It's only words

Work

2009-01-07T11:29:00.000-08:00

VERBS
Read the text below and match the words in bold with their definitions underneath. Use your dictionary to check your answers.

Brian James left University and decided to apply for a job which he saw advertised in the paper. He filled in the application forms and, a few weeks later, was asked to attend an interview. He was offered the job that same day.

As he lived in a small town outside the city, he had to commute every day. He was good at his job and very soon was promoted. However, the company he worked for was having problems. Two people were dismissed for stealing and two of their friends resigned in sympathy, the directors decided to lay off five more because the company couldn't afford to keep them, and the managing director decided to retire early. The atmosphere was so bad that Brian eventually decided to hand in his notice.

1. to give up a job.
2. to ask for a job, usually by writing a letter.
3. to be removed from a job, usually because you have done something bad.
4. same as 1.
5. to stop work and take a pension, usually when you are in late middle age.
6. to write in the empty spaces on a form.
7. to be given a better job in the organization you work for.
8. to be questioned by one or more people when you are applying for a job so that they can decide if
you are suitable for that job.
9. to travel to work from home each day, usually from one town to another.
10. to be dismissed from your job for a time until more work is available.

NOUNS
Read the text which follows and fill in the gaps with an appropriate word .
Use your dictionary to help you. In some cases, more than one answer is possible.

commission • prospects • candidates • references • manager • salary
promotion • applicants • increment • vacancy • employee
perks • qualifications • shortlist • pension • salesman

A computer company had a (1)__________ for position of (2)__________, and decided to advertise for a new (3)__________. A lot of (4)__________ with good (5)__________ and (6)__________ applied for the job, and after all the interviews had finished, the directors made a (7)__________ of the best (8)__________, then invited them to come back for another interview.
The person who eventually got the job was very happy. After all, he would receive an annual
(9)__________ of £25,000, with a 5% (10)__________ twice a year, a 15% (11) __________ for each computer he managed to sell, excellent (12)__________ such as private health insurance and a company car, a company (13)__________ to make sure he would be well-off when he retired, and the chance of(14)__________ from salesman to sales(15)__________ if he was successful. All in all, his future (16)__________ looked very good.

IDIOMS, COLLOQUIALISMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS
Match the numbered sentences with an appropriate lettered sentence on the . The numbered sentences on include an idiom or colloquialism connected with work in bold. Use your dictionary
to help you.

1. My brother is a manual worker in a factory.
2. My cousin is a secretary in an office.
3. I need to do some more hours at work so that I can make more money.
4. The train drivers are refusing to work.
5. I work from 10.00pm to 6.00am.
6. I work for a very small amount of money.
7. Jo is unemployed and receiving unemployment benefit.
8. Jim applied to his boss for more money.
9. Our boss makes his staff work too hard.
10. Bob works too hard. Yesterday, he started at 7.30 in the morning and didn't finish until
almost midnight!
11. Our company director was given a large sum of money when he retired before the end of
his contract.
12. Sarah has great potential and ambition.
13. My boss made a mistake and made me take responsibility for it.
14. Our company is still working in the usual way in spite of difficulties.
15. Steve has an unusual job; he looks for top managers and offers them jobs in other companies.
16. Have you heard? John has been dismissed for coming late all the time.

(A) She's always been a high-flyer.
(B) He put in for a rise.
(C) Like me, he's a blue collar worker.
(D) He's such a slave driver!
(E) I'm glad to say it's business as usual.
(F) Of course, I get paid more for working the night shift.
(G) If he continues like that, he'll burn himself out.
(H) I really hate working for peanuts.
(I) I think I'll ask if I can work overtime.
(J) They've decided to come out on strike.
(K) I hate it when I have to carry the can for someone else.
(L) I wish I could get a golden handshake like that!
(M) Like me, he's a white collar worker.
(N) I always knew he'd get fired one day.
(O) He's a headhunter.
(P) There's nothing worse than being on the dole.

The weather & natural phenomena

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BAD WEATHER.

Use your dictionary to check the meanings of the nouns and adjectives in bold in the text, then use the words in the box to complete the text.

mist • frost • sleet • rain • hail • wind • fog
smog • snow • blizzard • lightning • thunder

Listen to the pouring (1)______ outside, and the roar of the (2)______ as it blows through the trees.

Listen to the clatter of icy (3)______ on the window and the crashing of the (4)______, while (5)______ flashes across the sky. See the thick, grey (6)______ and the thin, grey, wet (7)______ . Smell the dirty, bitter, yellow-grey (8)______ in the city. Feel the crunch of (9)______ under your feet as you walk on the icy grass, and shake the freezing, wet (10)______ and (11)______ from your hair as the howling (12)______ turns the world to white.

EXTREME WEATHER AND NATURAL PHENOMENA
Look at the words below and decide which definition, A, B or C, best describes each one. Then
check your answers in your dictionary.

1. hurricane
(A) a storm over high mountains, usually accompanied by snow.
(B) a tropical storm with strong winds and rain.
(C) a very quick, but very heavy, rain shower.

2. tornado
(A) a long, heavy snow shower, accompanied by strong winds.
(B) a long period when there is no rain and when the land is dry.
(C) a violent storm with a whirlwind.

3. volcano
(A) a violent shaking of the earth's surface.
(B) a strong wind caused by a drop in air pressure.
(C) a mountain with a hole in the top through which lava, ash and gas can come out.

4. drought
(A) a storm, usually without rain, which happens in hot countries.
(B) a very long period of rain.
(C) a long period when there is no rain and when the land is dry.

5. flood
(A) a large amount of water over land which is usually dry.
(B) a large area of dry land which should usually be wet (e.g., a dry lake).
(C) a lake or river which has been poisoned by pollution.

6. earthquake
(A) a long, heavy snow shower, accompanied by strong winds.
(B) a shaking of the earth caused by, for example, volcanic activity.
(C) a large area of dry land which should usually be wet.

7. tsunami
(A) a tropical storm with strong winds and rain.
(B) a huge wave in the sea, caused by an underwater earthquake.
(C) a long period when there is no rain and when the land is dry.

WEATHER WORD FORMS
Complete the table below to show the verbs and adjectives which we use for the nouns in the
left-hand column.

IDIOMS, COLLOQUIALISMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS
Replace the words and expressions in bold with a suitable word or expression from the box.

under a cloud • bucketing down • weather • boiling • steals my thunder
every cloud has a silver lining • on cloud nine • storm in a teacup
under the weather • cats and dogs • downpour • heavy weather of it

1. It's raining a lot.
2. It's pouring with rain.
3. It's very hot in our office at the moment.
4. We could ask him to sort out the invoices, but he'll make it unnecessarily difficult and complicated.
5. Jan's feeling unwell.
6. There was a sudden heavy fall of rain and all the spectators ran inside.
7. I don't know if we can survive this crisis without any extra cash ( cash, def 1).
8. However gloomy things may seem, there is always some aspect which is good.
9. They were very happy when they won the lottery.
10. Ben was under suspicion for a long time after the thefts were discovered.
11. Whenever I have a great idea, Penny spoils it by doing it first and getting all the credit.
12. Sarah thought it was important, but in fact it was a lot of fuss about something which was very trivial.

24 Hours

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VERBS.
Look at the sentences below and fill in the gaps using the appropriate word or expression
from A, B or C.

1. My alarm clock __________ at half past six.

A. goes up B. goes out C. goes off
2. I usually lie in bed listening to the radio after I _______.
A. awake up B. wake up C. woken up
3. I always find it quite difficult to ________ in the morning.
A. get into B. get over C. get up
4. I have a shower and ________ my teeth.
A. brush B. comb C. sweep
5. When I get dressed, the first thing I ________ is my shirt.
A. put on B. wear C. try on
6. After breakfast, I ________ to the bus stop.
A. speedy B. quickly C. hurry
7. After work, I ________ the children from school.
A. pick up B. pick out C. pick on
8. Just before I go to bed, I _____ the cat _____.
A. put...off B. put...out C. put...up
9. The last thing I do before I go to bed is ________ the alarm clock.
A. prime B. set C. prepare

NOUNS

Below you will see a list of things we use or wear at home or at work. Put them into the box where we use / wear them most often.

shaver • briefcase • pyjamas • ring binder • nightie • iron
tumble drier • ironing board • kettle • computer • refrigerator
vacuum cleaner • fax • hair dryer • dishwasher
filing cabinet • hairbrush • microwave oven • suit • internet
slippers • file • dressing gown • business card • apron

Things we use / wear at home:

Things we use / wear at work:

Now complete the sentences using one of the words above.

1. You can contact me by phone or ________ if you want.
2. I never clean the silver in the ________; it would ruin it.
3. I bought two pairs of _______ in the sale.
4. Each bathroom in the hotel is equipped with a ________ .
5. He put all the files into his ________ .
6. Post it to me, or send a ________ .
7. I've just put the ________ on so we can all have a cup of tea.
8. Put the dish in the ________ for three minutes, but make sure the food is piping hot
before you eat it.

IDIOMS, COLLOQUIALISMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS
Match the numbered words and expressions in bold with their lettered definition .

1. Sarah staggered into work at ten o'clock, bleary-eyed.
2. I can't wait until Saturday comes. Then I can have a lie-in.
3. After his 12-mile walk, he slept like a log.
4. The doctor told him to take things easy after his operation.
5. His taxi was stuck in the rush-hour traffic.
6. Mary works the night shift.
7. She comes home every evening, worn out after a busy day at the office.
8. Jessie's a night owl and as a result finds it difficult to get up in time for work.
9. We only go to the theatre once in a blue moon.
10. I had to get up at some unearthly hour to catch the plane to Milan.
11. If we want to miss the traffic, we must set off at the crack of dawn.
12. He's an early bird.
13. I was so weary, I dropped off in my English lesson.

A. Much too early.
B. The time of day when traffic is bad, trains are full, etc.
C. Very tired.
D. To stay in bed longer than usual.
E. As soon as it starts to get light.
F. Someone who likes to work, eat, etc, until late at night and does not get up early in the
morning.
G. Someone who likes to get up early and work before breakfast, and who does not stay up
late at night.
H. Very rarely.
I. Sleep very soundly.
J. With eyes half closed from lack of sleep.
K. Work during the night.
L. To rest, not to do any hard work.
M. Fell asleep (usually unintentionally)

The sentences below all use expressions with the word ‘time’. Unfortunately, the
expressions are all in the wrong sentences. Rearrange them so that they are in the correct
sentences.

1. Don't hurry me. I like to time after time.
2. Bring back your boat; your in time.
3. Pressed for time I think he's quite mad.
4. They drove fast and got to the station just for the time being to catch the train.
5. She's never at times for meetings.
6. He's very old-fashioned; he's time's up.
7. I've told her waste time not to do it, but she never listens to me.
8. Don't take my time putting your shoes on; just go and answer the door in your bare feet.
9. We're in a hurry; we're a bit behind the times.
10.On time I'm staying at my mother's while I'm waiting for my flat to be redecorated.

Travel and Holidays

2009-01-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

VERBS
The sentences below describe the different stages of a holiday. Unfortunately, they are in
the wrong order. Rearrange them so that they are in the correct order. The first one has been
done for you.

( ) A few weeks later I went to the airport and checked in for my flight.
( 1 ) I picked up some holiday brochures from the travel agency.
( ) I spent the next two weeks sunbathing on the beach and sightseeing in the local area.
( ) Three hours later, we landed.
( ) I picked the holiday I wanted.
( ) I left the airport and two hours later arrived at my hotel, where I checked in.
( ) I found my seat and fastened my safety belt.
( ) The flight took off at 10 o'clock.
( ) I then booked my holiday.
( ) It was with a great deal of reluctance that I eventually checked out of the hotel and returned
home.
( ) All the passengers disembarked.
( ) I did some shopping in the duty free and then boarded my flight.
( ) I browsed through the brochures.

NOUNS
Types of holiday. Look at the numbered types of holiday , and match them with the lettered places you think you might stay in . Most have more than one answer.

1. a package holiday
2. a camping holiday
3. a cruise
4. a skiing holiday
5. a safari
6. a walking holiday
7. a sailing holiday
8. a caravanning holiday
9. a sightseeing holiday

A. a tent
B. a hotel
C. a resort
D. a youth hostel
E. a caravan
F. a guesthouse
G. a boat's / ship's cabin
H. a villa / chalet

Look at the sentences below, and fill in the gaps with an appropriate word from the box.

self-catering • single • tour operator • bed and breakfast (B & B)
shoulder bag • passport • travel agency • tour • foreign currency
voyage • excursion • family • trip • journey • full-board
en-suite • terrace • insurance • double • aisle • half-board
boarding card (USA = boarding pass) • reservation • twin
balcony • cheques • all-inclusive • suitcase

1. We're planning a(n) __________ to the seaside at the weekend.
2. The __________ from Southampton to New York by ship took about five days.
3. The best way to see London is by taking a guided __________.
4. Last year they went on a train __________ across China.
5. James is going on a business __________ to Singapore next week.
6. We went to the __________ on the High Street to book our holiday, but they were informed by the __________ that there were no more places left.
7. (At the airport check-in desk) Would you like a seat by the window or one by the ________?
8. Here's your ticket and __________. You're in 33B. It's a no smoking seat.
9. I've just made a list of the things I need to take on holiday with me. First of all I need my __________ so that I can enter the country. I must get __________ in case I have an accident or lose something important. I have to go to the bank to get some __________ and __________. Oh, and of course I need my __________ to carry my clothes and other things. I'll also take a __________ so that I can carry my camera, some books and other bits and pieces.
10. Quattro Vientos Holiday Club offers a variety of accommodation options. If you want a bedroom and something to eat in the morning, they have __________ accommodation. If you prefer to have breakfast and dinner, you can stay on a __________ basis. If you want breakfast, lunch and dinner, you can stay on a __________ basis. They also have rooms with cooking facilities if you want to prepare your own food and stay on a __________ basis. Alternatively, if you want all your meals and drinks included, you can stay on an __________ basis.
11. __________ rooms in the hotel have just one small bed. _________ rooms have two small beds.
__________ rooms have one large bed. __________ rooms have one large bed and two small beds.
Most of the rooms are __________, with their own private bath or shower. All rooms have a
__________ or a __________ with a view of the sea. Telephone 01645 98109 to make a __________.

IDIOMS, COLLOQUIALISMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS
Match the numbered sentences with a suitable lettered reply .

HE SAID:
1. Where shall we stay?
2. Can you recommend a good guest house in this area?
3. Last year I went to Australia, Canada, Brazil, Argentina and China.
4. How are we going to get home? We haven't got enough money for a taxi.
5. Last year, we went to one of those resorts where everything - food and drink - is free.
6. You don't have much luggage with you.
7. On my first visit to Indonesia, I found everything so different from England.
8. We left London at 7 o'clock in the morning and didn't arrive in Inverness until 8 in the evening!
9. I love going to busy, lively resorts for my holiday.
10. I spend most of my life travelling, moving from one hotel to the other.

SHE REPLIED:
A. Really? I prefer to go somewhere a bit quieter, off the beaten track.
B. Wow! I didn't realise you were such a globetrotter!
C. Poor you! You spent a whole day on the road.
D. Let's stop at the first hotel we find.
E. I would hate to live out of a suitcase like that.
F. Why don't we thumb a lift?
G. It sounds great. I've never been on an allinclusive holiday.
H. Yes, there's a nice B & B around the corner.
I. I know. I prefer to travel light.
J. I experienced similar culture shock when I went to Vietnam.

Sport

2009-01-07T06:54:00.000-08:00

VERBS
Look at the sentences below and fill in the gaps using the appropriate word or expression
from A, B or C.
1. Does Eddie __________ rugby for the university?
A. do B. make C. play
2. You should __________ some exercise every day if you want to lose weight.
A. take B. make C. play
3. They often __________ jogging in the streets near their home.
A. make B. go C. do
4. I expect our team will __________ the game tomorrow.
A. succeed B. gain C. win
5. I hope our team doesn't __________ the match on Saturday.
A. lose B. fail C. defeat
6. Our football team will have to __________ France 2:0 if they want to get a place in the World Cup
final.
A. win B. succeed C. beat
7. If the two players __________, they will have to play the game again.
A. equal B. match C. draw
8. You will need to __________ hard to get a place on the Olympic team.
A. train B. develop c. learn
9. If our team manages to __________ another goal, they'll be national champions!
A. hit B. score C. enter
10. Which football team do you __________ ?
A. support B. encourage C. accept

NOUNS
A. Venues and equipment. Match the sports in the left-hand column with the venue in the
centre column and an item which you associate with that sport in the right-hand column.
There are two items which do not belong.

trunks
swimming range gloves
tennis racetrack target
football ring strip
ice hockey pool helmet
horse-racing racecourse racket
shooting court bow
motor racing rink saddle
boxing pitch stick shuttlecock

Jumbled words.

Rearrange the letters in the box on the next page to find some more words related to sports. The first letter of each word is in bold. The clues after each jumbled word will help you.

imudast: a large building for sports, with seating arranged around a sports field.
eerrfee: a person who supervises a game, making sure that it is played according to the rules.
irepmu: similar to the above, but usually associated with tennis or cricket.
senilanm: an official who stays on the sideline in a ball game to see if the ball goes over the line.
attropesc: a person who watches a football game, a horse show, etc.
ryelpa: a person who plays a game.
teehlta: a sportsman who competes in races, etc.
raobdsocer: a large board on which the score in a game is shown as the game progresses.
porsupret: a person who encourages a football team.
naaer: a building where sports, fights etc are held.

IDIOMS, COLLOQUIALISMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS
Look at the words and expressions below and decide which sports or games they are
connected with. Use your dictionary to help you. Write the words in the grid on the right. If
you do it correctly, you will reveal the name of a famous English football team in the shaded
vertical strip.

1. Bull's eye!
2. pole position
3. neck and neck
4. On your marks…get set…go!
5. Seconds out!
6. Foul!
7. Fore!

Shopping

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Look at the sentences below and fill in the gaps using the appropriate word or expression from A, B or C.

1. What did you ________ your mother for her birthday?
A. purchase B. buy C. acquire
2. Why do we __________ so much money on food?
A. spend B. buy C. sell
3. I'll ________ you a pound to wash my car.
A. spend B. charge C. pay
4. Did you ________ the shoes in the shop before you bought them?
A. put on B. wear C. try on
5. Shop assistant: Can I help you?
Customer: Yes please. I'm __________ the soft furnishings department.
A. looking for B. wanting C. hunting for
6. If the trousers are too small you can take them back and ________ them for a larger pair.
A. sell back B. exchange C. replace
7. (Angry customer to shop manager). I'd like to __________ about one of your members of staff.
A. moan B. groan C. complain
8. She __________ her shopping at Mafebury's every Monday.
A. makes B. does C. goes
9. One of the advantages of shopping there is that their ________ are so low.
A. prices B. expenses C. costs

Where are they? Look at the numbered sentence and decide where the speaker is. Choose
from the lettered list of shops .

1. I'd like twelve red roses please.
2. How much is that silver bracelet?
3. I need a packet of envelopes and some writing paper please.
4. Do you have any photography magazines?
5. Is this cabinet 17th or 18th century?
6. Take the escalator to get to menswear.
7. Have you got anything for a sore throat?
8. Do you have the latest album by Coldplay?

A. a record shop
B. a department store
C. a florist's
D. a stationer's
E. a chemist
F. a jeweller's
G. an antiques shop
H. a newsagent's

Check your spelling.

One word in each of the following sentences is incorrectly spelt, or a wrong word has been used. Use your dictionary to help you correct them.

1. I'd like my money back. I'd like a refound.
2. £35 for a new television. What a bargein!
3. It usually costs £150, but I got it for £75 in the sails.
4. I don't like to buy things by male order - you never know exactly what you're going to get.
5. Don't forget to get a reciept from the sales assistant in case you need to return it to the store.
6. The lapel on the jacket says 'Wash in cold water only'.
7. I'm afraid your cashear has overcharged me.
8. If I pay in cash, can you give me a disscount?
9. I brought a new stereo system yesterday. It cost me almost £600.
10. I'm not going to that shop again; I think they treat their costumers very badly.
11. The serving in this shop is so slow. I've been waiting for almost fifteen minutes.
12. It's quite a good idea to buy some things in bulk, as it's more economic.

IDIOMS, COLLOQUIALISMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS
Look at the following sentences and decide whether the words and expressions in bold refer
to a small amount of money or a large amount of money. Use your dictionary to help you.

1. The shoes in that shop cost a fortune.
2. That car was a rip-off!
3. He paid through the nose for his ticket to Hong Kong.
4. Our local petrol station sells cut-price petrol.
5. The repairs to his car cost him an arm and a leg.
6. She bought it for a song in a flea market.

Now look at these sentences and decide if they are true or false:

1. If something is selling like hot cakes, not many people are buying it.
2. You spend a lot of money when you go window-shopping.
3. It's a good idea to shop around for the best price before you buy something expensive.
4. If you buy clothes off the peg, you have them specially made for you.
5. If you talk shop, you discuss your favourite shop with a friend.
6. A body shop is a shop which arranges funerals.

Services and facilities

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Look at this list of words, and match them with the service or facility that you would normally associate them with. Some of the words can be used more than once.

academic • appointment • artefacts • art gallery • audio-visual • borrow bureaucracy • cancellation • civic administration • classroom commuters • conductor • councillor • curriculum • defendant delay doctor • driver • ducks • entrance fee • exam • exhibits fare • get fit • gymnasium • historical • journals • judge • jury lawyer • learn • main course • materials • mayor • membership menu • nurse passengers • personal trainer • pharmacist • picnic pictures • platform police • treat (verb) • pond • pupils • queue red tape • records reservation • resources • roundabout • sauna sculpture • sentence (verb) • service • shelter • staff • starters stroll • study • surgery • pool • swings • teachers • ticket office tip • trial • waiter • waiting room • witness

1. Bus stop

2. Health centre

3. Health club

4. Restaurant

5. Taxi rank

6. Park / public garden

7. Library

8. Station

9. School

10. Museum

11. Law courts

12. Town hall

Relationships

2009-01-07T06:26:00.000-08:00

A LOVE STORY: part 1
Complete the first part of the story below using the words and expressions in the box.

tie the knot • split up • engagement • got engaged courting • living in sin • got on • wined and dined attracted to • proposed • chatted her up • fallen in love asked her out • drift apart • cohabiting • go out

Laurence first met Carol at a party and was immediately 1.___________ her. He 2.___________ and at the end of the evening 3___________ to dinner at a nearby restaurant. She accepted his offer and the next evening he 4.___________ her in style, with champagne and delicious, exotic foods. They 5.___________ well with each other, decided to meet again and then started to 6.___________ on a regular basis.
Laurence's granny was delighted that he was 7.___________ at last. It wasn't long before they realised that they had 8.___________ with each other.
A few months later, they bought a flat and moved in together. Laurence's granny disapproved of them 9.___________, but Laurence explained that 10.___________ was quite normal these days.
One day, Laurence decided to ask Carol to marry him, so after a romantic meal, he got down on one knee and 11.___________ to her. They 12.___________ and the next day announced their 13.___________ to their friends and family. Their parents were delighted that they had decided to 14.___________.
Laurence's friends weren't so sure, however, and all agreed that they would 15.___________ and 16.___________ long before the wedding.

A LOVE STORY: part 2

Read the second part of the story and choose the correct word for each number.

A week or so before the wedding, Laurence went out on a 1.stag night / bull night / lion night with his male friends, while Carol enjoyed her 2.chicken party / duck party / hen party with her female friends.
At last, the big day arrived. Laurence and Carol had wanted to get married in a 3. registered office / registry office / regimental office, but their parents insisted on a traditional church wedding. The church was packed, friends and family of the 4. bride / bright / blight on the left, friends and family of the 5. gloom / groom / doom on the right. Laurence sat nervously at the front with his 6. beast man / bent man / best man, who was carrying the 7. wedding rings / wedding rinks / wedding rims in his pocket. The organist started playing the 8. Wedding March / Wedding Crawl / Wedding Stagger and Carol walked up the 9. aisle / I'll / ail, accompanied by her father and followed by the 10. brightmaids / bridesmaids / bride's mates. The priest conducted the ceremony and, after Laurence and Carol had exchanged 11. cows / vows / vowels, pronounced them husband and wife.

THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE
Match the words in the box with the definitions 1 - 10

best friend • acquaintance • fiancé / fiancée • housemate • workmate
ex-girlfriend / boyfriend • ex-husband / wife • roommate • classmate
colleague • relative / relation • (steady) girlfriend / boyfriend • flatmate

1. Somebody you are going out with.
2. Somebody you used to go out with.
3. Somebody you used to be married to.
4. Somebody you are going to marry.
5. Somebody you work with (two possible answers)
6. Somebody you share accommodation with (three possible answers)
7. Somebody you know well and get on very well with.
8. Somebody you share lessons at school with.
9. Somebody you know, but not very well.
10. A member of your family.

IDIOMS, COLLOQUIALISMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS
Match the numbered sentences with a suitable lettered response. Use your dictionary to
look up the meanings of the words and expressions in bold.

1. They were going to get married, but at the last moment Allison broke it off.
2. I've got lots of friends, but only one real soul mate.
3. How do you get on with your in-laws?
4. Didn't you meet your future wife on a blind date?
5. I'm sorry you and Melanie have split up, but don't worry; there are plenty more fish in
the sea.
6. Don't go out with him; he's a real ladykiller!
7. Sally came to the party with her latest toy boy.
8. Your new secretary is a bit of a flirt, isn't she?
9. Is Meg still on the shelf?
10. Chris and Jo's marriage is on the rocks.
11. How do you get on with your exboyfriend?
12. Are you divorced?

A. Me too. We have similar feelings and get on really well.
B. She certainly is. She likes attracting the attention of all the men in the office.
C. Not yet, but we are separated.
D. Yes. My friends arranged it for me.
E. That's true; I should get out a bit and meet more people.
F. Although we don't go out together any more, we're still good friends.
G. Poor Ian! He must have been really upset.
H. Really? I thought they were getting on so well together.
I. I know. He seems to spend all his time chatting up women.
J. Not well, I'm afraid. They've never forgiven me for marrying their son.
K. No. Haven't you heard? She met the man of her dreams a few weeks ago.
L. I'm not surprised. She's always preferred younger men

Physical appearance

2009-01-07T06:17:00.000-08:00

Here is a bank of useful words and expressions that we often use when we want to describe
somebody's physical appearance. Use your dictionary to make sure you understand what they
all mean, then use the words and expressions to write a description of yourself or somebody
you know well. There is an example to give you a few ideas.

Build:

tall short of medium / average height/ fat/ overweight/ slim/ thin/ of medium/average
build / well-built

Hair:

short/ long/ dark / blond / red / shoulder-length / straight / curly/ wavy / a parting / a
fringe / spiky / bald / thinning / fair-haired

Age:

young / old / middle-aged / elderly / a baby / a toddler / a teenager / in his early twenties / in
my mid-thirties/ in her late fifties

Facial features and characteristics:

wrinkles / weather-beaten / dimples / spots / freckles / beard / moustache

Nose:

hooked / turned-up / sharp /bulbous

Skin colour:

tanned fair-/ pale- / dark-skinned a fair / pale / dark complexion

Other expressions:

a double chin / a generous mouth / long eyelashes / thin eyebrows / bushy eyebrows / broad
shoulders / well-developed muscles

Example.

My brother's in his early-thirties. He's of average height and a bit overweight, with a double chin.
He's got short, dark, curly hair (which is thinning slightly), a rather untidy beard and moustache,
and big, bushy eyebrows. He's got quite a fair complexion. When he smiles, he has dimples on his
cheeks, and he gets freckles when he goes out in the sun.

There are lots of English idiomatic and colloquial expressions which use parts of the body.
Complete the expressions in bold below with a word from the box. Some of the words can be used more than once.

fingers • nose • toe • muscle • chest • neck • elbow
ear • chin • foot • eye • hand • back • thumb • shoulder

1. He gave me a __________ with the washing-up.
2. They had been going out together for some time, and then she suddenly gave him the __________ .
3. Don't worry. I wasn't being serious. I was only pulling your __________ .
4. I hoped she would give me a friendly welcome, but in fact she gave me the cold __________ .
5. Poor old Peter is dominated by his wife! She's got him under her _________ .
6. Can you keep an ________ out for the traffic warden while I go into the bank?
7. He's always annoying me! He's such a pain in the ________ .
8. He really put his ________ in it when he said his boss's wife was too fat: she was standing right behind him!
9. She thinks she's better than other people and always looks down her ________ at them.
10. Make sure you follow what is happening. Keep your ________ to the ground.
11. Good luck in the exam. I'll be keeping my ________ crossed for you.
12. I know things are going badly, but keep your ________ up and try to remain cheerful.
13. We get on well, even though we don't always see ________ to ________.
14. You must obey the rules. You have to ________ the line.
15. If something is worrying you, talk to me about it. You'll feel much better if you get it off your
________.
16. He makes me so angry. He always manages to get my ________ up.
17. He interferes all the time. He's always trying to ________ in on our projects and get all the credit for them.
18. Mind your own business! Stop sticking your ________ in!

On the road

2009-01-07T06:06:00.000-08:00

NOUNS

Complete the sentences with an appropriate word or expression from the box.

cyclists • speed limit • traffic • stop • motorway • junction pedestrians • roundabout • pedestrian crossing • one-way • bus lanes petrol station • traffic lights • bridge • roadworks • car park

1. We need to get some fuel. There's a ________ just up the road.
2. The fastest way of getting from London to Oxford is to take the ________.
3. There's always a lot of ________ on the roads in the morning and evening.
4. The High Street is closed because of ________.
5. Go over the ________, turn left at the first _____, and then take the third exit on the ________.
6. You can't leave your car here. You'll have to use the ________.
7. Many towns have ________ so that people using public transport can get into and out of town more
quickly.
8. Wait for the ________ to turn green before you continue.
9. The ________ in most towns and cities is 30 miles per hour.
10. Many ________ fail to keep their bicycles in good condition or obey the rules of the road.
11. You can't turn right into that street. It's a ________ street.
12. When you're driving through town, be careful of ________ crossing the street.
13. This road is very busy and dangerous. If you want to get to the other side, use the ________.
14. I need to get a bus into town. Is there a (bus) ________ near here?

VERBS
Complete the story below with an appropriate word or expression.

crashed • accelerated • indicate • reverse • overtake
smashed • skidded • started up • braked • fasten • swerve
adjust • sounded • check • stalled • release • pulled away

I've just finished my driving test and I think it went quite well. OK, so I made a few mistakes, but nothing too serious. For example, I forgot to 1.______ the mirrors, with the result that I couldn't see anything behind me. Then, when I 2.______ the car, I forgot that I had left it in first gear, so I 3.______. Oh, and I forgot to 4.______ my seatbelt. And 5.______ the handbrake. When I eventually 6.______ from the side of the road, I forgot to 7.______ my mirrors; the driver of the car that almost 8.______ into me as a result 9.______ his horn and shouted something at me, but I didn't hear what. I nearly went through a red light,
but saw it at the last second and tried to stop. Unfortunately, I lost control and my car 10.______ across to the other side of the road - fortunately, the cars coming in the opposite direction managed to 11.______ out of the way. At one point, I 12.______ when I should have 13.______, so instead of stopping, the car just went faster! Fortunately, the police car that I 14.______ into the back of wasn't badly damaged and the policeman driving it didn't shout at me too loudly. At another time I had to 15.______ somebody who was driving a bit slowly, but I forgot to 16.______, so the drivers behind me had no idea what I was going to do. Finally, I managed to 17.______ into a wall which I couldn't see behind me. I don't know if I've passed
yet, because the examiner is still being treated for shock in the local hospital.

IDIOMS, COLLOQUIALISMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS
The worst driver in the world? Read the following story and decide which of the words and
expressions in bold correspond to the dictionary definitions 1 - 14.

My brother Ted must be the world's worst driver. It started when he was young and used to go for joyrides, causing pile-ups which resulted in traffic jams and gridlocks for other drivers. As a young adult, he was a real boy racer, putting his foot down, driving like the clappers and then jamming on the brakes. I reckon he must have written off at least six of the bangers he used to drive. He's still a real road hog, tailgating other cars and getting involved in road rage incidents. He's offered to give me a lift home tonight, but to be honest, I'd rather thumb a lift. He's picking me up in a few minutes; maybe I'd better have one for the road. At least it's rush hour and the roads will be chock-a-block so he won't be able to drive too fast! Honestly - sometimes he drives me round the bend!

1. To follow very closely behind another vehicle.
2. An old car, usually in poor condition.
3. To hitch-hike, to ask a car driver or a truck driver to take you as a passenger.
4. A person who drives fast and dangerously.
5. To accelerate very quickly.
6. To make someone angry or crazy.
7. A young man who drives fast and dangerously.
8. A trip for pleasure, usually in a stolen car.
9. To stop a vehicle very suddenly.
10. A final drink before leaving a bar or pub.
11. A violent attack by a driver on another car or its driver.
12. To damage a car so badly that it can no longer be repaired.
13. A crash involving a series of vehicles which have smashed into one another.
14. The time of the day when traffic is very bad, trains are crowded, etc.

Nature and the environment

2009-01-07T05:58:00.000-08:00

THE ENVIRONMENT
Complete the following sentences with a word or expression . There are some that you do not need.

CFC • unleaded petrol • endangered • tidal energy • ozone layer

natural resources • desertification • fumes • greenhouse effect

pollution • acid rain • extinct • global warming • fossil fuels • rainforest

solar power • wildlife • recycle • bottle bank • ecological

1. ________ falling on forests has killed a lot of trees in the last 20 years.
2. The council is encouraging us to ________ more household rubbish.
3. Factories and vehicles produce a lot of dangerous ________.
4. ________ of the atmosphere has increased over the last 50 years, making the environment very
dirty.
5. The effect of gases in the earth's atmosphere is preventing the earth from losing heat; this is
called the ________.
6. When ________ gases are released into the atmosphere, they rise slowly.
7. The hole in the ________ is getting larger every year.
8. If ________ continues, there is a danger that the polar ice-cap will start to melt.
9. We take all our empty bottles to the ________ so that the glass can be used again.
10. Long periods of drought have brought about the ________ of whole areas of central Africa.
11. Tigers, whales and panda bears are all ________ species.
12. People are worried that soon whales will become ________.
13. We should use fewer ________ such as oil and coal, and look to other energy sources such as ________ and ________.

CLASSIFICATIONS
Put the words below into their appropriate box depending on their classification. There are eight
words for each box.

cactus • fir • rose • salmon • bee • swan • seaweed • squid • owl
peacock • marigold • ladybird • palm • human • lily • shark • parrot
squirrel • crab • seagull • bamboo • lobster • tulip • orchid • trout
butterfly • crow • wasp • bat • snail • cedar • hedgehog • leopard
daffodil • eagle • octopus • deer • dolphin • whale • oak • penguin
oyster • mushroom • beetle • worm • ant • poppy • daisy

Mammals:

Birds:

Insects and invertebrates:

Flowers:

Trees and other plants:

Sea and river creatures:

IDIOMS, COLLOQUIALISMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS
In the grid at the bottom you will find the names of several animals. Use these to
complete sentences 1 - 12. The first letter of each animal has been given to you after each
sentence. (One animal is mentioned twice.)

1. A _____ in the hand is worth two in the bush. (b)
2. How do I know? A little _____ told me! (b)
3. He seems inoffensive, but actually he's a ______ in sheep's clothing (w)
4. He walked to school at a _____'s pace. (s)
5. She was so nervous before the exam she had _____ in her stomach. (b)
6. Don't count your _____ before they're hatched! (c)
7. I can't get her to agree; she's as stubborn as a ____ . (m)
8. The new airport is a complete white ____(e)
9. Don't puzzle me; I hate it when you try to_____ me. (f)
10. Our company is having some serious financial problems. We're a lame _____ at the moment. (d)
11. It's been a long time since he came here. We haven't seen him for ________'s years! (d)
12. It was a difficult problem, but he decided to take the _____ by the horns and tell his father he was leaving the family firm. (b)

Money

2009-01-07T05:46:00.000-08:00

VERBS

Look at the conversation between the bank manager and the customer, and fill in the gaps with an appropriate word from the following.

bank • lend • withdraw • earn • owe • afford • save
deposit • borrow • spend • pay back • open

Manager: So, Mr Jensen. How can I help you?

Customer: I'd like to (1)__________ £5,000 to buy a new car and I was wondering if your bank could help me.

Manager: I see. Can I ask if you (2)__________ money to any other banks?

Customer: Yes; £800 to the MidWest bank.

Manager: Right. I need to ask you about your salary. Could you tell me how much you (3) __________ each month, and how much of that you usually manage to (4)__________?

Customer: I make about £1,200 a month, and I usually (5)__________ most of that on rent, bills, food and general living expenses. I usually have about £250 left at the end of the
month.

Manager: If we agree to (6)__________ you the money, how much could you (7)__________ to (8)__________ each month?

Customer: About £200.

Manager: Well, that would probably be fine. Now, as you don't currently (9)__________ with us, you must (10)________ an account here. We will then (11)_________ the £5,000 in that account, and as soon as it goes in, you can (12)__________ it.

NOUNS
Explain the difference between the following pairs or groups of words. Use your dictionary to
help you.
1. a bank and a building society
2. a current account and a savings account
3. a withdrawal and a deposit
4. a statement and a balance
5. cash and a cheque
6. a credit card, a debit card and a cheque guarantee card.
7. a bill and a receipt
8. a standing order and a direct debit
9. a loan and an overdraft

Now choose one word from each pair or group to complete the sentences below.

1. The best place to invest money, or borrow it when you want to buy a house, is a ________ .
2. The advantage of a __________ is that you can take out money any time using a cheque book or cash card.
3. My husband made a £500 __________ from the bank and then lost it!
4. I have a __________ of £25 in my bank account.
5. The __________ is made out to Mr. Smith.
6. I have a spending limit of £3,000 on my American Express __________ .
7. Goods from this shop cannot be exchanged unless a sales __________ is shown.
8. I pay my electricity bills by __________ . The electric company transfers the money from my bank account to theirs.
9. I couldn't believe it when I looked at my bank statement. I had an ________ of nearly £500!

IDIOMS, COLLOQUIALISMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS
How would you feel, happy or unhappy , if you...
1. were broke?
2. were hard up?
3. were well-off?
4. were unable to make ends meet?
5. were able to spend money like water?
6. had just paid through the nose for something?
7. were bankrupt?
8. were down on your luck?
9. were penniless?
10. were skint?
11. were loaded?
12. were in the black?
13. were in the red?
14. were on the dole?
15. had money to burn?
16. had a lot of dosh?
17. were strapped for cash?

The media

2009-01-07T05:31:00.000-08:00

Look at the clues, and use them to help you rearrange the jumbled letters in the words in the sample sentences. The first letter of each word has been highlighted. Use these words to complete the crossword. You will find a lot of the answers in the clues to the other sentences.

Clues across
1. A person who writes for newspapers or other periodicals.
The aojurtlisn asked the police chief some difficult questions.
4. The amount of space (in a newspaper) or time (on television) that is given to a story or piece of news.
There wasn't much ogveerca of the Arsenal-Liverpool match.
5. Photographers who follow famous people to take pictures of them for newspapers.
They were followed by the rapaapziz from the theatre to the hotel.
6. A routine placed in a computer program which destroys or corrupts files.
I think there's a srivu on the computer.
7. The people watching a TV programme or listening to a radio broadcast.
The football match attracted an endaceui of almost 20 million.
9. To move information or programs from a computer network to an individual computer.
Is it illegal to aownldod music from the Internet?
11. A factual film about a real subject.
Did you see the mocdurtayen about South Africa on BBC1 last night?
13. Words in large letters on the front page of a newspaper.
Have you seen this dheneali: QUEEN IN RAP GUN VIDEO SHOCK?
16. A frequency band for radio or TV, or a station using this band.
The news is on anehCnl 4 at 7 o'clock.
18. A journalist in charge of a newspaper, or a person who gets a radio or TV programme ready.
He wrote to the etordi of 'The Times' to complain about the story they had printed.
20. An important item in a TV news programme, or an important article on a special subject in a
newspaper.
I read an interesting urefeat on the future of information technology.
21. To bring out a book or a newspaper for sale.
They were asked not to bliphus the book, but went ahead anyway.
23. A TV or radio show.
Last night we watched a rammrogep on life in 17th century France.
24. A collection of related pages on the internet, created by a company or individual.
If you want to know more about Bloomsbury books, visit their siwteeb at www.bloomsbury.com.

Clues down

2. A journalist who writes reports of events for a newspaper or TV programme.
The BBC sent a pterorer to cover the earthquake.
3. The action to ban newspapers, books or films, or part of them.
The government imposed strict press epnscorshi to stop rumours being spread.
4. The number of copies of a magazine, newspaper, etc, which are sold.
The paper has a ircculionat of almost 2 million.
8. A newspaper with a large page size.
The problem with a bhrdseoaet is that it's difficult to read on the bus.
10. Important events (often political) that are happening now.
A lot of children study ctreurn faafirs as part of their educational curriculum.
12. The number of people who read a newspaper.
The paper targets a young shrdpereai who are tired of the usual broadsheets.
14. To explore websites on the Internet in no particular order.
Most people furs the internet as a way of relaxing.
15. A radio or TV programme, or a verb which means 'to send out on radio or TV'
The programme will be tbacroasd on Monday at 8 o'clock.
17 An untrue written statement which can damage someone's reputation.
It can be very difficult to sue a newspaper for blile.
19. A newspaper with a small page size.
The Sun is the most widely-read dloatbi in Britain.
22. A collective word for newspapers. You shouldn't believe everything you read in the rpses.

Learning languages

2009-01-07T05:23:00.000-08:00

Complete the sentences with a word or words from the following .

challenging • look it up • parrot-fashion • coming along • monolingual
get by • rewarding • mother tongue • pick some up • accent • multi-lingual
communicate • self-access centre • recycle • lingua franca • native • progress
fluent • second language • bi-lingual • pronunciation

1. People speak lots of different languages in my country, but the __________ is English - it is used in business, politics and education as the main language of communication.

2. My school has an excellent __________ where we can listen to tapes, watch videos and use computers to improve our English.

3. I have terrible problems with my English __________. Nobody can understand a word I say.

4. Always carry a good dictionary around with you. If you don't understand a word, you can then
__________.

5. When you learn a new word, you should try to __________ it as much as possible in your written and spoken English.

6. I didn't learn Spanish at school, but I managed to __________ when I was travelling around Spain.

7. He has an unusual __________; it's not British, and it's not American. It's something in between.

8. There are two types of dictionary you can use; a __________ one, which gives a translation of the word, and a __________ one, which explains the word in the same language.

9. I think my English is __________ well. Last year I passed my PET exam, this year I passed my FCE, and now I'm studying for the CAE. I can definitely say that I'm making good __________.

10. Of course I speak good English. I've spoken it all my life. It's my __________. I also speak French as a __________.

11. My English, French, Spanish and Portuguese are __________. I speak them perfectly, like a __________ of those countries. I suppose you could say that I'm __________.

12. When I learnt German at school, I learnt it __________; we listened to the teacher and simply repeated what he said. I never learnt to use it properly.

13. My Italian isn't great, but when I go to Italy I can usually __________ in restaurants, shops, bars, etc. Basically, people understand what I'm trying to say.

14. Learning a language can be __________, but it is always __________, especially when you find you can __________ with people in their own country.

Health

2009-01-07T04:40:00.000-08:00

VERBS
Complete the text below with one of the words or expressions from the box.

fall ill • recuperate • examine • operate • take exercise • suffer • refer treat • look after • keep fit • get well • cure • pick up

Most people believe it's very important to 1.__________ in order to 2.__________, but even the fittest person can sometimes 3.__________, no matter how hard they 4.__________ their health. If you do become ill, of course you want to 5.__________ as soon as possible. With most minor illnesses, such as a cold or flu, it's usually possible to 6.__________ yourself by taking lots of rest and drinking plenty of liquid. However, if you 7.__________ from something more serious, you will have to go to your doctor. He will 8.__________ you and, if possible, 9.__________ you with medicine which you can 10.__________ from your local chemist. If you have an unusual illness, your doctor may 11.__________ you to a specialist or a hospital, who may decide to 12.__________ on you if your illness is serious. You will then have to 13.__________, and this can take a long time.

NOUNS

Medical words. There are 12 words hidden in the box. Look at the definitions on the left and
find the words that match them in the box. The first letter of each word has been given to you.

1. room where a doctor or dentist sees and examines a patient. (s)
2. person who looks after sick people. (n)
3. order written by a doctor to a pharmacist asking for a drug to be prepared and sold to a
patient. (p)
4. doctor who specializes in surgery. (s)
5. department in a hospital for accident victims. (c)
6. sick person who is in hospital or who is being treated by a doctor, dentist, etc. (p)
7. room or set of rooms in a hospital, with beds for 6. above. (w)
8. person who studies and treats mental disease. (p)
9. agreed time for a meeting to see your doctor or dentist. (a)
10. medical specialist attached to a hospital. (c)
11. professional nurse who helps a woman give birth, often at home. (m)
12. change in the way a body works or looks, showing that a disease is present and has been
noticed by the patient or doctor. (s)

IDIOMS, COLLOQUIALISMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS
Feeling well / feeling sick. How would you feel in the following situations?

1. You are under the weather:
2. Your condition is touch-and-go:
3. You look washed out:
4. You have come down with something:
5. You are as fit as a fiddle:
6. You are in good shape:
7. You have taken a turn for the worse:
8. You are not feeling yourself:
9. You are laid up with something:
10. You feel lousy:
11. You feel on top of the world:
12. You feel groggy:
13. You're glowing:
14. You're in the pink:
15. You look like death warmed up:
16. You feel a bit rough:
17. You're at death's door:
18. You're a picture of health:

Geography

2009-01-07T04:33:00.000-08:00

Places and features
Match the words on the first group with an example on the second one. There are some words on the first group that do not match with any on the second geoup. Use your dictionary to check what these mean.

state • city • waterfall
county • canal • range • valley
province • ocean • mountain
harbour • island • river
capital (city) • village • country
continent • desert • stream

the Atlantic • Ankara • Munich
the Sahara • Niagara • Everest
Mexico • Bali • the Suez • Asia
the Himalayas • the Nile • Ohio

Town and country.
Complete the text with these words.

safer • amenities • peaceful • nature • pollution • commuters • jams
crowded • suburbs • fresh • rush hour • countryside • rural • stressful
fields • public • nightlife • urban • cosmopolitan

I've always preferred an _____ lifestyle to a _____ lifestyle. I'd much rather live in a city than in the _____ because there's so much more to do. The _____ is great - lots of bars, restaurants and nightclubs - and there are lots of _____ such as sports centres, swimming pools, museums and so on. What I particularly like is the fact that my home city is so _____; there are people there from all over the world.
Of course, with so many people everywhere it can get very _____, especially during the _____ (in my city, this is between 7 and 9 in the morning, and between 4 and 6 in the evening). At those times, the trains and buses are packed with _____ coming to the city to work, and then going back to the _____ around the city where many of them live. Those who don't use _____ transport drive to the city in their own cars; this causes terrible traffic _____ on the roads, and of course lots of _____, which makes the air dirty and unpleasant. It can get quite _____ at times.
Consequently, it is good to get away from the city now and then, and get back to _____; lots of lovely _____ air, green _____ and _____ villages where the only noise is the sound of birds and sheep. It's also much _____; there's less crime and the roads aren't as dangerous.

Free time activities

2009-01-07T04:22:00.000-08:00

Look at the groups below.
In the first group, you will see a list of verbs in bold, and some of the words we use with them.
These are all things that people do in their free time.
In the second group, you will see a list of verbs we use to say that we like something.
In the third group, you will see a list of adjectives that we use to describe why we enjoy
different activities.
Use your dictionary to check that you understand all the words and expressions, then write a few sentences to say what you enjoy doing in your free time, and why you enjoy doing them.

watch television, films, videos, plays, sporting events (football matches, golf tournaments, etc)
listen to the radio, music, CD's
play sports (football, volleyball, tennis, golf, badminton, table tennis, etc)
play chess, video games, computer games, board games, cards, card games
play musical instrument (the piano, the guitar, the violin, the saxophone, the drums, etc)
go swimming, camping, skiing, shopping, running, jogging, climbing, walking, hiking, horse-riding, sailing, canoeing, cycling
go to the cinema, the theatre, concerts, shows, the pub, restaurants, the library, museums, art
galleries, football matches, amusement parks
read books, magazines, newspapers, journals, comics
collect stamps, postcards, antiques, coins, works of art, paintings
socialize with your friends (in pubs, bars, cafés, nightclubs, restaurants, at home, etc)
surf the Internet
For activities like photography, cooking, painting, writing, drawing, sewing and knitting, there are no special verbs. We usually use enjoy or other verbs (e.g., I enjoy photography / taking
photographs). Activities that you do outside the house are called outdoor activities.

like • enjoy • love • adore • am fond of
am keen on • mad about • am crazy about

interesting • creative • challenging • fun • exciting • relaxing inspiring • amusing • entertaining • stimulating • therapeutic • sociable

Food and drink

2009-01-07T04:03:00.000-08:00

VERBS

Read the text and match the words in bold with their definitions underneath. Use your dictionary to check your answers.

I recently went on a cookery course. It was very tiring work. First of all I had to learn how to
prepare food. The teacher showed us how to marinade meat before we cooked it, baste it while it was cooking and even how to slice it once it had been cooked. We were also shown how to chop, grate and dice vegetables. I had never realised before how many different ways there are of cooking food; I had to learn how to fry, bake, roast, grill, barbecue, stir-fry and steam it! The best part of the course was trying out the food we had cooked. Some of the students would nibble the food cautiously and (in the case of the drinks we had prepared), sip delicately before they would swallow. I, on the other hand, would gobble and gulp it, sometimes without even bothering to chew it properly first!

1. to make something soft with your teeth.

2. to swallow food or liquid quickly.

3. to make food into small pieces by rubbing it over a metal tool.

4. to cook over a pan of boiling water by allowing the hot mist from the water to pass through small holes in a container with food in.

5. to cook food outdoors on a metal grill over wood or charcoal

6. to soak meat or fish in a mixture of wine and herbs, etc, before cooking it

7. to eat something by taking small bites

8. to make food or liquid pass down your throat from your mouth to the stomach.

9. to eat greedily.

10. to pour melted fat and juices over meat as it is cooking.

11. to cut something into thin pieces

12. to cook food in oil or fat in a shallow pan.

13. to cook food using very strong heat directly above it.

14. to drink something by taking only a small amount of liquid at a time.

15. to cut food into small pieces with a knife.

16. to cook vegetables or meat quickly in hot oil. Chinese food is often cooked in this way

17. to cook in an oven without any extra liquid or fat. Bread and cakes are usually cooked this way.

18. to cut food into small cubes.

19. to cook food (especially meat) over a fire or in an oven.

NOUNS AND OTHER WORDS

Use the following words to complete the sentences

recipe / menu / fast food / takeaway / tip / side plate / ingredients
balanced diet / calories / dessert / health foods / bill / fatty / vegetarian
vegan / diet / starter / main course / carbohydrates / fibre

1. I had soup as a __________, followed by chicken and chips for the __________ , with a __________ of green salad, and finally a delicious __________ of strawberries and cream.
2. My friend Tim is a __________; he won't eat meat. His girlfriend won't eat any food that exploits animals (including eggs and cheese). She's a __________.
3. In the restaurant, I chose my food from the __________, and when I had finished, paid the __________ and left the waiter a small __________.
4. I'm on a __________ because I'm trying to lose weight, so I suppose I should eat more __________, but I'm afraid I can't resist hamburgers, pizzas and other __________ .
5. I bought a really good __________ book last week, but can't find some of the __________ I need for the dishes.
6. Shall we have dinner at home or shall we eat out? I know, let's do a bit of both. I'll go to the
Chinese __________ and bring something back.
7. Nutritionists tell us that we should eat a __________ We should eat less __________ food such as meat and cheese, and should eat more foods that contain __________, like brown bread and vegetables.
8. Cakes and biscuits contain lots of __________ and __________.

Did you know?

Diet can be used in 2 ways:
'You should eat a balanced diet'. Diet refers to the sorts of foods you eat. A balanced diet means that you eat the right amount from the different food groups.
'I'm on a diet’. When you are on a diet, you eat less because you want to lose weight.

IDIOMS, COLLOQUIALISMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS

The expressions in bold, which all use words connected with food, have been put into the wrong sentences below. Use your dictionary to help you rearrange them.

1. The exam was so easy! It was a butter-fingers.
2. I don't like horror films; they're bananas.
3. I don't get paid very much in my new job. In fact, my boss pays me sour grapes.
4. Jane is really angry with her boyfriend. As far as she's concerned, he's not warm as toast.
5. I've just seen the boss and he looks really angry. I think there's a different kettle of fish.
6. She became very embarrassed and her face turned cool as a cucumber.
7. Mr Lewis is a wonderful man. He's as different as chalk and cheese.
8. You're mad, crazy, completely not my cup of tea!
9. I'm always dropping things and breaking them. I'm such a piece of cake.
10. Although Joe and Brian are brothers, they're completely different. They're the salt of the earth.
11. The bank robbers were packed together like sardines when the police questioned them, and told them everything they knew about the robbery.
12. I'm not at all cold. In fact, I'm the flavour of the month.
13. Andy is always calm and relaxed. He never panics. He's as red as a beetroot.
14. Steven didn't congratulate me when I got the job. It was probably peanuts.
15. It was so crowded on the train we spilled the beans.

16. I don't mind you borrowing my umbrella without asking, but to borrow my car? That's trouble brewing.

Education

2009-01-07T03:45:00.000-08:00

VERBS

Look at the sentences below and fill in the gaps using the appropriate word or expression from A, B or C.

1. He got a good grade in his maths, but ________ his English exam.

A. passed B. lost C. failed

2. She had to ________ her First Certificate exam three times.

A. study B. take C. make

3. She ________ her driving test first time!

A. passed B. succeeded C. won

4. He is ________ medicine because he wants to become a doctor.

A. studying B. learning C. acquiring

5. He's ________ to speak French at college.

A. studying B. learning C. teaching

6. She's ________ herself to speak Japanese.

A. learning B. studying C. teaching

7. She ________ from Edinburgh University last year.

A. left B. graduated C. passed

8. We need to ________ young people about the dangers of alcohol.

A. educate B. bring up C. raise

9. I'm ________ for my history test tomorrow.

A. learning B. revising C. remembering

10. School ________ next week; I can't wait for the holidays to begin!

A. breaks into B. breaks up C. breaks down

11. In my country, it is ________ to go to school between the ages of 5 and 16.

A. legal B. required C. compulsory

12. My favourite ________ at school was always History.

A. topic B. subject C. objec

NOUNS

A. Look at the definitions below, and write the words they define in the grid . The first
letter of each word has been given to you. If you do it correctly, you will find the name we give to a student at university in the shaded vertical strip. Use your dictionary to help you.

1. A child at school. (e.g., The piano teacher thinks she is her best p_ _ _ _ )

2. A person who is studying at a college or university. (e.g., She's a brilliant s _ _ _ _ _ _ )
3. A diploma from a university. (e.g., She has a d _ _ _ _ _ in mathematics from Oxford University)
4. A meeting of a small group of university students to discuss a subject with a teacher. (e.g. The
French s_ _ _ _ _ _ is being held in the conference room)
5. A talk given to a class of students, usually at a university or college (e.g., We are going to a l _ _ _ _ _ _ on pollution).
6. A sum of money to help (e.g., Not many students get a full g _ _ _ _ )
7. A teaching session between a tutor and one or more students. (e.g., We had a t_ _ _ _ _ _ _ on
Russian history)
8. All the people who work in a company, school, college or other organization (e.g., Three
members of s_ _ _ _ are away sick)
9. A person with a degree from a university. (e.g., He's a g_ _ _ _ _ _ _ of London University)
10. An area of knowledge that you are studying. (e.g., Maths is his weakest s_ _ _ _ _ _)
11. The points given to a student for a test or a piece of work. (e.g., She got top m_ _ _ _ in English)
12. A school that is funded by the state. (e.g., He went to a s_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _)

13. A school for little children. (e.g., We send our youngest son to the local k_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _)

What's the difference? Use your dictionary to help you find the difference between the
following pairs of words.

1. a teacher and a professor
2. a primary school and a secondary school
3. a fee and a grant
4. a term and a semester
5. a graduate in Britain and a graduate in the USA
6. a state school and a public school

IDIOMS, COLLOQUIALISMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS
Look at these sentences and decide which of the idioms and colloquialisms in bold is correct.
In each sentence, there are two expressions which we do not use in English.

1. He gets up early to go to college, and comes home late. I keep telling him he shouldn't
buy a dog with two tails / burn the candle at both ends / try to wear two pairs of trousers.
2. Sally always does her homework on time and buys the teacher little presents. The other children hate her. She's such a teacher's toy / teacher's jewel / teacher's pet.
3. He'll have to pull his socks up / polish his head / empty his washing basket and work harder or he'll fail his exams.
4. She didn't work hard enough and flunked / splodged / squidged her exams.
5. They didn't go to school, but chased the tiger / emptied their heads / played truant and went
fishing instead.
6. He never comes to his English lessons. He's always smirking / skiving / shrinking.

Crime

2009-01-07T03:32:00.000-08:00

Look at this student's essay, and complete it with a word or expression . In some
cases, more than one answer may be possible.

attacked • protect • property • defend • locks • lights

victims • self-defence • burgled • security • possessions • violence

criminals • problem • drugs • break in • be aware • police • prevent

There is a lot of crime in our towns and cities. What do you think we could all do to reduce the risk to ourselves and our homes?

Crime is a big 1. __________ in some cities. There is a lot of 2. __________ on the streets at night, people buy and sell 3. __________ illegally, and a lot of houses are 4. __________ on a regular basis. The 5. __________ do their best to 6. __________ these things happening, but they are not always successful.
However, there are some things that people can do to make their lives safer, to 7. __________
themselves and their 8. __________ from crime. For example, they can improve 9. __________ by fixing good, strong 10. __________ so that thieves cannot 11. __________ and steal their 12. __________. When they go out at night, they should leave 13. __________ on so that thieves think there are people at home. When they are on the streets, they should 14. __________ of what is happening around them.
They could even consider doing a 15__________ course such as judo or jujitsu so that they can
16. __________ themselves if they are 17. __________ by muggers.
There will always be 18. __________ on our streets, but that doesn't mean we all need to be
19. __________ of crime, especially if we take the right preventative measures.

Complete the sentences below with one of these words or expressions .

guilty • falsified • smuggled • sentenced • tried • innocent • arrested
mugged • break • vandalized • stole • robbed • trafficking • charged

Richard Mann has been committing crimes since he was a boy.

1. When he was only 15 he _____________ telephone boxes and public toilets. 2. As he grew older, he _____________ old ladies in the street and stole their money. 3. He also _____________ banks, post offices and jewellery shops.
4. On one occasion, he _____________ almost £20,000 from a post office.
5. In his late twenties, he _____________ cigarettes and alcohol from one country to another.
6. During his only proper job in an office, he _____________ the accounts and pocketed thousands ofpounds.
7. He then started _____________ drugs.
8. The police finally _____________ him last year.
9. They _____________ him with almost thirty crimes.
10. He was _____________ at a Crown Court.
11. He said he was _____________, but the jury decided he was _____________.
12. The judge _____________ him to 15 years in prison.

13. He won't _____________ the law again for a long time.

IDIOMS, COLLOQUIALISMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS

Complete the following story using one of these idiomatic words or expression .

behind bars • nick • boys in blue • doing time • got away with • nicking spill the beans • hardened • cops • as thick as thieves • leg it • red handed

Brian and Bert had always been 1._____________, sharing each other's secrets and doing everything together. They turned to a life of crime in their teens, and by the time they were in their early twenties, they were already 2._____________ criminals. They burgled houses and stole cars and always 3._____________ it, discovering that they actually enjoyed the excitement of avoiding the 4._____________. However, their luck didn't last and one day the 5._____________ caught them 6._____________ while they were 7.______________ a car. They tried to 8._____________, but didn't get too far. The police interviewed them and told them to 9._____________. I'm glad to say that Brian and Bert are now 10._____________ in Wandsworth 11._____________, and expect to be 12._____________ for at least two years.

Clothes

2009-01-07T03:00:00.000-08:00

VERBS
Look at the sentences below and fill in the gaps using the appropriate word or expression
from A, B or C.

1. It takes him ages every morning to get up, __________, and have breakfast. A. put on B. wear C. get dressed

2. You've got an important interview today. Don't forget to __________ a tie.
A. get dressed B. try on C. put on

3. What dress are you going to ________ to the party? A. wear B. get dressed C. try on

4. Did you __________ the shoes in the shop before you bought them? A. wear B. try on C. fit

5. These shoes don't __________ me - they're a size too small. A. fit B. measure C. suit

6. Green clothes usually __________ people with red hair. A. fit B. suit C. match

7. Your yellow trousers don't __________ your bright green shirt. A. fit B. measure C. match

8. He's _________ his coat - it's too small for him now. A. grown into B. grown out of C. grown up

9. Walking across the USA, he ________ three pairs of boots. A. wore off B. wore out C. wore on

10.The doctor asked the patient to _________. A. undress B. undo C. untie

11.Can you _________ the zip at the back of my dress? A. do up B. tie up C. put on

12.Would you mind _________ my shirt please? A. creasing B. ironing C. squashing

NOUNS AND ADJECTIVES

Read the texts below and write the names of the people next to the appropriate items of
clothing on the drawing. There are not pictures for all the items of clothing mentioned.

At a party.

That's Jim over there by the door. Can you see him? He's wearing jeans and trainers, a striped
shirt and a white waistcoat.

At a fashion show.

Miranda is wearing a stunning outfit by designer Jean-Claude Cliché. Of course, many
people would say that high heels, a tartan skirt, a blouse with a floral pattern and a
spotted silk scarf don't match.

At the office.

Mr Johnson always wears plain trousers, a plain shirt and a jacket.

At home.

Jenny, our eldest daughter, hangs around the house in an old pleated skirt, a sweatshirt and
a pair of her granny's old slippers.

On the beach.

Bob is wearing a baggy pair of shorts with a horrible floral pattern, held up with a belt, a
striped T-shirt, a pair of sandals with long black socks, and a cap to protect his head from the sun. He looks a sight!

A parent's advice on a cold day.

Make sure you wear warm clothes, Tony. You'll need a thick jumper, your wellingtons, those
corduroys and your brother's old overcoat. Oh, and don't forget your scarf - the checked woollen one - and your mittens.

IDIOMS, COLLOQUIALISMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS
The following story uses expressions involving items of clothing. Replace them using one of these entries

secretly • sacked him • had a plan which he was keeping secret
try to do better • place • on a small amount of money
be quiet • wearing his very best clothes • secret
hit her hard • worked closely • nonsense • admire

Bert had never been hand in glove with Mrs Jameson, our boss. One day, Mrs Jameson told him he had to pull his socks up. Bert told her to belt up and threatened to give her a sock in the jaw.
She gave him the boot and I had to step into his shoes. The next day, Bert came to the office dressed up to the nines. He told Mrs Jameson he didn't want to be without a job and live on a shoestring. He said he was keeping something up his sleeve which he could use against the company, but would keep it under his hat if she gave him his job back. Mrs Jameson laughed up her sleeve at this and told Bert he was talking through his hat. I had to take my hat off to her.

Character and personality

2009-01-07T02:49:00.000-08:00

Match the numbered sentences with the lettered ones. Use the adjectives in bold to help you.

1. I wish John wouldn't be so critical all the time.
2. Mary is so witty.
3. Chris is such a garrulous person.
4. Sometimes Rick can be really impulsive.
5. Laurence is the most conceited person I know.
6. Mr Kelly is very absent-minded.
7. Jan is so obstinate.
8. Mr. Roberts is extremely reserved.
9. You're not very punctual, are you?
10. Has anyone ever told you how bossy you are?
11. You're so pessimistic!
12. Jenny is optimistic about the future.
13. Brian is usually quite reliable.
14. Claire is very sensitive.
15. June is the most sensible student in the class.
16. My boyfriend is so possessive.
17. My mother is quite open-minded.
18. Jean should try not to be so bigoted.
19. At times, Fiona can be really bitchy.
20. Mark is extremely sociable.

A. I know! He spoke non-stop for two hours on the telephone last night!
B. She made some really nasty remarks about the new secretary.
C. He hates it when I go out with my friends.
D. You can never make her change her mind.
E. You always believe that only bad things will happen.
F. He loves going to parties.
G. After all, nobody's perfect.
H. It's very easy to upset her.
I. You're almost never on time.
J. She always makes good decisions and does the right thing.
K. That's true. She made a very clever and funny speech at her party.
L. Her strong and unreasonable ideas have really upset some people.
M. She's always willing to listen to other people's ideas.
N. He often rushes to do things without thinking of the consequences.
O. Yesterday he went to the library in his slippers!
P. He thinks too much of himself.
Q. I trust him completely.
R. She feels that everything will work out for the best.
S. You're always telling people what to do.

Look at the following list of words and expressions, and decide whether they are positive
( + ) or negative ( - ).

1. a fuddy-duddy + / -
2. a pain in the neck + / -
3. a gossip + / -
4. a troublemaker + / -
5. a slob + / -
6. a layabout + / -
7. a wet blanket + / -
8. a couch potato + / -
9. a brick + / -
10. a golden boy + / -
11. a high-flyer + / -
12. a windbag + / -
13. a busybody + / -
14. the salt of the earth + / -
15. a slave driver + / -
16. an early bird + / -
17. a sponger + / -
18. a bimbo + / -
19. a jerk + / -
20. a moron + / -
21. a stick-in-the-mud + / -
22. the life and soul of the party + / -

The arts

2009-01-07T02:33:00.000-08:00

Look at the definitions and jumbled letters in bold below. Rearrange the letters so that they
make words connected with the arts (visual arts, performing arts, literature, etc) and write
these in their correct space on the grid. If you do this correctly, you will reveal a word in the shaded vertical strip which means 'public show'

1. A live show with music, in which the words are sung and not spoken. Mozart's 'Marriage of Figaro' is a famous example. paore
2. A long story, with imaginary characters and plot. 'Oliver Twist' is a famous example by Charles Dickens. venlo
3. A painting or photograph of a person. taprrito
4. North Americans say 'movie', British people say… mlfi
5. Taking pictures on a sensitive film with a camera. hoopyahtgrp
6. Something which you cannot forget easily (some songs, for example). remeoblma
7. North Americans go to the ‘movie theater’, British people go to the… animce
8. The area in a theatre where a play takes place. egast
9. A new way of doing something (a piece of dance, or some music, for example). aninevovti
10. A programme of live music, played in public. rtoccne
11. Modern (often used to talk about art or dance). opacntorryme

Instructions as before. The word in the shaded vertical strip is a general word for any book,
newspaper or magazine which has been published.

1. A figure carved out of stone, wood, etc, or made out of metal. Michelangelo's 'David' is a famous example. usecluptr
2. People who watch a football match are called spectators. People who watch a film, play, etc are
called the… danuciee
3. A collection of songs on a CD, cassette, etc. mubal
4. A type of dance where dancers perform a story to music. Tchaikovsky's 'Swan Lake' is a famous example. tablel
5. A collection of well-known works put together in one volume (often used for songs by rock groups, or short stories by one or more authors). aimconpliot
6. A painting or photograph of a country scene. dpacansel
7. Paintings, designs, etc, which contain shapes or images that do not look like people or objects.
tatscabr rat
8. The person in charge of making a film or a play. tirerdco
9. A person who paints, draws, etc. titars
10. The person who directs an orchestra. orduccont
11. The music used in a film. acsuntrkod

Accommodation

2009-01-07T02:17:00.000-08:00

Read the descriptions 1 - 14 and decide which type of accommodation is being described in
each one.

detached house • semi-detached house • house • mansion
palace • castle • bungalow • cottage • caravan
prison cell • hospital ward • barracks • houseboat • flat

1. It's quite an old house, and the walls are paper-thin, so we can hear everything the neighbours on both sides are doing.

2. There are three of us in here and it's really claustrophobic, especially as we can't open
the window and the door is locked all the time. Oh well, only another 7 years to go!

3. The patients on either side of me are really nice, which is good because otherwise this
place is really depressing. I hope I get well soon.

4. Towers and turrets, bastions and battlements. Mist on the moat and dragons under the
drawbridge. This place is awe-inspiring.

5. It's a bit cramped, but the great advantage is that, when we get fed up with one place, we
just attach it to the back of the car and move on.

6. It's lovely out here in the countryside and we try to spend as much time here as possible.
It's quite a little house, but very cosy, of course.

7. It's a very large, spacious house with a long drive, beautiful gardens and a view over the
golf course. There are fifteen bedrooms, although we don't use them all of course!

8. Although we live in the city, our house stands alone in its own garden. This means that we
don't get any noise from the neighbours on either side.

9. Our next-door neighbour likes to play loud music at night, so we moved the bedroom to
the other side of the house where there aren't any neighbours directly next door.

10. I'm not sure who lives there now, but at one time it was the residence of King George III.
It's very grandiose; 120 bedrooms and almost 600 hectares of land.

11. My grandparents bought it last year. Its main advantage is that it only has one floor, so
they don't have to worry about climbing any stairs.

12. It's moored on the River Thames near London. It's very peaceful, apart from the
noise from the ducks and geese.

13. The block where we live is next to the underground station. It's smaller than our old
house, of course, but we have a great view from the 8th floor.

14. There are fifteen of us in here, but the sergeant-major makes sure we keep it tidy. If
we don't, we get extra guard-duty!

Look at the following sentences and decide whether the explanations which follow them are TRUE or FALSE.

1. The hotel is a real home from home.
The hotel is not very comfortable. TRUE / FALSE

2. He lay down on the sofa, opened a bottle of beer and made himself at home.
He behaved differently from the way he did in his own house. TRUE / FALSE

3. His new job is nothing to write home about.
His new job is not very exciting or special. TRUE / FALSE

4. The pub serves homely food.
The food in the pub is not very good. TRUE / FALSE

5. I had to tell her a few home truths.
I had to tell her some unpleasant facts about her. TRUE / FALSE

6. Cheer up, we're in the home straight now!
We've been working on a long project and have almost finished it. TRUE / FALSE

7. James lives in cardboard city.
James lives in a very comfortable house. TRUE / FALSE

8. The staff in the hotel were very accommodating.
The staff in the hotel were very helpful. TRUE / FALSE

9. Caron is my flat-mate.
Caron lives in the flat next door to mine. TRUE / FALSE

10. It's been a long, hard project, but we're almost home and dry.
The project is almost successfully finished. TRUE / FALSE

11.We need to drive the hammer home as soon as possible.
We need to start working as soon as possible. TRUE / FALSE

12.I took a job working as a home help.
I took a job helping people to move from one home to another. TRUE / FALSE

Working words

2009-01-07T02:12:00.000-08:00

This exercise lets you review some of the more common uses of 'grammar'-type words
(prepositions, conjunctions, pronouns, prepositions, etc) in context. Use one word to complete
each gap in the sentences. In some cases, there may be more than one alternative answer, but
you should just give one of them.

1. I'm afraid __________ say you have absolutely __________ chance __________ passing the exam.
2. A few years __________, people __________ to write letters to each other. __________ days, it's all emails and text messages.
3. You can't leave early, __________ if you promise to work late tomorrow.
4. __________ 1999 and 2003, the book sold __________ a million copies.
5. One or two of my friends live abroad, but _________ of them live __________ my home.
6. Please __________ quiet. I'm trying to concentrate __________ my project.
7. __________ it rains tomorrow, we can go __________ a picnic.
8. We wanted to see the exhibition __________ the art gallery, but __________ how many other people __________ be there, we decided to give it a miss.
9. In __________ of missing most of his lessons, he __________ to pass the exam.
10. Teachers are __________ capable of making mistakes as __________ else.
11. I adore spicy food. __________ is the reason I'm so keen __________ Mexican cooking.
12. Jan Kelly, a teacher __________ works at St Clare's in Oxford, has __________ been given a 'Teacher of the Year' award.
13. He approached his English lessons __________ enthusiasm, and __________ excellent progress as a result.
14. His sudden change of heart took everyone __________ surprise, since previously he __________ been very interested in the project.
15. He spent the second half of his life living in __________ remote village of Hogstail Common,
__________ he wrote most of his novels.
16. Some people try to __________ up cigarettes by smoking __________ they feel sick, or by limiting themselves to one or __________ a day, but __________ methods are not very effective.
17. My English school, __________ is near the centre of town, is __________ of the best schools in the __________ country.
18. There were at __________ sixty people in the room, which was far __________ than the organisers expected, and __________ there were only 20 chairs, most of us __________ to stand.
19. In most respects he was a normal child, but __________ made him different __________ everybody __________ was his enthusiasm for solving complex mathematical puzzles.

Verbs to nouns

2009-01-02T12:36:00.000-08:00

A lot of verbs can be changed to nouns by the addition of a suffix (e.g., perform -
performance, arrange - arrangement, fail - failure, etc), or by changing other features of the
word (e.g., prove - proof, be born - birth, etc).
In many cases, these nouns are abstract. This means that we cannot usually touch, see, feel,
hear or smell them.
Look at these sentences, and complete the crossword puzzle with a noun form of the verb at
the end of each sentence. Make sure that you use the correct suffix or make other necessary
changes.

Clues across
2. His parents had great _____ for the future, but were ultimately disappointed. (expect)
4. I need your _____ on this sheet of paper. (sign)
6. We had a terrible _____, but we quickly made it up. (argue)
7. Because of the baggage handlers strike at the airport, there were several flight _____. (cancel)
11.My brother is a _____ expert, and runs courses for people who want to go to remote places like the Sahara Desert. (survive) (not survivor)
12.Thanks to you, the party was a complete _____. (succeed)
13.I didn't have the right _____ for the job. (qualify)
14.Listen carefully, everyone. I've got an important _____ to make. (announce)
15.There have been several major _____ in the field of information technology. (develop)
18.I'm afraid I can't give you _____ to leave. (permit)
19.Her sudden _____ shocked everyone. (die)
20.The _____ of the flight was delayed by bad weather. (depart)
21.When he looked at the liquid under a microscope, he made a shocking _____. (discover).
22.It's entirely your _____ whether you come or not. (choose)

Clues down
1. Non-attendance at lessons will result in the _____ of your student visa. (lose)
3. If the work isn't done to my _____, you'll be fired. (satisfy)
5. His sudden _____ surprised everyone. (arrive)
8. The children were jumping up and down with _____. (excite)
9. The conference was a disaster because of poor _____. (organise)
10. He looked at me in _____. (astonish)
16. The sound of his _____ could be heard on the top floor. (laugh)
17. Our plan was a _____; it just didn't work. (fail)

Verbs to adjectives

2009-01-02T12:21:00.000-08:00

A lot of verbs can be changed to adjectives by the addition of a suffix (e.g., -able, -ous, -ful)
to the end of the word. Some verbs can have more than one adjective form (e.g., bore =
boring or bored). Sometimes you may need to remove or change a letter at the end of the
word before adding a suffix (e.g. vary = variable)

Complete the following sentences with an adjective formed from the verb in bold.

1. My grandmother is still very ________ at the age of 88. act
2. Her work is entirely ________ . admire
3. We spent a very ________ weekend by the sea. agree
4. She wrote us an ________ letter. apologise
5. I don't want to watch that ________ television programme. bore
6. I'm ________. Let's go out to the club. bore
7. Be ________ not to make any noise, the baby is asleep. care
8. Judged by last year's performance, it is a ________ success. compare
9. He's very ________ and loves playing sports. compete
10. She made some ________ suggestions for improving the shop. construct
11. The computer has given us ________ problems since we bought it. continue
12. She's been in ________ pain for three days. continue
13. He's a ________ child, always full of ideas. create
14. He was nervous, but tried to sound ________ . decide
15. People living in small villages need a ________ bus service. depend
16. She had a ________ expression on her face. doubt
17. He's a very ________ child and often has headaches. excite
18. The news about the house is very ________ . excite
19. She's ________ at the thought of going on holiday. excite
20. We are ________ that the company will accept our offer. hope
21. Any exercise is ________ to sitting around doing nothing. prefer
22. She was hardly ________ when she came out of prison. recognise
23. It was very ________ to see them getting on so well. satisfy
24. We became ________ when we found out that she knew about the deal. suspect
25. She's a very ________ person to have in the office. use

Spelling

2009-01-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

There are eleven words in this passage which are spelt incorrectly. Can you find and correct them?

Apart from condemming tobacco companies and rising the price of cigarettes, the goverment's antismoking campain has failed to have any long-term affects, and the only people bennefitting from it are the Inland Revenue departement. Meanwhile, the National Health Service says it may refuse to treat persistant smokers. Of course, this hasn't prevented the big tobbaco companys spending vast amounts of money on advertiseing.

Instructions as above

It is argueable whether good pronounciation is more important than good grammer and vocabulery. Consientious students balance their aquisition of these skills, hopeing to acheive both fluency and accuracey. Teachers should encourage there students to practice all the relevant language skills.

Instructions as above

It is becomming increasingly difficcult for many people to find decent accomodation in London at a price they can afford. To put it simpley, most people just don't have the necesary funds. Organiseations such as Home Front can offer advise, but it widely agreed that the situation is no longer managable.
The fact that city councils are building cheap, tempory housing for lower-paid profesionals is the only official acknowledgment of this problem.

Shape and size

2009-01-02T11:59:00.000-08:00

Match the words below with the picture that best represents each word

1. a pyramid 2. a cube 3. a crescent 4. a spiral 5. a cone 6. a rectangle 7. a triangle 8. a circle 9. a square 10. a cylinder 11. an oval

Look at the following list of words and decide what the correct adjective form is, A, B or C.

1. sphere A. spherous B. spherical C. spherocous
2. cube A. cubed B. cubous C. cubal
3. cone A. conacular B. conous C. conical
4. rectangle A. rectanglous B. rectanglis C. rectangular
5. triangle A. triangular B. trianglous C. triangled
6. circle A. circled B. circulous C. circular
7. square A. square B. squaret C. squarous
8. cylinder A. cylindrous B. cylindal C. cylindrical

Look at the following list of words and decide whether they can be used to describe
something which is big or something which is small.

minute • enormous • minuscule • mammoth • huge
gigantic • tiny • monumental • colossal • massive
giant • titchy • gargantuan • teeny (or teeny-weeny)

Match the numbered descriptions with the lettered objects, geographical features.

1. a sharp edge with jagged teeth
2. steep, with a pointed peak
3. rolling, with undulating wheat
4. curved, with a smooth surface
5. flat, with dotted lines
6. wavy, with blonde highlights
7. meandering, with a calm surface
8. winding and bumpy, with deep potholes
9. hollow, with rough bark

A. a country road in very poor condition
B. somebody's hair
C. a very old tree
D. a knife
E. a slow-moving river
F. a mountain
G. a banana
H. agricultural countryside
I. an application form

Prepositions

2009-01-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

Use the prepositions which are missing from these sentences to complete the crossword.
Sometimes, the sentence can be completed with more than one preposition, but only one of
them will fit correctly in the crossword grid.

Clues across
4. Our school is on a small road just _____ the High Street.
7. Let's meet in Oxford the day _____ tomorrow.
8. I prefer travelling _____ train to travelling _____ plane.
9. Parents shouldn't allow their children out _____ dark.
12._____ the terms of the contract, he couldn't work for another company.
14. You should always rely _____ your dictionary to check the meaning of a word.
15. He was leaning _____ the wall smoking a cigarette.
17. My parents were very proud _____ me when I got into university.
18. We arrived _____ Rome early _____ the morning.
19. We got on the wrong train _____ mistake.
20. We were offered free dancing lessons ______ school.
22. It came as a real shock when the television suddenly burst _____ flames.
23. _____ my parents wishes, I decided to go to drama school.
24. I'm not very keen _____ hamburgers and other fast food.
25. We're really looking forward _____ seeing you again.
27. He decided to change _____ something more formal for the party.
28. They objected _____ his behaviour and threatened _____ fire him.

Clues down
1. I been studying English _____ almost two years.
2. _____ the lesson, half the students fell asleep.
3. I've never been very good _____ learning languages.
5. I'd like to talk to you _____ something.
6. _____ Christmas, parents give their children presents.
7. It's _____ the law to buy or sell drugs.
10. He demanded to know who was responsible _____ breaking his computer.
11. He was unable to cope _____ the pressure and left the company.
13. What were those strange noises _____ the night?
15. We had to share one towel _____ the three of us.
16. He's a young man of _____ 21 or 22.
18. She walked _____ the room and looked around carefully.
20. She was standing on her own _____ a crowd of tourists.
21. She always gets annoyed _____ me when I arrive late.
23. There’s something rather unusual _____ her, and I can’t work out what it is.
26. I think he broke your camera _____ purpose.

Other Phrasal Verbs

2009-01-02T11:38:00.000-08:00

Complete the following phrasal verbs with a preposition or particle . The meaning of the phrasal verb is given in brackets at the end of each sentence.

of • on • down • to • up • behind • out in • off • with

1. Some parents are criticised for the way they bring _____ their children. (raise)
2. Jane and Tim fell _____ over the bill for their meal. (argued)
3. They refused to face _____ _____ their responsibilities, with disastrous consequences. (accept an unpleasant state of affairs, and try to deal with it)
4. The team had to call _____ the match because of bad weather. (not to go ahead with something)
5. Can I count _____ you for support?. (rely / depend)
6. I missed a lot of lessons, and it took me a long time to catch _____ _____ the other students in my class. (get to the same level)
7. The storm was terrible, but eventually the rain stopped and the wind died _____. (become less strong)
8. An alarming number of students drop _____ _____ school early every year. (leave)
9. Can you figure _____ why Tony is acting so strangely? (understand)
10. Call the station and find _____ what time the train arrives. (discover)
11. As we grow _____ our priorities change. (change from being children to being adults)
12. Students can be quite creative with the reasons they give for not handing _____ their homework. (giving their teachers)
13. I think that learning English is quite difficult, and I often have problems keeping _____ _____ the others in my class. (work at the same speed as)
14. You haven't completed this cheque properly. You've left _____ the date. (does not include)
15. My teacher pointed _____ all the mistakes I had made in my homework. (show)
16. Before you get angry with them, perhaps you should look _____ the reasons for their absence. (enquire / research)
17. Once people who have borrowed money fall _____ with their payments, they come under a lot of pressure from their bank. (become late)

Complete the second sentence in each pair with a phrasal verb from the box, so that the
second sentence has the same meaning as the first. In many cases, you will need to change
the form of the verb.

break down • carry out • end up • fall through • hold up • keep
on • let down • let off • pull out • pull through • show up
sort out • split up • wear off • wear out • work out

1. The talks collapsed because nobody could agree on anything.
The talks ________ because nobody could agree on anything.

2. I'm trying to calculate if we've sold more this year than last year.
I'm trying to ________ if we've sold more this year than last year.

3. The effects of the drug disappear after a few hours.
The effects of the drug ________ after a few hours.

4. A lot of people exhaust themselves through overwork.
A lot of people ________ themselves ________ through overwork.

5. He was extremely ill, but with the help of the medical team, he was able to recover.
He was extremely ill, but with the help of the medical team, he ________.

6. Have you resolved your problems with Michael?
Have you ________ your problems with Michael?

7. When parents start to live apart, it can be particularly difficult for their children to cope.
When parents ________ , it can be particularly difficult for their children to cope.

8. I invited lots of people to my party, but only a few came.
I invited lots of people to my party, but only a few ________.

9. My company stopped being a part of the deal at the last moment.
My company ________ of the deal at the last moment.

10. People celebrate the Chinese New Year by exploding fireworks in the street.
People celebrate the Chinese New Year by ________ fireworks in the street.

11. It is pointless relying on people to help you if they don't do as they promised.
It is pointless relying on people to help you if they ________ you ________.

12. We told him to be quiet, but he continued talking.
We told him to be quiet, but he ________ talking.

13. I'm sorry I'm late, but I was delayed by heavy traffic on the M25.
I'm sorry I'm late, but I was ________ by heavy traffic on the M25.

14. Our planned holiday to Australia didn't happen because we didn't have enough money.
Ourplanned holiday to Australia ________ because we didn't have enough money.

15. He lost his job, and had to go on the dole.
He lost his job, and ________ on the dole.

16. Doctors did some tests on the patients.
Doctors ________ some tests on the patients.

Complete the following sentences with a verb / particle combination . You will need to change the verb form in most of the sentences.

look • pick • get • set
make • cut • run • pick • go
turn • give • take • come
put • break • do

down • away • into • forward
through • off • up • across
in • with • by • back
after • over • on

1. We ________ a little restaurant when we were out walking.
2. I'm really thirsty. I could ________ a nice cold drink.
3. Now that winter has ________, we can expect to spend more money on heating bills.
4. When the manager retired, I ________ his job.
5. He ____ me ____ outside the hotel and drove me to the airport.
6. We ________ some money each month for a holiday.
7. Claudia ________ her aunt. They look so similar.
8. They offered me a job, but I ____ it _____ .
9. The bomb ________ at midnight, so fortunately the building was empty.
10. We were in the middle of a telephone conversation when we were suddenly ________ .
11. The first thing he did when he opened the exam paper was to ________ all the questions.
12. The exam has been ________ . It's now on Thursday instead of Monday.
13. I managed to ________ some Japanese while I was working in Tokyo.
14. Bob is trying to ________ smoking.
15. (On the phone) Good morning. can you ____ me ____ to the manager?
16. Guess who I ______ last night? Laurence Bailey! Remember him?
17. I've ________ my mind and nothing will change it!
18. We told him to shut up, but he ________ speaking.
19. I ________ to hearing from you soon.
20. We are trying to get him to ________ on the number of cigarettes he smokes.
21. Living in the country, I can't ________ without a car.
22. Thieves ________ the shop and stole over £30,000.
23. He ________ a story about a ghost in the attic - of course, nobody believed him.
24. I can't ________ these buttons. can you help me?
25. Her grandparents ________ her while her parents were away.
26. Our rent has ________ from £350 to £400.
27. We're ________ a free camera to anyone who spends more than £100.
28. My car has ________ again. I'll have to take it to the garage.
29. The message ________ on the radio this morning.
30. Olivia is ________ well in her new job.
31. The restaurant had to ____ customers ____ because it was full.

Phrasal Verbs with 'Turn'

2009-01-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

Match the phrasal verbs with an item they can be used with . Most of the verbs can be used with more than one item.

turn down
turn into
turn out
turn away
turn off
turn over
turn up
turn on

cars (in a factory) • the page of a book • a job
people from a house because they haven't paid the rent
a radio • a lost child • the television • guests at a party
the heat on a cooker • money • a light
people from a restaurant because it is full
a road • a television • applicants for a job

Phrasal Verbs with 'Take'

2009-01-02T11:29:00.000-08:00

Which definition, A, B or C, most accurately explains each sentence?

1. Carol takes after her mother
A. Carol does everything for her mother.
B. Carol looks like her mother.
C. Carol is unkind to her mother.

2. Thousands of people were taken in by the advertisment
A. Thousands of people ignored the advertisement.
B. Thousands of people were used to make the advertisement.
C. Thousands of people were deceived by the advertisement.

3. She didn't take in anything you said.
A. She didn't understand anything you said.
B. She didn't do anything you told her to.
C. She didn't hear you.

4. Sales took off after the TV commercial.
A. Sales started to go down after the commercial.
B. Sales started to rise fast after the commercial.
C. Sales stayed the same after the commercial.

5. Miss Black took over from Mr Jones.
A. Mr Jones started doing Miss Black's job.
B. Miss Black and Mr Jones worked together.
C. Miss Black started doing Mr Jones' job.

6. She decided to take up long-distance running
A. She decided to stop long-distance running.
B. She decided to try to improve her longdistance running ability.
C. She decided to start long-distance running.

7. We need to take on more staff.
A. We need to dismiss more staff.
B. We need to employ more staff.
C. We need to pay our staff more.

Phrasal Verbs with 'Set'

2009-01-02T11:13:00.000-08:00

Look at the definitions for the phrasal verbs below and decide if they are TRUE or FALSE.

1. If you have just set off on a trip, this means you have just finished it.
2. If something sets off your asthma, this means it starts your asthma.
3. If you set up a company, this means that you have just closed your company down.
4. If you set up home, this means that you have just become homeless.
5. If you are set up by somebody, this means that they have deliberately deceived you.
6. If your journey is set back, this means that it takes you longer than you expected.
7. If something has set you back financially, this means that you have just won some money.
8. If some bad weather has set in, this means that the bad weather has started and has become
permanent.
9. If you set aside some money, this means that you spend it.
10. If you set about doing something, this means that you have just finished doing it.

Phrasal Verbs with 'Run'

2009-01-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

Look at the questions in the numbered sentences and match them with a suitable response in the lettered sentences.

1. Why has the clock stopped?
2. Why is Molly in hospital?
3. Why did you come home by bus?
4. Why's Rick looking so depressed?
5. Did the police interview him?
6. Where did you find that beautiful vase?
7. Can you make me a few copies of this leaflet?
8. Have we forgotten to invite anyone to our wedding?
9. You've met Mel Gibson haven't you?
10. Why did the nightclub go out of business?
11. Did your journey go well?
12. Is Bob very ambitious?

A. I ran across it in an antiques shop in London.
B. Yes. He says he's going to run for Prime Minister one day!
C. I'll run them off straight away.
D. Well, let's run through the guest list again to make sure.
E. She was run down by a car on the Banbury Road.
F. They were running up debts of thousands of pounds each week.
G. I think the battery has run down.
H. Not really. We ran up against a few unexpected difficulties.
I. The car ran out of petrol on my way back.
J. Yes. His statement runs over two pages.
K. Penny ran out on him when he lost his job.
L. Yes, and I ran into him again last week in a cafe by the river.

Phrasal Verbs with 'Put'

2009-01-02T10:58:00.000-08:00

Complete the story below with a suitable phrasal verb

put down • put up • put down • put off • put up with
put by • put off • put through • put down

I had managed to 1._____________ some money for a holiday in Canada, but had
2._____________ booking a flight until I had found a cheap one. Well, I eventually found a
good deal with a local travel agency and, despite my friends who tried to 3.______ me ______
by saying that the agency was unreliable, I 4._____________ a £50 deposit. The next day, I went back to the agency to collect the ticket but it was closed. I went home and called the
manager, but was 5._____________ to an answering machine. Now, I'm a very tolerant person, and will 6._____________ almost anything, but by this time I was furious, so I decided to go back to the travel agency. I got into my car, 7._______ my foot _______ and, to my horror,drove the car backwards into my living room window! I had accidentally reversed the car!; Isuppose I could 8._______ the accident _______ to my temper and the fact that I wasn'tthinking straight. Anyway, I had to get the builders in to repair the damage. Fortunately myfriend has offered to 9._______ me _______ until the work is finished. And my holiday? I'vespent all my holiday money on building repairs!

Phrasal Verbs with 'Pick'

2009-01-02T10:54:00.000-08:00

Choose the most suitable definition for the phrasal verbs in the following sentences.

1. The manager is always picking on me.
(A) The manager always criticizes me.
(B) The manager tells me all his secrets.
(C) The manager always chooses me when there is something important to do.

2. He picked out all the best fruit.

(A) He threw all the best fruit in the bin.
(B) He chose all the best fruit.
(C) He gave the best fruit to other people.

3. She's a girl he picked up in a bar.

(A) She's a girl he started a fight with in a bar.
(B) She's a girl he criticized in a bar.
(C) She's a girl he met by chance in a bar.

4. Business is picking up after the Christmas holiday.

(A) Business is getting worse.
(B) Business is continuing as normal.
(C) Business is improving.

5. The car will pick you up at the hotel at 7 o'clock.

(A) The car will collect you from the hotel.
(B) The car will take you to the hotel.
(C) The car will deliver something to you at the hotel.

6. He picked up some German when he was working in Berlin.

(A) He met some German people.
(B) He learnt some German without being taught.
(C) He went to German lessons.

Phrasal Verbs with 'Make'

2009-01-02T10:34:00.000-08:00

Look at the numbered sentences (which all use a phrasal verb with make) and match them with a possible situation on the lettered sentences.

1. Can you make out the house in the dark?
2. I can't make out why he didn't come.
3. Don't worry. He made up the story about a man climbing into the house.
4. I can't make up my mind where to go this year.
5. He made over the property to his daughter last week.
6. I really don't know what to make of this letter she passed to me last night.
7. It's no use talking to him - his mind is made up.

A. Somebody has made a decision and won't change it.

B. Somebody hasn't decided about their summer holiday yet.

C. Somebody is puzzled about something they have been given.

D. Somebody has just passed something to another person.

E. Somebody is puzzled about his friend's absence from a party.

F. Somebody has invented a tale to frighten their friends.

G. Two people trying to find their way to a friend's place in the countryside at night.

Phrasal Verbs with 'Look'

2009-01-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

Choose the correct phrasal verb in the following sentences.

1. Maureen isn't _____________ taking her driving test. In fact, she's really worried about it.
(looking over / looking forward to / looking into)
2. Things haven't been good for a while, but at last they are ____________.
(looking forward / looking down / looking up)
3. We've got quite a nice view from our office. We _____________ a park.
(look out over / look up / look down)
4. Jane thinks she's better than people who haven't been to university and _____________ them. (looks up to / looks down on / looks out for)
5. _____________! The car is going backwards. (Look out! / Look in! / Look over!)
6. She has always admired intelligent men. For example, she _____________ her professor and copies everything he does.
(looks down on / looks out for / looks up to)
7. _________ me _________ when you're next in London - it will be nice to see you again.
(Look...forward / Look...up / Look...out)
8. She _____________ the figures and they seemed to be OK.
(looked over / looked on / looked out for)
9. I've asked the manager to _____________ the question of staff holidays.
(look down on / look into / look on)
10. Who's going to _____________ your dog while you're away?
(look into / look out / look after)
11. We're _____________ new offices because ours are too small.
(looking down on / looking out for / looking up)

Phrasal Verbs with 'Go'

2009-01-02T10:24:00.000-08:00

Half of the phrasal verbs in the following sentences use the wrong preposition. Decide which
ones are wrong and replace them with the correct preposition, which you will find in the other sentences.

1. The burglar alarm went off in the middle of the night, waking everybody up.
2. I think this fish has gone down - it stinks.
3. She went about her new boyfriend quite quickly when she discovered his nasty habits.
4. The police investigating the murder don't have much to go on.
5. What on earth is going out here?
6. The fire went on and the room gradually became cold.
7. The bomb went off when there were still lots of people in the building.
8. The firm went out of business last week and their office has closed off.
9. The price of bread has gone on again. Last week it was 60p a loaf, now it's 70p.
10. They decided not to go through with their plans because of opposition from the
neighbours.
11. Before you sign your contract, you should go over it carefully with a solicitor.
12. We'd like to start our own company, but aren't sure how to go off it.
13. She said she had a new job but refused to go into details.
14. She went up speaking for two hours without stopping.
15. There wasn't enough ice cream to go round, so some of the children had chocolates
instead.
16. Tony's going out with a girl from work. I think he's quite serious about her.

Phrasal Verbs with 'Give'

2009-01-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

Complete the phrasal verbs in the sentences below with an appropriate preposition

in • out • away • up • off

1. He said he was French, but we didn't believe him as his accent gave him ________.
2. The company are giving ________ a free pocket calculator with every £10 purchase.
3. I can't use my watch because the battery has given ________ .
4. She gave ________ presents to all the children.
5. She's trying to give ________ smoking.
6. The hijacker gave himself ________ to the police.
7. I didn't want to go to the cinema with the children, but they kept asking me so in the end
I gave ________ and agreed to take them.
8. The fire in the factory gave ________ clouds of poisonous black smoke.

Phrasal Verbs with 'Get'

2009-01-02T10:13:00.000-08:00

Match the numbered sentences with the lettered ones. Use the phrasal verbs in bold to help you.

1. I'm trying to get across to the people in the office that they'll all have to work harder.
2. He was rude to the teacher, but got away with it somehow.
3. How are you going to get by without a car?
4. We get by on only £50 a week.
5. He'll have to get down to some hard work if he wants to pass the test.
6. They don't get on well at all.
7. She's getting on well at university.
8. I want an excuse to get out of going to the office party.
9. Kiki's got over her flu.
10. She never got over the death of her father.
11. I only got round to sending my Christmas cards yesterday.
12. Jane got round the boss by giving him a bottle of wine.
13. Did he get through his exams?
14. I tried to get through to the complaints department, but the line was busy.
15. Whatever did you get up to last night?
16. She thinks she's being got at.

A. Really? How do you manage to live on that?
B. No. Her mother never recovered from the shock either.
C. She always thinks she's being criticized.
D. He needs someone to tell him to start working.
E. Well, they've never been very friendly with each other.
F. That's great. I'm glad she's better at last.
G. Nothing naughty, I promise.
H. Oh well, at least you've done it at last.
I. Have you had any luck making them understand?
J. She always manages to persuade someone to do what she wants.
K. Yes, in fact he was very successful.
L. Did you finally manage to speak to someone on the phone?
M. I don't believe he wasn't punished!
N. It'll be difficult, but I'll manage.
O. I always knew she'd do well.
P. Typical! You're always trying to avoid doing something!

Phrasal Verbs with 'Do'

2009-01-02T10:01:00.000-08:00

Replace the words and expressions in bold with a phrasal verb

(could) do with • do up • do without
do away with • do in • do in • do up

1. The government are going to get rid of customs inspections.
2. Somebody decided to kill the gang boss and dump the body in the river.
3. I can't fasten this zip. Can you help me?
4. Why don't you buy that old cottage and repair it so it is like new?
5. After that long walk, I need a cup of tea.
6. Don't hurt your back digging the garden.
7. Plants can't manage without water.

Phrasal Verbs with 'Cut'

2009-01-02T09:52:00.000-08:00

Replace the words and expressions in bold with a phrasal verb

cut off • cut in • cut down on • cut in • cut off • cut out • cut back

1. We will have to spend less on staff costs at work if we're to continue operating as
normal.
2. We are trying to get him to reduce the number of cigarettes he smokes each day.
3. We were in the middle of a telephone conversation when we were suddenly disconnected.
4. I wish you wouldn't interrupt while I'm telling a story.
5. Did you see how the little white car suddenly drove in front of the black Audi?
6. She's decided to stop eating sweet things so as to lose weight.
7. He didn't pay his bill, so the company stopped his electricity.

Phrasal Verbs with 'come'

2009-01-02T09:44:00.000-08:00

Match the numbered sentences with the lettered ones . Use the phrasal verbs in bold to help you.

1. We came across this little restaurant when we were out walking.
2. The children have come down with measles.
3. The policewoman came up to him and asked to see his passport.
4. Jenny came into a fortune when she was twenty-one.
5. Simon's come out in a rash.
6. When we suggested moving to another office, we came up against a lot of opposition from
the management.
7. The message came through this morning.
8. Come along, or you'll miss the bus.
9. Our team came off badly in the competition..
10. When she came to, she was in hospital.
11. Richard came up with a really strange idea the other day.

A. Oh dear. It's such an unpleasant disease.
B. He was obviously a bit nervous as the officer got closer
C. I'm not surprised. I knew they'd get in the way.
D. Really? Where did you find it?
E. He's always saying something unexpected.
F. For how long had she been unconscious?
G. How could it? The phone has been disconnected and the fax machine is broken.
H. You're always in such a hurry. Let me take my time.
I. I'm not surprised. I didn't think they'd do very well.
J. My son has developed one as well on his chest.
K. Lucky her! Who did she inherit it from?

Opposites 3

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Some verbs can be made into their opposite form by the addition of a prefix (e.g., dis- , mis-).
Complete these sentences with the opposite form of one of the following verbs . Not all of the words are needed. You will need to change the form of the verb in several cases.

agree • approve • connect • continue • behave • cover
fold • like • load • lock • obey • pack • place • please
pronounce • prove • qualify • trust • understand • use • wrap

1. If anyone ________, they will be sent home immediately.
2. I've just come back from Canada and I'm still ________ my suitcases.
3. Here's a photo of our little girl ________ her Christmas presents.
4. She's a very obedient young lady. She would never ________ her parents.
5. She ________ the money which she had been given. She was supposed to use it to pay for her education, but bought a sports car instead.
6. The head teacher ________ of members of staff wearing jeans to school, and insists that they dress smartly at all times.
7. You keep ________ my name. It's Rawdon, not Randon.
8. His statement to the police said that he was nowhere near the bank, but they managed to ________ this.
9. I ________ anyone who wears green shoes but I can't tell you why.
10. I can't ________ the car door. I think I've got the wrong key.
11. After the accident he was fined £1,000 and ________ from driving for two years.
12. She ________ the tablecloth and put it on the table.
13. We don't sell Sonic cameras any longer. We have ________ that line.
14. I seem to have ________ my keys. I can't find them anywhere.
15. If you refuse to pay your gas bill, you will be ________ .
16. You're completely wrong. I'm afraid I ________ with you.
17. He completely ________ my meaning when I told him to 'put a sock in it'.
18. If you ________ me again, I'm afraid I shall ask you to leave.

Opposites 2

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A lot of adjectives can be made into their opposite form by the addition of a prefix (e.g.,
un,- in-, dis-, il-) to the beginning of the word. The most common prefix is un-. Adjectives
which end with -ful (thoughtful, useful, etc) are an exception: they are made into opposites
by replacing -ful with the suffix -less (thoughtless, useless, etc)
Note that some adjectives can be made into opposites by the addition of a prefix or by the
use of another word (e.g., correct = incorrect or wrong).

Decide which of the prefixes in the first group can be used to make opposites of the adjectives in the second group.

dis- • il- • im- • in- • ir- • un

acceptable • accurate • adequate • advantaged • agreeable
attractive • avoidable • believable • certain • comfortable
competent • complete • conscious • contented • convincing
correct • curable • even • fair • fashionable • honest
inclined • legal • limited • literate • logical • married
mature • moral • mortal • obedient • patient • perfect • personal
possible • proper • pure • qualified • rational • regular • relevant
replaceable • resistible • resolute • responsible • satisfied • welcome

Complete these sentences by adding the most suitable adjective to the prefixes given.

1. Your behaviour was completely ir________! You're eighteen years old, not eight!
2. Life can be quite difficult for un________ mothers, or 'single parents' as they are usually called.
3. I'll help you in a minute. Don't be so im________!
4. She never learnt to read or write; she was completely il________.
5. I'm afraid you answer is in________. Try again.
6. He's a very dis________ man; bad-tempered, selfish, ,jealous and bigoted.
7. Flared trousers and a purple corduroy jacket? That's very un________, you know.
8. Using the 'broadband' system means that you get un________ Internet access at any time of the dayor night.
9. Dis________ children - those from poor families - have to work harder than others to succeed in life.
10. I did all the work and she got all the credit for it. That is so un________!
11. The people who run our national rail network are lazy and in_____; they're so bad at their job.
12. You paid £12 for a hamburger? That's un________! You must be joking!
13. After I was hit on the head, I must have been un________ for about ten minutes.
14. Your homework is in________. You've only answered half of the questions.
15. He's rather im________ for a sixteen-year-old. He behaves more like a child of ten.
16. You've broken my favourite cup. It's ir________! I'll never find another one.

Opposites 1

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A lot of verbs and adjectives can be made into opposites by adding a prefix (e.g., agree -
disagree, correct - incorrect). However, in other cases, it is necessary to change some letters
or use a completely different word in order to make an opposite.
For example:

cry = laugh

import = export

generous = mean

thick = thin

Some verbs and adjectives can have more than one meaning, and so can have more than one
opposite.
For example: light
The room is very light - - - The room is very dark
This book is very light - - - This book is very heavy.

VERBS

Complete these sentences by using the opposite of the word in bold. You will need to change
the forms of some of the words. These are the answers.

forbid / ban • receive • fail • hit • empty • forget
defend • deny • destroy • succeed • retreat • laugh • spend • win •
depart / leave • lend • reject • fall • punish • loosen

1. She fell off the ladder and everyone ________. (cry)
2. Why do we ________ so much money on food? (save)
3. His business has ________ more than he expected. (fail)
4. A lot of private property was ________ in the war. (create)
5. What time does our coach ________? (arrive)
6. He ________ the bottle into the sink. (filled)
7. The car ________ the tree. (miss)
8. The simplest way to ________ them will be to make them pay for the damage they caused. (reward)
9. Don't ________ we're having lunch together tomorrow. (remember)
10. The exam was very difficult. Most of the students ________ . (pass)
11. We only ________ our tickets the day before we were due to leave. (sent)
12. I expect our team will ________ tomorrow. (lose)
13. He asked me if I would ________ him £5 till Monday. (borrow)
14. She flatly ________ his proposal of marriage. (accept)
15. She couldn't ________ herself against the attack. (attack)
16. The pound has ________ against the dollar. (rise)
17. He flatly ________ stealing the car. (admit)
18. Smoking has been ________ on trains. (permit / allow)
19. He ________ his shoelaces and relaxed. (tighten)
20. Napoleon ________ from Moscow in 1812. (attack / advance)

ADJECTIVES
Replace the adjectives in bold with an opposite from the box. Some of the following words can be
used more than once.

tame • shallow • public • odd • artificial • mean • compulsory • lazy
tight • amateur • thick • live • strong • guilty • smooth • easy
sharp • dim • approximate • tough • present • permanent • stale
light • high • minor • cool • soft • hollow

1. real pearls
2. a thin slice of bread
3. an energetic student
4. a bland taste
5. a professional photographer
6. a wild animal
7. an innocent man
8. a generous person
9. a serious book
10. a solid log of wood
11. an alcoholic drink
12. an intelligent student
13. a normal person
14. an easy exam
15. absent students
16. a weak cup of coffee
17. a heavy meal
18. a temporary job
19. a small income
20. a low building
21. fresh air
22. dead animals
23. a dim light
24. a deep pool
25. a rough sea
26. voluntary military service
27. exact figures
28. a private affair
29. a tender steak
30. a rough wine
31. a hard chair
32. a loud voice
33. a loose pair of trousers
34. a blunt knife
35. recorded music
36. a clever manager
37. a difficult test
38. a dark blue shirt
39. a fresh loaf of bread
40. a major injury
41. a frantic nurse
42. a warm cellar

Nouns and verbs to nouns

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Some nouns can be formed by taking another noun or verb and either adding letters, removing letters or a combination of both. This is especially common when we are talking about jobs and occupations (for example: sail - sailor).
There are no rules which tell you how each word changes. You must learn each one individually.
The removal or addition of letters occasionally changes the pronunciation of parts of the original word.
Use the instructions on the right to change the words on the left to nouns in order to give the
names of the people who do those things. Some of the instructions on the right can be used more than once.

Example: crime : minus 1 letter plus -inal = criminal

build
science
design
advise
labour
chemistry minus 1 letter plus -inal
study minus 1 letter plus -ent
rob minus 2 letters
law plus -yer
crime minus 1 letter plus -ian
write minus 1 letter plus -ist
terror plus -or
survive plus -r
library plus -ian
manage plus -ber
politics plus -ist
own minus 1 letter plus -or
collect plus -er
direct minus 2 letters plus -tist
guitar
electric
teach
operate
art
piano

Noises

2009-01-02T06:05:00.000-08:00

HUMAN NOISES
Match the words in the box with their description below. Use your dictionary to check your
answers.

sniff / sneeze / sigh / pant /scream / boo / gasp / stammer / cough
cheer / puff /chant / whisper / groan /yawn /snore

1. to sing a regular beat
2. to speak very quietly
3. to breathe with difficulty
4. to breathe fast
5. to make loud cries
6. to hesitate and repeat sounds when speaking
7. to make loud noises with the nose and throat when asleep
8. to send air out of your lungs suddenly because your throat hurts
9. to breathe deeply showing you are sad, relieved, etc.
10. to make a sound to show that you do not like an actor, politician, etc
11. to shout encouragement
12. to breathe in air through your nose
13. to open your mouth wide and breathe in and out deeply when you are tired or bored
14. to blow air suddenly out through your nose and mouth because of an irritation inside your nose ( a reflex action)
15. to moan deeply
16. to take a short, deep breath, showing surprise or pain.

ANIMAL NOISES
Match the noises with the animals that make them

Noise Animal

croak bee
squeak donkey
howl wolf
quack snake
buzz cat
grunt sheep/goat
hiss duck
neigh lion/tiger
bray mouse
bleat dog
crow pig
roar cock(erel)
bark horse
miaow / purr frog

OTHER NOISES
Match the noises with the things that cause them.

sizzle • rumble • boom • blare • murmur • ring • clink • whirr
rattle • bang • pop • thud • tinkle • click

1. a cork coming out of a bottle
2. somebody falling over and hitting their head heavily on the floor
3. loud music or car horns
4. a very large gun, or an aircraft breaking the sound barrier
5. bells
6. windows in the wind or a baby's toy which is shaken
7. a little bell which rings when you open a shop door
8. two glasses touching each other
9. a camera
10. sausages cooking
11. a train passing over a bridge or thunder in the distance
12. a group of people talking quietly
13. a door shutting suddenly
14. a small plane

COMPLETE THE SENTENCES
Most of the words in the tasks above can be either nouns or verbs. Use them to complete the
following sentences. If the word is a verb, you will need to change its form.

1. He ________ in surprise when he saw the bill.
2. The crowds ________ anti-government slogans.
3. His loud ________ (plural) kept her awake.
4. The crowd ________ when the first marathon runners appeared.
5. She rushed into the police station and ________ out 'he's - he's - he's after me, he's got - got - a knife'
6. We heard a faint ________ from the corner of the field and found an injured lamb.
7. The lion ________ and then attacked.
8. The dog ________ every time he hears the postman.
9. He ________ his fingers to get the waiter's attention.
10. He drives around with his radio ________ .
11. The wet logs ________ as we threw them on the fire
12. He was red in the face and ________ as he crossed the finishing line.
13. She gave a deep ________ of relief and put the phone down.
14.The cat rubbed against my leg with a loud ________.

Modified words

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We can sometimes add prefixes to change, or modify, the main meaning of a verb, noun or
adjective without making it into an opposite (e.g., pay - overpay - underpay)
The prefixes we use to do this are:

For verbs: over- , under- , pre-, fore-

For adjectives: over- , under- , pre- , fore- , pro- , anti- .

For nouns: pre- , post- , anti- , pro-, under-

Complete the sentences below with a combination of a prefix from box A and a word from box B.

anti- / over- / under-/ pro- / fore- / pre- / post-

armed • Christmas • climax
clockwise • due • estimate
estimated • European
graduates • holiday • mined
see • social • warned

1. Everybody told us the film was fantastic, so we were quite excited about seeing it. Unfortunately, it wasn't very good. It really was quite an ________.
2. Do you ________ any problems with the visa? I need to know as soon as possible if we're likely to have difficulties.
3. Everyone's suffering from ________ depression. After such a nice break in Spain, the gloomy weather back here in England is making us all miserable.
4. The figure of £50,000 was a bit of an ________ . It actually cost us almost £70,000.
5. She's ________ and believes that the country should remain part of the European Union.
6. He's very ________, and ignores all our attempts to talk to him or make him feel part of the group.
7. A lot of ________ from the university are trying to get holiday jobs so that they have some spending money next term.
8. She was ________ with good advice before she went into the interview.
9. He was driving ________ round the ring road when the accident took place. If he had been going the other way, he would have been all right.
10. We were ________ of trouble by our spies and took guns to the meeting.
11. I always read my horoscope so that I can ________ what will happen to me during the week.
12. Her library books were ________ by four weeks, so she had to pay a fine of almost £8.
13. He ________ my confidence by telling me that everyone hated me.
14. Last December we had so many ________ parties that by the time the big day arrived I couldn't eat or drink another thing.
15. He ________ the amount of time needed to decorate the house; he thought it would take five days but it only took three.

'Forewarned is forearmed' is an English expression which means that if you know about something before it happens, you will be better prepared.

Person A. 'Mr Jenkins wants to see me in his office.'
Person B. 'Be careful. He's in a really bad mood this morning'
Person A. 'Thanks. Forewarned is forearmed!'

Materials

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ADJECTIVES AND NOUNS
The words in bold are in the wrong sentences. Put them into the correct sentences. In several
cases, more than one word is possible

1. He was wearing a pair of timber trousers.
2. We put the glasses into polyester boxes.
3. We used an old piece of wool as a roof for the hut.
4. She keeps her collection of precious Chinese rubber in a glass case.
5. After the rain, the dry satin on the football pitch suddenly turned wet and sticky underfoot.
6. He was wearing a pair of old corrugated iron shoes.
7. The house is surrounded by a high silk wall.
8. The carpet in our living room is made of leather.
9. Why are cork bedsheets so cold?
10. He was wearing a porcelain jacket.
11. She placed little stained glass mats on the table to stop the wine glass marking it.
12. He bought two plastic shirts in the sale.
13. She was wearing a beautiful cardboard scarf.
14. Canterbury Cathedral is famous for its corduroy windows.
15. She was wearing a thick stainless steel coat.
16. We take fur plates when we go for picnics on the beach.
17. She wore little red iron slippers.
18. She bought a white wooden tablecloth.
19. He was wearing a pair of blue turf shoes.
20. I bought her a set of cotton saucepans.
21. The roof is made with denim from an old ship.
22. I wore a pair of suede overalls when I painted the living room.
23. Car tyres are made of canvas.
24. There's an old linen table in the kitchen.
25. The old gates are made of nylon.
26. My new shoes have got brick soles.

GUESS THE OBJECT
Look at the following descriptions and decide what is being described in each one.

1. It's rectangular and made of plastic. It's flat. It measures about 8cm x 5cm. It can be a variety
of colours. You can carry it in your wallet or purse.

2. It's round, with an open top and a flat bottom. It comes in different sizes. It's made of
stainless steel or iron so it can stand a lot of heat.

3. Traditionally its triangular and made of canvas, although most modern ones are made of
nylon and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

4. It's cylindrical and made of light bark, although nowadays you can also find plastic ones. It's
not very big. When you remove it, it makes a loud 'pop!'

5. It's made of plastic and iron. It's wide at one end and narrow at the other, with a plastic
handle on top. Most of them are designed to spray water. The bottom part gets very hot.

6. It's long, thin and made of fabric such as silk or cotton. It can come in a variety of colours and
patterns. Men use them more than women, especially at work.

7. They're made of denim and are usually blue, although you often see them in black or
white. They're very popular with younger people because they're casual and comfortable.

8. It's an irregular shape, and it's made of china or porcelain. It has a handle, a spout for pouring
and a lid. You should be careful not to drop it, as it will probably break if you do.

9. It's usually made of wool and is long, flat and rectangular. Football fans often have one with
the name of their favourite team on. It's particularly useful in winter.

10. It's spherical and made of leather, although cheaper ones are made of plastic or rubber.
It's about 30cm in diameter. It's usually white, even though it gets dirty quickly.

IDIOMS, COLLOQUIALISMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS
Look at the following sentences and choose the correct definition for the words and
expressions in bold.

1. Politicians try to be careful not to wash their dirty linen in public.
A. tell dreadful personal secrets about themselves and their family
B. say bad things about other politicians
C. drink, smoke or do other things that people might not like

2. The estate agent tried to pull the wool over our eyes.
A. to charge us too much money
B. to take our money with out giving them anything in return
C. to deceive us by not telling us the true facts

3. I don't have any cash with me. Do you take plastic?
A. cheques
B. credit cards and charge cards
C. U.S. dollars

4. We spent our last holiday under canvas.
A. In a beach resort
B. In a very cheap hotel
C. in a tent

5. We turfed out our old office furniture.
A. sold
B. threw out
C. burnt

6. The thief had a cast-iron alibi.
A. an alibi that cannot be disproved.
B. a very weak alibi
C. a very unlikely alibi

7. She will have to steel herself to say what happened.
A. she'll have to pretend to be sad
B. she'll have to refuse to say what happened
C. she'll have to get ready to do something that she does not like

8. A lot of young people end up living in cardboard city.
A. a place where homeless people build themselves shelters out of pieces of cardboard
B. their parents' home
C. with their girlfriend or boyfriend

Make or Do?

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1. WORDS USED WITH MAKE OR DO

Look at the sentences below and decide whether they should be completed with the verb make or the verb do. The form of these verbs will need to change in most sentences. Use the words in bold to help you.

1. Has your mother ________ a will yet?

2. She ________ her piano exercises every morning.

3. The storm ________ a lot of damage last night.

4. Who will be ________ the speech at her wedding?

5. We ________ a large profit when we sold our house.

6 There's a lot of work still to be ________ .

7. At the moment he's ________ great efforts to learn Spanish.

8. They ________ a lot of business with European countries.

9. I'm not ________ the washing today.

10. When we got to the hotel, the beds hadn't been ________ .

11. The workmen are ________ so much noise we can't use the telephone.

12. We are ________ good progress towards finishing the house.

13. He didn't mean to ________ any harm.

14. His wife usually ________ all the housework.

15. The milk boiled over and ________ a mess on the stove.

16. I can't ________ today's crossword - it's too hard.

17. Are you going to ________ a Christmas cake again this year?

18. How much money did you ________ last year?

19. It took us hours to ________ the washing up after the party.

20. He ________ an inquiry about trains to Edinburgh.

21. I need to ________ a quick phone call before we leave.

22. Don't ________ such a fuss - it's only a little scratch.

23. She ________ a mistake in typing the address.

24. We ________ friends with some French people on holiday.

25. Our company is small but it's ________ well.

26. She ________ a few notes before her speech.

27. She was ________ the ironing when I came home.

28. Companies often ________ a loss in their first year of operations.

2. IDIOMS AND COLLOQUIALISMS USING MAKE

Replace the words and expressions in bold with an expression using make from the following.

make the best of • make a break with • made a meal of • make do with
make time • made off with • make-believe • make up my mind

1. The burglar stole all their silver.
2. She forgot her pyjamas and had to use a T-shirt because there was nothing else available.
3. They say it will rain this afternoon so we'd better take advantage of the sunshine while it's here.
4. I can't decide whether to take the afternoon off to do some shopping or stay in the office and work.
5. She spent a lot of unnecessary time and went to a lot of effort repainting the kitchen.
6. His stories about his love affairs are just not true, although he pretends they are.
7. We must arrange to visit the new sports club even though we are short of time.
8. I've tried to forget my last girlfriend, but it's not always easy to move away from the past.

3. IDIOMS AND COLLOQUIALISMS USING DO

The words in bold are all in the wrong sentences. Decide which sentences they should go in.

1. If the computer doesn't work, hit it - that should do the sights and get it working again.
2. Will you do the turn, John, and pour us all a drink?
3. He never uses violence himself. He just gets other people to do the yourself work for him.
4. He looks a bit unhappy. An evening out would do don'ts to cheer him up.
5. She's very good at painting, decorating and other do-it-trick jobs.
6. You don't have a car? How can you do turn one? You must have a good public transport system in our area.
7. This chicken is cooked perfectly. It's done to a dirty.
8. She told him all the do's and without about working in the office, and helped him to settle in.
9. He did me a good honours by writing a job reference for me, so I helped him in return.
10. When we went to Barcelona, we did all the wonders and took hundreds of photographs.

Human actions

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Task 1. GENERAL ACTIONS

Complete each of the sentences below with the most suitable word from the box. In somecases, more than one answer is possible.

fainted shivered fidgeted sweated trembled nodded dived started squatted crouched doze stretched leaned / leant dragged blushed

1. He woke up, stood up and ________ his arms and legs.

2. The suitcase was too heavy to pick up, so she ________ it across the platform.

3. We ________ down to get through the low hole in the wall.

4. She ________ on the floor, trying to get the stains out of the carpet.

5. He ________ in and swam across the pool under water.

6. He ________ out of the car window and was almost hit by another car coming in the opposite direction.

7. She ________ in fear when she saw the lion come towards her.

8. She ________ with cold in the bitter wind.

9. The tennis players ________ in the hot sun.

10. She ________ with embarrassment when he spoke to her.

11. She ________ in surprise when she heard the loud bang.

12. She ________ when she saw the blood, and remained unconscious for about ten minutes.

13. She ________ off for a while after lunch and was suddenly woken up by the telephone ringing.

14. When he asked her if she understood the question, she ________ yes.

15. After an hour, he couldn't sit still any longer and ________ in his seat.

Task 2. WAYS OF MOVING

Match the following verbs with the person who might behave in that way below.

Verbs

hop
dash
crawl
creep
tiptoe
leap
dawdle
stagger
skip
march
stroll

Person

A. A man who has been injured in an accident but is still able to walk to the hospital.
B. People walking in the park on a warm summer evening
C. A girl jumping across a wide stream of water
D. Soldiers on parade
E. Someone who has hurt their foot and must move around on one leg.
F. A young man running home to watch the football on television.
G. Young children running, hopping and jumping along the road.
H. A very young baby who can't walk yet.
I. A teenage daughter arriving home late and walking quietly up the stairs.
J. A boy walking quietly past a sleeping dog
K. A child walking very slowly to school

Task 3. HAND AND ARM ACTIONS

Choose the correct verb in each of the following sentences.

1. He punched / snapped / grabbed me on the nose.

2. They all punched / slapped / shook him on the back to congratulate him.

3. The nurse pointed / beckoned to / saluted her to come into the room.

4. She rubbed / wiped / stroked the cat as it sat in her lap.

5. He patted / wiped / folded his pocket to make sure his wallet was still there.

6. He snapped / grabbed / flexed his suitcase and ran to the train.

7. It was dark in the cellar and he had to grope / scratch / grab for a light switch.

8. Ordinary soldiers must salute / shake / point their officers

9. They waved / punched / beckoned goodbye as the boat left the harbour.

10. He groped / scratched / stroked his head as he wondered what to do

11. He sat down and tapped / crossed / folded his arms.

12. Here's a handkerchief - wipe / pat / rub your nose.

13. You should always pat / grope / shake the bottle before you open it.

14. A policeman tapped / scratched / stroked him on the shoulder and arrested him.

15. He shook / rubbed / wiped his hands together to get them warm.

Task 4. IDIOMS, COLLOQUIALISMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS

Look at the expressions in bold in the following sentences and decide if the definitions which

accompany them are TRUE or FALSE.

1. She made a beeline for the chocolate cakes. / She walked slowly towards the chocolate cakes.

2. Once bitten, twice shy. / Once you have had a bad experience, you will not want to do it again.

3. The telephone's on the blink. / The telephone is ringing.

4. We all gave Brian a pat on the back. / We all congratulated Brian.

5. She looked daggers at me. / She looked at me angrily.

6. He ran like the wind. / He ran very fast.

7. We salute the firemen who entered the burning building to save lives. / We are angry with the firemen.

8. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. / Don't be unkind to people who are less fortunate than you.

9. In the coffee break I went into the garden to stretch my legs. / After sitting down for a long time, I went for a small walk.

10. Bob is not fully stretched. / Bob is not very tall.

11. There was a mad dash to buy the tickets. / Nobody wanted to buy the tickets.

12. Don't worry - I was only pulling your leg. / I was only teasing you.

Expressions with 'GET'

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Task 1. DEFINITIONS

Look at the expressions in bold in list A and choose a suitable definition for that expression in list B.

A.
1. I think Ben got out of bed on the wrong side this morning.
2. We're planning a little get-together of people from the office.
3. The manager began the meeting with a few comments and then got down to brass tacks.
4. Jan and Richard get on like a house on fire.
5. Rory and Jeannie are getting married? Get away with you!
6. You'll get the sack if you talk to the boss like that.
7. That humming noise is really getting on my nerves.
8. He's got a nerve to ask for a day off.
9. I rang the shops to try and find a new dishwasher, but got nowhere.
10. When she asked him for money, he told her to get lost.
11. OK everyone, we're a bit late so let's get going.
12. Got it!
13. Do you think he got my meaning?
14. Get a grip on yourself - you've got an interview in half an hour.
15.The president is having to get to grips with the failing economy.
16. If they don't get their act together, they'll miss the last date for entries to the competition.
17. How can I get him off my back?
18. If I don't get a rise soon, I'll start looking for another job.
19. I've got out of the habit of eating chocolates.
20. Rainy weather always gets me down.

B.
A. to be unsuccessful
B. a meeting of friends
C. to stop pestering someone
D. to understand.
E. to be dismissed from a job.
F. not to do something any more
G. to start to deal with something
H. Go away. Leave me alone.
I. over-confidence or rudeness
J. to start
K. to receive an increase in salary
L. to try to control yourself; to try to be less emotional
M.to start discussing the real problem
N. Don't try to make me believe that.
O. to start the day badly
P. to make someone sad
Q. to organise yourself properly
R. to annoy someone
S. I've solved the problem
T. to be very friendly with each other

Task 2. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES
Complete these sentences with an expression from the previous section. You may need to change the verb form and the pronoun (e.g., he, she) in some of the sentences.

1. We're best friends. We _______________.
2. I don't have much money. I hope I _______________ soon.
3. 12 across. 10 letters beginning with a 'd'. A book which lists words. Aha! _______________! A dictionary, of course!
4. Our boss is in a terrible mood. I think he must have ______________ .
5. I feel really unhappy in my job. It's really _______________ .
6. _______________! I don't believe you've won the lottery!
7. I'm studying Japanese and I'm just beginning to _______________ the grammar.
8. I'm having a little _____________ at my place tonight. Would you like to join us?
9. You want me to lend you my car after you crashed it the last time I lent it to you? You've
_______________!
10. I was so angry with him I told him to _______________ .
11. We should _______________ and talk about the real problems that are affecting the company.
12. Stop being so emotional. _______________!
13. I told my boss I thought he was incompetent. A few days later, I ___________. I still haven't found another job.
14. You really should _______________ of smoking so much - it's very bad for you.
15. He told me that my music really _______________.
16. We're _______________ with this problem. Let's take a break and come back to it later on.
17. She's always following me around and telling me what to do. I wish she would _________ ______ .
18. The boss told me to _______________ or I would lose my job.
29. I'm not sure they understood me. I hope they _______________ .
20. If we don't _______________ soon, we'll miss the train.

Contrast and comparison

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Complete these sentences with the most appropriate word or expression from A, B or C.

1. Her political opinions are the _____ mine.
A. same like B. same to C. same as

2. The weather in my country is very _____ that in the United Kingdom.
A. similar with B. similar to C. similar like

3. My idea of a good night out is very _____ yours.
A. different from B. different as C. different with

4. The two machines _____ considerably; one has an electric motor, the other runs on oil.

A. differ B. differentiate C. differential

5. When he travelled down the east coast of the USA, he became aware of the _____ in weather between the north and south of the country.
A. comparison B. contrast C. compare

6. Children must be taught to _____ between right and wrong.
A. differ B. contrast C. distinguish

7. Can you tell the _____ between an apple and a pear with your eyes shut?
A. difference B. differentiate C. contrast

8. When companies employ people, they must not _____ between people of different sex or race.
A. differ B. contrast C. discriminate

9. My sister works extremely hard. _____, my brother is rather lazy.
A. By way of contrast B. By ways of comparing C. By similar means

10. My two brothers are almost identical. They are very difficult to _____.
A. tell apart B. say apart C. speak apart

11. They have two things _____; they are both Welsh, and they are both left-handed.
A. in similar B. in particular C. in common

12. He's not lazy. _____, he works very hard.
A. By way of contrast B. On the other hand C. On the contrary

13. He's very rich and lives in a big house. _____, he doesn't seem very happy.
A. On the other hand B. On the contrary C. On the opposite

14. British and Australian people share the same language, but in other respects they are as
different as _____.
A. cats and dogs B. chalk and cheese C. salt and pepper

15. We share the same language, but in other respects we are _____ from each other.
A. worlds apart B. miles away C. a lifetime away

Confusing pairs and false friends

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Confusing pairs are two words which have a similar meaning to each other, but are used in a different way.
or Are related to the same topic, but have a different meaning.
or Look similar, but have a different meaning

False friends are words in English which have a similar-looking word in another language but which have a different meaning.

Complete the following sentences with the appropriate word.

1. actually / now
Please can we go home ________ ?
It looks quite small, but ________ it is over 5 metres high.

2. advice / advise
My grandfather gave me a very useful piece of ________ .
I ________ you to put all your money into a deposit account.

3. affect / effect
The cuts in spending will have a serious ________ on the hospital.
The strike will seriously ________ the train service.

4. already / yet
I haven’t seen her ________ this morning.
I’ve ________ done my shopping.

5. afraid of / worried about
I am ________ snakes.
She’s ________ the baby; he doesn’t look very well.

6. avoid / prevent
The police will ________ anyone from leaving the building.
You should travel early to ________ the traffic jams.

7. beside / besides
Come and sit down ________ me.
________ managing the shop, he also teaches in the evening.

8. bring / fetch
It’s your turn to ________ the children from school.
Don’t forget to ________ the books to school with you.

9. chance / possibility
Our team has a good ________ of winning tonight.
There is always the ________ that the plane will be early.

10. channel / canal
You can take a boat trip around the ________s of Amsterdam.
Can you switch the television to ________ 4 for the news?
England and France are separated by the ________ .

11. conduct / direct
Von Karajan will ________ the Berlin Symphonic Orchestra at the concert.
It took two policemen to ________ the traffic.

12. continuous / continual
She has been in ________ pain for three days.
I am getting fed up with her ________ complaints.

13. driver / chauffeur
The ________ brought the Rolls Royce to the hotel’s main entrance.
He’s got a job as a bus ________ .

14. formidable / wonderful
They had a ________ holiday by a lake in Sweden.
The castle is surrounded by ________ walls and gates.

15. fun / funny
I didn’t have much ________ on my birthday.
He made ________ faces and made the children laugh.

16. go / play
Shall we ________ jogging or swimming?
Neither. Let’s ________ tennis.

17. come along with / follow
Would you like to ________ me to the cinema tonight?
Make sure the dog doesn’t ________ me to the shops.

18. harm / damage
Don’t ________ my sunglasses if you borrow them.
He didn’t mean to ________ your little girl.

19. invent / discover
Did Alexander Fleming ________ penicillin?
When did she ________ the new computer terminal?

20. job / work
He goes to ________ every day on his bicycle.
She’s got a ________ in the supermarket.

21. kind / sympathetic
You should always be ________ to little children.
I’m very ________ to her problems.

22. lay / lie
I’m very tired; I’ll just go and ________ down for a few minutes.
My father is going to ________ a new carpet in the dining room.

23. lend / borrow
Can I ________ you car to go to the shops?
He asked me if I would ________ him £5 till Monday.

24. nature / countryside
We must try to protect ________ and the environment.
The English ________ is beautiful in spring.

25. pass / take
She had to ________ her driving test three times before she was able to ________.

26. practice / practise
You need more ________ before you’re ready to take the exam.
Don’t forget to ________ your phrasal verbs.

27. priceless / valueless
Be very careful with that painting; it’s ________ .
Her jewels were all imitations; they were quite ________ .

28. principal / principle
She refuses to eat meat on ________ .
The ________ wants to see you in her office.
The country’s ________ products are paper and wood.
We talked about the ________s of nuclear physics.

29. raise / rise
Does the sun ________ in the east or the west?
The airline are going to ________ their fares again next year.

30. recipe / receipt
Goods cannot be exchanged unless a sales ________ is shown.
I gave her an Indian ________ book for her birthday.

31. remember / remind
Would you ________ me to finish early tonight?
Did you ________ to switch off the kitchen light?

32. scenery / view
I adore the beautiful ________ in the Lake District.
You can get a good ________ of the sea from the church tower.

33. sensible / sensitive
She’s very ________ and is easily upset.
Staying indoors was a ________ thing to do in this terrible weather.

34. take / bring
Can you ________ this cheque to the bank for me please?
Can I ________ my girlfriend here for tea?

Compound nouns

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A compound noun is a combination of two words which function as a single noun.
• Some compound nouns can be written as one word. e.g., headache (head + ache).
• Some compound nouns can be joined using a hyphen (-). e.g., half-brother.
• Some compound nouns must be written as two words. e.g., television set.

There are no rules to tell us how a compound noun should be written. We have to learn each one individually.

Task 1. Join one word in group A with one word in group B to make compound nouns. In some cases, more than one combination is possible.

Group A
air • airline • book
fairy • food • football
hair • home • income
moon • parking • police
question • race • shoe
stamp • sun • table
traffic • time • tooth • water

Group B

basin • boots • case
collection • dryer • glasses
laces • light • lights
mark • meter • paste • pilot
poisoning • pollution
relations • station • story
table • tax • tennis • work

Task 2. Use the compound nouns above to complete the following sentences. You may need to change the forms of some of the words.

1. When I was young, my parents used to tell me ________ about witches and giants and other strange creatures.

2. We had to wait for the ________ to turn green before we were able to continue.

3. Don't leave this plant in the shade; it needs lots of ________.

4. In my home city, there is a lot of bad ________ as a result of the large number of cars and industrial factories.

5. ________ in my city are very bad. There are often fights between black and white youths.

6. The more money you earn, the more ________ you have to pay to the government.

7. On my last holiday, I had terrible ________ as a consequence of eating some bad fish.

8. I tripped over my ________ and ended up with a broken arm.

9. Don't forget to put some money in the ________ or the traffic wardens will give you a ticket.

10. When does our train leave? Why don't you check the ________ .

11. I enjoy playing all ball games, but my favourite must be ________.

12. When you write a question, don't forget to put a ________ at the end of the sentence.

13. I enjoy my English lessons, but sometimes our teacher gives us too much ________.

14. I've got a huge ________. I started it when I was six. My favourite comes from an island in the South Pacific.

15. We could see the path in front of us clearly in the ________, although everything else around us was dark.

Compound adjectives

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A compound adjective is a combination of two words which function as a single adjective.

The two words are often joined with a hyphen.

Task 1. Join one word in group A with one in group B to make compound adjectives.

Group A

absent- • dark- • eye-

fair- • half- • hand- hard-

• home- run- short-• semi- • sun-

three- • well- • world-

Group B

Burnt • catching • detached
down • eyed • famous •
haired • hearted • made
minded • off • read
sighted skilled • skinned
star • tanned • up

Task 2. Use the compound adjectives to complete the following sentences.

1. We stayed in a ________ hotel on the seafront.
2. Everybody has heard of Mel Gibson; he's a ________ actor.
3. After six hours on the beach, he had a terribly ________ face.
4. I can't see very clearly. I'm a bit ________ .
5. It wasn't a particularly ________ tennis racket; it broke soon after I bought it.
6. She was wearing an ________ dress that made heads turn as she walked through the room.
7. All these items are ________ by skilled craftsmen in a local factory.
8. I feel a bit ________. Perhaps I should take more vitamins.
9. My wife comes from a ________ family; they've always had more money than my own family.
10. My grandfather's becoming very ________ . Last week he went to the library in his slippers.
11. To make a bit of money, my sister and I used to sell ________ cakes.
12. He made a ________ attempt to take an interest, but it was obvious he didn't want to be there.
13. My father is a very ________ man. His favourite authors are Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco.
14. I live in a rather plain ________ house on the outskirts of Nottingham.
15. There are lots of jobs for ________ workers in the factories in my area.

Adjectives to nouns

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A lot of adjectives can be changed to nouns by the addition of a suffix (e.g., brave - bravery, equal - equality,, etc), or by changing other features of the word (e.g., proud - pride, sympathetic - sympathy, etc). Some nouns need a prefix and a suffix, depending on how they are being used (e.g., equal = equality or inequality)

Task 1.
Look at these sentences, and decide if the nouns in bold are correct or incorrect (the key adjectives are in brackets at the end of each sentence). Look at the meaning of the whole sentence before you decide, and don't forget to check the spelling.

1. I'm not sure you're old enough to be given such a responsibility. (responsible)

2. Although there are several differents between British and American English, there are also
many similarity. (different / similar)

3. It was a terrible lesson, the hotness in the room was unbearable, we were almost falling
asleep with boredom, and our stomachs were rumbling with hungryness. (hot / bored /
hungry)

4. I asked her if she was telling the trueth. (true)

5. The check-in staff said that the flight was late and apologised for the convenience,
although they didn't show much sympathetically. (convenient / sympathetic)

6. They almost died of thirstiness before they were rescued. (thirsty)

7. Your calculations are wrong; there are several accuracies. (accurate)

8. We had to measure the length, the wideth and the deepth of the swimming pool, and then
measure the hight of the diving board. (long / wide / deep / high)

9. She experienced a lot of happyness and lonelyness in her lifetime; her parents died when
she was still in her youth, her first husband left her, and her only child ran away from
home. (happy / lonely / young)

10. He lacked confidence in his ableness, and seemed unaware of his own intelligence.
(confident / able / intelligent)

11. There's a strong probableness, perhaps even a certainty, that he's going to get a grade A
in the exam. (probable / certain)

Task 2. Here are some more adjectives which can be made into nouns. How many can you change?

pessimistic • patient • mature • optimistic • honest • brave
accurate • selfish • possible • inferior • violent • stupid
foolish • anxious • reliable • loyal • popular • warm
necessary • safe • realistic • ill • proud • superior • strong