Vocabulary Tasks

1 Decide if these words usually have positive or negative meanings.

a) self-centered e) stand-offish i) straight

b) enigmatic f) sensitive j) mature

c) down-to-earth g) trustworthy k) laid-back

d) sensible h) open-minded

2 Choose words from the above list in 1 which best replace the words in bold in these sentences.

1. My ideal partner would have to be someone caring, good-looking and dependable.

2. I think I’m quite a level-headed sort of person. I haven’t done anything crazy yet!

3. I’d say I feel relaxed about work – I never let things worry me.

4. People think I’m unfriendly, but actually, I’m just really shy.

5. My parents are extremely conventional. I wish they were more tolerant.

6. I prefer to go out with people older than me. You can have more interesting conversations with somebody who’s experienced and grown-up.

7. I know somebody who likes to think she’s mysterious. In fact, she’s very boring.

8. My friend’s very wealthy, but you’d never know it because he’s so unpretentious.

9. I’ve got a friend who’s rather selfish – probably because her parents spoilt her when she was a child.

3 Turn the adjectives into nouns adding the suffixes ity and ness.

flexible lively friendly compatible sad generous weak mature sexy

4 Join word from box A to words from box B to make compound adjectives which are synonyms for the adjectives in box C.

A absent- big- easy- quick- self- stuck- two- warm-

B assured faced going headed hearted minded up witted

C a) forgetful b) hypocritical c) confident d) arrogant e) kind f) snobbish g) intelligent h) relaxed

5 What negative prefixes are used with these adjectives?

happy responsible capable legible possible honest legal loyal comfortable reliable kind obedient favourable literate patient

6 Choose the most suitable word or phrase underlined in each sentence.

a) Please don’t push. It’s very bad-tempered / rude / unsympathetic.

b) Jack hates spending money. He’s rather frank / greedy / mean.

c) Our teacher is very proud / strict / tolerant and won’t let us talk in class.

d) Helen never does her homework. She is rather gentle / lazy / reliable.

e) I didn’t talk to anyone at the party because I felt ambitious / lonely / shy.

f) When Harry saw his girlfriend dancing with Paul he felt jealous / selfish / sentimental.

g) I don’t like people who are noisy and aggressive / courageous / sociable.

h) Thank you for bringing us a present. It was very adorable / grateful / thoughtful of you.

i) Teresa never gets angry with the children. She is very brave / patient / pleasant.

j) Tom always pays for everyone when we go out. He’s so cheerful / generous / honest.

7 Match these words with the descriptions.

bad-tempered determined lazy reliable cheerful frank mean selfish considerate honest punctual sympathetic

a) You always arrive on time. _____________

b) You are always happy. ____________

c) You do what you say you will do. _____________

d) You say exactly what you think. ______________

e) You don’t think about the needs of others. _____________

f) You have a strong wish to get what you want. _____________

g) You are unkind, or not willing to spend money. ____________

h) You easily become angry with others. ____________

i) You think about the needs of others. _____________

j) You tell the truth and obey the law. ___________

k) You understand the feelings of others. ___________

l) You try to avoid work if you can. ____________

8 Complete each sentence with a word from the list. Use each word once only.

ambitious greedy polite sociable brave imaginative proud stubborn grateful kind snobbish tolerant

a) I think I’ll stay here on my own, I’m not feeling very ________ today.

b) Diana wants to get to the top in her company. She is very __________.

c) It’s not _________ to stare at people and say nothing.

d) I think you have to be very __________ to write a novel.

e) Thank you for helping me. It was very _________ of you.

f) Peter refuses to change his mind, although he is wrong. He’s so __________

g) It was very _________ of Sheila to put out the fire on her own.

h) Our neighbours look down on us. They are a bit __________.

i) Don’t eat all the cakes! You are really becoming _________.

j) If you lend me the money I’ll be very __________.

k) I am very _________ of my new motorbike.

l) My parent don’t mind my crazy hair style. They are very _________.

9 Complete this text about the painting The Scream by Edvard Munch by changing the word in capitals into a suitable form.

If ever a painting lent itself to the character (1 ANALYSE) of its artist it is surely The Scream by Edvard Munch. It expresses the (2 MISERABLE) of a solitary figure in emotional crisis. Beneath this, it is the deep (3 HAPPY) of the artist that screams at us from the canvas. It is a (4 POWER), neurotic, hysterical picture. Yet, we should (5 SYMPATHY) with Munch, a Norwegian, born in 1863, whose tragic (6 CHILD) was marked by the (7 LOSE) of close family members. This experience transformed a natural (8 SENSITIVE) into an (9 OBSESS) with love, sickness and death. The Scream expresses the profound pessimism and (10 ANXIOUS) of its artist.

SPEAKING

1) Discuss if you would ever try speed dating. Give reasons for your decisions.

2) Make a list of all the ways you think people use to find a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Decide which ways are likely to be the most successful and number them in order.

3) Describe family members or friends using the words from the above vocabulary tasks. The listener then says whether he/she would like to ask them out on a date or not.

WRITING

1. This description of Mr McElroy comes from an account by Maya Angelou of her childhood in the 1930s. Read it to see how much information the writer gives us about Mr McElroy’s:

-relationship to her -clothes

-occupation -behavior

-appearance -character

2. Which two statements best describe the writer’s technique in giving a picture of Mr McElroy ?

a) She gives detailed information about the man’s appearance

b) She describes only a few aspects of the man’s appearance, choosing things which make him different from other people

c) She describes him objectively

d) She includes both her childhood and adult feelings about the man.

Mr McElroy, who lived in the big rambling house next to our Store, was very tall and broad, and although the years had eaten away the flesh from his shoulders, they had not, at the time of my knowing him, gotten to his high stomach, or his hands or feet.

He was the only Negro I knew, except for the school principal and the visiting teachers, who wore matching pants and jackets. When I learned that men’s clothes were sold like that and called suits, I remember thinking that somebody had been very bright, for it made them look less manly, less threatening and a little more like women.

Mr McElroy never laughed, and seldom smiled, and to his credit was the fact that he liked to talk to poor lame Uncle Willie. He never went to church, which my brother Bailey and I thought also he was a very courageous person.

I watched him with the excitement of expecting him to do anything at any time. I never tired of this, or became disappointed or disenchanted with him, although from the perch of age, I see him now as a very simple and uninteresting man who sold patent medicine and tonics to the less sophisticated people in villages surrounding the metropolis of Stamps.

One greeting a day was all that could be expected from Mr McElroy. After his “Good morning, child” or “Good afternoon, child”, he never said a word, even if I met him again on the road in front of his house or down by the well.

He remained a mystery in my childhood. A man who owned his land and the big many-windowed house with a porch that clung to its sides all around the house. An independent Black man. A near anachronism in Stamps.

LANGUAGE STUDY

Relative clauses (Structure widely used in written descriptions)

1. A relative clause adds information about one of the nouns in the main clause. The relative clause comes immediately after the noun it relates to:

Mr McElroy, who lived in the big rambling house next to our Store, was very tall and broad.

2. A relative clause goes at the beginning of a relative clause:

WHO, WHOM

“Who” and “Whom” are used for people. “Whom” is only used when the relative pronoun is the object of the relative clause:

He was a simple man who sold patent medicine.

The lawyer whom you requested is unavailable.

WHICH

“Which” is used for things:

I enjoyed the book which you lent me.

THAT

“That” may often be used instead of “who”, “whom” or “which”:

I enjoyed the book that you lent me.

WHOSE

We use “Whose” in a relative clause to show who something belongs to. It may be used for people or things:

Mr McElroy, whose garden I enjoyed playing in, hardly ever spoke to me.

That’s the house whose garden is open to the public.

3. There are two main types of relative clauses:

1) Defining relative clauses.

The information in a defining relative clause is essential to the meaning of the main clause. If the defining relative clause is taken away, the meaning of the main clause is not clear:

He was the only Negro I knew who wore matching pants and jackets.

In defining relative clauses:

• you may leave out the relative pronoun if it is the object of the relative clause;

• you should not use commas to separate the relative clause from the rest of the sentence.

2) Non- defining relative clauses.

The information in a non-defining relative clause is extra. If the non-defining relative is taken away, the meaning of the main clause is still clear:

Mr McElroy, who lived in the big rambling house next to our Store, was very tall and broad.

In non-defining relative clauses:

• you must not leave out the relative pronoun, even if it is the object of the clause;

• you must not use the relative pronoun “that”;

• you must use a comma or commas to separate the clause from the rest of the sentence.

4. Rewrite the following sentences as one sentence, using relative clauses, and making any other necessary changes.

1. My aunt was an adult. She impressed me a lot as a child.

2. She had a short plump figure. Her figure made it difficult to find attractive clothes.

3. In spite of this, she had a large wardrobe. I was allowed to help her select something colourful from her wardrobe. She would brighten up the dark day with something colourful.

4. She had two habits. These two habits fascinated me and worried my mother.

5. Hanging from her mouth she kept a lighted cigarette. Her mouth was generously painted bright red or orange. The cigarette was never removed to embrace a child or to talk.

6. She was a great talker. Her favourite subject was the lives and loves of friends, relatives and neighbours.

7. She recounted scandals to my mother. My mother tried to change the subject if she saw me listening.

Write paragraphs (using relative clauses) on the following topics:

1. Describe your own character. At least one of the adjectives must be negative.

2. Describe a person from your childhood who you remember well.

3. Describe the personality of somebody you look up to.

Topic sentence:

• relationship to you (where or how you knew the person)

Supporting sentences (select some of your impressions):

• occupation

• appearance: age, attractiveness, some special features

• clothes: person’s usual style

• behaviour: voice, smile, walk, gestures

• character: positive / negative aspects

Concluding sentence:

• summarize what knowing this person meant for you.

Note: Describing a person, you must decide on the overall impression. Select the most obvious personality traits of an individual for your description and arrange them in a logical order.

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