Module 1

Vocabulary

 Volcanic eruptions

A Fill in: freezing, flow, roar, poisonous, stunning, jet, precautions, demand, shot, dormant
block, freelance.

1 The volcano erupted with a defending …………..……………….. . People living more than
100 km away heard the sound.
2 By climbing with her camera to the top of the mountain, Helen got a spectacular …………..
…………….. of the city below.
3 When hiking alone, you should always take …………..……………….., such as taking a
mobile phone and plenty of food with you.
4 Martin always wears a gas mask when working near a volcano to protect himself from
inhaling …………..……………….. gases.
5 Mauna Kea in Hawaii is a …………..……………….. volcano that last erupted over 4,000
years ago, but it could erupt again.
6 Laura is a …………..……………….. photographer. Magazines all over the world publish her
pictures of plants and animals.
7 The weather forecast said there would be strong winds and …………..…………..
temperatures all week.
8 Professor Jones is in high …………..……………….. and is often asked to visit other
universities to deliver lectures on how volcanoes work.
9 The villagers heard a loud noise and went outside just in time to see a …………..
……………….. of lava shoot up from the top of the volcano.
10 We put Marie’s …………..……………….. of the landscape in a frame and hung on the living
room wall.
11 The tall buildings across the street …………..……………….. photograph the view of the
sea.
12 A lava …………..……………….. from the volcano moved slowly along the main street of the
town, destroying the road.

 Accidents & Injuries

B Fill in the gaps with the correct verb.

1 James t _ _ _ _ _ _ his ankle while he was playing football.

2 Joan tripped and b _ _ _ _ _ her head on the desk.
3 Yesterday, while I was getting out of the car, I s _ _ _ _ _ _ the door on my finger. It was
really painful.
4 Ben slipped on the ice and b _ _ _ _ his arm.
5 Jenny g _ _ _ _ _ her leg when she slipped on a rock.

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6 After hours of trekking through the forest, she f _ _ _ _ _ _ with exhaustion.

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C Read the story and fill in the gaps with the words: struggled, trapped, rescue,
authorities, remote, dehydration, kit, missing, survive, disaster.

On 30th July, Pamela Salant, a 28 year old nursery teacher from Portland, Oregon,
went for a hike in the 1) …………………………… Mount Hood National Forest with
her friend, Aric. As evening approached, the friends decided to set up camp. They
threw down their bags and split up in order to look for somewhere suitable. But
while Pamela was searching, 2) …………………………… stuck; she slipped and fell
down a small cliff. Without fully understanding what had happened, she fell asleep
where she landed.

The next morning, Pamela awoke to find herself at the bottom of the cliff. She was
3) …………………………… between some rocks and it was only as she
4) …………………………… to get free that she realised her leg was broken and cut.
Pamela had no first aid 5) …………………………… to treat her wounds and no
food, water or means of communication either. She managed to
6) …………………………… by eating wild berries at first, then she tried caterpillars
and even a slug! By drinking from the Colorado River, she avoided suffering from
7) …………………………… .

Meanwhile, Aric had notified the 8) …………………………… of Pamela’s

disappearance. As soon as she was reported 9) ……………………………,
helicopters were sent to look for her. After 4 days and 3 nights a
10) …………………………… crew in a National Guard helicopter picked her up and
took her to hospital. She had spent a total of 96 hours alone in the wilderness. “I
didn’t know I had it in me,” she said. “I definitely surprised myself.”

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 Hurricane Katrina

D Replace the underlined words with words/phrases from the list.

strengthen, smashed, begging, under threat, looting, cope, the elderly, evacuate

1 The people most at risk from natural disasters are the poor and old people.
…………………………
2 Many people are still missing and their families are asking anxiously for volunteers to help
search for them. …………………………
3 The whole town is in danger from flooding if the rain doesn’t stop soon.
…………………………
4 The storm is expected to become stronger in the early hours of the morning as it
approaches land. …………………………
5 There were so many urgent situations that the emergency services struggled to manage.
…………………………
6 The storm surge swept down the river and broke all the bridges on the way.
…………………………
7 The mayor decided to make people leave the city before the tsunami arrived.
…………………………
8 One of the biggest problems after Hurricane Katrina was people smashing shop windows
and stealing. …………………………

E Match the words to form collocations.

1 declare a state a storm

2 below sea b lives
3 in temporary c water out
4 eye of the d of emergency
5 waters e slow recovery
6 beg for f level
7 struggle g shelters
8 make a h rise
9 lose their i help
10 pump j to cope

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 TV programmes

F Underline the correct word.

1 The film was so boring/predictable – I guessed what was going to happen in the first 20
minutes.
2 The documentary about tsunamis was very thought-provoking/exciting – I couldn’t get it
off my mind.
3 I think we should choose something educational/funny tonight, instead of those mindless
comedy shows we usually watch.
4 I like quiz shows. I find them very silly/interesting because you learn new things.
5 These chat shows are a waste of time/relaxing – they never say anything worth listening
to.

 Weather phenomena

G Fill in the gaps with words/phrases from the list.

weather forecast, never-ending, lightning storm, restore, astonished, world news, spin,
violent storm, wildfires, whirling

1 The story of the dramatic rescue made ………………………. and was reported on TV
channels across the globe.
2 The night sky was lit up by a(n) ………………………. accompanied by loud crashes of
thunder.
3 The council paid to ………………………. the school and repair the damage caused by the
earthquake.
4 From a safe distance, Mike watched the tornado ………………………. across the fields in
front of him.
5 The recent ………………………. have burnt thousands of acres in Montana.
6 Take an umbrella with you. According to the ………………………. there will be rain later.
7 The hurricane seemed ………………………., but in fact we were sheltering in the basement
for only a few hours.
8 The volcanic eruption came as a complete surprise and ………………………. geologists
watched in amazement as the side of the mountain exploded.
9 It was the most ………………………. in living memory and caused a great deal of damage.
10 The ………………………. tornado moved through the city, ripping tiles from the roofs of
buildings and blowing down fences.

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 The Day the Earth Moved

H Choose the correct word.

1 The earthquake struck/shook off the coast of the island at 5:07 am local time.
2 After the government issued a tsunami warning, the residents decided to reach / head for
higher ground.
3 The flood water washed/floated away rubbish bins, motor bikes and even cars.
4 A wall of water rolled across the ocean and hit/slammed into the cliffs.
5 Experts say that the huge earthquake could trigger/experience a tsunami.
6 The airport will close/crumble down during the hurricane and reopen when the storm is
over.
7 A man was found in the water holding/clinging to a piece of wood.
8 The strong winds picked up objects and hurled/ripped them through the air.

 Disasters
I Fill in the crossword with words related to disasters.

1E 2F

3L

4T 5P

6R A

7A

C
8W

Across
3 A sudden fall of rocks down a hill.
6 A crash involving cars.
7 A large amount of snow that falls down the side of a mountain.
8 A period of fighting between countries.

Down
1 A shaking of the earth’s surface which causes great damage.
2 A large amount of water which covers an area.
4 A very large wave caused by an earthquake which flows onto land causing great
destruction.

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5 An accident in which a plane hits something, causing injury or death to passengers.

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 Tsunami

J Fill in: undersea, tectonic, fault, inland, path, scale, eruption, damage, tide.

1 The cloud of ash from the volcanic …………………….. extended 2 km into the sky.
2 The water rushed up the beach in a fast …………………….., taking the people sunbathing
by surprise.
3 Wherever …………………….. plates come together, there is always a risk of earthquakes
and volcanic activity.
4 The tsunami was caused by a(n) …………………….. landslide on the bottom of the ocean.
5 The hurricane cause tremendous …………………….. to buildings and crops.
6 Tsunamis are like ripples on a lake, only on a much larger …………………….. .
7 The tropical storm hit the coast and came …………………….., moving across the island at
great speed.
8 Earthquakes generally occur on a(n) …………………….. line.
9 The fire tornado destroyed everything in its …………………….. .

 Phrasal verbs

K Choose the correct particle.

1 Due to the thick ash cloud, aeroplanes are not allowed to take up/off from Alexandria
Airport.
2 Please back away/up from the edge of the cliff – it’s not safe.
3 They’re going to call out/off the football match due to strong winds.
4 The engineers are carrying up/out tests on the bridge to see how much damage the
earthquake caused.
5 Tom chipped away at/off the rock with his knife.
6 I can’t hear you very well up here. I’ll call you back/up when I get to the bottom of the
mountain.
7 Even though it’s dangerous, Cathy carries out/on chasing volcanoes.
8 The flood swept up/away our old wooden shed.
9 I’ll back you up/down if you’re right.
10 You’ll have to back down/out of the marathon – you can’t run two weeks after spraining
your ankle.

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 Prepositions

L Choose the correct item.

1 It was a matter ……………. survival to find something to eat, so Pamela ate wild berries and
insects to stay alive.
A for B of C from D on

2 Emergency services were ……………. the scene minutes after the accident occurred.
A on B in C to D by

3 Despite all that has happened to her, Kelly still enjoys life ……………. the full.
A at B in C for D to

4 The climber only had one bottle of drink with her, but she managed to survive for three days
……………. sips of water.
A by B from C on D with

5 Many people had lost their homes and they begged ……………. help from the authorities.
A against B of C with D for

6 In April 27, 2011 a massive tornado struck the city of Tuscaloosa in Alabama, USA causing
widespread damage and considerable loss ……………. life.
A of B with C for D at

7 There was no one else around, so Nathan had to administer first aid ……………. himself.
A for B to C with D on

8 The flood water was loaded ……………. debris and rubbish.

A from B of C with D by

9 The dangerous situation has come ……………. the attention of the press.
A to B at C with D for

10 This area suffers ……………. frequent earthquakes, so all the buildings are specially
designed.
A with B through C from D by

11 The cloud of ash reached over 8 km ……………. height and caused all flights to be
cancelled.
A by B at C to D in

12 The basement under a house can provide protection ……………. a hurricane.

A with B from C for D to

13 Witnesses saw the fire tornado burn its way ……………. fields of wheat before
disappearing.
A through B along C by D on

14 Aron got into trouble when he fell and a boulder trapped his arm ……………. a canyon wall.

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A by B with C against D between

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 Verbs

M Fill in the verbs: grab, shake, mystify, shelter, spot, launch, declare, wrap up, occur,
ignite, exceed, crumble, blaze, force, ripple, admit in the correct form.

1 Exactly how volcanic lightning is created is something that still ……………………………..

scientists.
2 The rescue helicopter crew …………………………….. Jane waving from the top of a cliff.
3 Very few earthquakes …………………………….. a magnitude of 8.5 on the Richter Scale.
4 The building …………………………….. as firefighters worked through the night to try and
put it out.
5 As soon as the volcano started to erupt, Ian …………………………….. his camera and took
some incredible pictures.
6 The government have …………………………….. a state of emergency across the entire
south of the country.
7 Temperatures in the National Park can drop to -5°C in winter, so ……………………………..
warm.
8 During the earthquake, the ground was …………………………….. violently.
9 Photographer Martin Rietze …………………………….. that it is sometimes too dangerous to
photograph a volcano up close.
10 We tried to …………………………….. the door open, but we were trapped in the basement
by the weight of the rubble.
11 In 2010, HP …………………………….. its first business laptop with a touchscreen.
12 Scientists predict that a major eruption will …………………………….. in the next 100 years.
13 The bolt of lightning struck the tree and …………………………….. the dry leaves, causing a
fire.
14 The force of the earthquake caused buildings to …………………………….. and collapse.
15 Steve threw a stone into the lake and watched the water ……………………………..
outwards like tiny waves.
16 During a thunderstorm, you should never …………………………….. under a tree.

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 Word formation

N Fill in the correct word derived from the word in brackets.

1 Being a volcano …………………………….. is a dangerous but exciting hobby. (CHASE)

2 The view of the eruption from the helicopter was really …………………………….. .
(SPECTACLE)
3 I had a …………………………….. night because there was so much noise coming from the
street outside. (SLEEP)
4 There are many amazing stories about …………………………….. in the wilderness.
(SURVIVE)
5 The authorities came to the …………………………….. to evacuate the town. (DECIDE)
6 There was a huge …………………………….. response to the damage caused by Hurricane
Katrina and people all over the USA donated money to help rebuild New Orleans. (NATION)
7 She gives talks to …………………………….. athletes who have suffered permanent
damage to their bodies. (ABLE)
8 A tsunami is a …………………………….., unstoppable force of nature. (POWER)
9 Linda is …………………………….. worrying about the risk of flooding – it’s all she ever talks
about. (CONSTANT)
10 There is a simple …………………………….. as to why earthquakes occur, but they are
almost impossible to predict. (EXPLAIN)
11 The city has made a …………………………….. recovery, but there is still a long way to go.
(PART)
12 Our town has an …………………………….. plan in case the volcano ever erupts.
(EVACUATE)
13 Luckily, no one was injured in the …………………………….. at the chemical factory.
(EXPLODE)
14 The …………………………….. of the town are determined to rebuild their lives after the
flood. (RESIDE)
15 The survivors of the mine collapse gave a …………………………….. talk about how to work
as a team. (MOTIVATE)

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Grammar

 Present simple vs Present continuous

A Put the verbs in brackets into the present simple or the present
continuous .

1 A: What ........................................................................................................ (you/watch)?

B: My favourite soap opera. I ..................................................... (never/miss) an episode!

2 A: ..................................................................... (you/think) they will evacuate the village?

B: Probably. The lava .............................................. (get) closer and closer to the houses.

3 A: James is so fit!
B: That’s because he .......................................... (work) as an instructor at the local gym.

4 A: Why ........................................................................................... (you/pack) your bags?

B: Because I ................................................................................. (go) to Cairo tomorrow.

5 A: Hurry up! I ............................................... (want) to go home to watch Grey’s Anatomy.

B: Don't worry, it ....................................................... (start) at 9, so there’s plenty of time.

6 A: Briggs ............................................................................. (take) the ball from Scott and

.............................................................. (score)! Yeah!
B: Why ......................................................... (you/always/describe) the game whenever
we watch football? It’s really annoying, you know!

7 A: ................................................................................. (you and Jake/do) anything later?

B: Actually, Jake’s not here. He ...................................................................... (visit) some
relatives in Manchester this week.

8 A: I .......................................................................... (think) of buying this tablet PC, but it

.............................................................. (cost) more than I can afford.
B: Why don't you go to Clark’s Electronics? They ...............................................................
(sell) everything half price this week.

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 Adverbs of frequency

B Put the adverbs of frequency in the correct position in the sentence.

1 A: Being a rescue worker must be tough.

B: Yes. They risk their lives to save others. (often)
....................................................................................................................................
2 A: I wonder where Frank is.
B: I don't know. He is on time. (usually)
....................................................................................................................................
3 A: Aren't the children a bit late?
B: You’re right. They are home by this time. (always)
....................................................................................................................................
4 A: Do you ever watch talent shows?
B: I do, but not very often. (sometimes)
....................................................................................................................................
5 A: The bus is running late again.
B: I’m not surprised. It is on time. (never)
....................................................................................................................................

 Past simple vs Past continuous

C Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple or the past continuous .

Hi Ben,

How’s things? I hope you’re well. I’m OK, but I 1) ……………………… (have) a bit of a
fright the other day. Let me tell you about it.

It 2) ……………… (be) around noon last Sunday and we 3) ……………………… (all/sit)

in the living room. Kate and I 4) ……………………… (play) a table game while the kids
5) ……………………… (watch) TV. Suddenly, the ground 6) ……………………… (start)
shaking violently. We 7) ……………………… (realise) it was and earthquake, so we
8) ……………………… (jump up) and 9) ……………………… (rush) outside. As we
10) ……………………… (run), Millie, my youngest, 11) ……………………… (fall down).
She 12) ……………………… (bang) her head so hard that she 13) ………………………
(lose) consciousness. Luckily, she 14) ……………………… (come round) a few minutes
later while we 15) ……………………… (drive) her to the hospital. Still, it was scary to see
my little girl just lying there and not responding.

Anyway, enough about our adventure! Write back and let me know your news.

Take care,
Paul

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 Present perfect vs Present perfect continuous
D Choose the correct item.

1 Jim has dug/has been digging the garden since early this morning.
2 You’ve been watching/’ve watched TV since you got up. Why don't you go outside and
play with your friends?
3 Judith has been twisting/has twisted her ankle and is in great pain.
4 Do you know if Joe is OK? I’ve been trying/’ve tried to contact him for weeks.
5 The storm is so violent that the authorities have been declaring/have declared a state of
emergency.
6 Mila started a diet last month and has lost/has been losing two kilos so far.
7 The forest fire has been burning/has burnt for two days, causing the destruction of 5,000
acres of land.
8 Have you heard/Have you been hearing any news about the trapped miners?
9 I’ve just made/’ve just been making some tea. Would you like a cup?
10 The town has never been experiencing/has never experienced such terrible floods
before.

 Present perfect vs Past simple

E Put the verbs in brackets into the present perfect or the past simple.

1 A: ....................................................... (they/get) everyone out of the collapsed mine yet?

B: Yes. The last person ..................................................... (come out) a few minutes ago.

2 A: I can’t believe it still ........................................................................... (not/stop) raining!

B: Well, yesterday’s forecast .......................... (say) that we’re in for a very wet weekend.

3 A: I ............................................................. (tape) CSI last night. Do you want to watch it?

B: No, I .................................................................................... (already/see) this episode.

4 A: That ........................................................................ (be) quite a hailstorm this morning!

B: I know! I ................................................................... (never/see) such giant hailstones.

5 A: Jacob .......................................................................... (call) for you a few minutes ago.

B: I .................................. (speak) to him three times today. I wonder what he wants now.

6 A: I ................................................................................................. (invite) Anne to dinner.

B: Is she in town? When .................................................. (she/come back) from Mexico?

7 A: We .................................................................................................... (run out) of sugar.

B: Actually, I ................................................................................... (pick up) a bag on my
way home this afternoon. It’s in the cupboard.

8 A: How long ............................................................................ (you and Pete/be) friends?

B: Ages. We .............................................................. (become) friends in primary school.

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 Past perfect vs Past perfect continuous

F Put the verbs in brackets into the past perfect or the past perfect
continuous .

A few years ago, Luke and his brother Ian had an adventure that
nearly put them off nature walks. They 1) ……………………..
(camp) somewhere in Canada for a few days when they decided to
go hiking along a river trail. They 2) …………………….. (hike) for a
few hours and lost track of time. It was now getting dark and they
realised they 3) …………………….. (walk) past the camp
boundaries and had no idea how to get back. Luke was also sure
that a wolf 4) …………………….. (follow) them for the last kilometre
or so. To make things worse, the boys 5) ……………………..
(not/take) their mobiles with them, so they had no way of contacting
anyone. To their good luck, someone from a neighbouring tent
realised the boys 6) …………………….. (be) missing for hours and
sent out a search party. They found Luke and Ian less than an hour
later. They were cold and hungry and felt a little foolish because
they 7) …………………….. (not/prepare) properly for their hike, and
also because they 8) …………………….. (not/tell) anyone where
they were going. They couldn’t have been more relieved, though!

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G Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple, the past perfect or the past
perfect continuous .

1 A: ................................................................................ (Helen/ask) you to stay for dinner?

B: Yes, but I .................................................................................................. (already/eat).

2 A: ..................................................................... (you/see) the news about the two hikers?

B: Yes. They .................................................................... (walk) in the forest for six hours
before the search team .............................................................................. (find) them.

3 A: James and Lily ....................................................................... (finally/buy) their dream

house last month.
B: Good for them! They ..................................................................................... (save up)
for it since they got married.

4 A: Sarah ................................................................ (buy) an amazing dress for the dance!

B: Yes, but she ................................................ (try on) dresses for two hours before she
……………………………………… (choose) one!

5 A: Lucy .................................................................................. (drive) for hours before she

……………………………………… (realise) she was lost!
B: Oh, no! How ............................................. (she/manage) to find her way to the hotel?

6 A: Sam ……………………………………… (find) a job last week.

B: I’m happy for him. He .......................................................................... (look) for weeks
before he was called for an interview.

7 A: ……………………………………… (you/see) Chris at the party yesterday?

B: No, he ....................................................................................... (already/leave) when I
……………………………………… (get) there.

8 A: ……………………………………… (you/have) a nice time last night?

B: Yes, it .................................................... (be) great. I ………………………………………
(not/attend) a live concert before.

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H Choose the correct item.

1 Before his retirement, Mr Benson ……….. football with his colleagues every Sunday.
A played B had played C was playing D had been playing

2 Mount Vesuvius ……….. erupted since 1944.

A didn’t erupt B hadn't erupted C wasn’t erupting D hasn’t erupted

3 Alice ……….. over to watch Eclipse on DVD later.

A has come B is coming C comes D has been coming

4 We ……….. Plymouth many times. Let’s go somewhere else this summer.

A have been to B have gone to C have been in D have gone in

5 Who was that man you ……….. to when I saw you the other day?
A talked B have talked C had talked D were talking

6 Haley ……….. her parents to let her go trekking for two weeks before they finally agreed.
A has asked B has been asking C had been asking D asked

7 My father ……….. the news every evening after dinner.

A watches B is watching C has watched D has been watching

8 Dean ……….. a volcano erupt before he went to Iceland.

A has never seen B never sees C had never seen D did never see

9 We ……….. when the earthquake struck.

A slept B were sleeping C have been sleeping D had slept

10 Olga ……….. studying for her exams since this morning.

A has been B had been C was D is

11 That gash in your leg ……….. bad. You need stitches.

A is seeming B has seemed C seems D seemed

12 It ……….. non-stop for four days and some major roads are blocked.
A snows B has been snowing C snowed D was snowing

13 Carol ……….. lunch with some colleagues right now.

A has B has had C has been having D is having

14 The climber fainted with dehydration because he ……….. a drop of water for two days.
A hasn’t had B hadn't had C wasn’t having D hadn’t been having

15 The play ……….. at 7:00, so we need to be at the theatre by 6:30.

A is starting B started C has started D starts

16 When they were kids, they ……….. their grandparents every weekend.
A were visiting B have visited C visited D had visited

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 Quantifiers

I Read the news report and underline the correct item.

Eastern Europe is facing one of the heaviest snowfalls it has experienced over
the last 1) several/couple of years. Heavy snow and blizzards have made
2) much/many major road arteries impassable and 3) a large quantity of/some
towns and villages in the mountains have been cut off by the snow. There have
also been 4) a few/few major accidents as the roads have become icy.
Authorities are advising people to spend as 5) little/few time outside as possible,
dress warmly and have 6) lot/plenty of hot drinks. A great 7) amount/number of
extra care should be given to those who are ill, the elderly and young children.
According to the latest forecasts, there will be 8) hardly any/very few
improvement over the next two days, but things should start looking better
towards the end of the week.

J Rewrite the sentences using the words in brackets.

1 Not anyone of my friends has ever experienced a hurricane. (none)

...........................................................................................................................................
2 One by one, the villages in the area were evacuated. (each)
...........................................................................................................................................
3 We can look for the information online or else we can go to the library. (either … or)
...........................................................................................................................................
4 Hurricanes and tsunamis can cause huge damage to an area. (both … and)
...........................................................................................................................................
5 I didn’t feel the earthquake and my brother didn’t, either. (neither … nor)
...........................................................................................................................................
6 Sitcoms are funny and relaxing for the whole family to watch. (not only …. but also)
...........................................................................................................................................
7 The only thing we can do now is wait for help to arrive. (all that)
...........................................................................................................................................
8 Both films you’ve rented on DVD are bad! (neither)
...........................................................................................................................................

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 Key Word Transformations

K Complete the second sentence using the word given so that it has a
similar meaning to the first sentence. Use two to five words including the
word given.

1 It’s been three centuries since Mount Fuji last erupted.

HAS
Mount Fuji .................................................................................................. three centuries.

2 They are worried about their house flooding during the storm.
THEM
What ......................................................... that their house might flood during their storm.

3 Do you know what their plans for the weekend are?

DOING
Do you know ................................................................................................ the weekend?

4 The storm was so violent that blew down nearly all the trees when it hit the area.
HARDLY
There ........................................................................ standing after the storm hit the area.

5 It was the reporter’s first visit to a disaster area.

BEEN
The reporter ................................................................................... a disaster area before.

6 The concert didn’t take place due to heavy snow.

CALLED
The concert .......................................................................................... due to heavy snow.

7 Tornadoes travel very fast and cause a lot of destruction.

SPEED
Tornadoes travel ................................................................. and cause a lot of destruction.

8 He gets the most out of life and isn't afraid to try new experiences.
FULLEST
He lives ................................................................. and isn't afraid to try new experiences.

9 It’s very uncommon to see a lunar rainbow.

OFTEN
We ............................................................................................................. a lunar rainbow.

10 My plane took off three hours late.

WAITING
I ............................................................................... three hours before my plane took off.

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 Module 1
Reading

Read the text and for questions 1-5, choose the best answer A, B, C or D.
Justify your answers.

Every year, the USA is hit by at least 1,200 tornadoes. While most occur in a region called the
Tornado Alley in the Great Plains, they can occur almost anywhere. Where there are
tornadoes brewing, you can be sure to find a storm chaser nearby!

Imagine seeing a tornado hurling towards you and its roar rumbling in your chest. For most
people, this would be a terrifying prospect. However, there is a group of people who, instead of
running away, physically chase this phenomenon. Roger Hill, a storm chaser from Kansas, is one
of the few who is daring enough to not only track severe storms, but drive thousands of miles to
see them up close.
For Roger, severe storms are mesmerising and just seeing one in itself is enough. However,
finding a tornado, he says, is breathtaking. Spending the best part of 30 years as a storm chaser
has given Roger the chance to see over 400 tornadoes, including Hurricane Katrina, America’s
2005 tragedy. Roger describes it as one of the most powerful sources man can witness. However,
no matter how thrilling these events may be, it is equally heartbreaking when they cause
destruction.
At some point, all professional storm chasers have the duty of being the first to respond in an
emergency, and Roger is always ready when it happens. He says that no matter how much you
want to capture the tornado on camera, your first responsibility is to those in need.
Roger spends an average of 120 days between March and October chasing, operating tours
and shooting videos for various weather channels. Along with fellow storm chaser
Dr David Gold, he runs Silver Lining Tours, one of the top storm chasing tour companies. Roger
takes people on chasing adventures in vans equipped with the latest technology that takes
weather recordings on-the-go through wireless data cards. People learn why and how storms
form and are given a real insight into how professionals predict a storm’s path.
Roger’s years in the business have taught him that his passion for storm chasing is not always
a safe one. No matter how much experience you may have, it’s always possible to get caught in
the middle of Mother Nature’s fury. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time can be fatal, and
for Roger, there’s nothing more frightening than realising you’re in a tornado’s path. According to
Roger, storm chasing success relies on a foolproof escape route, should you be caught off guard.

© Express Publishing PHOTOCOPIABLE 21

 Module 1
1 If there is a tornado there is likely to be …
A many people injured.
B lots of destruction.
C a storm chaser.
D a news reporter.

2 Roger has been storm chasing for …

A around 30 years.
B over 30 years.
C 30 years exactly.
D nowhere near 30 years.

3 As a storm chaser, Roger understands his …

A role as a reporter.
B job is unique.
C responsibility to photograph storms.
D priorities during a storm.

4 Silver Lining Tours …

A film their adventures for the media.
B allow people to track tornadoes alone.
C track the weather while on route.
D runs for 120 days a year.

5 A storm chaser should always…

A plan more than one route to the tornado.
B know how to get away safely.
C plan routes based on experience.
D hope the tornado changes direction.

© Express Publishing PHOTOCOPIABLE 22

 Module 1
Listening

You’ll hear a radio news report. For questions 1-5, listen and tick T (true) or
F (false).

1 The high temperatures were expected in the US. ……….

2 Officials are trying to restore the East Coast’s power. ……….
3 The fire started that morning. ……….
4 The fire moved quickly. ……….
5 No one died in the fire. ……….

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