People

T h e n a t i o n a l s t e r e o t y p e of a n E n g h s h m a n m i g h t be a
large, red-faced m a n w e a r i n g a t w e e d jacket a n d
trousers, s i t t i n g at t h e d i n n e r t a b l e e a t i n g roast beef,
w h i l e b e i n g w a t c h e d b y bis pet b u l l dog.
A l t e r n a t i v e l y , it m i g h t b e of a s m a r t l y - d r e s s e d m a n
w e a r i n g a d a r k p i n - s t r i p e d suit a n d a b o w l e r hat,
c a r r y i n g a t i g h t l y - r o l l e d u m b r e l l a a n d a c o p y of The
Times. H e t r a v e l s to w o r k e v e r y d a y o n t h e s a m e
t r a i n b u t n e v e r s p e a k s to a n y b o d y , b e c a u s e h e is
too r e s e r v e d .
S t e r e o t y p e s of t h i s n a t u r e are r a r e l y e n t i r e l y c o r r e c t or true, b u t t h e y
c a n c o n t a i n e l e m e n t s of r e a l i t y . W r i t e a f e w s e n t e n c e s u s i n g s u i t a b l e
w o r d s to g i v e a s t e r e o t y p e of y o u r n a t i o n a l i t y . Y o u c a n e m p h a s i s e
g o o d features or b a d features or a m i x of b o t h , as y o u w i s h . If y o u
h a v e s o m e a r t i s t i c a b i l i t y , y o u m i g h t l i k e to d r a w a c a r t o o n p i c t u r e of
y o u r s t e r e o t y p e to a c c o m p a n y t h e d e s c r i p t i o n .
E x c h a n g e y o u r w o r k w i t h y o u r p a r t n e r a n d m a k e s u g g e s t i o n s to
e a c h o t h e r for i m p r o v e m e n t s , c o r r e c t i o n s , etc, b e f o r e s h o w i n g it to
your teacher.

F i n d w o r d s i n t h e text w h i c h are s i m i l a r i n m e a n i n g to t h e s e w o r d s a n d
phrases.

1
2
3
4

start
climate
a frightening experience
w a y of life

5
6
7
8

enormously
selected by chance
well mannered
an unpleasant surprise

U s e five of the w o r d s w h i c h y o u h a v e f o u n d i n o r d e r to c o m p l e t e t h e
f o U o w i n g short p a s s a g e
In h u m a n r e l a t i o n s h i p s it is

i m p o r t a n t to m a k e a g o o d

i m p r e s s i o n at t h e
. W e s h o u l d a i m to b e
and
c o n s i d e r a t e to e a c h other. S o m e t i m e s o u r m o d e m
c a n b e so
b u s y a n d h u r r i e d that w e are t e m p t e d to forget o l d - f a s h i o n e d g o o d
m a n n e r s . It c a n c o m e as s o m e t h i n g of a s h o c k to t r a v e l i n a c r o w d e d t r a i n
or b u s i n a b i g c i t y d u r i n g t h e r u s h h o u r a n d to reaUse that e v e r y b o d y
i g n o r e s e v e r y b o d y else a n d t h a t p e o p l e d o n o t t a l k to e a c h other. Is t h i s a
t r u e forecast of s o m e future
w o r l d of c o m p l e t e a n o n y m i t y ?

In t h e s e c o n d l i n e of t h e a r t i c l e o n l i v i n g i n B r i t a i n , w e s a w the e x p r e s s i o n
to think of w h i c h m e a n s to have an opinion of. So, 'What do they think of
Britain?' m e a n s 'What is their opinion of
Britain?'
To think highly

or well of Britain

m e a n s to h a v e a h i g h or g o o d o p i n i o n of

B r i t a i n . T h e o p p o s i t e is to think poorly or little of

Britain.

People

To think nothing of m e a n s to c o n s i d e r s o m e t h i n g to b e e a s y or u s u a i , e.g.

Bonnington
thinks nothing of climbing very high mountains.
T o h i m it is a
routine matter.

H e r e are s o m e o t h e r e x p r e s s i o n s w i t h think, i n t h e l e f t - h a n d c o l u m n . See i

y o u c a n m a t c h t h e m w i t h t h e m e a n i n g s i n the r i g h t - h a n d c o l u m n .
1 to think

up

to s p e a k o n e ' s t h o u g h t s as t h e y c o m e

2 to think

over

to h a v e a h i g h o p i n i o n of

to think highly

to c o n s i d e r s e r i o u s l y (e.g. a n offer)

to think

aloud

to r e c o n s i d e r c a r e f u l l y

to think

twice

to i n v e n t (an i d e a )

of

C h e c k y o u r a n s w e r s w i t h y o u r t e a c h e r or i n t h e k e y a n d t h e n u s e t h e
v a r i o u s e x p r e s s i o n s w i t h think to f i l i i n the b l a n k s i n t h e s e s e n t e n c e s . P a y
c a r e f u l a t t e n t i o n to t h e correct tense.
6
7

l ' v e just
a r e a l l y g o o d p l o t for m y n e x t n o v e l . '
' l ' m not s u r e t h a t y o u r p i a n for r o b b i n g t h e B a n k of E n g l a n d w i l l w o r k ,
Y o u ' d better
a b o u t it.'
8 M y n e x t - d o o r n e i g h b o u r is n e a r l y 70, y e t h e g o e s j o g g i n g for a n h o u i
e v e r y m o r n i n g . H e ' s b e e n d o i n g it for y e a r s n o w a n d h e
of it.
9 T h e advertising m a n a g e r was p l e a s e d w i t h the n e w i m a g e 1
. H e s a i d that h e
of it.
10 A t the p l a n n i n g m e e t i n g J a r v i s h a d s o m e v e r y g o o d i d e a s , b u t t h e y
w e r e not w e l l o r g a n i s e d . H e s a i d that h e w a s just
.
11 ' l ' v e just b e e n offered a better j o b w i t h a h i g h e r s a l a r y . T h e p r o b l e m :s
that n i h a v e to m o v e f r o m L o n d o n to M a n c h e s t e r . l ' m not sure w h a t ::
d o yet. n i j u s t h a v e to
it
carefully.'

If s o m e b o d y a s k s y o u to d o s o m e t h i n g a n d y o u w a n t to refuse p o l i t e l y , yon
c a n say, 'Well, VII think about il'

5 Word building

In t h e a r t i c l e w e r e a d her smile broadened.

M a n y a d j e c t i v e s c a n b e c h a n g e d info v e r b s b y a d d i n g t h e suffixes -en or
- n . So, broad b e c o m e s to broaden. H e r e are s o m e a d j e c t i v e s w h i c h a d d -a
or -n i n t h e s a m e w a y to f o r m v e r b s .

deep
Wide
short
rough
hght

bright
dark
ripe
weak
dead

sharp
loose
soft'
moist*
fast*

* N o t e that t h e /t/ is not p r o n o u n c e d i n the v e r b f o r m , soften: / sofan /;

f a s t e n : /faisan /, etc.

People

To deaden (formed f r o m dead) d o e s n ' t m e a n to kill, n o r d o e s to liven m e a n

to bring to life. B o t h are u s e d i n a n o n - U t e r a l sense: to deaden m e a n s to
m a k e s o m e t h i n g lose its s t r e n g t h or force (e.g. to deaden noise, pain); to
liven m e a n s to m a k e s o m e o n e or s o m e t h i n g m o r e h v e l y (e.g. to liven up a
party). To liven u p is c o m m o n e r t h a n to liven.
U s e s o m e of t h e w o r d s i n t h e b o x o n t h e p r e v i o u s p a g e to f o r m v e r b s a n d
t h e n p u t t h e m i n these s e n t e n c e s .
1 L e a v e t h e a p p l e s o n the tree u n t i l t h e y h a v e f u l l y
.
2 A f t e r b e i n g i n v o l v e d i n r o a d a c c i d e n t s , m a n y v i c t i m s are
b y loss of b l o o d .
3 E v e n i n g is h e r e a n d t h e s k y is b e g i n n i n g to
.
4 M e c h a n i s a t i o n has
the p h y s i c a l w o r k of f a r m e r s .
5 Please
the gate securely.
6 T h e h o p e of w i n n i n g a lot of m o n e y
m a n y p e o p l e ' s Uves.
7 Better house insulation w i l l
the noise c o m i n g from the
n e w airport.
8 T h e y are
the h a r b o u r so that it c a n t a k e t h e l a r g e s t
super-tankers.
9 'If y o u ' r e too hot,
y o u r tie a n d o p e n y o u r coUar.'
10 B e f o r e r e p l y i n g , s h e
her lips w i t h her tongue.

Word study

To grouse is a n i n f o r m a i w o r d m e a n i n g to complain. O t h e r i n f o r m a i w o r d s
w i t h a s i m i l a r m e a n i n g are to moan, to grumble a n d to gripe. T h e y c a n a l i
b e f o U o w e d b y about, e.g. l ' m a f r a i d I m u s t complain
about t h e s e r v i c e i n
this h o t e l ; J i m m y ' s a l w a y s grumbling
about s o m e t h i n g .
A H these v e r b s c a n b e u s e d as n o u n s w i t h o u t c h a n g e of f o r m e x c e p t for to
complain
w h i c h becomes a complaint.
H e r e are s o m e s i t u a t i o n s . W h a t w o u l d y o u say i n e a c h s i t u a t i o n ? U s e s o m e
of t h e w o r d s that y o u h a v e just s t u d i e d .
1 Y o u b o u g h t a p a i r of e x p e n s i v e shoes o n e w e e k ago. T h e h e e l s h a v e
f a l i e n off b o t h shoes. Y o u r e t u r n to t h e s h o p .
2 Y o u are o n a c a m p i n g h o l i d a y w i t h y o u r f r i e n d . It h a s r a i n e d e v e r y d a y
for a w e e k a n d y o u r f r i e n d h a s d o n e n o t h i n g b u t c o m p l a i n a l i t h e t i m e .
H e / s h e is a b o u t to start a g a i n .
3 Y o u a s k y o u r boss for a p a y r i s e . H e s o m e t i m e s a c c u s e s y o u of n e v e r
b e i n g s a t i s f i e d a n d of b e i n g a m o a n e r .
4 Y o u s h a r e a n office w i t h s o m e o n e w h o s m o k e s a lot of c i g a r e t t e s . Y o u
are a n o n - s m o k e r a n d y o u are c o n c e m e d about your health. A l s o y o u
f i n d c i g a r e t t e s m o k e v e r y u n p l e a s a n t . Start t h e c o n v e r s a t i o n i n s u c h a
w a y that y o u r c o U e a g u e c a n n o t r e s p o n d b y a c c u s i n g y o u of b e i n g a
grumbler.