UNIT 7 A Reading Read this article written by a seventeen-year-old about how people react to your problems and choose the best answer in 1-7. Get a Grip on Yourself How many times have you heard those words? You've got a problem, right? So you carry it around with you for a while until it gets too bad to keep to yourself. So you screw up your courage and find someone to talk to about it. And every time,the conversation finishes something like this,'You've just got to get a grip on yourself, Paula.' Ask me, how do I feel after that? I'll tell you. I fee! stupid, inadequate and actually very angry. You see, what I really wanted was some advice ... Let me tell you something about the sort of people who tell you to get a grip on yourself. There are two types, basically. Firstly, there are the busy-bees.You know that they don't want to listen to your problems and that they find it very embarrassing anyway. Worse, though, are the people who seem to be only too willing to Iisten.You pour out your heart and are about to cry on their shoulder when they put on that special voice and suddenly say, 'Get a grip on yourself.' Telling yourself to get a grip simply doesn't work.You've tried to think things through, but it's so difficult and you get stuck somewhere in the middle, unable to go on. So you try to behave as if nothing has happened, and you end up in an even bigger mess. The trouble is that the Get-a-grip types really believe that they've given you the best advice possible. In fact, it's only a thinly-disguised criticism, telling you to stop wasting their time and accept the blame for whatever's gone wrong. They think they're being helpful but, the truth is, they just don't want to know. If you want my advice, when you hear those words, stop right there and say.'Thank you, but no thank you.' According to Paula, what do most people eventually do when they have a difficult problem to solve? A Keep it to themselves. B Pretend that it doesn't exist. C Ask people they know for advice. D Cry on someone's shoulder. 'Get a grip on yourself (GAGOY) are words which A the writer hardly ever hears. B are used by angry, stupid and inadequate people. C cause more problems than they solve. D help people to cope with their problems. The first category of people who use GAGOY are those who A feel sympathy for you but can't express it. B have no real interest in the problems of others. C can't wait to hear more about your problems. D cause you intense discomfort. The second category of GAGOY users are those who A offer a sensible solution to your problem. B gently encourage you to forget about your problem. C while appearing sympathetic are similar to those in the first category. D listen sympathetically then say nothing at all. The worst thing about GAGOY users is that they A pretend that nothing is your fault. B tell you that you are wasting their time. C pretend they aren't interested in you at all. D believe that they have given you good advice. Paula suggests that if you hear the words 'Get a grip on yourself, you should A break off your conversation immediately and escape. B turn to professional helpers for advice. C avoid looking at the person saying the words. D pretend your problem doesn't exist. What do we learn about Paula from reading the article? A She never talks to anybody about her real problems. B She gets angry when people give her some advice. C She dislikes people who expect you to cope with your problems. D She respects people who will willingly listen to your problems. B Language study 1 a If you mix the colours yellow and green, you get brown. b If I can afford it, we'll go and have a pizza. c If I were taller, I would join the police force. Which sentence suggests that something might happen? Which sentence is highly improbable? Which sentence tells you that something is always true? Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets and state which type of conditional sentence (a, b or c) you have made. 1 11 they arrive in time, we_(go) to the cinema. 2 If you_(smoke) you risk damaging your health. 3 If you put water in a freezer, it_(turn) to ice. 4 If we_(get) stuck in a traffic jam, we'll . (give) a lot of money to miss the plane. 5 If I were rich, I_ charity. 6 If he_(not be) so untidy, he would be a perfect husband! 7 If your dog chases my cat any more, I_ (report) you to the police! 8 If you could live anywhere in the world, where _(you/choose)? C Vocabulary Choose one of the words below in its correct form to complete the sentences. More than one answer may be possible. fault error mistake blame defect 1 I think you've made a(n)___. I'm not John, I'm his brother! 2 Don't_me for what happened. It wasn't my_. 3 The telephone bill was sent to you in__ 4 There are some_in the design of this computer. six times in this _ for You've made the same_ homework. The children always get the. everything that goes wrong! D Use of English 1 Read Stephen's letter to Peter. If a line is correct, put a tick (/). If a line has an unnecessary word, underline it. There are two examples at the beginning (0) and (00). Dear Peter, 0 Well, here we are at last! We'd been looking forward to / 00 coming back for the ages and we finally arrived safe and 1 sound for last week. Since then we've been trying to 2 organize the flat and find schools for the children. We've 3 had to borrow off some furniture from friends and relatives 4 as the flat we're renting got turned out to be unfurnished! 5 Sally says that it's all by our own fault. We should have 6 checked the details more carefully! I thought it seemed a 7 good value for money! It was difficult to make it the 8 decision to come home as we had been living and working in 9 abroad for so long. I think we're going to find it strange 10 to settle down here again. I haven't started looking for 11 a job yet as I've been so busy. I'll give you a call so to 12 arrange a night when you can come to dinner and we can 13 discuss about old times! Looking forward to seeing you again. Best wishes, Stephen 34 • UNIT 7 UNIT 7 • 35 1 E Use of English 2 Read the letter to an advice column and the reply it received. Think of ONE word which best fits each space. There is an example at the beginning (0). Dear Margaret, Please can you tell me how (0) to_stop smoking? My girl-friend and 1 have split (1)_and it's all (2)_ _fault because she says she can't stand my smoking (3)_longer. If I (4)_able to stop smoking, she says she will go out with me again. 'Desperate', London Dear 'Desperate' of London, Here is (5)_useful advice which might help you to solve your problem. First, think (6)_ where and when you usually have a cigarette. If you really want to succeed in giving (7)_smoking, these times and places are going to be danger spots, so try and avoid them. . you are not under too _how Next, choose a day (8)_ much stress to stop. On that day, tell (9)_ much healthier you will be if you can succeed. Make sure that you replace your cigarettes (10)_ something just for you - a special treat! Many people have tried several times to do the (11)_thing. If you have failed once or twice, ask yourself, 'Why (12)_I start again?' This might help you to succeed the (13)_time you try. Remember - every day (14)_ a triumph. And, you might succeed (15) getting your girl-friend back! . a cigarette is F Language study 2 Rewrite the reported conversation below in direct speech using the exact words of each speaker. The beginning has been done for you. The police officer asked Tom where he had been on the night of the robbery. Tom replied that he had been out for the evening with some friends. P.C. Dent went on to ask Tom what they had been doing and Tom told him that they had been to see a film and then had gone to a nearby pub for a drink. P.C. Dent then wanted to know what time Tom had arrived home, but Tom couldn't remember exactly. The police officer enquired whether any of the neighbours might have heard Tom coming home, but Tom was sure that they hadn't because he had been very quiet. He hadn't wanted to wake up his father, who had to get up very early in the morning to go to work. Tom apologised for not being able to prove his story since his friends had all gone away on holiday. P.C. Dent: Where were you on the night of the robbery? Tom: I was out for the evening with some friends. G Language study 3 Here is the rest of the conversation between Tom and the police officer. Report what they said to each other. The beginning has been done for you. These phrases will help you: promise to do something threaten to do something suggest (to someone) that they should promise (someone) that tell someone (to) order someone to insist that P.C. Dent: Tom, you're just not telling the truth! Tom: What about talking to the owner of the pub? He'll remember me. P.C. Dent: We've already done that and we've shown him your photograph, but he can't remember you at all. Tom: Well, it was very busy that night. Perhaps he just didn't notice me. P.C. Dent: Put your coat on, please, and come with me to the police station. We'll have to continue our enquiries there. Tom: OK. I'll get my coat. I swear to you that I didn't do that robbery. If you send me to prison, I'll make life very difficult for you later. The police officer insisted that Tom wasn't telling the truth. H Language study 4 Complete the sentences with still, already and yet using one of the sentence types below. a You still haven't told me. b You've already told me. c You haven't told me yet. Example: You promised you would lend me the book but you still haven't lent it to me. Remember: sentences a and c have almost the same meaning. But a is slightly stronger in meaning and more emphatic than c. 1 Could you please do your homework now because you___2 2 Please don't show me the letter again because you've___ 3 We've been waiting for the tickets for two weeks but they__ 4 Could I keep the book for another few days because I___I 5 I've asked him three times to lay the table but he I Writing This letter appeared in an advice column. Read carefully the letter and the notes you have made. Then write a letter to J. R. Simmons suggesting three different solutions to the problem and saying which you think is the best one. Dear Mary, The company I work for has given me the opportunity to go and work abroad for six months. Although I would really like to go, I live with my mother, who is not very well and relies on me to do many of the jobs around the house. Despite my assurance that our neighbours will keep an eye on her and help out in an emergency, she is still worried at the thought of being alone in the house all the time. What would you advise me to dol J. R. Simmons Possible solutions'. 1 employ live-in housekeeper? 2 take mother too? 3 put mother in nursing home? Write a letter of 120-180 words in an appropriate style. Do not write any addresses. 6 I'm not going to write to him again. I. 36 • UNIT 7 UNIT 7 • 37 UNIT 8 A Reading Read the article in which a mother talks about her daughter and the effects of anorexia: a medical condition in which someone has no desire to eat anything at all. Eight sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from sentences A-I the one which fits each gap (1-7). There is one extra sentence which you do not need. There is an example at the beginning (0). DON'T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOUR DAUGHTER The change in our daughter Jo was so gradual we didn't really take it too seriously to begin with,' admits Wendy, 42. 'Being on a diet seemed quite normal for a teenager. I 0 1 I | She changed from a well-built, happy athletic girl of 16 into a pale, irritable walking skeleton. And the more we tried to get her to eat, the more she rebelled.' 'No one was allowed near her when she was eating. I She also insisted on cooking for the rest of us. But we eventually gave up trying to get her to accept food from us. | 2 | | She always seemed to be on the go - cooking, clearing the table - often before the rest of us had even finished - and washing up. For a long time she refused to even believe she had a problem. | 3 | |' 'Eventually she was so weak I got her admitted into hospital with the doctor's help. My husband and I had to literally drag her screaming into the car. | 4 | | Jo was gripped with fear and panic and I felt so guilty. But we were desperate. We thought that in hospital she might discover that she actually did not want to break free of her condition.' 'I 5 | J The doctor told us that the best thing we could do was to leave. At this point Jo started to sob uncontrollably. 'Don't leave me,Mummy,' she begged. 'Please don't leave me.' I 6 | They got her strength up by feeding her and then arranged for her to see the hospital psychiatrist, who recommended her for specialist help.' 'Jo's recovery has been slow. Living with her is like living on a knife edge where the slightest word can trigger sobbing and screaming and wild accusations. At first I just felt this terrible guilt-1 7 1 J 1 don't think Jo will ever be free of her anorexia but she is learning to keep it under control.' A That dreadful moment will stay in my mind for ever. B Turning my back on her cries and leaving her there was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do. C But afterwards I felt this terrible frustration at not being able to help her. D Teenagers, in my opinion, usually have huge appetites. E When we got there she'd calmed down into an angry silence. F Any attempt was met with screaming and hysterical fits. G She'd shut herself in the kitchen and then sneak up to her bedroom which always remained locked, and strictly out of bounds. H During this time all we could do was watch while our daughter slowly starved herself to death. I But her slimming got out of control. B Vocabulary Match the words and phrases on the left with the meanings on the right. Example: Id 1 irritable a) in a tricky or dangerous situation 2 frustration b] awful or terrible 3 dreadful c) fought back 4 on the go d) angry or bad-tempered 5 trigger el disappointment or dissatisfaction 6 drag f) seized by 7 sneak g] pull 8 gripped with hi cause to happen 9 rebelled i] busy 10 on a knife edge J) slip away without being noticed C Language study 1 Rewrite the sentences using just about to (do), was just (doing), or had just (done). Example: Sheila had one foot in the bathwater when the telephone rang. Sheila was just about to have a bath when the telephone rang. 1 Sheila was in the bath when there was a knock at the door. Sheila__ 2 Ann had been on the point of ringing the bell. She noticed that the door was slightly open. Ann_ 3 Ann closed the door. Then she dropped her handbag. Ann__ 4 Sheila finished her bath. She heard a noise. Sheila_ 5 Ann picked up her handbag and at the same time she knocked over a chair. Ann_ 6 Sheila decided to phone the police. She heard another noise. Sheila_ 7 Ann called out to Sheila. She noticed Sheila standing by the phone. Ann_ 8 Sheila dialled 999, and at the same time she heard a familiar voice shouting her name. Sheila_ 9 She put down the phone. Then she saw her friend Ann standing in the doorway. Sheila ___ D Language study 2 Use the notes to make sentences of your own using either so...that or such...that. Example: film/boring so _ such ._ The film was so boring that we walked out of the cinema. It was such a boring film that we walked out of the cinema. Remember: so comes before an adjective (without nouns) and such (a) comes before a noun (with or without adjectives). 1 students/enthusiastic so__ 2 car/expensive such_ 3 rent/high so_ 4 city/crowded such_ 5 football players/good so_ 6 coffee/strong so_ 7 journey/long such_ children/naughty such_ 9 company/successful so_ 10 filmstar/talented such___ 38 • UNIT 8 UNIT 8 • 39 E Language study 3 Combine the words on the left and the sentences on the right to make sentences of your own with too. Example: 4 cold h I don't fancy going for a swim today. It's too cold to go for a swim today. 1 exhausted 2 lazy 3 mean 4 cold 5 wet 6 short 7 young 8 busy We can't play tennis in this rain! Parents of young children hardly ever relax. Susan can't reach the books on the top shelf. David doesn't feel like doing his homework. The baby can't speak yet. The children refuse to take any physical exercise. My sister never spends any money. I don't fancy going for a swim today. F Vocabulary 3 Five of these words may be used in combination with ache. Which ones are they? Tick (/) the correct words. tooth leg ear arm head stomach shoulder eye elbow back hand wrist G Use of English Read the text and decide which word, A, B, C or D, best fits each space. There is an example at the beginning (0). It was a Monday morning in the office and, as (0) usual, everyone was busy sorting through their mail before starting work. The other staff had (1)_that Nicky, one of the computer operators, had been (2)____rather miserable recently and they wondered what might have happened to make her so |3]_. Suddenly Nicky accidentally (4]_over a cup of coffee. As she was clearing up the mess, the girl sitting next to her happened to glance at Nicky's right hand. There was a large swelling at the [5)_. 'What on earth have you (6)_to yourself? Does it (7)_?' asked the girl. 'Yes, it does. I think I've (8)_it using the computer,' replied Nicky. 'I think you'd better go and let the doctor (9)_it,' said the girl. 'Let's hope there's no permanent (10)_to your hand.' 0 A normal 1 A recognized 2 A appearing 3 A sick 4 A kicked 5 A wrist 6 A made 7 A harm 8 A injured 9 A check 10 A pain B everyday B realized B seeming B bored B punched B elbow B done Bhurt B ruined B inspect C usual C noticed C pretending C uninterested Chit C knee C happened C disturb C spoiled C examine B destruction C damage D ordinary D identified D looking D depressed D knocked D ankle D brought D upset D destroyed D investigate D suffering H Language study 4 Rewrite these sentences using the word in bold. Remember: we use used to (do) for something we often did in the past but not now. We use be/get used to (doing) when we accept something as normal routine. 1 I gave up smoking ten years ago. used I_ten years ago. 2 When I was a teenager, I went to a lot of dances, used . to a When I was a teenager, I_ lot of dances. 3 I hate living here but I'll probably like it more in time. used I hate living here but I'll probably _it in time. 4 Hard work doesn't bother me. used I_._hard. 5 My brother quickly adapted to his new job at the bank. used My brother quickly. job at the bank. .his new 6 We had lots of friends when we lived in the country. have We. lots of friends when we lived in the country. 7 Peter was so difficult as a child, be Peter_so difficult as a child. 8 When you buy a new car, you need some time to practise driving it. get When you buy a new car, you need some time to _driving it. 9 John is beginning to like living on his own. getting John_living on his own. 10 I can't see myself ever being happy to live in a cold climate. get I'll never. . in a cold climate. I Language study 5 The words in the sentences below have been put in the wrong order. Put them in the correct order. Example: skirt cotton yellow a little pretty = a pretty little yellow cotton skirt 1 black new handbag a leather 2 square table huge wooden a 3 French small a cheese round 4 leather beautiful jacket green a 5 an bottle unusual Italian glass red 6 silk a dress blue Japanese long lovely 40 • UNIT 8 UNIT 8 • 41