ФЕДЕРАЛЬНОЕ АГЕНТСТВО ПО ОБРАЗОВАНИЮ
ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЕ УЧРЕЖДЕНИЕ ВЫСШЕГО ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНОГО
ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ
«ВОРОНЕЖСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ»
(ГОО ВПО ВГУ)
FOCUS ON SPEAKING
(Fluency Activities Book for Second Year Students)
Пособие по специальности 031201 (022600) – теория и методика
преподавания иностранных языков и культур
ВОРОНЕЖ 2005
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Утверждено научно-методическим Советом факультета РГФ от 12.04.2005,
протокол № 3.
Составители: к.ф.н., доц. Н.П.Ульянова, к.ф.н. Н.И.Овчинникова,
к.ф.н. О.В.Ивашенко, к.п.н. Е.Ю.Чайка, М.В. Нестругина.
Учебное пособие подготовлено на кафедре английской филологии
факультета РГФ ВГУ.
Рекомендуется для студентов 2 курса, обучающихся по специальности
031201 (022600) - теория и методика преподавания иностранных языков и
культур.
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Introduction
“Focus on Speaking” aims to help upper-intermediate learners of
English improve their competence in social communication skills and
to teach them strategies for doing well in their final exam. This is
achieved in various ways, as the material is intentionally flexible in
design. There are 5 units in the book. Each unit includes vocabulary
and useful expressions, which may be pre-taught in class or assigned
as home task. If the vocabulary list is not offered, the relevant
vocabulary is included in the text, in the survey or in the
questionnaire. Besides, each unit offers a list of questions meant to
stimulate discussion. A variety of follow-up communication activities,
including interviews, role-play and talk shows, are also presented in
each unit. In addition the book is supplied with Appendixes, which
give samples of picture descriptions and provide a wide range of
communicative functions with examples of usage and practice
exercises.
The book should be used as a complement to a course book so the
units and activities are linked up with general course work. Thus all
the topics included in the first part of the course book for second year
students - The Focus on First Certificate- are dealt with in detail in
this book.
The material is designed to be used by students working in pairs or
in small groups. While working through the units in this book, the
students will be learning the language of many aspects of everyday
life. They will learn more efficiently if they are actively and
personally involved in their language lessons. Thus, throughout the
units the learners are encouraged to react individually to questions
concerning many aspects of their daily lives and to discuss and
evaluate the part they play in society.
The teacher will present the material, organize the classroom, keep
the students working and smooth out the difficulties they meet. As far
as possible the teacher should allow the students to form pairs
naturally and to choose their own roles while they are acting in roleplay. Discussion in small groups is the best solution for inhibited
students. Group conclusions should be pooled in the last few minutes.
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UNIT 1 TAKING A BREAK
Ex.1 Discuss the following questions using the vocabulary given in the table
below.
• If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why?
What kind of accommodation would you stay in? How would you spend
your time?
• What is the best place you’ve ever been to?
• Do you like mountains or beaches better? Why?
• When you travel do you like to go luxuriously or do you like to rough it?
Why?
• Do you prefer to travel with someone or alone? Who do you travel most
with?
• What was your most memorable trip? Why?
• What was your worst trip? Why?
• What is your favourite way of travelling? Why?
• Imagine you were going to the Mediterranean in summer / Switzerland in
winter? What documents would you need? What would you pack for the
trip?
Consult:
• Accommodation: hotel, luxury hotel, camp site, self-catering flat,
guesthouse, holiday camp, youth hostel, time-share apartment, winter
resort, seaside resort, spa;
• Accommodation facilities: a single/double/twin room, a suite, full board,
half board, B&B (bed and breakfast), to book/reserve a room in advance,
hair dryer, mini-bar, air-conditioning, tea and coffee-making facilities,
peaceful, overpriced, modern, welcoming atmosphere, exclusive
restaurant, spacious room, luxurious hotel, with a wonderful view of the
sea, delicious cuisine, helpful staff, an opportunity to relax in style, to
unwind in a relaxing sauna, to cater for every need, to be fully-equipped
with cooking and washing facilities, to choose from a variety of
entertainment;
• Beach Activities: to walk along the cliffs, to sunbathe, to bask in the sun,
to laze about, to play volleyball on golden sandy beaches, to build
sandcastles, to swim/go swimming (in refreshing water), to have a swim
in the sea if it is (not) very rough (calm) to splash in sparkling water, to
have a paddle, to go windsurfing/snorkelling/scuba diving/yachting, to
make a boat trip, to get a suntan/tan, to put on suntan lotion, to get sun
burnt, to cool down in a gentle breeze, to sit on deckchairs, to watch the
seagulls/the dolphins, to enjoy the scenery.
• City Activities: to do/go sightseeing, to see the famous sights, to go on a
sightseeing tour of a city (castle, cathedral), to go for a drive, to go on an
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•
•
•
•
•
excursion, to take pictures, to
shoot a film, to buy a guidebook,
to have a look round the shops, to do touristy things, to browse in the
museums/gift shops, to admire the fabulous panorama of the city; to read
the map of the city, to go for a ride on a double-decker, to queue for a
long time to get into, to buy souvenirs, to see the main tourist attractions,
to explore the environs;
to be packed with tourists, to be full of interesting/lovely places, to be
cosmopolitan/touristy/crowded, to be (not) worth visiting, to have
tremendous pulling power for, this experience is not to be missed, for an
enjoyable, fun-filled holiday it is one of the most exciting options;
Paraphernalia; beach umbrella, sunshade, sun bed, deckchair, suntan
lotion, cream, a sun hat, sunglasses, swimming suits, trunks, sandals,
toiletries, boots, warm clothes, mosquito repellent, camera, skis, goggles,
flippers, tent, sleeping bag, light clothes, first-aid kit.
Scenery: bottomless lakes, endless rivers, towering mountains, colossal
cliffs, a fetching river, a fantastic view, magnificent palaces/mountains,
crashing waves, a breathtaking view, fabulous scenery, gushing
waterfalls, a turquoise sea, gorgeous sandy beaches;
Means of travelling: to travel by air/train/car/coach, to make a
business/pleasure trip, to set off on a journey, to make a tour of Europe, to
take a long sea voyage, to commute, to travel a /long/short distance; to
book a single/return ticket, to buy a bus pass, to pay bus/train fares, to get
on/off /at the front/in the rear;
Advantages and disadvantages: to feel sea (air) sick, to be a born sailor, to
combine comfort and speed, to travel light, to be expensive/cheap,
un/comfortable/ environmentally friendly means of transport,
safe/dangerous - journey/voyage, to sit facing the engine, to be immersed
in train conversation, to sleep to the lull of the train wheels, to admire the
changing scenery through the window, to sleep on the upper/lower berth;
to be bumped from the flight, to have scattered seats, to feel stiff.
Ex.2 Have you ever travelled by plane? What do you remember about your
flight? What is the most interesting part of the flight, and what is the most
boring part? Share your experience with the group mates.
Read the text and explain the notions underlined.
Identifying luggage
On all flights you should always place a name tag on the inside and outside of
your luggage, indicating your name and address. Since many bags look alike,
such a tag will be important when you are claiming your luggage, or in the event
that one of your bags is lost.
Checked baggage
To check luggage you should bring your suitcases, boxes, etc., to the ticketing
counter of the airline on which you are flying. The airline agent will take your
luggage and give you claim tickets which you will use to claim your luggage
when you reach your final destination. If you do this you will not have to move
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your luggage until your final destination – it will be done
automatically. You should save your claim your claim tickets until you pick up
all of your luggage. Should there be any problems with missing or damaged
luggage, you will need to show an airline ticket for the piece in question. If you
have a skycap porter carry your luggage in the airport, it is appropriate to tip
him/her.
Carry-on baggage
Passengers are usually allowed only one piece, which must be fit in the overhead
or underseat storage compartments of the airplane. These compartments are
generally 20x40x53 cm.
Boarding passes
A boarding pass is usually single sheet of paper with a seat assignment written
on it, attached to the portion of the ticket you are about to use. If you don’t
receive a boarding pass with your ticket, please ask for one at the ticket counter,
or at the gate, at least 30minutes prior to departure of the flight.
If you will need to make connections, it is often possible to ask for boarding
passes for all portions of the tip.
Check-in and boarding
All passengers must check-in at the ticket counter or gate at least 30 minutes
prior to departure of the flight. If you already have a boarding pass at this time,
you should show it to the airline agent. Depending on the airline, either the agent
at the ticket counter, or the agent at the gate will stamp your boarding pass with
an “OK to Board” stamp and will take the ticket portion of the boarding pass
from you. It is important that you be present at the gate for the flight at least 10
minutes prior to departure of the flight.
Airport security
There are security check points before the gates in airports. At the checkpoint,
you are required to place your bags, and other items you are carrying onto the
plane onto a conveyor belt. This conveyor belt passes under an x-ray machine
and the contents of your baggage are examined by a security agent of the airport.
The x-ray machines used in most airports are not harmful to film. If you do not
see a sign, which indicates this, you may ask the security agent if you can pass a
camera, which has film in it or film, to him. You may also be asked to show the
security agent the contents of your baggage.
While your carry-on luggage is going through the x-ray viewer, you will also be
asked to walk through a metal detector. You should remove keys, or any other
item made of metal, from the pockets of your clothing or jacket before you pass
through the metal detector. If the metal detector makes a ‘beeping’ sound as you
walk through, a security guard may ask you to remove the contents of your
pockets (or other metal items such as heavy metal belt buckles), or may wish to
pass a metal detecting wand above your clothing.
Smoking
Smoking is prohibited on all airline flights of less than six hours in duration, and
violators are subjected to fines. If you are unsure of whether smoking is
permitted on your flight, look above your seat at the “smoking/non-smoking”
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sign, or ask a flight attendant. If the flight is a non-smoking flight, smoking
is also prohibited in lavatories.
Services
During the flight a flight attendant will often bring complementary snacks and
beverages. Juice, soft drinks and other beverages are free of charge. There is
usually a charge for wine, beer and other alcoholic beverages. On flights of
greater duration, you may be served a complementary meal.
You may also be offered various magazines to read during your flight. An
airline magazine will usually be located in the pocket of the seat in front of you.
These magazines usually contain maps of major airports, as well as reading
material.
Role-play the following situations:
1) Student A: You are going to Edinburgh, your friend has already been there
and knows a lot about the check-in procedure, when to come to the airport, etc.
Ask him/her about it, as well as about the flight, whether you need to change
planes, whether you’ll have to stop over in some city…
Student B: You have just come back from Edinburgh. You are an
experienced traveller now, answer your friend’s questions and just tell her/him
about how to check in, when you need to come to the airport, if you have to
change planes or stop over in some city on your way to Edinburgh …
2) Student A: You’re travelling to Amsterdam. The customs agent asks you to
put all the metal objects on the counter and go through the metal detecting gate.
That’s what you do, but the metal detector beeps. You find a coin in your pocket
and take it out but the detector beeps again…The officer suspects something
bad…
Student B: You are a customs officer, you ask another passenger to place all the
metal objects he is in possession of, on the counter. He does, but the metal
detector beeps. You start suspecting something…Let the traveller explain it, ask
questions, then if the metal detector doesn’t stop “beeping” you have to try and
examine him with the help of a couple of other officers and a policeman. You
might find something…
Ex. 3 What would you say when:
• You want to reserve a room for a couple with a small baby?
• You want to reserve a room with a view of the sea?
• You think a hotel is busy next weekend, but you’re not sure?
• You want to stay in a hotel for 2 nights next weekend with your
husband/wife and need a double room?
• You have to wake up early for an important meeting?
• Your TV screen suddenly goes blank?
• It’s midnight, you’ve just arrived and you’re very hungry?
• You’d rather not go to the dining room for breakfast?
• You’re planning to leave in about 15 minutes?
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Here is some useful language for when you are staying at a hotel:
I’d like to book a single/double room with a cot; Are you fully booked next
week? Do you have any rooms available? Is breakfast/dinner included? What
time do we have to check in/out? What time do you serve breakfast? Is service
included? Could we have dinner in our room, please? I’d like a room with a
shower, a colour TV, and a view of the sea; Could I have a call at 7.30 please?
The tea-making machine in my room isn’t working; I’d like to make a call to…
Am I too late for dinner/to get something to eat? Could you order a taxi for me
please? Could I pay my bill please? What time do you like rooms to be vacated
by? Sorry to bother you, but… I’m afraid there’s something wrong with the…
Could you have a look at it?
Ex. 4 Role Play. At a travel agency.
To make this role play true-to-life you need to bring different travel brochures
and photos of the picturesque places you’ve been to or would love to go to.
Split into groups of 4 or 3. Distribute the roles and enjoy yourselves.
Student 1. You are a travel agent. Your agency takes people to different places
in your country and abroad. Help your clients to choose a suitable package
holiday according to their preferences. Show them the pictures of the places you
recommend.
Student 2. You have come to a travel agency. You are a mother of three young
children (aged 3, 5,7). You are a housewife, and you husband doesn’t make
much money, but generally your family is rather well off. You don’t have any
health problems, but your husband can’t spend too much time in the sun. Choose
a suitable package for your family.
Student 3. You have come to a travel agency. You and your husband have been
really busy at work this year. You’re longing for a holiday and would like a
complete change from your everyday life. You’d prefer to stay far from noisy
traffic and loud discos. You husband is fond of history. Choose a package for
your family.
Student 4. You have come to a travel agency. You would like to go on holiday
with your three friends. You all enjoy active holidays, and your friends would
like to try an extreme kind of sport. Since you are students you want something
cheap and you don’t mind rough conditions.
Ex. 5 Here are some optional situations for you to choose from and practise.
1A You would like to spend your summer holidays with your friend. You’ve
made enquiries about a holiday abroad in a travel agency. There’s a wide choice
of package tours to foreign countries. You think it is better to go on an organized
tour and visit places of interest. Discuss your holiday plans and state your
preferences.
1B You are discussing your holiday plans with your friend. He/she would like to
go on an organized tour and visit places of interest. You have different ideas
about your holiday. You think it’s more enjoyable just to relax on the beach.
State your preferences.
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2A You and your friend decide to spend your summer holidays together.
You would like to go to a country with a rich culture and history and numerous
interesting places to see. You are all for an active holiday. Try to convince your
friend to agree with you or compromise.
2B You and your friend decide to spend your summer holidays together. You
would like to visit a tropical country and spend all your time on the beach. In
other words, you want to have a lazy holiday. Try to either convince your friend
to choose a tropical country, or compromise.
3A You are going on a trip to Venice but you are not sure which means of
transport you should choose. The only reasonable alternative is going by plane
but you’re scared of planes. You are sure that if you take one it will certainly
crash, and you are too young to die! Discuss the possibilities with your friend.
She knows a lot about air travelling and she may help you deal with your
anxiety. Or perhaps she’ll help you find a way of getting to Venice other than by
plane.
3B You are experienced in travelling by plane and know all about it. Your friend
is going to Venice and she thinks taking a plane is the most reasonable thing to
do, it’s fast, but she’s scared of planes. She thinks if she takes one, it will crash.
Help her get over her anxiety or perhaps you should try and find a better way of
getting to Venice, not by plane…
Ex. 6 Give a two-minute talk on travelling. Remember to say:
if you like to travel;
if you have ever travelled outside your country;
which countries you have always wanted to visit;
if you prefer traveling alone or with your friends.
Be ready to answer the teacher’s questions.
UNIT 2 OTHER PEOPLE’S JOBS
Ex. 1 A. Discuss the following questions using the vocabulary from the table
below.
• Which jobs do you think are the most important /difficult /pleasant/
unpleasant/ risky/ stressful /satisfying /rewarding /tricky? Give your
grounds.
• Which is more important, money or job satisfaction?
• Which is better, a low stress job with low pay or a stressful well-paid job?
• Do you agree that managers should be paid a lot more than workers?
Why?
• Apart from pay, how might you encourage people to work hard?
• What are the most important causes of unemployment? What can
unemployed people do to get back to work?
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B. Vocabulary work. Find Russian equivalents of the given in the
box names of the professions and say what each of the jobs involves and
which of the jobs you would definitely not choose and why.
• Professions: a bricklayer, carpenter, plumber, electrician, mechanic,
architect, lawyer, engineer, accountant, university lecturer, translator,
interpreter, combat soldier, child-minder, live-in babysitter, stockbroker,
sales/personnel manager, salesperson, surgeon, dentist, vet, GP (general
practitioner), long-distance lorry-driver, politician, police officer,
firefighter, cleaner, flight attendant, museum attendant, caretaker,
custodian, guard, bodyguard, stuntman, broadcaster, newsreader, chef;
• Activities: to be in charge of/responsible for, to deal with/handle
complaints, the job involves travelling, to visit/see/meet/advise clients,
working hours, teaching load, nine-to-five job, to do flexi time, to do shift
work, part-time/full-time job, to work overtime, to receive salary, to
earn/make money, minimum wage, a wage packet of…, a wage rise, to
get sick pay, to get a 4 week paid holiday, to pay an income tax, to be
self-employed;
• to apply for a job, to give a job as a trainee, to give in-house training, to
go on/do several training courses, to want a fresh challenge and a career
change, to resign, to dismiss/sack at a week’s notice, to be made
redundant, to be pensioned off, to be on/take maternity leave/sick leave,
to be a workaholic, to be out of work/unemployed, to be on probation, to
retire, to take early retirement, to be promoted, to have good career
prospects, to make a career;
• qualities: in/efficient, un/qualified, ir/responsible, knowledgeable,
ignorant, un/punctual, industrious, diligent, conscientious, organized.
• Useful combinations: work: get, do, look for, find, to be out of, to be
dismissed from, to be in, set to, to be at; a living – earn, do for, to make; a
job –apply for, take on, have, offer, look for, hunt for, get, do, find, lose,
to bungle, to turn down, to be out of, job satisfaction, nine-to five job, on
the job.
Ex. 2 Split into two groups and discuss advantages and disadvantages (pros
and cons) of working as a teacher (the 1st group) and an interpreter (the 2nd
group). Give reasons and use connectors. Share your ideas with the rest of
the class. Make use of the reminders below.
Reminders:
Joining similar ideas: also, in addition to this, what is more, furthermore,
moreover, besides this…
Joining contrasting ideas: however, on the other hand, nevertheless, although,
in spite of, yet, but.
Qualities: exhausting, sociable, exciting, tiring, well/poorly paid, boring,
satisfying, rewarding, frustrating, stressful, work flexi time.
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Ex. 3. Working with a partner, consider the 15 points below and put
them in order of importance.
The Guardian newspaper sent out a questionnaire to its readers on the subject of
work and careers and received more than 11,000 replies. In one section, aspects
of work, which might contribute to job satisfaction, were listed and readers were
asked to say how important they were.
What adds up to job satisfaction?
How important are each of the following to you in providing you with job
satisfaction?
• Challenge
• Being part of a team
• Meeting people through work
• Exercising power
• Security
• Helping other people
• The respect of colleagues
• Being praised by your superiors
• Working conditions
• Social status
• Status in your organization
• Being promoted
• Learning something new
• Making money
• Personal freedom
What aspects do you think are more important for the British? (Look for the
answers in Appendix 3)
Ex. 4 Read the following job advertisements. What qualifications do you
think the advertisers are looking for? What kind of work experience would
be useful for these jobs? Which job would you apply for? Why?
(UK)
A NEW CAREER IN SALES
You will be working for a wellestablished company selling gardening
products to new and existing
customers.
Own car essential. Good career
opportunities for the right candidate.
Starting
salary
£12,000+car.
Interviewing immediately.
For details ring Mr. V.Hammond on
0323 503634
ER Shilton Hotel Group plc
We have a vacancy for a reception
clerk at our new 4-star Portsmouth
hotel. Excellent salary and conditions.
Good standard of education required,
with computer experience. One or
more foreign languages an advantage.
Overtime is necessary during holidays.
Apply in the first instance, enclosing
CV1 to: The Personnel Manager, The
Shilton Harbour Hotel,Portsmouth,
Hampshire, PO2 6FX
CV [si: ‘vi:] – curriculum vitae n, [C] a short written document giving your
education and past employment, used when you are looking for a job; see also:
resume. Look for a sample CV in Appendix 2.
1
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NANNY Mature, fun, house-proud
nanny required to look after two
children aged 6 and 3. Must be able to
cook and swim. Salary to be
negotiated. Own room/bath/car. Tel
0865 794389
COMPANION
good-humoured,
gentle, caring woman 35-55 required
by disabled lady for light household
duties,
cooking,
reading,
and
friendship. £100 per week plus own
room, use of car. Box 36.
(US)
Market
Researchers
needed
to
conduct
telephone studies. Evening
and
weekend
shifts
available. No exp. nec. We
train, but good reading and
pronunciation
required.
$145/wk. Call Maddison
Inc. 212 403 8827
PHOTO STUDIO
MANAGER
Outgoing, enthusiastic
person wanted for
photo studio in Falls
Church. Spring and fall
weekends, full time in
summer. Sales and
management
experience a must.
$7/hr + bonus. Artley
Photographers. 202 776
4825
CHILDCARE(after
AU PAIR
Non-smoking
female school)
needed
for
live-in Friendship Heights, 2
childcare. North-west area. girls, 6 and 8, 15-20
$100wk. 426 4159
hours per week, M/F,
own car, references
required. Ideal for
student, $8 per hour.
Call 202 363 3158
NANNY
Working couple seek
fully trained nanny to live
in and look after 2-yearold son. Require loving,
dependable woman with
excellent references and
driving record. Must
speak English. Hours
7.30a.m. to 6.30p.m.
$150/wk + free room,
board, use of car. Please
send application and
resume to Ad 8375.
RESTAURANTS
The Italian Straw Hat
Restaurant is now hiring
M/F waiters, bartenders,
cooks, dishwashers, and
managers for its New
England opening. Apply
in person 9a.m. – 6p.m.
at 788 Flemming Road,
Westport.
Act out the situations using the job adverts above:
1) Student A: You have come to a job agency to find out if they have any
vacancies for students for the summer period. You don’t want to spend all your
days working. You just want to earn some extra pocket money. You have
already worked as a shop assistant and as a delivery boy. Don’t forget to tell the
job agent about your preferences and your work experience.
Student B: You work in a job agency. A client comes to you. Ask what you
can do for the client; find out all relevant information about the client. Try to be
helpful. You have some good full-time temporary vacancies in restaurants,
hotels and shops, as well as some other good jobs.
2) Student A: You are a student and you want a part-time job. You would like
to work late in the afternoon because you study in the morning. You don’t have
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any work experience. You have a small brother so you know how to deal
with young children. You come to a job agency to see if you could get a suitable
job. Talk to the agent.
Student B: You work in a job agency. A student has come to you to see about a
part-time job. You have some vacancies in hotel and restaurant business but they
require experience. You know a family who needs a baby-sitter for their young
son (age 3). You are not sure whether the student could do the job.
Ex. 5 Work in pairs. Before you read the article below, note down three
things you think candidates should do at a job interview and three things
they shouldn’t do.
Read the text and say how to create a good impression at a job interview.
With unemployment so high, and often scores of applicants chasing every job,
you have to count yourself lucky to be called for an interview. If it's your first,
you're bound to be nervous. But don't let the jitters sidetrack you from the main
issue - which is getting this job. The only way you can do that is by creating a
good impression on the person who is interviewing you. Here's how:
DO
• Find out as much as you can about the job beforehand. Ask the job centre
or employment agency for as much information as possible.
• Jot down your qualifications and experience and think about how they
relate to the job. Why should the employer employ you and not somebody
else?
• Choose your interview clothing with care; no one is going to employ you
if you look as though you've wandered out of a disco. Whether you like it
or not, appearance counts.
• Make sure you know where the interview office is and how to get there.
Be on time, or better, a few minutes early. Have a light meal to eat, and
go to the toilet. If you don't, you may well be thinking about your inside
during the interview.
• Bring a pen; you will probably be asked to fill in an application form.
Answer all the questions as best you can. And write neatly. The
interviewer will be looking at the application during the interview; he or
she must be able to read it.
DON’T
• Ever walk into the interview chewing gum, sucking on a sweet or
smoking. Have a drink beforehand to give you courage.
• Forget to bring with you any school certificates, samples of your work or
letters of recommendation from your teachers or anyone else you might
have worked part-time for.
The interview is designed to find out more about you and to see if you are
suitable for the job. The interviewer will do this by asking you questions. The
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way you answer will show what kind of person you are and if your education,
skills and experience match what they're looking for.
DO
• Make a real effort to answer every question the interviewer asks. Be clear
and concise. Never answer 'Yes' or 'No' or shrug. Admit it if you do not
know something about the more technical aspects of the job. Stress that
you are willing to learn.
• Show some enthusiasm when the job is explained to you. Concentrate on
what the interviewer is saying, and if he or she asks if you have any
questions, have at least one ready to show that you're interested and have
done your homework.
• Sell yourself. This doesn't mean exaggerating (you'll just get caught out)
or making your experience or interests seem unimportant (if you sell
yourself short no one will employ you). Ask questions at the close of the
interview. For instance, about the pay, hours, holidays, or if there is a
training programme.
DON’T
• Forget to shake hands with the interviewer. Smoke or sit down until you
are invited to.
• Give the interviewer a hard, time by giggling, yawning, rambling on
unnecessarily or appearing cocky or argumentative.
• Ever stress poor aspects of yourself, like your problem of getting up in the
morning.
• Always show your best side: especially your keenness to work and your
sense of responsibility.
Role-play the situation:
Student A: You have been called for a job interview. It’s the first job interview
in your life. You are afraid that you’ll behave incorrectly and spoil everything.
Ask your friend to give you some advice.
Student B: Your friend has been invited for an interview. He/she feels really
nervous. He/she is afraid to do it all wrong. Give him/her advice.
Ex. 6 Job interviews.
Read the advertisement. What qualities do you think successful applicants for
this job will need? Do you think you will be able to do the job?
Culture tours is looking for bright, lively people
of all ages to accompany groups of foreign visitors
on tours of your city and country.
If you think you can be a mixture of guide,
diplomat, nursemaid, and leader then we look
forward to hearing from you. No formal
qualifications
necessary,
though
previous
15
experience would be an advantage. We are most
interested in the personal qualities you can bring to
the job. Being a group leader with culture tours is a
rewarding experience, which you will never forget.
Opportunities for full career development for the
right candidates.
Split into groups of 4 or 5. Let 2 students in each group be the interviewers
and 2 or 3 students – interviewees.
Interviewers Decide which ‘tricky situations’ you would like to test each of the
candidates with. Turn to the list of tricky situations (Appendix 4) or invent your
own.
Interviewees Spend a few minutes deciding what you will say. Think of good
answers to the ‘tough questions’ 1-8. Think of a couple of questions to ask about
the job at the end.
Tough interview questions
1. Tell me something you are proud of.
2. What makes you think you could do this job?
3. What kind of leadership qualities do you have?
4. Why did you leave your last job?
5. Do you have any skills or hobbies you think might be useful for this job?
6. What do you think is your greatest fault?
7. How do you feel about spending time away from home?
8. What do you see yourself doing in five year’s time?
When you are ready, hold five-minute interviews.
Agree together who you would choose for the job, and why.
Ex. 7 Act out the following situations.
1A You work as a nurse. You find your job tiring but rewarding. You talk about
it with your friend over a cup of tea.
1B You work as a business executive. You find your job tiring but rewarding
and well paid. Your friend works as a nurse. You don’t think it is the best-suited
job for her. You talk about it over a cup of tea.
2A You have been offered a temporary vacancy of a secretary in a small firm.
You are taking over (replacing) your friend who is going on holiday. Ask
him/her about your responsibilities and working arrangements.
2B You work as a secretary in a small travel agency. Now your friend’s going to
replace you while you are on holiday. Give him/her as many tips as you can.
Answer all his/her questions.
3A You meet your former college mate in a café and she/he tells you she/he
badly needs a job to make some money and asks your advice on where and what
to look for. As you haven’t seen the person for a long time you don’t know
much about him/her, but you remember she didn’t plan to go to university. You
think you saw an advertisement for staff to sell hot dogs, ice cream and
hamburgers in the local paper the other day.
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3B In a café you meet your former college mate who you haven’t seen for
a long time. You badly need a job as you are broke, but you don’t know where
and what exactly to look for. You think the person might give you some tips.
You’d prefer a full time job and are prepared to do almost anything that pays
well, perhaps except for selling hot dogs or hamburgers, as you hate the smell of
onions.
4A You are the manager of a good restaurant. You are about to interview an
applicant for a position of a waitress. You try to find out as much as possible
about her in order to be able to make a decision. Prepare to answer questions
about job conditions, benefits, and pay.
4B You come for an interview for a position of a waitress. You have some
experience and you think that you can convince your prospect employer that you
are qualified for the job. Try to find out all the pertinent information about the
job conditions.
UNIT 3 ENTHUSIASMS
Ex. 1 Group Survey
Split into groups of 4 or 5. Choose one student in each group who will ask the
following questions. Answer the questions using various adverbials of frequency
and adding more details. Report the results of the survey to the whole group.
In your leisure time, do you
often,
regularly,
frequently
sometimes,
occasionally
never,
hardly
ever
1. watch TV?
2. go to the movies?
3. listen to music?
4. play a musical instrument?
5. play or watch sports?
6. ever eat out?
7.ever go to art galleries or
museums?
8. ever go to the theatre/opera or
ballet?
9. read books?
10. go to a disco? go to a party?
Ex. 2 Write down the equipment and qualities that are needed for the
hobbies listed in the table below. You may add ideas of your own.
Equipment: canoe, knitting needles, chessboard, hook, paddles, seeds, uniform,
boots, violin, piano, guitar, trumpet, stamps, ball, album, fishing rod, training
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shoes, wet suit, chess set, thread, gardening tools, helmet, plants, net,
magnifying glass, golf club, tracksuit, leotard, leggings;
Qualities/skills: energetic, bubbling with vitality, patient, creative, observant,
organized, quick, active, persistent, methodical, fit, knowledgeable, courageous,
brave, strong, musical, imaginative, sensitive, smart, neat, nimble, artistic,
tough; to have a good head for heights, to have stamina, to like challenge, to
have a good ear for music; to be a couch potato/ a party animal/ a culturevulture/a bookworm, to have green fingers etc.
EQUIPMENT
QUALITIES/SKILLS
Playing
a
musical violin, piano, guitar, trumpet
patient, persistent, musical
instrument
Basketball
Fishing
Stamp collecting
Canoeing
Knitting
Playing chess
Gardening
Golf
Mountaineering
Dancing/aerobics
Ex. 3 Which sports are played and watched in the following places?
course
pool
track
stadium
ring
pitch
court
rink
alley
Act out the following role-play:
Student A: Your hobby is tennis. You love sports and you don’t normally
approve of “quiet” hobbies like painting, gardening and such like. Tell your
friend about your hobby and ask him/her about his/hers. Perhaps you’ll change
your opinion about “quiet” hobbies.
Student B: Your hobby is knitting. You love making things with your own
hands. You don’t really like sports and games like tennis and football because
you see no sense in them. Tell your friend about your hobby and ask him/her
about his/hers. Perhaps you’ll change your opinion about “active” hobbies.
Ex. 4 Read the following articles about two extreme kinds of sport and be
ready to discuss them. Answer the questions given below. Explain the
underlined words.
A. Windsurfing around Britain
Kevin Cookson, a 23-year-old engineering student, has been keen on
windsurfing for many years. Recently, he set a new record for travelling all the
way round the coast of Great Britain on a windsurf board. “I don’t really know
why I did it”, says Kevin, “just for the fun of it, I suppose”.
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Kevin says that he didn’t have much time to prepare, but he went
running often and supplemented this with trips to the gym to do weight training.
At the start of his journey he was tired and needed a rest after 4 hours, but by the
end he could do ten hours in a row.
Despite lacking both the obsessive ambition and the funds that normally go
with attempts to break records, Kevin made the journey in eight weeks and six
days. He had a budget of &7,000 to cover the whole expedition. Kevin made do
with an inflatable rubber boat and an old van manned by four friends who
followed his progress. Overnight arrangements had to be found along the way.
The team made use of the camping equipment carried in the van, and slept on
the beach. Kevin says he ate a lot of pasta and tuna to keep up his energy.
Kevin recalls that the people they met were really encouraging and thought
what they were doing was great. It was hard work but, but they had a lot of fun
along the way.
B. Wakeboarding
Wakeboarding involves being pulled along at high speed behind a
powerboat, rather like in water skiing, then launching yourself into the air to
perform a series of complicated tricks, as in skateboarding or snowboarding.
Now, that is a feat you’d think required big bones and bulging muscles. But
Tom Finch, a junior champion in this relatively new sport is just 1.44 m. tall
and weighs 38 kilos.
At 14 years old, Tom has been practising the sport for just 2 years, but has
already found competing in his age group almost too easy. “I wakeboard,
because it’s fun”, he said with a smile, “and scary!” What makes him so good?
Perhaps putting on a wetsuit, whatever he weather, and practising for at least
two hours every day. He also buys and studies every new wakeboarding video
and spends hours working on every new trick, finding new ways to twist and
turn his small body. He’s also not afraid to take advice from people better than
him.
This sport is on the up. Even on the rainy, windy day there’s a queue of
eager bodies in wetsuits getting into the freezing water at the water sports
centre near London where Tom trains.
Tom knows no fear and wants one day to be a professional.
C. Answer the questions:
1. Did you know anything about these sports before reading the articles?
2. Are you aware of the difference between skateboarding, snowboarding and
wakeboarding?
3. What qualities are needed to do these kinds of sport?
4. Do you know why people risk their lives doing such dangerous sports?
5. Which of the two would you choose? Why? Why not? Would you allow
your child to take up wakeboarding or windsurfing or any other risky sport?
D. Interview Tom Finch or Kevin Cookson.
19
Ex. 5 Talk show “Unusual hobbies!”
Choose one student who will be the host. The host is supposed to conduct the
show, asking the guests different questions. The rest of the students tell about
their hobbies one by one trying to impress the audience. Discuss each other’s
hobbies, the reasons for taking them up, good and bad sides of each hobby, etc.
You may use the following list of hobbies as a hint or think of your own unusual
hobby.
flying a hot-air balloon
sky-diving
windsurfing
parasailing
horse-riding
keeping exotic animals
keeping budgerigars
Ex. 6 Choose a situation and act it out.
1A You feel the need to take up a hobby to make life more fulfilling, preferably
something active. You don’t want it to be too complicated or dangerous, but you
don’t want it to be boring either. Ask your experienced friend for advice.
1B You have always been an active person and tried different sports and outdoor
activities. You are particularly keen on hiking, but have other interests too: you
are a great theatregoer. Your friend asks for your advice about a hobby to take
up. Think of something you could recommend.
2A You have a lot of on-line friends, you’re an experienced Internet user and
you can’t live without it. You mother thinks that you are missing your real life
spending your time on-line. She tries to make you spend more time doing your
homework or playing with friends, but not on the computer. Make her see that
the Internet is a really cool thing, that your on-line friends are real too, they just
live on the other side of the world. You are not missing out on your real life, on
the contrary, your life is full and interesting.
2B Your son/daughter has a lot of on-line friends, he/she is an experienced
Internet user and he/she can’t live without it. You think that he/she is missing
out on his/her real life spending his/her time on-line. You try to make him/her
spend more time doing his/her homework or playing with friends, but not on the
computer.
3A You have been very busy lately, you are an interpreter and you have a lot to
do. You have noticed that you have headaches more and more often, you feel
tired very quickly whatever you do, and all you want is sleep. You heard that
some hobbies could be good for you. You are a bit skeptical about it but you’re
willing to try. Consult your psychiatrist.
3B You are a psychiatrist. Your patient is an interpreter. She has been very busy
lately and she has noticed that she has headaches more and more often, she feels
tired very quickly whatever she does, and all she wants is sleep. She heard that
20
some hobbies could be good for health. She is a bit skeptical about it but she is
willing to try. Give her advice about which hobby she should take up.
Ex.7. Give a two-minute talk about how you spend your free time.
Remember to say:
how much free time you have;
what activities you do in your free time;
what you would do if you had more free time;
if the way in which you spend your free time has changed over the years.
Be ready to answer the teacher’s questions.
UNIT 4 LAWBREAKERS
Ex. 1 Discuss the following questions
• What is a crime? Comment on the phrase “Crime does not pay”.
• Make a list of crimes. Which do you consider major/minor offences?
What sentence should be given for committing these crimes?
• Have you ever been a witness to a crime? How did you feel? What would
you do if you saw somebody breaking into your neighbour’s house/flat?
• Name the main participants of a typical court trial.
• Can you think of any recent court trials where you feel the law has been
unjust?
Ex.2 Consult a dictionary and pick out the vocabulary dealing with crime,
criminals, punishment etc. Draw your own spider grams.
Ex. 3 How safe and secure are you? Ask each other the following questions
and report the results to your group.
No
Yes
0
1
1) Do you often walk in areas, which are not safe?
0
2
2) Do you often walk on your own in these areas late
at night?
0
1
3) Do you wear an expensive watch or expensive
jewellery?
2
0
4) Do you lock doors and windows before you leave
the house?
1
0
5) Do you have a burglar alarm?
1
0
6) Do you leave lights on when you go out?
2
0
7) Is there someone who protects the building when
you are out?
1
0
8) Do you have a safe in your home?
Add up your score. Less than 3=very safe, 3-5=quite safe, 6-8=you could take
more care, more than 8=you are a dangerous person to know!
21
What things can people do to prevent different crimes? Do you
think the police should carry guns? Do you think the police should be
allowed to stop people without a reason? Do you agree that tougher
punishments will help to reduce/prevent crime?
Ex. 4 What precautions do you take to protect yourself and your property?
Read the text and say what tips you find sensible.
Here is some information about crime and what you can do to prevent it. It is the
job of the police to fight crime, but we can all help to bring crime down. Most
crime is against property, not people, and not many crimes are carefully
planned. Most are committed by young men on the spur of the moment when
they see the chance – possessions left in a car, or a door or window to a house
left open. But you can reduce the risk by securing your car and home. This will
also help the police, by giving them more time to tackle serious crime. And
that’s good for you and your family – because it makes your neighbourhood a
safer place to live in.
Personal safety
• If you often walk home in the dark, get a personal attack alarm from a
DIY store or ask your local crime prevention officer where you can buy one.
Carry it in your hand so you can use it immediately to scare off an attacker.
Make sure it is designed to continue sounding if it’s dropped or falls to the
ground.
• Carry your bag with the clasp facing inwards. Carry your house keys in
your pocket. If someone grabs your bag, let it go. If you hang on, you could get
hurt. Remember your safety is more important than your property.
• If you think someone is following you, and you have checked by crossing
the street, then go to the nearest place where there are other people – a pub or
anywhere with a lot of lights on – and call the police. Avoid using an enclosed
phone box in the street, as the attacker could trap you inside.
• Don’t take short cuts through dark alleys, parks. Walk facing the traffic so
a car cannot pull up behind you unnoticed.
• You should of course be extremely careful about letting people into your
home if you don’t know them particularly well. If you do, but start to feel
uneasy or threatened, don’t hesitate to leave yourself. Make an excuse, such as
“I think I heard the cat at the door”, and go to a neighbour or a friend and ask
them to come back with you.
Looking after your property
• Be alert to people loitering in residential streets, if it’s no one you
recognize, call the police.
• The best defences against strangers are a viewer or spy hole in the door
and a stout door chain. Remember; if in doubt keep them out.
• Never leave a spare key in a hiding place like under a doormat, in a
flowerpot or inside the letterbox – a thief will look there first.
22
• Never leave a garage or garden shed unlocked, especially if it has a
connecting door to the house. Lock tools and ladders away so that a thief cannot
use them to break in.
• Make sure your doors are of strong, solid core construction; fit them with
deadlocks (which can only be opened with a key).
• Don’t advertise your absence when you are on holiday, or even out at
work or shopping. Use time switches – available from DIY shops – to turn on
lights, radios and other appliances while you are out.
• Get a friend or neighbour to look after your home when you are on
holiday – to collect mail left in the letterbox, adjust the curtains, sweep up leaves
and generally make the house look lived in. If you go away cancel the milk and
newspapers.
Act out the situation:
Student A: You are going on holiday. You are worried about the safety of your
flat. Ask your friend to give you some advice on how to make your flat safe.
Student B: Your friend is going on holiday and worried about the safety of your
flat. He/she feels really nervous. Give him/her advice on how to make his/her
flat safe.
Ex. 5 Do you have the death penalty in your country? If so, for what
offences? If not, what is the severest punishment that can be given?
What is your attitude to the death penalty? Do you consider it morally
wrong?
Read the text below and answer these questions: How did the writer feel
about the death penalty before the attack? How does the writer feel now?
My sister was walking home from work two years ago when two men
stopped her and tried to steal her handbag. She resisted and they stabbed her in
the heart. The police caught them. They were found guilty of murder and they
are now in prison. That’s when I changed my views on the death penalty.
Before that, it was pretty easy to be liberal and to say that I didn’t believe in
capital punishment. But not now. There was no doubt that the police caught my
sister’s killers: there were eyewitnesses; there was forensic evidence. I thought
those guys should die for what they did. They not only took her life, they
changed the lives of her family and friends. The lives of her husband and her
two little children will never be the same.
Some people say that if you execute a murderer you become a murderer
yourself, but that’s not the way I see it. If you take someone’s life, you lose the
right to keep your own. If you murder someone, you should be forced to
experience the same horror as your victim: pain and suffering, and the
anticipation of the end of your life. People think that is cruel. But my sister
didn’t have the luxury of saying goodbye.
Some people also think that death is the easy way out for a murderer – that
life imprisonment means a lifetime of suffering in prison. I don’t think so. Life
imprisonment is a lifetime of hot meals, reading and television – at the
23
taxpayer’s expense. That is not a suitable punishment for a murderer.
But death is.
How do you feel about the writer’s views: surprised, shocked,
sympathetic, horrified?
If you were the writer, would you want the death penalty for the killers?
Why?
List the arguments that the writer makes FOR and AGAINST the death
penalty. Add other arguments of your own.
Ex. 6 Match the headlines with the crimes.
KIDNAPPING
ARSON
HIJACKING
MUGGING
BURGLARY
ASSASSINATION
FACTORY FIRE “NO ACCIDENT”
GUNMAN FORCES PILOT TO LAND IN
DESERT
BOY SNATCHED FROM MUM IN PARK
PRESIDENT KILLED BY SINGLE BULLET
PENSIONER
ATTACKED
IN
TOWN
CENTRE FOR $5
“REMOVERS” EMPTY THREE HOUSES
Make your own story about the crime to fit one of the newspaper headlines.
Give some details about the crime and the court case, using as many words
from the unit as possible.
Ex. 7 What is hoisting? Read the text and describe the techniques of
hoisting.
“I just couldn’t do it. I don’t know what it is. It’s not embarrassment; it’s putting
your head in a noose. I tell you what. It’s too blatant for my liking” Derek, an
armed robber with a long record of bank jobs, was talking about hoisting (shoplifting). After a few conversations with professional hoisters, I realized what he
was talking about.
The first member of the gang would walk in nice and purposefully. Their job
was to set up the goods: perhaps put an elastic band round the ends of a few
dozen silk scarves; move the valuable pieces of jewellery nearer the edge of the
counter; slide the ties on the rack into a compact bunch. Then, while somebody
else diverts the assistant, the third member lifts the lot. No one is in possession
for more than a few seconds. Store detectives who move forward with wellfounded suspicions may still find themselves clutching empty air.
Store detectives watch for three main give-aways: any sort of loitering, which
looks different from the usual hanging around and dithering that characterizes
the real customer; any covert contact between individuals who’ve shown no
other sign of knowing each other; any over-friendliness towards sales staff
which might be acting as distraction.
24
Role-play the situation:
Student A: You are shopping and see two teenagers nicking packets of chewing
gum from the counter. You come to a store detective and tell him/her about the
crime. Try to remember as many details as possible.
Student B: You are a store detective. A woman comes up to you and says that
she has just seen two teenagers stealing from the shop you work in. Find out as
much as possible about the crime.
Student C: You are shopping with your friend. Suddenly you notice a woman
talking to the store detective and pointing at you. Then they come up to you.
Talk to the detective and the woman.
Ex. 8 Make up dialogues, based on the following situations while preparing
for the exam.
1A You are waiting for your friend in a café and you hear a news report about a
murder of a well-known politician. Discuss it with your friend when he/she
comes.
1B You meet with your friend in a café. He/she has just heard a news report
about a murder of a well-known politician. Discuss it with him/her. 2A Your
neighbours’ house was burgled last night. In fact, you saw two very strange men
standing near the house yesterday. A policeman comes to you and asks you a
few questions. Try to remember as many details as possible.
2B You are a police officer. A house was burgled in your neighbourhood last
night. You are questioning the witnesses. Find out as much as possible about the
crime.
3A You and your friends have just had a great party celebrating the end of the
term. You want to do something special. Suddenly your friend suggests that you
take his/her neighbour’s car to joyride. You don’t like the idea. Talk to your
friend and explain why it’s a wrong thing to do.
3B You and your friends have just had a great party celebrating the end of the
term. You want to do something special. Suddenly you notice your neighbour’s
car parked outside. You know that your neighbour never locks it. So you
suggest “borrowing” the car for a couple of hours and then returning it. For
some reason, your friend doesn’t like the idea. Try to persuade her/him that
there’s nothing dangerous in it.
Ex. 9 Court sittings
A woman is to appear in court charged with murdering a man who had killed her
husband and baby daughter in a drink-driving accident. The man had been
allowed to go free, with a five-year driving ban and a fine of £250. The woman,
shocked by the light punishment, went to the man’s house and, after an
argument, shot him dead. She then went to the police and admitted killing him.
Work in pairs. Try to think of as many reasons as possible why the woman
should be found guilty or not guilty of murder. Decide what you think the
result of the trial should be. Then share your ideas with the rest of the
group.
25
Read the following information and then role-play the court trial
according to the details given.
Choose one of the roles below:
• the judge (It is your job to make sure the trial runs smoothly and fairly.
Don’t let things get out of hand. When all the evidence has been heard ask
the jury to decide if the accused is guilty or not.)
• the defending counsel (You will have to put your client in the witness box
and try to get her to prove her innocence. You may call witnesses.)
• the prosecuting counsel (It is your job to get your witnesses to give
evidence that will convince the jury that the accused is guilty. You will
also have a chance to pick holes in the evidence of the accused.)
• the accused
• the witnesses
• the jury (It is your job to listen to the evidence and decide whether the
accused is guilty or not.)
The procedure at the trial is as follows:
1. The prosecuting counsel makes a speech saying why the accused is guilty.
2. The defense counsel makes a speech saying why the accused is innocent.
3. The prosecuting counsel puts his/her witness(es) in the witness stand and
gets them to tell the court what they know. The defending counsel tries to
find fault with what the witness has said.
4. The procedure is reversed: now the defending counsel puts a witness in
the stand.
5. The defending counsel makes a closing speech to the jury saying why
they should acquit the accused.
6. The prosecuting attorney makes a speech saying why the jury should find
the accused guilty.
7. The jury make their decision.
8. The judge passes sentence or sets the accused free.
26
UNIT 5 WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
Ex. 1 Go through the following pollution problems with their solutions. You
can also suggest alternative solutions.
What are the causes of these problems?
Problems
acid rain
smog
food contamination
global warming/greenhouse effect
depletion of our natural resources
road congestion
damage to the ozone layer
ugly surroundings
general contamination
harm to wildlife
Solutions
factory legislation
unleaded petrol
natural pest control
alternative energy sources
recycling materials
public transport
boycotting pollutants
responsible attitude
bio-degradable packaging
awareness of animal’rights
Ex. 2 What is recycling? Why is recycling important today?
Read the texts below, then answer the questions that follow.
In the world today the rubbish is piling up. In Britain alone, 16-20 million
tons of rubbish are thrown away every year. In many countries huge amounts of
waste products are buried in landfill sites. However, space is running out and in
some cases so are many natural resources. In this case governments and
environmentalists worldwide have to turn to the option of mass recycling.
Unfortunately not all rubbish can rot away to nothing. Natural materials such
as food and most paper products will break down over a period of time, but
other products such as glass, metals and plastics may never break down. So
reusing these things in a different form becomes essential. This is recycling:
reclaiming products that may at first appear to have fulfilled their useful life.
Nearly a third of all household rubbish is paper. And this paper that is
thrown away is surprisingly difficult to break down; even in a warm damp
environment it can take tree months. In a dry environment the breakdown
process of paper will take much longer. Newspapers thrown away in landfill
sites can take years to break down. Recycling paper is becoming more popular,
but as imported paper can be cheaper, the market for recycled paper may be
limited. Meanwhile the world’s forests are being reduced at the rate of a football
pitch per second, since about 180 trees are needed for 1 ton of paper.
Some metals, such as tin, may eventually rust away, but this is a long process
taking up to ten years or more. Drinks cans are made of aluminium which will
never rust or decay. Every year 135,000 tons of drinks cans are thrown away in
England. Around half of all soft drinks and beer cans are recycled, the main
reason being that it is cheaper to recycle aluminium than it is to make it.
27
Food remains can normally be broken down quite quickly. However,
the environmental conditions have to be favourable for this breakdown. For
instance, a lump of sugar would disappear quickly in most environments, but in
the Arctic it would take considerably longer. Perhaps the best way of recycling
food waste is to form a compost heap with it, allowing the remains to
decompose and later using it as a natural fertilizer for the garden.
Plastics are popular as they last a long time. This fact alone makes them
difficult to break down. Hundreds of millions of tons of many different types of
plastics are produced worldwide each year. Even though new types of recyclable
plastic are being produced, plastics cannot break down completely. However,
advancements are being made into recycling plastics to be used for building
materials and the like.
• How long does paper take to break down?
• Why do people recycle aluminium?
• How long does it take for metals to break down?
• Is food waste easy to recycle?
• What is the best way of recycling food waste?
• Why is plastic difficult to recycle?
Fill in the gaps with one of the words from the list below.
throw, natural, recycled, compost heap, rain, waste, protect, industry, recycling,
fertilizer
As inhabitants of this earth, we all have a duty to _______ the environment.
Together we can save endangered species and the _______ forests. We should
contribute to environmental protection by finding new ways of using products
we ______ away.
Nowadays recycling is an ______ . As the world’s _______ resources run
out, manufactures must find ways of reusing products. For example, old tires
can be melted down and reshaped.
What we can do to help our environment?
We can sort our _______ by separating it and then taking it to the appropriate
________ bins. We can reuse things as jars and envelopes. We can buy _______
products like stationery. We can transform our waste food into a _______ which
we may use as _______ for our gardens later.
Role-play the following situation:
Student A: You’re a busy housewife. You are worried about a large amount of
paper that is piling up in your hall. There are old newspapers, advertisement
leaflets that you receive by mail and never actually read, etc. You feel it’s
probably not correct to throw them away but you also don’t want to keep them
at home any more. Discuss the problem with your neighbour.
Student B: You are a housewife. Your neighbour tells you about the problem
she is having with all the unnecessary paper she has in her house. You receive
advertisement leaflets and newspapers, too, but you don’t keep them in your
home. You collect them and then sell them to the paper factory. You are
28
convinced that it’s irrational to throw paper and other reusable stuff away. It
should be recycled and used again. Tell your neighbour about your views and
help her solve the paper problem.
Ex. 3 Read the article and say how the greenhouse effect operates and what
effects it has.
As long the 1960s Professor Bert Bolin predicted that the “global
warming” caused by an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the
atmosphere, would lead to significant changes in the earth’s climate.
But how does the Greenhouse Effect operate and why such a tiny
proportion of CO2 have such a harmful effect? When living creatures breathe out
and when things are burned, CO2 enters the atmosphere. Until recently all of this
was absorbed by trees and plants, which converted it back into oxygen. But the
balance of nature has been disturbed. In power stations, in factories and in cars
we are burning more and more fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas). 18 billion tons
of CO2 enter the atmosphere every year. And the destruction of forests means
that there are fewer trees to convert the CO2 into oxygen. As sunlight enters the
atmosphere, the surface of the earth is warmed. Some of this heat escapes back
into space, but the rest is trapped by CO2, which acts rather like the glass in a
greenhouse, allowing sunshine and heat to pass in but not out again.
Consequently, the temperature rises.
Indeed the first effects will be felt by the end of the century – perhaps they
are already being felt…
According to some scientists, the polar icecaps will start to melt and the
oceans will expand as more snow and ice melts. The level of the sea will have
risen by 2050. This will affect many low-lying areas of the world.
Many areas may suffer: the southern states of the USA can expect hotter
summers and less rainfall, leading to worse conditions for agriculture, and the
Mediterranean region may well be much drier and hotter than now. In the Sahara
and sub-Saharan regions of Africa, scenes of drought and famine would become
even more common than they are today. Coastal cities like Rio de Janeiro would
experience severe flooding. Tropical storms would become far more frequent,
inflicting greater damage than ever on the islands’ houses and vegetation.
Explain these headlines using the text above. Say what could be done to
improve the situation:
•
•
•
•
•
•
TEMPERATURES ARE RISING
LANDS ARE FLOODING
DISEASES WILL SPREAD
FORESTS ARE BURNING
THE POLES ARE MELTING
HURRICANES ARE GETTING WORSE
29
Role-play the following situation using the information from the
article above:
Student A: You’ve watched a TV programme where the problem of global
warming was discussed. You become very concerned about it and discuss it with
your friend.
Student B: Your friend has watched a TV programme about the threat of global
warming. He is very concerned about it. Discuss it with him/her. Express your
opinion about the matter.
Ex. 4 Communication Activity “Clean environment for future generations”
Work in groups of three.
Three groups present their projects concerning protection of our environment.
Choose one aspect (preservation of forests, wild animals, cleaning towns,
fighting water contamination, protecting the ozone layer, etc.) Your aim is to
get a grant to bring your project to life.
One group of students is the grant committee. It’s up to you to listen to the
presentations and decide which one deserves a grant.
Ex. 5 Here are some optional situations for you to practise.
1A You have recently become a member of “Friends of the Earth” and now
know a lot about protecting the environment. Share this knowledge with your
friend who is not environmentally conscious. She throws away her old
newspapers and she has recently started smoking.
1B You don’t really understand why everyone is making so much fuss about
protecting the environment. You are sure that in your household everything’s all
right. You have started smoking, you use disposable containers in the kitchen,
you throw your old newspapers away and you are thinking of buying a second
car.
2A You are a businessman, you have a very prosperous business producing
disposable plates, spoons and forks. Because they are disposable, people throw
them away after they use them once, and that means that they will buy your
goods again, and that will bring you money. Your young daughter who is
supposed to run your business when you get old disagrees with you. She is
against the disposable stuff idea. Make her understand disposable stuff is
necessary in people’s life because it is convenient and recycling it would be loss
of money.
2B You are the daughter of a rich businessman who produces disposable plates
and spoons etc. He wants you to run the company when he is old but you don’t
want to. You are deeply against the idea of disposable stuff because people
throw it away and pollute the nature. Plastic containers rot very long and may
not disappear at all. You want to make your father understand this. Also, suggest
collecting used plastic containers to recycle them.
3A You and your friends go to the forest. Of course, you make a fire. Then an
angry mushroom-lover appears and tells you to put it out. You are surprised and
30
annoyed, you tell him you’ll are not going to set the whole forest on fire,
but while you’re arguing the fire, unattended, gets out of control and spreads.
3B You are a retired gentleman. You love mushrooms. You pick them in the
nearby forest. You go there and come across a group of young people who have
just made a fire and are going to bake potatoes. You stop and start telling them
off. You lecture them on how dangerous it is and that fire can damage the forest,
it is dangerous for the forest animals and trees. The young people argue with
you. As you argue, a great forest fire begins…
31
FUNCTIONS BANK
OPINION
Asking about opinions
What do you think of / feel about …?
What’s you opinion of / about …?
Do you have any views on …?
How do you find/ feel about … ?
In your opinion, ….?
Expressing opinions
In my opinion/view…
To my mind, …
From my point of view …
It seems to me that…
As far as I’m concerned…
As far as I can see it…
If you want my opinion/ If you ask me, ….
Not giving an opinion
I don’t know enough about it to form an
opinion, I’m afraid.
I can see both points of view actually.
I really don’t know what I think any more.
Who cares?
I can’t care less!
Agreeing with an opinion
Strongly:
You are quite / absolutely right.
That’s (exactly) what I think (about it).
I couldn’t agree with you more.
I quite / absolutely agree with you.
You’ve got the point there. (informal)
Reluctantly:
Yes, perhaps you are right.
Well, I suppose you may / could be right.
I agree to a point / in a way.
Disagreeing with an opinion
Gently:
Are you sure about that?
I’m not so sure / certain about that, I’m
afraid.
There’s something in what you said, but…
I see what you mean, but…
Strongly:
But surely that can’t be right / you
don’t really think…
No, I’m afraid I disagree with you
I have to differ / I’m of a different
opinion…
You can’t be serious!
You must be joking!
Introducing opinions you don’t
agree with
It’s fashionable to think…
There’s a widespread opinion
that…
Some people might argue / say
that…
It as often said that…
Showing the real picture
…, but in fact…
…, but I can’t agree with it as …
…, but we must remember…
This point of view, however,
ignores the fact that…
This idea sounds reasonable, but
it fails to take into account the
fact…
Introducing opinions you agree
with
Most people would agree that…
It is generally agreed/well-known
that...
One can state with confidence
that…
It goes without saying…
Conclusions
In general…
Generally speaking…
All in all…
In conclusion…
To sum up…
32
PRACTICE
1. What do you think about women’s rights?
I believe women should have equal rights.
2. What’s your opinion on nuclear weapons?
It seems to me that without nuclear weapons there would be more wars.
3. Do you agree there is plenty of energy for everyone?
I don’t know enough about it to form an opinion, I’m afraid.
4. In your opinion, are adverts interesting or a waste of time?
Surely they are a waste of time.
5. Do you think all war is wrong or some wars are necessary?
I can see both points of view actually.
6. It says here that schools should teach facts.
Well, I agree with that.
7. I think the rich pay too little tax.
I wouldn’t say that. I think they pay too much.
EXERCISES
1. Express your opinions about the following statements:
• Parents are too permissive with their children nowadays.
• TV is the greatest invention of the 20th century.
• Grammar rules do not actually help you to speak English.
• The more words you know the more fluently you’ll be able to speak.
• You learn much more from newspapers than books.
• Living in the city is better than living in the country.
• Football is a boring game.
• Dangerous sports should be prohibited.
• Money makes the world go round.
• Life is what you make of it.
2. Make short conversations in the following situations:
1) A friend of yours and you are talking about traffic problems in the city
you live. Ask for your friend’s opinion about the solution to these
problems.
2) You friend who is 19 years old wants to move out of his/her parents’
home. He/She has a job and thinks he/she can support himself/herself.
Your friends’ parents do not approve of his/her intention. Give your
opinion.
3) Your friend is 25. She is a university graduate. She has met a man who is
impatient to marry her. She loves him too but she wants to finish
postgraduate studies before marriage. She would like to know your
opinion.
4) Your friend and you are discussing the importance of vitamins for people.
Your friend believes that with the right vitamins in the right balance you
33
will have more energy and
vitality and that vitamins keep
one younger-looking and physically fit. You doubt that taking vitamins
does everyone any good.
5) At a staff meeting your headmaster was describing the possibility of using
computers in education. In his/her opinion the use of computers makes it
possible to teach foreign languages more efficiently. A colleague of yours
thinks that it is sheer waste of time and money. Express your point of
view.
ADVICE
Asking for advice
I’m not sure what to do…
I don’t know much about…
Could/Can you give/offer me some
advice?
I was wondering if you could do…
What would you do in my place/position?
What would you do if you were me?
What do you suggest I should do?
What shall I do ?
Giving advice, recommendations, and
persuading
I’d recommend/ strongly advise you to…
The best thing you can do is to…
It might be a good idea if you…
I should … if I were you.
If I were you, I’d…
Why don’t you…
You could…
How about… (+ noun or …ing)
What about… (+ noun or …ing)
Have you thought of… (+ noun or …ing)
Accepting advice
Yes, I think I’ll take / follow your
advice.
Yes, what / that’s a good idea.
That sounds / seems like a good
idea / advice.
Yes, I’ll do / try that.
Rejecting advice
Thank
you
for
the
advice/recommendation, but (I
think) I’d rather / better / prefer to
…(all the same).
That’s not a good idea, I’m afraid.
EXERCISES
1. Make short conversations in the following situations.
1) Your cousin is having problems with her children, who never do anything
she says. She comes to see you.
2) Your boyfriend asks you to marry him. You cannot decide what to do, and
ask your mother for advice.
3) A friend of yours wants to buy a dog. He lives in a small city flat and
works all day. Give him your advice.
4) A tourist in your town asks you to recommend places to visit. Give him
your advice, with reasons why.
34
5) Your
friend
has
been
overworking for a long time.
Now he / she is suffering from headaches and sleeplessness. As a result he
/ she can’t concentrate on his / her work.
2. Problem solving. Say what you think the person should do in the following
situations:
1) Will she pay?
Last year my girlfriend wanted to take a business course but she didn’t have
enough money. Her parents couldn’t help so I lent her the money. Now she’s
finished the course, and has found a good job, but she hasn’t offered to pay me
back any of the money. I’ve mentioned it once or twice, but she just laughs and
talks about something else. I love my girlfriend, but I want my money back too.
2) She doesn’t like me.
I’ve got a good job in an office, which I really enjoy. Recently, we got a new
manager, and for some reason she doesn’t like me. I’ve tried to be friendly to
her, but she criticizes me all the time. I’ve got good qualifications, and I work
hard, and I could easily find another job somewhere else. But I’d rather stay
where I am.
3) My son steals
We are an ordinary married couple with two children, an 11-year-old boy and a
4-year-old girl. Two years ago, my son started to steal from me. If I catch him,
he cries a lot and promises never to do it again. I don’t think he is unhappy: we
get on well as a family, and we do all things together in the evenings and at
weekends. We give him plenty of pocket money, too. I just can’t understand
why he keeps on stealing.
4) Will marriage bring love?
I recently broke up with a man I loved and he married another girl. I have been
going out with someone else ever since. He’s 29 and I’m 26. Now he has asked
me to marry him and I suppose I would be mad to refuse. But I don’t love him,
though I’m fond of him. I live in a small village so I’m unlikely to get another
chance. I don’t want to be left on the self. My mother says love grows if you
marry someone who is good to you. Do you think she is right?
5) I’m restless
Six years ago, when I was 24, I married my first and only boyfriend. We now
have two lovely children and my husband I good and kind. I should be happy,
but I’m not. I feel that life is passing me by and that I married too young. And
I’m now building a fantasy world around a friend’s husband. I suppose I should
be ashamed. Can you help me?
3. Sound advice (game).
Divide the class into groups of three or four and copy one set of cards for each
group. The cards should be placed face down in a pile on the table in the centre
of each group. The first player should take the card from the top of the pile and
describe the situation outlined on the card to the other players, asking for advice.
The other players should offer advice. The first player should award the card to
35
the player whose advice he/she likes best. Then the second player may take
a card from the pile and so on. The object of the game is to collect as many
cards as possible; the player with the most at the end of the game is the winner.
1.You are fed up with your job. You 2. You think your husband / wife is
don’t like your colleagues and you are seeing another woman/man. You found
some letters in a drawer in the desk.
bored with the work.
You haven’t mentioned this to him/her
yet.
3.You’ve just moved to a new town. 4.You want to give up smoking. You
You don’t know anyone and you feel think you’ve tried all the possible ways
already.
lonely.
5.You are fed up with the other
people in your flat. They never do any 6. You want to improve your English.
housework.
7. You’ve been quarrelling with your 8. You live at home and you hate it.
boy/girlfriend a lot recently.
You quarrel with your parents nearly
every day and you are all getting on
each other’s nerves.
11. You’ve got to buy a birthday 12. Your mother-in-law lives next door.
present for your boss and you’ve no She is always “dropping in” and usually
idea what to get.
finds something to criticize.
13.You’ve put on weight recently and 14. You can’t find a job.
you don’t feel fit.
15. You want to travel this summer 16. Your daughter has started coming
home very late at nights. She is rude
but you don’t have enough money.
and sulky. You don’t like the friends
she is mixing with.
36
LIKES, DISLIKES AND PREFERENCES
Likes
I (really) like / enjoy / love…
I’m (really / very) fond of / interested in
/ keen on …
I find it (really) enjoyable / relaxing…
I’m crazy / mad about …
I’m a book / music / art / ballet lover.
I’m a great football / film fan.
I’m a theatre/cinema/concert/opera
goer.
Dislikes
I don’t (really) like…
I’m not ( really) fond of / keen on…
I find it (a bit / rather) boring / dull…
I (really / absolutely) hate / detest /
can’t bear / can’t stand …
Preferences
Asking for preferences
Which do you prefer / like better…?
Would you like… ?/Would you
rather…?
Do you feel like …?/Do you fancy … ?
Stating preferences
I prefer … (tennis to football)
I’d rather/ sooner …(dance than jog)
I don’t mind… (dancing)
Having no preference
I’m easy, I’ll do whatever you decide.
Both sound equally good to me.
It’s all the same to me.
It (really) doesn’t matter. It’s up to
you. Whatever you like. You choose.
PRACTICE
– There‘s a crime thriller on BBC-1 at eight o’clock, or would you prefer
the nature series?
– I’d rather watch the film than the nature series.
– We could watch Sports night on ITV at eleven fifteen, or there’s a play on.
– I feel more like the play myself.
- Do you want to watch the news or Sports night?
- You choose.
- Well, I’d prefer to watch the news, I must say.
- Let’s do that, then.
- Would you rather watch table-tennis or a quiz programme?
- Whichever you like.
- Well, I’d sooner watch the table tennis.
- Let’s do that then.
EXERCISES
1. Express your likes and dislikes in the following situations.
1) Your friend is inviting you to a pop music concert. You express a slight
interest, accept the invitation, but show a preference for jazz music.
2) Your friends and you are discussing what to do for the weekend. One of
your friends suggests going to the country for the day. You’d prefer
something more exciting.
3) Your friend wants to bring his / her sister with him / her to your birthday
party. You would prefer him / her not to, so refuse tactfully.
37
4) You are in a shop. You’d like to
buy a present for your mother.
Explain to a salesgirl what your mother would prefer.
5) You’re celebrating your aunt’s birthday. Your aunt offers you different
dishes. You are a vegetarian and love fruit. You hate the smell of fish.
Unfortunately you’re driving and can’t drink.
SUGGESTIONS, MAKING AND CANCELLING PLANS AND
ARRANGEMENTS
Making suggestions
I think that we should do…
It would be a good idea to…
I suggest that we do…
We’d better…We could…
Let’s …Shall we …Why don’t
we…Why not do…
How about … (+…ing)
What about … (+…ing)
Agreeing to a suggestion
That’s a (very) good/splendid idea.
That sounds like a good idea.
What a good idea!
Yes, great/fine!
Disagreeing with a suggestion
That’s a good idea, but I’d rather not.
I don’t think that’s a very good idea.
I don’t think I can/could do it.
I’d rather not discuss this matter at the
moment
Invitations
Would you like to…?
How / What about going…?
Do you feel like going…?
Why don’t you…
Come round (for a chat).
Do you fancy …?
Shall we …?
Accepting an invitation
That would be very nice, thank you.
Yes, I’d like / love you very much.
Yes, very much.
Refusing an invitation
No, I’m afraid / I’m sorry I can’t.
Thank you all the same.
I’d like to, but (I’m afraid) I can’t.
I wish I could, but…
Well, actually, I’m going…
PRACTICE
- Would you like to come to a coffee morning on Wednesday?
- That would be very nice.
- Do come to the disco on Saturday night.
- I’d love to but I’m afraid I can’t.
- What are you doing for your holiday?
- We were going to France, but everything’s fallen through.
- What are you going to do in the USA?
- I’m going to stay on a ranch, but otherwise I don’t have any plans.
- What do you plan to do in Italy?
- I’m planning to visit famous art galleries, but otherwise I’m leaving it
open.
38
EXERCISES
1. Make up short conversations in the following situations.
1) Someone asks you for suggestions for a birthday party: when and
where to have it, who to invite, what food to serve, what kind of music
to have. Make practical suggestions.
2) Your little brother doesn’t know what to do one evening, and he is
getting on your nerves. Suggest something that might occupy him.
3) Suggest various things for your family to do together next weekend.
4) Some friends have invited you to spend the weekend with them in the
country but you have too much work to do. Decline the invitation
politely.
5) You are ill and realize that you won’t be able to go to the theatre with
your boy/girlfriend the following evening. Call him / her to explain
and invite him/her to your own house at a later date.
2. What a cock-up! (role play)
The game may be played with 8-16 students. For groups of 8, use the role cards:
Alice, Anthea, Richard, Tom, Anna, Jean, Jeff, Bob. For larger groups add the
following pairs: Andrew and Tessa, Tina and Janet, Tim and Sue, Alex and
Maggie.
The object of the game is to make satisfactory arrangements for the evening.
The game is played in three phases.
Phase one: The participants should interact in pairs in the following groupings,
following the details on their role cards: Alice and Anthea, Richard and Tom,
Anna and Jean, Jeff and Bob, Andrew and Tessa, Tina and Janet, Tim and Sue,
Alex and Maggie, Tony and John, Sarah and Linda.
Phase two: The participants should regroup into their families: The Jones
family, The Parsons family, The Thompson family, The Peters family. Tell
students that it is now about 5 o’clock. Everyone in the family has come home
from work, and begins to discuss their plans for the evening. Warn the students
that some conflicts are likely to occur, and tell them to sort out the conflict,
reconsidering their plans and making other arrangements.
Phase three: Groupings as in phase one: Participants telephone each other to
make any rearrangements necessary.
Anthea Thompson
Alice Jones
You are expecting your friends Anthea You have been invited out by your
and Richard Thompson to dinner that friends Alice and Bob Jones tonight. You
evening. They have no car and will be have no car, so will be going by train.
coming by train. Your husband, Bob, Ring Alice to tell her what time you and
will meet them at the station. Anthea your husband Richard will be arriving.
will ring to let you know when they will You will arrive at the station at 7.35.
be arriving. Arrange when to pick them There are trains back at 11.30 and 12.00.
up at the station.
39
Richard Thompson
Ring your old friend Tom Parsons and
invite him and his wife Anna round for a
drink at your house tonight. About eightish.
Anna Parsons
You and your husband Tom are giving a
dinner party for a few friends tonight
and you are expecting a call from your
friend Jean to confirm that she and her
husband can come. Dinner will be
around eight.
Jeff Peters
You always play darts with your old
friend Bob Jones on a Tuesday night.
Tonight is Tuesday, so you are
expecting a phone call to confirm
tonight’s arrangements. Ask if he can
pick you up in his car from your house –
you’ll be ready about seven-ish.
Andrew Jones
Ring your girlfriend Tessa and ask her
out for a drink tonight. You can use your
parents’ car and pick her up any time
after six. Find out where and when you
should meet.
Tina Jones
There’s a new film on at the Odeon – a
thriller, you think. Ring your friend
Janet and ask if she’d like to see it with
you tonight. You think you can use your
parents’ car. The film starts at 7.15.
Arrange a time and place to pick her up.
Tim Parsons
You have decided to give a party tonight
in your parents’ house (you are pretty
sure they’re going out to dinner). Ring
your friend Sue and invite her. There’ll
be about 15-20 people. Ask her to come
around eight-ish with a bottle of wine.
Tom Parsons
Your old friend Richard Thompson has
promised to ring you sometime this week
to invite you and your wife Anna round
for a drink. You are free anytime this
week, so agree to go wherever suits him.
Jean Peters
You and your husband Jeff have been
invited to dinner tonight by Anna and
Tom Parsons. Ring to confirm
arrangements – your daughter Tessa has
agreed to baby-sit, so you’d love to
come. Ask what time to arrive and offer
to bring some wine.
Bob Jones
Tonight is Tuesday – the day you always
play darts with your old friend Jeff at the
Red Lion pub. Give him a ring just to
confirm the arrangements. Offer to pick
him up, and arrange a time.
Tessa Peters
You’re expecting a call from your
boyfriend Andrew. You really feel in
need of an evening out, as things are
getting on top of you at work. You’d like
to go out to a country pub somewhere if
Andrew can get the car. You finish work
about six – he could pick you up at home
at seven.
Janet Parsons
There’s a new film at the Odeon in town,
starring Omar Sharif. You’d really like to
go. You are thinking about ringing your
friend Tina and seeing if she’d like to go
tonight, when suddenly the phone
rings…
Sue Thompson
Your life has been a bit flat and boring
recently. You are sitting in the office,
wishing the telephone would ring…
40
Alex Peters
You met a girl called Maggie at a party
last weekend. Ring her up and ask if
she’d like to come out for a drink
tonight. You could borrow your parents’
car and pick her up at her house around
seven.
Maggie Jones
You met a boy called Alex at a party last
weekend. He asked for your telephone
number, and you’ve been hoping he’d
call and ask you out. You’re free tonight.
41
Appendix 1 Sample picture descriptions
1. Taking a break
The picture shows two people walking along a golden beach on a fine
summer day. I believe they have come to this beautiful place in search of a
peaceful and relaxing holiday.
The focus of the picture is on the holidaymakers. They are wearing
swimming costumes and sunglasses to protect their eyes from the bright rays of
the hot tropical sun. They look suntanned because, I think, they have been
spending long hours in the open air lying on the sand or bathing in the sea. In the
background we can see a stretch of dry land covered with high palm trees with
curved trunks and thick green leaves and a picturesque bay with clear, warm
water of various shades of blue. It’s really a delightful spot for having a holiday.
I am sure all kinds of water sports are available here, so these tourists certainly
won’t be disappointed: they can take up either snorkelling or jet skiing. Besides,
there must be a plenty of places worth visiting. For example, they can go scuba
diving to explore underwater caves and see colourful fish living there. On the
other hand, this marvellous isolated pocket could be a short drive from the city,
which is very exciting and has many attractions such as lively bars and icecream parlours. There the couple can taste delicious fresh fish in a restaurant by
the sea and watch native people performing traditional dances.
The picture lets me clearly imagine myself lying on this golden beach
with fantastic natural surroundings, having a holiday of a lifetime. It’s a real
paradise! I really envy these tourists and feel nostalgic about my holidays at the
seaside, which were unforgettable.
2. Jobs
The picture shows an attractive young woman who has just come out of
some business premises and now is walking past the spotlessly clean windows
reflecting the green trees which grow nearby. It’s a nice summer day and the
woman is enjoying her walk though at the same time her mind is on her job, for
she looks thoughtful.
This well-groomed lady with dark curly hair parted in the middle is very
attractive. She is dressed formally and with classic elegance. In her cream
double-breasted jacket and a black knee-length skirt she looks elegant and neat.
She has black patent-leather high-heeled shoes on her feet, which go with her
skirt. She obviously has a good taste in clothes. As for the ornaments the woman
isn’t wearing any jewellery except for a pair of small modest golden earrings.
Perhaps she is a businesswoman or a lawyer, or a bank worker and doesn’t want
to look loud or eye-catching. Perhaps her job involves strict uniform
requirements. I think she’s wearing just the right clothes that suit her and the
occasion. In her right hand she is holding a thick wine-coloured briefcase, which
might contain some important documents.
I’m sure this woman has made a successful career, as she looks really
smart. She might be having a meeting with her boss or a client; otherwise she
42
wouldn’t be carrying her suitcase full of important documents in it. She is
absorbed in her thoughts. She may be thinking about the arguments for the
proposal she’s going to make. This picture makes me think about the way
women should look to succeed in life and to make a good impression. I think
that appearances matter a lot and women shouldn’t ignore themselves if they
want to make a good career.
3. Enthusiasms
The picture shows a football match. Three men are speeding towards a ball
on a green trimmed lawn. A wide football net and a vague figure of a man
dressed in black sportswear can also be seen. The man in black must be the
referee of the match.
The focus of the picture is on the football players wearing bright red Tshirts, and dark-blue shorts that are the members of the winning team, I think. A
lanky, dark-skinned footballer of the competing team dressed in an emeraldgreen T-shirt is going to reach the ball first. His left leg is stretched forward and
his foot is just several inches from the ball. With his left hand he is trying to
push aside the short, fair-skinned player turned out in red that wants to kick the
ball out. The third well-built, dark-skinned sportsman with long muscular legs is
running behind them. His left knee is bandaged. He can’t catch up with the other
two players and take part in their duel as he was probably injured in the previous
match and hasn’t completely recovered yet. The stadium is full and the fans are
enthusiastically supporting their teams.
All the sportsmen look well trained, physically strong and skilled. They
might be professional footballers participating in a championship. On the other
hand, they could be amateurs who have left their business places to forget about
everyday problems and phone calls, to test their abilities and experience
something more than their mundane lives can offer.
This picture makes me think about sports games, which can be really
exhilarating. Football is one of them. It is very popular in our country. I enjoy
watching live football matches in the stadiums and always shout for our team.
More often, though, I watch the matches on TV, which is not so exciting of
course. If I were a man I’d take up this kind of sport though some of my friends
prefer extreme sports, like extreme skiing or mountain biking. For them, the
steeper the descent down a hill the better. They are happy making stomachturning jumps, which make their adrenalin going. Extreme sport doesn’t offer
the sensuous pleasure of calm movement. To remain safe you must stay in
control in extreme situations. It is a search for perfection in which error is
excluded and human weakness is denied. But it’s certainly not for me!
4. Law breakers
The picture shows two youngsters assaulting a teenager before their
friends’ eyes. Two girls sitting on the doorsteps next to the fighters and a boy
standing nearby are observing their mates beating up the boy with a passive
43
expression on their faces. The fight is there outside an old deserted building
whose grey cracked wall is the background of the picture.
The focus of the picture is on the two thugs and their victim. The first
youth with a dark crew cut wearing a black denim jacket is standing behind the
victim grabbing him by the neck. The other turned out in a loose-fitting dark
grey jumper has gripped the boy and clenched his left fist to give him a blow.
The viewers’ indifferent faces express nothing more than just idle curiosity.
They are obviously not going to stop the tussle and don’t seem to be very
concerned about it at all.
I suppose these thugs are so self-confident and cold blooded because they
have never been punished for their misdeeds. The teens have definitely got used
to getting away with their crimes. Nowadays young crooks go unpunished and
our society fails to show them how to live a respectable, law-abiding life.
Usually they are not put behind bars due to the exaggerated humane attitude
towards them. Instead of it, they should be taught a good lesson and left in no
doubt that crime doesn’t pay. Besides, people around normally don’t interfere
which is why young scoundrels often get off scot-free.
5. Waste not want not
The picture shows a panoramic view of the area that was a flourishing
rainforest some time ago but now is just a spot of the deserted land covered with
a thick layer of grey ashes. The charred remains of some tropical trees clearly
seen in the foreground contrast with high palm trees showing green in the
background.
The focus of the picture is on the lifeless soil, burnt stumps and trunks of
trees. Everything is still and quiet. All the plants were destroyed in the fire and
then birds and animals deprived of their usual habitat left the place. Although
the fire might have been set on the forest by powerful lightning or caused by
drought, I’m sure it happened because the man had stepped in. People destroy
forests to produce paper or to make room for cattle farms. They don’t think
about the tragic consequences these barbaric actions can lead to. Forests clean
the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and giving out oxygen. Their destruction is
bringing about changes in the climate, air pollution, flooding, drought and
famine. In my opinion, it is better to use recycled paper to protect the life on the
planet. It will take this deserted land hundreds of years to recover unless
compost is used to nourish it. In addition, people will have to adopt new species
of birds and animals to this area. Actions should be taken immediately to make
this world a better, safer and cleaner place to live in.
44
Appendix 2 CV.
Home
address
Tel
E-mail
Date of birth
Nationality
Marital status
EDUCATION
1997-2001
Oxford
1992-1997
DAVID JOHNSON
154, Weedon Road, Northampton NN5 5DA
(01604) 746685
djohnson@hotmal.com
22th January 1979
British
Single
MA Modern Languages, Trinity College, University of
Rugby School, Warwickshire
A-Levels: Chemistry (A), Maths (A), Physics (A), Russian
(A)
GCSEs: 8 Grade A*, 3 Grade A
Academic Scholarship awarded 1997
CORE SKILLS / INTERESTS
Creative writing
Information technology good knowledge of html, excel, word and powerpoint
Sport Sailing, tennis, Alpine skiing, mountaineering
Music Pianoforte Grade 5
Languages Russian (fluent), French (good), Italian (good), Latin (good),
Japanese (business)
EXPERIENCE / WORK HISTORY
Arthur Andersson, Warsaw, Poland, September 2002
Business Consulting internship involving research
Ford Motor Company, St Albans, August 2000
Work placement in Process Leadership department as member of Global
Operations team implementing advanced computer systems
The Times, London, March 1999
Investigative reporting and liaison with entertainment industry including
interviews and article writing
REFERENCES
Dr T J Binyon, Wadham College, Oxford OX1 3PN Tel 01325-270900
Mr O Hurka, Manager, Business Consulting, Arthur Andersson, Warsaw
Financial
Centre, Emilii Platter 53, 00-143 Warsaw, Poland Tel 0048 76 520 98 00
45
Appendix 3 What adds up to job satisfaction?
The respect of colleagues
93%
Learning something new
92%
Personal freedom
91%
Challenge
89%
Helping other people
88%
Security
79%
Working conditions
74%
Meeting people through work 71%
Being part of a team
Being praised by your superiors
Being promoted
Making money
Status in your organization
Exercising power
Social status
69%
68%
62%
62%
58%
28%
25%
Appendix 4 Tricky situations
1. Two people who have to share a room do not get on with each other.
What do you do?
2. Someone in the tour clearly knows more about the history and culture of
your country than you do. How can you stop the person from becoming
bored or uncooperative?
3. One of your group has been arrested for shoplifting but insists it was all a
mistake. How would you try and settle matters with the shop or the
police?
4. One of your group keeps arriving late back at the bus. The other group
members are very fed up with this. What would you do?
5. A young group member is clearly very homesick and cries for his/her
parents. How would you help them?
46
REFERENCE LIST
1. FCE Listening and Speaking Skills. - Longman 2001.
2. Hardfield, J. Advanced Communication Games /J. Hardfield, 1993.
3. Harkess, S. Cue for Communication /S. Harkess, J. Eastwood. Oxford University Press, 1981.
4. Harmer, J. More than Words / J. Harmer. - Cambridge University
Press, 1995.
5. Klippel, F. Keep Talking: Communicative Fluency Activities for
Language Teaching / F. Klippel. - Cambridge University Press, 1984.
6. Mac Andrew, R. Instant Discussions / R. Mac Andrew. - Language
Teaching Publications, 2003.
7. Mac Andrew, R. Taboos and Issues / R. Mac Andrew. - Language
Teaching Publications, 2001.
8. McCarthy, M. English Vocabulary in Use / M. McCarthy, F. O’Dell. Cambridge University Press, 1995.
9. Redman, S. English Vocabulary in Use / S. Redman. - Cambridge
University Press, 2003.
10. Jones, L. New Progress to First Certificate / L. Jones. - Cambridge
University Press, 1997.
11. Your Practical Guide to Crime Prevention. Published by the Home
Office Communication Directorate, 2001.
RECOMMENDED LITERATURE
1. Bastow, T. Talking in pairs / T. Bastow, C. Jones. - Oxford University
Press, 1994.
2. Cunningham, S. Everyday Listening and Speaking / S. Cunningham, P.
Moor. - Oxford University Press, 1997.
3. Fall, D. First Certificate Avenues / D. Fall, A. Kelly. - Cambridge
University Press, 1996.
4. Ockenden, M. Situational Dialogues / M. Ockenden. – Longman, 1997.
5. O’Neill, R. New Success at First Certificate / R. O’Neill. - Oxford
University Press, 1997.
6. Porter Ladousse, G. Speaking Personally / G. Porter Ladousse. Cambridge University Press, 1990.
47
Составители: к.ф.н., доц. Нина Павловна Ульянова, к.ф.н. Наталья
Игоревна Овчинникова, к.ф.н. Ольга Владимировна Ивашенко, к.п.н.
Елена Юрьевна Чайка, преп. Марина Владимировна Нестругина.
Редактор: Бунина Т. Д.