VOCABULARY and GRAMMAR PRACTICES

Sports and hobbies.

Fill in the blanks with the correct pieces of sports equipment.

1. I’m going to play badminton so I’ll need my _________________ and a __________________.

2. Can I borrow your __________________? I’m playing golf this afternoon.

3. Bob couldn’t not play tennis because he forgot his __________________.

4. In hockey you are not allowed to raise your _________________ above shoulder height.

5. American football can be dangerous so the players wear pads and a __________________.

6. After running the marathon I needed a new pair of ________________________.

7. You see a ________________ to play snooker or pool.

8. In cricket the bowler bowls the ball and you have to hit it with a _____________________.

9. When you go horse riding, it’s best to wear special trousers called ___________________.

10. You score points in basketball by throwing a ball through a _____________________.

Idioms

Replace the word or phrase in bolt and italic in sentences 1 – 10 with one of the idioms from the list
below, changing the verb forms, pronouns, etc as necessary.

e.g: It would make me very sad if anything happened to my cat.

It would break my heart if anything happened to my cat.

keep an eye on somebody/ something head over heels in love have/ get cold feet
get something off your chest break somebody’s heart bite somebody’s head off
poke/ stick your nose in (to something twist somebody’s arm behind somebody’s back
be up to your eyes in something make up your mind

1. Could you watch my bags for me while I go into the shop, please?
2. The way we bring up the children is our business. I don’t want your mother interfering!

3. Mark and Emma are both still crazy about each other even after five years.

4. He was going to report it to the police, but at the last minute he felt too scared and decided to
keep quiet.

5. Why not tell him how you feel ? It might do you good to talk about it.

6. Fran says she’s too busy to come to the party tonight. See if you can persuade her.

7. You’ll just have to decide which one you want. I’m not waiting any longer!

8. When I asked him what he wanted to eat, he just shouted at me.

9. It’s not fair of us to discuss Jo’s work without her knowing about it.

10. We’re so busy because we’ve just moved house and we have got loads of boxes that need
unpacking.
The Environment.

Our growing need for food, goods and energy has had many harmful effects on the environment.

Gases produced by cars, power stations and factories cause ___________________(1), which
kills tress and fish and damages buildings. By using more ______________________________
____________________________________(2), we help reduce this form of pollution.

A layer of carbon dioxide and other gases traps heat and keeps the earth at the right
temperature. This is called ________________________________(3). By burning ______________(4)
[oil, petrol, coal, etc ] we are producing too much carbon dioxide, which is causing temperatures to rise
gradually. This ____________________ (5) could lead to dramatic changes in climate.

A layer of gas called ozone protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Certain
chemicals used in industry, such as __________________ (6) have caused a hole to develop in
__________________________(7). The increased levels of ultraviolet radiation damage plants and sea
life, and increase the risk of skin cancer.

Most of the energy we use to heat and light buildings, run machines etc is made by burning
fossil fuels. These will eventually run out, so we need to use more_____________________________(8)
such as ___________ (9) and _________________________ (10) that are renewable and do not pollute
the air. We should also avoid wasting energy by using less electricity and water and insulating our
houses.

We are destroying our forests, which produce oxygen and provide habitats for animals and
birds. ________________ (11) also allows rain to wash away the soil, making the land useless for
growing things.

We pollute water by _________________________ (12) from the factories and houses, and by
accidentally spilling chemicals and oil. _____________________(13) damage rivers and lakes by causing
a layer of tiny plants, called algae, to cover the surface of the ________(14). __________________(15)

Does not harm the water supply.

Burying rubbish in _______________(16) can let harmful chemicals leak through the ground
into rivers, and it uses a lot of land. ________________________ (17) adds to global warming. By
sorting our rubbish for __________________ (18), we can cut down on waste.

water landfills dumping waste

acid rain global warming environmentally-friendly forms of
transport
Deforestation Organic farming fossil fuels
rubbish recycling CFCs
the greenhouse effect wind alternative sources of energy
Chemical fertilizers the ozone layer solar power
Confusable words.

In each sentence, only one of the words in bold is right for the context. Underline the correct word and
use your dictionary to find out why the other words are not appropriate.

Example: Our trip to London was funny / fun. (funny= that makes you laugh / fun== enjoyable)*

1. We had a great landscape / scenery/ view from our hotel window.

2. The doctor gave me a receipt/ recipe/ prescription for some antibiotics.
3. You should not take what he says seriously. You are just too sensitive/ sensible.
4. I have met a lot of nice/ sympathetic people during my stay here.
5. Her grandmother is died/ dead/ death.
6. She works like/ as a receptionist in a big hotel.
7. I lived there during/ since/ for ten years and came back to the UK five years since/ ago/ for.
8. She has a good job/ work in Brussels.
9. The band are actually/ currently touring in the US and won’t be back until early autumn.
10. She lives on her own and says she never gets alone/ lonely.

NBS/ 24 Nov