Flexibility and adaptability

Fuente: SENA

In today’s changing world everything transforms so fast that we don’t even notice it.
What exists today may be gone or different tomorrow. Being able to adapt to
different situations and the challenges life presents to us is the key to success and
happiness. Therefore, in order to adapt, we need to be flexible and adaptable.
Adaptability and flexibility are two key themes in this learning activity.

Introductory material

Dear learner,

This material will help you study the topics related to learning activity 2.

You will learn about:

1. Mixed conditionals.

2. Flexibility and adaptability.

3. Vocabulary about flexibility and adaptability.

4. Idioms to talk about flexibility and adaptability.

Let’s begin!
 1. Mixed conditionals

A. Conditionals are used to talk about possible or imaginary situations. They can
refer to aspects in the present, past or future. They are formed by two parts: the
condition and the result. In English we have different types of conditionals
depending on what we want to express. Sometimes we can combine different
conditionals, resulting in a mixed conditional.

Fuente: SENA

Brad and Richard are talking about a new software in the office. Read the
conversation.

Brad: Why do you look so worried?

Richard: Is it that obvious?
Brad: Well, you haven’t said much all day. It seems like something is
wrong. What is it?

Richard: Well, I’m really confused about that new software for inventories they
implemented at the office. I don’t really understand how to use it…

Brad: How come? But it’s quite easy to use.

Richard: I don’t really like computers or software. I’ve never been much of a
computer person. I just don’t adapt to these new technologies.
Probably, if I had studied something related to computers, I wouldn’t
be so lost now.
Brad: Well you don’t need to be a tech geek to deal with computers.
 Nowadays, it’s essential to have some knowledge about how
computers work. Even if you don’t like it, you need to catch up with
this need technology.
Richard: I know, I know… It just makes me feel frustrated that we have to
depend on technology for everything.
Brad: But technology is great. It makes our lives a lot easier and more
comfortable. If we didn’t have software for inventories, we would have
spent a whole week doing the last inventory. Instead we just spent 1
day.
Richard: Well you are probably right. I need to be more flexible and open-
minded towards this new software. Anyway if I had attended that
training last week, I wouldn’t have so many questions.
Brad: If you want we can stay a little longer this afternoon and I can help
you with your questions.
Richard: That would be great man. Thanks a lot.

Condition Result
If we didn’t have that software for we would have spent a whole
inventories week doing the last inventory.

As you can see in this example, the condition refers to a hypothetical present
situation, while the result is based in a past situation.

Other examples of mixed conditionals from the conversation:

Condition Result
If I had studied something related to I wouldn’t be so lost now.
computers
If I had attended that training last week I wouldn’t have so many questions.
 Attention:
In some mixed conditionals the structure in the condition is in the past, but the
condition refers to a present situation (hypothetical). In the example below the
structure in the condition is in the past, but it refers to a present situation:

If I weren’t poor, I would have studied at university

True condition: Result

I am poor (currently) Although “wasn’t” is not correct, it is used commonly
in speech to indicate the hypothetical condition in the
Hypothetical: present:

If I weren’t poor Correct: If I weren’t poor, I would have studied at

university.

Possible in spoken English: If I wasn’t poor, I would

have studied at university.

Hypothetical past condition - present result

This mixed conditional expresses a result in present due to a hypothetical condition

in the past. We use it to talk about the opposite of what really happens in the
present. Using the third conditional (Had + Past participle) we express the
opposite of the true past condition. That is, if something in the past had been
different, there would be a result in present. The result in the present is expressed
using (Modal + Base form).

Examples:

If Lewis hadn’t gone to the casino,

he would have money right now.

True condition in the

past: Yesterday, Lewis
went to the casino and
spent all his money.

Fuente: SENA
 If she had gone to the doctor, she
would feel better now.

True condition in the past:

She did not go to the doctor
when she felt sick last week.

Fuente: SENA

If I had bought that car, I wouldn’t

have to ride buses.

True condition in the

past: He didn’t buy the car.

Fuente: SENA

Condition Result
If + past perfect Would / could / might + base form

Structure:

Difference between would, could and might:

 When you use would in this type of mixed conditional, it means that would be
your only choice in the situation. There is no other option you would pick.

 When you use could in this type of mixed conditional, it means there is a
probability for you to take this option in the situation.

 When you use might in this type of mixed conditional, it means there is less
probability for you to take this option in the situation.
 Would:
indicates
certainty

Might:
indicates Could:
low Indicates
probability probability

Fuente: SENA

Consider the following example:

I would definitely
 If I had traveled to Miami, I would be on the beach now. be on the beach
now.

I would probably
 If I had traveled to Miami, I could be on the beach now.
be on the beach.

There is a lower
 If I had traveled to Miami, I might be on the beach now. chance I would
be on the beach.
Other examples:

 We could still be living in Paris if my dad had adapted to his new job.
True condition: his dad did not adapt to his new job.

 If Ana had come, she would be watching the movie with us.
True condition: Ana did not come.

 If her husband hadn’t died, they might be still together.

True condition: her husband died.

 She could sing in a band if she had taken guitar lessons.

True condition: She did not take guitar lessons.

 If I had bought that new mattress, I could sleep better.

Hypothetical present condition - past result

This mixed conditional has a present condition and a past result. They refer to an
unreal present situation and its probable (but unreal) past result. We use it to talk
about the opposite of what really happened in the past. Using the second
conditional (Past simple) we express the opposite of the true present condition.
That is, if something in the present was different, there would have been a
hypothetical result in the past. The result in past is expressed using (Modal + past
participle).

Examples:

I would have bought that penthouse if

I had money.

True condition in the

present: He does not have
money to buy a penthouse.

money.
Fuente: SENA

If Rachel were taller, she would have

been accepted into the army.

True condition in the

present: She is not tall
enough to be accepted into
the army.

Fuente: SENA
We wouldn’t have travelled by car if I
didn’t feel afraid of flying.

True condition in the

present: She feels
afraid of flying.

Fuente: SENA

Structure:

Condition Result
If + past simple Would / could / might have + past participle

Other examples:

 We would have won the match if we had a better football team.

 If Luis didn’t owe money to the bank, he wouldn’t have taken a second job.

 We wouldn’t have arrived late to the classroom if the bell was louder.

 If I had more free time, I would have taken swimming lessons last summer.

 If Charles wasn’t so clever, he would have failed the test.

2. Flexibility and adaptability

We live in a world of constant change, full of challenges and new opportunities.

Just about anything can change in the glimpse of an eye. Being prepared for such
conditions can make the difference between success and failure. With rapid
changes in technology, education, housing and work environments, our societies
demand flexible minds, with the ability to adapt and work through challenging
issues.

: The ability to deal with new conditions successfully.

: Capacity to take different roles in life.

Fuente: SENA

These two concepts are quite similar. If you are flexible, you can adapt to new
situations. In today’s life, we are required to go through complex tasks. Therefore
developing skills to be flexible and adapt to different situations is really important to
become successful.

Definitions:

Flexibility

Being able to easily adapt to new situations. To cope with new conditions in an
appropriate way.

Adaptable

To fit into new conditions properly that can adapt or be adapted in a given
situation.

Andres works in a fast food restaurant. Read about his schedule and duties:
Andres is 23. He works in a big fast food restaurant.
He likes working there as there are opportunities for
him to grow and learn a lot. However Andres’s job
is challenging: His schedule is not fixed, so it
changes every week. Sometimes he works in the
afternoons, sometimes at night, etc., additionally;
his job involves dealing with different tasks as roles
are switched every day in the restaurant. Some
days he is a waiter, some days he is a cook; also
he can be a cashier, etc. Andres feels he is learning
a lot with this experience. “I like the fact that I don’t
know exactly what I will have to deal with next week
or whether I’ll have to work in the morning,
afternoon or night. It makes it interesting. Although
it is a challenging job, I really enjoy it”.
Fuente: SENA
According to his boss, Andres is one of the best
employees in the restaurant. Soon he will start
training to become a supervisor.

As you can see, Andres is a flexible person. Able to adapt to new situations and
changes. That’s why he is a successful worker in the restaurant.

Could you travel around the country on

your own working from your laptop?

Fuente: SENA

Could you take a new job you

know nothing about?

Fuente: SENA
Would you study in a country where they speak
a language you barely know?

Fuente: SENA

Would you move to a place with

extreme weather conditions?

Fuente: SENA

How would you react to these situations? Would you take a chance or would you
rather stay in the comfort zone of the things you already know?

When situations like these arrive, we need to be ready to deal with them. Taking
them as an opportunity to train yourself in something new, or something
challenging can lead to positive outcomes and new learning experiences.

People who are not flexible or don’t have the ability to adapt to new conditions
usually get paralyzed when something changes. They find it difficult to understand
why they have to change and instead would like the world to adapt to them. On the
other hand, people who take changes in a positive way are usually able to adapt to
new conditions and succeed in their different roles in society.

Flexibility and adaptability are very important in everyday life as they can make our
lives better in different aspects and can make us happier.

As Wayne Dyer puts it:

 Fuente: SENA

Flexibility is in our minds. The more open-minded we are the easier we can adapt
to new situations in life.

What can I do to be more flexible?

Here are some tips you can incorporate in your everyday life to become more
flexible and adaptable:

Change the way you conceive new things: Next time you are faced with a
situation that presents relevant changes to the way you do things, take it as an
opportunity to learn something new. Explore the situation, adapt to different roles,
responsibilities and contexts.

Deal with changing priorities: Priorities change in everyday life for several
reasons: the deadline for a presentation or paper may have changed, a new task in
your job that is challenging, something to be fixed at home, etc. Being able to
effectively deal with these changes is important. Try to focus your attention on the
new priority and don’t let yourself get affected by these changes.

Take feedback effectively: Negative feedback can be difficult to take sometimes.

It is a lot easier to receive compliments than criticisms. However, receiving
negative feedback is part of everyday life. The solution isn’t to avoid negative
feedback, but to learn to deal with it and learn from it. When you handle negative
feedback efficiently, you acquire a skill that is quite important in life.

Next time you get negative feedback, learn to pause before you react. Don’t take
feedback personally, rather learn from your mistakes and try to avoid repeating the
same ones. See negative feedback as an opportunity to grow and improve rather
than as mere criticism.

Be open to different points of view. In today’s world it is a lot easier to find

people from other cultures in different contexts. Sometimes they can have diverse
views of the world and the way they interact with it may differ from yours. Being
able to understand their beliefs about the world and appreciating diversity is an
ability that is worth developing.

3. Vocabulary about flexibility and adaptability

Meet professional Paralympic basketball player Steve Baker

Steve is a 28 year old man from Canada. He lives in Toronto with his family. He is
a professional basketball player. But he is exceptional in one respect: he only has
one leg!

Believe it or not, this amazing man plays basketball with one leg. Basketball is
quite a challenging sport for a lot of people; it is hard to run up and down across
the court and try to score. Now, imagine doing the same task with just one leg!
Sounds impossible, yet. Steve does it like a pro.

Steve has always been a basketball player. He started competing professionally at

the age of 8. He has participated in many competitions despite the lack of his left
leg. He is one of the members of the Canadian Paralympic basketball team. Steve
is open-minded. He does not think his skills are affected by his condition.

How did he lose his leg? He suffered a car accident when he was 13. However he
survived, even after losing 55% of his blood during the accident. After the accident,
everybody thought he was not going to play basketball anymore. However he was
determined to return to the court. After a few weeks he came back to the court to
practice with the ball in his wheelchair. Even though he had to deal with many
obstacles, he never gave up until he achieved his goals.

Steve is flexible. He can take on different roles in his life. He has appeared on
television several times. He even wrote a book called “Playing the hard way” where
he tells his story. This amazing man is quite an example of courage and
determination.

Match the words / phrases in bold from the reading to these definitions by writing
the correct word in front of each definition. Use a dictionary if necessary.
 Fuente: SENA

Flexible - Challenging - Open-minded - Courage - Skill - Task - Role -

Obstacle - Goal - Deal with - Determined

 Having a strong feeling and conviction to do something.

 Mental or moral strength to face challenging situations.

 To take action to do something. To solve a problem.

 Difficult, hard, yet interesting.

 Ability or capacity to do something.

 An objective. Something you are trying to do or achieve.

 A function or position.

 Something that prevents action or slow progress. An obstruction.

 A piece of work or responsibility assigned to somebody.

 Having a receptive attitude towards new ideas.

 To be able to take different roles in life.

 4. Idioms to talk about flexibility and adaptability

An idiom is a common expression that is not taken literally. It means that there is a
different meaning in a situation or context.

For example, the expression “piece of cake” means that something is easy to do.
When we use this phrase in an idiomatic way, it does not mean part of a dessert.
Look at the example.

Fuente: SENA

“The test was

a piece of cake. I
knew all the answers”.

Fuente: SENA

Idioms are very common in spoken English as they are informal. Idioms can be
used in any context. Here are some idioms that can be used to talk about flexibility
and adaptability. They can describe a person, object or a situation:
Here are other common idioms when talking about flexibility and
adaptability:

Go with the flow: This idiom means to

accept things as they happen. To be
relaxed and accept a situation instead of
trying to fight and control it.

“My doctor says I have high blood

pressure due to my stressful job. I need to
go with the flow more or else I could have
a heart attack”.

To get cold feet: To get nervous and

change your mind about doing something.

“She got cold feet about that new job. It

seemed challenging, so she preferred to
keep her old job”.

Go the extra mile: To make an extra effort

to complete a task or achieve something.

“Although Juliet didn’t have time, she

finished the presentation and sent it to us.
She is always ready to go the extra mile.”

To cost an arm and a leg describes the

cost of something that is very expensive.

“Learning English is costing me an arm

and a leg. I have to pay half of my salary
every month for the classes”.
To cross that bridge when you
come to it: Not to worry about a
situation or problem in the future
until it arrives.

“I heard the company will fire some

people next year. Relax. We’ll cross
that bridge when we come to it”.

High and dry: To leave someone

in a difficult situation without any
help.

“Alice abandoned Mark. She left

him high and dry”.

Fuente de imágenes: SENA

Contextualization

“Capsule hotels” is a relatively new concept being implemented in Japan and

China. To stay there you need to be flexible and adapt to their conditions. Read
about capsule hotels and find out about its characteristics. Look for examples of
mixed conditionals.

Fuente: SENA
Have you ever thought about travelling to Japan? Well if one day you have the
chance to, you might want to stay in a capsule hotel.

A capsule hotel is a concept developed in Japan. It aims to provide cheap

accommodation to people who don’t have the means to stay in a fancy hotel. Many
students, workers or businessmen who cannot afford a better place use capsule
hotels.

Each guest is provided with a small sleeping “capsule” provided with a TV, an
alarm clock, a light, a small table and a blanket. The door is made of transparent
plastic material, and there is also a small curtain to be used when you want to get
some privacy. As the walls are very thin, you are requested to be quiet and
courteous with your neighbors.

There is also a shared bathroom and shared showers. In order to keep your
belongings, you can rent a small locker where you can put your clothes and
belongings. Shoes are not allowed inside the capsule, by the way. You need to
take them off and wear slippers.

Fuente: SENA
Sadly, most capsule hotels are for men only. Although a few of them offer floors for
women, few women use this kind of service.

Takumi, a young businessman is a frequent visitor of capsule hotels. He says,

“I stay here because it is cheap. Staying in a capsule hotel may

sound challenging for a lot of people who are used to conventional
hotels. If I had money, I wouldn’t have started using these hotels. It
can be uncomfortable and very limiting. However they are also clean
and very safe. The staff is usually nice. If they hadn’t invented these
hotels, many people wouldn’t have a convenient option to stay and
would instead sleep in the streets or in a park. If you want to succeed
in this world, you have to be open-minded and adapt yourself to
different situations”.

How about you, dear reader? Would you consider staying in one of these hotels if
you were short of money?

Comprehension

A. Read the text again. Choose true or false.

True False
1. Capsule hotels are only for men.
2. They are cheaper and more comfortable than traditional
hotels.
3. It is a good option for people with a limited budget.

4. You have to take off your shoes inside the capsule.

5. There is a private bathroom for each capsule.

6. Takumi usually stays in capsule hotels even though he has

a lot of money.

7. Each room is provided with a TV, a sofa and a small table.

c
8. Takumi is not open-minded. v
B. Read the text again. Choose the best answer:

1. You can rent a locker to:

a. keep your shoes inside.

b. store your money while in the hotel.

c. put your stuff inside.

2. You need to be quiet as:

a. it is forbidden to be noisy.

b. rooms are very close to each other.

c. most guests are sleeping all the time.

3. The capsule’s door:

a. is made out of wood.

b. has a curtain.

c. cannot be closed.

4. According to Takumi, capsule hotels are:

a. clean and comfortable.

b. cheap and dangerous.

c. save and cozy.

 Practice 1

A. Use the information given in each sentence as a clue. One example is done for
you. Use contractions when possible.

Example:

She will not go to work tomorrow because she was fired.

But she would go to work tomorrow if she hadn’t been fired.

1. She will achieve her goals because she is very determined. But she
____________________ (achieved) her goals if she _____________
(determined).

2. Andres is open-minded, so he accepted a new job in Nepal. But if he

________________ (open-minded), he ________________ (accept) his new
job in Nepal.

3. Ana broke up with her fiancée, so she is sad. But if she _____________
(break up) with her fiance, she ______________ (be) happy.

4. Nicole speaks French fluently because she studied in Quebec the last
summer. But Nicole ______________ (speak) French fluently if
she______________ (study) in Quebec last summer.

5. My dad has to deal with a lot of obstacles in his new project; therefore he
didn’t travel with us to the Caribbean. But if he _________________ (have to)
deal with a lot of obstacles in his new project, he _________________
(travel) with us to the Caribbean.

6. Cark and Mica are not getting married today because their flight was
cancelled. But if their flight ________________ (cancel), they
_________________ (get) married today.
B. Join each condition with the corresponding result. One example is done for you:

Conditions Results

I wouldn’t be
If we had a a
faster car professional
now.

If I hadn't I wouldn’t be
lost my ID in prison
now.

If I hadn’t
followed my We would
parent’s have already
advice arrived at the
airport.

If my internet I would
connection have been
weren’t so in the party
bad last night.

If this
exercise I would have
weren’t so attended the
difficult meeting
online.

C. Mark is having a job interview. Complete the interview with the words from the
box below.

deal with - challenging - obstacles - task - open-minded

multitasking - experience - adapt

Interviewer: Thanks for attending this interview.
Mark: Thank you for this opportunity. I
am glad to be here.
Interviewer: You seem to have a lot of
__________ in the oil and gas
industry. Tell me about your
previous job.

Fuente: SENA
Mark: Well, I was working for Oilcop, a company dedicated to performing
maintenance on drilling equipment. I was in charge of supervising all
maintenance duties, designing proposals for new customers and
training new staff according to the company’s policy.
Interviewer: That sounds like a lot of work for one person. How did you handle
it?
Mark: Well I think I am a person who is good at ______________, I can
take care of different things at the same time. Besides I had quite a
few assistants helping me out all the time.
Interviewer: You seem like the kind of person we are looking for. Our company
started operations in the Middle East and we need a maintenance
manager for our new plant in Saudi Arabia. As the plant is new,
there are a lot of issues to _________.
Mark: I understand.

Interviewer: Also the weather is really hot and dry and the culture is quite
different. So, we need a person who can overcome __________
and _______ to new conditions.
Mark: It seems like a ____________ job, but it sounds very interesting.
Besides I am an ___________ person, so cultural differences
wouldn’t be a problem for me.
Interviewer: Great. That is exactly what we need. We will probably call you for a
second interview with the head of the human resources department.
Thanks a lot for your time Mark.

D. The flexibility and adaptability game!

Select the best option in each case. In order to progress in the game, take the
decision that a flexible and adaptable person would take. Consider the advice in
the introductory material about how to be adaptable and flexible.
 You are offered a scholarship to
study in a foreign country for 2 years.
You would have to leave your family
and friends behind for a while. You:
a. take it as an opportunity to grow and
learn new things.
When you arrive you find out the
language is more difficult than you
thought. You:
a. think this is the chance to improve
your level and immediately register
in some language classes.

b. think it’s better to stay with your
routine and not to take that risk.
c. think it may be a good opportunity but
feel terrified of being by yourself.
b. think this is the end of the adventure
and decide to come back to your
country.
c. feel frustrated and avoid talking to
people.

In your first test you get a poor

Some classmates invite you out for grade from your teacher. You:
dinner. You:
a. believe you are not good at
a. believe this is a great chance to languages.
socialize and make new friends.
b. feel motivated to continue improving
b. wouldn’t even consider going out with and doing things better.
strangers.
c. think the teacher is being hard on
c. feel intimidated as you don’t speak you because you don’t understand
the language well. the language quite well and the
others do.

There is a job opportunity for foreign students which matches your

availability. You:

a. are dealing with the language issue already. You don’t even consider it.

b. don’t feel that comfortable with the idea of working in a foreign country.

c. look at this as the opportunity to make some money and meet new
people while studying.

E. Read to the following sentences. Select the correct option to complete each
sentences.

1. If Lisa had been more careful with her cellphone, ______________________

 a. She would have had a new one.

b. she wouldn’t have to buy a new one.

2. If I had arrived 5 minutes before, ________________________

a. I would be in class now.

b. I wouldn’t be in class now.

3. If I were more athletic, _________________________________

a. I wouldn’t have participated in the marathon.

b. I would have participated in the marathon.

4. I would have welcomed you to stay at my house _____________________

a. if I had a bigger room.

b. if we had a bigger room.

5. _______________, I would have started my master’s program last semester.

a. If I had more time.

b. If I had more money.

6. ___________________________, they wouldn’t be married now.

a. If she had met him at the university.

b. If she hadn’t met him at the university.

 7. If I lived in Rio de Janeiro, _______________________________________

a. I would had attended the carnival last year.

b. I would have attended the carnival last year.

Practice 2

Read about the new folding scooter.

Traffic? Unfold the solution!

Fuente: SENA

It’s 7:30 a.m. you are out trying to catch a bus to get to your office on time.
Unfortunately, traffic seems very slow and buses are quite full. You try to get a taxi
but they are all occupied. It seems like you will have to call your boss again to tell
him you are late.

This story may be familiar for you. Big cities are becoming more and more crowded
with new cars everyday making traffic worse. To fight against this, a lot of people
commute by bicycle or motorbike. The problem is that sometimes people don’t
have a place to park their bikes or scooters.

The Antro group from Hungary has come up with a flexible solution: A folding
scooter. The ultra-compact Moveo scooter is an electric motorbike that can be
folded down to the size of a suitcase. That way you can take it anywhere without
worrying about parking spaces. This practical scooter just weighs 55 pounds, has
fuel autonomy of 22 miles per charge and his top speed is 25 miles per hour.
This particular scooter will be out soon though people will only be able to purchase
it online. Prices will range between $3,100 and $4,600 USD. The company hopes
to reduce the price even more to make it affordable to everyone.

Companies are redesigning products to adapt to current needs, being eco-friendly

and at a price that can be affordable to everyone.

A. Read the text again. Choose true or false:

True False

1. The scooter can be folded to the size of a suitcase.

2. The motorbike needs to be charged every 55 miles.

3. Moveo can be purchased online now.

4. Its top speed is 22 miles per hour.

5. There will be a 50% discount when the bike comes out.

6. It runs on electricity.

B. Classify these facts from the folding scooter into advantages and disadvantages
in the chart below:

Fuel economy is only 22 miles per hour.

It can only be used in the city.

It is easy to carry around.

It can be charged anywhere.

It can take only one person.
Introductory price is a bit high.

It is easy to drive.
It is eco-friendly.

It will only be available online.

 Advantages Disadvantages

C. Read to two people talking about drastic changes in their lives and how they
dealt with them.

Fuente: SENA Fuente: SENA

My name is Alice, I used to have a I am Carl, I am 20 years old. When I

perfect family. My husband and I had finished my school I wanted to study
3 wonderful kids, We had a small art and be a great artist. However my
restaurant that ran quite well. He was parents went bankrupt and could not
the chef and I worked outside on the afford to pay my university.
floor, making sure customers were
satisfied. So, I had to enroll in the army. It was
terrible. I had never like authority and
All of a sudden, one day my husband was not ready to receive orders from
died. He suffered a heart attack and others. I was punished all the time due
left me alone with our three kids.

I had to learn to cook and take care
of everything in the restaurant. It was
tough but I soon learned to enjoy it. I
also had to take care of my kids and
learn to be on my own. It has been
difficult to adapt, but at the same time
rewarding. I never quit and was
always determined to overcome the
situation, even though I was alone.
to my lazy behavior.
I was sent to clean the floor or guard
the basement all the time. It was
terrible. I had to sleep in a large dorm
room with a bunch of other soldiers.
The food was disgusting and we spent
all day exercising and studying. I
suffered a lot during the year I spent
there. I never adapted.

Complete the following chart according to the reading:

Who? Carl Alice

Could not adapt to changes.
Lost an important person.
Learnt to cook.
Was punished due to bad behavior.
Could not go to the university.
Dealt well with the situation.
Had to live without any family members nearby.

D. Here are some reflections from Carl and Alice about how things might be
different now if things in the past wouldn’t have happened. Complete the
sentences by organizing the words. Mixed conditionals are used in the structure.

Carl:

1. If my family had had money, ________________________. (an / I / be /

now / artist / would).

2. ________________________, I would have been a good soldier. (I / liked /

If / army / the).

3. ________________________, I wouldn’t have been punished all the time.

(If / more / I / obedient / were).
 Alice:

4. If I hadn’t been strong, ________________________. (the / be / now /

would / closed / restaurant).

5. If my husband hadn’t died, ________________________. (he / be / chef /

still / the / would).

6. If I hadn’t had my kids, ________________________. ( would / now / lonely

/ feel / I).

E. Complete each conversation with one of the idioms below. Conjugate the verbs
in the idioms when necessary.

to go with the flow

to cross a bridge when you come to it

to cost and arm and a leg

to get cold feet

high and dry to go the extra mile

1. John: You look worried. What’s wrong?

Louise: Did you listen to the teacher yesterday in the first class? This subject
seems very difficult. The final test is going to be very hard.

John: Don’t think about it yet. _____________________________________

2. Richard: When my father died, my mother was left. __________________

Johana: Of course, it must have been very difficult to raise 3 kids alone.

Richard: Fortunately she is a brave woman and was able to deal with it.

3. Mike: Danny didn’t jump from that parachute at the end. He ______________
once the airplane took off.
 Danna: Yes, he was very nervous and anxious about it.

4. Employee: This project is _______________________. I already spent all

the budget assigned.

Supervisor: We really appreciate you hard work, Mike. We are sure you can
___________________.

5. Karen: Do you have any plans for the weekend, Mark?

Mark: Not yet. ______________________________.

Pronunciation practice

Note: This practice must be completed using the multimedia version of the
study material. There you will find the corresponding sound files.

A. Vowel length

In English, we can divide vowels based on their duration or length. Thus, we

can have short and long vowel. Go to the multimedia and listen:

English short vowels English long vowels

ɪ as in hill hɪl i as in sea si
e as in bed bed u as in shoe ʃu
æ as in stamp stæmp ɑ as in loɡ lɑɡ
ʊ as in book bʊk ɔ as in ball bɔl
ʌ as in cup kʌp ɜ as in shirt ʃɜrt
Now, listen and compare:

ʃɪp ʃip
Ship Sheep

Although these two words have very similar sounds, there is a difference in
their vowels. In this case, together with a little change in its articulation, the
duration of the vowel in sheep is longer than the vowel in ship.

Speakers of English pay special attention to these differences in

vowel duration to identify the correct words and their meanings in
real communication. We encourage you to recognise and
reproduce long and short vowels where appropriate.

Go to the multimedia and listen to the following words. Decide if the vowel you
hear in it is long or short.

Word Short Long

B. Go to the multimedia and listen to the following pairs of words. Write them
correctly.

i Reed
ɪ Rid

ɑ Lark
ʌ Luck

ɑ Calm
æ Cam

u Pool
ʊ Pull

C. In some contexts t is pronounced as a voiced sound t̬ in American English. Go

to the multimedia and listen to the following groups of words. Then, for each
group, click on the word containing a t that has been pronounced as a voiced t̬.

a. Collaborator.
Adapt.
Scotland.

b. Phonologist.
Duty.
Incomplete.

c. Presenter.
Flexibility.
Direction.

d. Computer.
Anecdote.
Election.

e. Get into.
Get fired.
Get down.
 f. Situation.
Attended.
Related.

g. Frustrated.
Best.
Still.

h. Result.
Probability.
Natural.

i. Determined.
Attack.
Started.

j. Object.
Idiomatic.
Future.

D. Choose the word that the transcription better represents.

ɪkˈsept accept except

əˈdɑpt adapt adopt

ˈfɑð·ər father further

ˈkʌs·təm costume custom

ˈdɑɪ·ə·ri dairy diary

lɪd lid lead

 References

 Ashcraft , B. (2013). Your Guide to Japanese Capsule Hotels. Consultado el 01

de diciembre de 2014, en http://kotaku.com/5990496/your-guide-to-japanese-
capsule-hotels

 CNNgo.com. (2012). China’s first capsule hotel opens in Xi’an. Consultado el 01

de diciembre de 2014, en http://travel.cnn.com/shanghai/life/chinas-first-
capsule-hotel-opened-xian-543024

 NYDailyNews.com. (2013). Urban commute reinvented: Moveo folding scooter

turns into backpack, saves on parking. Consultado el 01 de diciembre de 2014,
en http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/urban-commute-reinvented-foldable-
scooter-turns-backpack-article-1.1296054

Document control

Name Position Dependence Date

Theme expert Dirección de

Asesor English Formación
Author Juan Carlos November
Dot Works - Profesional.
Solano Franco 2014
Programa de Dirección
bilingüismo General

Copy editor – Centro

Rachman Bustillo October
Adaptation Línea de Agroindustrial.
Martínez 2015
Producción Regional Quindío