October 09, 2020 PreAdv Page 1 Tamara Goushchina

Dear students of English!

Welcome to our kick-off class!
You are unmatched in your willingness to improve your English skills.
Mastering English is a hard job. Let us try to make the hard job enjoyable.
I am always there for you. Good luck!
Truly yours, Tamara V. Goushchina

Class activities
1. Warming-up: Meet your classmates. Introduce yourselves
2. Vocabulary: Let’s get to know each other better. Task I
3. Describe your language skills
4. Grammar mini-test. Tasks II, III
5. Grammar: Word formation. Task IV

I To get to know each other better, describe yourselves. The

following questions may help you.

1. Do you like to know exactly where you are in life, or are you quite happy
going with the flow?
2. What’s your lifestyle (healthy / celebrity / couch potato / busy / luxury /
laid-back)?
3. Are you happy about your lifestyle?
4. What’s your motto or personal philosophy?
5. What are your greatest achievements so far?
6. What’s your burning ambition / long-life ambition?
7. Do you have a lucky mascot or lucky number?
8. What are your favourate pastimes?
9. How often do you go out / eat out?
10. What are your favourate places in Minsk to hang out?
11. Do you go clubbing?
12. There’s nothing like travelling. Is it about you?
13. How often do you stop for a beer after work?
14. Do you have a beer belly?
15. What do you do to keep fit?
16. Do you do any sport?
17. Have you ever tried any of these activities? Would you like to try?
(bunjee-jumping, rope-jumping, heli-skiing, snowboarding, scuba-diving,
free-diving, parachuting, ballooning, hang-gliding, rock-climbing,
husky sledding, swimming with dolphins, etc.)
18. Is there anything you are addicted to?
Are you a TV addict / a football addict / a music addict / an opera
addict / a coffee addict / a drug addict / a computer addict/
a mobile phone addict / etc.?
19. Are you keen on gambling / extreme sports / music / team sports / etc.?
20. How important is music in your life?
October 09, 2020 PreAdv Page 2 Tamara Goushchina

21. How many cups of coffee do you need to pick you up in the morning?
22. Have you got a car? Can you do without a car?
23. Have you got a pet? Do you enjoy people who abuse animals?
What would you do if you saw someone abusing animals?
24. Do you take any notice of superstitions?
25. Do you believe in horoscopes?
26. Are you a risk-taker / a thrill seeker or someone who likes to play it
safe?
27. Have you ever been on a special diet?
28. Are you allergic to anything?
29. Are you a big wig / big cheese / big shot in IBA?
30. Are you an eager beaver / workaholic? Is it good to be a workaholic?
31. How often does it happen to you that you’re snowed under at the office?
32. Is your job rewarding?
33. Are you loyal to the company?
34. Is your office life hectic?
35. Can you work under pressure well?
36. How often do you have a rush job?
37. Are you good at: making compliments?
managing time well?
making small talk?
meeting deadlines?
making technical decisions quickly?
solving problems?
making new friends?
mainframe technologies / Java / DB2/ Python?
38. Do you get on / along with people well?
39. Is there anyone you look up to?
40. Is there anyone who has a problem dealing with you?
41. Behavior that drives you mad.
42. Which things most stress you out?
43. We can’t avoid stress. What is your way to cope with stress?
44. Have you ever suffered from insomnia?
45. Do you ever lose your appetite?
46. Have you ever given money to charity?
47. Can you give a shoulder to cry on?
48. Do you need a shoulder to cry on?
49. What three words best describe you as a person?
50. What three words best describe you as a person.
October 09, 2020 PreAdv Page 3 Tamara Goushchina

II Complete the sentences by putting the verbs in brackets into the

correct form.

Two teenagers who (1. be) missing since Tuesday (2. arrive) home safe
and well last night. The two sisters, who (3. leave) home after family
argument, (4. hide) in woods a few kilometers from their home. They
(5. not, intend) to stay away for long, but they (6. get) lost in the woods and
(7. decide) to wait until somebody came looking for them. Their mother said
she (8. never, give up) hope of finding them.
1) have been missing 5) didn’t intend
2) arrived 6) got
3) had left 7) decided
4) hid 8) will never give up

III Complete each sentence using the word in bold. The meaning must
stay the same.

1. Why don’t you listen to me? would

I wish you would listen to me.
2. I think it would be a good idea to get a mobile phone. were
If I were you I will get a mobile phone.
3. It was the first time she had driven a car. never
She has never driven a car before.
4. She moved here when she was seventeen. since
She has lived here since she was seventeen.
5. He has never travelled by ship before. the
It’s the first time he has travelled by ship.
6. I regret arguing with my best friend. wish
I wish I hadn’t argued with my best friend.
7. Living in a foreign country isn’t strange to me now. got
I got used living in a foreign country.
8. Our boss told us the news.
It’s time to hear the news from our boss
9. He’s absolutely irresponsible. That’s why he was fired.
If he had been more responsible, he wouldn’t have been fired
10. I’ve never had such a slapdash guy on my team.
Never had I such slapdash guy on my team
11. Refunds cannot be given under any circumstances.
Under no circumstances refunds can be given
12. These men are totally ruthless.
What ruthless men!
13. The hotel asks its guests if they prefer still or fizzy mineral water in their
rooms. rather
The hotel’s guests are asked to say if they would rather have still or
fizzy mineral water in their rooms.
October 09, 2020 PreAdv Page 4 Tamara Goushchina

14. Colin will only read your email if you mark it as urgent. unless
Colin will only read your email unless you don’t mark it as urgent.
15. It isn’t easy for Kate to answer the phone in Spanish. difficulty
Kate feel’s difficulty with answering the phone in Spanish.
16. Denise always keeps her mobile switched on because David may need to
contact her. case
Denise never switches her mobile __________ to contact her,
17. You can borrow my new bicycle, but you must be careful with it. long
You can borrow my new bicycle __________ careful with it.
18. Peter damaged his brother’s digital camera by accident. mean
Peter didn’t mean to break his brother’s digital camera.

IV Use the word given in bold to form a word that fits in each space on
the same line

The Driving Test

I knew I would have to (1) not take my driving test take

as soon as I saw the (2) examinator . He didn’t examine
even say “hello” and seemed very (3) unfriendly friend
I was a little bit late I suppose as I had slightly
(4) ____________________ how long it would take me to get estimate
there. As usual in this (5) ____________________ city all the crowd
buses were packed and I had had to wait more than twenty
minutes before a (6) ____________________ would let me get conduct
on a bus. I knew apologising would be (7) ____________________ use
so I just got in the car. (8) ____________________ I wasn’t luck
feeling particularly nervous but this horrible man stared at me
in (9) ____________________ as I began to drive off. I put believe
the car into gear, but it went (10) ____________________ back
so fast I couldn’t believe it – straight into a wall. I was so
(11) ____________________ appoint
when he told me I had failed that I thought I might cry.