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Read through aloud and complete withthe missing words. One word is missing in each case. Pass level: 75% Aim: 95% Level: intermediate.
Mr and Mrs Macgregor live (1).................... a village near Inverness (2).................... the north of Scotland. (3).................... morning, they found a dog in their garden, They took the dog (4)...................., give it some scraps of meat, and watched it go (5).................... a corner and go to sleep. They decided to let the animal stay overnight, and to look (6).................... its owner in the morning, Then they left home to pay a visit (7).................... their daughter i
n Inverness.
They came home about eleven. As they opened the front door, they were welcomed by a snarling boxer, standing (8).................... bared teeth. Any attempt to calm the animal met (9).................... furious barking. Soon. all the neighbours were awake, and came (10).................... to offer helpful advice.
Then the fire brigade was called. They arrived at midnight. But all their attempts only made the dog more savage. They couldn’t get (11).................... it. The fire brigade gave (12).................... and called the police. When they arrived, it was one in the morning, and nearly all the village was gathered in the Macgregor’s garden. The police thought (13).................... it, They advised that the dog should be shot.
However, someone went (14).................... an expert dog handler. This expert arrived at two in the morning with a huge alsatian. He said: “This won’t take long.”
But it did. The two animals stood and stared and snarled (15).................... each other. It was a draw.
Then a veterinary surgeon was sent for. (16).................... the time he arrived, it was four in the morning. The vet borrowed a rope, made a lasso, and threw it (17).................... the boxer’s head.
He dragged it (18).................... the garden, stuck a needle in it, and put it to sleep. The police removed it.
Mr Macgregor said: “This animal will make a wonderful watchdog. But the new owners must be prepared to stay indoors (19).................... a few days (20).................... the dog gets to know them.”
Answer guide
1. in 2. in 3. One 4. in 5. into 6. for 7. to 8. with 9. with 10. out 11. near 12. up 13. about 14. for 15. at 16. By 17. over 18. into 19. for 20. until
Read the anecdote and give spoken answers to the questions that follow. Level: lower intermediate.
A man could not stop eating. He ate all day long. He became very fat. At last, he went to his doctor for help.
“Doctor,” he said, “I want to lose weight. I eat too much. What can I do?”
The doctor examined him, and then gave him a big box of very small pills. He told him:
“Here is a box of pills. Do not swallow them. Do not take them internally. They are special pills for fatness. Three times a day, after meals, take the pills into your living room. Pour them all over the carpet. And then pick them up, all of them, one at a time.”
Answer
1. Did he want to gain weight?
2. Did the doctor give him something?
3. Did the doctor tell him to swallow the pills?
Answer guide
1. No. He wanted to lose weight. 2. Yes. He gave him a big box of very small pills. 3. No. He told him to pick them up one at a time.
Reading aloud, complete the following questions with the positive or negative, and give the appropriate response. Level: intermediate.
1. There is a lot to do in Amsterdam, ......................... there?
2. There ........................................ much to do there, is there?
3. The children ........................................ like it, would they?
4. There ........................................ much for them to do there, is there?
5. The food is good, ........................................ it?
6. The locals are friendly, .................................. they?
7. It ................................... get very crowded, does it?
8. There are a lot of tourists, .................................. there?
9. The accommodation is comfortable, .................... it?
10. It ........................................ get too hot in summer,
does it?
Answer guide
1. isn’t = Yes. There is. 2. isn’t = No. There isn’t. 3. wouldn’t = No. They wouldn’t. 4. isn’t = Yes. It is. 5. aren’t = Yes. They are. 6. doesn’t = No. It doesn’t. 7. aren’t = Yes. There are. 8. isn’t = Yes. It is. 9. doesn’t = No. It doesn’t.
Read through, giving the missing prepositions. Level: lower intermediate.
1. We must finish the work............. Friday.
2. We sleep.............. night.
3. We work............. day.
4. He died............. the age of 92.
5. We get up early................ the morning.
6. What time do we have to be............... the airport?
7. They live............. that house.
8. He lives.............. 24 West Street.
9. They live.............. New York.
Answer guide
1. by (before, on) 2. at 3. by 4. at 5. in 6. at 7. in 8. at 9. in
Explain the use of “scrap” in the following sentences. Level: upper intermediate.
1. Give the scraps to the dog.
2. He scrapped his plans.
3. The poor pick up the scraps from the rich man’s table.
4. The team played a scrappy game.
5. Steptoe & Son. Scrap Merchants. Good prices for old lead and copper.
6. The pessimist thought the future held not one scrap of hope.
7. The unemployed have been thrown on the scrapheap.
8. She pasted the newspaper cuttings in her scrapbook.
Answer guide
1. left-over food 2. abandoned (gave up) 3. left-overs, leavings, remnants (pennies, coppers, refers to money rather than food) 4. bad (good only in parts) 5. waste (metal and paper) 6. small piece (iota) 7. away (as of no use, like rubbish) 8. book (for collecting souvenirs), diary
Dogs snarl or growl or bark; cats hiss.
In the same way, what are the typical sounds made by the following? Level: intermediate.
1. a horse
2. a cow
3. a pig
4. a lamb
5. a bee
6. an elephant
7. a lion
8. an angry dog
9. a contented cat
Answer guide
1. neigh, whinny 2. moo 3. grunt 4. bleat 5. buzz 6. trumpet 7. roar 8. snarl (growl) 9. purr
Read through the passage and give spoken answers to the questions that follow. Level: lower intermediate.
Mr and Mrs Macgregor live in a village near Inverness in the north of Scotland. One morning, they found a dog in their garden, They took the dog in, gave it some scraps of meat, and watched it go into a corner and go to sleep. They decided to let the animal stay overnight, and to look for its owner in the morning, Then they left home to pay a visit to their daughter in Inverness.
They came home abou
t eleven. As they opened the front door, they were welcomed by a snarling boxer, standing with bared teeth. Any attempt to calm the animal met with furious barking. Soon. all the neighbours were awake, and came out to offer helpful advice.
Then the fire brigade was called. They arrived at midnight. But all their attempts only made the dog more savage. They couldn’t get near it. The fire brigade gave up and called the police. When they arrived, it was one in the morning, and nearly all the village was gathered in the Macgregor’s garden. The police thought about it. They advised that the dog should be shot.
However, someone went for an expert dog handler. This expert arrived at two in the morning with a huge alsatian. He said: “This won’t take long.”
But it did. The two animals stood and stared and snarled at each other. It was a draw.
Then a veterinary surgeon was sent for. By the time he arrived, it was four am. The vet borrowed a rope, made a lasso, and threw the loop over the boxer’s head. He dragged it into the garden, stuck a needle in it, and put it to sleep. The police removed it.
Macgregor said: “This animal will make a wonderful watchdog. But the new owners must be prepared to stay indoors for a few days until the dog gets to know them.”
Answer
1. Did they leave it outside?
2. Did they decide to keep it until the morning?
3. Did the neighbours tell them what they ought to do?
4. Did he put it to sleep?
5. Will it help keep away burglars and people?
Answer guide
1. No. They took it in. 2. Yes. They let it stay overnight. 3. Yes. They came out to offer helpful advice. 4. Yes. He stuck a needle in it 5. es. It will make a wonderful watchdog.
n Inverness.
