FCE Listening & Speaking Skills For the le amb, 1% y PNR MTDSpeaking Skills For The Revised Cambridge FCE Examination 2Preparing for Speaking Test 1 sam Al OLD AND MODERN TIMES |] In which of the houses would you expect to find the following: electric light, oll lamp, radiators, og fire, video recorder, washing machine, beams {) Many things have changed in the last 150 years. Put the words in the list below in the appropriate column in the table. You may add words of your own if you wish. blacksmith, horse, car, taps, oll lamp, cinema, boat, carriage, donkey, weaver, long dresses, ‘computer programmer, space craft, cotton, plane, wool, video recorder, bikini, computer games, nylon, electricity, more vaccines, lycra, central heating, better healthcare, radiators, pilot, well, astronaut, running water, stereo, playing the piano, early death, stressful, comfortable, busy, simple, ‘complicated, hard-working, fre, hectic Ro co hard-working, simple stressful, complicated, busy, hectic FACILITIES. HEALTH PASTIMES 3 Using the ideas above and the useful expressions below, describe some of the differences between life now and life 150 years ago. en ne nT ¢ ¢ Useful expressions ‘by car, by train, by air, by horse, on foot, in the past, a hundred and fifty years ago, in the future, ‘now, then, nowadays eq. In the past people used to work harder but life was simpler. People nowadays lead « ‘more comfortable but complicated life. Life now is much busier and more stressful than it used to be.Paglia, [wupLaH] iy 5 4 Use the comparative form of the adjectives below to fill the gaps in the text. E single camfoabie-—-cmap-—«complenied-—«comerent sloped i Nowadays houses ae considered 1) due to the addition offited appliances and Toft turmshings. There has been a great improvement in the supply of water; people used to drew vvater from a well, but nowadays people can just turn on a tap which is much 2) Preparing for Speaking Test 1 and of course the procedure is al6t 3)... However in some respects modern tech nology has made ite 4) ‘special withthe introducton of such things as com pute, video recorders and microwave oven. Today many large factories ae responsibie fr having made the rivers 5) a Life may have been 6) in the past when People were able to leave ther doors uniocked at right without a worry. However, itis de to say ‘whether or not things were 7) ‘then because the value of money has changed 5 Filia tne corect comparative forms, luxurious modern polluted | convenient simple | comfortable | complicated | hard Work in pairs and decide whether you would rather live i the present or in the past and ‘explain why. You may use the adjectives from exercise 5. eg SA: | would rather live in the past because life was simpler then. $B: | don't agree with you. I'm happy living in the present because life is more comfortable. Oo HEALTHY DIET AND LIFESTYLE J tien food in th pictures above is healthy and which is unhealthy? In general, what food do you think is healthy and what food is unhealthy? ‘Are there any kinds of food you eat all the time? What are they? What do you have for breakfast, lunch and dinner? 4, Match the words below with thelr definitions. ‘a substance contained in foods such as meat, cheese and butter which protein \ forms an energy store in your body carbohydrates\, the indigestible pat of a food found mostly in wholemeal bread, Ne vegetables and fut vitamins tbody building substance found in foods such as eggs and meat fibre substances such as sugar and starch found in foods fat natural organic substances found in most foods which are necessary for growthPlace these foods in the appropriate column in the table below. You may add ideas of your own. chocolate chips ‘brown bread milk oranges fattree yoghurt icecream potatoes. crisps eggs fish cheese a Working in pairs discuss a diet which is Jow in fat, rich in vitamins and high in fibre for a busy executive with an unhealthy lifestyle who needs to change his diet. Use your ideas to fill in the chart below. Ip, Us2 the words below to fil in the gaps. aerobics gym igs ski exercise train yoga play climbs walk stress fit swim cycles. = busy 0g 4. Every day Joan takes the dog for a walk. 10 We've bought a chalet in Switzerland so we 2 Instead of driving, these days he .... to work CN nn VERY Winter, 3. Instead of taking the lit she always ...... 11 | go to the .. and use the exercise the stars. bike three times a week. 4 Since Tom has given up smoking, he finds 12 My father ites to KEEP «norm By playing Fhe CaN neenn fotball beter. squash three times a week. 5 If feel energetic, 190 0 run Classes. 13 My daily fort Of nan iS a brisk walk 6 When they're staying in a hotel, they always around the park. 0 fF oevennnes if the Pool 44 When I'm not working I'm usually 7. He no longer goes to the pub to relax, he —_with housework. goes to swe Olas5es instead. 45 If you are under , itis good to sit 8 My grandiather “a the garden instead quietly for afew minutes. ‘of reading the Sunday papers. 16 You need to .. hard if you want to 9 Vesuow in the park with a friend twice a week. keep in good shape. Use he eas above andthe useful expressions below in the following pair work. One student will be a busy executive who will describe his daily routine, The other student will be a health expert who will offer advice. » » » Useful expressions Why not ... Give up ..., You could try .., Instead of .., In place of SA: | drive to work every day. ‘SB: Well, instead of driving why don’t you cycle to work? ‘SA: | work on the seventh floor, so I always take the lift. ‘SB: You could try climbing the stairs instead. .» insteadMatch the headings with the short texts, then answer your teacher's comprehension questions. a) What to eat, what to avoid. 4) Give up smoking! ) How the heart starts fo go wrong. e) Crash diets don't work. cc) Any regular exercise is good for the heart.) Eat to live, don't live to eat. 4. Whenaperson’sict has high fatcontent the fat chances of dying from a jsusually stored in the body It becomes deposited ‘on the inside ofthe arteries which in turn become hard and narrow, Ifthe situation worsens, fat is also deposited on the walls of the heart, The blood supply to the heart is reduced due to this ‘obstruction and consequently the heart has 10 ‘work much harder. This is the beginning of heart disease heart attack. Smoke from cigarettes makes the heart heat faster, thereby increasing the blood pressure, Smoking reduces the quantity of oxygen in the blood and due to this lack of oxygen the heart is forced to work harder. 2 To avoid heat disease it is important to watch 4 Theheart gets stronger with use, soit is important what you eat from an to exercise it. However, you should take exercise carly age. A senile det regularly; exercising only once every sit months, can help prevent future for example, could do you more harm than good. problems with one's Indeed the more energetic the exercise is and the ‘art, For example, when ‘more regularly you take it, the healthier your cating meat cut the fat heart should be. off, and ty to include more lean chicken and 5 Losing a lot of weight ina very short period of fish in your diet. Fat time might sound tempting to someone who is more lruit, vegetables, and foods that are high in overweight, but the effect of such a diet are nor- fibre, such as wholemeal bread. which will help may only short-term und canbe harmful flong- cep the arteries clear. Instad of frying food you term weight loss isthe aim, itis important to fo should gril bol orsteam it thereby reducing the low a more sensible det; a complete change of fat content ofthe food considerably. Try ako to eating habits is needed. reduce your intake of sweet things such as chaco- © Food is essential to sustain fife. However, in late, cakes and soft drinks, because ifthe sugar is rot used as energy it is stored as fat in the body. ‘The intake of dairy products such as buttercream and cheese should he controlled as they have a high fat content, ‘Watching your diets only one step towards avid- ing heart disease. To maintain a healthy heart a peson should not smoke. Smoking doubles the western countries there is an imbalance between the amount we need to cat and what we actully eat, Nowadays itis not uncommon for people to cat out of enjoyment or for comfort rather than ‘ut of necessity. Tis can lead to overeating which can affect a person's appearance and in time also their health Fill in the gaps with the correct word from the list befow. sugarifat less/more —_increase/reduce diseasehealth —_tead/avoid 1, Eating rut and vegetables can heb _. the chances of heart problems in later life. 2. Foods containing . “such as cakes and chocolate should be avoided. 3. Eating grilled food can help ‘the likelinood of a heat attack. 4 Ealing fried food may... ‘the risk Of heart no 2 You should contral the amount of dairy products you eat as they ae high in... 6 Eating fod thats high ne may he =the chances of geting heat disease 7 Exercising . "regulary wil strengthen the hear. 8 Alcohol contains sugar which will be converted it.. sme NOL USED a8 ENETGY. 9 You are. likely to have trouble with your heart if you keep fit 10. Smoking can the risk of a heart attack by 50%. 41. Excessive drinking can . to aleoholism, 12 Stopping smoking is one step to good fi os 43. Eating faty food can to the narrowing of arteries. 14 Overeating may .. (0 heart disease, 45. Eating sensibly wil nelp you problems with YOU nnn i later fieSpeaking Test | | [ am ian Giving Personal Information | © How do you lke spending your holidays? ‘© Which places would you most lke to visit? # How do you prefer to travel? fw Talking about the pictures in relation to yourself Look at pictures A and B. * Compare the lifestyles ofthe people in the two pictues Which lifestyle would you prefer and why? How have things changed in the last 100 years? if you could lve at any time in history, when would it be and why? ‘Compare and contrast the way the people in the pictures treat their bodies. # Do you believe that people nowadays take more exercise? Whylwhy not? ‘© What forms of exercise are popular nowadays? ‘© How can an unhealthy diet affect one’s appearance? Look at pictures C and D. fHProblem solving * decision making * planning * prioritising * speculation on given picture prompts ete The doctor says Tom is overweight and he has a risk of heart ais 2388 in late life. Discuss what he should be doing and what he should be avoiding ithe wants to stay healthy and lve longer. You may introduce ideas of your own, Discussing in pairs topics related to the theme of Part 3 ‘© What do you think makes a heathy diet and a healthy Iitestyle? ‘© Are your diet and ifestyle healthy? In what way? ‘© Do you think people take enough exercise? If not, how could they be persuaded to exercise more? * Do you think some people worry too much about their weight ‘and how they look? Who?Preparing for Speaking Test 2 may Al CITY LIFE AND COUNTRY LIFE 1 Match the pictures with the words, then think of other words to go with each picture. tractorimetro _farmerfbusiness execute —skyscraperifarmhouse _country/city country. g, Fin te table using words from the list below. block of flats, farmhouse, field, skyscraper, trafic jam, farmer, office, trolleybus, stockbroker, lorry, mult-storey car park, car, tractor, executive, tram, bam, labourer, pollution, city centre, clerk, valley, fresh air, hill train, smog, underground, secretary, taxi, shepherd, bus, business executive, cottage ‘motorway CITY LIFE Cai 3 Using the table above compare city life with country life as in the example. You may add ideas of your own. eg. If you lve in the country, you can lve in a farmhouse or a cottage, but if you live in the city you are more likely to live in a block of flats or a house.$2 Filinthe gape win one of the words from the list below. 2 all bypass - hamlet - underground - executives - labourers - barn - shopping centres - smog - = metropolis - rams - motorway - country lane - stockbrokers - multi-storey oar park - shepherd S 1. Many people preter to use the... sinnmunnunenes instead of taking their cars to work. & 2. Being Alf) usm nsnsnnnsnsnee Means Spending a lot of time alone looking after sheep Ss 3 Many farms Mave @ nnn .. where the hay for the animals is kept. aa ee ‘are convenient because they have many shops in one building. = BT work in large office blocks and usually drive expensive cars, s kis very relaxing to Walk alONg @ .v..uresnnneminvnnne fF away fom the city trafic. = aetna "are powered by electricity and are a popular means of transport inthe city - 8 If we take the sasnnvimnnesney WEL VOI the town centre 8 ‘sell Stocks and shares and deal with large amounts of money. 40. The city was polluted and a thick layer of... sons snne COUKS be S8eN AbOVE tt : a __ often work on building sites and their work is very tiring, 42 Then snarnsnen HY Between two hills and had only fity inhabitant. 43 The main or most important city of an area or country can be called @ 44 When travelling long distances it's best to use the set ‘aster than on ordinary roads. 45) We parked if & ..usarnennusnonisnsnnnnan Which had room for two thousand cars. as you can go much 5 Rearrange the following in order of size: metropolis, vilage, town, city, hamlet 6 Look atthe fst of words below which can be used to compare life in the city with life in the countryside and place them in the columns you think are most appropriate. You may introduce ideas of your own if you wish. Then compare city life with country life as in the ‘example entertainment, clean air, isolation, education, traffic jams, peaceful, busy, unhealthy, loneliness, stressful, lack of medical facilties, calm, culture, healthy surroundings, quiet, smog, noisy, hectic ITU DITTO 1] Imagine that you tive io small village. Look at the picture and compare it with the ‘small village where you live. Use ideas from the table of exercise 6 as well as the following expressions of contrast. « © © » Useful expressions however, but, whereas, in contrast, contrary 0, on the other hand eg. The place where | live is a smal village whereas the picture is of a busy cityFit the gaps with one of the words from the list below. telephone - relationships - carriage - computers - oil lamps - values - well - appliances ~ central heating - blacksmith - washing machines - skils - hectic - complicated _, because it's cleaner than lighting coal fires. 1. Nowadays people buy houses with 2. Batore electricity was invented people used vous 10 light their homes. 3. My grandmother used to send me out to the ... to get a bucket of water. 44 Inthe old days people washed their clothes by hand but now they use .... instead, 5. The invention Of the enn has made it easy for people to communicate in times of emergency. 6 TOdaY soar nennnsnn ‘are replacing people in businesses and offices. 7. Life has become quite recently but new inventions make things a lot easier. 8 In the nineteenth century people travelled by horse an ... snnnneny ANG WHEN they wanted fo travel abroad they went by boat. 9 Cooking and cleaning are so much easier these days because modern cdo most of the work for us. for thirty years. 410 My grandfather made horseshoes. He worked as a TT Gee fe BS secnenen-noomes that’s why many people wish they lived in atime when the pace of lfe was slower. 12. Inthe past people tended to form closer . in their everyday problems. 49. People nowadays worry less about social and moral having material goods. 44 Modern technology has teken away the need to learn basic adding and taking away. Oo SPACE AND HUMAN ACHIEVEMENTS a) scientific achievements, b) suns 8 they were not $0 absorbed and more about . such as Look at the pictures and say which of the following are: artistic achievements or ¢) architectural achievements.Q) Fit in the gaps with one of the words from the lists below. Pyramids ‘complicated, build, passages chamber The most famous, and indeed the biggest pyramids in the world are in Egypt. They were built almost 5,000 years ago. Ittook 10 years to prepare the site, and 20 years o 1) .. the largest one. The burial 2)... nm of the king is located inside the pyramid, and can only be reached by a3) z system of 4) .. Nuclear Weapons waste, destroying, deterrent, powerful ‘The first nuclear weapons to be made were the atomic bombs which ended the second World War in South East Asia in 1945. Nowadays nuclear weapons are far more 1) i The countries in possession of ruciear weapons are capable of 2) ...... sos the world and humankind many times over. Nuclear weapons are seen by many as an effective 8) cnsnsnnnenemcinen aNd the Only Way Of pre venting another world war. Others argue that they area 4) .. of money which ‘could be better spent on education and wel- fare. Artificial Insemination nature, childless, joy, a control Artificial insemination is a method of helping women to have children ‘when natural means have failed. Itcan bring great to parents who would otherwise be 2)... . However, itis @ morally confusing issue, Recently, in aly, women offity and above have had babies by artificial insemination. Some say that this goes against and could get the laws of 3) completely out of 4) Rockets sophisticated, launch, fireworks, landing The rocket was invented inthe 11th or 12th cen- ‘tury by the Chinese. They discovered that a bam- 'boo rod with gunpowder atone end would fy ike an arrow when it These rods were the first 1)... En Modern rockets are based on the same princi- ples though they are of course much more 2) ee sninneesne NG powerful. The first m00N 3) so the Apolo mission, was in 1969, Moon research has since been ‘abandoned and rocket propulsion snow chiefly used to 4) satelites and space probes. Satellites channels, signals, rotates, prediction ‘A natural satelite is a moon Which) nse around a planet. They were first discovered with the earliest tele- scopes. The planet Jupt ter has twelve. The first man-made satelite was Sputnick 1, launched in 1957. Satelites have a number of uses including weather 2) sonnenennns and transmission of telephone and television 3). a The Intelstat 5 satelite weighs about 2,000 kg and can deal with two TV 4). i and 12,000 phone calls simultaneously.3 Fillin the gaps with one of the words from the list below. sculptures, achievements, literature, buildings, music, inventions, primitive, paintings, artistic Thore are many different human 1) which extra terrestrials might be interested in if they visited earth, They could admire 2) . Such as the pyramids or the Parthenon. Or they might be interested in 8)... like the Computer oF the intemal combustion engine. But if the aliens have mastered space travel, these things will seem very 4)... - They ‘would, therefore, be more interested in our 5) cosomn achivements, These are many and varied, I they have eyes ike ours and can appreciate colour, then they might like 6) such as the Mona Lisa. Or f they have a sense of ouch théN 7) sss BE the Venus de Milo might be appreciated. If they hear like us, then they would probably lke 8). ‘And an advanced civilisation will surely have an equally advanced interest in 9) .. they might ike Shakespeare. sey $0 Uj Here are some groups of words associated with types of invention or human achievements. Circle the odd word from each group. buildings ‘opera house, cathedral, palace, wall, office block inventions fire, record player, telephone, television, car science nuclear eneray, wheel, rocket, computer, microchip, sand medicine antibiotics, syringe, influenza, aspirin, cough syrup literature novel, phrasebook, play, poetry, story 45, Look at thelist of words then fil in the table below. Add any ideas of your own, {quick and convenient, negative influence, noise and pollution, save lives, limits imagination, trafic jams, numerous applications, lack of privacy, badly bult nuclear power stations, easy contact, ‘Source of entertainment, cause allergic reactions and side effects, accidents, easy form of transport, loss of natural immunity, radiation leaks, cheap and immediate means of information, fatal ilnesses, inexhaustible source of energy Ces DRAWBACKS -te In pairs, use the words from exercise 5 and the useful expressions below to discuss the benefits and the drawbacks of some human achievements as in the example: Useful expressions enable, make up for, drawback, at a disadvantage eg SA: Coal, oil and gas won't last forever whereas nuclear energy is inexhaustible, This has enabled people to look at the future with optimism. 58: Even though it has numerous applications this cannot make up for the fact that it is responsible for causing fatal illnesses due to radiation leaks. Another drawback is the badly built nuclear power stations which are responsible for radioactive contamination of the environment. eparing for Speaking Tes — 1] Filin the gaps wth one of the words from the list below. UFOs, Martians, aliens, antennae, terrestrials, humanoid, green, fying, Venusians, saucers, photographs, radioactive, immediately, dangerous, communicate Creatures from outer space have many different names. These include 1) . 8x2 2) i and little 3) nn vo men. If they come from a particular planet then they are called after that planet. Soa) . are trom Mars and §) ‘come from Venus. They are believed to travel in fying 6) : which are also called 7) fh in other words unidentified 8)... object. Those who claim to have seen extracerestrials usually report that they are 9) : bout often there are small differences such as having only one eye or 10) .. on their heads. If you come auross a UFO, the Institue for Extra-Terrestral Research (IETR) gives the following advice: Dont approach the saucer, ft COULD DE 11)...» ON NO account should you 12) with its occupants; they might be extremely 13) sn-un if approached. Do not attempt to take 14) svnmanven Dut telephone IETR 1) . 8 Fill in the gaps with one of the words from the list below: research, rocket, courage, gravity, shuttle, astronauts, oxygen, intelligent life, colonise, satelites 4 In 1964 the first manned was launched, meaning that at last humans could travel into space. | 2. ihe were to live in space, we would have to deal withthe same problems as astronauts, such | as the lack of «which makes things weightless. 8 AB nnn ig easential for sustaining human if, any human settiement in ‘space would need an endless supply. aoe vu have revolutionised global communication. 5 People have been trying to find out for years whether or not there is in outer space. Cee are able to spend longer amounts of time in space due to the use of more sophisticated equipment. TSAO em snmrnnn used to solve problems on Earth. 8 The problem of overpopulation on Earth means that in future it may be @SSerta 1 rm the moon. 9 The American-made uh is an important step towards creating a space pus" as itis the only form of space transport which can be reused. 40 When flying into outer space astronauts need to face the unknown, Uses billions of dollars of government money that could beSpeaking Test 2 = [ Zu "i Giving Personal Information ‘© How do you celebrate Christmas? ‘© Did you believe in Santa Claus when you were a child? © Is Christmas an occasion for big family gatherings in your country? [ zur Talking about the pictures in relation to yourself Look at pictures A and B. * Compare the places you see in the two pictures. ‘© Which is most lke the place you live and why? Would you rather lve in the country or in the city? © What characterizes life in the city/country? ‘Look at pictures C and D. © Compare and contrast the different ways of life in the pictures. Is your life easier or more difficult than your grandparents"? Why/Why not? Can you think of ways in which technology has made life easier? In what ways was living in the past preferable to living in the | olSpeaking Test 2 Problem solving ¢ decision making planning * prioritising © speculation on given picture prompts etc The astronaut in the picture is traveling to another galaxy and ‘expects to meet other Ite forms. He will have to tell these beings about the human race. In pairs decide on what are the most important achievements of humankind which the astronaut could talk ‘about, Some ideas are suggested but you may introduce ideas of your own. a Discussing in pairs topics related to the theme of Part 3 © Do you think travel to other planets is really possible? Explain why. # Do you think there is inteligent life elsewhere in the galaxy? Explain wi, ‘© Ifyou met a being from another planet, what would you do? © What do you think are the most important personal qualities in an astronaut? «Ist ight to spend so much money on space research when. people on earth are starving? Explain why.Preparing for Speaking Test 3 sam Al FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS What festivals and celebrations are associated with the following pictures? In what countries do you think these festivals take place? 9, Circle the odd word in each group. types of festivals patriotic, religious, cultural, food, carine, wine, beer, romantic, miliary religion Catholic, Moslem, Conservative, Orthodox, Hindu, Buddhist names of festivals Christmas, Easter, New Year, Thanksgiving, Cannes Film Festival, Independence Day, Washing up, May Day, Saints Day, Bastile Day moods pious, happy, solemn, thoughtul, patriot, excited, beetle, colourful, romantic activities dancing, sleeping, dressing up, parades, reworks, fasting, eating, drinking Use the words from exercise 2 to complete the table, Data acu cwd Pad Independence DayPreparing for Speaking Test 3 Reed the descriptions below then fill in the boxes as in the example: ce At this festival, families join together. People who lve in towns vill usually join relatives in their villages. They go to church on Saturday night where they light candles. The next day they cook lamb on a spit and crack red. coloured eggs. This festival is a holiday for working people. In the past the government used the festival to commemorate the revolution which brought them to power. They used to celebrate with a parade fea- turing tanks and soldiers but nowadays the atmosphere is less military This festival is a showpiece for the fim industry. It takes place every year in a sea. side town in the south of France. itis used by stars to promote their films. It attrac- ts a lot of publicity The inhabitants of tis city in South America spend mon- ths, and lots of money preparing for this festival which takes place before the beginning of Lent. During the festival, people parade through the city dressed up in elaborate costumes, dancing to the sound of bands. Type: religious Name: Easter Activities: eating, dancing Place: Greece Type: Name: . Activities: Place’ Type! Name: Activities: ... Place: .. Type: Name: Activites: .. Place:rE This holiday is celebrated during the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, when peo- ple fast from sunrise to | sunset for 30 days. At the end of this time people cele- brate for several days by preparing and eating huge meals of very special food and dink Lovers and sweethearts in Europe and America send messages and presents to each other on this day. It happens on February 14th every year. This day is celebrated in the United States on the fourth ‘of July. It was on this day that the American colonies won their freedom from British rule, People celebrate outdoors, having picnics and barbecues, and at night there are huge firework dis- plays. This happens every year on Queen Elizabeth II_of England's birthday. The Queen, riding on horseback, joins in the parade along- side the hundreds of ser- vicemen under her com- mand. This day is celebrated on the last Thursday of November. itis a celebration of the first harvest in the American colonies, and on this day people get together and eat hhuge meals of turkey, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie. Name! ne Place: 1 Speaking Test 3 Preparing forI. This festvalis celebrated on ppeens December 25th, Special trees ftps: a ate set up and decorated with lights. The night before the O00 ee celebration young children hang up their stockings for i Activities: .. the gifs that Santa Claus leaves, Its traditional to go ER ieee to church and sing festive songs which celebrate the birth of Chris. This holiday is on the last day of October, and is celeb- Type: rated mainly in North Ame- rica. Families carve pump- Name: kins which they putin the front ‘ window with a candle inside. Aciiies: In the evening, children sie dressed up in costumes go from house to house asking for sweets, or else they have parties at home. (On this day in 1605 some- one tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Nowadays people build bonfires in their gardens and put a "Guy" on the top to burn. Then there are firework displays. A popular rhyme for this occasion is “Remember, remember the fith of November.” {5 Close your books an describe a) two ofthe festivals or holidays you have already read about and b) any festival celebrated only in your country. Use the useful expressions below. » © » « Useful expressions It’s traditional, It’s customary, In my home town, worldwide eg. Christmas is celebrated on the 25th December every year. It is celebrated in many countries worldwide. People give gifts to their family and friends on this day. 6 Fill in the gaps with one of the words from the list below. celebrated send honour fasting —_—feast Orthodox * gather decorate dress up displays. march ~— religious exchange worldwide turkey 1. Both the camival in Rio and Halloween are festivals where people 2 i is part of the traditional meal eaten at Christmas and on Thanksgiving day. 3 Christmas and Easter are ... suonnnmne BY Christians worldwide.4 Ceremonies in the coro snsuinn Church differ from Catholic and Protestant churches. BB LalWays voor cards at Christmas and for Valentine's day. 6 There Was & MiMUte'S SINCE 10 rc rersnnsnnv All the soldiers who had died in the war. 7 Although Guy Fawkes’ Day is British and the 4th of July is American, both include firework 8 Ina carnival parade people often dance but in a military parade the soldiers 9 Ramadan is a period of... in the Muslim calendda. 40. Many elgions mark a religious event with @ .--. cn that includes many carefully prepared dishes. 41 My family aWaYS «ns nsnsnnsnsnsnnenine Pr@sents On Christmas morning. 42. At Christmas we mi _ a tree but at Easter we paint eggs. 13 Christmas 8 @ on snnonennonn FOSHVAL 14 On holidays all the members of my family... somone YOgether in my grandmother's house. 15 New Year's Eve is celebrated in various ways OB EDUCATIO Can you think of any problems, faced by schools and their pupils? Would you prefer to study at home and go to schoo! only to lake exams? Would you prefer to go toa state or a private school? Why? Fill in the gaps with one of the words from the list below. subjects foes qualifications promotion training tuition education teachers, salaries further education grants donations career stimulated research 1 ‘such as history, geography, physics, chemistry and English can be studied at school. 2 Students AF one sone BY the use of pictures and games in class. 3 When students are thinking about what to study, they should keep in mind what they intend to pursue as a(n) after university ‘The government should be responsible for improving schools by giving to help pay for better facilities, 5 Ifteachers’ ‘were higher, the qualty of their work might be better. 6 Experienced sn CONSider it important to stimulate students. 7 Some schools are not government funded and the pupis’ parents pay the school 8 Students who find a particular subject dificult should be given extra 9 When students leave school and go on to selves for the job market. 10 MA. candidates should do a lot of snssnsenn Before writing their theses, TH Bt acces svonnsone f@ nSulficiant for her to be gen the post. 42 Rich members of society 62M MAE cose smnnen 40 SChOOIS t0 help ther. _. they a preparing them-Test for Speaking reparing 19. The better the education you have, the better your chances of quick . in your career. 14 The whole sana System needs to be reassessed in order to maintain high standards. 418 In some European countries teachers have as much as two years’. i betore they start to teach in schools. Match the words with the definitions. lateness being keptin school after class truancy permanent removal rom school low standards temporary removal from school indisciptine repeated absence trom school detention artiving late for class suspension rudeness or violence from pupils expulsion poor class and exam results Fill in the gaps with one of the words from the list below. classroom blackboard assembly hall bell corridor playing fields staffroom sports hall office canteen playground 1 The... is where the whole school meets in the morning for prayers or for general announcements. 2° Lessons ate held in the 3. Some Schools have al) ...rc.rrnernmnnsnnnnsnas Wher Pupils Can Duy their lunch. 4TH venomous fANQS 10 Mark the end of one lesson and the beginning of another. 5. The pupils normally go out into the .. somone YO t4Ke theit Breaks. 6 In between lessons or at breaktime, teachers gather in the .. f 7 Games lessons are given inside in the wnnmn ‘r outside on the — 8. The traditional .nn:nsnomne§$ NOW being replaced by the whiteboard in most classrooms, 9. The pupils walk between classrooms along a... e 10 Pupils who behave especially badly in class are sent to the headteacher... Try and list as many possible solutions as you can to the following problems, then say how each solution would work. Possible Solutions: students to provide sick notes when absent, suspension, government grants, ‘encourage local education authority to give more funds, appoint extra staff, arrange more in-service training, stricter punishment, install more computers, detention, set up extra support classes, ‘organise a PTA(Parent Teacher Association), improve library facilities, expulsion, set up tutorials, donations by the rich es6 Which of the problems in exercise 5 is most important? Use the expressions below to dis- cuss what changes should be made to overcome this problem. How would the changes work? '¢ © o » Useful expressions would be a good idea to, It would be best to this would lead to, this would result in, this would cause, this would give us, this would help eg. In many schools there is a problem of truancy. It would be a good idea to punish truants by giving them detention or suspension. This would lead to better discipline and it would help the school’s exam results. 1] Read the folowing dialogue and then use the information to fill in the following table. Dan: Ihave to say, I ove living in avilage. i's so much friendlier - in the city I never knew my neighbours. Pete: Not me! Before you know it, everybody knows your business. No, I'm glad | moved. Dan: But in our vilage we're a real community and we help each other out. And there's no crime! Pete: That's not a problem in the city as long as you're sensible, I've got to admit though, one thing | did miss about the country at first was the peace and quiet. When I first moved to town, | couldn't sleep for a week. Dan: Exactly. All/ ever hear isthe birds singing Pete: Yeah, but I've got used to the noise now. And | couldn't give up the theatres, cinemas and clubs here. And the underground runs all night, so there's no problem getting home, Where you live, the buses stop at seven in the evening. Dan: But I'm so happy here. I've got my vegetable garden and the scenery is fantastic. Pete: But nothing happens! And another thing, in the city people accept you as you are, whereas in the country they're less open-minded. Dan: Perhaps. But I'm so much happier knowing that my children don't have to breathe traffic fumes all the time. It's much healthier and our whole lifestyle is safer. Pete: Maybe I'll feel the same one day, but for the moment I'm happy where | am. TO Pro coin for Speaking Test i PreparingSpeaking Test 3 [ z= i m7 Giving Personal Information How old are you? ‘© How old are your parents or grandparents? © Are there things that you do but which your grandparents didn't do? + |Is there something you wish was different nowadays? | Pa ied Talking about the pictures in relation to yourself Look at pictures A and B. * Compare the festivals in these two pictures. What is being celebrated? '* Do you have similar festivals in your country? © Which foreign festivals do you know? © Which would you like to visit and why? Look at pictures C and D. * Compare life in the two pictures. Why is there a movement of people from villages to cities and towns nowadays? ‘© What kind of entertainment would you expect to find in a village or in a city? ‘© Which is the best place to raise children?Problem solving * decision making ° planning * prioritising * speculation on given picture prompts etc Speaking Test 3 Look at the pictures below. You are the new headteacher of the school where educational standards are low. Discuss the problems in the school and make suggestions to improve the situation. Eom Discussing in pairs topics related to the theme of Part 3 ‘Should education be free? Why/Why not? ‘© What subjects do you think are most important for students to learn and why? * How is education important in a person's career? * Should teachers be paid more? Do you think this would improve education?BE: Preparing for Speaking Test 4 Elsnorprmg |] teok at these pictures. In which shops can you find the following? What other shops do you know? Do you like going to any of these shops? Why/Why not? Who does the shop- ping for your family? 9) ill 'n the table using words from the list below. You may add words which are not on the e list. biscuits, sugar, accessories, rit, cigarettes, sweets, clothes, meat, newspapers, medicine, magazines, vegetables, hammer, toiletries, milk, perfume, tools, fish, canned drinks, seafood, make-up, nails PRODUCTFil in the table with the most suitable words from the list below. Then talk about each ‘shop consulting the table below as in the example. qualties: old-fashioned, busy, specials, impersonal, friendly, large, modem, small, ite) variety, expensive, cheap, general, open long hours personne’ shopkeeper, manager, checkout operatr, shel stacker, stall Holder, shop assistant features: counter, changing room, deep freeze, checkout splay, shelves, raoks, trolley, til, aisles, basket, eg A market stall is a small, old-fashioned place where people can buy cheap, specialist goods, Open air markets are run regularly, normally weekly. They are busy, but are seually quite friendly. The market stall is run by the stall holder who rents It from the city of town council. All the goods are displayed at the front so customers can see everything that is for sale at a glance. Fill in the gaps with one of the words from the list below. superstores, discount, handmade, staf, exclusive, expeditions, stock, tags, brand, varely, op ino, credit, run, delivered, cash 1. Saturday is the day when most people set out on shopping to the town centre. 2 VUSUally cnernrenennn the local video shop on Friday evenings to get a video to watch over the weekend. 3 Its probably better to go shopping once a week for food rather than watt until you have se tne OU OF everything, 4 Our local supermarket train their... _ $0 well that they know everything about the products. 5 I's so helpful when shops attach _. to items so you know how much something costs without having to ask. 6 Asthe record shop didn't have the CD I wanted in... son they offered to order itfor me. 7 Thote a7@ $0 MANY soeeser-nenw=vevex POPPING UP all Over the place and they seem to be taking away business from smaller shops. 8. You really can't hope to be offered a great... _ of products in a corner shop. 9 Larger items, such as furniture, are usually : soo tO your home. 40. The local supermarket offers a 10% . "to students i they present their stu- dent identification card. 11. Iwas offered a big discount on my fitted kitchen if! paid in... paying by credit. vo Father than12 Most shops now let you pay by... -» Catd if your shopping bill comes to £5 or more. 13. Valentino is a(n) label which few people can atford to buy. 14 Which is your favourite ..... sows Of biscuits? DD nersemnenencmenen tablecloths ar are so much more beautiful and delicate than the machine made ones, Fill in the table below with words from the list below. You may add some of your own ideas. Then make sentences using them as in the example: shortliong opening hours, expensive, weekend opening, helpful assistants, large variety of goods, ‘convenient, long queues, good layout, impersonal service, competitive prices, limited space GOOD POINTS BAD POINTS eg Corner shops are good, because they are convenient and have long, as well as week- end, opening hours. The shopkeeper is normally helpful. However, as there is limited space they don’t have a large variety of goods, and they tend to be expensive. 6 Fitin the gaps with one of the words from the list below: butcher's, greengrocer’s, chemist's, newsagent's, sweet shop, superstores, clothes shop, comer shop, grocers, baker's, fishmonger's, supermarket, chain stores, hardware store Your daily bread can be bought from the 10C8l nnn Every... Sells a varity of newspapers and magazines, as well as a selection of sweets, chocolates and cigarettes 3. Only fruit and vegetables can be bought from a .. aA. ini sells food and household supplies ‘28 wel as fruit and vegetables You can buy the medicine you need at the. 6 7, we Fresh meat can be bought at the Everything from frozen meat to cannes ‘om light-bulbs to paper napkins can be found ani ina... 8 Ata.. ‘you will find a variety of fish and seafood. 9 The latest fashions can be bought at a im f 10 A... an . sells only sweets, 11 Aer all the other shops have closed, you can sill buy the litle things that you need urgently in your local12 The good thing about... branch, 48. Everything you need for D.LY. in the house can be found in a 4 are normally situated out of the town centre, They sell the same things as supermarkets, but are much larger. .» i8 that in most towns you'll be able to find a 17 Describe and compare the shops below using the list of words from exercises 3, 4, 5 and 6. A ACCIDENTS || Inmet circumstances would you need to call each of the services shown in the pictures below? What numbers do you dial in your country? Do you know the numbers you would dial in Britain? 9 Fill in the gaps with one of the words from the list below. lifeboat firefighters truncheons: stretcher sirens life jackets whistles paramedics fire brigade coastguard pert arrive at the scene of an accident in an ambulance and immediately try to help the victims. 2 They lft the injured person onto a .... . put him into the ambulance and take him to hospital 3. We KN2W onsnnonsna Wer COMing t0 put out the fire because we could hear the 4 The police in England carry to protect themselves and vavunnunsnnnsne 10 raise the alarm when they are in trouble. The coastguard uses a Coastquards always wear lfsomeone gets stuck in a lift, we call the. in ‘As soon as they realised their boat was in serious trouble, they called the v= 10 rescue those in danger at sea. which help them stay afloat ervon Preparing for Speaking Test 4Match the treatments mentioned in the list below with the wounds and injuries in the table. You will need to use some words more than once. sticking plaster, ointment, bandage, ice, compress, stitches, plaster cast Gas Preparing for Speaking Test 4 4, Read the articles below. Discuss what the person inthe first article dd to help the victims of the accident and what the people in the second didn't do. Bravery Award for A Family of Three Young Girl Injured in Crash Twenty-year old Mandy Gribbons was presented with an award by Princess Diana for her bravery Acouple and their sev- and presence of mind during a horrific road acc en year old daughter ‘dent last year. While on were rushed to hos- her way to work last pitalin the early hours winter a car skidded on of the morning when black ice and ran into a their car hita tree and wall near Mandy. overtumed. Although made to stop bleed- Mandy immediately ca several cars passed ing. Meanwhile little led the police. Then she the scene of the acci- Julie Jarvis underwent ran tothe car andtried to. dent, only one car surgery this morning comfort the victims. The stopped. The emer- to piece together her ctivor had been thrown gency services were shattered log. from the car and Mandy not notified for at least Although she wasn't thought he right have broken his neck so she an hour after the acc- operated on immedi- didn't move him but she kept him warm by plac- gent, but even then ately, surgeons are ing her coat over him. Two small children who they were not told how hopefulthat she should were in the back seat of the car appeared fob urgent the situation _be able to walk again only slightly injured. Mandy, however, fearing the was. Fortunately the within about 2 months ‘car's petrol tank would explode, broke the back vicimms werenot moved, with the aid of crutch- window and cartied the children to safety botnoetienptwes es! DID Cea5 Fill in the gaps with one of the words from the list below. = hysterical, panic, bruise, unconscious, shock, numb, pain, dizzy, concussion, unwel, discomfort, ‘2 sore = a 41. The driver hit his head on the windscreen and ended up with a terrible... creme = | 2. The accident victim seemed to be in .. . ... 80 we covered him with a blanket. —s 3. The woman became «on... _.. when she saw her son knocked down by a car. = 4 He was in terrible cana cnn just after he broke his leg. = 5 She felt Some... _mmnnainua {fom the sprain but she wasn’t in great pain. S 6 At first we thought he was dead, but when we saw him breathing we realised he was just 7 When the fire alarm went off everyone ran for the exits in a..... rt Ht 8 The boating accident victims felt ......ccccranseesesennnvn by the time they got out of the icy water. 9 She found it difficult to talk as she had a vs . throat. 10. She felt anon vos B@CaUSE She Nad stood UP too quickly seven f0F 80 10g. 11. You ought to see a doctor i you've been fe6lINg w.nnnrnmnn 12. Theiite gil got .. ssnsnn ff0M falling on her head. {6 Se through the list, then fil in the table with what you could or should do and what you should not do if an accident occurs. stop any bleeding, smoke next to a car accident, disinfect wounds, give vicims a cup of coffee, dal 999,move a person with a broken neck, Keep victims warm, mave people away from the area of possible explosion, give artificial respiration, ignore the victims Seer Sa Ip itra te itermalton ote art the useful expressions below discuss what you should and shouldn't do if an accident occurs. e © © » Useful expressions never, always, must, it helps if, only...whentif eg. If people are involved in a road accident and you think they have a broken neck, you should not move them. You should try to stop any bleeding.Circle the oad word. 1 injury cut, bruise, headlight, broken bone, sprain 2 treatment: bandage, safety belt, sticking plaster, plaster cast, stitches 3. safety features: air-bag, safety belt, spanner, antilock brake, bumper 4 car damage: scrape, broken windscreen, soratch, write-off, splinter 5 attempis to avoid an accident: brake, swerve, turn, stop, graze 6 personal accidents: trip, fall, cut, brake, break 9 Fill in the gaps with one of the words from the list below. speeding, brakes, collided, swerve, slippery, seatbelts, write-offs, dented, speed restrictions Weather makes road dangerous ‘The Benthworth to Hunningdale road has been the scene of sev- eral accidents recently, as the cold wet weather has made the roads very 1) Drivers seem to be ignoring the 2) . In one case a car was 3). along the road and the driver had to 4) to avoid a lorry. In doing so he hit a lam- post. The front of the car was badly 5) In another case two cars 6). cnn When one of the car's ie _. falled, The drivers were both unhurt as they were wearing 8) z . but their cars proved to be {took atthe ist below. Which phrases are associated with the cause of an accident and which are associated with avoiding an accident? ‘checking the brakes, not slowing down near children or animals, driving more siowly in rin or snow, drinking alcoho, following speed limits, lighting a cigarette, slowing down before a junction, driving faster in towns, keeping a safe distance from other cars Tea Perseall Read the two articles and compare them. Say which accident you think is worse and why. peaking Test 4 Lucky Escape a pay for Family of Three Drunk driver causes accident _ A young driver was A two-year old aise last night child and both ater a colision with his parents were _motoroyclist_ on all taken to hos- the Clydach bypass. pital today when jt seems the driver the car they Jost control of his were drivingwas —yehicle and hit the involved in an motorcyclist who was accident. Police coming in the opposite charged with reckless believe the car direction. A breathalyser driving. He could face a skidded on ice and left the road. All used at the scene harsh prison sentence the passengers were wearing safety showed that the driver and the loss of hs driving belts and suffered only minor injuries was four times over the licence. Meanwhile, the including cuts from the broken wind- — jagal limit for alchohol motorcyclist, Steven Eyrer, screen. They were allowed to leave cgngumption. He will is now in a stable con hospital after treatment but the car's appear in court tomorrow _ tion in hospital. extensively damaged epee o Preparing for $ [Qtook at these drawings and say what may have caused the accident. In pairs, discuss an accident that you have witnessed or been involved in, then report to the class. You must say: what caused the accident, the injuries, the damage and what could have been done to prevent it. You can use words from exercises 8, 9, 10 and 11.al mee Speaking Test 4 FEEDER ovina rr © Do you enjoy learning foreign languages? ‘© What other foreign languages are you learning besides English? ‘© Should everyone learn a second language? ‘© What are the advantages of leaming a foreign language? wy Talking about the pictures in relation to yourself onal Information Compare these two shops in the pictures. What sort of things do you think you can buy in each place? Is it right to buy on credit? Do you buy things by mail order? Why/Why not? Look at pictures A and B. Look at pictures C and D. * Compare these two types of celebration, ‘ee these celebrations popular in your country? Ifyou could create a festival, what would it be and why? Do you think nowadays people enjoy celebrations as much as they did in the past? Why/Why not?Problem solving * decision making * planning © prioritising * speculation on given picture prompts etc Look at this scene of a car accident. There are several things shown in the picture which may have caused the accident. Work in pairs and discuss what may have caused the accident. You do not have to mention only the causes shown in the picture, Discussing in pairs topics related to the theme of Part 3 How much do you think someone can safely drink and sill drive? What can you do to avoid being inured in a car acident? How would you try to avoid an accident lke the one in the picture? Do you think the driving test should be made more or less difficult and how would you change it? Do you think the speed limit for cars should be lower and itso, wy? eooemew Preparing for Speaking Test 5 Al HOBBIES AND PASTIMES || entity the hobbies and pastimes inthe pictures, then say what kind of equipment, qualities and skills you need for each one of them. 9 ‘Complete the table using words from the list below. stamps, records, coins, basketball, soccer, model planes, fishing, billards, music, TV, video, birds, collages, a musical instrument, cinema, films, darts, hiking, butterflies, chess, sailing, paper flowersWrite the equipment and qualities that are needed for the hobbies listed in the table. You will need to use some words more than once. You may add ideas of your own. ‘equipment: canoe, books, chessboard, hook, paddles, seeds, uniform, boots, violin, piano, {uitar, stamps, bal, album, trumpet, rod, training shoes, wet sult, chess set, ‘gardening tools, helmet, plants, net, magnifying glass ‘qualties/skits: energetic, patent, creative, observant, organised, quick, active, persistent, tolerant, ‘methodical, ft, knowledgeable, courageous, strong, musical, imaginative, clever Bere Using the words above tell your partner what special equipment and qualities are needed for each hobby. eg To be able to play a musical instrument you need to have an instrament, such as a violin, piano, guitar or trumpet. You also need to be patient and persistent becouse {you will need to practise a lot. t also helps if you are musical. 5 Complete the table below with the appropriate forms of the nouns or adjectives. es Tec strength imagination activity Patience organised persistence EE tolerance creative methodical knowledgeable courageous cleverness6 Fill in the gaps with one of the words from the list below. patience memory talent knowledge ear organisation speed accuracy rhythm eye ‘competion stamina 1. Record producers can recognise talented musicians because they have a good .. se fOF music, 2. When making a collection of stamps or any other object, it helps to have a sense of 3. Dancers and musicians alike should possess a sense of 4 ws important for a darts player as he must throw the dart ata small target. 5. For hobbies such as fishing or bird-watching ... : is an essential quality, 6 When painting a picture you need to have a good .- for colour and details. 7. Physically demanding sports requis... 8 In running races the key factor is . 9. To do this jigsaw puzzle without locking atthe picture requires a good... 40 To play a musical instrument well, you also need to have a certain amount of 11 Toplay basketball one as te havea good ofthe rules. 12. Theres an element cf... and a desire to win in every sport. 17 Filtin the words from the list in the table below. ‘develops engineering skills, relaxing, develops a sense of rhythm, highly dangerous, risk of injury, become fiter, expensive, lonely, encourages creativity, creates atmosphere, need(s) special clothes, ‘expands your horizons EEE Pe snes NCOUFAQES “a competitive and team spirit eaoetl brings you closer doesn't encourage fitness, bn " . boring, ‘can be both relaxing and stimulating, listening to music . gives a lot ‘greater fitness and health, ‘opportunity for social contact, ime consuming promotes seltconfidence and courage, requires flexible lifestyle, A doesn't encourage original designs, economical communication with other people,Talk about each pastime from the table in exercise 7. Choose a hobby you are interested in. Using the ideas above and the useful expressions below discuss a) the qualities you need for the hobby, b) any equipment you need, c) its benefits and drawbacks. » » » Useful expressions need, must have, require, an advantage, a benefit, of course, obviously, to begin with, at the start eg Playing a musical instrument will help you develop a knowledge of music and rhythm. It will also help you become more skilful. However, it can be quite an expensive hobby which requires a lot of practice. It can also be isolating as you will need to spend a lot of time on your own. Compare tne fotowingpestmesinobbes using the expressions below. ‘more than, less than, the most/least of, the best eg Reading is a more relaxing hobby than playing chess A HOMELESSNESS AND UNEMPLOYMENT Look at the pictures of the two men. What words come to mind when you look at them? What are the differences between them? g) In hich ofthe piaces below do you think a homeless person might sleep? ‘a hotel, a shop doorway, a police station, Buckingham Palace, a cardboard box on a pavement, Under a railway arch, in a charity hostel Preparing for Speaking Test SMatch the reasons for homelessness with the possible solutions. Alcoholism more beds in psychiatric hospitals Losing your job _ special centres where runaways can find shelter and receive “counselling Running away from home“ detoxification centres where people are helped to recover from their addiction ‘Suffering from mental illness low interest loans which people could repay gradually Getting into debt retraining schemes to help people find alternative employment A, Fill inthe gaps with words from the list below. newspapers, cold, rubbish, diseases, church, soup kitchens, malnourishment, vagrants, rags, streets, foot, beg ‘Although chatities try to feed homeless people at 1) .......u:ienumnnn Many homeless people have to search for extra food in 2). sninisennsnn INS. AS a TeSUlt, Most homeless peO- ple suffer from 3) unseen Hostels for the homeless are run by charities and by the 4) , but there ae More 8) ..n.nenmues than beds and many have to sleep rough in the ia . Because they sleep outside, even in winter, homeless people suffer from the 7) y They have no money for clothes and dress 0B) sn ‘Some homeless people are given blankets but most try to keep warm using old 9) 1. TheSe COnditIONS [22d 10 10) euvunonenneneneee SUC bronchitis, pneumonia and tuberculosis. Most homeless people are unemployed and so they have to 11). "for money. They have nowhere to stay and travel from place to place on 12) 5 Use the information from exercise 4 to complete the following table. dessa) Posies a large detached house = | == || ooo) | a a fewer | a Scr car stress6 ussite Information from exercises 3 and 4 and the useful expressions below to discuss in pairs a homeless person’s life, » © « » Useful expressions (to show you are angry at something which is wrong), I's a disgrace, | reflection on our society {to show people are forced to do something they don't want), have to, are made to, are forced to eg SA: Many people become homeless because they have lost their job. SB: They have no work. I's disgraceful that they have to beg for money. disgraceful, I's a bad 7 Aimar stalking about being unemployed. Read the following dialogue and answer the questions below. Jim: How long have you been out of work? “Jack: Well, about a year ago | was made redundant. The company was having financial problems and So they had no choice but to let some of the workers go. There were fity of us dismissed in total. Jim: And how are you managing for money? “Jack: Well, my tedundancy payment helped in the beginning. | suppose | was lucky to get that! 1'd been fired, | wouldn't have had that security at the beginning. So that money lasted 2 few months, but as I've never been able to save money it didnt last long. Jim: But surely you're also claiming unemployment benefit? ‘Jack: Yeah, every week | go to my local DSS office, and collect my dole money. But is not enough {or us to maintain the lifestyle that we'd been leading when | was working, Jim: Have you been looking for another job? Jack: Of course | have. Everyday, | go down tothe local job centre to seeifthere are any jobs going. {algo look atthe jobs section in newspapers. They've been very helpful atthe job centre real ly. Next week 'm starting a re-training scheme to teach me skls that | need to help me ejomn the workforce. Jim: Do you think you'll have a lot of problems finding another job? “Jack: Well!'m near retirement age you know, when I'l be able to start claiming my pension. People don't like training people if they're only going to stay a couple of years. And also, of course, they prefer to give jobs to more energetic young people. Questions: a) Why was Jack made redundant? b) What are job centres? ) How does retraining help people find a new job? d) What happens when people reach the retirement age? § Hotel teers with the definitions. cout of work —_ the money given by the government to people who are unemployed made redundant unemployed let go ‘a government office with job adverts, which also offers job counselling and training dismissed the total number of people who are employed redundancy payment the age at which someone stops working, normally 60 for a woman, 65 for aman fired ‘a sum of money paid to people who have been made redundant unemployment benefit weekly payment given to elderly people jb centre told offically that you no longer have a job retraining to be released from a contract workforce lose your job as you are no longer required, or the company can't afford to pay you retirement age lose a job for doing something wrong pension teaching a person new skilsSpeaking Test 5 Leta Giving Personal Information ‘© How often do you go to the cinema? ‘© Do you think videos are a threat to the cinema? © Does watching fims encourage creativity? What are the hobbies inthe pictures? What special skills are needed for these hobbies? What are the most popular pastimes in your country? What should you consider before taking up a hobby? Look at pictures A and B. é ae Look at pictures C andD. * Gompare and contrast the types of shops in the pictures * Do you find going shopping enjoyable? Why? ‘Which ofthe two places shown in the pictures provides a ‘mote personal and friendlier service? Why? ‘Do you think that large supermarkets should replace all small shops?