Student b’s questions

1. Did you like reading this article?

2. Do you think they could have built the tunnel a century ago?

3. Do you think there the tunnel will cause any problems?

4. What do you know about the Soviet era and the Cold War?

5. Why do you think some politicians think it’s a bad idea?

6. Would you like to take the train from Shanghai to New York?

7. What future transport schemes would you like to see happen?

8. There are also plans to link Spain and Morocco and Yemen with Somalia. What do you think of these ideas?

9. What do you think of the idea of a bridge to the moon?

10. Did you like this discussion?

Discussion questions

1. What was the most interesting thing you heard?

2. Was there a question you didn’t like?

3. Was there something you totally disagreed with?

4. What did you like talking about?

5. Which was the most difficult question?

D. Read the following text and choose the best word A, B, C or D for each numbered blank.

Today, most countries in the world have canals. Even in the 20th century, goods can be moved more (1) ____________ by boat than by any other (2) ____________ of transport. Some canals, such as the Suez or the Panama, (3) ____________ boats weeks of time by making their (4) ____________ a thousand miles shorter. Other canals permit boats to reach cities that are not (5) ____________ on the coast. (6) ____________ other canals (7) ____________ landsswheresthere is too much water, help to (8) ____________ fieldsswheresthere is not enough water, and (9) ____________ water power for factories and mills. The (10) ____________ of canals depends on the kind of boats going through it. The canal must be wide enough to permit two of the largest boats using it (11) ____________ each other easily. It must be deep enough to leave about two feet of water (12) ____________ the keel of the largest boat using the canal. Some canals have (13) ____________ sides while others have sides that are nearly vertical. Canals that are cut through rock can have nearly vertical sides. (14) ____________ , canals with earth banks may collapse if the angle of their sides is too (15) ____________ .

Some canals are (16) ____________ with brick, stone or concrete to keep the water from (17) ____________ sintosthe mud. This also permits ships to go (18) ____________ greater speeds, since they cannot make the banks fall in by (19) ____________ the water. In small canals with mud banks, ships and barges must (20) ____________ their speed.

1.	A.	frequently	B.	cheaply	C.	regularly	D.	routinely
2.	A.	methods	B.	ways	C.	channels	D.	means
3.	A.	consume	B.	reserve	C.	take	D.	save
4.	A.	excursion	B.	voyage	C.	travel	D.	expedition
5.	A.	located	B.	perched	C.	stationed	D.	founded
6.	A.	Still	B.	Yet	C.	Even	D.	Also
7.	A.	drown	B.	drift	C.	drain	D.	draw
8.	A.	cultivate	B.	exploit	C.	evaporate	D.	irrigate
9.	A.	furnish	B.	equip	C.	facilitate	D.	generate
10.	A.	scale	B.	size	C.	scope	D.	span
11.	A.	to pass	B.	passed	C.	pass	D.	to passing
12.	A.	under	B.	beyond	C.	beneath	D.	across
13.	A.	tilting	B.	curving	C.	smooth	D.	sloping
14.	A.	However	B.	Moreover	C.	Though	D.	Somehow
15.	A.	stable	B.	level	C.	prominent	D.	steep
16.	A.	decorated	B.	solidified	C.	lined	D.	trimmed
17.	A.	dripping	B.	filtering	C.	penetrating	D.	soaking
18.	A.	with	B.	in	C.	at	D.	on
19.	A.	touching up	B.	stirring up	C.	mixing up	D.	clearing up
20.	A.	restrain	B.	confine	C.	limit	D.	prohibit