I English ID
I English ID
I English ID
ENGLISH
Authors:
Timioara, 2012
INTRODUCTION
English is truly an international language, it is the language of the European Union, NATO and
international business. A knowledge of the English language opens doors to careers throughout the
world.
This course provides excellent instruction in the basics of the English language, as well as cultural
information that is critical to facilitating clear communication. The information presented here is
essential for any student wishing to pursue a career in the international job market, and is written
in a clear, factual and logical manner. It is an ideal reference for every student wishing to better
understand the nuances of the English language.
Each unit is devided into two parts: the first part covers a topic connected to everyday life and the
second part focuses on grammar. Both parts provide various activities so that students could
develop the main skills needed when learning a foreign language: reading, writing and speaking.
CONTENTS
Introduction
UNIT 1. Everyday Life - Homes
UNIT 2. Individual Identity
UNIT 3. Family and Family Links
UNIT 4. Education in Britain
UNIT 5. British Culture
UNIT 6. Political System in Britain
List of Irregular Verbs in English
Bibliography
Lead-in
Semi-detached houses (duplexes, houses that are attached to the other house through a
common wall);
Terraced house / row house/ town house (attached to the other houses, possibly in row).
In Great Britain 27% of the population live in terraced houses and 32% in semi-detached houses. In
the United States 61.4% of people live in detached houses, 5.6% in semi-detached houses, 26% in
row houses or apartments and 7% in mobile homes. In Romania most of the population lives in
blocks of flats, there is no clear evidence in the records of The National Institute of Statistics.
A flat/ apartment is a housing unit that occupies only part of a building. Apartments may be owned
by an owner/ occupier, or rented by tenants. The term apartment is favored in North America
whereas flat is commonly used in Europe.
Apartments can be classified into several types. In the US the typical terms are: studio, efficiency or
bachelor style apartment. These all tend to be the smallest apartments with the cheapest rent. They
usually consist of a large room which is the living, dining, and bedroom combined. Sometimes there
are kitchen facilities as part of this main room and the bathroom is a small separate room.
One-bedroom apartments, are those in which the bedroom is separated from the rest of the
apartment; then there are two-bedroom, three-bedroom, etc apartments.
Houses are usually built from brick, stone and wood, but to a certain extent aluminum and steel
have replaced some traditional building materials. Increasingly alternative construction materials
include insulating concrete forms (foam forms filled with concrete) structural insulated panels
(foam panels with fiber cement). In general people often built houses out of the nearest available
materials and often tradition and/or culture govern construction materials, so whole towns areas
counties, countries may be built out of one main type of material. For example many American
houses use wood, while most British and Romanian houses use stone or brick. More recently,
builders have begun to collaborate with structural engineers who use computers and finite element
analysis to design prefabricated steel-framed homes with resistance to high wind-loads and seismic
forces. These newer products provide labor saving, more consistent quality, and accelerated
construction processes.
Ideally, architects of houses design rooms to meet the needs of the people who will live in the
house. The rooms have specialized functions, they may include a living/eating area, a sleeping area
and washing and lavatory areas. Most conventional modern houses will at least contain a bedroom,
bathroom, kitchen/ kitchen area, and a living room.
The names of parts of a house could typically include:
attic
basement / cellar
bathroom (in various senses of the word)
bath / shower
toilet
bedroom (or nursery for small children)
dining room
Fireplace (for warmth during winter; generally not found
in warmer climates)
front room (in various senses of the phrase)
garage
hallway/passage
kitchen
larder
laundry room
library
living room
sunroom
storage room / box
room
office or study
pantry
workshop
I. Comprehension questions:
1. Do you know any English proverbs expressing peoples feelings for their homes?
2. How do you define the term home?
3. What are the three basic types of houses?
4. Can you estimate the percentage of population living in houses or flats in Timisoara?
5. What are the basic rooms in a house?
6. What materials are generally used for building houses? (in Romania and all over the world)
II. Understanding the text:
Written language is organized into paragraphs. Most paragraphs have a key sentence that
summarizes the content of the whole paragraph. This is called the topic sentence. If you read the
topic sentences only, you can often predict the rest. Find the topic sentence for each paragraph and
then the main idea of the whole text.
III. Match the words in column A with their meanings in column B:
Area
County
Dwelling
Evidence
Habit
Homesick
generally, as a whole
Overall
Rent
Steel
Tenant
IV. Find the opposites and then provide synonyms for the following words:
Accidentally
Fail
Active
Help
All
Love
Ask
Noisy
Boring
Together
Cheap
True
Deep
White
Drawer/closet
B.
1. We hang our clothes in the. and do not leave them on the floor.
Bed/closet/shelf
2. My sister has nice red.that she likes to wear around the house.
Blouse/shirt/slippers
3. Dan has not worn since he was a kid.
Ties/shorts/ pyjamas
4. We must wake up very early so well set the.. for 5 a.m.
Clock/alarm/ring
5. Every morning we must.our bed.
Make/ do/ sleep
6. Because its going to be a cold night I need an extra.
Blanket/pillow/pillow case
7. A pillow... is something you put on your pillow so it wont get dirty.
Sheet/ frame/ case
8. This cellar has no electrical.
Jacks/ circuit/ outlets
9. We usually have . so the neighbours cannot see everything.
Sheets/ curtains/ doors
10. If we want to turn on or off the light, the light. should be used.
Switch/switcher/turner
C.
1. The.. of the house are very solid. (roots/ establishment/foundations)
2. The roof.. are made of synthetic materials. (boards/tiles/shingles).
3. I own some.. in Banat. (grounds/earth/property).
4. We grew up in aof Timisoara. (quarter/slum/suburbs)
5. The kitchen .was imported from Italy. (boards/ tiles/ furniture).
6. We painted the green to match the house. (panes/ shutters/ screens).
7. Children who grew up in the . are disadvantaged. (suburbs/ slums/ quarters).
8. The architects.. was impressive. (cabin/ mansion/ studio).
9. The keeps the bugs out when we open the windows. (pane/ screen/ shutter).
10. We keep all our stuff in the (duplex/ warehouse/ retail).
VI. Thinking carefully (pair work). Finish the following sentences.
1. I live on a street
2. It is a beautiful street..
3. There are trees.
4. The living room is the first room..
5. This room is filled with lively furniture:.
6. The enormous window on the southern wall
7. My room is decorated ..
8. I often dream about..
9. The entertaining room is.
10. It has a
VII. Topics for discussion (pair work).
Speak about your house / flat. Describe your room.
Do you prefer traditional/rustic/modern style?
Do you prefer to live in a house or in a spacious flat?
How would you decorate your place?
If you were a billionaire what kind of house would you build and where?
VIII.
place,
doors,
tiles,
refurnished,
shower,
room,
room,
hard,
near,
bedrooms,
bedroom,
refurnished,
once,
notice,
affection
added,
meters,
renovations,
front,
floods,
replaced,
living,
view,
Our house has 200 square. As you enter the house thorough the front porch you will
the house has been renovated. Where the current front porch stands was . a small kitchen.
When we purchased the house, the. porch was covered with green indoor-outdoor
carpeting; we it with slate tiles. As you enter the foyer you will notice the fire
made of a single piece of stone. The house has wood floors everywhere except the kitchen,
which has ceramic....................
The living..is to the right of the foyer and the large glass opening on to the
deck provide a spectacular........... of the river and the eastern exposure .............the room with
sunlight during the. hours.
The kitchen was added on in the 1950s and with new walnut cabinets in the 1990s.
The utility .......... was also.at that time.
The last.. to visit downstairs is the bedroom, which is ..... the staircase. This is also redesigned
and a bath with walk-in. was added to it. The two remaining upstairs rooms were
once small ............... and we have also. them. After five years of .. in this house
and getting to know it from the inside out through many, we have developed a great deal
of.......... for this place .
IX. Fill in the gaps with the suitable word/s:
A.
1. I have just.........into a house in a quiet area.
Moved /changed/ turned/ gone
2. Stairs became a problem for my grandparents, so they decided to buy a........ .
Terrace / bungalow/ studio/ flat
3. My brother lives in that new........of flats, near the center.
Building/ block/ high rise/ tower
4. How much......do you pay a month?
Fee/ rent/ rental/ lodging
5. I lived in a/an......flat once, it was very dark and we never saw the sun.
Attic/ underground/ basement/ cellar
6. My sister is looking for an.......flat as she has her own belongings.
Unarranged/ unprepared/ unequipped/ unfurnished
7. I live with a host family, but its self-......., so I get my own food.
Catering/ cooking/ organising/ feeding
8. Luckily, the.......is really nice and she looks after the building well.
Boss/ host/ land lady/ proprietor
9. Have you met Maria? She is my flat..........
Colleague/ sharer/ mate/ friend
10. If you want to move out, you should give one months........ .
Warning/ notice/ advice/ leave
B.
1. We keep our books on a book shelf, also known as a........ .
Bookcase/ book closet/ book shop
Key terms
Add other words or phrases you know related to the topic of Everyday life-Homes.
Attic
Pantry
Basement
Residence
Brick
Roof
Detached house
Semi-detached house
Dwelling
Steel
Flat
Stone
Habit
Studio
Home
Terraced-house
House
Wood
Related Terms household appliance vocabulary. Explain what each device does.
Can opener
Compactor (device for pressing; crusher)
Dish washer
Fan
Freezer
Ice box (for drinks)
Refrigerator (for food)
Vacuum cleaner (hoover)
II - Focus on grammar
The Noun
A noun is a part of speech that indicates people, things, objects etc. There are several types of nouns
in English and each type of noun can have important grammar rules when used.
Classification of nouns
Nouns may be broadly divided into:
Abstract nouns
Abstract nouns are nouns that refer to concepts, ideas, emotions, etc. (e.g. success, love, power,
hate, tolerance).
Collective nouns
Collective nouns refer to groups of various types. They are mostly commonly used with groups of
animals and can be used in both the singular and plural, although collective nouns tend to be used in
the singular. (e.g. herd, litter, pack, swarm, hive)
Common nouns refer to categories of things in general, never to specific examples.
Concrete nouns refer to things that you can touch, feel, taste.
According to countability, nouns can be:
a) countable: house, brick, room
b) uncountable: stone, wood, paper
According to word formations, nouns can be:
a) Simple: room, house, garden
b) Derived: builder, gardener, plumber
c) Compound: sitting-room, dining-room, bathroom
Proper nouns
Proper nouns are the names of people, things, institutions, nations, etc. And are always capitalized
(e.g. Timisoara, Romania, Dana, University of the West)
Number of nouns
The form assumed by a noun to show whether it donates one thing or more than one is called the
number.
Regular plurals- adding the inflection -s or -es e.g. room-rooms, house-houses
Irregular plurals: -Mutation: e.g. tooth-teeth
-Changing: e.g. -f into v knife-knives (exception roof-roofs)
-en is added to the singular: e.g. child-children, ox-oxen
Foreign plurals are preserved with some borrowed nouns analysis-analyses, basis-bases,
curriculum-curricula.
a. Nouns denoting persons or other beings: Danas house, the boys room, the cats toy.
b. Nouns denoting measurement, time, space, quantity, value: a weeks vacation, a lifes
work, an hours walk.
c. Collective nouns: the facultys investment, the governments decisions.
d. Nouns that can be personified (geographical names, vehicles, natural phenomena):
Romanias history, the Danubes banks, the ships name.
Stones
Rules
Talent
Sheep
Music
Money
Land
Learning
Nations
Rice
Peoples
Bottle of wine
Pollution
Equipment
Understanding
Traffic
Orders
Stone (mat.)
Food
All lectures delivered to the students must confirm to the academic (curriculum).
Things relevant for our students future were not included in. (syllabus).
IV. Evaluation
Objectives
Lead-in
I. Individual Identity
There are two major aspects of identity: individual identity and social identity. Individual identity
defines each individual, from all the other millions and millions of people travelling all over the
world today and in the past. Social identity tells us what type of person someone is, what their
beliefs and affiliations are, what social categories they belong to.
The markers of individual identity - name, face, social security number (in some countries),
personal identity number (as in Romania), identity card, driving licence, passport and any other
identity documentation, fingerprint, DNA (and other biometric measures), e-mail address, etc.
have various degrees of reliability depending on when and where they are used. It costs more to
establish ones identity with a blood sample than a signature, though also potentially more reliable.
In countries with a high rate of identity theft, one may be willing to pay extra costs to ensure that
only that particular person can be accredited as being him/her. We provide clues referring to our
identity all the time: fingerprints, distinctive features. Individual identity is at the core of ones
reputation, social acceptance, control and motivation and self-confidence. Good reputation is very
important: it could mean increased status, a better job, and better opportunities. On the other hand,
poor reputation can be a serious problem: a person with such a reputation will have trouble in
getting a good job, respect from others, friendship and security of employment.
An identity document is any document which may be used to verify aspects of a persons identity. If
issued in the form of a small card it is usually called identity card (IC). In some countries the
possession of government-produced identity card is compulsory while in others it may be
voluntarily. Information present on the document (which is also in the police data base) include the
bearers full name, a portrait photo, birth date and place, address, ID and citizenship status. New
technologies could allow IDs to contain biometric information such as photographs, face
measurements, hand measurements or iris measurements, or fingerprints.
A number of countries still do not have national IDs. These include: Australia, Canada, Denmark,
Ireland, India, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, United Kingdom, and the United States.
Every Romanian citizen must register for an ID at the age of 14 (Carte de identitate, CI). The CI
offers proof of the identity, address, sex, and other data of the possessor. It has to be renewed every
ten years.
Since the early1950s there has been no national ID in Great Britain, but the British government is
progressively introducing compulsory IDs for foreign residents. Identity card for British nationals
will be introduced gradually from 2009 onwards. Driving licence and passports are now the most
widely used ID documents. A similar situation may be encountered in the USA.
In the virtual world, which has invaded more and more our universe and personal lives, identity
cannot be taken for granted. The core of individual identity is the physical body, which is not there;
it is a pseudo- communication, even if one can see each other with the aim of some hi-tech
equipment. One way of establishing identity in the virtual world is to connect the online persona to
a physical being. Sometimes this is straightforward: if one signs with his real name, gives details
about him/herself, such as: family, date and place of birth, present address, occupation, marital
status, religion, nationality, and work place, one has provided clear ties to his physical world.
Anonymity, pseudonymity, and real identity could connect to a single physical self. Anonymity
means that there is no connection to a physical self and little persistence in time. Pseudonymity
means that there is no connection to a physical self but there is persistence in time. A pseudonym
can have a reputation, and in some cases, the name has almost been forgotten, while the pseudonym
is always remembered.
I. Comprehension questions:
1. Which are the major aspects of identity?
2. How do you identify yourself in Romania? What about other countries?
3. What information should be contained in an ID?
4. What security measures should be introduced to avoid identity theft?
5. How can you establish the real identity of somebody from the virtual world?
6. What are the reasons for using anonymity, pseudonymity and not real identity online?
II. Find the topic sentence for each paragraph and then the main idea of the whole text.
IV. Group work: Find out the good points and bad points about having ID documents. Draw up two
columns and write them.
Good points
Bad points
year,
mandatory,
age,
identification,
expired,
number,
foreigners,
data,
accepted,
register,
current,
passport,
license,
identification,
outside,
updated,
extends,
government,
temporarily,
month,
day,
renewed,
currency,
proof.
Every citizen of Romania must ...........for an ID card (Carte de identitate, abbreviated CI) at
the ......of 14. The CI offers........of the identity, address, sex and other ..... of the possessor. It has to
be ..... every 10 years. It can be used instead of a passport for travel ........ the European Union and
several other countries inside the EU.
Another ID Card is the Provisional ID Card (Cartea de Identitate Provizorie) issued ........... when
an individual cannot get a normal ID Card for some ...... Its validity ......... for up to 1 year.
Other forms of officially accepted ......... include the driver's ....... and the birth certificate. However,
these are ...... only in limited circumstances and cannot take the place of the ID Card in most cases.
In particular, the ID Card is mandatory for dealing with ........ institutions, banks or ...... exchange
shops. Some of these may also accept a valid............ but usually only for ............. .
In addition, citizens can be expected to provide the personal ........... number (CNP) in many
circumstances; purposes range from simple unique identification and internal book-keeping to being
asked for identification by the Police. The CNP is 13 characters long, with the format S-YY-MMDD-RR-XXX-Y. Where S is the sex, YY is .... of birth, MM is....of birth, DD is...... of birth, RR is a
regional id, XXX is a unique random number and Y is an extra random identification ................
Presenting the ID Card is preferred but not ............ when asked by Police officers; however, in such
cases people are expected to provide a CNP or alternate means of identification....which can be
checked on the....... (via internet if needed).
The information on the ID Card is required to be kept ...........by the owner; ......... address of
domicile in particular. Doing otherwise can expose the citizen to certain fines or be denied service
by those institutions that require a valid, up to date Card. In spite of this, it is common for people to
let the information lapse or go around with ........... ID Cards.
VI. Choose the correct answer:
A.
1. I ....my English lessons because they are very interesting.
Please/enjoy/amuse
2...that you would be at the party.
It was told me/It was said/ I was told
3. Ill ring you when I.my parents house.
Arrive at/ arrive to/will arrive to
4. Dana has got a much more interesting in the school now.
Work/job/employ
5. Is that your .passport?
Friends/friends
6. George.have tea, than coffee.
Would rather/prefer/would like
7. Good. I hope you win.
Chance/wish/luck
8. Take an umbrellait rains while you are out.
If/in case/because
9. It will cost a lot of money to have ....
That car done/that car made/made that car
10. If you..soon you will miss the class.
Arent coming/wont come/dont come
B.
Able
Abbreviation
Abnormal
Ability
Abolish
Abroad
Accomplish
Absence
Accurate
Absorbed
Achievement
Accept
Active
Access
Find out about your friends last trip. Before asking him write the questions.
City/country
Where...?
Means of transport
travel?
Journey time
How long.?
Accommodation
Where..?
Length of stay
stay?
Purpose of trip
Why?
Visa needed
Did you..?
Entertainment
.a good time?
Problems
Were.?
Opinion of trip
Was..successful?
2. The e-passport has been issued. Give pros and cons about this topic.
3. You have lost your ID. What steps must you take to have a new one made?
Key terms
Add other words or phrases you know related to the topic of Individual Identity.
Anonymity
Bearer
Driving license
Fingerprints
Identity
Individual identity
Marital status
Nationality
Passport
Personal identity number
Pseudonimity
Resident
Security number signature
Self confidence
Social identity
II - Focus on grammar
The pronoun
Pronouns are those grammatical entities that replace nouns or rather whole noun phrases.
The classes of pronouns are:
Personal pronouns: e.g. I, you, he, her, we, etc.
Possessive pronouns: e.g. mine, ours, yours
Self pronouns: e.g. myself, yourself etc.
Demonstrative pronouns: e.g. this, that, these, those
Relative pronouns: e.g. who (whom, whose), which, that
Indefinite pronouns: e.g. any, none, some, each, anybody, nobody, something
The indefinite pronouns some and any are quantity words.
1. Some = an amount, a number of.
Any usually replaces some in questions and after negatives.
e.g. some boys, some coffee, some apples
2. Some and any as determiners before a noun.
e.g. some students, any students, some advice
3. Some and any as pronouns (as pronouns followed by of).
e.g. some of the girls, any of the students
4. Some in requests and offers.
e.g. Would you like some cake?
5. Some and any as adverbs of degree.
Time
Where?
Place
Who?
Person
Why?
Reason
How?
Manner
What?
Choice of alternatives
Whose?
Possession
Whom?
Person
How much?
Price, amount
How many?
Quantity
How long?
Duration
How often?
Frequency
How far?
Distance
Description
Which? is used instead of what when there is a limited set of possibilities to choose from.
e.g. Which blouse do you like more? The red or the green one?
Which? is used instead of who ( for people) or instead of what ( for things) when there is a
limited set of possibilities to choose from.
e.g. Which of Spielbergs films have you seen?
III. Activities
1. Make questions with who or what.
e.g. Somebody saw me.- Who saw you?
I am worried about you.
I took some money from the bank.
This book belongs to me.
Somebody lives in this flat.
I stumbled over something.
I was told something interesting.
Something bad happened.
This word means something.
Somebody gave me a glass of water.
IV.
Evaluation
1. What have you done in this unit?
2. What have you learnt from it?
3. What did you like about it?
4. What would you change concerning its contents?
5.
Do you have any suggestions for improving it?
Objectives
Lead-in
Do you come from a large or a small family? How many people are there in your family and
how do you get along with them?
Who are your favourite relatives? Give reasons.
Are there any advantages and disadvantages of being an only child?
apply to children adopted into a family as to children born into the family.
More recently, especially in the western society, the single parent family has been more and more
accepted. The majority of single parent families are in most cases single mother families than single
father.
Besides the above mentioned family members, there are also collateral relatives:
Nephew sisters son, brothers son, wifes brothers son, wifes sisters son;
Relationship by marriage (except for wife/husband) is marked with the tag in-law (sister-in law,
brother-in law, and so on).
Second families
If your mother or father remarries, you can acquire a new family and set of relatives. For example,
if your father marries a second wife, she becomes your step-mother. Any children she already has
become your step-sisters or step-brothers. If your mother or father remarries and has children, they
become your half-brothers or half-sisters.
You might also hear people talking about their biological brother / sister etc, to mean a brother who
is related by blood, rather than by marriage.
Types of family
nuclear family = mother, father and children
single-parent / one-parent family = a family which only has one parent (because the parents are
divorced, or because one of the parents has died)
immediate family = your closest relatives
extended family = your entire family
close-knit family = a family where the members have close relationships with each other
dysfunctional family = a family where the members have serious problems with each other
blood relative = a relative connected to you by "blood" rather than through marriage
broken family = a family where the members no longer live together
Family tree
A family tree is a chart representing family relationships in a conventional tree structure. Family
trees are often presented with the oldest generation of the top and the newer generations at the
bottom. Family trees may have many themes, e.g. the descendents of single figure, or all known
ancestors of a living person, or the holders of a certain office, such as kings of a country, e.g.
Britain. The British royal family is the group of closed relatives of the monarch of the UK.
Although in the UK there is no strict legal formal definition of who is or is not a member of the
Royal family, and different lists will include different people, those carrying the style His or Her
Majesty (HM),or His or Her Royal Highness (HRH) are always considered members, which usually
results in the application of the term to the monarch, the consort of the monarch, the widowed
consorts of previous monarchs, the children of the monarch, the male-line grandchildren of the
monarch, and the spouses and the widowed spouses of a monarch's son and male-line grandsons.
The longest family tree in the world today is that of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479
BC). The tree spans more than 80 generations including more than two million members.
I. Comprehension questions:
1. What is your full name? Were you named after any ancestors of yours
2. Do you remember the names of your grandparents/great grandparents?
3. Where did your ancestors come from and what were their occupations?
4. On what occasions does your family get together?
5. How important is it for families to celebrate certain occasions (e. g. birthdays, weddings, Easter,
etc.) together?
6. Is divorce accepted in our culture? How much does divorce affect the members of a family?
II. Find the topic sentence for each paragraph and then the main idea of the whole text.
III. Expressions with family make up sentences with these expressions.
family man = a man who prefers to spend his time with his family
married,
number,
concentrate,
unmarried,
increasing,
divorce,
estimated,
want,
changes.
baby,
future,
single,
without,
later,
changing,
difficult,
thirties,
parent,
typical,
stayed,
took,
The family in Britain is.. The onceBritish family headed by two parents has
undergone substantialduring the 20th century. There has been a rise in the..of single person
households, which increased to 30% of all households. It is ..that there will be more
people than married people in the . Fifty years ago this would have been socially
unacceptable in Britain. In the past, people got married and. married. Divorce was very.,
expensive and.. a long time. Today, many couples, mostly in their twenties or.live
together ..getting married.
Decades ago, people before they had children, but now about 40% of children in Britain are
born to.parents.
People are generally getting married at a ..age now and many women do not to have
children immediately. They prefer to..on their carriers and put off having a. until late thirties.
The number of single- families is This is mainly due to more marriages ending in
, but some women are also choosing to have children as singlewithout being married.
V. Give synonyms and then provide the opposites:
Back
Bright
Bad
Broken
Beautiful
Busy
Begin
Behind
Behave
Beginning
Believe
Beneficial
Bribe
Bleak
Cousin
son of a brother/sister
Inherit
Kinship
Nephew
daughter of a brother/sister
Nice
Raise
Share
Span
Spouse
VII. Read each question and then select the best answer:
1. One of the benefits of marriage is
Increased longevity/ financial security/ an improved gender identity
2. Conflict with parents escalade mostly during..
Early adolescence/ middle adolescence/ college years
3. When a child gets into trouble his/her parents use strict discipline and do not listen to his/her side
of the story. They use parenting.
Neglectful/ authoritarian/ indulgent
4. Which family relationship tends to be the closest in adulthood?
Father and son/mother and son/father and daughter/mother and daughter
5. Who tends to experience the most intergenerational stress?
Adolescence/young adults/older adults
6. Which of the following is likely to have the least influence of behavior in later life?
Gender/culture/ temperament/birth order
7. The most prevalent type of step family today is a:
A stepmother family/a stepfather family/ a mixed family
Your family wants to buy new furniture for your room. Imagine what furniture you would
like to have and how you could arrange it.
Talk about the advantages and disadvantages of living with your parents.
Key terms
Add other words or phrases you know related to the topic of Family and Family Links.
Blood relative
Immediate family
Consanguineal family
Marry someone
Extend family
Matrifocal family
Family gathering
Nuclear family
Second family
Step mother
II - Focus on grammar
The Adjective
An adjective is a word whose main syntactic role is to qualify a noun or noun phrase, giving more
information about the object signified.
Position of adjectives
Adjectives are placed before the noun they qualify (e.g. long road, small dog, pretty woman,
expensive bag), but there are some exceptions such as Court Martial somebody important,
Secretary General.
Comparison of adjectives
Adjectives have the following degrees of comparison:
a. Positive (big, tall, beautiful)
b. Comparative
- of superiority: bigger, taller, more beautiful than
- of inferiority: not so big as, not so beautiful as
- of equality: as big as, as beautiful as
c. Superlative
- relative: very big, extremely tall, very beautiful
- absolute: the biggest, the tallest, the most beautiful
Irregular adjectives
Good better - the best
Bad/Ill- worse - the worst
Old - older/elder - the oldest/the eldest
Little - less/lesser - the least
Much/many - more -the most
Late - later/latter/ the latest/the last
Near nearer - the nearest/the next
Special constructions intensification of comparatives and superlatives
The comparatives may be intensified by much, far, a great deal, a
lot, which are placed in front of the comparative.
e.g.
e.g.
e.g.
e.g.
in brackets:
1. Todays lesson was.. than yesterdays. (easy)
2. Hes always been rich, but now he has.money than ever before. (much)
3. We had to travel . than expected. (far)
4. Things were farthan they had realized. (danger)
5. He speaks German..than his parents. (good)
6. Jane is much than the other sisters. (thin)
7. Things can be fixed. if you read the instructions (easy).
8. There is. salt in the food than there should be. (much)
9. I understand.now than I did before (little).
10. The weather is.today than it was yesterday. (bad)
2. Complete the following sentences using the comparative of the adjectives in brackets:
The Kings Speech was the.. film I have ever seen. (good)
Dan is busy today, but he was even busier yesterday. (Dan is not.).
This cake tastes good, I expected nothing less. (This cake tastes just).
This film is exciting. It is no less exciting than the other (This film is just).
You know a bit about cars, but I know more. (You dont ..).
IV. Evaluation
Objectives
Lead -in
I. Education in Britain
between the ages of 5-16; but there are some children who are educated at home and only sit for
their exams in schools.
Childrens education in England is normally divided into two separate stages. They begin with
primary education at the age of 5 and this usually lasts until they are 11. Then, they move to
secondary school where they study until they reach 16, 17 or 18.
Primary education is provided in schools, where the children will stay until they complete it and
move on to secondary education. Children are usually placed in classes with one teacher, who will
be primarily responsible for their education and welfare for that year. This teacher may be assisted
to varying degrees by specialist teachers in certain subject areas, often music or physical education.
The continuity with a single teacher and the opportunity to build up a close relationship with the
class is a remarkable feature of the primary education system.
The major goals of primary education are achieving basic literacy and numeracy, as well as
establishing foundations in science, geography, history and other social sciences. The relative
priority of various areas, and the methods used to teach them, are an area of considerable
sustainable debate.
Most schools in England require children to wear a school uniform. Boys usually wear long, grey,
navy blue or black trousers (shorts may be worn in the summer). White shirt is compulsory, while
school tie is optional in most primary schools; jumper or sweater with the school logo on. The
colour is the choice of the schools. Girls may wear Tartan skirts, or long grey, navy blue black
trousers; white shirt, school tie, jumper or sweater with the school logo on. The colours of the
Tartan skirt are also the choice of the schools.
Secondary education, or secondary school, is a period of education, which follows directly after
primary education, and which may be followed by tertiary or post-secondary education. The
purpose of the secondary education is to prepare for higher or vocational training.
English
Mathematics
Optional:
Modern Languages (e.g. French, German, Italian);
Classical Languages (e.g. Latin & Greek);
The Sciences (Biology, Physics & Chemistry);
History & Geography;
Advanced Level (A Levels) is taken at age 18; it is designed as a university qualification. Students
specialise in 3 subjects of their choice, usually grouped together in Humanities, Languages,
Sciences. These qualifications are aimed at preparing the student for their chosen profession /
career, and provide a comprehensive foundation for their university work.
More than 90% of pupils in the UK attend publicly-funded state schools. The rest, about 10% study
in public schools. A public school, in common British usage, is a school which is usually
prestigious and historic, which charges fees. Confusingly to a non-native English speaker a public
school is actually a private school. In British usage, a government-run school (which would be
called a public school in other countries) is called a state school.
The term public (first adopted by Eton) historically refers to the fact that the school was open to
the paying public, as opposed to a religious school that was only open to members of a certain
church, and in contrast to private education at home (usually only practical for the very wealthy
who could afford tutors).
Higher education is education provided by universities and other institutions that award academic
degrees, such as university colleges, and liberal arts colleges. It includes both the teaching and the
research activities of universities, and teaching includes both the undergraduate level (sometimes
referred to as tertiary education) and the graduate (or postgraduate) level. Most professional
education is included within higher education, and many postgraduate qualifications are strongly
vocationally or professionally oriented,e.g. law and medicine.
There are 114 university institutions (and 60 higher education colleges) in the UK. Higher education
is a priority in current policy for the British government, with a target set to attract 50 percent of 18to 30-year-olds to higher education.
Most undergraduate degrees take three years to complete, at Scottish universities they take four
years. At the graduate level, a taught master's degree normally is earned in a single year, a research
master's takes two years, and a doctoral degree is completed after three years. Professional courses,
such as medicine, veterinary medicine, law and teaching, usually are undertaken as five-year
undergraduate degrees.
There is a three-level hierarchy of degrees (Bachelor, Master, Doctor) currently used in the United
Kingdom.
A graduate student is an individual who has completed a Bachelor's degree (B.A., B.S. /B.Sc.) and
is pursuing further higher education, with the goal of achieving a master's degree (M.A., M.S.
/M.Sc., M.Ed., etc.) or doctorate (Ph.D., Ed.D., D.Sc., etc.) The term usually does not refer to one in
medical school and only occasionally refers to someone in law school or business school.
Types of Universities
Traditional Universities were created before 1992, when the educational system was reformed in the
UK, and the National Curriculum was introduced. The purpose of these universities was to
carry out teaching and research.
New Universities were created after 1992 although many were teaching long before in the form of
technical universities or colleges. The new universities focus primarily on teaching, but
many have been developing their research activities over the last 10 to 15 years.
The main objective of education is to provide equal opportunities for everybody, as education is one
of the fundamental rights, no matter of his/her age, sex religion, race, nationality.
The right to education has been described as a basic human right: since 1952, Article 2 of the first
Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights obliges all signatory parties to guarantee the
right to education. At world level, the United Nations' International Covenant on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights of 1966 guarantees this right under its Article 13.
Education is becoming increasingly international. Not only are the materials becoming more
influenced by the rich international environment, but exchanges among students at all levels are
also playing an increasingly important role. In Europe, for example, the Socrates-Erasmus
Programme stimulates exchanges across European universities. Romania has also complied with the
international regulations and has also signed the convention on the Recognition of Qualifications
concerning Higher education in the European Region (Lisbon 1997) and has ratified it by Law no
172/1998. Through commitments assumed at the European level, focused on quality assurance,
credit transfers and transparency of educational programmes description, qualifications (diplomas)
obtained in the Romanian Higher education ensure the academic and professional mobility of all the
graduates all over the world.
I. Comprehension questions:
1. In your own words, what is education?
2. How relevant is it for our life?
3. What types of schools do you know in England?
4. What are the goals of primary education?
5. Do children wear uniforms in Britain? How about Romania?
6. How many subjects do students study in a British school?
7. How is Romania involved in European education?
II. Find the topic sentence for each paragraph and then the main idea of the whole text.
III. Match the words in column A with their meanings in column B:
Improve
Occur
Compete
Literacy
Jumper
Logo
Fee
Wealthy
Tutor
Earn
What do you think:- Do uniforms deny students their right to personal identity and selfexpression?
Can you think of other reasons for and against wearing a school uniform?
Comment upon the following: The world will belong to the learners not to the
learned.(Gregg Braden)
proposals,
college,
old,
secondary,
begins,
age,
high,
attend,
equivalent,
studied,
receive,
form,
called,
start,
take,
examinations,
subjects,
end,
also
schools,
leave,
subjects,
schools,
compulsory,
exams,
whether,
year,
ends,
university,
must,
leave,
Children normally....... primary school at the age of four or five, but many......... now have a
reception............ for four year olds.
Children normally............at the age of 11, moving on to ...........school.
British children are required to....... school until they are 16 years....... In England, ........schooling
currently ...... on the last Friday in June. Current government........ are to raise the .........until which
students must continue to ........ some form of education or training to 18.
At the age of 16,......... in England, Wales and Northern Ireland ...... an examination ........ the GCSE
(General Certificate of Secondary Education). Study of GSCE subjects ........ at the start of Year 10
(age 14-15), and final..........are then taken at the .........of Year 11 (age 15-16).
In state........... English, Mathematics, Science, Religious Education and Physical Education
are ............ during Key Stage 4 (the GCSE years of school); in England, some....... of ICT
(Information and Communication Technology) and citizenship must be studied and, in Wales, Welsh
......... be studied. Other ........, chosen by the individual pupil, are ......... studied.
In Scotland, the ...........of the GCSE is the Standard Grade.
After completing the GCSE, some students ......... school, others go onto technical ......,or others
continue at ........school for two more years and take a further set of standardized ........, known as A
levels, in three or four ........... These exams determine.......... a student is eligible for .............
Cheat
Calm
Cheerful
Cancel
Concise
Capable
Civil
Capital
Clean
Careful
Clumsy
Casual
Common
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
A student coming from another university to study for one or two semesters is called an
9.
Done/due/date
5. Exams that are given during the middle of each semester are called..
Midterms/half-exams/middle-terms
6. One of my friends isin Accounting.
Major/majoring/main topic
7. GPA stands for grade point..
Average/attack/anomaly
8. .courses are what students must take in order to graduate.
Elective/required/recruit
9. A.T.A., or , is someone who helps the professor by grading papers, preparing material,
etc..
Teaching administrator/ teach assistant/teaching/teachers assistant
10. An..is a graduate or former student of a school or university.
Alumnus/alibi/albatross
D. Which of the definition is correct?
1. Agronomy is:
a. the study of primitive races
b. the survey of human emotions
c. the science of farming
2. Anthropology is:
a. the science of ants
b. the study of men
c. the art of poetry
3. Economics is:
a. the science of how to do business
b. the study of commerce and money making
c. the study of production, distribution and consumption
4. Entomology is:
a. the study of derivation of words
b. the study of tombs
c. the study of insects
5. Graphology is:
Which.?
When.?
Where.?
Why?
How....?
How long.?
Who?
B. Faculty rules: Ask your partners about the rules in our faculty. Identify some rules and write
them up on the board. Ask your partner what she/he thinks about these rules and then in pairs to
think about the ideal school and to decide on the rules themselves.
Place the findings under two headings:
Our school rules
Boarding School
History
Business Studies
Coursework
Drama
Physical Education
Economics
Qualification
Fail/ Failure
Geography
Revise/ revision
Maths in UK)
Science
Semester /term
To cheat
Key terms
Add other words or phrases you know related to the topic of Education in Britain.
Certificate
Pre-school education
Graduate
Primary school
BA
Secondary school
MA
Vocational school
Ph. D
Further education
All-round education
Higher education
Compulsory education
University education
Free education
II - Focus on grammar
The passive voice is the voice that indicates the subject is the patient or recipient of the action
denoted by the verb.
Use of Passive
Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known,
however, who or what is performing the action.
e.g. : My car was stolen.
Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example
shows:
Present Progressive
Simple Past
Past Progressive
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Active: Dana had written a letter.
Passive: A letter had been written by Dana.
Future
Active: Dana will write a letter.
Passive: A letter will be written by Dana.
Active Voice
keeps
Passive Voice
is kept
Present Continuous
is keeping
is being kept
Present Perfect
has kept
Past Simple
kept
was kept
Past Continuous
was keeping
Past Perfect
had kept
Future
Conditional
will keep
would keep
will be kept
would be kept
Perfect Conditional
Present Infinitive
to keep
to be kept
Perfect Infinitive
to have kept
keeping
being kept
Perfect Participle
having kept
3. The manager will hold the meeting in his office. The meeting
4. Has the baby being fed today? Has anyone?
5. They say that Croatia has a beautiful seaside. Croatia .
6. Computers replaced typewriters years ago. The typewriters ..
7. A lot of books have been written about Dracula. Many authors .
8. The fisherman has caught one fish since this morning. One fish
9. They told us not to come. We
10. I promise Ill finish the work in time. The work..
B.
1. Everybody was given a special bonus for Xmas. The company..
2. Thieves broke into our house and stole our laptop. Our house..
3. The best architects in Arad are designing the city centre. The city centre.
4. The secretary has shown the people into the office. The people .
5. DHL will deliver the documents tomorrow. The documents .
6. She promised to take the dog for a walk. She promised that the dog
7. The faculty gave Adrian a special award. Adrian ..
8. Have you been given direction to the University? Has.
9. The heavy trucks ruin the new road. The new road.
10. The new fashion always amazes me. I..
4. Complete the following passage using the correct form of the verb:
Adrian was lying in his hospital bed when the nurse .. (enter) the room. How
..you..(feel) today? she ..(ask). I (not feel)
great thats why I (be) here, he said. And you people(not do) a thing to
help me get better since the day I(bring) here. For example, its already seven oclock
and my temperature..(not take) yet and my laundry(not change). I ..
(give) some medicine to take early this morning by one of the night nurses, but luckily just before
swallowing them, I( discover) that they ..(be) the wrong ones. I ..(fear)
that next week I (release) from this hospital in worse condition than when I..
(come in).
5. Complete the sentences using the verb in the correct form:
1. Cheese from milk. (make)
2. A cinema is a place where movies (show)
3. Many accidents .by careless driving. (cause)
4. Something must before it too late. (do)
IV. Evaluation
1. What have you done in this unit?
2. What have you learnt from it?
3. What did you like about it?
4. What would you change concerning its contents?
5. Do you have any suggestions for improving it?
Objectives
Lead-in
I. British Culture
Culture could be defined in an unlimited number of ways. Dictionaries give us all kind of
explanations, the essence is that culture is a shared, learned symbolic system of values, beliefs, and
attitudes that shapes and influences perception and behavior, a mental blueprint or mental
code.
It is based on human capacity to classify experiences, encode such classifications symbolically. It is
difficult to quantify, because it frequently exists at an unconscious level, or at least tends to be so
general, that it escapes everyday thought.
Culture could be also defined as the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs,
institutions and all other products of human work and thoughts. These patterns and products are
considered the expression of a particular period, class, community, population, particular category
such as a field subject. (e.g. Romanian culture, British culture, religious culture, oral culture,
musical culture). In conclusion, culture is a collective programming of the mind (Hofstede) that
distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another.
The culture of the United Kingdom refers to the patterns of human activity and symbolism
associated with the British people and the UK. It is made up by its history as a union of four
countries each of which have preserved elements of distinct customs and symbolism. England is
sometimes, wrongly used in reference to the whole kingdom, the entire island of Great Britain (or
simply Britain). This is not only incorrect, but can cause offence to people from other parts of the
UK. The name United Kingdom refers to the union of what were once four separate countries:
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The full and official name of the country is the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
History of the making of the UK:
1536- Act of Union joins England and Wales.
1707- Act of Unions unites Scotland and England, together with Wales to form the Kingdom
of Great Britain.
1801- Ireland joined the Union and the country becomes the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland.
1922- name changed to United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, when most
of The Southern counties in Ireland chose independence.
Owing to its worldwide expansion, as a direct result of the British colonial Empire, British cultural
influence is dominant in countries such as Canada, The United States, Australia, New Zealand,
India, Pakistan, South Africa and the British overseas territories. These states are sometimes
collectively known as the Anglo sphere.
National Days are not celebrated in Britain in the same way as they are in a number of other
countries. Only St. Patricks Day in Northern Ireland and St. Andrews Day in Scotland are taken as
an official holiday. All the other national days are normal working days.
National Days in the UK:
1 March, the national day of Wales is St. Davids Day;
17 March, the national day of Northern Ireland is St. Patricks Day;
23 April, The national day of England is St. Georges Day;
30 November, the national day of Scotland is St. Andrews Day.
There are also several public holidays, called Bank Holidays, when legislation requires banks and
businesses to close. These are: New Years Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Good Friday, Eastern
Monday, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday, and August Bank Holiday.
The UK has no official language; English is main language and practically the official language,
spoken by an estimate 95% of the UK population. However, individual countries within the UK are
trying to promote their traditional languages. In Wales, English and Welsh are both widely officially
used. Irish is limitedly used alongside English in Northern Ireland; the western Isles and areas of
Scotland are trying to promote Scottish Gaelic.
As for the population, Britain is and has always been a mixed race society. The country was first
invaded by the Romans, then the Anglo-Saxons and the Jutes, the Vikings, and later the Norman
French. Later, Africans were brought to Britain by force in 17 th and 18th centuries as slaves or
servants. Over the years, thousands of people have taken refuge to Britain from France, Ireland,
Russia, Poland, India, Pakistan etc. About 8% of the population of Britain today are people from
other countries and ethnicities (4.6 million people). They have contributed in their own way to
make Britain the place it is today. If one walks down the street in Britain, especially in the bigger
cities, one will usually see people with different hair, skin, and eye colors. They may have white,
brown, yellow or black skin and blonde, brown, black, or red hair. Many of the people one sees, will
be British people, but they all look different, because they are the result of mixed races. London has
the largest non-white population of any European city, and over 250 languages are spoken there.
The British are said to be reserved in manners, dress and speech. Basic politeness (please, thank
you, excuse me) is expected. The British are also famous for their self discipline, and, especially for
their sense of humour; this strong sense of humour sometimes can be difficult for foreigners to
understand.
Manners are very important in England:
people should stand in line, as queues are orderly and you should wait patiently for
your turn e.g. boarding a bus). Queue jumping is unacceptable.
If someone is blocking your way and you would like them to move, say Excuse me
and they will move out of your way.
It is very good manners to say Please and Thank you and it is considered rude if
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
How can you characterize the British in terms of manners, dress and speech?
17.
II. Find the topic sentence for each paragraph and then the main idea of the whole text.
III. Match the words in column A with their meanings in column B:
Accustomed
Attitude
Blueprint
Custom
Dress
Overseas
Preserve
Queue
Share
Skin
6.
7.
Is there any influence of the weather or climate upon the people of Britain or the people of
Romania?
8.
Does the weather influence fashion? Give your opinion about that!
9.
10.
Similarities and differences between the Romanian and the British culture.
11.
What are the British famous for? / What are the Scots famous for? Write as many facts and
opinions about them. (Group work)
Dark
Daring
Delight
Decent
Depreciate
Decline
Desirable
Decrease
Desolate
Deficient
Difference
Delay
Dirty
Delicate
V. Fill in the gaps with the most suitable words about two traditional events in Great Britain:
many,
known,
celebrities,
as,
people,
called,
spectacular,
what,
attend,
called,
sometimes,
world,
own,
designer,
reign,
people,
social,
began,
right,
hats.
visit,
owned,
around,
Festival,
day,
gurus,
just,
then,
Royal Ascot is one of the most........ race-meetings in the......, it has been held for nearly 300 years
since 1711 during the ....... of Queen Anne. For just four days each year the aristrocracy,
sports ......... and fashion ........ of England crowd in grand style at one of the highlights of their ........
calendar. It is ......... Royal Ascot because the Royal family .......... every year and the land is actually
.......... by The Crown.
Royal Ascot is more than just a horse race, is a place to see and be seen, everbody seems to be
wearing .......... outfits and spectacular ........, especially on the highly popular Gold Cup Day, which
is better known ......... "Ladies Day". The TV commentary is ........ as likely to be about ........ Lady
so and so is wearing as it is to be about who won the 4.30 race!
There is no one Edinburgh Festival. It all .......... in 1947, with the aim of providing a platform for
the flowering of the human spirit. ........... from the start ........ were inspired to put on shows of
their ........., and these soon grew into the Edinburgh ........... Fringe. Since ...... half a dozen or so
festivals have grown up .......... it in August and early September, and collectively these are
often ............. as The Edinburgh Festival.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is often .......... the Edinburgh Fringe and ........... just "the Fringe".
Often at the fringe people will .......... more than one event per ......., in fact some ....... pride
themselves on fitting in as ........ events as possible.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10. The senator was one of the most people I have ever met.
Persuade/persuasion/persuasive/persuasively
B.
1. Human culture is.
a) genetically inherited
b) entirely learned
c) limited to well-off societies
d) all of the above
2. Which of the following statements is true of culture?
a) languages are cultures
b) lack of culture
c) hippy culture
d) the feeling of disorientation someone has in an unfamiliar culture
10. Cultural revolution is:
a) a revolution caused by culture
b) a mass movement in China to renew the basic institutions of the country
c) a euphemistic name for Song to Romania
C.
1. What is the Queens name?
a) Queen Ann I
b) Queen Elizabeth II
c) Queen Margaret II
2. What is Harrods?
a) a bank
b) a department store
c) a school
3. Which rock band was so popular in the 60s?
a) The Beatles
b) The Police
c) The Rolling Stones
4. In Britain, cars are driven on the..side of the road.
a) left-hand
b) right-hand
c) wrong-hand
5. Which king had six wives?
a) Henry IV
b) Henry V
c) Henry VIII
6. What is a double -decker?
a) A disco
b) a bus
c) a ferry boat
7. Where is Belfast?
a) in Northern Ireland
b) in Scotland
c) in Wales
8. What is the name of the most famous stadium in London?
a) Wimbledon
b) Westminster
c) Wembley
9. Manchester United is a popular. team.
a) cricket
b) football
c) handball
10. Which famous writer was born in Stratford-upon-Avon?
a) Thomas Hardy
b) Mark Twain
c) William Shakespeare
11. What does IMF stand for?
a) International Monetary Foundation
b) Internal Monetary Fund
c) International Monetary Fund
12. What was the name of the ship that brought the pilgrims to New England in 1620?
a) Sunflower
b) Mayflower
c) Roseflower
13. Where is the White House located?
a) New York
b) California
c) Washington D.C.
14. Who was the first person to walk on the moon?
a) John Glenn
b) Neil Armstrong
c) Bob Dylan
15. Who is eligible for the office of President in the US?
a) whoever serves the army
b) a natural born citizen
c) anyone who has American children
Key terms
Add other words or phrases you know related to the topic of British Culture.
Attitude
Manners
Behaviour
Mixed-race
Blueprint
Pattern
Conservatism
Perception
Culture
Politeness
Ethnicity
Queue
Habit
Symbol
Kingdom
II - Focus on grammar
Progressive
Perfect Forms
Perfect Progressive
write/s
Forms
am/is/are writing
have/has written
Forms
have/has been writing
nt
Past
wrote
Future will/shall write
was/were writing
will be writing
had written
will have written
Prese
Simple Form
Present Tense
Present tense expresses an unchanging, repeated, or reoccurring action or situation that exists only
Meaning
Unchanging action
Recurring action
General truth
Past Tense
Past tense expresses an action or situation that was started and finished in the past. Most past tense
verbs end in -ed. The irregular verbs have special past tense forms which must be memorized.
Form
Example
World War II ended in 1945.
The Romanian Revolution took place in 1999.
Future Tense
Future tense expresses an action or situation that will occur in the future.
This tense is formed by using will/shall with the simple form of the verb.
e.g. The students will finish the first term in December.
The future tense can also be expressed by using am, is, or are with going to.
e.g. The teachers are going to examine the students in January.
We can also use the present tense form with an adverb or adverbial phrase to show future
time.
e.g. The Prime Minister speaks tomorrow. (Tomorrow is a future time adverb.)
Progressive Forms
Present progressive tense describes an ongoing action that is happening at the same time the
statement is written.
This tense is formed by using am/is/are with the verb form ending in -ing.
e. g. The experts are examining the effects of radiation on human beings.
Past progressive tense describes a past action which was happening when another action occurred.
This tense is formed by using was/were with the verb form ending in -ing.
e.g. The scientist was explaining something when the earthquake began.
Future progressive tense describes an ongoing or continuous action that will take place in the future.
This tense is formed by using will be or shall be with the verb form ending in -ing.
e.g. The speaker will be presenting the latest findings on earthquakes tomorrow.
A.
1. Not all people ...............from the cold, some people enjoy it.
Suffer/ suffers/ is suffering/ are suffering.
2. The doctor said he...........it with the nurses help.
3. Complete the following sentences using the correct form of the verb.
1. My family.............in two years ago. (move)
2. He ............his money before he left the shop. (count)
3. Just as we...........ready to work, the computer broke down. (get)
4. What........you.........when I ..........yesterday? (do/phone)
5. How long ago.........you ........? (marry)
IV. Evaluation
Objectives
Lead-in
House of Lords
House of Commons
Executive:
Government
Cabinet
Ministries
Judiciary:
Judges
Courts
The monarch has a number of roles, and serves formally as head of state, head of the executive, head
of the judiciary, head of the legislature, commander-in chief of the Armed Forces, and supreme
governor of the Church of England. The monarch is said to personify the British state. It is difficult
to define the exact powers of the monarch, who is supposed to reign, but not to rule, and is expected
to be politically neutral and should not make any political decisions. The monarch cannot make laws,
impose taxes, spend public money, therefore contemporary Britain is governed by Her Majestys
Government in the name of the Queen.
The British Parliament is a supreme legislative authority, and since it is not controlled by written
constitution. It has, practically, sovereignty in all matters, meaning it can create, abolish, or amend
laws. The main functions of the Parliament today are to pass laws; to vote on financial bills; to
examine Government policies and administration and to analyze European Union legislation. A
parliament has a maximum duration of five years, but it is often dissolved, and the general election
called before the end of this term. Dissolution of Parliament is ordered by the monarch on the
advice of the Prime Minister. General elections for parliamentary seats are by secret ballot, but
voting is not compulsory.
The British Government consists of over 100 ministers and other officials chosen from both
Houses of Parliament, who are appointed by the monarch on the advance of the Prime Minister.
They belong to the party which forms the majority in The House of Commons. The Prime Minister
is appointed by the monarch and is the leader of the majority party in the HC; s/he has an important
role in deciding on the composition of the Government.
The Cabinet is normally made up of up to 20 ministers from the Government. They are chosen and
governed by the Prime Minister. (E.g. Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary, Secretary of State for
Education and Science etc.). Ministerial responsibility means collective responsibility, in other
words the Cabinet should act as one. All must support a government decision in public; if a minister
cannot do this s/he may feel obliged to resign. In addition to collective responsibility, a minister also
has an individual responsibility for the work and mistakes of his department (Ministry).
The roles and performances of the institutions belonging to the political system of the UK continue
to be debated today, and the essential questions asked are whether the existing structures can
satisfactorily cope with the needs and demands of contemporary life, and if they can be reformed to
become more efficient and more responsible. Some institutions have been continuously adaptable,
and their present role may be very different from their original functions.
British monarchy is regarded by some critics as an out of date, non-democratic, too expensive, and
too closely associated with aristocratic privileges, and it is suggested that, since the monarchs
functions today are mainly ceremonial and lack power, the office should be abolished and replaced
by a cheaper presidency. However, there are some arguments in favour of the monarchy, as it is the
symbol, or the personification of the state; ensures stability and continuity; is not subject to political
manipulation, and also ensures a neutrality, which guarantees security and safety.
I. Comprehension questions:
Who appoints the Prime Minister and what are his main prerogatives?
II. Find the topic sentence for each paragraph and then the main idea of the whole text.
III. Match the words in column A with their meanings in column B:
Abolish
Amend
Ballot
Bill
Compulsory
Cope
Reign
Rest
Rule
System
society,
therefore,
wishes,
history,
to fight,
people,
social,
affected,
leaders,
actions,
past,
riots,
policies,
ordinary .
History has often been written to trace the political developments of a . focusing on the leaders,
on the policies they promote in the areas of economics and foreign policies, military activity and
government performance. We know that throughout . these policies and leaders have .. the
lives of the .. people.
In this century more and more attention has been paid to the way the . of the leaders have
affected the lives of all . and, in return, how the voiceless have impacted the decisions of the
.. This has added an important dimension to the study of history and made it much richer and
much more reflective of what really happened in the . It is clear that the leader who . to go
to war cannot do so, unless the people (his followers) are ready . On the other hand, people
acting together can have a great effect even without leaders, as recent in Arab countries
demonstrate. As more historians focus on the ordinary people and their interactions, we are
gaining better understanding of the past and of the . of leaders.
These social historians .. everything that happens in social relationships and they broaden our
understanding of the past and .. of ourselves.
6. Global warming and the greenhouse gases are two of the .topics in politics now.
loudest, hottest, strongest, fishiest
7. One of the senators has confirmed the rumors that he intends to runpresident.
to, for, at, on
8. Another senator has announced that he will not be.in the next general elections.
standing, contesting, submitting, challenging
9. In the Romanian politics, an elected politician is known as an MP, or..
man of the people, member of Parliament, master of politics, mandated politician
10. In Romania, the politicians belong to one of the three main political.and to many minor
ones as well.
parts, parties, fractions, groupies
B.
1. The Socio-Democratic Party won all the counties in the South. They the South.
swept/ collected
2. A is when one candidate wins elections by a large percentage.
sweep/ landslide
3. How many can a president serve? Romanian president is allowed to serve two..
terms/ turns
4. The liberal democrats won a large number of. in the Senate.
seats/ chairs
5. It is imperative that all the are counted.
vote/ votes
6. I never vote for Conservative. .
candidates/ runners
7. Who did you vote ?
for/ on
8. Who do you think is going to win the .. ?
choice/ election
9. The election are in, which means, we know the election.. .
responses/ results
10.To hang in the balance means the result is ... .
undecided/ decided
C.
1. The candidates are making an effort to.. (get rid of, lessen) divisions within the
Conservative Party.
Heal/ help
2. The three candidates got into a .. (impassioned) argument during their TV debate.
Heating/ heated
3. The dialogue between the candidates was not relaxed, it was. .
Tension/tense
4. What do you think is our countrys (position) on the war in Libia?
Stance/distance
5. Our former president currently has a very low approval.... (very few people appreciate his
performance as president).
Rating/score
6. There is a .. margin between the three parties( a very small difference).
Wafer-like/ wafer-thin
7. The socialist candidate has a slight.. ( is doing a little better).
Advantage/ plus
8. Most voters are not concerned about politics, but about the rising price of .
Gas/ gases
9.The voters have to decide which candidate is better to handle the economic crisis.
Suites/ suited
10. We are rather confused, its a (either candidate could win).
Wash out / toss up
VIII. Provide synonyms for the following words:
Naive
News
Nearly
Nice
Neat
Noble
Necessary
Noise
Negligence
Notable
Negotiate
Notorious
Nervous
Numerous
policy
right-wing, right-winger
election
political party
the opposition
election campaign
politician
to elect
electorate
politics
to run
left-wing, leftist
to vote
II - Focus on grammar
Troublesome Verbs
The so-called "troublesome" verbs are those verbs that are frequently misused. In particular, there
are some pairs of verbs that sound similar, but have different meanings.
Lie, lied, lied [lai, laid, laid] a minti
Lie, lay, lain [lai, lei, lein] a fi culcat, a fi intins, a zacea
Lay, laid, laid [lei, leid, leid] a pune jos, a culca, a aseza
Arise, arose, arisen a se ridica, a se ivi (many difficulties arose)
Rise, rose, risen [raiz, rouz, rizn] a se scula, a se ridica, a rasari, a izvori
Raise, raised, raised [reiz, reizd, reizd] a ridica, a destepta, a creste
Arouse, aroused, aroused a trezi, a destepta, a starni
Bath, bathed, bathed a imbaia, a face baie
Bathe, bathed, bathed a (se) scalda
Find, found, found [faind, faund, faund] a gasi, a procura, a afla
Found, founded, founded [faund, faundid, faundid] a funda, a intemeia
Leave, left, left [li:v, left,left] a lasa, a abandona, a pleca
Live, lived, lived [liv, livd, livd] a trai, a locui, a sta
Let, let, let [let, let, let] a permite, a ingadui, a inchiria
Lose, lost, lost [lu:z] a pierde, a (-i) scapa, a suferi pierderi
Loose, loosed, loosed [lu:s] a dezlega, a detasa, a slabi (din stransoare)
Sit, sat, sat [sit] a sedea, a se aseza
Seat, seated, seated a aseza, a amplasa, a avea locuri (sala spectacol)
Set, set, set [set] a pune, a aseza (ocarte in raft), a potrivi, a monta
Fall, fell, fallen [fo:l, fel, fo;ln] a cadea, a se clasifica, a scadea (preturi, etc)
Fell, felled, felled [fel, feld, feld] a tranti la pamant, a dobora prin taiere
Fly, flew, flown [flai] a zbura, a pilota (un avion), a transporta cu avionul
Flow, flowed, flowed [flou] a curge, a se scurge, a decurge (din)
Flee, fled, fled [fli:, fled, fled] a fugi, a scapa cu fuga (de), a parasi
Feel,felt, felt [fi:l, felt, felt] a simti, a pipai, a presimti, a tatona
Fill,filled, filled [fil, fild, fild] a umple, a satura, a plomba (un dinte)
Strike, struck, struck (striken) [straik] a lovi, a izbi, a bate (ceasul)
Stroke, stroked, stroked [strouk] a deznierda, a dirija (pe vaslasi)
Past
I lied to my mother.
I lay on the bed as I was tired.
I laid the baby in her cradle.
Past Participle
I have lied under oath.
He has lain in the grass.
We have laid the dishes on
the table.
E.g. After laying down his weapon, the soldier lay down to sleep.
Will you lay out my clothes while I lie down to rest?
Past
I sat in my favourite chair.
Past Participle
You have sat there for three
hours.
She has set her books on my
desk again.
Past
The balloon rose into the
Past Participle
He has risen to a position of
upward movement)
Raise (to cause to rise)
air.
They raised their hands
power.
I have raised the curtain
many times.
answer.
Lay/lie
5.the table for us, please!
Lay/lie
6. Weawake until morning to wait for him.
Lay/laid
7. The doctorthe baby on the bed carefully.
Lay/laid
8. This rug has. here for ten years.
Laid/lain
9. Geese usually .. twenty eggs and incubate them for about four weeks.
Lay/lie
10. The scene of the Dracula story is.in Transylvania.
Laid/lain
3. Fill in the blanks with do or make (in the appropriate form):
1. Can you.. me a favor?
2. She . friends easily.
3. It doesnt any difference to me.
4. We dont. business with such partners.
5. Who the housework in your family?
6. How much do you.?
7. The police.. some research and found out interesting facts.
8. Youll have to . without a computer for a while.
9. I dont like to. promises, but Ill . my best.
10. Id like to.. an appointment with the senator, please.
4. Choose the correct verb:
1. The cost of living is .. again.
Raising/ rising
2. Good news from the hospital.. our hopes.
Raised/rose
3. He from his chair and left the room.
Raised/rose
4. Dont ..your voice when you are talking to me!
Raise/rise
5. Its still dark, you. early today!
Raised/rose
6. She. her hand to greet us.
Raised/rose
7. The sun also..
Raises/rises
8. The new manager promised to .. our salaries.
Raise/rise
9. The audience. a question about the next elections.
Raised/rose
10. They their children in the countryside.
Raised/ rose
2. They cant . the difference between the twins. (tell/ say /speak/ talk)
3. You should. her out of leaving school. (talk/ speak/ tell/ say)
4. ..for yourself, I dont believe it. (talk/ speak/ say/ tell)
5. My watch five oclock. (talks/ speaks/ tells/ says)
6. Can you me the time? (tell/ say/ speak/ talk)
7. Dont . back to your parents! (say / tell/ speak/talk)
8. Please up, people cant hear you. (talk/ speak/tell/ say)
9. It goes without that it is not true. (talking/ speaking/ telling/saying)
10. Id like to .. it over with my lawyers. (tell/ say/ speak/ talk)
IV. Evaluation
1. What have you done in this unit?
2. What have you learnt from it?
3. What did you like about it?
4. What would you change concerning its contents?
5. Do you have any suggestions for improving it?
The following is a partial list of irregular verbs found in English. Each listing consists of
the present/root form of the verb, the (simple) past form of the verb, and the past
participle form of the verb.
Present
be
become
begin
blow
break
bring
build
burst
buy
burst
catch
choose
come
cut
deal
do
drink
drive
eat
fall
feed
feel
fight
find
fly
forbid
forget
forgive
freeze
get
give
go
grow
have
hear
hide
hold
hurt
keep
Past
Was,were
became
began
blew
broke
brought
built
burst
bought
burst
caught
chose
came
cut
dealt
did
drank
drove
ate
fall
fed
felt
fought
found
flew
forbade
forgot
forgave
froze
got
gave
went
grew
had
heard
hid
held
hurt
kept
Past Participle
been
become
begun
blown
broken
brought
built
burst
bought
burst
caught
chosen
come
cut
dealt
done
drunk
driven
eaten
fallen
fed
felt
fought
found
flown
forbidden
forgotten
forgiven
frozen
gotten
given
gone
grown
had
heard
hidden
held
hurt
kept
know
lay
lead
leave
let
lie
lose
make
meet
pay
quit
read
ride
run
say
see
seek
sell
send
shake
shine
sing
sit
sleep
speak
spend
spring
stand
steal
swim
swing
take
teach
tear
tell
think
throw
understand
wake
wear
win
write
knew
laid
led
left
let
lay
lost
made
met
paid
quit
read
rode
ran
said
saw
sought
sold
sent
shook
shone
sang
sat
slept
spoke
spent
sprang
stood
stole
swam
swung
took
taught
tore
told
thought
threw
understood
woke (waked)
wore
won
wrote
known
laid
led
left
let
lain
lost
made
met
paid
quit
read
ridden
run
said
seen
sought
sold
sent
shaken
shone
sung
sat
slept
spoken
spent
sprung
stood
stolen
swum
swung
taken
taught
torn
told
thought
trown
understood
Woken (waked)
worn
won
written
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http://thesaurus.com/
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