GRAMMAR

Right or wrong? Correct the wrong sentences.

1. When I don’t know a word I always look up it in a dictionary.

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2. I enjoyed very much the film.

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3. How long have you been having your laptop?

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4. They even haven’t told their families what happened.

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5. Which actor won the Oscar?

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6. I’m used to having long hair before.

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7. They make up their minds as soon as they’ve looked round the house tomorrow.

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8. About what are they talking?

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9. Come and see me when you’re feeling better.

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10. A. This box is heavy. B. I help you.

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11. I have known her since a long time.

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12. We hadn’t enough time to finish the exercise.

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13. Ten minutes after she had taken the sleeping pills, she fell asleep.

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14. Did you throw yesterday’s paper away?

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15. By the end of the year, they will be selling at least a million records.

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VOCABULARY

a) Write the words for the definitions.

1. The light, soft things that cover a bird’s body. __________

2. A young cat. __________

3. You have to change these as you go faster or more slowly. __________

4. You put your suitcases and shopping in this part of the car. __________

5. A piece of writing created on a computer. __________

6. A page or pages on the Internet which give information. __________

7. A change in your body which is a sign of illness. __________

8. A newspaper with small pages, a lot of pictures and short simple articles. __________

b) Complete the sentences with a suitable word.

1. I’ve decided to _______________ up drinking coffee.

2. Your jacket is similar __________ mine.

3. The party was great fun. We _______________ on dancing until 4.30 in the morning.

4. At first, the doctor thought she was really ill. __________ the end he decided she was a

hypochondriac.

5. The square was full __________ tourists.

6. I love all music but _______________ jazz. (adverb)

7. I’m worried __________ my exam tomorrow.

READING

a) Read the article and match the headings to each paragraph.

A. Pre-match preparations

B. Winning is everything

C. A painful mistake

D. “We’re only amateurs!”

E. Not what they expected

F. Why the mistake happened

GLADIATORS THROWN TO THE LIONS

1. _____

A slight error in translation left a team of veteran rugby players from Dorset with aching muscles

and bruises after a match against a top Romanian rugby club.

2. _____

The British team, most of them in their 40s, found themselves playing against a professional team

including nine internationals in a national stadium, in front of thousands of spectators and a live

television audience. They had expected to have a friendly match against a team of similarly ageing

Romanians.

3. _____

Two of the players (aged 43 and 49) were surprised when they were asked by their Romanian

hosts if they wanted to do a training session the night before. The Dorchester Gladiators were

used to doing their “training” in the bar the night before their matches, and in fact this match was

no different. The team went to bed at 4 a.m. and the match began at 11 a.m. in the morning.

4. _____

Nigel Jones, a Gladiator player, said, “We tried to convince them we weren’t very good but they

thought we were pulling their leg and they refused to believe us. Half an hour before the match

the Romanians started warming up like real professionals and we just stood and watched knowing

we were in real trouble!”

5. _____

Afterwards, the Gladiators, who were actually in Bucharest to deliver financial help and toys to a

Romanian orphanage, found out that because of a confusion in translation the Romanians thought

they were going to play against a top professional side from Britain.

6. _____

The Gladiators felt that losing 60 – 17 wasn’t a bad result. “If you take into account that their

players were all in their 20s and incredibly fit, we didn’t do too badly. After the match they told us

we had done brilliantly under the circumstances”, said Dave Scaddon, 45 proudly. “Let’s see what

happens when we visit Latvia next year!”

b) Mark the sentences TRUE or FALSE.

1. The Gladiators thought they were going to play a match against professionals.

2. They usually have a drink after their pre-match training.

3. They began to feel worried before the match started.

4. Their main reason for being in Romania was to do some charity work.

5. The Gladiators were disappointed with the result.

LISTENING

Listen to a radio report. Complete the missing information.

Is he the world’s oldest man?

Mr Chaudhuri claims he is (1) _______________ years old. His age can’t be proved because there

are no documents, and he doesn’t have a (2) _______________. He was born in November, (3)

_______________. He was 107 when (4) _______________ was assassinated. The village where

he lives is (5) _______________ hours’ drive from Kathmandu. He spends his day eating

_______________. He can’t remember what his wives’ _______________ were. He thinks he has

lived so long mainly because of his (8) _______________, and having naps. They only thing he

worries about is his (9) _______________. His one ambition is to (10) _______________.

WRITING

Write a short story (120-150 words). Start with these words.

I sat in the waiting room and nervously looked at my watch. It was half past three, and I was just

about to take my driving test for the third time. The door opened and the examiner walked in…