Unit XI. What if …?

Vocabulary exercises

Ex. 1. Find the words from column B to match their description in column A.

A.	B.
a volcano explodes and sends smoke, fire and rock into the sky	a) recycle
a glass building used for growing plants that need warmth, light and protection	b) fail
a time when someone has to make very important decisions which will affect their future	c) impressed
to make a place or substance dirty or harmful by putting something such as chemicals or poison in it	d) greenhouse
to put used things through a special process so that they can be used again	e) extinct
feeling admiration for sb/sth because you think they are particularly good, interesting, etc	f) crop
a situation in which a large number of people have little or no food for a long time and many people die	g) erupt
the soft grey powder that remains after something has been burned	h) contaminate
no longer active	i) accept
making you feel afraid or nervous	j) possibility
a plant such as wheat, rice or fruit that is grown by farmers and used as food	k) make redundant
something that might be true or might happen	l) ash
crops do not grow or produce food, for example because of bad weather	m) crossroads
when your employer no longer has a job for you	n) can’t stand
say ‘yes’ to an offer, invitation, etc	o) famine
dislike sth very much	p) frightening

Ex. 2. Match synonymous words and expressions.

junk	a) postpone
erupt	b) nowadays
huge	c) rubbish
take off	d) finally
put off	e) be successful
do well	f) break out
eventually	g) leave the ground
currently	h) quarrel
have a row	i) enormous

Ex. 3. Match antonymous words.

certain	a) before
likely	b) turn on
afterwards	c) unimpressed
take off	d) defrost
turn off	e) extinct
active	f) unlikely
impressed	g) extraordinary
accept	h) land
ordinary	i) uncertain
freeze	j) refuse

Ex. 4. Complete the charts below. Mind some spelling changes.

noun	adjective		verb	noun
1. ambition 2. ---- 3. act 4. ----	---- possible ---- strange		1. ---- 2. lead 3. express 4. ---- 5. ----	decision ---- ---- failure eruption

verb	adjective
1. frighten 2. impress 3. ---- 4. globalize	---- ---- agreeable ----

Ex. 5. Complete the sentences with one of the words from Ex. 4.

1. What’s your main …? – I really want to go to university.

2. I was greatly … by the beauty of their art and the richness of their culture.

3. The crops didn’t grow, they … because of bad weather.

4. Ruth does a lot of sport and exercise. She’s very ….

5. We never watch horror films because they are ….

6. There is a … that it might rain this afternoon; we should stay at home.

7. After she heard the bad news, she had a very sad … on her face.

8. Who do you think is the greatest political … of all time?

9. Many of the world’s problems are …, but some people think we should act locally.

10. I didn’t know the boy, he was a complete … to me.

11. Charles suggested going for a picnic, and we all ….

12. The volcano has … at least fifteen times since 1883.

Ex. 6. A. Use a verb from the box in the correct form to complete each collocation.

make (2), accept, run, become, have

1. She was desperate for money so she … the job.

2. If nothing is done to save the whales now, the species will soon … extinct.

3. They … a huge row when he got back home late yesterday.

4. They lost their home when their father was … redundant five years ago.

5. I really want to … my own company because I’m tired of working for others.

6. I want to think about it a bit longer before I … a decision.

B. Use the right word from the box to complete each collocation.

food, political, direct, ambitious, redundancy, great, contaminated

1. Rice was their basic food and their most important … crop.

2. They became ill from drinking … water.

3. He became the country’s most influential … leader.

4. It was a … shock to find out he had been lying.

5. Judith is very … and she wants to get to the top of her profession.

6. This plant prefers to be kept out of … sunlight.

7. They paid for the holiday out of her … money.

Ex. 7. Insert the right prepositions where necessary.

1. We thought they weren’t going to come but they finally arrived … the last minute.

2. I’ve been living … my own for four years now.

3. She dreamed … going to Hollywood and becoming a movie star.

4. Andy wanted to start a computer servicing company and he had to work hard … the beginning.

5. It’s likely that global warming will become a major problem … the future.

6. Ed likes to go to the park and watch … the pigeons.

7. He was certain … one thing – she would come back one day.

8. I’ve often thought … starting my own business.

9. He studied … the exam all year, and he still didn’t pass.

10. The amount I earn depends … the kind of work I’m doing.

Ex. 8. Use the right phrasal verbs to complete the sentences.

try on, put off, break down, look for, pick up, get on, run out of, look out, take off, turn off, throw away, look up, look after

1. Summer is a great time to … … the computer and get outdoors.

2. He told the children to … … the litter they left on the floor.

3. The match has been … … until tomorrow because of bad weather.

4. Before you … … your rubbish you can separate and recycle it.

5. Why don’t we … … more information on the Internet to see if we’re correct?

6. … …! Those books are going to fall off the shelf and hit you.

7. Is there a changing room where I can … the dress?

8. Don’t worry, I’ll … … the kids tomorrow.

9. Some countries might use solar energy if they … … … other energy sources.

10. Did the plane … … on time? They still haven’t arrived.

11. The two boys are good friends, they … … well most of the time.

12. Did your car … … because it doesn’t have enough oil or petrol?

13. If you don’t know the word, … it … in the dictionary.

Ex. 9. Fill in each gap with a suitable word.

1. The volcano last … 50 years ago. a) broke b) burst c) erupted

2. She’s had another … with her parents. They never stop arguing. a) disaster b) row c) happening

3. They were … by his speech. It was very good. a) pressed b) impressed c) depressed

4. We tried to make her change her mind, but we …. a) lost b) missed c) failed

5. We grew the tomatoes in a … because it’s too cold to grow them outside. a) greenhouse b) green light c) green belt

6. The police have … the road because the volcano might erupt. a) stopped b) kept c) blocked

7. If temperatures increase and there is less water, more countries may suffer a(n) ….

a) eruption b) famine c) accident

8. I hope you’ll … the invitation to come to dinner with us. a) agree b) ask c) accept

9. There’s a distinct … that there will be another earth-quake. a) possibility b) opportunity c) luck

10. The workers won’t lose their jobs and be made … because the company has finally decided they need them.

a) employed b) redundant c) retired

Ex. 10. Replace the underlined words with a single word or word combination.

1. I must clean out this cupboard – it’s absolutely full of old things that have no use.

2. His wife fell ill in June and died soon after the event that has been mentioned.

3. I really dislike the thought of leaving home.

4. If the temperature goes below zero, everything starts to become hard and solid.

5. He’s always doing mad and dangerous things. We think he’s very strange .

6. Her parents were very poor and she lived in a town with small houses made of wood.

7. He didn’t like her at first but after some time they became friends.

8. The lake is at the foot of a volcano that doesn’t erupt any more.

9. Archeologists have found the remains of a very big city in the middle of the desert.

10. They talk about things that are not serious or important too much in class and they don’t listen to the teacher.

Ex. 11. Translate into English.

1. Лидеры европейских государств встретились на прошлой неделе в Германии, чтобы обсудить экономическое положение в своих странах и проблему голода в некоторых африканских странах. После обсуждения проблем были приняты важные решения.

2. Что бы ты делала, если бы тебя уволили по сокращению штата? – Я бы поискала работу в другой компании. Но я мечтаю управлять своей собственной компанией, когда у меня будет достаточно опыта.

3. Недавнее извержение вулкана произошло в Исландии. Горячий пепел и камни взлетали в воздух. Все авиарейсы были запрещены. Небо было покрыто серым облаком. В итоге, большая территория была загрязнена. Однако, продовольственные культуры, которые выращивают в теплицах, не погибли.

4. В магазине я примерила пару модных туфель , они мне подошли по размеру, но в последнюю минуту я решила не покупать их.

5. Машина неожиданно остановилась на перекрестке, и Паула подумала, что она сломалась. Она вызвала механика. Механик осмотрел машину и сказал, что у нее закончился бензин. Паула почувствовала себя неловко.

6. Я терпеть не могу, когда люди скандалят, включают громкую музыку и бросают мусор на пол.

7. В тексте, который переводят студенты, много незнакомых слов и выражений. Им приходится искать перевод слов в словаре.

8. Кто-то закричал: «Берегитесь! Дерево падает!», – но мужчина не повернулся и продолжал идти.

9. Я согласна, что это безумная идея – путешествовать в джунглях одному.

10. Не выбрасывайте старые газеты и журналы – их можно вторично использовать.

Follow up. Speak about some disasters that happen in the world.