Claire: Oh. that's terrible!Chris: Yeah, but it was my own sil ly fault. I mean, I

should've l<nown better, but going bacl< to whatyou were saying about the crossing, you'reright. lt would be far safer if it was closer to theshops, because that's where everybody crosses,you l<now That's where most kids cross, so it'dbe more sensible if i t was moved down.

Claire: Yes, I think that's the root of the problem.I mean, it does seem a funny place for a crossing.And I would've said the other problem with iris the fact that lots of cars park all round there.

Chris: Yes, that does make it diff icult to 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 see what I mean,

then.

Well, I agree up to a point, but (it's not os simp/e osyou think.)Yes, I know what you mean, but (it's time we didsomething obout it.)Yes, but dont you think that (we should wait till later?)Yes, but dont forget that (everything costs money)

c .

c .

Disagreeing

Lir.:i-: .i *Complaining about th ings (page t2e)

Complaining about a meal

Joan: How was the meal last night?Mike: Oh, it was awful!The food wasn't very good.

It would've been OK if that was the onlyproblem, but the waiters were really rude aswell. And then, to top the whole thing off, theytried to overcharge us. Then when wecomplained about it, they made it sound as if i twas our fault!

Complaining about a situation

Terry: How's college going?

Julie: Not very well, actually. I 've got a bit of aproblem with my timetable this term. I mean,the last thing I need is three lectures on aFriday. I wish they wouldn't change thetimetable every term. Last term was muchbetter.

l. A: Doesn't it bug you the way shops always chargef9.99 when you l<now ir 's really { l0?

B: I must admit, things l ike that don't really botherme.

2. A: Look, I'm really sorry. There's no way I can cometo your party tomorrow night. I've got to worklate.

1 5 5

Ta oescri pt

B: Oh, well, don't worry. lt 's not the end of theworld.

3. A: I really thought I 'd got the job. I mean, myinterview went really well, and then they tell meI'm not even short-l isted!

B: Oh. well. Don't let it get you down.

4. A: I 've got about f ive bil ls I 'm supposed to pay by theend of the month. What do they think I am?Made of money?

B: Oh well,there's nothing you can do about it.

- j

- i . , f

* 1 " . { " *

Now you're ta lk ing! (page' t33)

Rachel: So, have you had any more thoughts aboutwhat you're going to do next year, then?

Niclc Mm. I don't l<now, really. I mean, I was thinkingthat it might be a good idea to do that artcourse I was tell ing you about, but it all dependson my resutts.

Rachel: So what about France?Werent you talkingabout going to Paris a while back?

Nick Oh, for that French course? Well, I would sti l ll ike to do it, but I just dont know if I canafford it.

Rachel: Oh, I know what you mean. Money's always aproblem, isnt it? | mean, what I 'd really l i l<e todo next year is learn to drive and buy a car, butI 'm not sure if l ' l l have the cash. The thing is,I 'm just so sicl< of having to get buseseveryvvnere.

Nick Dreadful, aren't they? You wait half an hourand then three come along at the same time.So, you're basically just going to be stayingaround here, just trying to save up somemoney, then?

Rachel: Yes, I suppose so. lt depends, really. I mean, if Ican find a good job, then l ' l l stick around, butotherwise what I was thinl<ing of doingeventually is going bacl< to Glasgow

Nick Oh right, because you grew up there, didn'tyou?

Rachel: Yes, that's right, yes, so I suppose I do seemyself ending up there eventually.

Nick Yeah.

Rachel: So, assurning you do this art course, what doyou see yourself doing after that, in the longterm?

Nick Oh, I don't l<now. No idea really. I haven'tthought that far ahead. l ' l l just take it as itcomes and see what happens.

Rachel: Just l isten to us, Nick! We just sound so boring!Why don't we go off somewhere together thissummer, you know, maybe - | don't know -

work abroad for six monthsl

Nick What?You mean picl<ing grapes in France?That kind of thing?

Rachel: Yeah, or, I don't know - working in a hotel inSpa in , o r . . .

Nick Or going to Australia. lf the Aussies can workover here, why can't we go and get a job overthere?

Rachel: Yeah, l 'd love to do that. Where's the paper?What's the cheapest flight to Sydney?

Nick Now you're tallcing!

- . i *' * i r : 1 d ;

First job

.4: So, what exactly does your job involve then?B: Well, basically, I prepare all the prescriptions and

keep a checl< on all the drugs we have in stock. I alsogive advice to people who come in with minorproblems. You l<now the sort of thing - whatcream to use for a rash, what to tal<e for an upsettummy - that sort of thing. Sometimes, I 'm just l ikea shop assistant, sell ing things over the counter;other times I feel l i l<e I 'm a doctor.

Second job

A: So, how long have you been doing this,thenlB: All my life - since I left school. I worked with my

father, and now I've got my son working with me.I really enjoy working with wood. I love taking apiece of wood and turning it into something useful.I learned everything I know from watching myfather and the older men at work. Now, itt greatpassing on my skil ls to younger guys.

Thi rd job

A,: So, do you enjoy doing what you're doing?B: Yeah, well, I mean, somebody's got to do it, haven't

they? Just thinl<, if nobody did it, what would theplace be l ike? | mean, when I was a boy, if youdropped something,the police would be after you,but these days people don't care. They just dropeverything - coke cans, cigarette packets,newspapers, everything, you name it, I 've picked itup. Mind you, I 've found the odd f20 note. I 'd neverworl< indoors. I just couldn't stand it.

1 5 5

N*xg*fum$x* : ,ac*,**s*$g *g*#'xxp,*$*x*'*$*r;,sYou already know a lot of English grammar, and youprobably keep a vocabulary notebool<, so it is easy tothink that the two best ways to improve your English areto improve your grammar and learn new words. Butthere is another thing you can do which is even morehelpful, especially now you already know quite a lot ofEnglish. You need to notice collocations and recordthem in your notebooks. So, what are collocations?

We hardly ever use one word on its own. You wil lusually meet a new word in a text, where it is used withother words. So, it is always better to learn groups ofwords which are often used together. These groupsof words are called collocations.

Complete each sentence with one word.

lmus t ' ve . . . am is take .Have you . . .your homewor l< lHe's a real ly " . .smol<er-at least twenty a day,S h a l l w e " . . a . " . . . . . . " . b r e a l < i

You already know'chunl<s' of language. For example:

These are all collocations.

lf you learn words one by one, it is easy to mal<emistakes when you use the words later. You might, forexample, say: I think I did o mistoke, or I haven't made myhomework. lf you learn words in groups, you wil l notmake as many mistakes.

There are lots of different kinds of collocations. lt is agood idea to have a different section in your notebool<for collocations of different kinds. Here are some of themost imDortant kinds:

The most important kind of collocation you need tolearn is verb + (odjective) + nsun. For example:

apply for a new job

Notice that you may know all the words in a phrase, butnot recognise the phrase as a single chunk. Learningit as a chunk is very important. Notice the oppositeof o light colour is a dork colour, but the opposite ol o light

meol is a heovy meal. You cannot translate /ight into yourown language until you know what word is used with it.That is why collocation is so important. lf you writecollocations in your notebool<, mal<e sure you translatethe collocation as a single chunk.

.n'

* f l S . t : ; ' i t * i . l " n ' f ; , r t f i

You have met lots of English tenses - the presentcontinuous, the present perfect, the present perfectcontinuous and so on. You might thinl< the system isvery complicated. In fact, it is fairly simple. There areonly three really important patterns that you need tounderstand.

Continuous forms

Here are some examoles:

The present continuous:Oh no, i ts ra in ing again.

The past continuous:I was working all last weel<end.

The present perfect continuous:There you arel * I 've been trying to ring you allmorntng.

In every example the speal<er sees the action asextended between two points in time. so a continuousform is used.This is also true for events organised beforenow which wil l happen after now:

We're having a few friends round on Friday. Would youIike to come?

The game is being played nextTuesday.

The continuous always emphasises that the speakerthinlcs the event is extended over a period:

Next weel< l ' l l be lying on the beach in rhe sun"

Perfect forms

The present perfect:Oh, you've changed your hair. I prefer it that way.

The past perfect:Steve toid me, but ld already heard from Amanda.

The present perfect continuous:There it is! I 've been loolcing fon that everywhere.

In every case the speaker is looking back on an earlierevent. In spol<en English we often notice something nowwhich makes us comment on what happened earlier. Thesentence often l inks the cause of the present situation,or the result of what happened earlier:

The journey only takes me twenty minutes nowbecause they've opened the new road at last.

Vy'e've moved, you lcnow, so I have to come on thetrain nowadays.

mal<e a nristakeheavy smoi<er

do your homeworkhave a short break

curiy hair (adjective + noun)

i:ay the bil l (verb + noun)tf ' ;enre parl< (noun + noun)highly ei{f*nsive (adverb + adiective)*n either side of (prepositional phrase)ofi the other hand (adverb phrase)ta.fking ts s#m€ old friends (verb + adjective + noun)

157

Grammar introduction

Simple forms

These are used if the speal<er is giving a summary, oroverview of the whole situation. Different kinds ofoverview all use the simple form:

i see what you mean.I never eat meat.I promise N wont say a word to anybody"I play tennis at least snee a week all year round.It tal<es about two hours, depending an the traffic.

lf you use another form, it adds extra meaning, so thesimple form is the basic form. lt is the most commonform of the verb in English.

;#

i , f . . , : : . : : : , . : : ' . : - . : - :

There is only one really important grammar pattern withEnglish nouns - the difference between countoble anduncountable nouns.

Countable nouns are things which exist in units:

books, days, children

or which we thinl< of in units:

ideas, plans, opporrunities

Because countable nouns are about units, you can haveone - a book, an opportunity (the singulor). Or you canhave more than one - six days,three children (the plurol).

Uncountable nouns are things which we do not usuallythinl< of in units:

krcl<, happiness, water, sand

Some words have two different meanings, one countable,and one uncountable:

l" Do you thinl< there is l i fe out rhere in spacel2. There's a free space next to that redVolvo.

In ( l ) space = the s ingle, great cosmos.

In (2) space = the marl<ed area where you can leave acar in the car park. You can count the spaces in the caroark.

So, it is not words which are countable or uncountable -

it is the particular meaning of the word. Some wordshave two very similar meanings, but the grammar isdifferent:

l. I 've only played two sr ehree rimes befq:re.?. l-{urry up - we haven't much time" The train leaves

at twenty Past.In (l) t imes = occasions" You can count how many timesyou have done something.

In (2) t ime = the abstract idea of t ime. You can measureit, but you can'r counr ir.

l. I 'm very fond of cheese.2. France is sometimes descril:ed as rhe land of 200

eneeses"3. You need a very srrong cheese for this recipe.

In ( l) you are talking about cheese in general.

In (2) cheese = different lcinds of cheese. You can countCamembert, Roquefort, Brie, etc.

In (3) you are contrasting one kind of cheese - strong -

with another.

.

" : : ' I o " . j I . . f : * l ; ' , ' n 1 ^ :

w

1 } ' I f , i . - " i n i . . , t : * *q d - r . r .

" o . . r i - r / i J f # . ' ^ . -

Two things are very important if you want to improve.Firstly, you need to hear and read a lot of English. ltdoesn't matter if you don't understand everything; if youunderstand part of what you hear or read, that is enoughto help you improve. Secondly, you need to notice thelanguage you meet. lf your teacher says,'You mode omistoke,'you need to notice that the expression is modeo mistcke, not did o mistoke.lf you do not noticesomethint, you wil l not remember it.

With grammar, it is also very important to notice theexamples you meet. Again, you need to notice wholeexpressions, and record them in your notebool< exactlyas you find them. Record examples you meet l i l<e this:

It's tirne yr:u stood on your own two feet"I searched high and lsw for ir.CK, I can tal<e a hint,

Not l i lce this:

te stand on your own twO feethigh and lowtake the hint

Do not change them so that they lool< l i lce a dictionary.Changing them makes them more diff icult to rememoer,and when you use them later, there is more chance thatyou wil l make a mistal<e. lf you write a translation,translate the phrase as a single expression.

Slowly, you wil l begin to see groups of examples whichare similar in some way. lf you can see a pattern, and youcan descr ibe i t , the descr ipt ion is a ' ru le ' . A ' ru le ' isnothing more than a description of some exampleswhich are similar in some way.

But remember that examples which are similar in oneway may be different in other ways, so your'rule' may beonly partly true. Even the rules in grammar books areoften only partly true.

The real examples come first; rules come later, so theexamples are more important.

With vocabulary, notice and record words in chunl<s -collocations and exoressions.

With grammar, notice and record the examples incontext, exactly as you find them.

Noticing and recording language in chunl<s wil l help youlearn more quickly, and make fewer mistalces when youuse English yourself.

1 5 8

* l** : xp

ffi1 (page 9)

Modifiers are words such as very, really, and quite. Theyare used to'modify' - strengthen or weaken - adjectives.

Really, very

She's very nice. He's really bossy"

These two modifiers are used to mal<e positive ornegative adjectives stronger. However, with 'extreme'

adjectives - boiling, fantostic, delicious, huge, tiny, freezing,etc.- you can only use reolly. lt's very huge or Itwos veryfantostic sound very strange.

It 's really boil ing today, isn't it lIt 's really delicious, rhis soup.

Quite

The meaning of quite depends both on the way it isstressed and on the context you hear it in.

john's quite creative - he paints and draws.

fn the sentence above, creative would be stressed and thesentence means you thinl< that John really is creative.However, in the sentence below, quite would be stressedand the sentence now means you thinl< Pete is creative,but not particularly creative.

Pete's quite creative, but he's notVan Goghl

a bit too

She's a bit too nice, if you lcnow what I mean.

The structure a bit too + positive adjective is usually usedeither to disagree slightly with what has just been said, asin this example:

,fr,: She's very good'lool<ing, don't you thinl<lB: Yes, a bit too good-looking, if you ask me. I mean,

she's very big-headed about rt.or to add an extra comment to a statement we navealready made. For example:

She's really tall<ative . . . actually, she can sometimes bea bit too tallqative, now I come to thinl< of it! | mean,she just never shuts up once she gets going!

The present simple is the most common tense in English.The present simple here is used to talk about things thatthe speaker sees as facts about life - things that arealways, normally or usually true:

I f ind my dad a bit dul,.(always, not iust at the moment)

Do you get on with thern all right?(generally)

The present continuous, however, is used when tnespeaker sees the action or event described as only beingtemporary, as something already in the process of beingcompleted.

She's being really nice at the momenr.(This is strange, because normally she's horrible!)

He's working this weel<end.(But he doesn't usually, it 's only a temporaryarrangement.)

Remember that the difference between the oresenrsimple and present continuous is about how we see anevent. Both forms can be used about the same event. forexamPte:

jane's l iv ing in Greece.Mar ie l ives ln Greece"

The difference is probably thatJane has a job in Greecefor ayear, but Marie is married and has a family there.The fact that the two people l ive there is the same, outthdway the speaker sees the situation is different.

You probably know the basic rules for how to makecomparisons using adjectives already: we generally useadjective + -er or more * adjective. For example:

/4: Shall we take the busiB: No, letk walk. lt ' l i be nicer,

Everything's so much cheaper here than it is in rhe UK.Most of the other people there seemed a lst moreexperienced rhan I was"I found this booh a iot mcre interesting than the citherthings I 've had to read for the course.

Note: ln eonversation, the two things you are comparingare usually obvious to the person you're tallcing to. As aresult, we tend not to compare them both within thesame sentence. This is why we don't say: Nq lett wolk.It'll be nicer thon toking the bus in the first example above.

The rules for when to add -er and when to add more arequite complex, Generally, words of three syllables takemore, and most shorter adjectives of one or two syllablestake -er, but this is not always true. Participle adjectives(ones which end in -ing and -ed), for example, alwaystal<e more.- even if they have a short sound (e.g., bored,crowded) - and so do adjectives ending in -ful and -less(e.9. helpful).There are also two very common irregulars:better and worse.

Present simple and presenteoilt inuoug

1s9

Grammar commentary

Remember that as well as making adjectives intocomDaratives. we can also use adverbs and adverophrases to compare how things are done. For example:

N-le finished it mueh more quickly than I thought hewould.I get on with him, much, much better than I used to"

To compare the first thing we are talking aboutnetatively with the second thint we are tallcing about, weuse not os ... os for adjectives:

He's not as old as most people thinl< he is.It 's not as expensive here as it is bacls home.

To do the same with adverbs, we use don't + yerb + cs +odverb + os.

I don't l i l<e this as much as I thought I would.She doesn't come over as often as she used to.I don't get on with him as well as I did when wewere younger.

There are lots of common fixed phrases for makingcomparisons. We often use them when we areanswering questions. lt 's a good idea to lceep a record ofthese every time you meet a new one. Here are sometypical examples:

not as often as I used tonot as often as I'd like tonot as much as I used tonot as good as I thought it would benot as diff icult as I thought it would be

lf an auxil iary verb is used in the init ial statement, theresponse wil l use the same auxil iary:

S o + a u x i l i a r y + l

,4: I 'm going to stay in tonight and do norhing"B: Oh, so am l "A: l 've just bool<ed my summer holidays.B: Oh, that's funny, because so have l.

lf we want to atree with a negative statement, however,the pattern is:

Neither + positive form of the auxiliary + |

A; I don't like things that are too sweet"B: lr lo, neither do L

F,l I can't stand sea wafer.B: Ch no, neither can l.

lf no auxil iary verb is present in the init ial comment, weagree by adding a'dummy auxil iary' do;

S o + d o + l

A: I prefer coffee withour nrill<.B: Oh, so do l .

A: I never go abroad.B: No, neither do l.

Notice, that if the init ial comment has more than oneauxiliary verb, we agree by using the frst of the twoauxil iaries:

A: I 've been thinlcing about moving house.B: Oh, that's strange, because so ha.ve l.A; I hayen! been feeling all that weli just lately.B: There must be something going round, because

neither have i.

Finally, note that it is very common in spoken English tosimply use Oh,me too to agree to a positive statementand Nq me neither to agree with a negative one.

A: I love fish and ehips. / I 've been there loads oftimes now. i I can speal< a bit of Japanese.

B: Ch. me too.

,f.\: I dont l i l<e him much. / | can't stand this l<ind ofmusic. i I haven't seen her for ages.

B: No, me neither.

ffi5 Wsulld {page 31}

Would (or'd) is used when the speal<er wants to make astatement sound more tentative or hypothetical:

Wor"rld you mind if I left a bit early todayl I've gor adoctor's appointn-rent.(l understand it might not be possible.)

It'd be great if you did come and stay in the sllmmer.(though, of course, I realise you might not be able to)

I 'd quite l i l<e the green one, if you can find it.(but dont worry if you can't)

However, there are also lots of useful expressions usingwould which you should just try and learn to use aswhole chunks:

That'd be greac.I wouldn ' t mind.I would i f I could.I 'd quite l ike to.It 'd be nice if you could.I wouldn't do that if I were you.

It is a good idea to l isten for and collect otherexpressions using would.

The past perfect continuous is generally used to tall<about the background to an event in the past or toexplain why this event happened. lt usually describes theevents or actions leading up to something which is themain focus of our story or description.

We hadnk been getting on for a long time, so wedecided to go our separate ways.

"A': So how come you didn't have any money?B: Well, I hadn't been worl<ing murch, and I 'd been

having a lot of problems with my car.

This contrasts with the past perfect simple, which is usedto describe a single event which then had a result in thepast. Look at these examples:

He looked really weird and then I suddenly realisedhe'd shaved his beard offl (just once!)

Using auxi l iar ies {page 23)

Fast perfect eontinuous (page 37)

1 6 0

I wasnt feeling well . . . i 'd had a ccld for monrns.(not' ld been having a cold' - having a cold is notsomething you can do over and over again)

Remember that the past perfect is always connected toother events in the more recenr Dasr.

Second conditionals are used to talk about situationswhich the speal<er sees as unlikely or hypothetical.There are several very frequently used secondconditionals. For example:

! 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 grear if youl could.it 'd be tennible if rhey did.I 'd die if that happened to me!

One thing to remember is that when we report f irstconditionals, they then have the same verb forms assecond conditionals:

Fle told rne rhar I could if I wanted to.(His actual words: You con if you wont to.)I always used ro tlr inl< that if I needed her, she'd bethere fer me"(My actual thought: If I need her, she'll be there for me.)

We also use the same grammatical structure to talkabout typical things that happened a lot in the past. Forexample:

When I was a l<id, if l t snornred, we'd ail gs our and havehuge snowball f ights.

lf my dad eve{- gor reaf ly angry wirh me, l 'd run upstairsand then l 'd hidc under rny bed.

Note that in these examples, if means every time orwhenever.

Whether you use a second conditional or not is verymuch a matter of choice. For example, logically, youwould expect people to use one when talking aboutwinning the lottery, but actually you often hear peoplesaying things l ike this:

if I win this weel<., you wor.l't see me baci< at wort{ nextMonday! or - even more optimistically! -When I win,I 'rn going co tell my boss what he can do with his iob!

Gerund amd irif lnit ive {page rE6}

Sadly, there is no easy way to learn which verbs arefollowed by gerunds and which by infinit ives. The bestthing to do is to try to learn useful chunks that you canuse a lot.

l ' l l try to do ir later"I nranaged to do it in the end.I n'lust rememben to call her.

i love l iving hene.I've finally stopped smol<ing.I started doing it years ago.

Grammar commenia 'v

It is also worth remembering that there are lots ofadjective expressions which are followed by apreposition plus gerund;

I'm not very l<een on eool<ing.You nrust be rired oL pegple_abg@ys a5kjlg you whereyou're from.

There are two or three common verbs which can befollowed by gerunds and infinit ives. Look at theseexamPtes:

I elearly remennber swli 'nming in the sea near eurfl()use.(it happened in the past)

I rnust remember tq eail my mum tonight.(in the future)

Have you tried asking the guy next do6r?(Have you already tried this method of solving yourproblem?)

.lust ery_rc_fqrgel abour it.( in the future)

I jr:sr totally fqrgqr ro pay rhe phone bil l"(l should've done it, but didnt.)

l ' l i never forget climbing that nrountain in peru.(l sti l l remember it and I expect ro remember it in thefuture.)

When you are trying to decide which form to use to talkabout the future, the most important thing to thinkabout is why you think the actions you're talking aboutare going to happen. Here are some guidelines to helpyou:'ll - the normal, everyday, contracted form of will

That's the phone" ! ' l l ger it.I thini< l ' l i have the ehieken.

'/ l describes a decision made at rhe moment of speaking.Going to * verb

Ugh! | thinl< my roorh's going to faii ourt.I 'm going to hand in rny notiee at wsrl* next week.

Going to is used when there is evidence now for thefuture event - something you can see or feel - or to talkabout a decision you have already made on your own.Present continuous

They're leaving next weelq somstime.i 'm seeing her for lunch tornorrow.

The present continuous is used to describe events thathave already been arranged with other people.

Present simple

fl{y class finishes around nine.She arrives sn 2"d l-4arch.

These events are seen as facts, particularly factsconnected to timetables - of movies, lessons, trains,boats, planes, etc.

Second cmffidit igriaEs {page Bs}

TeEkEng abeut the fr"rte.lre {page 49}

t G I

qlrarrTnar commenlary

-"^l More ways of talkingutui about the furture (page st)

I 've got (somebody) (coming round).

This structure is mainly used with the verbs orriving,visiting and coming. Here are the most normal uses:

I 've got my murn arriving tomorrow"I've got some frienels coming round later on-

I've got to + verb (or I have to + verb).

This structure is used to talk about things you dontwant to do, but feel are necessary.

I've got to do some things for work.i've got to cal<e my kids te school tomorrow.

It is also used to explain why you can't do something.For example:

,,s,: Hey, we were wondering if you wanted to comeout with us tonightl

B: Ch, I'd love to, but I'm afraid I've got to worl< latetoday. l4aybe next time.

I 'm supposed to be - ing, but . . .

Supposed to be is used to describe arrangements youhave already made with other people and which youhaven't changed yet, but which you now feel could bechanged.The structure is often used with a but-clause explainingthat you no longer feel l ike keeping to this plan.

I 'm supposed to be meeting some friends tonight,but I don't really feel l i lce rt any rnore.

It is also used with a but-clause saying that you haven'tdefinitely decided yet.

l 'm supposed to be going round to see him later,but I 'rn not entirely sure.

You can also say I might go round to see him loter, or Imight be going round to see him loter.

G1 r i n:;t?Tldins *;th "'*rri"v o*'bu

Notice that when no auxil iary verb is present in theinit ial statement, we respond using the dummy auxil iarydo. lt is also very common to add a follow-up questionor comment. For examole:

r\r I went off to Margate for the weel<end"B: Oh, did youi That rnust've been nice.

"&: Yes, it was lovely.

,s; I speal< pretty good Russian.ts: Oh, do youlWhere did you learn that theniA; At university. I did French, Russian and Polish.

Be careful not to confuse hod as a past tense verb withthe auxil iary verb hoye. For example:

Ar We had (main verb) a great meal over atj ims.B: Oh, d id youlWhat d id he cools i

A.; I've (auxiliary verb) got my new stereo at lastlB: Oh, have you? I'd betier come over tonight, then"

We use the structure not . . . until when we want toemphasise that we did something later than usual.For examole:

I oversiept this monning. I didn't walce up unti l ten!I didn't start learning English unti l last year! so I 'nr quitepleased with how well I 'm doing.

ff i13 Linleimg ideas {page 69}

Lool< at these two ideas:It was very eold.We needed two pLllloversl

We can linl< these two ideas in one sentence using a so-c/ouse. For example:

It was so cold, we needed two pullovers!

In spol<en English, this is a very common way ofexpressing cause and result, with the so-clause explainingthe cause.The so-clause may come first or second:

It was so hot, (that) | was sweating lil<e a pig!I was sweating l i l<e a pig (beeause) it was so hot!

It was so quiet in there, (that) you cor-l ld've heard a pindrop.Ycru could've heard a pin drop (because) it was so quietin there"

Notice that in normal spol<en English, you do not need touse the l inlcing words in braclcets, as they are implicit lyunderstood.

IG'l4l Jutdging hlr appearances (page ro)

HelShe /ooks is always followed by an adjective:She lool<s really nice and friendly.He looks a bit stressed-out to rne.

HelShe looks /ike is followed by a noun or a noun phrase:Fle lool<s l i ice a dentist or a doctor or something.He lool<s l i l<e the l<ind of person who'l l help

HelShe /ooks os if helshe is followed by a verb clause:He lool<s as if he's about to cry"She lool<s as if she's been running.

Note that in everyday spoken English, os if is oftensubstituted by like:

She looks as if l l i l<e she's been working all day.

lf someone seems a bit depressed, it is something you feelthrough knowing them, not iust seeing them.

Dave seems a bit down at the msment" ls he OK?

There is a fine l ine between what is grammar and what isvocabulary. The expressions here are probably besttreated as bits of vocabulary and just learned as whole,fixed expressions. These kinds of expressions are veryuseful in everyday English. Learning them will help youunderstand the meaninqs of the different modats.

ffixpressions w;th rnodals (page 74)

1 6 2

4.

However, here are a few things to bear in mind:

l. A4ust is used to make guesses which the l istener feelsfairly sure are true, because of the evidence available.

You rnust be jol<ing! d tr00 fcrr ehatlYou nrust be A.inerican with an accent l i lEe thar"

2. Similarly, must've is used to make guesses about thepast, based on the evidence available.It must\ye been niee geffi ing out of the city for a bit.You must've been neally pieased to see her again"Could've is used to talk about things you now feelwere possible in the past, even if they didn't actuallynaPPen.I could've rold you rhat!I could've helped you if you'c{ aslced.

Should've ls used to tall< about what we thinl< wouldhave been a good idea in the past. lt can be used toexpress retret or retrospective advice.

You shoukl've l<nown better.You shourld've tried to get rhe pric* down"

ffi't6 TeE[6ng e stffifly {page TE}

Notice that when we give background details to ourstories, we usually use the past continuous or used to fverb.

A few years ago, when chis friend of rnine was ccmi4ghome frorn worl<, . . .

I used to five in this flat in down*rown FJewYorl<" andone day I was tAlqing the suhway Liprowrr . . .

N-astThulrsday I was riding home on nry bike ...

When we introduce the problem in a story, it is verycommon to switch to Dresent tenses. This makes thispart of the story sound more dramatic and immediate.

When all of a sudden, this big, scary-looking guy runsuF t0 me and tries to pinch rny bag.

Then suddenNy this girl app€ars frsrn nowhere, annshe'.q crfi11g and screaming, so I asi< her whatis up.

G T 7Fr"esemt paflttaipFes {page Ts}

It is very common to join two ideas together by usingclauses using the present participle (-ing clauses). It ispossible to add more than one clause, but we do notnormally add more than three clauses at any one time:

I was iust standing there,.g4a!g!ng for rny bus, rnindingmy own business.She was driving al*ng quite normally, singing along rothis song on the radio, feelin€ pretry good, when all ofa sudden . - .

The past continuous is only used if the speaker wishes toemphasise that the action described was extended overa period of t ime. As a result, the past continuous is often

Grammar comnier, ia.

used to describe an action which was already in progresswhen it was in some way'interrupted':

I was clrivil'lg through tawn when I gor stopped by thispplice ean

I was just gettistg reaciy tn leave when this br-iei< cameflving threiugh my winelow!

I met nry first wife while I vuas l iving in Far-is.Notice that the clauses here are l inl<ed using when orwhile.ln certain contexts, verbs do not get extended intirne - they just happen once. For example, it is correctto say:

I was finding the i*crure realiy inrer*sting unril hesta!'ted tall<ing abeut bio-physics!

but not:

*qcra**adln€ the diamond when we were cleaning theflat.

You can only find a diamond once! The difference rngrammar is because the meaning of fnd changes slightlyin these different contexts.

The past simple is used to tall< about things the speat<ersees as complete, f inished facts. These might be thingsthat only happened once:

! found the diamond on the flosr!i crashed straighu through the newsagent's rsindow"I broke my leg playing iootball.

Or they might be things that happened over a longperiod of t ime but which the speaker wants to tall<about by giving an overview of the facts.

! i ived in l*rl icanagua fcr six y*ars In the *igirt ies"I worlceci on a fa-rm for a few years after I left sehs,el"

Or something is added to positive sentences andquestions to mean or something e/se /ike that.Or anythingis added to negative sentences or negative questions.

i thinl< he's a lawyer or a ludge or somerhing"Flave your gor a screwctrriven on somethingi! didri ' t even l<iss her or anyrhing!Didn't he even phone yorr or anytl i ingi

This feature of spoken English is not slang or'badEnglish'. lt is one of the ways we express'vagueness'when we do not know precise details.

The present perfect simple is a bit l i lce the past simple inthat both tenses are used to talk about things thathappened in the past. The difference is, however, that weuse the present perfect simple if we see these events assomehow connected to the present; perhaps we see apresent result of these actions, as in the examples.

Ch, you've had your hair cut! lt letolcs great, muchbetter than ie did.

GB" smrnething / er anldthins {page E6}

Frcsemt pcrfeet simrpie affid Brestrrnt

Fast slrnp$e and pasq e#mtis"ruieius

r 63

Grammar commentary

I can t play basketball today. I've twisted my ankle.ls biack tea OK? We\e run out of mil l<"

We can also use the present perfect simple to stress thatwe have had an experience and can talk about it now ifthe l istener wants us to.

Well, I 've worked in pubs be{one, and I 've done plentyof washing up in restaurants and things.Oh, you piay the piano! I 've just started learning myself!

Note:When we use a finished time reference, e.g. lostFriday, in I 99 I , two weeks og4 when I wos ot high school,the present perfect is never used.

The present perfect continuous is used when we want toshow that an action that started in the past is continuingnow.

I've been trying t f ind a job for rnonths now!(And I sti l l haven't found one.)

My leg's been feeling weird {or the last few days now.(And it 's sti l l feeling painful.)

The present perfect continuous is also used when wewant to stress that we see the Dast action described ashaving been extended over a period of time, that we seeit as having happened again and again and again. Noticethat there is a present result.

i've been waiting here for you fon hours - you eould atleast say you're sorry or something!Have you b,een drinkinglYour breath smeils very odd!

With certain verbs, there's often only a very subtledifference between the present perfect simple andpresent perfect continuous.

l've been working here for about twenty years ilow.(But maybe I'm ready for a change now I see my iob asonly temporary.)

!'ve worked here for twenty years now.(lt's just a fact about my life. I se my iob as permanent.)

Notice that lots of verbs don't work well with thepresent perfect continuous.

I've always liked this kind of foad./I've always been lil<ing this kind of food. X

You either l ike something or you don't. You can't l ike itover ano over.

We usually use wish to talk about things we regret doing- or not doing - in the past or to talk about ways inwhich we would l i l<e the present to be different. Whenwe are talking about things we regret about the past, weuse wish + the post perfect. We often add a reasonexplaining why we feel l ike this.

I wish I hadnk eaten so much eanlier. I feel dreadfulnow.

I wish you hadn't told me about it. I can't stop thinkingabout it now.I wish I 'd seen it while it was out. l ' l l have to wait t i l l i tcomes out on DVD now.I wish ld been a bit more honest about things. Thingsmight've worked olrt hetween us if I had been.

When we talk about things we feel bad about ordisappointed about in the present, we use wish + post

simple verb.I wish I could drive. I hate having to rely sn my mumand dad to take me everywhere.I wish I was a bit sl irnmer. I can't get into my oldsummer clothes anyffiore.I wish i didn? have to get up so early every day. I eouldrealNy do with a l ie-int

We also use wish + youlhelshe + wouldlwouldn'ttocomplain about other people's annoying habits.

I wish you wouldn't smol<e in here!(You do it a lot and you're doing it now and it's drivingme mad!)I wish it 'd stop raining!(lt rains a lot and it's raining now and I hate it!)

Note : Don't get wish mixed up with hope. We usuallyuse hope to talk about things we would l ike to happen -

or that we dont want to happen - in the future. lt's alsogot different word grammar. Usually it's followed by thepresent simple, even if we're talking about the future.

I hope it stops raining later.I hope she comes to the game tomorrow"I hope the exam next weel< isn't too hard.

It is common to comment on the events described in asentence by adding which wos + o desui|tivenounlodjective:

It was freezing in Chile, whiqh was a bit unexpected.

I f inally managed to asi< for a pay rise, whieh was a realrveiehg_qff nny_shouldcrs.

We can also add which meont + subject + verb + object:It rained the whole time we were inThailand, which

meaiil-J-didnlCe! nluch -hance to go

I failed three out of four o{ my tests that year, whichmeant I had tq re-take the whole vear's courses.

Although

ln spoken English, olthough is followed by a main clauseand usually introduces a clause that reduces the strengthof the statement which comes before it.

Reletives elaLlses {page 1CIZ}

\fifish {pase e7}

eoniunetisns (page 105)

164

I do like vegetables, aithough I must admit that I'mreally more of a meat person myself.It was lovely in Saudi, although the heat did get a bitmuch sometimes.I really l ike my iob, although a l itt le bit more moneywouldnt go amiss!

Considering

Considering is often followed by a how-clause and addsthe meaning which is stronge when you think obout it:

The food there was really great, considering howcheap it wasl

The party was pretty good, actually, considering therewere only about twenty people there!

In spite of

/n spite of is followed by a gerund or a noun clause andintroduces an idea which has been thought about, butwhich doesnt affect the statement that comes before orafter it.

She got great grades all through coilege, in spite ofhaving to deal with all kinds of family problems.Pete's Spanish accent is almost unintell igible, inspite of having l ived in Madrid for three yearsl

Notice that in everyday spoken English, it is now verycommon to hear plural nouns and plural uncountablenouns preceded by there's instead of there ore. Even well-educated, careful speakers will say things like:

It's a bit lilce Cairo or somewhere, only there's a lotmore cars on the road there.

There's hundreds of sheep blocking the road down bythe farm.Business is OK, but there's not as many touristscoming this year as there were last year.

There are is also correct in these situations.

. l

We often make guesses about things we think are truebased on the evidence available to us, and use must toshow we are fairly sure, but not 100% certain that whatwe are saying is true.

It must be nice having a bit more space now thatyou've moved house.

It must've been really great in NewYork.

Remember that the opposite of must for guessing is notmustn't but con't:

You can't be seriouslYou cant earn much working in a burger bar.It can't have been very well made if it only lasted threeweeks before fall ing to bits! (See also G 15.)

Grammar commentary

The past perfect simple is generally used to tall< aboutthe background to an event in the past or to explain whythis event happened.

It is usually used with other past tenses, and allows us tojump further back into the past from the main point intime that we're talking about.

My ieg was kil l ing me, because lU twisted it at the gymthe day before"I had a dreadful headache, because lU had a bit toomuch to drink the night before.I'd never done anything lilce that before so I was reallynervous about it. (See also G6.)

We use second conditionals to talk about ways in whichwe imagine the present or future could be different.

lf I had a bit more time, ld starr going to rhe gymmore often.lf I were you, I 'd just tell her what happened and hopeshe understands!

We use third conditionals to talk about imaginary pasts -ways in which the past could have been different, if thesituation 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't been there, I might've died!(But she was there and she helped me.)

However, past events dont only have past results; theyalso often have present results. lf we want to talk aboutthe imaginary present results of a past event, we have touse a mixed conditional. Often, this is half of a thirdconditional - to talk about the past - and half a secondconditional - to talk about the imaginary present:

lf she hadnt encouraged me, I wouldn't be a teachernow.lf my mum hadnt been hitch-hiking that day, she andmy dad wouldn't be married nowlf I hadn't moved to Brighton when I did, I 'd probablystill be working in that factory"lf i t hadnt been for him, we'd sti l l be l iving undermilitary rule today.

Did you notice that in the second conditional part of thesentence, we often use the continuous form? We do thiswhen we want to talk about an imaginary action that wethink might already be in progress if the first half of thesentence had actually been true.

Mixed conditionals are very common in both spoken andwritten English. The best way to deal with them whenyou meet them in future is to try to understand wheneach half of the sentence is referring to and to try andwork out if it's talking about an imaginary or a realcondition. (See also G7.)

conditionals

Comparing

1 6 5

[ r rAmmAr COmrnentAry

."ol Second conditisnals for nnaking***i suggestions (page 122)Notice that the iF sentence starters here are all secondconditionals - the structure we use to talk about thingswe see as being hypothetical or imaginary at the time ofspeal<ing:

It'd be great if the shops stayed open a bit longer^,It'd be much better if there was agynpIt'd be lovely if I didn't have to set up so early!

It is very common to find second conditionals beginningwith the sentence starters given here, so try andremember the whole phrase in each case.

IG?91 The passive (pase tzs)

It is not helpful to think of the passive as being'theopposite' of the active. We always use the passive for avery specific reason. Either we don't know who the doerof the action was:

lYy brother was l<il led during the civil war.My car was stolen frclrn right outside my house!

or the action was done by a large group of people:

The stadium was built in the thirt ies"(obviously by worl<men)

At least three versians of this song have beenrecorded.(obviously by musicians and singers)

Note that the active ecuivalents of these sentences usethey as a'dummy subject':

They built this stadium hacl< in the thirt ies.They've recorded at least three versions of this song.

We also use the passive when the doer of the action isl<nown, but not relevant or important at the moment ofspeaking:

My ear's being repaired at the moment.

Three of my teeth were lcnocl(ed out last year when Iwas playing rugby.

This model was developed in our Seoul team.

Passives are more common in formal, written English.

I

_ryq ryqllrygfe Eoi'lsThis structure is often thought of as the'future in thepast' and is commonly used to report our past thoughtsor words, particularly when they proved to be inaccuratern some way:

I theught it was gqing to rain, so i brought rhe washingin - just in case.

TheyU told me lwas gBrng_lq._be_lransfe_n:ed tolvlexico, but nothing ever came of it.

However, it doesnt always have to have a past timereference. lt can be used to tall< about things in thefuture that we've already decided to do, but nowsuddenly decide we might not do after all.

A; Do you want to come over later and eatsornething?

B: Well, I was goin&ro suy in and rry and ger someworl< done, but i guess I could always do thattomorrow instead.

Oh, it 's funny you shouid call l I was going to callyou later, but you beat rne to it!

One of the most common uses of this structure is whenyou phone someone and they answer:

Oh, I was just going to ring you.

Have you noticed that certain people always say this?

ffisr StartlnE with wfiat {page tBa}

When we want to emphasise what we are going to sayby adding whot at the beginning of a sentence, thegrammar of the statement changes.We often use do as adummy auxil iary and we also add the verb is/wos.

I really need to tal<e a holiday soon.\I/hat I really need to do is take a holiday soon.

I was thinl<ing of going to China next year, if I canafford it.What I was thinl<ing of doing next year is going toChina, if I ean afford it.

There are lots of quite common sentence starters thatuse this structure. Try to learn them and use them aswhole phrases.

V/hat I found really interesting about it was . " .What really annoys me about him is rhe way " . .What worries me most about the idea is . . .What I sti l l don't understand is why . . "

GS3Fr,rturc continuous {page 143}

This structure is often used to tall< about an event in thefuture that we see as already arranged but which now,because of what has come up in the conversation, wealso see as the baclground to another newer event,described in the so-clause:

A; We've run out of nri lk.B: Oh well, lool<, l ' l l be going shopping later (l 've

already decided this), so l ' l l get some, if you want.(new decision/offer)

,4,: I really love proper pesto sauce.B: Oh, do youl Well, lool<, i ' l l be going back to ltaly

for a weelc in March (l 've already decided this), sol' l l bring you bacl< some of my mum's special!(new decision/offer)

166

This section helps you to record and translate some of the most important expressionsfrom each unit. lt is always best to record words in phrases, rather than individual words.Sometimes you can translate very easily. Sometimes you wil l need to thinl< of the equivalentexpression in your own language. In each section, there is space for you to add anyconnected expressions or collocations you want to remember.

. l l * . * , . i

" J ; . " * "

He's got a really good sense of humour.

Hel quite conservative.

He's a bit of a worl<aholic.

Shes a bit on the plump side.

Het quite elderly now

She can be a bit too nice someumes.

He looks really interesting.

Hei a roral pain in the neck.

She's extremely ambitious.

He runs his own business.

She worl<s in advertising.

He's unemployed at the moment.

My brother works in lI

Shet a retired doctor.

I do a bir of temping worl< somecimes.

L J J " ; : d

He's infamous.

It cost me an arm and a leg.

We just dont see eye to eye.

l'm up to my eyes in work.

It's on its last legs.

not as often as lU like to

not as much as I used to

It's better than my last one.

It wasn't as good as I remembered.

Cheer up! lt's not the end of the world.

Haven't you heard?

It's done a lot of damage.

Oh, I am sorry to hear that

I'm afraid not.

smashed to pieces.

167

Expression organiser

, '#m$-* ffiI work out a lot.

I really love going round junk shops.

A couple of times a year.

How long did it take you to learn?

How much does it usually cost you?

The thing is, . . .

pop and R'n'B and that kind of thrng

It's not really my cup of tea.

I'm not really that keen on clubbing.

What do you feel like doing tonight?

She's really into keeping fit.

I used to, but I grew out of it.

I just lost interest in it after a while.

Oh well, each to their own.

Itl just one of those things.

Ur,* ' t d5I spend my weekends mountaineering.

She spends a lot of time helping the homeless.

ls everything all rightl

I go riding whenever I can.

He committed suicide.

There's still a lot of discrimination.

It's male-dominated.

You're taking a real risk.

Therers a lot of opposition to the plan.

I would if I could, but I cant.

I'd quite like to go to the cinema tonight.

lf youd rather,we could always ...

I can give you a lift, if you want.

I wouldnt do that, if you paid me!

That'd be great.

Expression organiser

tu$m$rl.* SWhy did you decide to do that, then?

How come you decided to go there, then?

It was a real weight off my shoulders.

It was total chaos.

I d been thinking about it for ages.

Why on earth did he say that?

It's a piece of cake.

Itl like getting blood out of a stone.

It's easier said than done.

I work as a bouncer at weekends.

It's a very demanding job.

It was a mutual decision.

It was a very unpopular decision.

A friend of mine recommended it.

Good for you!

fu$r*$r* iSIt's not allowed.

He was fined a thousand dollars.

He cant handle the pressure.

I'm expecting a phone call.

I didnt want to make a fuss.

It looks fine to me.

Can you watch my bag for a minute?

I cant see it anywhere.

It was great, much better than I'd expected.

Quiet? lt's dead!

That's a good question.

I havent really thought about it.

I'd have to think about that.

He's finally given up smoking.

I fed up with doing the same thing every day.

16ei

k

F

Expression organiser

,i-*$ri',i 3What're you up to this weekendl

I will if I get the chance.

l've got to do some things for school.

It'll be nice to have a lie-in.

I've got to catch up with my e-mails.

l'll do it later, I promise.

Tell me about it!

I'm supposed to be going out tonight, but I

dont really feel like it.

I've got some friends coming over tonight.

He's staying at a friend's.

I'm going away for the weekend.

I'm going on a guided walk.

Rather you than me!

Oh well, beggars cant be choosers!

*rri',t *We're having a house-warming party this Friday.

I went to a rave last weekeno.

They tried to gatecrash our party.

l'll sort out the music if you sort out the food.

Did you have a hen night?

It really ruined the night.

It led to calls for tighter laws.

I just couldnt believe my eyes.

I just couldnt make up my mind.

It nearly ended in tragedy.

They're very right-wing.

They came to power in the last election.

They ought to ban it.

They really need to crack down on it.

They've relaxed the laws a bit.

Expression organiser

*s,i' i kI just had an early night.

I didnt know a single person there.

We had absolutely nothing in common.

I was on the edge of my seat.

I fell asleep halfway through.

She gets very well-paid.

l'll have to have a word with my boss.

I bet he doesnt.

Oh, did you? That must 've been nice.

Oh, are you? Anywhere particular in mind?

I was so angry, I could've killed him!

I was so bored, I walked out!

You did whct last nightl

You went where last night?

I didnt get in until three last night.

*rr,:': ' i *He looks l ike'a bit of a nero.

She looks a bit dul l .

You lool< a bit down.Are you OK?

He! a macho idiot!

I bet he still lives with his mum.

She can be quite unpredictable.

Thatl the worst chat-up line ever.

My parents dont really approve of her.

How long've you two been going outl

Are you pulling my leg?

It tool< me ages to come to terms with it.

Their marriage is on the rocl<s.

I tend to eat out most nights.

I could've told you that.

You should've known beccer.

171

Expression organiser

'&$s*$"* $.$Did I ever tell you about the time | . .

I was just minding my own business,. . .

when all of a sudden

Well, what happened in the end was . . .

It seems funny now, but it wasnt at the time.

Sorry. I didn't recognise you.

I think it's dyed.

He seems like a really nice bloke.

It's another one of his tall stones.

He smokes like a chimney.

He was driving like a lunatic.

I was so tired, I slept like a log.

I'm dying for a coffee.

I'm sick to death of it.

She Sets away with murder.

#g*$l* -*kWhat was I thinking ofl

They must have money to burn.

My dad grounded me for a week.

We stopped off to get something to eat.

We broke down on the way there.

We took a wrong turn.

I bumped into an old friend of mine.

What a horrible journey!

I went travelling round India for a year.

I like to travel light.

She looks about thirty-ish.

It's just an urban myth.

She's got reddish-brown hair.

He was sort of smiling at me.

a hammer or something like that.

Expression organiser

'#g*$K $SHello. Long time, no See!

I havent seen you for ages.

You havent changed a bit.

What've you been up to since I last saw you.

He just doesnt get the message.

It was a very controversial film.

l've completely forgotten your name.

I've just had an idea.

Get to the ooint!

I just dont see the point.

It was the high point of our trip.

I wish youd told me earlier.

I wish I hadnt said that.

They hate each other's guts.

We just hit it off at once.

II

II

i

ffis*${* -$&I went and saw this great exhibition.

I prefer sculpture to paintings.

It's OK if you're into that kind of thing.

It's not worth the entrance fee.

It's a bit too abstract for me.

I prefer his portraits to his landscapes.

Would you recommend itl

It causes a lot of problems.

I went to the opera, which was nice.

I've been meaning to see that for ages.

Oh. that reminds me.

ld like to do that myself.

It's well worth a visit.

I think it's really offensive.

It caused outrage in the media.

173

Expression organiser

*s;i'rl 'i *What did you think of it? Was it any good?

It was horrendous!

It was a bit disappointing, to be honest.

It was nothing special.

Didn't you find it a bit over the topl

I found i t a bit bland.

It was really good, considering how cheap it was.

He's not exactly Einstein, is hel

Dont you think it's a bit over-rated?

I was just dead tired.

It's a bit like skiing, only not as difficult.

It was a bit like his other book, only better.

That must've been dreadful.

You must've been really annoyed.

You must be exhausted.

*r:i'i I {.,It's a cult movie.

It's a typical Hollywood blockbuster.

some ltalian guy

I cant remember off the top of my head.

It's on the tip of my tongue.

It ' l l come to me in a minute.

It's got subtitles.

They dubbed it into French.

The dialogue was brilliant.

Whos in i t?

The special effects were amazing!

ld never been there before.

It was the first time lU seen that kind of thing.

It's meant to be incredible.

I wouldn't have, if it hadnt been for you.

llI

Expression organiser

*y;i't .; yItd be really good if they . . .

What would be real ly great is i f they .. .

I dont really have any strong views on that.

That's a difficult auestion to answer.

Well, I agree up to a point, but

It's hardly surprising, is itl

They've pedestrianised the town centre.

There's a one-way system.

I had to do a U-turn.

The traffic is a nightmare.

Personally, I thinl< it's ridiculous.

It's really gone to the dogs.

He's the black sheep of the family.

It's a very industrial place.

The shanty towns are awful!iI

iII

IitII

iI

i '

i

I

i

:

' l i . * , i ; " # i . F

" J # ; : ! ; T ;

I dont l<now how you put up with it.

They completely messed it up.

I wish you'd stop going on about it!

It's a really awful hairdo.

and then to top the whole thing off

Thatt the last thing I need!

It's good to get things off your chest.

Things like that don't really bother me.

Oh well, dont let it get you down.

It really bugs me.

Its a Catch 22 situation.

Its just the tip of rhe iceberg.

Its a bit of a mixed blessing.

I cant be bothered.

It's no bother at all. Honestly.

175

Expression organiser

&Jr*Ftr -$ #You're such a pessimist!

That's a bit optimistic, isnt it?

on the sour of the moment

We're doing our flat up at the moment.

He got really badly beaten up.

Itl bad to bottle up your feelings.

What ld real ly l ike to do next year rs.. .

What I was thinking of doing is.

l'm happy doing what I'm doing.

I just take things as they come.

I cant really say yet. lt all depends.

I can see myself going abroad one day.

They've got really high expectations.

l'm really dreading it.

I wish I didnt have to. but I do.

'fu$s*$.x s*'#I'd hate to be stuck behind a desk all day.

I get a company car.

I got six months' maternity leave.

I haven't had a proper contract yet.

At least you know your job is secure.

Do you belong to a trade union?

They've made a really good job of it.

Itt been really hard work.

I've been rushed off my feet all week.

It's slave-labour!

He's awful, a real slave-driver.

She's very domineering.

He's not the most intelligent guy I've ever met.

She's a really good person to work for.

He's always on the phone to his girlfriend..

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