Intermediate 3 Unit 4

Unit 4
A Helping Hand

Call-In
a. Do you remember the radio call-in, “Point of View,” from the computer lesson? Mark the
statements that the radio host said during the program.

✔ 1. We want to hear what you think. 

2. l don’t think society shouId feeI responsibIe for them. 

✔ 3. You’re on the air. 

4. l’d Iike to comment on what Mr. Dawkins said. 

✔ 5. l’m sorry, but l have to interrupt you. 

✔ 6. What are your views on the situation of the homeIess? 

✔ 7. We have another caIIer. 

✔ 8. Do we have someone on the Iine? 

✔ 9. Thank you aII for Iistening. 

✔ 10. Join us again. 

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Intermediate 3 Unit 4

b. Match the phrases from column B to the phrases from column A to complete
the sentences.

A B

1. We wiII discuss the situation... a. ...on whether or not you’re wiIIing to work.

2. What is our responsibiIity... b. ...who don’t have enough money to pay the
rent.

3. Keeping a job depends... c. ...of the homeIess in America’s cities.

4. HomeIess peopIe are usuaIIy capabIe... d. ...peopIe who have had some bad Iuck.

5. The homeIess may be senior citizens... e. ...as members of society?

1. c 2. e 3. a 4. d 5. b

c. What did you think of the opinions expressed by the callers on “Point of View”? Mark
whether you agree or disagree with the statements below. Then exchange answers with a
partner.

Agree Disagree

1. Keeping a job usuaIIy depends on whether or not you’re wiIIing to

work.

2. l don’t think the society shouId feeI responsibIe for these peopIe.

3. l don’t beIieve in heIping peopIe who won’ t heIp themseIves.

4. The homeIess are reaIIy no different from you or me.

5. lf the estabIishment had taken steps to heIp these peopIe, the

situation wouId be different today.

d. Imagine you call the “Point of View” program to express your opinion about the homeless.
Write a dialogue between the radio host and yourself. Use the words and phrases from
activities a. and b. to help you.

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 Intermediate 3 Unit 4

Does Homeless Mean Helpless?

a. Decide which of the following statements from the article, “Does Homeless Mean Helpless?”
express a fact or an opinion. Underline the words which helped you decide which sentences
express opinions. Mark the appropriate column. Check your answers with a partner.

fact opinion
1. Thousands of youngsters and eIderIy peopIe Iive on the ___________ ___________
streets.
2. Our government shouId have done something about this ___________ ___________
probIem years ago.
3. lf Iow-rent housing had been provided then, there wouId ___________ ___________
not be such a probIem today.
4. WiIIy Burns has spent the Iast nine years on the street. ___________ ___________

b. Who said what in the article? Mark the appropriate column.

Mrs. Jacks Mr. Burns Kevin

1. “l am not capabIe of Iiving Iike other citizens.”

2. “Wherever l went, l’d stiII feeI Iike l didn’t beIong.”

3. “No positive steps have been taken to offer these

peopIe an aIternative Iife.”

4. “l came from a home where

there was a Iot of vioIence.”

5. “l can’t heIp wondering why

peopIe want to heIp me.”

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Intermediate 3 Unit 4

c. Which of the people in activity b. might have made the following statements?
1. “Life has been pretty bad. l have no hope for the future.”
( Mrs. Jacks / Mr. Burns / Kevin)

( Mrs. Jacks / Mr. Burns / Kevin)

3. “l chose to Iive on the streets. lt’s what l prefer.”

( Mrs. Jacks / Mr. Burns / Kevin)

d. Add another statment each person might have said.

1. Mrs. Jacks: _________________________________________________________
2. Mr. Burns: _________________________________________________________
3. Kevin : _________________________________________________________

e. Match the words in column B to the correct words in column A.

A B
1. take ___
c a. housing
2. provide ___
a

3. give ___
e c. steps
4. make ___
b d. an aIternative Iife
___
d e. a point of view

f. What steps could be taken to help the homeless? Read the following ideas and choose
three that you agree with.

✔ 1. Distribute free meaIs to peopIe who Iive on the streets.

✔ 2. Force the homeIess to go into sheIters.
3. Have sociaI workers visit the homeIess once a week.
✔ 4. Have doctors go out on the streets to examine the homeIess.
5. Provide Iow-rent housing.
6. lnvite the homeIess into your home.

g. Look at the title of the passage “Does Homeless Mean Helpless?”. Do you think homeless
means helpless? Write a short paragraph saying how you think homeless people can be
helped. Use your own ideas or those in activity f. Give your paragraph to a partner to read.

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 Intermediate 3 Unit 4

Do You Need Help?

a. In the dialogue, “Do You Need Help?” a young man tries to help a woman. Write the
phrases from the dialogue that express the following:

1. offering heIp ____________________________________________________________

Ma´am, do you need help?

2. accepting heIp __________________________________________________________

Yes, please

3. refusing heIp ____________________________________________________________

No thanks, I´m ok.

b. Here are some more sentences about offering, accepting, and refusing help. Decide
which each person is expressing, and mark the correct column.

Offering heIp Accepting heIp Refusing heIp

1.  Can l heIp you carry your shopping bag?

2.  l prefer to depend on myseIf, thanks.

3.  PIease, Iet me give you a hand. lt’s reaIIy

no troubIe.
4.  l don’t want your heIp. l can manage
by myseIf.

5.  WouId you Iike me to heIp you find a job?

6. Can l at Ieast offer you a hot meaI and

a cup of coffee?
7. l’ve toId you before - l Iike doing things my
own way.
8. Oh, aII right. You can drive me to the
doctor’s.

9.  Yes, that’s very kind of you.

10. ls there anything eIse l can do for you?

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Intermediate 3 Unit 4

c. Write two alternative dialogues. In Dialogue 1, a homeless person accepts help from a social
worker. In Dialogue 2, he refuses help. You can use the phrases from activities a. and b. to
help you.

Dialogue 1
Social worker: Do you need heIp finding a pIace to stay?
Homeless person: _________________________________________________________
Oh yes, I need it

Social worker: _________________________________________________________

Ok, so let´s go theres a place you can go.

Homeless person: _________________________________________________________

Really? Thank you

Social worker: _________________________________________________________

Oh, don´t worry,you will be safe now.

Homeless person: _________________________________________________________

Thank you

Dialogue 2

Social worker: Do you need heIp finding a pIace to stay?

Homeless person: _________________________________________________________
No, i don´t such a thing

Social worker: _________________________________________________________

Sir, I think you need to rest in a proper place

Homeless person: _________________________________________________________

Well, I don´t think so

Social worker: _________________________________________________________

Sir, please theres food, water and a comfy bed

Homeless person: _________________________________________________________

No lady, please understand

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 Intermediate 3 Unit 4

More Relative Clauses: Review

a. Read the following descriptions of characters from the unit. Choose the correct relative
pronouns to complete the texts. Then, match the pictures to the descriptions.

1. “Point of View” is a radio caII-in program

(1) whose/whom/which is Iistened to by ordinary
citizens aII over the country.
(2) Whatever/Whenever/Whoever you are and
(3) whatever/whenever/whoever you think - we at a.
“Point of View” want to hear from you.
So caII us now - and Iet’s hear (4) what/that/which
you have to say! ___d

2. Poor Kevin came from a home

(1) whose/where/that there was a Iot of vioIence.
As a resuIt, he ran away from home and ended up
on the streets. Now, (2) wherever/whenever/whatever
he goes, he feeIs he doesn’ t beIong. He has a very b.
negative attitude about the future and feeIs that
(3) whatever/whenever/whoever he does wiII
c
end in faiIure. ___

3. WiIIy Burns, (1) whose/whom/where Iife for the Iast

nine years has been spent on the streets, cIaims that
he is homeIess by choice. He says that he is an
exampIe of someone (2) whose/which/who isn’t
capabIe of Ieading a normaI Iife. c.
(3) Whatever/Wherever/Whenever happens, he
b
prefers to depend onIy on himseIf. ___

4. MariIyn is a sociaI worker (1) who/where/which

works with homeIess peopIe. She beIieves that the
homeIess are capabIe peopIe (2) who/that/which
have simpIy had some bad Iuck.
(3) Whatever/Whoever/Whenever the reason peopIe d.
have for being homeIess, MariIyn beIieves that
a
society aIways has the responsibiIity to heIp out. ___

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Intermediate 3 Unit 4

b. Complete the description of Mrs. Jacks by adding the correct relative pronoun.

Mrs. FIory Jacks, (1) ____________

who Iives in a retirement home, is satisfied with her Iife.
However, she has to do (2) ____________
whatever the staff at the home teIIs her to do. Sometimes,
when she is IoneIy, she speaks to (3) _____________
whoever is around at the moment. She reaIIy
misses her oId neighborhood, (4) ___________
where she had Iived for over 40 years.

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