1. Read the following text and give it an appropriate title:

A young couple were planning their wedding on very little money. Neither the bride’s (1)

family nor the groom’s (2) family were well-off(3), but the bride’s father had [some savings he had gathered] over the years. He generously offered to pay for his daughter’s wedding.

The big day came and everything went according to plan. By the end of the evening, everyone had spent a wonderful time. The moment had come for the father to pay for the band, the disc jockey and all the catering services (4).

He had drank quite a lot of wine and he took a few minutes to find his jacket. It turned out he had left it on the back of his chair. When he finally found it, he was horrified to discover that his wallet (5) with all his savings, had been stolen. Everyone searched [everywhere], but it became obvious that the cash (6) had disappeared.

Feeling himiliated, he had to ask the guests to contribute some money to pay the hotel. At least he was glad that he had already payed for the video and the honeymoon.

When the married couple returned from their honeymoon, the first thing they did was to plan a showing of the video of their special day. All [the relatives] were there to see it. Everyone sat down, the lights were turned down, and the video was shown to the whole family. At first there was lots of laughing (7) and joking about the various guests, who had done what, who had said what, how [each one was dressed], etc. Then came the speeches (8). The viewers suddenly fell silent at the bride’s father’s speech. There he was – caught by the camera (...) – the pickpocket (9)! The groom’s father!

In File Intermediate, Madeline McHugh, Richmond Publishing

Vocabulary: 1 – da Noiva; 2 – do Noivo; 3 – Ricos; 4 – Serviço de restaurante; 5 – Carteira;

6 – Dinheiro; 7 – Gargalhadas; 8 – Discursos; 9 – Carteirista.

 

2. Put the sentences in the correct order, according to the story:

1. The bride’s father offered to pay for the wedding;
2. The couple decided to have a simple cerimony;
3. When he wanted to pay, the bride’s father found his wallet had been stolen;
4. Everybody enjoyed the party;
5. While watching the video, the groom’s father was seen stealing the wallet;
6. The couple went on their honeymoon, which was already paid;
7. . When the couple returned, they showed the wedding’s video.
8. The guests had to contribute to pay for the wedding;

1. Answer the following questions about the text:

1. Why did the couple plan on a simple wedding?
2. Who offered to pay for the wedding? Why?
3. Which services had to be paid at the end of the cerimony?
4. How did they get the money to pay for the wedding?
5. When was the pickpocket found?

1. Complete the sentences by giving the correct dgree of the given adjectives:

1. Their wedding was______ (simple) than others they had been to.
2. The groom’s family was _______ (poor) as the bride’s family.
3. The couple had the______ (good) honeymoon their money could pay.
4. The guests were ______ (humiliated) as the bride’s father.
5. The wedding’s video was the______ (fantastic) surprise for everyone.

1. Choose the correct relative pronoun from the box:

1. The bride, ______ father offered to pay for the wedding, was very happy.
2. Although it was simple, it was a party______ everybody had fun.
3. The jacket, ______ was on the back of a chair, had the money to pay for the ceremony.
4. The bride’s father, ______ wanted to pay at the end of the party, had no money.
5. The groom’s father, ______ everybody saw on the video stealing the wallet, was embarrassed.

1. Rewrite the given sentences into the passive voice:

1. The couple organised the party.
2. They asked the guests to contribute to pay for the wedding
3. The bride’s father paid for the honeymoon and the video.
4. Both families were watching the video of the wedding.
5. They saw the groom’s father stealing the money.

1. The text is about the modern Englishman. ___________________________________________
2. Gentlemen enjoy living in the countryside. __________________________________________
3. Gentlemen usually live in flats. ___________________________________________________
4. They don’t need to buy furniture because they inherited it. _____________________________

1. Gentlemen live in very special places. ______________________________________________
2. They do not like when someone doesn't tell the truth. _________________________________
3. Aged gentlemen often have health problems. ________________________________________
4. Their furniture is very old. _______________________________________________________

1. __________________________________________? Gentlemen prefer to live in the country.
2. __________________________________________? They enjoy eating soup and cucumber.
3. __________________________________________? They sleep with their windows open.

1. In which type of streets do gentlemen live? _________________________________________.
2. Why aren’t their houses identified? ________________________________________________.
3. How do their houses look like? ___________________________________________________.
4. What do gentlemen have to know? ________________________________________________.

1. Gentlemen never live_____ a big city.
2. Gentlemen have their houses_________ rows of trees.
3. _____ home they usually hang pictures of their ancestors.

1. Gentlemen must be_________________ than common people. (Educated)
2. Their families are____________________ as their houses. (old)
3. The perfect gentleman is the _________________image of the English man. (typical)

1. Complete according to the text:

1. Most people enjoy…
2. The first thing we think about is…
3. Some people give more value to…
4. The most important feature should be…
5. To have a friend is…

1. Answer in your own words:

1. What is the text about?

_____________________________________________________________________

2. Which are the most important physical features when we meet someone?

_____________________________________________________________________

3. What happens if we trust only in the way people look?

_____________________________________________________________________

4. Why do we value clothes so much?

_____________________________________________________________________

5. What kinds of qualities are referred in the text?

_____________________________________________________________________

1. Paul parks ______ new car in front of the house.
2. Claire and James meet ________ relatives from Ontario for Christmas.
3. Janet finishes________ exams next week.
4. We left________ bags at the station.
5. I met______ girlfriend in a party.
6. You must clean______ room every weekend.

1. Complete the sentences with the correct comparatives or superlatives:

1. Tina Turner is____________ than Madonna (old).
2. Tom Hanks is______________ Hugh Grant (famous).
3. Albert Einstein was one of ____________________ men of all times. (intelligent)
4. Pop music is___________ than Heavy Metal (nice).
5. ____________ songs and video clips stay on top for weeks. (good)

Recall what you have studied in class and what you have read about it and write a definition for:

1. Say which sentences are TRUE/ FALSE. Justify with information from the text:

1. Maria is German.
2. She likes music and Maths.
3. Mikki is 14 years old.
4. Rob adores football.
5. All the teenagers like sports.

1. Answer the questions about the text:

1. Which is Maria’s favourite football Club?
2. Who helped her writing the letter?
3. What is Mikki’s nationality?
4. How many sports does she practise?
5. Where does Rob play soccer?
6. What is his favourite type of music?

1. The first girl_______(be) Maria, she lives with her parents and she______(have) got a brother.
2. Maria and her brother______(be) both at school, but her mother______(be) her first English teacher.
3. Mikki______(do not) live in Portugal, she comes from Australia. She______(have) many hobbies.
4. She______(do) a lot of writing with her penfriends. She______(have) got many activities.
5. Rob ______(have) a dream when he ______(be) a small boy, he wanted to play football.
6. Today he and other fans______(do not) miss a Derby County football match. He______(have) got two sisters but they prefer other sports.

1. Put the verbs in brackets (…) into the correct verb tense: Present Simple/ Continuous

1. Maria______(live) in Oporto, this is how we ______(say) it in English.
2. Maria ____ still______(study) English at school but she ______(start) when she was 5.
3. Mikki ______(send) a letter to a penfriend last week and explained that she ____already______(write) to other people.
4. Mikki______(like) playing sports but she_____ also______(learn) Drama at school.
5. Rob ______(tell) his friend that he____ ______(play) soccer at school.
6. Rob ______(hope) his friend can read English because he______(not speak) Portuguese.

1. Write a small text introducing yourself to a new penfriend.
2. Write a small text in which you give personal identification information about a famous person.

ESCOLA SECUNDÁRIA DE ARGANIL

Read the following text very carefully:

1 - The history of the American Negro is different from that of other black men.

2 - No other immigrant could ever trace his ancestors.

3 - No information can be found beyond the bill of sale of an American slave.

4 - The white masters were never worried about the possibility of blacks being free.

5 - By the time of the enslavement no black captive would ever dream of being free.

6 - Black citizenship is still a hot issue within modern American society.

B) Explain the meaning of the following expressions:

1 - "the first dark child he bore" (l.4)

2 - "trace their ancestry" (l.4)

3 - "The bill of sale" (l.6)

4 - "The question of his humanity" (l.19)

1 Him(l.2) 2 I(l.4)

3 He(l.10) 4 His(l.17)

Bearing in mind what you have studied in class, answer the following questions about the text:

1 - In what is the history of the American Negro different from his fellowmen?

2 - Why can't he trace his own ancestry like any other immigrant?

3 - What aspect of the history of American Negroes makes it almost impossible to do it?

4 - Has the recognition of black citizenship been a peaceful process? Quote from the text to testify your answer.

5 - Has the relationship between "Whites" and "Blacks" improved in modern America? Why/ why not?

a) All big cities now have convenient_____________(store);

b) The EU is constituted by fifteen___________________(country);

c) I have earned so many books, they will fill both_______________(shelf);

d) The new courtroom has enough space for two__________________(jury).

a) The Black American slave was sold as merchandise.

b) The White master would never let his slave go.

The cowboy's clothes ­ narrow trousers, chaps, high-heeled boots, wild brimmed hat, ad handkerchief - all evolved from practical needs. His trousers (dark-blue denim blue jeans, often called Levi's) needed to be tight so that no loose cloth would catch on the brush as he rode along. His leather chaps kept thorns and branches from tearing his trousers, and protected his legs from rubbing during long hours in the saddle.

His broad-brimmed hat kept the sun ad wind out of his eyes and had enough brim to catch water in it.

The deep crow helped to keep it on head when he rode at top speed. It could also be used as a bucket, it was sturdy enough to use as a whip, and the cowboy could wave it to direct the cattle or send signals to far-off companions.

The high-heels on the cowboy's boots kept the firmly in the stirrups, ad the length of the boots protected his ankles and provided warmth. His neckerchief or bandanna could be pulled over his face to act as a filter against dust.

The cowboy almost always carried a knife, a gun, and a rope. The knife had a variety of uses; the gun helped to get the cattle moving and could be used to protect the against bandits. The rope was the cowboy's most important tool - for catching the cattle, holding his horse, pulling his wagons across muddy or swampy places, tying his packs in place, and killing snakes.

From the Press

A Cowboy clothes arose from the wish to promote tourism in the West.

B These clothes protected the men who wore them from all sorts of discomfort.

C The kind of living and conditions mentioned in the text confirm the romantic ideas about cowboys created by

D Cowboys used weapons because they were violent and were always involved in fights.

A) The cowboy is not merely a fictional character but...

B) If we compare their real life to westerns...

C) In spite of all the weapons...

D) On the one hand the clothes defined their own style...

1 What was these men's main occupation?

2 Why were their trousers so tight?

3 What exactly were "leather chaps"? What were they used for?

4 Enumerate the possible uses for their hats.

5 Was the neckerchief merely a decorative article?

1 Cowboys didn't _______________their outlook.

a) care about b) care for c) take care of

2 When they crossed the desert they could never _____________water.

a) ask about b) ask to c) ask for

3 Their main occupation was __________________the cattle.

a) looking after b) looking for c) looking around

4 Although westerns were fictional, cowboys really had to ____________serious problems.

a) deal at b) deal in c) deal with

5 They could count on no one, they could only ______________their own hearts.

a) listen to b) listen for c) listen out

"Unemployment, lack of knowledge and insecurity about the future are among the root causes of racism, extreme nationalism, xenophobia and intolerance which we see in too many countries in Europe today.

Together with the younger generation, let us build a coalition for tolerance and dignity. Just, equitable societies do not come about by our merely wishing for them. We need forceful persuasion, not persuasive force to make Europe a refuge of enlightened diversity"

Gro Harlem Brundtland,

Prime Minister of Norway, 1993

2 "One aspect of the immense and wonderful colour and mystery of life is that groups of people differ from each other in their customs, their way of life, their faith, the colour of their skin and their way of dressing and so on...

This "otherness" of different communities can of course be accepted with understanding and tolerance as something that enriches life: it can be honoured and respected, it can even be enjoyed".

Václav Havel,

President of the Czech Republic

3 "We welcome the enrichment of our society by people from diverse cultural backgrounds, and recognise the positive impact that migrant communities have in our countries in economic, demographic, social and cultural fields...

We declare that racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and intolerance are not acceptable because these phenomena endanger the essential fabric of our societies. That is the reason why we will do our utmost to combat them"

European Youth Organisations,

Joint Declaration, Vienna, October 1993

a) All the three statesmen are worried about racism and xenophobia.

b) Václav Havel says we should combat this "otherness" at any cost.

c) All the three believe it is possible to accept diversities between the countries.

d) According to Gro Harlem, we cannot expect young people to fight these extreme attitudes.

e) V. Havel believes that each country can enrich the other with its own culture.

a) What contributes to the growth of racism, extreme nationalism and xenophobia is...

b) We will learn to accept other cultures when we understand that...

1 What are the most dangerous social attitudes referred in these texts?

2 What is the difference between ""forceful persuasion" and "persuasive force"?

3 Why are "migrant communities" so important?

1) We can find these extreme positions in almost any European country.

In almost any European country...

2) "We will do our utmost to combat them"

They said that...

3) Václav Havel believes we can learn from each other. He is the Czech President.

Václav Havel....

4) We don’t accept our differences because we can’t learn from them.

If we learnt from our differences...

5) Of course we have our differences but we can learn to enjoy them.

No matter...

Choose only ONE (1) of the following topics:

1 Right now the European Union is working as a Federation of independent countries, but will it be possible one day to work as an enormous country with a number of different regions? Justify your answer.

2. Recall what you have studied in class about Al My Sons, by A. Miller, and make a parallel between the Greek Tragedy and the structure of Miller’s play.

1 - What do you understand by the expression "Information Age"?

John Mulford used to commute 80 minutes a day to his job as the manager of a Knoxville, Tennessee, steel processing plant. Now this trip to work takes less than one minute from his bedroom down the stairs to Mulford Enterprises Inc., his home-based steel brokerage business.

No longer a captive of the commuter crawl, the self-styled entrepreneur now spends his commuter time reading business journals, catching up on paper work, prospecting for new clients or even vacationing.

Home may be where the heart is, but for 14 million self-employed Americans like Mulford, home is also where the office is.

"I should have done this 20 years ago", said 61-year-old Mulford, who started his home business two years ago. "I am making more money than I ever made with a corporation, and my business is growing rapidly".

"Plaid - collar workers" is how Tom Miller of link Resources, a marketing research firm in New York, describes these home-bound entrepreneurs.

Since 1978, the number of plaid-collar workers has more than doubled, and one in three businesses is operated from the home, according to the American Home Business Association (AHBA) in Darien, Connecticut.

"People are demanding more from life now", said Dorothy Danton, executive director of AHBA. "They're tired of the hassle of long commutes, they want to enjoy their homes and their lifestyles. There used to be a stigma attached to working out of your home, but it’s accepted everywhere now".

Working from home is not a new trend. Cottage industries thrived in agrarian America, but with the coming of the Industrial Revolution, home offices disappeared as workers began the commute from farms to urban factories. By the early 1980’s however, the homeward-bound trend was vogue again. Futurist author Alvin Toffler in The Third Wave predicted the age of electronic cottage - businesses in which high-tech work spaces and personal computers replace roll-top desks and manual typewriters, and workers exchange a 9-to-5 routine for the benefits of working from home.

Lisa M. Strout, American Studies Newsletter

November 24, May 1991

a) Mulford was lucky because he lived next to the plant where he worked;

b) His job as a manager is also being a steel broker;

c) He started his home-based office when he was already 59;

d) His business decreased when he started working from home;

e) The number of people working at home is still very low.

3 - Say what the pronouns in bold refer to in the text.

C Answer the following questions about the text:

1 - "Working from home is not a new trend". Since when has it really started?

2 - What exactly was the greatest change in Mulford’s lifestyle?

3 - How important can an institution like AHBA be for these workers?

a) "People are demanding more from life now."

Mulford said that...

b) Now machines replace the workers.

Now workers...

c) In the future Directors will work at home. They will have their computers there.

In the future directors will work at home_______they will have their computers.

d) Directors working from home don’t have to commute.

If directors work from home...

e) However, those working at home may feel they’re living in the office.

If we always worked at home we .....

The Internet is a computer net that allows the exchange of text, image and sound between its users. The text dealt with the exchange of business information but nowadays the common user may exchange information just for entertainment purposes.

If you were connected to the Internet, what kind of information would you like to exchange and why?

Recall what you have studied about All My Sons, by Arthur Miller and write a text in which you will explain the two main conflicts in the play: the personal conflict and the business conflict.