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Module 1
Man and his family
It takes all sorts to make the world.
Part 1
1. Complete these sentences in as many different ways as possible.
I come from Barcelona / Spain/ a big family.
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2. Read the texts about Sarah and George. Match these headings to the paragraphs. Which heading is used twice?
1 Kate's five. When my husband and I split up three years ago we decided she should have two homes. So now she stays with him in his flat from Sunday to Tuesday, and with me from Wednesday to Saturday. She's a happy little girl - she loves going to school and telling me how to run my life! |
2 When I finished university I wanted to be an artist, but then I had Kate. I always wanted to be a long-distance lorry driver when I was young, but now I'm an assistant manager in a hotel. It's not a very interesting job but it pays well and the holidays are good. |
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3 I spend a lot of time on the net, talking to people, designing web pages, or just surfing around. Maybe I'm a bit of a nerd! I have a girlfriend, Robyn - it's not serious yet, but we go out together two or three times a week. You'd be surprised what you can do in Winnipeg, even when it's 40 degrees below. Because it's so isolated we have our own symphony orchestra and our own opera company, and we have more restaurants per capita than any city in North America |
4 My dad's getting old now but he's still quite active. He worked for Manitoba Heat and Light until he retired, and now he annoys my mom because he's around the house all day. My mom was a teacher and she still sometimes does some substitute teaching. My brother Bruce is a bit of a nerd too, but he gets paid for it - he's a computer engineer. |
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5 I don't really have any plans for the future. I've done what I wanted to do, like travelling, being a wild student, and becoming a mum. What more could I ask for? |
6 I live in a small two-bedroom house which I bought two years ago. It's in a quiet neighbourhood very near the town centre. I'm spending every evening and weekend decorating it at the moment. |
7 I finished college last year, and I started a temporary job at Winnipeg Public library. I've been offered a permanent job, but I am going to go back to university |
3. Cover the texts and complete these sentences. Which ones have an auxiliary verb?
Grammar Note Question forms |
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Questions with Yes/No answers These kinds of question begin with an auxiliary verb (e.g. is, are, have, has, will, can, do, does, did, etc.) and then the subject. We usually answer these questions with Yes/No |
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Do you like American thrillers? |
Yes, I do. / No, I don’t. |
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Is he a painter? |
Yes, he is. / No, he isn’t. |
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Are they watching TV? |
Yes, they are./No, they aren’t. |
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Has she finished yet? |
Yes, she has. /No, she hasn't. |
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Did we send him a letter? |
Yes, we did. /No, we didn’t. |
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Question tags Question tags are short questions at the end of a statement. Use question tags in spoken English to check information and to keep the conversation going. To make question tags, repeat the auxiliary verb, not the main verb. If the main verb is to be, repeat that. |
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Affirmative statements use a negative tag. It's cold in here, isn't it? We have been there, haven't we? Use this structure when you think the answer is yes. |
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Negative statements use an affirmative tag. We don't have to pay, do we? I won't be needed, will I? Use this structure when you think the answer is no. |
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If there is no auxiliary verb, use do, does or did, or their negatives. She went home, didn't she? I know you, don't I? |
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For short answers, we also use the auxiliary verb. |
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You aren't Spanish, are you? |
No, I'm not. |
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They have arrived, haven't they? |
Yes, they have. |
NB When the sentence contains a word with a negative meaning like never, hardly, seldom or rarely, the question tag is positive.
e.g. He is never late, is he? They seldom go to the theatre, do they?
Some verbs/expressions form question tags differently: I am aren't I? I am strong, aren't I?
Imperative will/won't you? Close the door, will/ won't you?
Let's shall we? Let's go out, shall we?
Don't will you Don't shout, will you?
I have (got) haven't I? (=possess) She's got a sister, hasn't she?
I have don't I? You have a shower every day, don’t you?
There is/are isn't/aren’t there? There is a man in the room, isn't
there?
4. Fill in the correct question tag.
1 John doesn't live in London, ____________ ?
2 Frank and Laura are not married, ____________?
3 We are going out for dinner, _________________?
4 He won't leave his job, _____________?
5 Samantha can swim, _______________?
6 They went to Sweden, ____________?
7 You aren't working tonight, ___________________?
8 Harrison Ford has starred in many films, _____________?
9 All children love pizza, ____________?
10 George hasn't been to China, _____________?
5. Fill in the question tags and match the answers to the questions.
1 You haven't been to Europe, _________?
2 You'll be at home tonight, ______________?
3 She hasn't got any brothers, ______________?
4 You went to London last year, ____________?
5 Jane has got a new house, _________?
6 You're twenty now, ____________?
7 You aren't a doctor, ______________?
a No, but she's got two sisters. ______
b Yes, it's beautiful. ______
c No, but I've been to Australia. ______
d No, I'm a dentist. ______
e Yes, it was my birthday yesterday. ______
f Yes, after six o'clock. ______
g Yes, for two weeks. ______
Wh- questions
Wh- questions begin with a question word.
people |
things |
place |
time |
quantity /number |
manner |
reason |
age |
who |
what |
where |
how long |
how much |
how |
why |
how old |
whose |
which |
how often |
how many |
We put the auxiliary verb before the subject.
Where do they study? |
They study at the university. |
What kind of books do you like reading? |
I like detectives. |
How often do you write reports? |
You write reports once a week. |
How much does it cost? Who loves to play the violin? |
About fifty pounds. He does. |
Where did she live two years ago? |
She lived in Vancouver two years ago. |
Object questions When a Wh-question word is the object of the question, we use the normal question word order: Form: question word + auxiliary + object + verb. Who do you get on well with? What did you say? Subject questions When a Wh- word refers to the subject in a question, we don’t use the the auxiliary verb, word order is the same as an affirmative sentence. Form: question word +verb+ object. Who is expecting a message? What happened?(NOT: What did happen?) |
6. Fill in the gaps with one of the question words from the list.
who, what, which, where, how long, when, what time, how often, how, whose
1 ..Whose.... is this bag? My sister's.
2 ..................are the children? At school.
3 ..................is Paul coming back? Tomorrow.
4 ..................does he drive? Very dangerously.
5 ..................is that woman? Mary Smith.
6 ..................do you finish work? At four o'clock.
7 ..................do they buy a newspaper? Every day.
8 .................. is her name? Catherine.
9 ..................city do you like best? Rome or Milan?
10 ..................have you been a teacher? Since 1991.
7. Put these words in the correct order to make questions.
6 like to you the UK would live in
7 what your is friend's name best
8 why so tired are you today
9 what are going the time party you to
10 how have brothers many got you
8. a) Put the words in the correct order to make questions.
1 are sports at good you ?
2 brothers any got or has sisters he ?
3 are how they old ?
4 you German do like studying ?
5 America been have you to ?
6 today you seen have boss your ?
7 you shops did go yesterday the to ?
b) Write short answers to the questions in Ex. 6a. Use auxiliary verbs where possible.
9. Match these question words with the answers.
1. What |
A In Winnipeg. |
2. Where |
B Two years ago. |
3. Who |
C Because it's so isolated. |
4. When |
D She's an assistant manager. |
5. Why |
E Two or three times a week. |
6. How much |
F His parents and his brother. |
7. How often |
G £22,000 a year. |
10. Ask your partner questions to get these answers. Tick each answer when you hear it.
Have you got a mobile phone?
Yes, I have. No, I haven't.
Yes, I was. No, I wasn't.
Yes, I do. No, I don't.
Yes, I did. No, I didn't.
Yes, I am. No, I'm not.
Yes, I can. No, I can't.
I don't know That's rather a personal question!
Part 2
1. What do you like doing in your spare time? What sort of person are you? (The answer could be 'both' or 'neither'.)
2. Add these activities to the word web. Can you think of any more?
watch TV go out for dinner chat on the phone go to a sports centre go to the cinema |
go for a walk surf the net play tennis get a take-away go to a nightclub |
go to a football match go to the pub read a book have an early night have dinner with friends |
3. Look at this dialogue and complete the missing lines. Where are Oliver and Holly going?
are you going this evening to come and pick you up near the station 7.30 be nice nothing special
Oliver: Are you doing anything __________ ?
Holly: No, _____________ .
Oliver: Well, we're going to that new Chinese restaurant___________ .
Would you like________________?
Holly: Yes, that would _________ . What time__________________?
Oliver: About 8.00. Shall we come_____________________?
Holly: Yes, great.
Oliver : OK, I'll call for you at___________ .
4. Listen and check your ideas.
5. Listen to two more dialogues. What decisions do the people make?
6. You don't always want to accept an invitation. Listen to these four dialogues.
7. Listen to the dialogues in exercises 4 and 5 again and tick the expressions you hear
Invitations and suggestions Would you like + infinitive? Do you fancy + -ing? How about + -ing? Shall we + verb? Let's + verb Why don't we + verb? |
Accepting That would be nice. That would be great. Good idea! Great idea! I'd love to. Fine. Yes, OK. That's a good idea. |
Refusing I'm (really) sorry, but I can't. I'm + -ing I'm afraid I can't. I have to ... I'd love to, but I... I don't really like ... I'm afraid I'm a bit busy. How about... instead? |
8. How many invitations and suggestions can you make?
Shall we go for a walk? Would you like to go for a walk? Do you fancy going for a walk?
go |
to go |
going |
a coffee |
a sandwich |
play |
to play |
playing |
for a walk |
tennis |
have |
to have |
having |
a take-away |
to the cinema |
9. How are these words pronounced?
Shall we are you do you would you
10. Listen to them in sentences. How are they pronounced?
a) Repeat them and try to sound exactly the same.
Shall we go to the theatre?
Are you doing anything this evening ?
Do you fancy a take-away?
Would you like to see the new musical?
b) Make short dialogues with invitations and suggestion.
11. Accept some and refuse others.
A: Do you fancy going out for dinner?
В: Yes, that would be nice.
A: Where shall we go?
12. Think about things you would like to do this weekend. Decide what, where, when and make sentences.
Part 3
1. Read the texts. What family members do you think the people are describing?
1. 2. 3.
He's everything I'm not! He's very tall and slim, he's got dark hair, and he's confident, outgoing, and good at sports. Luckily, he's no good at school. I'm the intelligent one ... |
She's still very young, and she's a gorgeous little kid. She's got curly ginger hair, and she's really lively and friendly. People say she's got her mother's eyes, but I think she looks more like me ... |
He's quite old now, in his seventies I think, but he's never gone bald. He's got short grey hair (he calls it 'silver') and glasses. He's fairly quiet. He's always been quite thin, and he was probably very good-looking when he was young. |
2. Underline the words connected with appearance and personality. Add them to the chart.
hair |
height + build |
age |
looks |
personality |
3. Add these words to the chart. Can you find any opposites in the chart? Can you add any more words?
skinny a teenager attractive middle-aged a beard a moustache shy blonde fair in his/her twenties elderly straight
4. Listen. Repeat the words and sentences.
5. Which descriptions do these sentences go with? Check the meaning of the parts in italics.
1. I get on with him really well - he likes telling me about when he was young.
2. I don't look like him at all - people can't believe we're brothers.
3. She takes after her mother in lots of ways - she never does anything she
doesn't want to.
6. Imagine you are arranging to meet a relative you have never met. Describe yourself so that they can recognize you.
a. You can make hair and eye into adjectives, e.g. dark-haired, blue-eyed. Can you make more adjectives like this?
left- fair- green- hot- narrow- broad- short-
blooded shouldered haired sighted handed eyed minded
b. Check the meaning. Which adjectives describe personality? Which ones describe you or someone you know?
7. a) Match the phrases in bold in A with the correct definition in B.
A |
B |
1. Let's keep in touch. |
a) not stay in contact |
2. We have the same sense of |
b) like to be with him/her |
humour. |
c) know him/her better |
3. We have a lot in common. 4. I hope we don't lose touch. 5. He's really nice when you get to know him. 6. I really enjoy her company. |
d) find the same things funny e) like/enjoy the same things f) have a friendly relationship g) stop being friends h) stay in contact |
7. They fell out over money. 8. We get on really well. |
b) Make your own sentences using the phrases in bold.
7. Put the words/phrases in the box in groups. Can you add any more words?
close friend acquaintance boss classmate husband colleague stranger ex-girlfriend best friend stepmother old friend father-in-law friend of a friend team-mate neighbor
work/university family friends other
______________ ___________ _________ __________
______________ ___________ _________ __________
______________ ___________ _________ __________
8. Choose four people from Ex.7. Describe your relationship with them to a partner.
9. Draw your family tree, and tell your partner something about the people in it.
10. Now make sentences with look like, take after, and get on with.
I look like my Both of us / Neither of us ...
I don't look like my….because ...
I take after my….. because ...
I don't take after my…..because ...
I get on with my……... because ...
Part 4
1. Look at this diagram. Listen to Maria describing it.
b. Give each group a heading.
Jack Phil Colin Sanders |
Norman and Maureen Mrs. Anderson |
John Louise Sam Muffin |
Stella Mark Julia |
2. Make a similar diagram for yourself. Use different headings if you like.
3. Talk about your diagrams.
4. Which of the things could you do with these people?
fall in love with get divorced from fancy |
get on well with split up with argue with |
get married to go out with love |
5. Listen to these people talking about relationships.
a) What relationships are they talking about? Which one isn't real?
b) Listen again.
Can you find two or three key words in each description which tell you the relationship?
6. Think of the relationships of your own. They can be real or
imaginary, family members, girlfriend/boyfriend, colleagues,
neighbors, or anything else. Think about these things.
Writing Project
You are going to describe your relationships. Follow these instructions.
1. Use the questions in Ex. 6 to make notes.
2. Tell your partner about the relationships of your own and ask
questions about his/her relationships.
3. Write about your relationships.
Grammar Part
1 a) Complete the questions with these words: What, How long, When, Which, Where, Why, How, Who, How much, How many.
1.________has he bought? 2. ________does he work so hard? 3. ______did she start her new job? 4.______did you live? 5. ______ are you staying therefore? 6._______ people are coming to the party? 7. ______ are you feeling? 8. _______ one do you like? 9. ______ is the holiday going to cost? 10. ______ did he fall in love with? |
a. The blue one. b. Over £200. c. About 20. d. Paris. e. Emma. f. Two weeks. g. Fine, thanks. h. On Monday. i. He really likes his job. j. A pair of trousers. |
b) Match the questions to the answers.
2. Find and correct the mistakes in the sentences/questions.
Where are you come from?
Where do you come from?
1 Use you the Internet a lot?
2 She don't like Maths.
3 I do not keen on football.
4 He doesn't lives here any more.
5 Are they like playing tennis?
6 What you talk about with your friends?
7 Are you from Switzerland? No, I don't.
8 Have you seen the film yet? Yes, I did.
9 Did they stay long? No, they don't.
10 Do you play the violin? No, I doesn't.
3. a) Make questions for these answers.
Blue. - What's your favourite colour?
1 Swimming.
2 With my parents.
3 Yes, I do. He's great.
4 Pasta.
5 No, I haven't. Is it good?
6 No, I don't. It tastes horrible.
7 At ten o'clock.
8 Manchester United.
b) Compare your questions with a partner.
4. a) Complete the questions below using the prepositions from the box.
about (X3) on (x2) in (x2) for to
b) Work in groups. Choose five of the questions to ask other students.
5. a) Make questions from the prompts.
1 What/sports/you/interested in?
2 You/been/skiing/recently?
3 She/like/listening to/music?
4 Mozart/play/the violin?
5 Your parents/enjoy/the concert/last night?
6 You/speak to Frances/yesterday?
7 Clara/had/her baby yet?
8 You/born/in Turin?
b) Match the answers to the questions in Ex. 5a.
a Yes, she does. She's really keen on Mozart.
b No, I wasn't. I was born in Rome.
c Yes, I did. She called me last night.
d Yes, they did. They loved it.
e Yes, he did. He taught himself when he was five years old.
f I love skiing and watching football.
g Yes, she has. He's called Jack,
h Yes, I have. I went to Switzerland last week.
6. Complete the sentences with words and phrases from the box.
best friend have a lot in common a good sense of humour enjoyed his company colleagues get to know her stranger keep in touch ex-girlfriend friend of a friend lost |
1. It has been really nice seeing you again. Let's try and__________.
2. She always makes me laugh. She has ______________ .
3. Our relationship has finished so she's my __________now.
4. I've met him once or twice at parties. He's a__________.
5. I'd like to__________ better because she seems very friendly.
6. I'm going out on Friday with a few__________ from work.
7. Mario and I have a good relationship because we like the same things. We__________ .
8. He was a__________ who I met on a train, but we talked a lot and I__________.
9. I speak to Lucy every day on the phone. She's my__________.
10. Unfortunately we __________ when we left university.
7. a) Find ten mistakes in the e-mail.
Hi,
My name is Stefano and I'm Italia student. I am coming from Rome which I am thinking is the most beautiful city in the world. At the moment I studying Engineering at university in Pisa, so I am living in a flat with three other students. We have a lot in common and are sharing the same sense of humour. Most nights we listen music, and on Saturdays we usually go to a disco and dance all night. All except Marco, who is studying Chemistry. He is very boring and is never going out. This year I am study English twice a week because I would really like to work for an American company when I am finish my degree.
Look forward to hearing from you soon.
All the best,
Stefano
PS I have attached some photos of me and the Leaning Tower.
b) Write an email introducing yourself to a new friend.
8. a) Read the following task and the answer that a student wrote.
Your younger sister/brother is going to visit relatives in an English-speaking country. Your relatives have not met her/him before. Write telling them about her/his travel arrangements and explaining how they should recognise her/him.
Include these notes in your answer:
- check flight times
- describe clothes
- gift from here?
Dear Susan and Nick,
We collected Stavros's ticket yesterday so I'm writing to give you his travel details.
He leaves Athens on December 13 on Flight OM 194 and arrives in Melbourne the next day at 11. 20 in the morning. The airline says there are sometimes delays so it's worth phoning them at the airport to check the flight is on time.
I've enclosed a recent photograph, but just in case you have problems recognising him, he's quite tall for his years with a straight light brown hair and green eyes. He’ll be wearing a light grey T-shirt, jeans and black trainers.
Is there anything you would like him to bring from Greece? The honey is delicious, you know it, and so are the olives.
I ask you to tell us what would you like.
I think, that's all for the moment.
All the best,
Giorgos
b) Write your own letter using the letter in Ex. 8a) as a model.
TOPICAL VOCABULARY
1. to get on with –ладить с кем-либо
2. to split up with - расходиться
3. to get married to /to marry / to be married - жениться, выходить замуж
4. to go out with - встречаться
5. to argue with - спорить
6. to surf the net – переходить с одного сайта на другой/бродить по сети
7. to fall in love with – влюбиться
8. to get divorced from - разводиться
9. to chat on the phone – разговаривать по телефону
10. to look like – быть похожим
11. to have an early night – рано ложиться спать
12. appearance – внешний вид
13. personality – индивидуальность, личность
14. in his seventies – в его семьдесят лет
15. middle-aged man - человек среднего возраста
16. elderly – пожилой, почтенный
17. attractive - привлекательный
18. good-looking – красивый, обладающий приятной внешностью
19. to take after – походить на кого-либо
20. have a lot in common – иметь много общего
21. intelligent – умный, сообразительный
22. confident - уверенный
23. shy – застенчивый, робкий
24. bald - лысый
25. skinny – худой; скупой
26. gorgeous – эффектный, замечательный
27. ginger – рыжеволосый
28. fairly – в некоторой степени
29.to be interested in – интересоваться чем-либо
30. outgoing – коммуникабельный, общительный
Self test 1
Grammar
1. Make the sentences into yes-no questions
She enjoys traveling.
They’ve been offered another room.
Helen is a librarian.
They’re going to the cinema.
They moved here in 1987.
2. Match the questions in exercise 1 with the short answers.
Yes, they have.
Yes, she is.
No, they didn’t.
No, she doesn’t.
Yes, they are.
3. Put one of the words below in the correct place in the questions.
did are does do is
Vocabulary.
1. Match the synonyms.
1 pretty brown
2 about thirty good-looking
3 cheerful grown-up
4 hazel in his thirties
5 adult fun-loving
6 sociable outgoing
2. Circle the odd one out.
Grandchildren parents grandparents daughter children
Brother son grandmother father nephew
Children grandparent cousin wife son
Mother granddaughter son neighbor uncle
Cousin aunt grandmother sister niece
3. Complete the text.
I met my future husband at the university. The first time I saw him I f___ i___ l____ with him. We w____ o____ together for about two years. We really g_____ o_____ w____ with each other. Last year we decided to g_____ m_____. Now we’re living happily. I believe we’ll never s_____ u_____.
4. Complete the sentences with one of the words below.
Going out chat watch have get
1. Do your like to ___ thrillers?
2. I’d rather ___ on the phone.
3. Would you like to ___a takeaway this evening?
4. I prefer ____ for a dinner.
5. It was a big day and now I’m going to ___ an early night.
English in use.
1. Put the words in the correct order to make sentences or questions.
1. go would theatre to like the this you evening to ?
2. sorry I can’t really am but I
3. Saturday special you doing are anything on ?
4. special nothing
5. fancy you going to club the do ?
2. Choose the correct ending.
1. How about … a. go to the gym
2. Why … b. don’t we meet
3. Let’s … c. going out for a dinner
4. Would you like … d. to watch a new film
5. Shall we … e. get a takeaway
3. Put the dialogue in the correct order.
1. - I really don’t like folk music. Why don’t we go to that new club instead?
2. - Good idea. I’ll call you on Friday evening.
3. - How about Saturday night?
4. - May be some other day.
5. - Would you like to go to the concert of Irish music?
READING
Text 1 Dear Advisor: Should She Propose?
Dear Advisor,
My boyfriend and I just celebrated three years together. I want to ask him to marry me. My friends say I shouldn't. They say that only desperate women propose marriage. Are they right?
Nervous in New Jersey
Dear Nervous,
Your friends are not right. Today it is fine for women to propose to men. Monica did it on Friends. Miranda did it on Sex and the City. In real life, actress Halle Berry did it, too.
In 2003, the Korbel Champagne Company conducted a survey. They asked, "Should women ask men to marry them?" Sixty-seven percent of Americans said yes. The survey asked women, "Would you propose to a man?" Almost 50 percent of the women said they would. They also asked men, "Would you accept?" Almost 80 percent said yes. Thirty-one percent of women know a woman who has proposed to a man. Experts generally agree. Dr. Linda O 'Connor has a radio talk show about love and marriage. O'Connor says that women who propose are usually educated and self-confident. In addition, their boyfriends usually like strong women. However, advice columnist Susan Fine argues that even women with a lot of self-confidence may need some help with their proposals. Here is her advice. First, the proposal should not be a surprise. The relationship should be serious. She also advises women to do two more things. They should write out the proposal and practice it before they ask for their boyfriends' hands in marriage.
How would Susan Fine answer you? If you and your boyfriend are happy, do not pay attention to your friends. And don't invite them to the wedding.
The Advisor
Ex. 1 Read the statements and write true (T) or false (F). Go back to Text 1 and look for the answers you are unsure of. 1. Susan Fine is on the radio.
2. "Nervous in New Jersey" wrote to Susan Fine.
3 . "Nervous in I\lew Jersey" is a man.
4. "Nervous in New Jersey" wants to get married.
5. In 2003 most women said that only men should propose.
6. Dr. Linda O'Connor is a divorce lawyer.
7. The Advisor told "Nervous in New Jersey" to propose to her boyfriend.
Ex. 2 Answer the questions. 1. According to O'Connor, which adjectives describe women who propose to men?
funny educated desperate strong self-confident nervous weak
2. What two suggestions does Susan Fine make?
Text 2 Divorce: A Fifty-Fifty Chance?
Divorce is a growing problem in the United States and many other developed countries. Although thousands and thousands of happy couples get married every year, more than 50 percent of them get divorced. Two researchers at the University of Washington studied marriage and divorce. They learned a lot from their research. With this information, they created a mathematical formula that predicts divorce. Mathematician James Murray and psychologist John Gottman agree that their predictions are correct almost all of the time.
How do they do it?
A husband and wife talk about a difficult subject for 15 minutes. The researchers videotape them. In addition, they record physical information such as heart rate. Then the researchers listen to the conversation. They watch the body language and look at the facial reactions. After that, they give the couple positive and negative points.
For example, the couple might talk about mothers-in-law. If the husband says, "Your mother is a lot of trouble:' the couple gets two negative points. If the wife rolls her eyes, they get two more negative points. However, if the husband says, "Your mother is a lot of trouble, but sometimes she's funny:' then the couple gets one positive point. If he smiles, they get another one.
In the end, the researchers add up the points. A good marriage has five more positive points than negative points. However, the researchers say that a bad score is not necessarily the end of a marriage. Marriages with bad scores can survive. They hope that couples will use the information from the study to learn to communicate. However, not everyone believes that mathematics can stop divorce. A professor of psychology at New York University says that it is "absolutely impossible" to use mathematics to help a marriage. The scientists disagree. They have studied this problem for 16 years. In that time, they have studied more than 700 couples. Their predictions are 94 percent accurate. It seems necessary for the survival of marriage that we listen to them.
Ex.1 Read the statements and write true (T) or false (F). Go back to Text 2 and look for the answers you are unsure of.
1. Most married couples get divorced.
2. There is a mathematical formula that predicts who should get married.
3. A mathematician worked with a sociologist.
4. For their study, the researchers videotaped couples.
5. The couples took a written test.
6. The researchers gave each couple positive and negative points.
7. If the score is bad, the couple has to get divorced.
8. The formula predicts incorrectly 6 percent of the time.
Ex. 2 Answer the questions.
1. What three things do the researchers look at?
2. Find two examples of body language or facial reactions in the reading.
Ex. 3 Vocabulary Work: Guess Meaning from Context
A. Match the words from Texts 1 and 2 with their meanings.
B. Guess Meaning from Related Words
1. The following words are in the texts. Find other words that are related to them.
Text 1 propose self-confident advice column |
Text 2 married mathematical predicts necessary psychology agree |
Text 3 Family Life
Marriage is a thing which only a rare person in his or her life avoids. True bachelors and spinsters make up only a small percent of the population; most single people are "alone but not lonely".
Millions of others get married because of the fun of family life. And it is fan, if one takes it with a sense of humour.
There's a lot of fun in falling in love with someone and chasing the prospective fiancee, which means dating and going out with the candidate. All the relatives (parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, brothers and sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, stepmothers and stepfathers and all in-laws) meanwhile have the fan of criticizing your choice and giving advice. The trick here is not to listen to them but propose to your bride-to-be and somehow get her to accept your proposal. Then you may arrange the engagement and fix the day of the wedding.
What fun it is to get all those things, whose names start with the word "wedding" — dress, rings, cars, flowers, cakes, etc.! It's great fun to pay for them.
It's fun for the bride and the groom to escape from the guests and go on a honeymoon trip, especially if it is a wedding present from the parents. The guests remain with the fun of gossiping whether you married for love or for money.
It's fan to return back home with the idea that the person you are married to is somewhat different from the one you knew. But there is no time to think about it because you are newly-weds and you expect a baby.
There is no better fan for a husband than taking his wife to a maternity home alone and bringing her back with the twins or triplets.
And this is where the greatest fan starts: washing the new-born's nappies and passing away sleepless nights, earning money to keep the family, taking children to kindergarten and later to school. By all means it's fan to attend parents' meetings and to learn that your children take after you and don't do well at school.
The bigger your children grow, the more they resemble you outwardly and the less they display likeness with you inwardly. And you start grumbling at them and discussing with your old friends the problem of the "generation gap". What fan!
And when at last you and your grey-haired spouse start thinking that your family life has calmed down, you haven't divorced but preserved your union, the climax of your fan bursts out! One of your dearest offsprings brings a long-legged blonde to your house and says that he wants to marry. And you think: 'Why do people ever get married?'
Ex. 1 Answer the questions using some information from the text:
1. Consider the following: "Being married or being single". Discuss
the differences between them; the advantages and disadvantages
they have; say what you would do if you were given the choice.
2.Do you agree with the statement "Love makes the world go
round"?
3. What's the difference between loving somebody and being in love
with somebody?
4. At what age do couples usually get married in your country?
5. Is marriage important to you? Why? Why not?
Ex. 2 Find synonyms for the next words in the text:
1. bachelors and spinsters
2. a bride and a groom
3. offsprings
4. a spouse
5. to expect a baby
Ex. 3. Look back at these two-and three-word verbs from the text.
Write another sentence with each one:
1. to take after
2. to accept a proposal
3. to fall in love
4. to arrange the engagement
5. to do well at
Ex. 1 Read and translate the text.
Appearances are deceptive. It is a common truth; practically everyone has met at least someone whose character and appearance differ radically.
When one sees a tall, broad-shouldered youth, one expects him to be strong-willed and brave. One thinks: 'A model to follow!' How often a good-looking individual turns out to be petty, weak-willed or even cowardly. Then one thinks: 'A mediocrity!'
At the same time everyone knows that a lot of great people were of a poor build: short and fragile. It did not stop them from displaying intelligence and courage. Ingenuity does not depend on one's complexion or constitution.
Plump or fat people create an impression of generous and kind personalities. Strangely enough, not rarely they may be thrifty or even greedy. One usually thinks: 'A scrooge!'
On the other hand, thin or slim nervous ladies often tend to be lavish. They like to buy and never think twice when they pay. One thinks: 'I would call her open-handed and Mother would call her a spendthrift'. Yes, mothers are always stricter in judgements.
Has it ever happened to you that you come to an important office and see an important boss? You immediately evaluate his looks: 'Round-faced, small narrow eyes, dimples on the cheeks and an upturned nose. What a kind-hearted person! A simpleton!' You tell the boss of your troubles and expect immediate help. But the boss appears to be rude, harsh and wilful. You never get your help and think: 'A stone heart and an iron fist'.
When someone sees a delicately built pretty blonde with curly hair, blue eyes, a straight nose and a high forehead, one is inclined to think that the beauty is intelligent and nice. It may be disappointing to think later 'What a stupid, capricious, impolite bore!'
On the contrary, when one sees a skinny brunette with ugly irregular features — a hooked nose, pointed chin, close-set eyes and thin lips, strange thoughts come to one's head; because it is the image of evil people — cruel and cunning . It may be a relief some time later to find her a clever, gentle and good-mannered lady and think: 'What charm! A heart of gold!'
Another general misconception lies in the fact that children are always expected to resemble their parents. And parents like it when children take after them. Relatives like to compare moles, the shape of noses, etc. The greatest compliment is: "They are as like as two peas'. The greatest disappointment is to find nothing in common. We want to deny people their exclusiveness, we don't want to admit that nature has selected other options from an enormous genetic fund developed over generations. Why do we like our copies? Who knows!
Ex.2 Answer the questions using some information from the text:
1. Do you agree that people's eyes tell you a lot about their
personality?
2. How do you understand these words: "You must look into people as
well as at them"; "Appearances are deceptive"?
3. What traits of character do you appreciate in your parents, friends?
Give your reasons.
4. Do you think one's appearance is important when you want to get a
job? Why? In what jobs do you think appearance is most essential?
Why?