Focus Now

Pages 70 71

Exercise 1

1. Good                         bad
2. Beautiful                  ugly
3. Big                             small
4. Long                          short
5. Fat                             thin
6. Hot                            cold
7. Clean                         dirty
8. Happy                       sad
9. Boring                       interesting
10. Young                        old

Exercise 2

1. “Where are the children?”
   “They are doing their homework upstairs.”
2. “Does Ms Brown work part time?”
   “Yes, she does. But her husband has a full-time job.”
3. “Jane is in the kitchen. She’s making a cake for Lisa’s birthday.”
   “And who is doing the shopping for the party?”
4. Alice always goes shopping with her friends on Saturday afternoon. She likes it and they have a lot of fun.
5. Lewis likes playing the saxophone in his free time. This year he also work as a music teacher in a school.
6. “What time does Sonia usually go to bed?”
   “At about 10, after she has a cup of tea.”
7. “Do you play basketball at weekends?”
   “Yes, I do.”
8. My classmates are having a picnic but I can’t go.

Exercise 3

1. Watch           a video
2. Play    chess
3. go for            a walk
4. read   a magazine
5. go ona school trip
6. ride    a bike
7. visit    art galleries
8. surf    the net
9. get      married
10. fall      in love
11. chop  vegetables

Exercise 4

1. Can we play loud music in here?
2. How do you spend your free time?
3. I can’t stand watching football matches on TV.
4. Why don’t we call a take-away restaurant and order a pizza?
5. How long does it take to prepare an omelette?
6. Do you know what we need to bake a cake or do you need the recipe?
7. “How much money does he earn as a waiter?”
   “Well, I don’t think he has a high salary.”
8. We usually book a room in the same hotel when we are in Rome.
9. The car isn’t working properly. Let’s take it to the mechanic.
10. He is wearing a white tie and a shirt because he is going to his brother’s wedding.
11. Excuse me, can I try this skirt on?
12. What size do you take?

Exercise 5

Clare is a freelance journalist. She works long hours every day. But she never gets bored with her job. She is quite short and a bit plump. Sometimes she looks reserved and she is really shy with the people she doesn’t know very well. But with her friends and family she is very outgoing. Everybody likes her lively and spontaneous nature. I think she has a pretty smile, too. I also like her wavy, black hair. Her favourite colour is blue. She is an optimist with an extremely creative mind. What I really appreciate about Clare is her passionate outlook on life.

Exercise 6

L: So, what are your plans for this weekend?
C: I don't know.
S: How about going to see a film? CineMax is showing Youth.
L: That sounds like a good idea. Maybe we should go out to eat something before going to the cinema.
C: Why don't we meet at the new Thai restaurant on the main square?
L: Good idea.
S: What time do you suggest?
C: Well, the film is at 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
L: We can go to the 2 p.m. show. Let’s have lunch cat midday. That gives us time to enjoy our meal.
S: My cousin Karen is in town. Can I bring her along? I don't like to leave her home alone.
C: Is Karen in town?
L: I don't remember Karen. What does she look like?
S: She has got blond hair, she is tall and slim, and she is our age.
L: Does she wear glasses?
S: Yes, she does.
L: I remember her now. Yes, bring her along, Sarah. She is such a nice person, and funny too.
C: Right, then! Lunch together, then the film and after that? Who knows …

Exercise 7

1. What does he do?
   He is a dentist.
2. When does your brother usually go to the gym?
   My brother usually goes to the gym in his free time.
3. What time do you get up?
   I get up at 7.
4. What do they do on Christmas Day?
   They stay at home on Christmas Day.
5. Do you like punk music?
   No, we don’t. We can’t stand punk music.
6. Where does your sister have lunch?
   My sister has lunch in the school canteen.
7. Does Bob like cooking?
   Yes, he does. Bob really loves cooking!

Exercise 8

1. She does an hour of work every day on her research project.
2. There is still a lot of research into the causes of this disease.
3. I would like to have some advice before I go to the interview.
4. How much bread do we need for lunch today?
5. There isn’t much sugar left. Only a couple of teaspoons.
6. How many eggs do you usually put in an omelette for two people?
7. Unfortunately they can’t make any progress in that field.

Exercise 9

1. There isn’t any electricity in the kitchen.
2. There aren’t any sunglasses on the shelf.
3. I’ve got an orange in my bag.
4. There are some oranges in the basket on the table.
5. Let’s buy a bottle of water here.
6. There is still some water in the bottle.
7. There isn’t any drinking water in this place.
8. Ø man can’t live without Ø water for a long time.
9. The water of the Thames is polluted especially in some areas.
10. Is there an Internet café near the city centre?
11. Have you got any brothers or sisters?
12. I’ve got an idea for our school trip.

Exercise 10

1. “Julia sometimes reads non-fiction books.”
   “What is she reading at the moment?”
   “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask her?”
2. We never watch TV during meals but today we are making an exception because Sue
3. is visiting us and she likes following the news while eating.
4. Listen! Andy is singing in the shower. He sounds really happy.
5. “Where is Simon?”
   “It’s six and, as usual, he is taking the dog out for a walk. Where does he usually go?”
6. The kids are in their bedroom and I’m sure they are chatting with their sister. She is spending a year broad. She is studying in a US college this year.
7. Ms Grey always does the cooking in the evening. Now she is in the kitchen and she is preparing lunch for tomorrow.
8. “Does Helen work ?”
   “Yes, she’s got a full-time job as a bank clerk and never comes back home before 6.”

English Reading Practice – Don’t Discriminate

Abeni is looking for a job. She used to work as a secretary in her homeland, but now she is in a new country. She can speak the languageperfectly, but her accent is very strong and very foreign. Abeny is afraid employers won't want her because of it.

She tries hard to find a job. She reads all the ads and sends many resumes. She comes to the interviews and answers all the questions. Her manners are excellent. Her skills are the best. She behaves and looks very professional, but still, every time, someone else gets the job.

One day, Abeni gets to a place that she really likes. It is a big firm that takes care of car rentals. All the people there seem very nice. The manager seems very nice. Actually, everything seems very nice, but the minute she opens her mouth she feels like the manager does not want her.

At the end of the interview the manager says, "Okay, thank you." Abeni feels like he is not going to call. "This is not fair!" she thinks, "I can be his best worker!"

She starts walking away when she realizes she must tell him what she thinks. She stops, turns around, opens her mouth to speak, and does not close it until everything is said clearly.

The manager is very surprised. But Abeni is even more surprised. What about her manners? How did she do such a thing? This will be the end. But then the manager suddenly reaches for her. He asks her to sit down. He tries to smile.

"I am going to be honest with you," he says. "I am very surprised. No one ever told this to me before. But the truth is that I feel ashamed. I could see you are a great worker. I should not judge you by your accent. There will be no such discrimination in this firm. Abeni, please accept this position and work for us."

Abeni cannot believe her ears. She feels very excited. She is very happy he offers her the job. But she is even more happy she finally spoke her mind!