Practical course on conversation in the first foreign language. Practicum. P.2. Учебно-методическое пособие

Exercise 2. Complete each sentence with one word.

Chile is ___________ pretty as Argentina.

Chile is as pretty as Argentina.

1.You'd be _____ off going to Texas in the spring than in the summer.

2.Paraguay is nowhere _____ as big as Brazil.

3.I _____ sooner go to Cartagena than Bogotá for a holiday.

4.Fiji is nothing _____ as rich as New Zealand.

5.Switzerland is much the _____ as it always has been: safe, clean and expensive.

6.The more cars we use, the _____ polluted our environment becomes.

7.Poland _____ quite as cold as Norway, but its climate is similar in the north-east.

8.Honduras is a tiny _____ bigger than Guatemala.

9.China is by far _____ most populated nation in the world.

10.Rather _____ getting a job in Madrid, why don't you travel around Spain?

Exercise 3. Complete the text with words/phrases from the box.

In 1883, Italian priest Don Bosco dreamed of a futuristic city in the heart of Brazil. Seventyseven years later, his dream came true. Brasilia was completed in 1960, the construction of this specially designed city (1) ___________ in just three and a half years. Brasilia has never forgotten Don Bosco: a cathedral in the city bears his name.

The city was commissioned by President Kubitschek to house the government and its buildings. Brasilia's supporters say the city promotes growth in the whole of Brazil, which is a (2)

___________ country (easily South America's biggest), not just on the famous east coast. Its detractors say it was built so that politicians could (3) ___________ the high crime rates of Rio and São Paulo and so they wouldn't have to live (4) ___________ with the population in (5)

____________ areas.

Instead of a (6) ___________ city centre full of people, Brasilia seems quite empty and almost like a machine. Its architects (7) ___________ a rigidly organised design, with designated areas for government buildings, housing, etc. In the original design, there were no traffic lights; cars

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would go through tunnels and bridges in the sky, never getting (8) ___________ by excess traffic. In order to (9) ____________ a growing population, however, Brasilia eventually had to install traffic lights.

It isn't a charming city, compared to other parts of Brazil, as it is very regimented and lacks pretty little streets. But if you (10) _____________ in the centre of Brasilia you will (11)

__________ some excellent restaurants. You should also pay a visit to the futuristic cathedral built by Niemeyer, the television tower with its (12) ____________ views, and the zoo near the airport.

Exercise 4. Complete the phrasal verbs with the correct words,

1.Alexandra cycles so fast that she's extremely hard to keep _____.

a.on with

b.up to

c.up with

2.The work was tough but we were able to carry it ______.

a.out

b.by

c.in

3.A solution to this problem won't be easy, but we'll see what we manage to come ______.

a.round for

b.in to

c.up with

4.The house was run-down so we had to do it _____.

a.round

b.up

c.over

5.Hannah has just started at a new school, so I hope she fits _____.

a.in

b.up

c.on

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6.It'll be a great party if he turns _____.

a.up

b.on

c.out

7.There was a crash on the motorway so the traffic was held _____.

a.in

b.up

c.on

8.The salary is terrible. They barely pay you enough money to get _____.

a.through

b.on

c.by

Exercise 5. Make up your own sentences using words and expressions from the key vocabulary block.

Exercise 6. Complete the sentences with words from the box. Not all the words are necessary.

1.I'm thinking of __________ to France. What's it like in April?

2.Dave can't __________ to take a holiday, so he's camping in his garden this year!

3.Can you imagine ___________ an astronaut? You could go into space!

4.Mario's so lazy. He always __________ doing the washing up.

5.I tried to persuade Gail __________ a DVD tonight, but she didn't want to.

6.I can't ____________ smoking. The smoke makes me ill.

7.They advised ___________ traveller's cheques because they're safer.

8.I wouldn't __________ spending long in the museum. It's a bit dull.

9.My teachers always encouraged me ___________ my best.

10.Libby urged __________ the competition. She was right - we won!

Exercise 7. Communication. You will have to talk about the topic for 2 minutes. You have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish. Prompts:

1.Which would be the most difficult/the easiest failure to deal with? Why? Reflect on different types of failures (e.g., personal, professional). Consider the impact on self-esteem, relationships, and future opportunities.

2.What preparation would you need to overcome each failure? Think about the steps needed to recover and move forward.

3.How can one learn and grow from experiencing an epic failure? Discuss the lessons that can be learned from failures.

4.What role do support systems (friends, family, mentors) play in overcoming epic failures?

Unit 3. Tales

Exercise 1. Find seven mistakes with narrative tenses in the article and correct them.

In April 2000 journalists at Esquire were deciding that life at the magazine was getting a bit boring. So they published an article about FreeWheelz, an Internet company that gave customers free cars which were covered in advertising. The article had claimed that FreeWheelz 'will transform

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the auto industry more than Henry Ford did'. The company didn't yet become famous but it would 'on 1 April, when FreeWheelz launches on the web for real'. Readers who were seeing the website, which had been created by the author of the article, were impressed. Within days, the site had been receiving over a thousand hits and messages from other entrepreneurs who claimed they had been planning similar businesses. The website contained a questionnaire for potential clients which was including a number of bizarre questions such as 'Does hair loss concern you?' In the following edition, the magazine owned up, explaining that the article had been an April Fools' hoax. The magazine prepared to forget all about it when suddenly an offer for the domain name Free Wheelz came in. The author of the article sold the name for $25,000, splitting the profits with the owners of the magazine. The conclusion? Never trust a strange story which contains the date 1 April.

Exercise 2. Rewrite the sentences so that they have the same meaning. Use participle clauses with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Because we couldn't find our way, we had to turn back. (lose)

Lost, we had to turn back.

Robbie ate all the cherries and then he was sick. (have/eat)

Having eaten all the cherries, Robbie was sick.

1.Life's biggest pleasure is when you do things for other people. (do)

2.Anyone who wishes to take the exam must register in June. (wish)

3.Most of the dead animals that were found after the earthquake were domestic pets. (find)

4.Because she felt sleepy, Luisa went to bed. (feel)

5.When you swim, it is compulsory that you wear a bathing cap. (swim)

6.He had been famous for years, and he finally wanted some peace and quiet. (have/be)

7.As they were banned from exhibiting their paintings in the national exhibition, they decided to set up their own. (ban)

8.David woke up early as usual and looked out of the window. (wake up)

Exercise 3. Put the underlined letters in order.

▪Posted by Nico

I am a complete bookworm and I'm a particularly (1) ivda reader of Spike Davies's fiction. I found his latest book, Charms, a real (2) eapg-eutnrr. It's full of (3) albkc uhroum, which made me laugh aloud. I was absolutely (4) odehko.

[posted 16:41, viewed 10 times]

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▪Posted by Nina J

Whilst I'd say that Charms is very (5) rbadlaee, I thought that the characters were a bit (6) oenidsilanomne compared to normal. His previous book, which was (7) edbsa on a true story, was very

(8) ggniprpi - in fact I (9) ulcdno't tup ti dnow. I wasn't surprised it became a (10) sebt-lelres. But Charms seems a bit self-conscious. There are too many weak (11) sunp and it lacks the clever (12) ynior of his best work.

[posted 17:22, viewed 8 times]

▪Posted by Olivier

His first novels were very (13) ogmniv - I cried about five times when reading Brain Food - but those were (14) siildecafntoi accounts of things that really happened to him. His recent novels don't (15) etdipc the same type of characters or situations. They all have (16) risuare plots that don't make sense and aren't funny. I've lost interest in his work.

(posted 20:05. viewed 3 times]

Exercise 4. Complete the dialogues by adding one word.

A:He's the new boss, isn't he?

B:Yes, he ___________ the shots. Yes, he calls the shots.

1.A: How are you?

2.B: I’m feeling a bit under ___________ weather, actually.

3.A: How are Julia and Antonio?

B: Well, they seem to have a very stormy __________.

4.A: In 1988 you became Head of Exports. Is that right? B: Yes, that's when my career really took __________.

5.A: So are you going to become a carpenter too?

B: No. I really don't want to follow in my father's ___________.

6.A: I don't know whether to get a job or continue with my education. B: It seems you've __________ a crossroads in your life.

7.A: So she takes responsibility for all the decisions?

B: Yes, she's the one in the ___________ line.

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3.That was the moment when she got promoted and became famous in the industry. (took) That was the moment when her _________________________.

4.The manager is the one who takes responsibility if things go wrong. (line)

It's the manager who's in _________________________.

5.They didn't seem at all pleased to see me. (frosty) They gave me _________________________.

6.I'd always wanted to do something different from my mother's work. (footsteps) I'd never wanted to follow in _________________________.

7.Once you get promoted, you'll have to make all the decisions. (shots)

Once you get promoted, you'll have to _________________________.

8.He aims to become a fighter pilot. (sights) He has his _________________________.

9.We'd come to the point at which we had to make a vital decision. (crossroads) We'd _________________________.

10.Several of us were feeling ill that day. (weather)

Several of us were feeling a bit _________________________.

Exercise 7. Communication. You will have to talk about the topic for 2 minutes. You have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish. Prompts:

1.Which type of humor do you find most appealing (e.g., slapstick, satire, observational)? Why? Reflect on how this type of humor resonates with you and give examples of jokes or comedians that exemplify this style.

2.Discuss a famous comedian or joker you admire. What makes their style unique, and how have they influenced your sense of humor? Consider their approach to comedy and the themes they often explore.

3.Think about a stand-up comedy show or a comedy special you have watched recently. What aspects did you enjoy or dislike? Discuss the comedian's performance, the quality of the jokes, and the overall atmosphere of the show.

4.How do cultural differences influence the perception of humor? Give examples of jokes or comedic styles that might be received differently in various cultures, and explain why some humor may not translate well across different cultural contexts.

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Unit 4. Progress

Exercise 1. Rewrite the sentences in three different ways with the words in brackets. There may be more than one answer.

1.We expect the weather to improve in the coming months. (chance/distinct/well)

2.I doubt if they will succeed in contacting us. (remote/probably/slim)

3.We will almost certainly move house in the spring. (likelihood/chance/bound)

4.I don't believe they will offer him the job. (hope/chance/distinct)

5.The organisers are confident that attendance will be high this year. (presumably/bound/strong)

6.There is a slight chance that Thompson could score a goal. (inconceivable/odds/possibly)

Exercise 2. Choose the most appropriate words in italics.

1.Max retires/is retired/will retiring soon, so we'll be looking/look/will be look for a new

manager.

2.Wait a moment. I'm just coming/ will come/ will be coming.

3.By this time next year, he's going to be/ 'll be/ is at school.

4.Will you going to see/ have seen/ be seeing Jade this week?

5.Don't worry if you haven't finished. I'm working/'m going to work/ work on it later.

6.I'm sure he'll make/ makes/ will be making a great recovery, whatever the doctors say/ will say/ will be saying.

Exercise 3. Complete the text with suitable words.

A new problem has arisen in the school. No (1) ___________ can teachers afford to lose their temper with pupils at any time. It has been noted recently that some pupils are using their mobile phones to film angry teachers. (2) ___________ now (3) ___________we discovered what these videos are being used for. (4) ___________ only are the videos sent to friends for amusement, but in some cases teachers' heads have been superimposed on another body to make them look stupid. Little (5) ____________ we know that the resulting images had also been posted on Internet sites.

(6) ___________ no (7) ___________ can this behaviour be allowed to continue. In order to curb the problem, all teachers are to ensure that mobile phones carried into the classroom are switched off. (8) ____________ before has it (9) ___________ so important to exercise patience and maintain high standards at all times.

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Exercise 4. Complete the sentences with the prompts in brackets and phrases from the box.

1.I see her once ___________. (very occasionally)

2.I have to do a few __________. (things)

3.I'm ___________ (have nothing to do)

4.What are you ___________ tomorrow? (doing)

5.I've ___________ finished. (nearly)

6.A few problems ___________ yesterday. (appeared)

7.I still go to that café from ___________. (not regularly)

8.I just want to ___________.(relax)

9.I am absolutely ___________ at the moment. (very busy)

10.The dinner ___________. (was cancelled)

Exercise 5. Make up your own sentences using words and expressions from the key vocabulary block.