Immediate

………………………………………………………………………….

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.25)

11. Read the extract below and replace the underlined words and phrases with phrases from the following list.

• take а particular delight in

• the thing which makes the strongest impression

• here one has the leisure to appreciate

• few visitors can fail to be charmed by

• to sum up

• furthermore, one cannot help but wonder at

• gives the impression of being

• hustle and bustle

• combines the spirit of а community with а well-deserved respect for nature

• paid them the compliment of

Describe а place in the countryside

and explain why it is worth visiting.

Concerning Littlewood village itself, 1) what you notice is the hospitality оf the locals. 2) Everyone enjoys the welcoming smiles and the genuine interest that the villagers show in anyone who has 3) bothered visiting their small community. It is as if they 4) really like sharing their charming village with out-siders.

5) Also, anyone would like the natural beauty of the region. Sheltered from the outside world by the hills which surround it, the village 6) seems untouched by the technological age and the 7) noisy hurry оf modern towns. 8) You сап enjoy the late afternoon sun glistening on the river or shining through the autumn leaves, and realise that this is а very special place.

9) So, Littlewood 10) is а рlасе with nice реорlе and scenery. Fоr аnуоnе who wants to escape from the pressures of modern life for а while, it is wеll worth a visit.

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.25)

12. Сhoose the most appropriate word from those given in brackets, and put it into the correct form to fill in the gaps in the following sentences.

е.g. Rio is a thrilling place to visit, with its riotous colours and raucous noise.

(thrill/ relax/ refresh)

1. To the ______________ of most visitors, the caves in the area cannot be visited, as they have been declared unsafe.

(disappoint/ delight /impress)

2. Several old, traditional houses have been converted into quaint pensions which tourists find _________________________.

(horror/ delight/ depress)

3. Visitors are ______________ during the trip uр the steep mountain path, but the view makes it worthwhile.

(puzzle/ terrify/ offend)

4. It is ________________ to see how quickly the area where I grew up is being spoiled.

(shock/ excite/ inspire)

5. The enormous ancient structures strike реорle as _______________ since еvеn using modern equipment they would be difficult to construct.

(amuse/ dismay/ amaze)

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.24)

13. Read the brief descriptions below and replace each of the underlined words or phrases with the most suitable word from the list given.

А

abandoned, bleak, сramped, miserable, run-down

.

The row of 1) empty houses along the bank of а stagnant саnаl present а 2) sad picture. When lived in, they were 3) too small, filthy and in need of paint. Now they are 4) old and broken, their win- dows boarded over and fences sag- ging. The landscape in which they stand is 5) empty and ugly: behind the canal and ruined houses stretch flat fields with по trees or grass.

В

astonished, enormous, ехquisite, imposing, tranquil

Visitors to the cathedral are usually 6) surprised at the 7) impressive elegance of its size and proportions. The 8) very big stained-glass windows with their 9) wonderful centuries-old pictures flood the interior with soft light and colour, creating а 10) peaceful, quiet atmospheге.

Nоw replace each оf the ten words you have just used with its synonym from thе following list:

astounded, bare, сrowded, deserted, depressing, dilapidated, magnificent, massive, serene, superb

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.24)

14. In the skeleton sentences below, the word underlined is the main verb of the sentence. Write each as а complete sentence as in the example.

e.g. Stand / top / hill / massivе fortress / dominate /city

Standing at the top of the hill, the massive fortress dominates the city.

1 Palm trees / sway / gentle evening breeze / frame / sun / set / horizon.

2 Stand / top / cliffs / you can / hear / waves / crash / rocks below.

3 Line /cobbled street / bе / row / terraced houses / design / John Wood.

4 Surround / mountains / all sides / city / look / as if / be in / enormous bowl.

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.22)

15. Correct the following sentences as in the example.

e.g.: Sinking behind the mountain, I watched the sun fill the sky with red. (WRONG)

Sinking behind the mountain, the sun filled the sky with red. (CORRECT)

OR As l watched the sun sinking behind the mountain, it filled the sky with red. (CORRECT)

1. Stretching into the distance, we were amazed by the length оf the queue.

2. Squeezing your way onto the packed bus, the other passengers press even closer together to make room for you.

3. Shuffling towards the supermarket's busy tills, heavy baskets hang from the shoppers' tired arms.

4. Standing squashed among the screaming fans, the roar оf the enormous crowd was deafening.

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.21)

16. Identify the sense(s) referred to in each of the phrases below.

hot, golden sand touch; sight

hum of laughter and voices

clinking glasses

colourful sails

strong odour of fish

mouth-watering plates of food

cries of seagulls

warm sun on white buildings

splash of breaking waves

salty water

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.21)

17. Complete the sentences below describing beaches with these words:

deserted, naturist, rocky, crystal-clear, unspoilt, child-friendly

crowded, golden, fantastic, pebbles.

1. The beach is always ……… at this time of the year. There is no room to put your towel down.

2. The beaches were absolutely ……… . Sometimes we were the only two people there.

3. Sri Lanka ……… beaches – mile after mile of ……… sand and ……… water.

4. Ten years ago the place was completely ………, but now the whole seafront is full of bars and cafes. They’ve spoilt the place completely.

5. The coastline is very ……… and most of the beach is ……… . There is hardly any sand at all.

6. The ……… beach is quite difficult to find, as it’s about 2 km outside town.

(English Vocabulary Organiser. p.130)

18. Read the following descriptions, underline the phrases which refer to the senses and identify each sense. What tenses are used in each description? Why?

A The market buzzes with the sound of wоmеn's voices, while the smells of fresh fish, vegetables and spices fill the hot, humid аir. Crowds of shoppers jostle each other as they squeeze past the displays of goods, voices grow louder as the people haggle over prices, and the clang of metal bowls and boxes rings through the market.

B А faint smell of crushed grass wafted up from the court as the hot sun beat down on the crowd watching the players. The silence was punctuated by the rhythmic sound of the tennis ball and the muted gasps of the spec- tators; then, suddenly, the crowd surged to their feet with а roar.

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.21)

19. Fill in the gaps with words from the list below. Use the words only once.

stretch out, is set in, winds through, nestles at, is perched on, curves around, sprawl out, is located in, slopes down to

l The small house, which ............................ the centre of town, is packed with antiques.

2 The narrow country lane .................. the wooded valley.

3 The steep hillside ..................... the seashore.

4 The hotel ............................ the towering Welsh mountains.

5 The river ....................... the base of the mountain.

6 The plains ...................................... in every direction.

7 The cabin .................. precariously .................... а cliff top.

8 The suburbs ............................ into the countryside.

9 А tiny village .......................... the foot of the high mountain.

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.20)

20. Read the following description. Fill in each of the gaps with а suitable preposition or adverb and circle each of the 'location' verbs.

Standing 1) ...at... at the top of the old stone steps, you can see the variety of architectural styles 2) ...... the houses that line the main street. The steps lead 3) …… а small, open area just 4) ... … the corner 5) …… the main street.

Facing you as you stand 6) ...... the bottom of the steps is а shop, which is 7) ...... а four-storey building that stands 8) ...... the corner of the street.

9) ...... уоur right there are а few tables 10) ...... the pavement 11) ...... а small cafe which is housed 12) ...... a large, imposing building. А small balcony 13) ...... the first floor hangs 14) ...... the entrance to the cafe.

Further 15) ...... thе street, 16) ...... the right hand side is а quaint two-storey building with gable windows built into the attic. The street disappears 17) ...... the distance as the wooded hillside rises 18) ...... the whole scene.

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.20)

21. Write possible beginnings and endings for a composition entitled “The city I admire most.”

22. This short description was written for a magazine series in which readers recommend a local café or restaurant. It was not published, because it is not at all interesting. Nor is it informative: it raises a lot of questions (what colour are the uniforms? what night does the pianist play?) but doesn’t answer any. Rewrite it, keeping the same structure, but informing the reader and making the restaurant, and your description, sound interesting.

The Bazaar Restaurant

When you go in, you are taken to the bar area, where one of the waiters or waitresses will look after you. They are very nice and wear interesting uniforms of an unusual colour. They take your order from the long menu which has exciting dishes from different countries. There is also a blackboard on the wall with some other things that are not on the menu. They do a very good dish with fish, which I would recommend, and some of the salads are excellent.

Before long, you are taken to your table in the well-decorated dining room. This room is quite big; the tables are round, and the chairs are made of wood. You can hear soft music, which adds to the atmosphere, and once a week they have someone playing the piano.

At the end of the meal, many people like to drink coffee, etc., in the lounge bar, where there are lots of plants and other exotic decorations.

When the bill comes you’ll find it isn’t very expensive for such good food, and I’m sure you’ll want to go again.

(Advanced Writing with English in Use CAE. p.40)

23. a) In this text from a travel guide to Morocco, the writer describes some of the places in Meknès that a tourist might like to visit. The function of the text is to recommend (on the basis of the writer’s opinions) and to inform.

Read through the text and choose the best phrase or sentence given below, to fill each of the gaps. Write one letter (A-K) in each gap. Some of the suggested answers do not fit at all. The exercise begins with an example (0).

Meknès

The focus of the city is the massive gate of Bab el Mansour, the main entrance to Moulay Ismail’s 17^th century Imperial City. The gate is exceptionally well preserved and is highly decorated, with (faded) zellij tiles and inscriptions which run right across the top.

The gate faces onto the Place el Hedim. (0) B this square is the Dar Jamai, a palace built in the late 19^th century which has recently been turned into a very good museum. (1) ___ museums housed in historic buildings, the building itself is as interesting as the exhibits. The domed reception room upstairs is fully furnished in the style of the time, complete with plush rugs and cushions. It is open daily, except Tuesday, from 9am to 12 noon and 3pm to 6pm. Entry costs Dr 3.

The medina proper stretches away to the north behind the Dar Jamai. The most convenient access is through the arch to the left of the Dar Jamai. (2) ____ as extensive or as interesting as the medina at Fès it is, nevertheless, worth a visit and you won’t be hassled by ‘guides’. (3) ____ are the carpet souks, which are just off to the left of the main medina streets, about five minutes walk from Dar Jamai. (4) ____ Meknès is not a bad place, as the shopkeepers are a little bit more relaxed than elsewhere. Bargains are still as rare as hen’s teeth, but at least the bargaining starts at a reasonable level.

Further along the covered main street is the Bou Inania Medressa. (5) ____ it was built in the mid 14^th century. It is not all that conspicuous apart from the dome over the street, which is easy to spot. It has the same layout and features as the Fès medressas. (6) ___ you are allowed up onto the roof, as it has all been restored at one time or another. The Bou Inania Medressa is open daily from 9am to 12 noon and 3pm to 6pm. Entry costs Dr 3.

A One of the most original

B on the far north side of

C Most interesting, perhaps,

D Somewhere in that direction

E As is often the case in

F Like the one of the same name in Fès,

G If you are looking for rugs to buy,

H Though nowhere near

J In some ways, I suppose

K It’s about the only one where

b) Look again at the content of the Meknès text. Which of the following does the writer mention? Why only these?

1. personal adventures and experiences

2. architecture, mosques, museums

3. layout, geography, distances

4. founding and origins of the city

5. population (size, races, languages)

6. society (industry, jobs, politics)

7. cinema, theatres, live music)

8. restaurants, hotels, discos, bars

9. opening times and admission charges

10. public transport

11. places to watch or play sports

12. sounds, smells, temperatures

13. shopping advice

14. what not to do, where not to go

(Advanced Writing with English in Use CAE. p.85)

24. For questions 1-15, read the text below and decide which word A, B, C, or D best fits each space. There is an example at the beginning (0).