0

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY PROGRAM

MODULE III

1

STUDENT´S BOOK

INDEX

UNITS PAGES

1 Have you ever…?

3 - 9

2 What have you been doing…?

10 - 15

3 Job Hunting.

16 - 22

4 Crime and the Law.

23 - 32

5 How to choose the ideal job.

33 - 39

6 My best friend.

40 - 46

7 It’s really worth seeing!

47 - 55

8 You Know Them, don’t you?

56 - 66

2

UNITS ORGANIZATION

UNITS

FUNCTION

GRAMMAR

NON LINGUISTIC

INFORMATION

SEARCHES

Have you ever…?

1

Talking about food; expressing likes and dislikes; Talking historical events

Present perfect; Referring to time in the past with for and since.

Ethnic dishes from Ecuador and other south America countries; Colombian paramilitary groups.

Situation in Colombia: FARC and paramilitary groups.

What have you been doing…?

2

Talking about an activity which was happening (in progress) very recently in the past.

Present perfect continuous.

Information about success stories

Personal opinions about impact of the global economic crisis.

Job Hunting. 3

Describing past events or situations completed before another event or time in the past.

Past perfect tense

Activities and vocabulary when you‘re looking for a job

Talk about the Union of South American Nations.

Crime and the Law.

4

Use of the perfect aspect to indicate that a particular action happened before others.

Past perfect continuous.

Legal systems comparison.

Story in Oxford University Press.

How to choose the ideal job.

5

Giving opinions about jobs; describing and comparing jobs.

Gerund phrases as subjects and objects.

Unusual careers. How to keep a job.

My best friend. 6

Describing personalities; expressing likes and dislikes

Relative pronouns as subjects and objects.

Qualities of Ecuadorian and Latin American people.

Personal opinions about friendship.

It’s really worth seeing!

7

Use of the passive to focus on the result of the action, not the person who performs it.

Passive voice (present, past and future tenses).

Descriptions of ancient monuments. Information about Colombia.

Stories about haunted houses and ghosts; personal experiences.

You Know Them, don’t

you? 8

Use of tag questions at the end of statements to ask for confirmation.

Tag questions. Knowing some presidents of Latin America

The ―Devil‘s nose‖.

3

Unit 1: HAVE YOU EVER.......?

1. SNAPSHOT

FAVOURITE ETHNIC DISHES

Talk about these questions.

Have you ever tried any of these dishes? Which ones would you like to try?

What other ethnic food can you try in your city?

What are three popular dishes in your country?

ECUADOR

Rice with beans and meat.

Eat it with patacones (thickly sliced unripe plantain, taken out smashed and fried again) or chifles (thinly sliced fried unripe plantain).

VENEZUELA

Arepas

Arepas are the most typical food in Venezuela. It is an easy food that you can make in only a few minutes. Arepas are made of corn flour.

PERU

Ceviche

Ceviche is traditionally served

with cold slices of sweet potatoes

or corn on the cob in Peru.

COLOMBIA

Bandeja Paisa

A huge mixture of food on more of a platter than a plate, it consists of grilled steak, fried pork rind, chorizo sausages, on a bed of rice and red beans that is then topped with a fried egg and a side of sliced avocado and sweet banana (chips).

4

2. CONVERSATION

A. Listen and practice. (Track Nº 1)

Kathy: Hey, this sounds good – snails with garlic!

Have you ever eaten snails?

John: No, I haven‘t.

Kathy: Oh, they‘re delicious! I had them last time.

Like to try some?

John: No, thanks. They sound strange.

Waitress: Have you decides on an appetizer yet?

Kathy: Yes. I‘ll have the snails, please.

Waitress: And you, sir?

John: I think I‘ll have the fried brains.

Kathy: Fried brains? Now that really sounds strange!

B. Listen to the rest of the conversation. How did John like the fried brains? What

else did he order?

3. GRAMMAR FOCUS

C. Read the situations and write sentences with the present perfect. Choose one

of the following: break, drop, go up, grow, improve, lose, turn on.

1. Mike is looking for his key. He can‘t find it

He has lost his key

2. Jennifer can‘t walk and her leg is in a cast.

She _____________________________________________

3. Maria‘s English wasn‘t very good. Now it is much better.

PRESENT PERFECT

The present perfect expresses an activity or situation that occurred

(or did not occur) before now, at some unspecified time in the past.

The present perfect tense is formed with have/has + the past

participle form of the verb.

Example:

Jim has already eaten lunch.

Ann hasn’t eaten lunch yet.

Have you ever eaten at that restaurant?

5

____________________________________________________

4. Jason didn‘t have a bear last month. Now he has a beard.

_____________________________________________________

5. Last week the bus fare was 80 cents. Now he has a beard.

_____________________________________________________

6. The temperature was 55 degrees. Now it is only 36.

The temperature _______________________________________

7. The light was off. Now it is on.

Somebody ____________________________________________

D. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses to form the

present perfect tense

Dear Mum and Daddy,

I‘m sorry I (not, write) haven’t written sooner, but I (not, have) _____________ a free

moment! There (be) ____________ so much to do here in London. I (meet)

___________ some great people and I am having a wonderful time.

There‘s so much to tell you, I don‘t know where to begin. I‘ll start by telling you about

some of the things that I (do) ______________ here. I (be) ____________ to

Westminster Abbey, which is the most famous church in England. Also, I (visit)

___________ Buckingham Palace, which is where the queen lives! I (ride) __________

double-decker buses a few times and I (eat) ______________ traditional English foods

like Yorkshire Pudding and Steak and Kidney Pie. (I‘m not crazy about the food, so I

(lose) _________ some weight!).

I (speak) ________ with some English people and they (teach) ______ me a few things

about British culture. I (learn) ___________ that pubs are where people go to meet

friends and relax. I (go) ___________ to pubs a few times, and I really like them! In the

pubs, I (play) ________ a few games of darts, a popular English bar game. I (watch)

___________ a few soccer matches on TV at the pubs. I (discover) __________ that

soccer is almost as popular here as it is back home in Brazil!

I (be) _________ amazed at how much tea people drink here. I (try) __________ the

coffee, but it‘s usually very weak. I (not, be) __________ able to find really strong

coffee like we drink in Brazil.

6

Unfortunately, the weather (not, be) ____________ very good. It‘s often rainy and

foggy here. I (not see) _____________ sunshine since I left Brazil. With all of this rain,

I (catch)___________ a little cold.

I can‘t wait to tell you more about my trip. I (take) _________ many photos to show you

and I (buy) ___________ many souvenirs for everyone at home.

I really like it here, but I think I‘d better leave soon-my friends (tell) __________ me that

I (begun) ____________ to speak with a British accent!

Kisses

Alex

4. GRAMMAR FOCUS

E. Fill the blank spaces, use for or since.

1. Joe has lived in Dallas ______________________ 20 years

2. Sarah has lived in Chicago ___________________ 1985

3. I haven‘t been to a party ___________ a long time.

4. Christine is away. She‘s been away ______________ Friday.

5. I Wonder how Carol is. I haven‘t seen her _______________ ages.

F. Combine each pair of sentences using the present perfect and for or since.

She joined the soccer team last year. She is still a member of the soccer team

E.g. She has been a member of the soccer team for a year

1. Juanita liked Daniel three years ago. She still likes him

________________________________________________________

2. Adrian moved to Mexico last year. He still lives there.

_________________________________________________________

3. Angela was tired this morning. She‘s still tired

_________________________________________________________

4. John got a cell phone in 1998. He still has a cell phone

FOR AND SINCE

We use for and since to say how long something has been happening

We use FOR + a period of time (two hours, six weeks, etc.) I haven‘t had a vacation for ten years

We use SINCE the start of a period (8:00, Monday, 1985, etc.) I haven‘t seem Tom since Monday

7

___________________________________________________________

5. They woke up at 8:00. They are still awake.

____________________________________________________________

6. She turned the stereo on an hour ago. The stereo is still on.

____________________________________________________________

7. She stopped talking to me five years ago. She still doesn‘t talk to me.

____________________________________________________________

8. I wasn‘t hungry last night. I‘m still not hungry.

____________________________________________________________

5. LISTENING (Track Nº 2)

G. Listen to six people ask questions about food and drink in a restaurant.

Check (√) the item that each person is talking about.

1. □ water 2. □ Coffee 3. □ soup 4. □ coffee 5. □ cake 6. □ the check

□ bread □ The meal □pasta □ the meat □ coffee □ the menu

6. WRITING

H. Look this list and write questions about the things you have done. Use Have

you ever……? Answer the questions.

Eat raw fish

Have green tea ice cream

Try Colombian food

Go horseback riding

Travel to Cuba country

Take a cruise to Peru

7. READING

KILLINGS BY COLOMBIAN PARAMILITARY GROUPS CONTINUE

8

By: Santiago Meza

BOGOTÁ, Colombia – At least 42 people have died since mid-July as a result of

confrontations between paramilitary groups which are fighting for control over illegal

coca leaf crops and drug trafficking routes in the southern department of Nariño, on the

border with Ecuador. Meanwhile, an Armed Forces offensive in a jungle area of the

central department of Meta resulted in the deaths of 17 FARC members.

Two paramilitary groups working at the service of drug traffickers the Weeds and the

Black Eagles engaged in a prolonged armed confrontation between July 11 and early

August. El Tiempo reported that they are fighting for control over an area of coca crops

and the main drug trafficking route along Colombia‘s Pacific coast in the department of

Nariño.

The region‘s peace advisor, Xavier Hernández, told W Radio that the intense

skirmishes lasted for at least three weeks and caused the death of a three-year-old girl

who, like the rest of the population of the towns of Policarpa and Cumbitara, was

caught in the crossfire. ―The community has reported more than 40 deaths … The first

thing they reported was the imposition of a ruthless armed control by these paramilitary

groups, who are imposing their rule on the civilian population,‖ he said.

A total of 19,553 members of Colombian armed groups have individually laid down

their arms since August 2002, when President Álvaro Uribe‘s first term in office began,

reported EFE. Around 32,000 illegal combatants, mostly from the United Self-Defense

Forces of Colombia (AUC), demobilized between 2003 and 2006 under a peace

agreement with the government. The return to arms of some paramilitary groups poses

a challenge to the president during his last year in office.

Meanwhile, the General Command of the Colombian Armed Forces announced the

deaths of 17 guerrillas in a combined Army and Air Force operation which took place

on Aug. 4 in two towns in the department of Meta, where a FARC camp was bombed.

According to El Tiempo, the offensive forms part of an attempt to capture the leader of

the guerrilla‘s Front 49, Wilson Peña Maje, a.k.a. ―Mojoso."

9

I. Read the text and give your opinions using your own ideas about it.

J. Talk about these questions.

1. How many people have died since mid July?

2. What has El Tiempo reported?

3. What did Xavier Hernández say?

4. What did the General Command of the Colombian Armed Forces announce?

Vocabulary

Snails: Slowing –moving mollusk with spiral shell.

Brains: Organ or soft nervous tissue in vertebrate‘s skull; centre of sensation or

thought; intelligence.

Meanwhile: adv. In the intervening time; at the same time.

Crops: Produce of any cultivated plant or of land; group or amount produced at one

time; handle of whip; very short haircut; pouch in bird`s gullet where food is prepared

for digestion.

Skirmishes: Minor battle; short argument etc.

Crossfire: Firing of gums in two crossing directions.

Ruthless: Having no pity or compassion.

10

Unit 2: WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN

DOING……….?

1. SNAPSHOT

Success Stories

FIDEL CASTRO

Fidel Castro was born on August 13th, 1926

(some sources give 1927), on a farm in

Mayari municipality in the province of Oriente.

He attended good Catholic schools in

Santiago de Cuba and Havana.

A member of the social-democratic Ortodoxo

party in the late 1940s and early 1950s,

Castro was an early and vocal opponent of

the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. On July

26, 1953, Castro led an attack on the

Moncada army barracks that failed but

brought him national prominence. At the time,

his political ideas were nationalistic, anti-

imperialist, and reformist; he was not a

member of the Communist party.

HUGO CHAVEZ

Hugo Chávez was born on July 28th, 1954 on

a small town called Sabaneta, state of Barinas in Venezuela, South America

Chavez was a career military man who formed a revolutionary force within the Venezuelan army and led a failed attempt to overthrow President Carlos Andres Perez in 1992. After two years in prison, Chavez was pardoned by President Rafael Caldera and made the transition from soldier to politician. An engaging speaker and charismatic personality, he was elected to the presidency as a leftist reformer and modern-day. He is the President of Venezuela from 1999 to the present days.

Talk about these questions

What is the most impressive accomplishment of each of these people?

Name three successful people from your country. What have they

accomplished?

11

2. CONVERSATION

A. Listen and practice. (Track Nº 3)

Pete: Hey, Joan! I haven‘t seen you in ages.

What have you been doing lately?

Joan: Nothing exciting. I‘ve been working two jobs for the last six months.

Pete: How come?

Joan: I‘m saving up money for a trip to Europe.

Pete: Well, I‘ve only been spending money. I quit my job to go to graduate school.

I‘m studying journalism.

Joan: Really? How long have you been doing that?

Pete: For two years. Luckily, I finish next month.

I‘m almost out of money.

B. Listen to two other people at the party. (Track Nº 3)

Speak about: What has happened since they last saw each other? 3. GRAMMAR FOCUS C. What have these people been doing or what has been happening?

PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

The present perfect progressive talks about how long an activity has been in

progress before now.

Note: Time expressions with since and for are frequently used with this

tense.

STATEMENT: have/has+been+-ing

They have been driving since two o‘clock

They have not been sitting in class for thirty minutes.

Have They been living there since last September?

How long have they been driving?

12

1. They have been shopping 2. _______________________

3. _________________________ 4. _______________________

D. Write a question for each situation.

1. John looks sunburned. You ask: (you/sit in the sun?)

E.g. Have you been sitting in the sun?

2. You have just arrived to meet a friend who is waiting for you. You ask:

(you/wait/long?)

____________________________________________________________

3. You meet a friend on the street. His face and hands are very dirty. You ask:

(what/you/do?)

_______________________________________________________________

4. A friend of yours is now living on Main Street. You want to know ―How long…….?‖

You ask: (how long/you/live/on Main Street?)

_______________________________________________________________

5. A friend tells you about her job-she sells computers. You want to Know ―How

long….?‖ You ask: (how long/you/sell/computers?)

______________________________________________________________

E. Read the situations and complete the sentences.

1. The rain started two hours ago. It‘s still raining now.

E.g. It has been raining for two hours.

2. We started waiting for the bus 20 minutes ago. We‘re still waiting nos.

13

We ______________________________________ for 20 minutes.

3. I started Spanish classes in December. I‘m still studying Spanish now.

I _______________________________________ since January 18th.

4. Jessica started working in Tokyo on January 18th. She`s still working there now.

_____________________________________________ since January 18th.

5. Years ago you started writing to a pen pal. You still write to each other regularly.

We ___________________________________________ for years.

F. Look at the answers. Write the questions.

Chris: What have you been doing lately?

Alex: No, I haven‘t been jogging. I‘ve been playing tennis in the evenings with friends.

Chris: Really? ____________________________________________

Alex: No, I haven‘t been getting any exercise. I‘ve been working long hours.

Alex: ______________________________________________________

Chris: Yes, I‘ve been working weekends. I‘ve been working Saturday mornings.

Alex: Well, why don‘t we play a game of tennis on Saturday afternoon? It‘s great

exercise!

4. REALLY? HOW INTERESTING!

A. Group work. What interesting thing can you find out about your classmates?

Ask these questions and others of your own.

Have you been doing anything exciting recently?

Are you studying anything right now?

How long have you been studying it?

Have you met anyone interesting lately?

Who is your best friend? How did you meet?

Where were you living ten years ago? Did you like it there? What do you remember

about it?

Have you been saving up to buy anything special?

How long have you been saving up for it?

5. WRITING

A. Write a short biography of an interesting person in your family-a grandparent,

an aunt or uncle-or of someone else you know about.

14

6. READING

ECONOMIC DISCIPLINE ALLOWS CHILE, PERU TO WEATHER CRISIS

By: Omar Bonilla

LATIN AMERICA – The finance ministries of Chile and Peru believe that they have

managed to cushion the impact of the global economic crisis thanks to mostly free

market policies sustained over the last 10 years.

Discussing the impact of the financial crisis on the region at a meeting in Santiago,

Chile‘s finance minister, Andres Velasco, and Peru‘s vice minister of finance, Jose

Arista Arbildo, agreed that the common denominator that has allowed their countries to

weather the storm is the combination of counter-cyclical fiscal policies and well-

capitalized financial systems.

Both officials were speaking at the ―Hemispheric Responses to Global Economic

Instability‖ conference, which was also attended by World Bank President Robert

Zoellick, Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Council of the Americas

President Susan Segal, as well as by ministers and vice ministers from other Latin

American and Caribbean countries.

In his closing speech, conference host Velasco said that the regional economy is still

sluggish and that this is holding down exports. ―One of the major challenges for the

region,‖ Velasco told El Mercurio, ―is to secure financing for emerging economies and

to make the G20 countries understand Latin America‘s fears.‖

Arista told El Comercio that the figures show a slowdown in Peru‘s economic growth,

especially in the textile sector, but that higher price for metals such as gold, silver and

copper are helping to stave off the worst effects of the crisis.

15

He emphasized that Peru and Chile had taken the right measures to ―separate

themselves from the negative image attached to some Latin American economies.‖

According to El Comercio, Peru‘s economy grew at an average rate of 6.8 percent per

year between 2002 and 2008, thanks to private enterprise and savings made in

previous years.

The atmosphere of economic optimism in Peru is largely due to the expectations

aroused by the country‘s new free trade agreement with the United States. The

government now has to address a number of social problems if the country‘s economic

prospects are not to be harmed.

A. Read the article and give your personal comments about this.

1. Read and write some questions

2. Answer the questions in number 1.

Vocabulary

Cushion: provide or protect with cushions; mitigate effects of.

Storm: Violent disturbance of atmosphere with high wins and usually thunder, rain, or

snow; violent disturbance in human affairs.

Sluggish: Inert, slow-moving.

Fears: panic etc. caused by impending danger, pain, etc. ; cause of this; alarm, dread.

To Stave Off: Avert or defer

16

Unit 3: Job Hunting

1 SNAPSHOT

What kinds of jobs are available for students in Ecuador?

Is it easy or difficult to find a job in our country?

Where can you get information about jobs?

2 CONVERSATION (Track Nº 4) Finding a job

Listen and practice this conversation between two students.

Manuel: I lost my job two weeks ago, and it‘s been too difficult to find a new one.

I‘ve spent the last few days job hunting. Before this, I had always spent

my free time with my girlfriend, Sandy. She must think I‘m not interested

in her anymore.

Juan: I know it, Manuel. Job hunting has been difficult for me, too. I need a job,

but like most students, I haven‘t ever had one. I don‘t have the work

experience most employers want.

Manuel: Hey! Juan, listen¡ Last week I found out that a friend of mine had just

quit her job in the physics lab. Why don‘t you apply for it?

Juan: That sounds great¡ I‘ll do that right away. I haven‘t ever worked in a lab,

but I did well in my science courses last year. You know, I had

considered being a dishwasher, but this sounds much better!

17

Manuel: Well, I think I‘ve just taken care of your employment problem! Now I‘ve

got to concentrate on mine.

3 GRAMMAR

THE PAST PERFECT TENSE

The past perfect tense refers to an activity or situation completed before another

event or time in the past. It is more common in written English than in spoken English.

FORMS AFFIRMATIVE

STATEMENTS NEGATIVE STATEMENTS

Activities completed

before another time in

the past

John had arrived at work

long before 8:30.

By 9:15, his boss had

already arrived.

It was the first time that his

boss had ever been late.

Time expressions often

used with this time include:

before(1998),by(May2nd),by

then, by that time, already,

ever, never, still, yet.

Long forms She had arrived by noon She had not arrived by

noon

Contracted forms I‘d arrived You hadn’t arrived

QUESTIONS POSSIBLE ANSWERS

Yes/no questions and

short answers

Had she arrived? Yes, she had.

No, she hadn‘t.

Information questions

and short answers

When had you last seen

Mary?

Where had he last seen

Mary?

Who had last seen her?

What had happened to

her?

Two weeks before the

accident.

At school.

John.

We don‘t know.

PRACTICE EXERCISES

A. Complete the sentences with the verbs in parentheses using the past

perfect tense

I ………………… (go) to the movies.

They…………………… (write) a letter for my best friend Luis.

18

………..Susan ever ………….. (study) French before she moved to Thailand?

She ………. ………… (visit) his family since 1975.

Rose ……….……… (understand) to the tourist‘s questions at the airport last

night.

You went to Jill‘s house, but she wasn‘t there. She ……………………………

(go out)

The movie …………………………………………… (begin) late

Last year we went to Mexico. It was at first time there

B. Using the following cues, write sentences with the past perfect and ever.

Example: as a taxi driver / drive a taxi

When I got a job as a taxi driver, it was the first time that I had

ever driven a taxi.

1. As a bank teller / wear a suit

2. In an office / carry a briefcase

_______________________________________________________________

3. In a hospital / see an operation

_______________________________________________________________

4. As a secretary / take dictation

5. In a gas station / repair an engine

_______________________________________________________________

C. Complete the sentences with the past perfect form of the verb in parentheses.

1. Last Thursday, we went to the station to catch a train to Athens, but we were

too late.

The train (leave, already) had already left

2. Jack offered to introduce me to Professor Newton, but it wasn‘t necessary. I (meet, already) __________________________________ him.

3. I didn‘t go to the movie with Francisco last Tuesday night. I (see, already) __________________ it.

19

4. Yesterday I approached a stranger who looked like Jane Moore and started talking to her. But she wasn‘t Jane. It was clear that I (make) ______________ a mistake. I was really embarrassed

4 LISTENING (Track Nº 5)

Listen to an interview between a restaurant manager and a student who is looking for a job and complete the form. Check with your teacher the following words first:

Apply for, available, busy, candidate, contact, customer, experience, interview, preference, shift, standards, tips (money), waiter

Interviewer: (a) ___________________________________

Name: (b) ……………………………………………..

Age: (c) ……………………………………………….

Job wanted: (d) ……………………………………….

Shift preferred: (e) 7am – 3pm / 3pm – 11pm / any

No. of days per week wanted: (f) …………………….

Starting date: (g) ……………………………………...

Experience: (h) ……………………………………….

………………………………………………………...

…………………………………………………………

Other details. (i) ………………………………………

…………………………………………………………

Contact phone number: (j) ……………………………

Best time to contact: (k) ………………………………

20

5 SPEAKING Work and Workplaces

Look at the pictures. Talk about the occupations and activities these people had had before ,using the past perfect tense.

6 WORD POWER

Here are some expressions connected with work to check them with your teacher.

EXPRESSION MEANING

To work the night/day shift period of time for work, either day or night

To be on flextime employee chooses work hours within guidelines

To go/be on strike dispute between management and workers

To be fired dismissed from a job, usually for a negative reason

To be laid off dismissed; no longer needed

To be unemployed without a job

To resign/quit to leave a job because you want to; quit is less formal

To give notice formally notify of intent to leave a job or to dismiss an employee

To be promoted/to get a promotion

get a higher position

To be a workaholic love work too much

To moonlight hold both a full-time job and a second, part-time job

D. Now, using the expressions from the chart, imagine what has happened or is happening according to the labor situation:

Example:

Most employees work nine to five, but he comes in at ten and leaves at six. He’s on flextime.

21

1. I Iost my job. They had to make cutbacks. ………………………………………..

2. I work from midnight until 8 a.m. ……………………………………………………

3. They‘ve made her Personnel Manager as of next month. ...................................

4. I was late so often, I lost my job. ……………………………………………………

5. He hasn‘t had a job for six months. …………………………………………………

6. Your trouble is that you are obsessed with work. …………………………………

Collocations of words connected with work

7 READING (Track Nº 6)

Read and listen the following text and answer the questions below:

UNION OF SOUTH AMERICAN NATIONS

The Union of South American Nations is an intergovernmental union integrating two existing customs unions: Mercosur and the Andean Community of Nations, as part of a continuing process of South American integration. It is modeled on the European Union.

The UNASUR Constitutive Treaty was signed on May 23, 2008, at the Third Summit of Heads of State, held in Brasília, Brazil. According to the Constitutive Treaty, the Union's headquarters will be located in Quito, Ecuador. The South American Parliament will be located in Cochabamba, Bolivia, while its bank, the Bank of the South will be located in Caracas, Venezuela. The Union's former designation, the South American Community of Nations (abbreviated as SACN), was dropped at the First South American Energy Summit on April 16, 2007.

At the Third South American Summit on 8 December 2004, presidents or representatives from 12 South American nations signed the Cuzco Declaration, a two-

22

page statement of intent announcing the foundation of the South American Community. Panama and Mexico attended the signing ceremony as observers.

The group announced their intention to model the new community after the European Union including a common currency, parliament, and passport. According to Allan Wagner Tizón, former Secretary General of the Andean Community, a complete union like that of the EU should be possible by 2019.

The mechanics of the new entity came out of the First South American Community of Nations Heads of State Summit, which was held in Brasília on 29 September–30 September 2005. An important operating condition of UNASUR is that no new institutions will be created in the first phase, so as not to increase bureaucracy, and the community will use the existing institutions belonging to the previous trade blocs.

Comprehension questions:

How many nations belong to the Union of South American Nations?

Do Panama and Mexico belong to this union?

Is this union similar to the European Union? Why?

What is an important operating condition of UNASUR?

What‘s the Cuzco Declaration?

VOCABULARY

Job hunting: looking for a job

Right away: at the moment; right now, immediately

Cue: anything that serves as a signal for some action

Apply for: be applicable for

Available: be free to use it or obtain it

Busy: having many things to do, not having free time

Candidate: a person who is being consider for a position

Customer: someone who buys something, client

Interviewer: the person who asks you questions in an interview

Shift: a group of workers who work for a period of time during the day or night, and

are then replaced by another group who continue their work.

Standard: a level of quality or achievement

Tip: to give a person an amount of money to thank for his/her services

23

Unit 4: Crime and the Law

1 SNAPSHOT

What do you think about our legal system?

Is it necessary to establish a new legal system?

Have you ever heard about any corruption cases in our system?

2 CONVERSATION (Track Nº 7) A Murder Case

Listen and practice Bill: Oh, hello. Welcome home. I‘m afraid I have… Vanessa: Hi, Bill… what are you doing here? Where is… Bill: Look, uh, please sit down. I‘m afraid I have some bad news Vanessa: What? Where is Dad? Dave: What on earth is going on, Bill? Bill: I‘m afraid I have to tell you that … your father was killed this morning. Vanessa: What? Dave: What are you saying…? Vanessa: Oh, no! Bill: I‘m sorry. Your mother is upstairs. Dave: Bill, what happened? Bill: Apparently Mr. Vargas was working in the lab about 8 am this morning, he was by himself, and …he was shot dead. Dave: But what … Bill: The murderer has been arrested Dave: Who is it? Bill: He‘s a Colombian who lives in the United States. In fact, he has confessed and he claims he was hired to do the killing. Dave: Hired? By who? Bill: Ah, well, that‘s the interesting part… he says he was hired by you. Dave: What? That‘s ridiculous, Bill. You‘re the criminal here. Bill: Oh, but wait, it gets better… you see the police are on their way here right now.

24

Dave: What? You‘re completely… Bill: I suppose you‘ll be arrested for murder or conspiracy to murder… Dave: Oh, what a mess! … Vanessa! (door bell rings) Bill: Well, hot-shot … have a nice time in prison! Dave: You‘ll never get away with this! 3 GRAMMAR

CONTRAST BETWEEN THE PAST PERFECT AND PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Past Perfect Continuous Past Perfect

Continuous: It had been snowing for three hours. Unless they cleared the roads soon, it was likely that we would have to spend the night in

our car

Repeated: It had snowed several times since we arrived, but there still wasn‘t enough snow to ski.

Use the past perfect continuous instead of past perfect to describe actions that are continuous instead of repeated

Uncompleted: I had been visiting my aunt, when she suddenly became quite ill and asked me to drive to the hospital.

Completed: I had visited my aunt, so I was free to spend the rest of the afternoon with my sweetheart.

Uncompleted instead of completed

PRACTICE EXERCISES

A. Read the situations and make sentences from the words in parentheses

I was very tired when I got home. (I/work/hard all day)

E.g. I had been working hard all day.

1. The two boys came into the house. They had a soccer ball, and they were both very tired.

(they/play/soccer)

……………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

We use the Past Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and

continued up until another time in the past.

Eg. The teacher had been explaining a difficult pattern for three hours. John had been talking to the teacher for a long time.

25

2. There was nobody in the room, but there was a smell cigarette smoke. (somebody/smoke/in the room)

……………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………

3. Ann woke up in the middle of the night. She was frightened and didn‘t know where she was.

(she/dream)

……………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………

4. When I got home, Mike was sitting in from of the TV. He had just turned it off. (he/watch/TV)

……………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………

B. Read a situation and then write a sentence 1. We began playing football. After half an hour there was a terrible storm.

We had been playing for half an hour when there was a terrible storm.

2. The orchestra began playing at the concert. After about ten minutes a man in the audience suddenly began shouting.

The orchestra ___________________________________________ for

about ten minutes when _____________________________________.

3. I had arranged to meet Tom in a restaurant. I arrived and began waiting. After 20 minutes I realized that I had come to the wrong restaurant.

I ___________________________________________________________

when I ______________________________________________________.

4. Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins went to live in the south of France. Six months later Mr.

Jenkins died. They

___________________________________________________________when

________________________________________________.

C. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate form of the verbs in parenthesis

(past perfect or past progressive). 1. When the earthquake struck, Kamila was still in her office because

she……………………… (try) to finish a project before she left for the day.

26

2. Maria ……………………….. (look) for a reason to complain about Edgar even before he took time off from work to see his son‘s school play.

3. By the beginning of the fifteenth century, the bubonic plague …………………… (cause) some fundamental, social and political changes.

4. The police ………………………. (keep) the warehouse under surveillance for some time when they finally obtained a search warrant and investigated.

5. They first became suspicious because so many people……………………..

(go) in and out of the warehouse at strange hours of the day and night.

D. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense. (Past simple, continuous or perfect)

A LOVE STORY

It was Friday again, the day for famous parties at

Wellington High School. Students ………………….. (dance) in the

garden and everyone ………………………….. (enjoy) the pleasure

of being away from boring lessons.

When Sarah ………………… (come) to the party, the

music ……………….. (already / start). Tim suddenly

………………. (notice) Sarah and ………………… (feel) shocked. He had ………….. (look

for) her for 2 years. They ……………………… (meet) each other at a holiday camp in

1999, but mysteriously Sarah……………(disappear) after a while. He ……………………

(think) about her since then.

At the party, Sarah …………………. (talking) to one of her friends while most of

the students …………....... (drink) as much as they could. Tim ……………… (decide) to

talk to her and (wait) for her friend to leave. When he ………………(go) next to her, she

……………………….. (search for) something in her bag, so she …………………….. (not

see) him. As soon as he ………………………. (touch) her on the shoulder, she

…………………………… (raise) her head and couldn‘t believe her eyes. She

………………………. (never / forget) him.

At the end of the party, no one …………………… (be) happier than Sarah and

Tim as they ………………… (find) each other after 2 years.

4 LISTENING (Track Nº 8)

A: Listen to the following conversation about a legal case and answer the

questions by choosing a, b, or c.

1. Where is Dave? a. In prison b. at the police station c. in the lawyer‘s office

2. What has Vanessa gotten for Dave?

a. Bail b. evidence c. a lawyer

3. Who was the murder? a. ‗killer‘ b. Bill Wright c. unknown

27

4. What does Vanessa believe about Dave?

a. He is guilty b. he‘s innocent c. he may be guilty

B: Listen again and fill in the blanks in this summary of Dave’s situation.

The lawyer said that he could get Dave released on ...................................

The case against him consists of firstly the .............................. of the murderer

who says that Dave hired him. Supposedly his ............................ was to get the

business for himself. Secondly, the police have the evidence of Dave‘s.............

at the laboratory.

5 SPEAKING Our legal system is kind of slow

Use these words and expressions to talk about our legal system.

6 WORD POWER Choose from the words above to do the crossword according to the clues below:

28

7 READING (Track Nº 9)

Read the segment of “Latin View” about the legal system in Ecuador and the U.S. Answer the questions below:

This week Latin View travels to Ecuador to look at some important differences between the legal system there and in the United States.

This man is Ted Baines. He was convicted of murder in Dallas, Texas. His crimes were the rape and murder of a young girl. At his trial he was found guilty by a jury and then sentenced to death by a judge. In some other states of the United States he would not be facing the death penalty. However the punishment for this crime would never be less than life imprisonment. And life in prison in the U.S.A means a long time, like 50 years. He would probably never be released.

This man is Arturo Guzman Febres. Last year he murdered two people in Quito, Ecuador. He was charged with murder and drug trafficking and spent three weeks in prison. Then a judge released him on bail, violating the legal code of Ecuador, and Arturo Guzman probably left the country. The judge was later investigated by the justice department, but too late. Even if Guzman had gone to trial, it would have been by judge or judges, as there are no juries in Ecuador. If he had been found guilty, the maximum punishment he could received under Ecuadorian law, would be 16 years in prison.

29

Many people in Ecuador feel that 16 years in prison is an insufficient punishment for a terrible crime like murder, but the under laying problem is corruption. Judges are sometimes accused of accepting bribes to convict prisoners or to set them free, depending on the case. A rich person accused of a crime might pay the judge to make a favorable decision in his case.

In fact, this is a common problem in developing countries, where judges often earn just a few hundred dollars a month. Moreover, when a judge works alone without a jury, it is easier to corruptly influence the result of the trial.

Unless our country is able to reform its justice system, it will continue to punish the innocent and let the guilty go free.

What did Ted Baines and Arturo Guzman do?

Did they get what they deserved?

Compare the legal system in our country and in the U.S.

Why do you think some judges accept bribes here?

Do you consider many judges are corrupted? Why?

Do the rich and the poor get the same penalty for the same crime?

Have you ever had legal problems? If so, why?

8 READING

A. Read this excerpt from a romance novel and complete the tasks below

Julie had been walking for hours when she suddenly noticed that the sun was sinking

low in the sky. She had lost track of time because she had been thinking about the

most important decision she’d ever had to make in her life.

Things hadn’t been the same between Julie and her fiance, David, since he accepted a

jog in Paris. They had known each other for almost five years, and in that time, they

had never argued much. Lately, though, their relationship had become stormy. They

seemed to be finding fault with each other and disagreeing about everything. For the

first time, she was starting to wonder if she was ready for marriage. And with the

wedding only twenty days away, she needed to make up her mind soon.

Everything in Julie’s life had been going well until her world fell apart just a month

before. A large company had offered David an important position that would require

him to move to France. As his wife, Julie would have to go, too. Why hadn`t he

discussed his decision with her?

30

Although Julie had always wanted to live abroad, she felt very confused. Was she

ready to move halfway across the world, leaving behind her friends and family and the

only home she had ever known? If the answer was no, was she ready to say goodbye

to the only man she had ever loved?

1. There are three examples of the past perfect continuous in the story. The first

one is underlined. Underline two more.

2. A community group organized a project to clean up a park. How long had the

group been working when the people below came to help? Look at the list and

write sentences in the past perfect continuous.

RIVERSIDE PARK CLEANUP SCHEDULE

9:00 – 10:00 pick up the trash

10.00 – 10.30 pull weeds

10:30 – 11:00 wash the benches

11.00 – 12.00 paint the benches

12.00 – 12.30 clean the playground

12:30 – 1.00 rake leaves

1. Ana got there at 9:15. When Ana got there, the group had been picking up the trash

for fifteen minutes.

2. Chris and Emily arrived at 10.25.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

3. Sasha came at 10:35.

_______________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

4. Jane got there at 11:30

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

5. Mr. and Mrs. Rivera came at 12.20.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

6. Rick arrived at 12:45.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

31

9 INVESTIGATIVE WORK

A. Find a story in Oxford University Press www.oup.com/elt

B. Comment about the story in the class.

VOCABULARY

Arrest: to catch someone who has been charged with an offence.

Bail: an amount of money a judge decides for a person to be released from prison

Bribe: a sum of money that you offer to someone to persuade them to do something

for you.

Confess: to admit that you have done something.

Confession: the act of confessing something.

Conspiracy: the planning by a person or small group in secret to do something illegal.

Convict: a person who is serving a prison sentence.

Crime: an illegal action for which a person can be punished by law.

Criminal: a person who has committed an illegal action.

Death penalty: the punishment of death used in some countries for people who have

committed serious crimes such as murders.

Defend: take some action to protect someone or something.

Evidence: anything that you see, experience, read or is told that causes you to believe

that something is true or has really happened.

Fingerprints: a mark made by a person‘s finger which shows the lines of the skin.

Guilty: officially stated to have committed a crime or offence.

Hire: pay someone to do a particular job for you.

Judge: the person in a court of law who has the power to make decisions about how

the law should be applied to people.

Jury: a group of people in a court law who have been chosen to listen to the facts

about a crime and to decide whether the person accused is guilty or not.

Justice: fairness in your behavior or in the way that people are treated.

Kidnapper: a person who has taken someone away by force and is demanding money

from their family to be released.

Murder: the deliberate and unlawful killing of a person

Murderer: someone who deliberately and unlawfully kills another person.

Prove: to show that something is true or correct.

Punishment: the act of punishing someone, severe physical treatment of any kind.

Rape: to force someone to have sex.

32

Release: to set a person or an animal free of captivity.

Set a trap: to put it ready to use it against a person or animal.

Suspect: a person who is thought to be guilty of something, especially a crime.

Trial: a formal legal process in which a judge and a jury decide whether someone is

guilty of a particular crime.

33

UNIT FIVE: How to choose the

ideal job

1. SNAPSHOT

JOBS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Describe each job in the pictures above

Which job is the most interesting?

What are three typical jobs in Ecuador?

What are two unusual jobs in Latin America?

2 CONVERSATION (Track Nº 10)

UNIQUE JOB

Listen and practice.

Tim: Wow! There are so many jobs to choose from! What do you think?

Diane: Working in the media could be fun there´s TV, newspapers, the internet…

Tim: Well, let´s look. Hmmm, How about this? You could be a TV news director

Diane: Are you kidding? Directing the news would be nerve-racking

Tim: Well, writing for a magazine must be exciting. How about that?

Diane: No, I´m really more interested in working with computers. Hey, look! Designing

interactive media. I´d like that?

Tim: Designing interactive media? It sounds interesting, but what is it?

A. Listen to the rest of the conversation.

What does an interactive media designer do?

………………………………………………………………………..

Does it sound interesting to you? Why or why not?

……………………………………………………………………….

34

……………………………………………………………………….

3 GRAMMAR

GERUND PHRASES AS SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS

A gerund is a form of a verb used as a noun. Gerunds always end in

-ing. They always act as nouns. Gerunds can function as subjects, direct objects,

indirect objects, objects of a preposition, predicate nominatives, and appositives. Here

are some examples of gerunds:

Trespassing is prohibited. (The gerund ‗trespassing‘ is the subject.)

I love driving a fast car. (The gerund ‗driving‘ is the object of the verb ‗love‘.)

His crime, stealing a policeman‘s helmet, was considered serious. (The gerund

‗stealing‘ is an appositive in this sentence.)

Like a participle, a gerund can be part of a phrase. Don't confuse gerunds and present

participles, because both end in -ing. A gerund functions only as a noun, while a

participle functions only as an adjective.

Collecting stamps is a hobby of his.

I hate the idea of getting old.

The thought of failing never entered his head.

Our object, collecting a million dollars for the project, cannot be easily

fulfilled.

Recognize a gerund phrase when you see one.

A gerund phrase will begin with a gerund, an ing word, and might

include other modifiers and/or objects. Gerund phrases always function

as nouns, so they will be subjects, subject complements, or objects

in the sentence. Read these examples:

Eating ice cream on a windy day can be a messy

exper ience if you have long, untamed hair .

Eating ice cream on a windy day = subject of the verb can be.

4 EXAMPLES: (Track Nº 11)

GERUND PHRASES AS SUBJECTS.

35

Working in the media could be fun

Directing the news would nerve-racking.

Designing interactive media seems challenging.

Working with computers sounds interesting.

GERUND PHRASES AS OBJECTS.

I‘d enjoy working in the media.

I would dislike directing the news.

I would dislike directing the news.

I wouldn‘t enjoy designing interactive media.

I‘m interested in working with computers.

The best and the worst job

Name Job Job duties like dislike

1.

2.

3.

5 EXERCISES

You can put any noun on these three lines in the chart below(as long as it makes

logical sense). What if you want to say an action is fun or difficult? That is when you

need a gerund. If you want to use an action word in a place that requires a noun, you

can usually use a verb with an -ing ending. Eg ( Believing in God is important.)

__________________is fun.

________________is difficult.

That is ballet _____________

Exercise: Quiz time

Directions: Read the sentences. Make a gerund or gerund phrase from the first

36

sentence. Put that gerund in the second sentence. The gerund replaces the it, this,

that, these, and those in the second sentence. The first one has been done for you.

1. I watch airplanes take off. It is very relaxing.

Gerund or gerund phrase: watching airplanes take off.

Answer: Watching airplanes take off is very relaxing.

2. Andrew got hit by the ball. That sent Andrew to the hospital.

Gerund or gerund phrase:

Answer: …………………………………………………………………………………

3. You should brush your teeth twice daily. This is what all dentists recommend.

Gerund or gerund phrase:

Answer: ………………………………………………………………………………

4. Franklin was warned about drinking and driving . It forced him to be much more

careful on the highway.

Gerund or gerund phrase:

Answer: ………………………………………………………………………………

5. She wants to be a journalist. It is her dream.

Gerund or gerund phrase:

Answer: …………………………………………………………………………………

6. You have to take the TOEFL. It is the only way to get into that college.

Gerund or gerund phrase:

Answer: …………………………………………………………………………………

7. We have studied Spanish. This helped us on our trip to Barcelona.

Gerund or gerund phrase:

Answer: ………………………………………………………………………………

8. Tom Lee took lots of biology classes. Those helped him in medical school.

Gerund or gerund phrase:

Answer: ………………………………………………………………………………

9. The boys always get in trouble. That isn't any fun.

Gerund or gerund phrase:

Answer: …………………………………………………………………………………

10. People cry. That can make your whole face red.

Gerund or gerund phrase:

Answer: …………………………………………………………………………………

UNUSUAL CAREERS

Describe three unusual careers you would like to have in:

Ecuador…………………………………………………………………

37

…………………………………………………………………………...

Latin America…………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………..

6 WRITING

Discover why writing well is important in your job and life

Choose one of the jobs you talked about Ecuador or Latin America and make a

list of advantages or disadvantages. Then write a paragraph on your notebook

about your favorite job.

7 LISTENING (Track Nº 12)

Listen to Carlos, Paul, and Julia talking about their summer jobs.

Where does each person work? Write the correct name under each picture

1………………. 2………………. 3………………..

B. Listen again. Do Carlos, Paul, and Julia like their jobs?

Why or why not? Take notes

Carlos…………………………………………………………………………

Paul……………………………………………………………………………

Julia……………………………………………………………………………

8 READING

HOW TO KEEP YOUR JOB

Make sure everyone can know you. Being a good worker is sometimes

less important than making sure that people know you´re a good worker.

Volunteer for new responsibilities, push your ideas, and generally make

yourself visible.

38

Learn everything that could help you do your job better. If the

company buys new computers, learn how to use them. If learning more

about marketing could help you, take a short course in marketing.

Make sure you know everything about the company. And use this

knowledge. If you find out that sales are becoming the most important

department, try making a move to sales.

Be positive. People who find things to complain about are a lot less

popular than people who find things to praise.

Improve your speaking and writing skills. Having good ideas isn‘t

enough. You need to be able to communicate your ideas.

Impress your boss. You can often impress a boss by dressing in a

businesslike way even if others dress casually.

In the end, it all comes down to one basic strategy: Make yourself so

valuable that the company won‘t want to lose you.

9 Group work: Talk about these questions.

1. Are the strategies given in the article useful for places where

you‘ve worked or places you‘ve heard about?

2. Would you follow these strategies?

3. Which of the strategies seem most important?

4. Which seem least important?

5. What other strategies can you think of for keeping a job?

VOCABULARY

SNAPSHOT: a photograph

NERVE-RACKING: describes something that is difficult to do and causes a lot of worry

for the person involved in it: My wedding was the most nerve-racking thing I've ever

experienced.

APPOSITIVE: suitable and right for the occasion: an apposite phrase/quotation/

remark. The film starts in a graveyard, an opposite image for the decaying society

which is the theme of the film.

39

FAIL: to not succeed in what you are trying to achieve or are expected to do: She

moved to London in the hope of finding work as a model, but failed.

TOEFL: ABBREVIATION FOR test of English as a foreign language: an exam of

English for speakers of other languages

COLLEGE: any place for specialized education after the age of 16 where people study

or train to get knowledge and/or skills:

a teacher training college, a secretarial college ,a Naval college

UK a sixth form college, She's at art college.

MARKETING: to make goods available to buyers in a planned way which encourages

people to buy more of them, for example by advertising:

Their products are very cleverly marketed.

40

UNIT SIX: My best friend

1. SNAPSHOT

What do you think about your partner next to?

Which important aspect of a relationship is most important for you?

2 CONVERSATION (Track Nº 13) FRIENDSHIP

A. Listen and practice.

Chris: Do you have a date for the party yet?

Kim: Actually, I don‘t ….Do you think you could help me find one?

Chris: Hmm. What kind of guys do you like?

Kim: Oh, I like who aren‘t too serious and who have a good sense of humor.

You know…like you.

Chris: OK. What else?

Kim: Well, If prefer someone I have something in common with – who I can talk to

easily

Chris: I think I know just the guy for you Bob Brandson. Do you know him?

Kim: No, I don´t think so

Chris: Let me arrange for you to meet him, and you can tell me what you think

B . Listen to Chris and Kim discussing Bob after Kim met him.

How did Kim like him?

41

3 GRAMMAR (Track Nº 14)

RELATIVE PRONOUNS AS SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS

EXAMPLES:

RELATIVE PRONOUNS AS SUBJECTS.

I like people. They aren´t too serious

I like people who aren´t too serous

I like people. They have a good sense of humor

I like people that have a good sense of humor

RELATIVE PRONOUNS AS OBJECTS.

I´d prefer someone. I can talk to find easily

I´d prefer someone (who) I can talk to find easily

I´d prefer someone. I have something in common with him

I´d prefer someone (that) I have something in common with

Explanation

The relative pronouns that, which, who, and whom can be omitted when they occur

as the object of a verb or the object of a preposition.

I saw a movie that I really liked the other day.

That is the object of liked, so it can be omitted.

I saw a movie I really liked the other day.

I think the person who I talked to on the telephone was the manager.

Who is the object of the preposition to and can be omitted.

I think the person I talked to on the telephone was the manager.

Relative Pronouns

relative

pronoun use example

who subject or object pronoun for people I told you about the woman

who lives next door.

42

which subject or object pronoun for animals and

things

Do you see the cat which is

lying on the roof?

which referring to a whole sentence He couldn‘t read which

surprised me.

whose possession for people animals and things Do you know the boy whose

mother is a nurse?

whom object pronoun for people, especially in

non-defining relative clauses (in defining

relative clauses we colloquially prefer

who)

I was invited by the professor

whom I met at the conference.

that subject or object pronoun for people,

animals and things in defining relative

clauses (who or which are also possible)

I don‘t like the table that

stands in the kitchen.

Subject Pronoun or Object Pronoun?

Subject and object pronouns cannot be distinguished by their forms - who, which, that

are used for subject and object pronouns. You can, however, distinguish them as

follows:

If the relative pronoun is followed by a verb, the relative pronoun is a subject pronoun.

Subject pronouns must always be used.

The apple which is lying on the table.

43

If the relative pronoun is not followed by a verb (but by a noun or pronoun), the

relative pronoun is an object pronoun. Object pronouns can be dropped in defining

relative clauses, which are then called Contact Clauses.

The apple (which) George lay on the table.

EXERCISE: Fill the blank spaces, use a, b or c.

Eg. _______ does that car belong to? a) Who b) Which c) Whose

1. I talked to the girl ___________car had broken down in front of the shop.

2. Mr. Salgado, ____________ is a taxi driver, lives on the corner.

3. We often visit our aunt in Mexico______________ is in East coast.

4. This is the girl____________ comes from Colombia.

5. That's Alan, the boy____________ has just arrived at the airport from Argentina.

6. Thank you very much for your e-mail_____________ was very interesting.

7. The man, ____________ father is a professor in Chile, forgot his umbrella.

8. The children, ______________shouted in the street, are not from our school.

9. The car, _____________ driver is a young man, is from Venezuela.

10. What did you do with the Money____________ your mother lent you from Brazil?

EXERCISE: Fill the blank spaces use: who, whose or which.

1. The man __________ spoke is my father

2. The car ___________ he bought in Guayaquil last Thursday was very cheap

3. Tom ________is my brother won the match in Cuenca

4. The waiter __________ we gave the tip was very pleased

5. That´s the man __________ house was destroyed by an earthquake in

Mexico

6. The man over there __________ face is dirty saved the child in the suburbs

7. The chair on ____________ I was sitting broke down

8. The pupils ___________ he was speaking to were very noise

9. _____________ are you speaking to?

10. The crowd ___________ was very angry began to shout in Quito

11. The man __________ you saw yesterday in Ambato is my uncle

12. The cupboard _________ we bought last Saturday was expensive

13. This is the bike _________ I told about you last Sunday

44

14. My friend _________ I have been waiting for two hours hasn´t returned from

Paraguay

15. Thank you for the present ___________ you sent me from Guatemala

4 ECUADORIAN AND LATIN AMERICAN PEOPLE

Which is the ideal parent, friend or partner like?

What are two qualities from Ecuadorian people?

What are two qualities from Latin American people?

5 WRITING

MY BEST FRIEND

Think about your best friend. Then write a short paragraph about him/her on

your notebook.

6 PRONUNCIATION (Track Nº 15)

A. Listen and practice. Words that show you feel strongly about something

have higher pitch and additional stress.

I love it when a friend takes me out to dinner

I can´t stand it when someone talks during a movie

I think it´s disgusting when people steal things from restaurants

B . Mark the emphatic stress in these sentences. Listen and check.

It bothers me when I get a phone call before 8:00 am

I hate it when people are rude to me on the subway

7 READING

FRIENDS AND FRIENDS

Mary Allen was my best friend –like the sister I never had. We did everything together:

piano lessons, movies, swimming, and horseback riding.

When I was 13, my family moved away .Mary and I kept in touch through letters, and

we saw each other on special occasions –like my wedding and Mary‘s. Soon we were

busy with children and moving to new homes, and we wrote less often. One day a card

that I sent came back stamped ―Address Unknown.‖ I had no idea how to find Mary.

Over the years, I thought of Mary often. I wanted to share stories of my children and

then grandchildren. And I needed to share my sorrow when my brother and then

mother died. There was an empty place in my heart that only a friend like Mary could

fill.

45

One day I was reading the newspaper when I noticed a photo of a young woman who

looked a lot like Mary and whose last name was Wagman – Mary‘s married

name.‖There must be thousands of Wagmans, ―I thought, but I wrote to her anyway.

She called as soon as she got my letter.‖Mrs. Tobin!‖ she said excitedly.

―Mary Allen Wagman is my mother.‖

Minutes later I heard a voice that I recognize instantly, even after for years. We

laughed and cried and caught up on each other´s lives.

Now the empty place in my heart is filled. And there´s one thing that Mary and I know

for sure: We won´t lose each other again!

TALK ABOUT THESE QUESTIONS

1. Can a best friend make a big difference in a person´s life – filling a gap that can

be filled by anyone else? Why or why not?

2. Have you (or someone you know) lost contact with a friend and then been

reunited? Tell what happened

VOCABULARY

FRIENSHIP: when two people are friends:

Their friendship goes back to when they were at school together.

Did you form any close/lasting friendships while you were at college?

I value her friendship above anything else.

COLLOQUIALLY: a formal conversation

LYING: (lie)

To lie on a beach, to lie on your side, A cat lay in front of the fire, He lies awake at

night, worrying. A pen lay on the desk

STEAL: to take something without the permission or knowledge of the owner and keep

it:

She admitted stealing the money from her employers.

The number of cars which are stolen every year has risen.

They were so poor they had to steal in order to eat.

STAMP: a small piece of paper with a picture or pattern on it which is stuck onto a

letter or parcel before it is posted to show that postage has been paid for:

I stuck a 50p stamp on the envelope.

PITCH: an area marked for playing particular sports, especially football: a

football/hockey/cricket pitch. Supporters invaded (= ran onto) the pitch.

To move or be moved suddenly, especially by throwing:

46

She pitched the stone into the river.

He pitched the ball too short and the batsman hit it for six.

The ball pitched (= landed) short.

The bike hit a rut and I was pitched (forward) onto the road.

The ship pitched up and down/from side to side in the rough seas.

BOTHERS: to make the effort to do something:

[+ to infinitive] He hasn't even bothered to write.

You could have phoned us but you just didn't bother.

[+ ing form of verb] Don't bother making the bed - I'll do it later.

[+ ing form of verb or + to infinitive] You'd have found it if you'd bothered looking/to

look.

You won't get any credit for doing it, so why bother?

CAUGHT UP: to reach someone in front of you by going faster than them:

I ran after her and managed to catch up with her.

UK Go on to the shops without me, I'll catch you up.

to reach the same quality or standard as someone or something else:

Will Western industry ever catch up with Japanese innovations?

He was off school for a while and is finding it hard to catch up.

to do something you did not have time to do earlier:

She's staying late at the office to catch up with/on some reports.

GAP: an empty space or opening in the middle of something or between two things:

The children squeezed through a gap in the wall.

She has a small gap between her front teeth.

47

UNIT 7: It’s really worth

seeing it!

1 SNAPSHOT

FAMOUS LANDMARKS IN ECUADOR AND SOUTH AMERICA

Middle of the world.

A monument in the middle of the planet. A sign that announces the latitude 0°. A yellow line that separates two hemispheres: the north and the south.

El Panecillo of Quito.

It was a temple of adoration to the sun in the prehispanic time; then called Yavirac, today; everybody knows this place as El Panecillo.

Machu Picchu.

It is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,430 meters above sea level. Referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu is one of the most familiar symbols

of the Inca Empire.

Christ the Redeemer

It is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The statue stands 30 meters wide and 38 meters tall with its pedestal, and is located at the peak of the 700 meters Corcovado mountain.

Talk about these questions.

Have you ever seen any of these landmarks?

What else do you know about these places?

What are the three most famous landmarks in your country?

Have you ever heard about the most famous Statue of Liberty? Where is it

located?

2 LISTEN (Track Nº 16)

In this story you will see many examples of how the Passive Voice can be used. Here

is the structure of the Passive Voice:

subject + auxiliary verb (be) + main verb (past participle)

48

Sometimes a modal verb can be used before the auxiliary verb:

subject + modal verb (could)+ auxiliary verb (be) + main verb (past participle)

We use the passive when:

we want to make the active object more important

we do not know the active subject

Now read the short story and try to work out what the constructions in italics

mean.

"Haunted"

The house was built in the middle of the 18th century and some signs could still be found that it had once been a famous meeting place for people who liked playing card games. By the time it was bought by my aunt and uncle some two hundred years later it had been owned by a long list of different people whose names are recorded on the title deeds. As it is situated by the sea, it became a favorite place for various members of the family to visit. It also had an added attraction — it was haunted, at least so my uncle said. To this day of course it never had been proved. The story according to my uncle was that at certain times of the day, incidentally at all times when the house was only occupied by him, a small figure appeared at the bottom of the stairs in the shape of an old lady and held firmly in her hands what appeared to be a walking stick. She waited a moment, looked up the stairs, climbed a few steps to check as if she was being watched and then suddenly she could no longer be seen. At this stage in the story it must be pointed out that my uncle was a man blessed with a vivid imagination. Once he even convinced his wife shortly after they got married that he was hypnotized when they visited the theatre. This turned out to be his excuse for falling asleep because he was bored. She could not be persuaded. But he was quite definite about the little old lady. "You just wait" he used to say "till you see her. Then you will be convinced. ―The trouble with the younger generation is that they refuse to believe anything unless it is presented to them on a plate. He claimed that he was endowed with special psychic powers because he was the seventh son of a seventh son. That was a fact that couldn't be disputed. Personally, I didn't believe a word about this so-called ghost. But then when you are invited to someone's house you have to be polite. I had just finished at university and had a couple of week‘s holiday before I started my first full-time job when I was invited by my aunt and uncle to stay for a few days at the famous haunted house. "You are given freedom of the house while you're here", my uncle had said, "and you can carry out any investigations you like concerning our "house ghost" — that was how the old lady was referred to because I want you of all people to be convinced of the authenticity of this apparition." Somehow I was a highly respected member of the family and my uncle firmly believed that my word was accepted. The first two days, no sign was given of the "ghostly" old lady. On the third day my aunt and uncle asked me if I wanted to come on a lengthy shopping expedition because their supplies now had been exhausted and they had to travel some twenty miles to the nearest town that had a supermarket. This ritual regularly was carried out once a month. I declined the offer as I had decided it was time for me to go for a swim

49

in the sea. Before they left, meaningful glances were exchanged between my aunt and uncle as if they both expected to hear some news from me when they got back. As they left, my uncle turned and said, "You will be surprised at what happens, while we are away." I went for my swim but the sea was very rough and I constantly was pushed onto the beach by the waves. I gave up in the end and made my way back to the house, got washed and dressed, had a bite to eat and sat on the most comfortable chair to watch television. After what seemed like a few minutes, I was aware of an unusual sound as if pieces of material were rubbed together. I got up from the chair and walked into the hall. I was quite taken aback with what confronted me. There, at the bottom of the stairs was the celebrated little old lady carrying her walking stick and holding a pack of cards. For some strange reason I wasn't frightened at all by this apparition. I went up to her and quite calmly asked her, "Will you come in and join me in the sitting room." She too showed no sign of being disturbed by my casual invitation. "I should be delighted" she replied "and perhaps you could be persuaded to join me in a game of cards." We got on like a house on fire but strange as it may seem, the subject of ghosts or haunting not wasn't mentioned and we played one game of cards after the other as if it was the most natural thing in the world. I think I was dealt some terrible cards because I kept on losing and in the end my guest was obviously getting bored by the lack of competition. A little later she complained of tiredness and left the room. When they returned, I told my uncle that the little old lady had made an appearance but I didn't go into the card games and our little chat. He was overwhelmed by the news. It changed his life. Till his dying day he regaled all visitors with the story of the ghostly lady and then added with a broad grin, "It is not just me, you know, the story was verified by my nephew." Well, I did spend a lovely holiday there, they were both very kind to me and no harm no harm was done. You see it depended on the way «made an appearance» is interpreted. After my vigorous swim I'd sat down in front of the television and fallen asleep and well — I have to confess — I simply dreamt the whole thing. 3 GRAMMAR FOCUS

ACTIVE SENTENCES vs. PASSIVE SENTENCES

ACTIVE: Bob mailed the package. PASSIVE: The package was mailed by Bob.

Both sentences have the same meaning.

S V O Bob mailed the package

S V ―by-phrase‖ The package was mailed by Bob.

The object of an active sentence

becomes the subject of a passive

sentence

S V O Bob mailed the package

S V ―by-phrase‖

The subject of an active sentence is the

object of by in the ―by phrase‖ in a

passive sentence

50

The package was mailed by Bob.

ACTIVE: The teacher corrects our homework.

PASSIVE: Our homework is corrected by the teacher.

ACTIVE: Mr. Lee will teach this class.

PASSIVE: This class will be taught by Mr. Lee.

Form of all passive verbs:

BE + PAST PARTICIPLE

BE can be in any of its forms: am,is,are,was,were,has been,have been, will be, etc. THE PAST PARTICIPLE follows BE. For regular verbs, the past participle ends in -ed.(e.g. mailed, corrected). Some past participles are irregular (e.g. taught)

TENSE FORMS OF PASSIVE VERBS

TENSE ACTIVE PASSIVE

SIMPLE PRESENT

The news surprises me. The news surprises Sam. The news surprises us.

I am surprised by the news. Sam is surprised by the news. We are surprised by the news.

SIMPLE PAST

The news surprised me. The news surprised us.

I was surprised by the news. We were surprised by the news.

PRESENT PERFECT

Bob has mailed the letter. Bob has mailed the letters.

The letter has been mailed by Bob. The letters have been mailed by Bob.

FUTURE Bob will mail the letter. Bob is going to mail the letter.

The letter will be mailed by Bob. The letter is going to be mailed by Bob.

4 EXERCISES:

Active to Passive Transformations:

Put the following sentences into the passive voice or form.

1. They make shoes in that factory.

Shoes ______________ in that factory.

2. They built that skyscraper in 1934.

That skyscraper _________ in 1934.

3. The students will finish the course by July.

The course ______________ by July.

4. They make these tools of plastic.

These tools ____________ of plastic.

5. They have finished the new product design.

The new product design _____________________ .

6. Did the plan interest you?

________________________ in the plan?

51

7. They had finished the preparations by the time the guests arrived.

The preparations ____________________ by the time the guests arrived.

8. They are going to perform Beethoven's Fifth Symphony next weekend.

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony ________________________ next weekend.

9. Someone will speak Japanese at the meeting.

Japanese _____________________ at the meeting.

10. Karen is going to prepare the refreshments.

The refreshments ______________________ by Karen.

Exercise on Passive Voice - Simple Present

Rewrite the sentences in passive voice.

1. He opens the door. ____________________________________________________

2. We set the table. ______________________________________________________

3. She pays a lot of money. ________________________________________________

4. I draw a picture. _______________________________________________________

5. They wear blue shoes. __________________________________________________

6. They don't help you. ____________________________________________________

7. He doesn't open the book. _______________________________________________

8. You do not write the letter. _______________________________________________

9. Does your mum pick you up? _____________________________________________

10. Does the police officer catch the thief? _____________________________________

Exercise on Passive Voice - Simple Past

Rewrite the sentences in passive voice.

1. She sang a song. ______________________________________________________

2. Somebody hit me. _____________________________________________________

3. We stopped the bus. ___________________________________________________

4. A thief stole my car. ____________________________________________________

5. They didn't let him go. __________________________________________________

6. She didn't win the prize. _________________________________________________

7. They didn't make their beds. _____________________________________________

8. I did not tell them. ______________________________________________________

9. Did you tell them? _____________________________________________________

10. Did he send the letter? __________________________________________________

52

Exercise on Passive Voice - Future I

Rewrite the sentences in passive voice.

1. Jane will buy a new computer. ____________________________________________

2. Her boyfriend will install it. _______________________________________________

3. Millions of people will visit the museum. ____________________________________

4. Our boss will sign the contract. ___________________________________________

5. You will not do it. ______________________________________________________

6. They will not show the new film. ___________________________________________

7. He won't see Sue. _____________________________________________________

8. They will not ask him. ___________________________________________________

9. Will the company employ a new worker? ____________________________________

10. Will the plumber repair the shower? ________________________________________

5 LISTENING (Track Nº 17) Ancient monuments

Listen to three tour guides describe some very old monuments.

Take notes to answer the questions below. Then compare with a partner.

The Pyramids Machu Picchu The Great Wall of China

The Pyramids Machu Picchu The Great Wall of China

Who built them? When was it begun? Why was it built?

Why were they built? When was it discovered? How long is it?

53

6 LISTENING (Track Nº 18)

Listen to a short talk about Colombia.

Complete the chart.

Facts about Colombia

Location.....................................................

Population ………………………………….

Language ………………………………….

Religion ……………………………………

Industries ………………………………….

Agricultural products ………………………

……………………………………………….

7 GRAMMAR TIPS The passive voice is used when focusing on the person or thing affected by an action. The Passive is formed: Passive Subject To Be Past Particple

It is often used in business and in other areas where the object of the action is more

important than those who perform the action. For Example: We have produced over

20 different models in the past two years. Changes to: Over 20 different models

have been produced in the past two years.

If the agent (the performer of the action) is important, use "by" For Example: Tim

Wilson wrote "The Flight to Brunnswick" in 1987. Changes to:"The Flight to

Brunnswick" was written in 1987 by Tim Wilson.

Only verbs that take an object can be used in the passive.

The following chart includes sentences changed from the active to the passive in the

principal tenses.

Active Passive Time Reference

They make Fords in Cologne. Fords are made in Cologne.

Present Simple

Susan is cooking dinner. Dinner is being cooked by Susan

Present Continuous

54

James Joyce wrote "Dubliners". "Dubliners" was written by James Joyces.

Past Simple

They were painting the house when I arrived.

The house was being painted when I arrived.

Past Continuous

They have produced over 20 models in the past two years.

Over 20 models have been produced in the

past two years.

Present Perfect

They are going to build a new factory in Portland.

A new factory is going to be built in Portland.

Future Intention with Going to

I will finish it tomorrow. It will be finished tomorrow.

Future Simple

8 READING

Read the following chapter and highlight verbs in passive voice.

The Canterville Ghost

When the American, Mr. Otis, bought Canterville Castle, everyone told him that this was very foolish, as the place was haunted. But Mr. Otis answered, ―I come from a modern country, where we have everything that money can buy. And if there were such a thing as a ghost in Europe, we would have it at home in one of our museums.‖ A few weeks later, on a lovely July evening, Mr. Otis, his wife and their children, Washington, Virginia and the twins, went down to their new home. When they entered the avenue of Canterville Castle, the sky suddenly became dark and a spooky stillness was in the air. Mrs. Umney, the housekeeper, led them into the library of the castle, where they sat down and began to look around. Suddenly, Mrs. Otis saw a red stain on the floor just by the fireplace and said to Mrs. Umney, ―I am afraid something has been spilt there.‖ ―Yes, madam,‖ said the old housekeeper in a low voice, ―blood has been spilt on that spot.‖ ―How terrible,‖ said Mrs. Otis; ―I don't want any blood-stains in my sitting-room. It must be removed at once.‖ The old woman smiled and answered, ―It is the blood of Lady Eleanore de Canterville, who was murdered on that spot by her husband, Sir Simon de Canterville, in 1575. Sir Simon disappeared seven years later. His body has never been found, but his ghost still haunts the Castle. The blood-stain is a tourist attraction now and it cannot be removed.‖ ―That is all nonsense,‖ said Washington, the eldest son of the Otis family, ―stain remover will clean it up in no time,‖ and he took a bottle of stain remover out of his pocket and cleaned the spot. But as soon as the blood-stain had disappeared, a

55

terrible flash of lightning lit up the room and a fearful peal of thunder made the whole building shake.

VOCABULARY:

Worth: Showing the value of something.

Landmark: Something that helps you recognize where you are.

Haunted: A haunted place is one where people believe the spirits of dead people are

present.

Ancient: Many hundreds of years old.

Tip: A useful piece of advice.

Highlight: If you highlight something, you say it is very important

Nonsense: Speech or writing that you cannot understand because it has no meaning.

56

UNIT 8: Do you know them,

don’t you?

1 SNAPSHOT

What are the names of these presidents? Fill them on the blank spaces.

____________

_______________

_____________

_____________

______________

Try to understand and guess the meaning of the following questions:

You know Rafael Correa, don‘t you?

Cristina Fernandez is from Argentina, isn‘t she?

You don‘t know the president of Colombia, do you?

Evo Morales is president of Bolivia, isn‘t he?

Lula da Silva isn‘t president of Argentina, is he?

2 LISTENING (Track Nº 19)

Tag questions are used when seeking confirmation of what one believes to be true.

They restate, in question form, the previously spoken sentence. For example:

He is an engineer. Isn't he?

They're not from Colorado. Are they?

Zack is really tired. Isn't he?

She is going to Taiwan, isn't she?

You have never been to Las Vegas. Have you?

The Rays are playing the Jays. Aren't they?

You went to the supermarket. Didn't you?

Zane doesn't live in Missouri. Does he?

Ms. Zeller has a new car. Doesn't she?

(Positive statement, negative tag)

(Negative statement, positive tag)

(Positive statement, negative tag)

(Positive statement, negative tag)

(Negative statement, positive tag)

(Positive statement, negative tag)

(Positive statement, negative tag)

(Negative statement, positive tag)

(Positive statement, negative tag)

57

In tag questions, the corresponding pronoun and the first verb of the corresponding

yes/no question are used. Also, notice that with positive statements, negative tag

questions are used and vice versa.

Common mistakes:

You are the zookeeper. Yes?

You're the zookeeper. Aren't you?

You come from Canada. No?

You come from Canada. Don't you?

You're the boss. Are you?

You're the boss. Aren't you?

Simon is from Singapore. Isn't it?

Simon is from Singapore. Isn't he?

(Incorrect)

(Correct)

(Incorrect)

(Correct)

(Incorrect--in most situations)

(Correct)

(Incorrect)

(Correct)

Some modals can be used in tag questions: can, will, would, could, should and must.

Mr. James will be at the ceremony. Won't he?

They couldn't do it. Could they?

Note: When the subject is I (1st.person of singular) and the statement is in present

tense, aren't is commonly used for tag questions.

I'm the winner. Aren't I?

I'm the winner. Am I not?

(Common usage)

(Formal)

3 GRAMMAR FOCUS TAG QUESTIONS

EXAMPLES EXPLANATIONS

statement tag He is nice, isn’t he?

She isn‘t here, is she?

We‘re late, aren’t we?

They like it, don’t they?

NOT: They like it, like they?

You didn‘t go, did you?

A tag question is a statement, followed by a short question (a tag). Tag questions are often used in conversation. Tag questions expect the answer yes or no. The verb in the tag agrees with the subject.

statement tag

affirmative + negative They smoke, don’t they?

The car was hot, wasn’t it?

NOT: The car was hot, was not it?

Our teacher will help, won’t he?

An affirmative statement has a negative tag. The speaker thinks that the answer will probably be yes. The verbs in negative tags are contracted.

58

She is sleeping, isn’t she?

We can wait, can’t we?

I am right, aren’t I?

NOT: I am right, amn‘t I?

statement tag

negative + affirmative Your friends do not smoke, do they?

It was not hot, was it?

You won‘t help, will you?

The baby isn‘t sleeping, is she?

We can‘t wait, can we?

A negative statement has an affirmative tag. The speaker thinks that the answer will probably no. The verbs in affirmative tags are not contracted.

Q: You‘re not cold, are you?

A: No, I‘m not.

NOT: Yes, I‘m not.

Q: You‘re cold, aren’t you?

A: yes, I am.

NOT: No, I am

When you answer a tag question, respond to the statement not to the tag. If you agree with the statement: Answer no to a negative statement. Answer yes to an affirmative statement.

4 EXERCISES

Choose the correct tag to finish the sentence

1. Teresa is an accountant,___?

a) aren‘t she? b) doesn‘t she? c) isn‘t she? d) she isn‘t?

2. I am a good worker,___?

a) I am? b) do I? c) amn‘t I? d) aren‘t I?

3. Peirre is a grandfather,___?

a) he isn‘t? b) isn‘t he? c) he is? d) doesn‘t he?

4. Kate is a doctor, ___?

a) she isn‘t? b) is she? c) doesn‘t she? d) isn‘t she?

5. Jacques and Alicia are students, ___?

a) aren‘t they? b) are they? c) isn‘t he? d) isn‘t they?

6. Mario is at work right now, ___?

a) aren‘t they? b) isn‘t he? c) is he? d) isn‘t she?

7. I'm here, ___?

a) am I not? b) am not I? c) amn‘t I? d) aren‘t you?

59

8. You and I are busy right now, ___?

a) aren‘t I? b) aren‘t we? c) we aren‘t? d) aren‘t you?

9. It's windy today, ___?

a) am I? b) aren‘t they? c) isn‘t it? d) isn‘t he?

10. I am ready for the next exercise, ___?

a) isn‘t it? b) don‘t I? c) aren‘t you? d) aren‘t I?

5 MORE EXERCISES OF TAG QUESTIONS:

Complete with the appropriate tag endings in the blanks.

You‘ve never been in Hawaii, _______________________________?

She‘s not going to have to take another course, ___________________?

She shouldn‘t smoke _______________________________?

He‘s had many different kinds of jobs, _______________________?

He‘s an engineer for a government agency, _____________________?

Bob and Mary have to go home now, ___________________?

Bill and Henry have gone _________________?

She‘s recently been ill, __________________?

There‘s something cooking on the stove, _______________?

You had a good time at the game, _________________?

It‘ll be cold tomorrow, ____________________?

He‘s always lived by himself, ____________________?

He‘s never on time to work, ____________________?

There were a lot of people at the concert,_________________?

I‘m going to be with you tomorrow night, _______________?

Reminder: Am I not? is formal; Aren‘t I? is informal.

Mary had to cook dinner, ________________________?

John has had several operations this year, ____________?

We‘ve studied a lot of things so far, ___________________?

You weren‘t at the last meeting, ___________________?

They‘ve never had a child, ____________________?

I‘ll be seeing you tomorrow, _______________________?

You can type well, ____________________?

I‘m not pronouncing your name correctly, ___________________?

60

She hasn‘t been enjoying herself lately, __________________?

I should do something about the problem at work, ____________?

He hurt himself in the accident, _______________?

You couldn‘t be cruel to animals, _______________?

6 GRAMMAR TIPS FOR TAG QUESTIONS

A tag question is a special construction in English. It is a statement followed by a

mini-question. The whole sentence is a "tag question", and the mini-question at the end

is called a "question tag".

A "tag" is something small that we add to something larger. For example, the little piece

of cloth added to a shirt showing size or washing instructions is a tag.

We use tag questions at the end of statements to ask for confirmation. They mean

something like: "Am I right?" or "Do you agree?" They are very common in English.

The basic structure is:

+ Positive statement,

- negative tag?

Snow is white, isn't it?

- Negative statement,

+ positive tag?

You don't like me, do you?

Look at these examples with positive statements:

positive statement [+] negative tag [-] notes:

subject auxiliary main verb

auxiliary not personal pronoun (same as subject)

You are coming, are n't you?

We have finished, have n't we?

You do like coffee, do n't you?

You like coffee, do n't you? You (do) like...

61

They will help, wo n't they? won't = will not

I can come, can 't I?

We must go, must n't we?

He should try harder, should n't he?

You are English, are n't you? no auxiliary for main verb be

present & past John was there, was n't he?

Look at these examples with negative statements:

negative statement [-] positive tag [+]

subject auxiliary main verb auxiliary personal pronoun

(same as subject)

It is n't raining, is it?

We have never seen that, have we?

You do n't like coffee, do you?

They will not help, will they?

They wo n't report us, will they?

I can never do it right, can I?

We must n't tell her, must we?

He should n't drive so fast, should he?

You are n't English, are you?

John was not there, was he?

Some special cases:

I am right, aren't I? aren't I (not amn't I)

You have to go, don't you? you (do) have to go...

I have been answering, haven't I?

use first auxiliary

Nothing came in the post, did it?

treat statements with nothing, nobody etc like negative statements

Let's go, shall we? let's = let us

62

He'd better do it, hadn't he? he had better (no auxiliary)

Answers to tag questions

A question tag is the "mini-question" at the end. A tag question is the whole

sentence.

How do we answer a tag question? Often, we just say Yes or No. Sometimes we

may repeat the tag and reverse it (..., do they? Yes, they do). Be very careful about

answering tag questions.

Answer a tag question according to the truth of the situation. Your answer reflects the

real facts, not (necessarily) the question.

For example, everyone knows that snow is white. Look at these questions, and the

correct answers:

tag question correct answer

Snow is white, isn't

it?

Yes (it is).

the answer is the same in both cases - because

snow IS WHITE!

but notice the change of stress when the answerer does not

agree with the questioner

Snow isn't white, is it?

Yes it is!

Snow is black, isn't

it?

No it isn't!

the answer is the same in both cases - because snow IS NOT BLACK!

Snow isn't black, is it?

No (it isn't).

Here are some more examples, with correct answers:

The moon goes round the earth, doesn't it? Yes, it does.

The earth is bigger than the moon, isn't it? Yes.

The earth is bigger than the sun, isn't it? No, it isn't!

Asian people don't like rice, do they? Yes, they do!

Elephants live in Europe, don't they? No, they don't!

Men don't have babies, do they? No.

The English alphabet doesn't have 40 letters, does it? No, it doesn't.

63

7 EXERCISES

Complete the tag questions and answer them.

He's still sleeping,____________? _____________________

You do go to school,_________? _____________________

We won't be late,____________? ______________________

Nobody called, _____________? _______________________

They will wash the car, _____________? _________________

I'm correct, ______________? ______________________

So you bought a car, ___________? ____________________

You wouldn't want to invite my Dad, ______________? ________________________

Complete the following tag questions

John's a teacher, ______________?

They are in the cafeteria, _____________?

I am a new student, _________________?

It wasn't fair, ________________?

They were absent yesterday, _____________?

I don't know you, ____________?

He likes you, ____________?

They talk a lot, ___________?

She has a cold, ____________?

The man doesn't have any money, ____________?

She had a good time, ______________?

You can't do that, _____________?

They couldn't wait any longer, ____________?

He won't go out in the rain, ______________?

You will do that, _______________?

She should finish her dinner, _____________?

I can do that, ______________?

This is your pencil, _____________?

Those are cheap books, _____________?

That isn't correct, _______________?

That isn't correct, _______________?

There are three books on the table, ________________?

There aren't any more left, __________________?

Everything is alright, _________________?

Nothing is wrong, _______________?

Everyone passed the test, _____________?

64

TAG QUESTION INTONATION

EXAMPLES EXPLANATIONS

(a) Q: His name is Tom, isn‘t it?

A: Yes, it is.

(b) Q: It‘s not going to rain, is it?

A: No, it isn‘t.

(c) Q: His name is Tom, isn‘t it?

(d) Q: It‘s not going to rain, is it?

Falling intonation in tag questions shows that the speaker is fairly sure that the information in the statement is true. The speaker is also sure that the listener will agree. An affirmative statement with falling intonation (a) expects the answer yes. A negative statement with falling intonation (b) expects the answer no. Rising intonation in tag questions shows that the speaker is not sure if the information in the statement is true.

8. READING PRACTICE

IN THE DEVIL'S TRAIN

When the city of Riobamba (capital of the Chimborazo province) is still sleeping, one can listen to the roaring of a locomotive announcing its departure toward the "nariz del Diablo" (devil's nose) station. Besides the strange name, there is another particular characteristic, the dozens of passengers don't travel inside the boxcars, but packed in the roofs. "That is the point, Mister, because this way you can see the landscape", people explain in the station.

Slaps of wind and sudden tears of the sky. Earth whirls and lightning of heat coming from the sun. Men in perpetual balance in roofs transformed into armchairs, to observe changing scenarios: a chain of mountains, a cultivation field, a thirsty lagoon, an old cemetery or a handful of houses scattered in powdery paths.

Deploy of colors and mountain shades in a dreamy morning in which the metallic yawn of a locomotive announced the awakening of the train, that skeleton of boxcars and empty seats that winds -indefatigable- by gulches, mountains and creeks, in its desire of reaching La Nariz del Diablo.

And the train vibrates, suffers and tosses black smoke, before beginning its fearless voyage... and the last hour passengers run and hung of the stirrups humidified by the garúa (light rain) and they ascend to the roof and look for a place to sit down or argue with the little man that seeks to rent them a cushion "for only one dollar, mister"; then, the locomotive throws its final stertor and somebody stumbles and screams and is about to fall. The wheels squeak when rasping the rails. The station of Riobamba stays behind.

The curves and the small hills are a challenge for the locomotive that suffers, screeches, whistles and makes an effort until finishing victorious. The train returns to its daily diabolical mischiefs, while the travelers -uncomfortably sat down in the roofs of the boxcars - begin to

65

understand why the itinerary that unites the city of Riobamba with La Nariz del Diablo (a depression of 90 degrees) has the fame of being the "more difficult of the world."

Originally, the final destination of the journey was the city of Durán in the county of Guayas, but the road was destroyed during El Niño Phenomenon in 1982 and 1983. At the present time, the train arrives at La Nariz del Diablo, and then it returns to the station of Alausí.

The rail history of the Ecuador began in 1910 with the setting in March of the Railroad Quito-Guayaquil. The construction of this work took more than 30 years and had the financing and technical consultant ship of the United States.

"Help me… I'm falling"

"You have to board and to travel in the roof, Mister, that it is the fun of the train", recommends, orders or demands, one of the dozens of salespersons "of everything" that swarm in the station of Riobamba, in the previous minutes to the metallic yawn of the locomotive.

Stairways crowded with people. It is necessary to go up quickly "to win a piece of the roof", because if one arrives late or takes too long, then will have to conform to travel in the boxcar of comfortable seats and what is even worse, will have to resign to only watch through the windows the splendid landscapes that skirt the route of this legendary train that has become one of the main tourist attractions of the Ecuadorian mountain.

Yes indeed, to survey the Andes from the roof of a boxcar, is a unique and fascinating experience, because not only the magnificence of the nature that is appreciated makes special this trip, but the feeling of the knocking wind, the cold that goes through the cracks of the clothes, the fickle rain that starts and stops, the shy sunbeams that don't decide to shine completely.

Everything can happen in the roof. A man selling machinist caps or ice colds "vielas" (beers)... and for not falling in his acrobatic walks, he requests a "manito" (hand) to their possible buyers; a girl draws the legs of the travelers and going from one boxcar to the next one offering tortillas of bananas, hot coffee and empanadas, but one of their "colleagues" -with a moustache and a few friends' face- quarrels her and she asks him to be calm and to stay away of her business.

In the journey through the mountain lands, the railroad of the ghost boxcars picks up the greetings of the people of the field... and a lady leaves her straw bundle to say good-bye to those "crazy tourists that travel in the roof" and a boy -dark skinned, very dry cheeks, greasy hair - comes closer to the edge of the rail and extends his little hands in suppliant expression. They throw him some goodies, the boy runs, jumps, falls over the field. He cannot catch them, the river eats them.

Sales continue, the train advances, nobody falls, everybody give a "manito" ... and in the horizon the distant lines of the station of Alausí appear. The locomotive whistles again, celebrating its imminent victory, there is only 30 or 45 minutes left to arrive to La nariz del diablo, a deep depression profiled in the heights.

66

Five hour in the roof. The trip finishes. The train is empty in the station of Alausí. Nobody runs anymore, nobody is late, nobody stumbles. The locomotive rests, because it has defeated once again, the challenges of some of the most difficult routes of the world.

TASK: Write 10 tag questions, use information from the reading.

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Vocabulary:

Seek: To try to find or get something.

Zookeeper: Person who takes care of animals in the zoo.

Remind: To make someone remember something that they must do.

Mischief: Bad behavior, especially by children, that is annoying but causes no serious

harm.