WORKSHEET 8

1. Read the following passage, then answer the question which follow it, basing you answers
entirely on the information given in the passage.

Someone is knocking at India’s door. No one special, just Ravi Khanna, a well-
dressed young man who works hard and talks fast. But that unremarkable exterior
masks an agent of revolution, arousing passions that are transforming India’s
tottering socialist order. “Good morning. Mrs Bedi," Ravi says. “May I come in to
show you the Mitcy-Vac? Is the man of the house in?" 5

Before Mrs Bedi knows it, Ravi is inside her small apartment, demonstrating his
wonder contraption. “lt can clean anything." Ravi boasts. Mr Bedi, however, is not
impressed by the $200 price tag - more than two weeks’ wages for a senior-grade
civil servant such as himself. Ravi, sweating now, promises training, service, lifetime
devotion. He says, “For me the customer is like a god." Mrs Bedi looks at her 10
husband. "It’s your choice," he says.

Ravi and Mrs Bedi are only drops in the ocean of India's 835 million people, but
they are part of a wave that has brought unprecedented change to India’s economy
and society over the past decade. The participants in this social revolution are the
members of India's middle class. A hard working group with rupees to spare, they 15
constitute a marketer’s dream, and they are expanding rapidly. It has been predicted
that ten years from now about 300 million Indians will be members of the middle
class.

In India, social position used to be equated with an English education and a job in
the Indian Administrative Service. Today it is money that increasingly defines status, 20
giving rise to a middle class that cuts across caste and religion. The rush to acquire
has affected such sensitive traditions as arranged marriages and has allowed
middle-class women to emerge in the workforce. It is no longer regarded as
shameful to covet the good life and to seek an even better life for one’s children.
Instead of bowing down under drudgery, as Indians have traditionally done, they 25
now consider that self-gratification is no longer a dirty word.

The urge to splurge has been fuelled by several interlocking forces. Apart from
limited economic liberalisation, a wealth of consumer items now jam once poorly-
stocked shelves. Television advertising deepens middle-class dissatisfaction with
the restrictions that remain.
30
The pursuit of a middle-class lifestyle is swiftly altering Indian society. While most
marriages are still arranged, restrictions of caste compatibility are giving way to
considerations of money. Even more dramatic is the emergence of the working wife,
once regarded by the middle class as a sign that her husband could not support his
family. Nowadays, 99% of the men who apply to marriage bureaus want wives who 35
are already employed.

While many are climbing up the economic ladder, the problem of poverty is as
desperate as ever. India remains divided between the barely subsisting poor and the
consumer-happy middle class, and an enormous national effort is needed to
reconcile these two worlds. The challenge is to provide education, health care and 40
job opportunities for the poor, so they too, can participate in India's revolution before
resentment erupts among the have-nots.
1. In what sense is Ravi Khanna “knocking at India’s door” (line 1)?
In the sense that he’s trying to introduce new ideas to traditional India.

2. What are the “passions” (line 3) that are being aroused?

They are those of consumerism; the desire to buy and self-gratify.

3. What is meant by "wonder contraption" (lines 7)?

The Mitey-Vac (presumably a vacuum cleaner)

4. Why is Ravi described as “sweating" (line 9)?

Because he’s worried that she’s not going to buy the Mitey-Vac (too expensive?)

5. In what sense are Ravi and Mrs Bedi “drops in the ocean" (line 12)?
In the sense that they are only a tiny part of a greater whole (two people among 835 million)

6. How are the changes described “unprecedented" (line 13)?

The changes to India’s economy and society are both dramatic and novel.

7. Explain the phrase “rupees to spare” (line 15) in your own words.
Extra money to spend.

8. In what way are the middle class a "marketer's dream" (line 16)
They have available money and the desire to spend it and so are an ideal target market for
the marketer

9. What is meant by “no longer a dirty word" (line 22)?

Self-gratification is not something that is disapproved of or condemned as it once was in the
past.

10. Explain the phrase “the urge to splurge" (line 26).

It means a desire to spend money.

11. Explain in your own words the change in attitude towards working wives.
Working wives no longer symbolize their husband’s shamefully poor financial status but
instead, are now regarded positively.

12. What are the “two worlds" (line 39) referred to?
They are the separate worlds of India’s poverty-stricken people and the middle class.

13. Classify the category of the words given in the text according to their word formation (prefixes,
suffixes, compounds)

Well-dressed Compound adjective formed with the adverb “well” and the
adjective “dressed” meaning “with expensive, clean clothing”
Unprecedented Adjective resulting from the prefix un- and suffix -ed added to the
noun “precedent”
Workforce Compound noun formed from the verb “work” and the noun “force”
Middle-class Compound adjective formed from the noun “middle” and the noun
“class” meaning “educated and well off”
Interlocking Adjective resulting by adding the prefix inter- and the suffix –ing to
the verb “lock”
Lifetime Compound noun formed from the noun “life” and the noun “time”
meaning “the period of time that somebody is alive”
Shameful Adjective formed by adding the suffix –ful to the noun “shame”
 14. Give 6 examples of silent letters found in the text

someone knocking talks are come more

15. Give examples from the text of words with prefixes

unremarkabl transformin impresse unprecedente interlockin dissatisfactio

e g d d g n

16. Give examples from the text of connectors.

And: addition connector

But: contrast connector
However: contrast connector
As: reason and cause connector
While: contrast connector

17. Find the words or expression from the text for the following definitions.

Drudgery Dull work

Splurge Spend money lavishly
Jam Become stuck
Swiftly Moving or able to move with great speed
Resentment A feeling of displeasure or anger about an unfair situation
Have-nots People who are not with wealth or other material advantages

18. In a paragraph of 70-90 words, explain what changes are taking place in Indian society and
what problems they present.

India’s socialist order is collapsing with the advent of an expanding middle class whose
spending power is changing the country’s economy and society. Shops are now well-
stocked and the urge to buy and self-gratify is no longer disapproved of. Attitudes towards
arranged marriages are changing and working wives are being regarded positively. The
wide gap between the classes presents a problem and adequate facilities for the poor are
required if unrest is to be prevented. Middle class dissatisfaction with the remaining
consumer restrictions also exits.

2. TRANSCRIPTION
These changes together with other changes such as mixed marriages, have altered the face of
British society. Some people deplore them as a breakdown of traditional values. Others praise
them as expressions of greater tolerance and diversity. But one thing is for sure: British families
are changing and will continue to change.

/ðiːz ˈʧeɪnʤɪz təˈgɛðə wɪð ˈʌðə ˈʧeɪnʤɪz sʌʧ əz mɪkst ˈmærɪʤɪz, hæv 
ˈɔːltəd ðə feɪs əv ˈbrɪtɪʃ səˈsaɪəti //sʌm ˈpiːpl dɪˈplɔː ðəm əz ə ˈbreɪk
ˌdaʊn ɒv trəˈdɪʃənl ˈvæljuːz// ˈʌðəz preɪz ðəm əz  ɪks
ˈpreʃənz əv ˈgreɪtə ˈtɒlərəns ənd daɪˈvɜːsəti// bət wʌn θɪŋ
ɪz fɔː ʃʊə: ˈbrɪtɪʃ ˈfæməliz ɑː ˈʧeɪnʤɪŋ ənd wɪl kənˈtɪnju(ː) tə ʧeɪnʤ// /

Notes:

3. For each of the sentences below write a new sentence as similar as posible in meaning
to the original sentence, but using the Word given. This word must not be altered in any
way.

1. The director knows a lot about modern art. WIDE

The director has a wide knowledge of modern art.

2. His behaviour at the party was incomprehensible to us. BEYOND

His behaviour at the party was beyond (our) comprehension.

3. I consider him my worst enemy. LOOK

I look on him as my worst enemy.

4. That Mary will pass the exam is a foregone conclusion. BOUND

May is bound to pass the exam

5. They may think you killed him. SUSPECTED

You may be suggested of killing him.

6.Len tried to do the exercise, but without success. MATTER

No matter how hard Len tried, he couldn’t do the exercise.

7. Only Paul succeeded in reaching the goal. FAILED

Everyone but Paul failed to reach the goal.

8. They were educated very strictly. THEIRS

Theirs was very strict education.

4. Match the phrasal verbs in bold italics with the definitions given.

1. The soldiers fell back when the enemy appeared on the horizon.
2. She fell back on her own ingenuity when all else failed.
3. John fell for Susan at first sight. They got married a month later.
4. The roof of the house fell in during the earthquake
5. To avoid an argument she fell in with her husband's plans.
6. When Tom saw the food he fell on it and ate it greedily.
7. Attendance has fallen off severely during the Christmas period.
8 They always fall out with each other over the household
accounts.
9. Their holiday plan fell through when the children became ill.
10. During the war many men joined up in order to defend their country.

1.E 2.J 3.A 4.G 5.C 6.H 7.B 8.F 9.D 10.I

5. Fill In the blanks with one of the Idioms.

1. George has many irons in the fire that if he decides not to accept the sales job he has the
pick of at least seven other positions.
2. When someone threatened to report him to the police. Peter was out of the house before
you could say Jack Robinson.
3. Having worked for the firm for years, she knew all the ins
and outs of company policy.
4. The children who broke the window will be for the high
jump when their father finds
out.
5. When she introduced her two friends, she tried to break
the ice by mentioning the interests they had in common.
6. Our neighbours do their best to keep up with the
Joneses by buying the best cars and most expensive
furniture.
7. She had a job making the pastry as she had never done it
before and had no recipe to follow.
8. He was ill at ease at the party as he didn't know anyone
who was there.
9. The first cockroach I saw in the kitchen was just the tip of the iceberg; there were
actually hundreds under the cooker and fridge.
10. It's your own fault you got the sack; now you can stew in your own juice.
6. Fill in the blanks with the right preposition.

1. You should not use aerosols because they’re harmful to the environment.
2. The mice huddled against each other in the corner of their cage.
3. The tourists were hunched up under the weight of their rucksacks.
4. I haggled with the shopkeeper over the price of the souvenir.
5. I still haven't heard from the insurance company about my claim.
6. The rioters indulged in a boutof looting.
7. I've received an invitation to the annual nurses' conference in Glasgow.
8. I'm becoming increasingly impatient with this class; they never pay attention.
9. I'm indebted to my husband for all his support.
10. The computer in the reception is inferior to the one in my office.

7. Fill each of the numbered blanks in the following passage. Use only one word in each
space.

It is often said that the British (1) talk about the weather more than any (2) other people in the
world; some extremists (3) claim/say that they talk about nothing else. But in fact, even in
countries with (4) far less changeable climates (5) than Britain's, the weather is an endless, if not
varied, (6) source of conversational fodder. This seems only natural when you (7) consider that
the weather is (8) one of the few things we all have in (9) common. It affects our senses, and (10)
even/often our moods, so directly and, at times, so intensely (11) that it is only natural we
should talk about (12) it . After several days (13) or even weeks of dark, gloomy weather, a bright
day (14) tends to bring out the best in everyone; people recognise the relief (15) in others’
expressions which they feel inside themselves, and (16) find it hard to resist commenting (17) on
a change which is having such an evident (18) effect on everyone. "Nice day, isn’t it?” is much
more than simply a comment on the state of the weather; it is a comment on the human state (19)
itself an acknowledgment that the tenability of our place in the universe (20) depends on the
existence of a community of human feeling.

8. Match the phrases and explain the proverbs.

1. Better late A. before the hatch. 1. F

2. Absence makes the heart B. shouldn’t throw stones 2. H
3. People in glass-houses C. keeps the doctor away 3. B
4. All’s well D. on the other side (of the fence) 4. J
5. An apple a day E. wait for no man. 5. C
6. Don’t count your chickens F. than never 6. A
7. The grass is always greener G. killed the cat 7. D
8. A new broom H. grow fonder 8. I
9. Curisity I. sweeps clean. 9. G
10. Time and tide J. that ends well 10. E

9. TRANSLATION

Aquel domingo, las nubes habían resbalado del cielo y las calles yacían sumergidas bajo
una laguna de neblina ardiente que hacía sudar los termómetros en las paredes.
 “That Sunday, clouds spilled down from the sky and swamped the streets with a hot mist
that made the thermometers on the walls perspire.
That Sunday, the clouds had slid from the sky and the streets lay submerged beneath a
pool of burning mist that sweated the thermometers on the walls.
A media tarde, rondando ya los treinta grados, partí rumbo a la calle Canuda para mi cita
con Barceló en el Ateneo con mi libro bajo el brazo y un lienzo de sudor en la frente.
Halfway through the afternoon, the temperature was already grazing the nineties as I set off
towards Calle Canuda for my appointment with Barcelo, carrying the book under my arm and with
beads of sweat on my forehead.
At mid-afternoon, already approaching thirty degrees Celsius, I left for Canuda Street for my
appointment with Barceló at the Ateneo with my book under my arm and drops of sweat on my
forehead. (and my forehead dripping with sweat)
El Ateneo era —y aún es— uno de los muchos rincones de Barcelona donde el siglo XIX
todavía no ha recibido noticias de su jubilación.
The Ateneo was - and remains - one of the many places in Barcelona where the nineteenth
century has not yet been served its eviction notice.
The Ateneo was - and still is - one of the many corners in Barcelona where the nineteenth
century has not yet received news of its retirement.
La escalinata de piedra ascendía desde un patio palaciego hasta una retícula fantasmal de
galerías y salones de lectura
A grand stone staircase led up from a palatial courtyard to a ghostly network of
passageways and reading rooms.
The stone stairway ascended from a palatial courtyard to a ghostly grid of galleries and
reading rooms
donde invenciones como el teléfono, la prisa o el reloj de muñeca resultaban anacronismos
futuristas.
There, inventions such as the telephone, the wristwatch, and haste, seemed futuristic
anachronisms.
where inventions like the telephone, the wristwatch or rush turned out to be futuristic
anachronisms.
El portero, o quizá tan sólo fuera una estatua de uniforme, apenas pestañeó a mi llegada.
The porter, or perhaps it was a statue in uniform, barely noticed my arrival.
The doorman, or maybe he was just a statue in uniform, barely blinked at my arrival.
Me deslicé hasta el primer piso, bendiciendo las aspas de un ventilador que susurraba
entre lectores adormecidos derritiéndose como cubitos de hielo sobre sus libros y diarios.
I glided up to the first floor, blessing the blades of a fan that swirled above the sleepy
readers melting like ice cubes over their books.”
I slid up to the first floor, blessing the blades of a fan that whispered among drowsy readers
melting like ice cubes on their books and journals.
La silueta de don Gustavo Barceló se recortaba junto a las cristaleras de una galería que
daba al jardín interior del edificio.
“Don Gustavo's profile was outlined against the windows of a gallery that overlooked the
building's interior garden.
The silhouette of Don Gustavo Barceló was outlined next to the windows of a gallery that
overlooked the interior garden of the building.
 Pese a la atmósfera casi tropical, el librero vestía sus habituales galas de figurín y su
monóculo brillaba en la penumbra como una moneda en el fondo de un pozo.
Despite the almost tropical atmosphere, he sported his customary foppish attire, his
monocle shining in the dark like a coin at the bottom of a well.
Junto a él distinguí una figura enfundada en un vestido de alpaca blanca que se me antojó
un ángel esculpido en brumas.
Next to him was a figure swathed in a white alpaca dress who looked to me like an angel
Next to him I discerned a figure swathed in a white alpaca dress who seemed to me like an
angel sculpted in mists.
Al eco de mis pasos, Barceló entornó la mirada y me hizo un ademán para que me
aproximase.
When Barcelo heard the echo of my footsteps, he half closed his eyes and signalled for me
to come nearer.
When he heard the echo of my footsteps, Barceló narrowed his eyes and beckoned for me
to approach.
—Daniel, ¿verdad? —preguntó el librero—. ¿Has traído el libro?
'Daniel, isn't it?' asked the bookseller. 'Did you bring the book?'
Asentí por duplicado y acepté la silla que Barceló me brindaba junto a él y a su misteriosa
acompañante.
I nodded on both counts and accepted the chair Barceló offered me next to him and his
mysterious companion.
Durante varios minutos, el librero se limitó a sonreír plácidamente, ajeno a mi presencia.
For a while the bookseller only smiled placidly, taking no notice of my presence.
For several minutes, the bookseller just smiled placidly, oblivious to my presence.
Al poco abandoné toda esperanza de que me presentase a quien fuera que fuese la dama
de blanco.
I soon abandoned all hope of being introduced to the lady in white, whoever she might be.
Barceló se comportaba como si ella no estuviese allí y ninguno de los dos pudiese verla.
Barcelo behaved as if she wasn't there and neither of us could see her.
La observé de reojo, temeroso de encontrar su mirada, que seguía perdida en ninguna
parte.
I cast a sidelong glance at her, afraid of meeting her eyes, which stared vacantly into the
distance.
I cast a sidelong glance at her, afraid of meeting her eyes, which were still lost nowhere.
Su rostro y sus brazos vestían una piel pálida, casi traslúcida.
The skin on her face and arms was pale, almost translucent.
Tenía los rasgos afilados, dibujados a trazo firme bajo una cabellera negra que brillaba
como piedra humedecida. […]
Her features were sharp, sketched with firm strokes and framed by a black head of hair that
shone like damp stone. […]”
His features were sharp, drawn in firm strokes under black hair that shone like damp stone.
[...]
The shadow of the wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafón