City Anagrams Rearrange the letters to spell out the names of eight cities, then match the cities to the clues below. a) nacbalero b) coeixm tyic c) dbenihrgu d) blundi Clues 1 e) epgrua f) kooyt g) goacich h) arioc Ancient city in north Africa where you can visit the pyramids. 2 Densely populated city in Asia where you can eat sushi. 3 Capital of the Czech Republic. 4 Historic city and capital of Scotland. 5 World's largest capital city. 6 US city that lies on the edge of Lake Michigan. 7 Irish capital; home of James Joyce and Guinness. 8 Spain's biggest coastal city. Grammar 1 Underline all the examples of hedging in the text below. Are mobile phones the new cigarettes? It has been suggested that cellular phones will be the tobacco of the 21st century. It appears that their use is almost as addictive as cigarettes, with psychologists' reports claiming that there is evidence that users display withdrawal symptoms if deprived of their mobiles for more than 24 hours. There is certainly no doubt that mobile phone use in public is just as annoying as smoking. Mobile-free zones are already being set up in cinemas and restaurants and it would seem that trains will soon be following suit with 'mobile' and 'non-mobile' carriages available on all the commuter services to London. On a more serious note, it is now widely believed that excessive mobile phone use may cause cancer, and it has been proposed that all mobile phones should carry a government health warning similar to the one displayed on cigarette packets. 2 Complete the sentences below by choosing two possible answers from the box. uppcnro believed proof shown seem little occmo recognised evidence proved appear hardly any a) It seems / appears that the population of many modern industrialised cities is beginning to decline. b) There is / doubt that in the future we will have to take radical action to control traffic congestion in our cities. c) It is generally / that living in cities with a population of over a million people can be detrimental to our health. d) There is little____________/____________ that the levels of toxic pollution in the major cities in the U.S. are beginning to decline. e) It would____________/____________that the changes in weather patterns could endanger large urban populations in low-lying land areas due to the rise in the sea level. f) It has been / that prolonged exposure to the sun can cause skin cancer. 3 Rewrite these sentences using the words in the brackets. a) Smoking can lead to cancer. (no doubt)_________________________________ b) Scientists in many countries believe that increases in carbon dioxide are leading to changes in the world's climate. (widely)_________________________________ c) There is evidence to suggest that the rate of population growth in China is beginning to decrease. (appears)________________________________ 15 d) There is a general feeling that people believe governments are not doing enough about global warming, (would seem)_____________________________ Scientists haven't yet produced any substantial evidence that there is life on Mars. (there is little)_____________________________ 4 Complete the negative and limiting adverbials in the sentences below with prepositions from the box. Some of the prepositions may be used more than once. during by in after on under until a) The teacher told them that____________no account were they to leave the school premises. b) Only____________a long wait did we finally get to hear the results of the tests. c) We were told that____________no circumstances were we to use our mobile phones. d) Not even____________summer are there so many tourists to be seen in the town. e) Not____________he'd left university did he really appreciate how much he'd enjoyed being a student. f) ____________no other world capital will you find the same incredible mix of nationalities. g) Not once____________the whole time I knew him did he ever make a mistake in judgement. h) Only____________spending a few months here will you understand how this city survives. 5 Complete the sentences with words from the box. barely never after rarely sooner only seldom only a) I realised how much I loved the city only _____________I had left it. b) We had no moved in to our new cottage than our troubles began, c) The local people were not______ rude to us, but they even ignored the children. d) We had____________imagined that people could be so hostile. e) We made our first friend two months. after saw him, however, and . been so quiet f) We very__________ life was still lonely. g) The children had__ before. h) We decided to go back to the city. We had ____________put up a 'For Sale' sign when the people began to be friendly towards us! 6 Rewrite the sentences in 5 so that they begin with adverbial phrases. a) Only after b) c) d) e) f) No sooner Not h) Vocabulary 1 Match a word from column A with its opposite from column B. Then use the words from column A to complete the sentences on page 17. A B a) haphazard 1 modest b) tacky 2 unimpressive c) clogged 3 organised d) soaring 4 free-flowing e) in-your-face 5 stylish f) awe-inspiring 6 low-rise 16 a) I think buying plastic souvenirs on holiday is really___________________. b) With its 24-hour culture centred on gambling and entertainment, its neon signs and its brash nature, Las Vegas is one of the world's most___________________cities. c) Arriving in Hong Kong harbour, you're immediately struck by the___________________ Find the synonyms of these definitions by solving the anagrams on the right. skyscrapers that stretch as far as the eye can see. d) The streets were___________________with people waiting for the procession to start. e) The first sight of Mount Kilimanjaro on a clear day is___________________. f) The council planned the new one-way system in a very___________________way. I kept getting lost and having to ask for directions. 2 Which is the odd one out in the following groups of words? a) overwhelming stunning awe-inspiring stylish b) vibrant derelict colourful lively c) tacky grubby dirty grimy d) busy bustling energetic dusty e) deserted neglected polluted derelict 3 Complete the texts below with these adjectives from 2. bustling derelict overwhelming stylish neglected polluted stunning lively a) conveniently 1 kesbusr b) places where you can have 2 hekcc tou a meal 3 rgoeg c) musicians who play or sing 4 ntar on the street 5 pawg ta d) to go and see what 6 yihdnal something's like 7 etasreie e) to watch, look at or stare at someone f) to eat an enormous amount of food g) to complain loudly 5 Use words and phrases from 4 to fill the gaps in the following text. Covent Garden is a great place to chill out, sit back and watch the world go by. There's a whole range of different (a)____________ lining the square, serving all kinds of food from all over the world. You can choose whether you want to just pick at the bar snacks served at the street cafes, or (b)____________yourself on the 'As much as you can eat for a fiver' buffet at the Taj Indian restaurant. There are always plenty of celebrities around for you to (c)____________, and usually one or two self-proclaimed politicians (d)____________on about the state of the nation. If you prefer a spot of street theatre or a bit of music (e)____________the street artists and the (f)____________. They're always guaranteed to pull a crowd. Bangkok (a), (b). is an amazing sight, the sheer energy of the city is totally ______, with its ______street markets, crammed full of people from dawn to sunset, and its (c)___________________nightlife. In Khao San road the bars, discos and nightclubs stay open 'til the early hours of the morning. It's also a city of contrasts; hi-tech advertising standing cheek to jowl with ancient Buddhist temples, and traffic-clogged, heavily (d)___________________ motorways run through the middle of beautifully landscaped gardens. Lisbon works its magic on you as soon as you arrive. Built on the hills north of the river Tagus, it looks out over (e)___________________views of the estuary out towards the Atlantic Ocean. To the east of the centre lies the area of the Alfama, a fairy tale jungle of narrow streets and beautiful old houses, once (f)___________________and in danger of falling into total disrepair, it is now the focus of development. The old docks, which had been (g)___________________until very recently, have been renovated and are now the focus of Lisbon night life with (h)___________________cafes, restaurants and clubs lining the water front, full and buzzing into the early hours. City 6 Rewrite the words and phrases in italics in the text below with the correct form of tine informal words in the box. nick flog joy-ride boot daft mate I haven't seen my best (a) friend from school for years. He started (b) stealing cars and driving them wand for fun when he was a teenager and graduated to (c) stealing cars which he (d) sold to dodgy garages in south London. He got into more and more trouble with the police. Eventually they came round to his house and raided the place. Des was so (e) stupid, he'd put a lot of money in biscuit tins in used notes. He even (f) kicked one of the policemen as they tried to arrest him. He's in prison now. a) ________________ d) ________________ b) ________________ e) ________________ c) _______________ f) Reading Read these statements about the Olympics and decide if they are true (T) or false (F). a) Originally women were not officially allowed to compete in the modern Olympics. b) The Olympic emblem with the five rings first appeared in 1913. c) Individual cities host the Olympics. d) The Olympic torch has always been part of the games. e) In the ancient games both men and woman could compete. f) Plans are underway to build a purpose built Olympic stadium. Now read the text and check your answers. Every city tells a story The history of the Olympic Games has always been closely related to the city that holds it. This is because it's the city, and not the country, that makes the bid to hold the Olympic Games. Understandably, the competition to hold the Olympics is fierce as it can bring great prestige and prosperity to the city. From its rebirth in Athens in 1896 to the present day, the modern Olympic Games have gone through many changes. Women were not officially admitted to the Olympics until the Stockholm games of 1912, though they had participated in some events before then. In the ancient games in Greece, women were not even allowed to watch the games, let alone take part. The Olympic emblem is also a relatively new addition to the game. The first emblem was designed in 1913, although the five rings weren't included until the Antwerp games of 1920. The five rings represent the union of the five continents of the world and the colours were chosen because at least one of the five colours exists in every flag of the world's nations. The Olympic torch, which had been part of the ancient games, was reinstated as part of the opening ceremony in the 1928 games in Amsterdam. The idea of the torch relay (carrying a lit torch from Greece to the next Olympic venue) was introduced in the Berlin games of 1936. The relay included some 3,000 3 Complete the chart with information from the text above. Date City Its story The first modern Olympic Games took place 1912 First Olympic emblem designed Antwerp Berlin 1992 Approximately 2.3 billion people watched the games on TV daily 2000 City runners who carried the torch from Greece to Germany, crossing a total of seven countries. The relay to Sydney was far more complex and involved keeping the flame alight 30,000 feet above the earth on a specially chartered transcontinental flight as well as on a short swim underwater. The Berlin games also saw the first live television transmission of the event and during the next 30 years of the Olympics there was an enormous growth in its popularity with a steady increase both in the number of sports included and the number of countries participating. The 1990's also saw the massive commercialisation of the Olympics. In 1992, during the opening ceremony of the Barcelona games, Freddie Mercury and Monserrat Caballé sang an Olympic anthem which topped the charts in many countries. The Atlanta games in 1996 had an estimated TV audience of 2.3 billion people a day and in 1995 NBC paid 1.2 billion dollars to televise the Olympic Games in Sydney. Many claim that the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney were the most successful ever. Attendances reached record levels, with the numbers of spectators at some athletics events often exceeding 100,000. The process of choosing the location for an Olympic event has become increasingly competitive over the past three decades as the rewards for staging such an event can bring lucrative contracts and investment to the areas concerned as well as bringing a new lease of life to the city. However, it is also becoming much more difficult to host the event as the number and variety of sports grows along with the number of contestants and spectators. It has been suggested that it might be worth establishing an Olympic city, purpose built to host the games and paid for with contributions from all the participating nations. The big problem of course would be to decide where this city should be built. So at present it looks like the games will continue to travel the world, hosted by some of the world's greatest cities and bringing in their wake both glory and disruption. 4 Find a word in the text which means: a) intense (paragraph 1)_________ b) admiration, respect (paragraph 1) Pronunciation c) symbol (paragraph 3)___________ d) started having (something) again (paragraph 4) e) say something that you believe is true (paragraph 6)___________ f) being greater than (paragraph 6) g) organising (a public event) (paragraph 7) h) very profitable (paragraph 7) Listen to this short dialogue and complete it with just, really or actually. Jim: Don't you think it'd be (a)___________ great if Dublin could host the Olympics? Rae: Well, I don't know, (b)___________, I mean, it's a lot of hard work and all the disruption. Jim: Do you (c)___________think it wouldn't be worth it? Rae: Well, it's (d)_______ that I've been reading this book about the Olympics in Atlanta - you know, back in the nineties - now that (e)___________caused a lot of problems. Jim: Yeah, but that was different, I mean think of all the money that'd be invested in improving the city ... I think it could (f)____________ make a real difference to people's lives. Rae: Yeah, and for how long? (g)____________ three weeks - it's not worth the bother. Jim: No ... the buildings would stay, and it would (h)____________put the city on the map - look what it did for Barcelona ... "■ Listen again and repeat using the same stress patterns as the recording. 2 Look at the short conversation. Underline the words the two women stress in order to add emphasis to what they're saying. A: No, I totally agree. It's too much. How could they possibly expect you to put up with that! B: I know, it's truly awful, isn't it? Such a cheek. You'd honestly think I was running a hotel! A: Well, quite frankly, I think you should tell them exactly how you feel. That's sure to put an end to it. ■■■ Listen to the recording to check. Then repeat the conversation at the same time as the two women, taking care to use the same stress pattern. Writing 1 Read the text below and choose the best discourse marker. Hosting the Olympics is extremely expensive (a) Furthermore, / However, / On the other hand, it can ruin the local environment, (b) Despite / For instance, / But greenfields and woodlands can be lost to urban development, which means that local residents' quality of life may be diminished. (c) In addition, / Although / On the other hand, it can provide a boost to the local economy, generating jobs and trade, (d) However, I Despite / In addition, the effects can be all too temporary, leaving a city with unwanted installations and a huge debt to pay. (e) Nonetheless I What's more I For example, with careful forward planning most of these problems can be avoided. 2 Look at the list of changes that can occur in a city when it hosts the Olympic Games. a) Decide whether you think their effect will be a) long-term (LT) or b) short-term (ST). Write LT or ST. b) Decide which of the changes are benefits (+) and which are drawbacks (-). Write + or - in the boxes. 1 An increase in pollution and litter ST 2 Improved sports installations_____ 3 More jobs in the construction industry 4 Good publicity for the city_____ 5 Improved roads and airports_____ 6 More temporary accommodation facilities 7 An increase in traffic congestion_____ 8 More facilities for parking cars_____ 9 Massive increase in number of visitors ___D ■ - 10 An increase in local trade_____ 11 Security problems_____[_ 3 Your city (or a city near you) has made a bid for the Olympic Games which has been met with mixed reactions. You have been asked to write a short article for your local English language newspaper defending the bid. Your article will cover the following points: paragraph 1: why the city would make a good venue paragraph 2: the construction work that would be necessary paragraph 3: the disruptions to normal lives during the games paragraph 4: conclusion - the long and short-term benefits for the city Make brief notes on your ideas under the four headings. 4 Look at the sentences below. Which paragraph could they be used in? a) All in all, I think we should welcome the chance to host the games ... b) Curiously there has been some hostility to the city's bid to host the Olympics ... c) Although it will entail some upheaval in the short-term ... d) However, the long-term benefits far outweigh the short-term disruption ... e) In addition, we will need to upgrade the present infrastructure as well as ... f) There will inevitably be some disruption to everyday lives, however ... g) New roads will obviously be needed, as will... h) ... and in addition it is perfectly located ... 5 Write your article using your notes and the useful expressions from 1 and 4. You should write about 250 words. 6 a) booked a table for four b) order from the menu c) call the waiter d) paying the bill e) queried the bill f) asked for a discount g) tip the waiter Writing 1 a) a wide range of Spanish tapas b) laid-back and friendly c) no - the price of an average pizza 3 a) the latest John Howard film b) the review was misleading. It described the film as being light-hearted, when in fact it was quite depressing. 3 City Anagrams a) Barcelona b) Mexico City c) Edinburgh d) Dublin e) Prague f) Tokyo g) Chicago h) Cairo Clues: lh 2 f 3e 4c 5b 6g 7 á 8a Grammar 1 It has been suggested that cellular phones will be the tobacco of the 21st century. It appears that their use is almost as addictive as cigarettes, with psychologists' reports claiming that there is evidence that users display withdrawal symptoms if deprived of their mobiles for more than 24 hours. There is certainly no doubt that mobile phone use in public is just as annoying as smoking. Mobile-free zones are already being set up in cinemas and restaurants and it would seem that trains will soon be following suit with 'mobile' and 'non-mobile' carriages available on all the commuter services to London. On a more serious note, it is now widely believed that excessive mobile phone use may cause cancer, and it has been proposed that all mobile phones should carry a government health warning similar to the one displayed on cigarette packets. 2 b) little/hardly any c) believed / recognised d) evidence/proof e) appear/seem f) shown/proved 3 a) There is no doubt that smoking can lead to cancer. b) It is widely believed that increases in carbon dioxide are leading to changes in the world's climate c) It appears that the rate of population growth in China is beginning to decrease d) It would seem that people believe governments are not doing enough about global warming. e) There is little evidence as yet that there is life on Mars. 4 a) on b) after c) under d) in/during e) until f) in g) during/in h) by/after 5 a) after b) sooner c) only d) never e) only f) rarely/seldom g) rarely/seldom/never h) barely 6 a) Only after I had left it did I realise how much I loved the city. b) No sooner had we moved into our new cottage than our troubles began. c) Not only were the local people rude to us, but they even ignored the children. d) Never had we imagined that people could be so hostile. e) Only after two months did we make our first friend. f) Rarely/Seldom did we see him, however, and life was still lonely. g) Rarely/ Seldom /Never had the children been so quiet before. h) We decided to go back to the city. Barely had we put up a 'For Sale' sign when the people began to be friendly towards us! Vocabulary 1 a) 3 b)5 c)4 d) 6 e) 1 f) 2 a) tacky b) in-your-face c) soaring d) clogged e) awe-inspiring f) haphazard 2 a) stylish b) derelict c) tacky d) dusty e) polluted 3 a) overwhelming b) bustling c) lively d) polluted e) stunning f) neglected g) derelict h) stylish 4 a) 6 - handily b) 7 - eateries c) 1 - buskers d) 2 - check out e) 5 - gawp at f) 3 - gorge g) 4 - rant 5 a) eateries b) gorge c) gawp at d) ranting e) check out f) buskers 6 a) mate b) joy-riding c) nicking d) flogged e)daft f) booted a) T b)F c)T d)T e)F f) F Date City Its story 1896 Athens The first modern Olympic Games took place 1912 Stockholm Women officially admitted 1913 Don't know First Olympic emblem designed 1920 Antwerp Five rings were added to the Olympic flag 1936 Berlin Torch relay introduced. First live TV transmission of the games. Answer key 1992 Barcelona The first Olympic anthem to top the charts 1996 Atlanta Approximately 2.3 billion people watched the games on TV daily. 2000 Sydney The most successful Olympic games ever? 4 a) fierce b) prestige c) emblem d) reinstated e) claim f) exceeding g) staging h) lucrative Pronunciation 1 a) really b) actually c) really d) just e) really f) actually g) Just h) really 2 A: No, I totally agree. It's too much. How could they possibly expect you to put up with that! B: I know, it's truly awful, isn't it? Such a cheek. You'd honestly think I was running a hotel! A: Well, quite frankly, I think you should tell them exactly how you feel. That's sure to put an end to it. Writing 1 a) Furthermore b) For instance c) On the other hand d) However, e) Nonetheless 4 a) 4 b)l c)2or3 d) 3 or 4 e) 2 f) 3 g) 2 h) 1 4 Talk Quotes a) 4 b)l c)2 d)5 e) 6 f) 3 Expressions 1 a) 3 b)6 c)4 d) 5 e) 1 f) 2 2 b) talking over c) talk back d) talk shop e) talked you out of f) talking down to Grammar 1 a) ... Yesterday I went b) correct c) He'd be angry for a while, then he'd forget all about it. d) When he was younger he broke his leg e) He'll come in /he won't even bother ... f) correct g) I'll put something down ... 2 e) won't patronise f) will listen g) will answer h) will take 3 b) used to/would play d) never used to be picked /would never be picked e) used to/would have to g) used to/would run back and shout h) would move i) would go j) would forget 4 a) was /used to be b) would chase c) found d) tried e) would always get f) would smoke g) would always get caught h) would be i) made j) bumped k) had 1) caught up m) hasn't changed n) will still talk o) will still tell p) will always insist q) will usually go r) will have s) is joining Vocabulary 1 a) conversation b) Conversationally c) conversational d) conversationalist 2 a) very animated b) very enjoyable c) absolutely hilarious d) absolutely fascinating e) very memorable f) very frustrating g) very in-depth h) absolutely pointless i) very lengthy 3 a) mumbles b) awkward silence c) interrupt d) aimlessly e) get a word in edgeways f) get a conversation going g) hold up her end of the conversation h) never has anything to say 4 a) talk of the town b) brief talk c) hilarious talk d) riveting talk e) main talking point f) fresh talks 5 a) fresh talks b) main talking point c) riveting talk d) talk of the town e) brief talk f) hilarious talk 6 a) 5 b)4 c)3 d) 6 e) 1 f) 2 7 a) She was in such a bad mood the other day but now she's all sweetness and light b) It's been a really hard day today. Let's have a sit down for five minutes. c) She was feeling a bit hungry so she had a bite to eat. d) All of a sudden he lost his temper and began to shout and rant. e) Did you see that gold watch in the shop down the road. It really caught my eye. It's so unusual. f) We live next door to a football-mad family. Pronunciation Sir Winston Churchill was known as being a little outspoken at times, / / and he certainly didn't suffer fools gladly. / / One evening at a dinner party / / he had been particularly scathing about the 'fairer sex' / / when one of the women present decided she could take it no longer. / / 'Sir Winston,' / / she said, / / 'If I were your wife, / / I'd put poison in your tea!'./ / Without stopping to take breath, / / the great man turned to her and said, / / 'My dear lady, / / if I were your husband, / / I'd drink it.' 84 Answer key