Imaginary situations in the past. a Situaciones imaginarias en el pasado. En la unidad 50 practicé las expresiones que se emplean para referirse a situaciones localizadas en un presente 0 en un futuro imaginarios. En esta unidad podra completar la “serie” estudiando las expresiones que se refieren a situaciones imaginarias localizadas en el pasado que, como comprobara, en muchas ocasiones son frases condicionales. En este tipo de frases se emplean los tiempos past perfect simple y past perfect continuous, ambos practicados en la unidad 59. Ademias, en la seccién de Accents of English podra escuchar el acento de una persona nativa de Gales, en el apartado de Spelling estudiar un nuevo aspecto de la ortografia inglesa y en las s ss de Written English y Extra reading practicaré la lectura del inglés con textos relativos a temas tan “imaginarios” como los suefios y las historias de terror. Consejos para el aprendizaje. A los estudiantes de inglés a veees les preocupa el hecho de que su inglés hablado, aunque sea gramaticalmente correcto, pueda describirse, por ejemplo, en los siguientes términos: Her English was excellent, but she spoke it in a curiously prim voice and with poor pronunciation, like someone whe had learned from a textbook. Su inglés era excelente, pero lo hablaba con una voz curiosamente afectada y con una pobre pronunciacién, como alguien que fo hubiese aprendido en un libro de texto, Este comentario ~que se refiere al modo como hablaba el inglés un personaje de nacionalidad rusa, Mrs Bekuv, en la novela Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Spy, del novelista briténico Len Deighton le puede servir como recordatorio de la importancia de las cassettes en este curso, Para tener la seguridad de que esta usted desarrollando una pronunciacién natural, ¢s necesario que realice abundantes practicas y que disponga de modelos reales a los que escuchar. Asi pues, cuando estudie una nueva unidad o cuando revise una unidad anterior recuerde que debe escuchar las cassettes tan a menudo como le sea posible Observaciones. Antes de iniciar el estudio de la presente unidad, puede resultarle stil revisar la unidad 50, Pres tiempos verbales empleados en las diferentes expresiones especial atencién a los Imaginary future situations (pp. 1016-1017): If this horse wins, nobody will be very surprised. If this horse won. it would be a miracle. Imaginary present situations (pp. 1018-1019): If T ruled the world, every day would be the first day of spring. Puesto que en las frases condicionales que practicara en la presente unidad aparecen el past perfect simple y cl past perfect continuous, tal vez quiera refrescar su memoria acerea de la formaciGn de estos dos tiempos verbales leyendo de nuevo Ta pagina 1204, 1313rT Speaking and listening Introduction. Mr Jones and Angela are discussing Angela’s new assistant, Max Taylor ~ Listen to the cassette, following the first version of the text = Listen again, following the second Read the second version aloud putting in the missing words. He came back to London and got another job in computers. ED trode Mr Jones: Well, Angela, how are things with your new assistant? Angela: Max? Mr Jones: Yes. Angela: Fine. No problems. He's very good at his job. Mtr Jones. Good. Angela: But he's a little strange. ‘Mr Jones: Strang Angela: Yes. For example, that story about the desert istand ‘Mr Jones: Oh, yes. [ remember. I asked him: you know about the travel business?” And he said ... Max: ‘The travel business? Er ... well, [ lived on a desert island for six months. Mr Jones: You lived on a desert Max: Yes. Mr Jones:* When was that? Max About two years ago. I was writing a novel. ‘Mr Jones: You were writing a novel? Max: Yes. And I went to a desert island, land for six months. ceded a quiet place to work. So I Mr Jones: Mac: Mr Jones: Max Mr Jones: Angela: Mr Jones Angela: Mr Jones Angela Mr Jones: Angela: Mr Jones: see. What was the novel called? It was called “Living in the Past.” Did you finish it? No. After six months, it was stillashort story So he came back to London and got another job in computers. ‘Yes. Well, that’s true. But the part about the desert island is Yes? Well, let me put it this way: May has a very Really? Well, I suppose that's natural. He dd want to be a writer. Yes. The island” wasn’t exactly a desert iskand. on? Itwas the Isle of Man. His parents run a small hotel on the Isle of Man. He lived there for six months. Oh. Oh, you're right. He's got a very vivia = ieUNIT 65 Introduction. ‘Mr Jones: Well, Angela, how are things with your new Mr Jones: I see, What was «*« novel called? ssseesees? Max Te was 92s» “Living in the v9" Angela: Max? Mr Jones: Did you finish it? Mr Jones: Yes. Max. No. Aftersix-=+=+s,itwasstillashort »++*. ‘Angela: Fine, No =+#=+2++, He's very good +* his job. cn Mr Jones: Good. Angela: But he’s a soe strange, Mr Jones: So he came «*+* to London and got another Mr Jones: seseees? s+ im computers. ‘Angela: Yes. For example, that story about the desert Angela: Yes, Well, that’s true, But the part +#+»* the soveee desert island is— Mr Jones: Oh, yes. I remember. I >= him: “What do Mr Jones: Yes? you know s+ the travel business?” And > Angela: Well, let me put sald vivid seerseseses, te Mr Jones: Really? Well, I suppose that’s vss». He did want fo be a s+ Max: ‘The s+ business? Er... well, Ilived ona Angela: Yes. The “desert island” wasn’t o+ssee0 a sevnes island for six «#2248, desert island. Mr Jones: You »+»+» on a e+e istand for six months. Mr Jones: OW? Max Yes. Angela: I++ the Isle of Man, His parents run a small Mr Jones: When ++» that? ovens on the Isle of Man. He lived there === Max About two years «+s, I was writing a novel. six months. Mr Jones: You were *e++ss2 a novel? Mr Jones: Oh, Oh, you're *++=+, He's got a very +++ Max Yes. And I needed a «+++ place to work. So T imagination. ree to a desert island. Practice. Read this joke aloud. It includes three sentences with verbs in the past perfect simple. Find them, Bill and Phil saw two men fishing from a bridge. One ‘man was hanging over the side of the bridge, and the other ‘man was holding his feet. The first man was taking the fish out of the water with his hands. nis was a strange way of fishing, but It was very swe- cessful. The two men had already caught a lot of fish. So Bill said to Phil: “Let’s try that.” ‘They found another bridge. Bill hung over the side of the bridge, and Phil held his feet. After five minutes, they hhad not caught any fish. Another five minutes went by ... then an hour ... then two hours. They had still not caught any fish, Suddenly, Bill shouted: ‘There's a train coming? “Phil! Quick! Pull me upt Answers om page 1332 Well, lot me put it Bien, déjeme dacielo this way. de este modo vivid vivid vivo(va) imagination A.medgt'ner{n/ imaginacién The Speaking and listening section in this unit has these parts: Just imagine ... Imagine simplemente ... ‘What would have happened? Qué habria ocurrido? Regrets. Lamentaciones. 1315