Learning in the News XXVIII - For Students all levels

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The famous New Years Eve ball goes for a test run in 2007

Richard Cohen / Corbis
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A Brief History Of The New Year's Eve Ball
Published: The New York Times - By Frances Romero - Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008
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When the New York Times officially opened its new headquarters in Times Square in 1904, owner Alfred Ochs not only convinced the city to rename the intersection formerly known as Longacre Square, but he also threw a grand party to commemorate the milestone. The New Year's Eve soiree started with an all-day street festival, transitioned to a fireworks display ending with cheers at midnight from the crowd of more than 200,000. Previous New Year's Eve celebrations typically took place outside of Old Trinity Church in Manhattan's financial district. But by contemporary standards these weren't parties at all because there was no ball.
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For decades, residents of U.S. cities would synchronize their pocket watches using a giant globe that would descend from a pole in a public space to mark the exact hour. Ochs conceived of an ornate "time ball" that would descend just before midnight to mark the exact end of the year. The first ball to drop — an illuminated 400-pound iron-and-wood orb — was lowered from a flagpole. Tradition took root and the ball has heralded a new beginning almost every year since — in 1942 and 1943, during World War II, the ball was temporarily put out of commission by a war-time "dim-out." Instead crowds gathered in the square and observed a moment of silence before hooting and hollering.
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Although the newspaper moved to a different location in 1914, the ball remained a Times Square tradition, with several makeovers along the way. In 1955 it slimmed down to a 200-pound aluminum globe, and remained that way until the 1980s when red lights and a green stem were added to make it an apple promoting the city's "I Love New York" tourism campaign. That flashy phase ended in 1988 in favor of simple white lights, followed later by edgier rhinestones and strobes. But the biggest overhaul was saved for the ball that would ring in the new millennium. Plumping up to 1,070 pounds, the massive new ball touted handcrafted Waterford crystal triangles, each with a design symbolizing various messages such as "Hope for Fellowship," "Hope for Wisdom" and "Hope for Abundance." With minor tweaks, that sphere remained through the 2007 fiesta.
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This year's ball tops out at 12 feet in diameter (double the size of previous balls) and weighs 11,875 pounds; it sparkles with 32,256 LED lights and 2,668 crystals. It's not the only thing that's gotten bigger since the 1900s; a crowd estimated at a million people will be celebrating in Times Square on Dec. 31, and millions more will be watching worldwide.
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Vocabulary:

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Ball: any object in the shape of a sphere, especially one used as a toy by children or in various sports such as tennis and football
Test run: Test Run helps you and your team creates, manage, and execute test plans. Test Run makes it easy to create new tests by eliminating a lot of the complexity that has slowly been added to so many other tools. Test Run is a tool built for managers first and engineers second
Headquarters: group noun [C] (abbreviation HQ) the main offices of an organization such as the army, police or a business company
Intersection: noun [C] mainly US the place where two or more roads join or cross each other
Formerly: adverb formal in the past
Threw: verb past participle of throw, throw a party to have a party
Milestone: noun [C] (UK also milepost) an important event in the development or history of something or in someone's life
Soiree: noun [C] formal an evening party, often with musical entertainment
Fireworks: noun [C]a small container filled with explosive chemicals which produce bright colored patterns or loud noises when they explode
Took place: verb [transitive] to happen, to occur
Ball: noun [C]a large formal occasion where people dance
Pocket: neste contexto se refere a bolso – easier explained in Portuguese
Pole: noun [C] a long thin stick of wood or metal, often used standing straight up in the ground to support things
Heralded: Past tense of Herald - verb [T] FORMAL to be a sign that something important, and often good, is starting to happen, or to make something publicly known, especially by celebrating or praising it
Dim-out: verb [I or T] -mm- to (make something) become less bright
Gathered: Past tense o gather - verb [I] when people or animals gather, they come together in a group
Hooting: Present Continuous of Hoot - verb [I or T] to make a short loud high sound
Hollering: Present Continuous of Holler - verb [I or T] mainly us informal to shout loudly
Slimmed down: Past tense of slim down - phrasal verb to become thinner
Rhinestones: noun [C] a bright colorless artificial jewel which looks like a diamond and can be sewn onto clothes
Strobes: noun [C] a light which quickly flashes on and off
Overhaul: verb [T] to repair or improve something so that every part of it works properly
Touted: (make known) verb [T] to advertise, make known or praise something or someone repeatedly, especially as a way of encouraging their sale, popularity or development
Fellowship: noun [U] OLD-FASHIONED a friendly feeling that exists between people who have a shared interest or are doing something as a group
Wisdom: Wisdom is knowledge, understanding, experience, discretion, and intuitive understanding, along with a capacity to apply these qualities well towards finding solutions to problems.
Tweaks: verb [T] to change slightly, especially in order to make more correct, effective, or suitable
Sparkles: noun [U] bright shine

Business Issues IV

19. HANDLING A MERGER
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Your company is considering merging with another who you frequently work with on large export projects. You work in similar but complementary rather than competitive areas of business and the merger would therefore, not create redundancies.
What do you tell your staff about the discussion and when ?
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20. FLEXI-TIME
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In what situations is flexi-time a workable proposal ?
What are the disadvantages and advantages for various groups of workers ? What are the disadvantages and advantages for the company ?
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21. MANAGERIAL QUALITIES
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What personal qualities are needed by a manager – not including professional knowledge or expertise. Make a list of 10 qualities. Work in pairs. Combine your list with the lists from other students and then rank them in order of importance.
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22. A SUGGESTION BOX ?
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of a suggestion scheme ? (a scheme where employees suggest how the company’s operations can be improved or money saved).
How should the suggestions be judged ? How should the suggestors be rewarded?
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23. LANGUAGE POLICY
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Your company has been taken over by an American company who have said that the company language is to be English and that all employees who have contact with the parent company have to be able to speak English.
Make a list of the types of employees who will need English and the types of courses which they could take.
Match the employees to the most appropriate course and explain how will motivate them to learn quickly.
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24. STUDENT SPONSORSHIP
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Your company wants to set up a sponsorship scheme for students while they are at university. What are the benefits of a scheme like this for the company and the students ?
What provisions need to be made with regard to holiday work, payment for holiday work, payment while studying, obligations for both sides after the university course is finished ?
What other points need to be considered ?

Business Issues III

13. INCENTIVES OR REWARDS?
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The Board of Directors of your company have asked you to present proposals for a new incentive scheme for your salesmen.
Discuss and decide on the objectives of the scheme. Should it encourage better results in the future or reward the good results in the past? Draw up proposals for detail of the scheme.
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14. INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY
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You are the Production Director of your company and want to find an incentive scheme to increase the productivity of production workers. What proposals could you put forward for discussion with the unions ?
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15. REDUCING COSTS
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You are the Operations Manager of the company running the public bus system in your city. Your results for the last 6 months show that you will be running at a loss and operating costs must be cut. What possible actions could you take to achieve the necessary reductions?
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16. CHANGING OVER TO AUTOMATION
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of a totally automated production system ?
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17. MODERNISING THE COMPANY IMAGE
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You have been brought in to up-date the image and services of a well-established but rather old-fashioned company.
Do you try to match the services and products offered by your competitors ? What else could you do ?
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18. STAFFING PROBLEMS
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You work in the Personnel Department of a large supermarket chain. Many of your employees, mainly the check-out operators and shelf-stackers are young people under 20, who work part-time in the evenings and on Saturdays for comparatively low wages. With the birth-rate falling the supply of potential employees is declining.
What should you do ?

Business Issues II

7. PROTECTING YOUR MARKET SHARE
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Although sales of your product have remained high you have become aware that a foreign company intends to try to enter your home market.
What could you do to ensure that the sales are not too badly affected?
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8. UTILISING PRODUCTION CAPACITY
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You have recently invested heavily in new technology systems for your production line. Despite an advertising campaign, home sales have remained static and your new machinery is running at under-capacity.
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What are the possible courses of action that you could take in order to use your machinery at a more economic rate?
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9. QUALITY vs MASS-PRODUCTION
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Your company which produces a high quality specialist product, is now being challenged by cheaper but lower quality products from the Far East. Until now your manufacturing methods have used traditional crafts with none of the high technology, mass-production methods introduced by your competitors.
What possible responses could be made to halt the slide in sales and which would be your preferred choice?
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10. FIGHTING OFF THE MULTINATIONALS
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Three years ago you created a company to sell cosmetic products made by outside manufactures to your own natural recipe. Although you now have a chain of 5 shops, nationwide demand is out-stripping your ability to finance the opening of new shops and large multinational cosmetic companies are beginning to notice your success.
What can you do to prevent them, with their superior financing facilities, from squeezing you out of the market?
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11. MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES
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You have just been appointed to the board of an unprofitable company that has recently been privatised. You have been asked to put forward proposals to remotivate staff who have been demotivated by various rumours of redundancies and by press criticisms of standards of service and efficiency.
Where should your priorities lie and how would you tackle the problem?
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12. STAFF LOYALTY
The junior middle management levels of your company have been seriously affected by the lack of promotion prospects and they have become a soft target for head-hunters and competing companies.
What are you going to do to ensure that your company does not lose vital staff?

Business Issues I

1. COMPANY TRAINING
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What problems might a company have which could be solved by a training programme?
What are the general benefits to a company and employees of a good training programme?
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2. PROFIT-SHARING
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The profitability of your company is improving and you want to share this with your
Employees.
Suggest possible schemes to achieve this.
Which schemes are better for the company and which schemes are better for the employees?
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3. SUPPLYNG DEMAND
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Demand for your product is greater than your present retail outlets can cope with.
What possible methods are there of increasing your sales and what are the advantages and disadvantages of the various possibilities?
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4. Falling Sales
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Sales of your product are declining. What might be the possible causes and what could be done to reverse the decline?
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5. RELOCATION?
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Your present manufacturing plant cannot cope with demand and there is no chance of expansion in the area where you are located at present.
What are the pros and cons of total relocation as opposed to getting additional facilities elsewhere ? What points should you consider when choosing the new location?
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6. RAISING CAPITAL
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You are a family firm which needs capital to finance the production of a revolutionary new product. What possible methods are there of raising the money and what are their advantages and disadvantages to the family?

Appointment Board

Interrupting and Dealing with Interruptions, Contradicting
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The Problem
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Archer Electronics, a family company, was founded 40 years ago by Daniel Archer who retired 5 years ago from being the Managing Director. However, he still takes an active interest in the development and changes in the company and he is now a non-executive director and holds 33.3% of the shares of the company. 10 years ago he married his second wife, formerly Ann Fund, who was and still is, the Finance Manager of the company. As a wedding present she received 33.3% of the shares.
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The present Managing Director of the company, Michael Brett, is married to Daniel Archer’s only daughter Jean who is also a non-executive director of the company and who also holds 33.3% of the shares.
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Recently Archer Electronics has been expanding and investing in new technology. A new Warehousing Department is to be created and it will be responsible for controlling in-coming stock and distributing the end product. This department will be under the control of the Production Manager, Geoff Butcher, who is a member of the Board.
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A new computer system is to be installed in the Warehousing Department with new software not previously used by the company. 2 identical jobs working with the computer are still vacant. They have been widely advertised both internally and externally and on the short-list of 4 are: Andrew Bolton, Brian Underwood, Claude Fund and David Campbell.
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In the circumstances, and also because Archer Electronics is a family firm, the short-list is to be considered by a working party which has been created to oversee the setting-up of the new department.
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First draw the organigram of Archer Electronics’ Board of Directors:
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Action

Now read the information about the 4 candidates. In pairs analyse their good points, bad points and any other relevant information. You will be given a role and asked to role play a meeting of the appointment board to recommend which two candidates should be appointed.
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The Candidates
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Andrew Bolton, age 27, is a university graduate. After graduating he spent 2 years at Archer Electronics and then 2 years ago he left to join another electronics company where he worked in their computerised stock control department.
He is enthusiastic, well-liked, hard-working and works well in a team.
In the last year he has been attending a communication skills evening class.
He is about to get married – his fiancée has a responsible job in the marketing department of a big multi-national company.
His present salary is slightly above average and also above the salary range that you are offering.
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Brian Underwood is 40, attended technical college until he was 18 and then joined Archer Electronics. He has been working in the stock control section for 20 years and because of the re-organisation, has applied for a transfer. In fact, with the re-organisation, there is no longer a job for him and he may have to be made *redundant (*redundancy pay depends both on salary and length of service so that the longer the time with the company then the higher the redundancy pay)
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David Campbell is 58 and has also applied for transfer from the section that used to be in charge of stock control. He joined Archer Electronics when he left school at 16. There is no suitable job for him in the Production Department and he will have to be made redundant if not appointed to this job.
He is a good and efficient worker but panics under stress.
He recently raised a big loan on his house so that he could send his daughter to university and also make changes to his house so that he can accommodate his son who is handicapped after a car crash in which his (David’s ) wife was killed.
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Claude Fund is 30 and the son of Ann Archer by her first marriage.
He is a university graduate and speaks several languages. He use to work for a computer company as a customer engineer, helping users to solve their problems.
At his last job he had a reputation for being lazy and difficult to work with. He was disliked by his colleagues and clients.
He will inherit his mother’s 33% share in the company when she dies.

Employee Development

The Problem
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Company Profile
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Suave Ltd is a busy manufacturing company. They produce men’s shirts in a highly competitive market. At the moment they export about 40% of their production and they know that in the current economic climate, increasing exports is the most promising growth area for their business and a new export sales manager is soon to be created. Two years ago Suave Ltd were taken over by a forward-looking company, a fabric manufacturer whose business complements theirs.
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Since the takeover many changes have been made, including the introduction of computer assisted cutting equipment. This has resulted in an increase in production but with no increase in the amount of fabric used. There has, therefore, been an increase in profits.
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The parent company encourages a generous budget for training, both, for shop-floor workers and for management.
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In Groups
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Look at the information about possible courses for senior management and decide who you would send on a course and which course you would choose. ( You can choose more than one manager and more than one course if you wish ).
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Consider the following executives for courses:
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Decision Grid
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..............................................NEEDS...............COURSE
Managing Director
Production Manager
Finance Manager
Personnel Manager
Export Sales Manager
Domestic Sales Manager
Other.......
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In-Service Courses 1
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Course One: Effective Speaking
Length of Course: 1 day
Topics Covered: Planning and giving a presentation
Selecting and using visual aids
Presenting arguments / ideas persuasively
Managing nerves
Keeping the audience interested
Dealing with questions confidently
Who should attend?
Most managers will benefit from this course particularly those who need to present an idea confidently and effectively to any number of people.
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Course Two: Effective Meetings
Length of Course: 1 day
Topics Covered: Preparing na agenda
Room layout and seating
Effective visual aids
Managing time during the meeting
Lubricating discussion
Contributing effectively
Follow up
Who should attend?
Anyone who participates in meetings, runs meetings, or takes part in decision making.
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Course Three: Recruitment Interviewing Skills
Length of Course: 1 day
Topics Covered: Preparation of the job description
Comparing the different advertising methods
Defining the ideal candidate
Preparing for the interview
Making an interview plan and conducting the interview
Behavioural skills and body language
Evaluating the success of interview methods
Who should attend?
Anyone who has to choose new staff to join their organisation and wants to make sure that they choose the best person for the job.
In-Service Courses 2
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Course Four: Building and Leading a Team
Length of Course: 2 Days
Topics Covered: Choosing and motivating a good team
Creating an atmosphere which produces good teamwork
Identifying and eliminating factors which reduce good teamwork
Using individual strength
Improving communication with the team
Leadership skills
Producing an action plan and monitoring it
Who should attend?
Newly-appointed team leaders or managers. Managers whose success is likely to be affected by the performance of their team and teamwork.
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Course Five: Time Management
Length of Course: 2 linked days with 3 weeks in between
Topics Covered: Analysing how time is spent
Deciding on priorities
Identifying time-wasters and eliminating them
Delegation
Controlling workload, paperwork and interruptions
Your diary / personal organiser
Who should attend?
All who want to achieve more in less time and who want practical ideas and techniques that they can apply immediately.
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Course Six: Stress Management
Length of Course: 2 days
Topics Covered: Understanding stress and how to use it as a motivator
Positive stress reduction strategies
Avoiding negative strategies such as drink and drugs
Relaxation techniques
Practical ways of managing stress to maintain and improve
Effective performance in yourself and others.
Who should attend?
All those who may be under stress themselves or who have managerial responsibility for sustaining the performance or motivation of staff.

Business Entertaining

Results and Consequences, Would
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The Problem
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About 700m (pounds) a year is spent by companies on corporate hospitality, not only on business lunches, etc. to discuss or finalise a contract but on entertainment with no specific objective in mind except to keep or win the loyalty of clients.
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In the past three years your company has always used a ‘hospitality broker’ who would arrange a visit to a social or sporting occasion to which your executives could invite and entertain selected valued clients.
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Unfortunately last year it was not as successful as in previous years and so, this year, the arrangements are to be made internally – in fact, by you.
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There are a number of alternatives – you may like to think of others:
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Sporting Events which British Open Golf Championship
are also Social Events Wimbledon
Horse Racing (The Derby or Grand National)
British Grand Prix
An International Rugby match
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Participation Sports Shooting in Yorkshire (grouse/phesant)
Salmon Fishing (Scotland/Ireland)
Clay Pigeon Shooting
Motor Racing
Use of a Skid Pan
War Games
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Weekend away Scottish Castle
Country House
City Hotel
Skiing in the Alps
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Trip to an unusual place/ event
North Pole or a Trip (Paris to New York - 1st Class) to a Broadway Show,
Football World Cup, Olympic Games
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Dinner + West End Show
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Other Special Event
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In Pairs
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Consider the value and the limitations of these ideas.
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Consider: danger/effect on health
Expense
Time required (weekend/weekday/evening)
Possibility/desirability of inviting spouses/partners)
Exclusivity/non-exclusivity
Ease of arrangement/possibility of things going wrong
Level of enjoyment
Level of stimulation
Previous experience required
Physical ability required
And other points that you think important.
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Now make a group with 2 or 3 others and compare ideas.
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Then create the profile of the clients that you have to entertain.
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AGE RANGE_______ NATIONALITY___________________
OCCUPATIONS____________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
POSSIBLE INTERESTS_____________________________
_________________________________________________
TIME AVAILABLE___________________________________
OTHER FACTORS__________________________________
_________________________________________________
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Action
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Finally discuss and decide what you are going to organise for them.
Each group will have to present the profile of their clients and explain their decision – this includes explaining why other alternatives were rejectec.

Working Conditions

Possibilities – Could, May and Might, Offering Solutions
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The Problem
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This is a negotiation between an Office Services Manager and a Trade Union Representative. When you have read about the work of Office Services Departments in general and the specific points raised by the staff in this particular company, you will be given a role and also some extra information to help you to negotiate.
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The Office Services Department
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The job of the Office Services Department is to keep the company’s buildings clean and in good repair and also to make sure that the employees have a good environment to work in. It looks after the general comfort of the company’s staff, making sure that their surroundings and equipment comply with health and safety laws and allow them to work as efficiently as possible. Everything has to be maintained and, from time to time, replaced and so the OSD has to obtain information for all departments which need new office furniture and equipment.
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In Pairs
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In pairs make a list of some of the cleaning / maintenance / purchasing installation enquiry / work which an Office Services Department may have to organise.
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The Meeting
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A meeting has been arranged between the Office Services Department and the Trade Union Shop Stewards to discuss and find solutions to the following points that have been raised by the staff.
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1. Complaints of headaches, said to be due to poor or wrong lighting.
2. Canteen queues are too long
3. Staircases and corridors are dark and drab.
4. People working with VDU’s suffer from tiredness and headaches.
5. Workers on the south side of the building are insufferably hot in summer, when the sun comes in.
6. Department heads have complained that staff are late more often than they used to be. The most frequent excuse is that buses are full and the staff have to wait for several buses before they get on one.
7. Many complaints of backache from staff who sit all day
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Trade Union Representative
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Special information for the Trade Union Representatives – the management must not know that you have this information.
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In order to prepare for your negotiation, form a group with the other Trade Union Representatives and read about your role.
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Your main objective is to get the complaints dealt with as quickly as possible. There are four months of this financial year left and you have been told that there is still money in the Office Services budget as yet unspent.
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REMEMBR – The management must not know that you have this information.
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Discuss the possible solutions to each complaint with the others in your group and decide which you will press for when you meet the management.
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Form a pair with na Office Services Manager and role play the meeting in pairs.
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Office Services Manager
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Special information for the Office Services Managers – it would be undiplomatic if you told this to the Trade Union Representatives.
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In order to prepare for your negotiation, form a group with the other Office Services Managers and read about your role.
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There are 4 months of this financial year left but the remainder of your budget is promised for the total renovation of the Managing Director’s office suite.
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REMEMBER – It would be most undiplomatic to tell this to the Union Representatives.
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Discuss the possible solutions to each complaint with the others in your group and decide which you will suggest when you meet the union.
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Form a pair with a Trade Union Representative and role play the meeting in pairs.

A Staff Canteen

Giving Reasons, Stating Purpose

The Problem

Your company is interested in providing lunch-time eating arrangements for all employees. Your choice is between creating a staff canteen or providing luncheon vouchers which can be exchanged in local restaurants, cafes and some food shops.
In Groups
In groups of 3 first create the profile for a company by completing the following Company Profile:
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1. The size of the company:
Number of managers
Number of office workers
Number of production workers
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2. Location
In city centre
Away from the city centre
On a business park/industrial estate
In the suburbs
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3. Description of the site
Open parkland/fully built-up
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4. Other facilities
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5. Transport used by the staff (%)
Car
Public bus
Company-run bus
Bike
On foot
Other
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6. What percentage of employees live within:
2 mile radius
10 mile radius
more than 10 miles
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7. Existing lunch hour arrangements:
Fixed lunch hour
Staggered lunch hour
flexitime
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8. What do workers do about lunch at present?
(eg, packed lunch, go home , etc)

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Preparation 1

Now read this memo about the running of a canteen and the information about the luncheon voucher scheme.

M E M O

TO: ALL STAFF
FROM: CANTEEN MANAGER
SUBJECT: REVISED CANTEEN OPERATION
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In order to use the company canteen subsidy to the greatest benefit of the majority the following cost-cutting measures will come into effect from the beginning of next month:
1. The menu will still be changed daily and will be displayed in the usual way. However, choices of main course will be restricted to 3 (1 hot dish, 1 salad, 1 vegetarian dish) and the number of desserts available will be cut to 2 (1 hot and 1 cold) – fresh fruit, yoghurts and cheese will continue to be available.
2. Waitress service will be withdrawn and self-service introduced. However, a small area with waitress service will be set aside for the use of staff entertaining visitors to the company.
3. In the self-service area of the canteen all staff are asked to return all trays, dirty plates etc to the trolleys provided. Please do not leave dirty coffee/tea cups etc in the lounge area but return them to the trolleys.
4. ‘Dirty jobs’ employees are asked not to wear their overalls in the canteen.
5. No changes will be made to opening times for the mid-morning and mid-afternoon breaks. The canteen will open from 9:45 – 10:45 and 3:15 – 4:00, the usual choice of tea, coffee, juices, soft drinks and light snacks will be on sale.
6. There is a charge in the arrangements for the lunch hour. In future, lunch will be served in two sittings: 12:30 – 1:00 and 1:15 – 1:45. Please buy your tickets for the required sitting in advance.
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It is hoped that these new arrangements will lead to more cost-effective operation of the canteen without having a negative effect on either the quality of the food served or the restful atmosphere for members or staff.
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These new arrangements will be monitored and a survey of opinions will be held after a period of adjustment.
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Preparation 2
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The luncheon Voucher Scheme
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Employees receive a luncheon voucher for every day that they work. Because the company provides the LV’s to employees free of charge, it is a good way for them to subsidise their ‘employees’ meals and provide an acceptable perk.
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The company decides on the value of the voucher that they are going to give and buys them from an organisation which arranges with restaurants, sandwich bars, pubs, take-away, cafes and shops to accept them. They can be exchanged for complete meals or for sandwiches and certain other foods. They cannot be exchanged for alcoholic drinks. A meal usually costs more than the value of a luncheon voucher but it is possible to pay the difference or use more than one voucher.
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Until recently the Inland Revenue has imposed a tax on luncheon vouchers whose value was in excess of 15p a day and for this reason luncheon vouchers became less popular. However a revival may be on the way since new regulations mean that if a company has an executive dining room, then meals provided to directors can be free of charge providing that staff who are not permitted to use the executive dining room are given free or subsidised meal vouchers.
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Action
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In groups discuss the merits of the two systems for your company and then choose the one which would be most suitable.
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Present your decision to the other groups, you should be able to justify your choice.
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LUNCHEON VOUCHERS 93
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LV 1.00 One Pound
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78769869947478499 145769990060600060

Moving House

Must, Have got to, Want, Stating Requirements)


The Problem
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Robert Taylor has recently accepted a new job as Production Manager with Empire Chemicals. The headquarters and main factory of Empire Chemicals is located in Southdown, a town in the South of England. At present the Taylor family live in the North of England and so they have to move house.
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Empire Chemicals will pay Mr. Taylor $ 27,000 (pounds) and they will provide him with a company car but they insist that their Production Manager lives no more than 5 miles from the factory.
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Mrs. Taylor is a nurse. At the moment she works in a local hospital, 10 miles from their present house. She has a small car so that she can travel to and from work.
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The Taylors have 3 children – 2 daughters who are 16 and 8 and a son who is 12. The elder daughter is taking her final school exams this year.
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Because the Taylor family like to eat fresh fruit and vegetables, they prefer to grow their own. Mr. Taylor is keen on DIY.
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Mr. Taylor’s relocation package includes all moving expenses and, in addition, his travel and hotel expenses for 8 weeks.
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Their present house will sell for about $ 55,000 but there is na outstanding mortgage of $ 30,000. Most building societies will grant a mortgage = 3 X annual salary.
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Today is January 31st.
In Groups
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Read the information, then discuss the family’s requirements and fill in the worksheet.
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Worksheet
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First think about the Taylors’ house and the things that it must be/have. Consider the price, moving date, the number of rooms, location, etc.
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The Taylor’ house must:
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1.____________________________________________
2.____________________________________________
3.____________________________________________
4.____________________________________________
5.____________________________________________
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Now think about what the Taylors want their house to be/have. Think about the Taylor family and the way they live.
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The Taylors want:
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1._____________________________________________
2._____________________________________________
3._____________________________________________
4._____________________________________________
5._____________________________________________
6._____________________________________________
7._____________________________________________
8._____________________________________________
9._____________________________________________
10.____________________________________________
.
Action
.
Next read the information about properties.
Finally choose the house that is most suitable for the Taylor family.
You will asked to present your choice and give your reasons for choosing it.

.















.
SOUTHDOWN PROPERTY SERVICES
.
· Upper Dean, Southdown. New detached house available at the end of May/beginning of June. Lounge, dining room, 4 bedrooms (one suite) all with built-in wardrobes, 2nd bathroom, fully kitchen, Gas central heating. Integral garage. Easily-maintained garden $ 105,000

· In Deanbrook village, 10 miles from Southdown, a bungalow with 4 bedrooms, bathroom and separate toilet, through lounge/dining room, cloakroom, electric central heating, double garage, well-stocked garden. $ 103,000

· Southbrook village, 5 miles from the centre of Southdown. 25 year old semi-detached house with lounge/dining room, large kitchen, 3 bedrooms, newly renovated bathroom. Large garden with well-kept lawns, flowerbeds and will established vegetable/fruit garden. Separate garage. Convenient for the shops and schools. $ 110,000

· Brookpark estate. Flat, in 3-storey block, with garage, on the edge of the estate Balcony with a lovely view over the park, large living room, separate dining room, 4 bedrooms, bathroom. Small but well-fitted kitchen with built-in appliances. $ 105,750

· 2 miles north of the centre of Southdown, 5 minutes walk from the hospital. Large Edwardian house with outbuildings, small, walled town garden. Lounge, dining room, cloaks., study/breakfast room, large kitchen, 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. In need of renovation. $ 105,000

· Ten minute bus ride south of the centre of Southdown. A small detached house on a large plot. 3 bedrooms, luxury bathroom, lounge, kitchen/dining room, Carport. Well planned garden. Gas central heating. Shop/post office within 2 minutes walk. $ 99,000

· Lower Dean. Well maintained semi-detached house recently re-decorated and extended to give 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, lounge, dining room, study. Average sized garden. Regular bus service to town centre.
$ 107,000

The Best Policy

Numbers, money, explaining a choice


The Problem

You are the Travel Organiser for your company which has many executives travelling round the world. Because it is cheaper, you want to find a standard business travel insurance policy which will operate for any of your executives when they have a business trip which involves flying.
.
Silver Lining
Insurance.....Executive Ins. ....Loss Support Ins....B.T. Insurance
Premium per flight
+ daily cost
1.50 + 1.00.....1.50 + 1.50..........1.00 + 1.25..........2.00 + 1.00
Maximum
medical
Benefits..1 m.... ...500,000...............750,000...............No Limit
Cover for journey
delays.....yes..........no........................yes..........................yes

Total claimable for loss of :

* valuables..250................250....................200.....................500
* cash...........200................400....................200.....................300
* personal belongings
(clothing etc)..1,000.........1,200...................800...................1,000
* documents....200............250...................200......................200
*equipment...1,500.........2,000...............1,500...................3,000

Action

Discuss and decide which policy to take-out.

Company Cars

(Making Suggestions: Comparatives and Superlatives)


The Problem

You are the Purchasing Manager for your company.


You are responsible for buying cars. Within the next few weeks you have to buy cars for the following people:


Elizabeth Sinclair takes important mail between branches within a 20-mile radius. Recently the rapidly increasing costs of this service have been examined by the finance department and you have been instructed to control further increases.


John Shaw is a salesman. He travels long distances each year carrying large quantities of samples. The sales department have also asked you to keep down costs as much as possible.


Henry Baker drives important visitors to and from the station and the factory every day. There is no other company car available for this important service for your visitors.


Phillip Lucas is the new Finance Manager. He joined the company to implement the new economy campaign. He frequently finds that he has important discussions with visitors in the car while he is driving to another factory.


In Groups discuss the characteristics of a car which would be suitable for each of these employees and fill in the worksheet.

Worksheet

Elizabeth Sinclair

Reliability____________________________________
Noise_______________________________________
Seats_______________________________________
Luggage Space________________________________
Running Costs_________________________________

John Shaw

Reliability_____________________________________
Noise________________________________________
Seats________________________________________
Luggage Space__________________________________
Running Costs__________________________________

Henry Baker

Reliability_____________________________________
Noise________________________________________
Seats________________________________________
Luggage Space_________________________________
Running Costs__________________________________

Phillip Lucas

Reliability_____________________________________
Noise________________________________________
Seats________________________________________
Luggage Space__________________________________
Running Costs__________________________________

Action

Now you will be given a summary of the relevant characteristics of 6 possible cars. Look carefully at the characteristics of each car.

The discuss with your group how each car fulfils you list of characteristics and decide which car the group would recommend for each person.

Car Information Sheet

The following information is based on surveys published in The Car Buying Guide,
Published by Which Magazine.
.
Car: Vauxhall Cavalier1.6 Saloon
Reliability: Average
Noise: Engine Noise
Seats: Comfortable
Luggage Space (litres): 460/860
Fuel consumption (mpg): 34
Running Cost per week: 26
.
Car: Renault 211.7
Reliability: Average
Noise: Good in the front Noisier inthe back
Seats: Soft,Fairly comfortable
Luggage Space (litres): 465/675
Fuel Consumption (mpg): 35
Running Cost per week: 27
.
Car: Ford Sierra 1.6
Reliability: A little below average
Noise: Not excessive
Seats: Confortable
Luggage Space (litres): 400/775
Fuel Consumption (mpg): 31
Running Cost per week: 27
.
Car: Honda Accord 1.6
Reliability: Above average
Noise: Quiet
Seats: Well-shaped,Limited headroom in the back
Luggage Space (litres): 445
Fuel Consumption (mpg): 32
Running Cost per week: 30
.
Car: Mazda 626
Reliability: Better than average
Noise: Volume not great
Seats: Comfortable limited legroom in the back
Luggage Space (litres): 400/880
Fuel Consumption: 34
Running Cost per week: 26
.
Car: Audi 80 1.8
Reliability: Much better than average
Noise: Good in the front noisier in the back
Seats: Not much headroom or legroom in the back
Luggage Space (litres): 305
Fuel Consumption: 31
Running Cost per week: 32
.
Notes:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Learning in the News XXVII

Stuart Isett for The New York Times

.

A Holdout Against Developers Leaves a Legacy
Published: The New York Times by William Yardley
December 27, 2008
.
Before construction began on neighboring buildings, Edith Macefield refused developers’ offer of $1 million to sell her house, which was built in 1900. She died in June.
.
SEATTLE — People love to point out Edith Macefield’s tiny house in the old fishing village of Ballard and recount how she refused an offer of $1 million from developers who wanted to buy it. They had planned to level her home to make way for a boutique supermarket and a health club.
.
The project, in faux industrial concrete and steel, is more evidence of change in a city whose growth and economic success over the past two decades have put its modest neighborhoods like Ballard under perpetual renovation.
.
Ms. Macefield had little time for trendy food or fitness. Her interests were opera and Sinatra, Garbo on videotape or the classics in dusty hardback. She had history, too. If she let you in the door, she might recount her escape from a concentration camp while she was an undercover agent for the British during World War II. She might tell of her liaisons, long ago, with men of means and renown.
.
“She was just full of stories and stories and stories about her past,” said Charlie Peck, whose friendship with Ms. Macefield began more than 20 years ago, after she gave him a collection of recordings of Benny Goodman, Paul Whiteman and other bandleaders on old 78s.
.
Ms. Macefield’s refusal to sell her house made the news more than once. In a city knotted over its shifting identity, she seemed a familiar face, old Seattle, vulnerable but resistant to the march of gentrification and blandness. Yet it turns out that Ms. Macefield was writing a different story, and her little house, which still stirs tension, was not all she left behind. It turns out that Ms. Macefield was not so knowable, even to the few people she invited into her life. She was not such a succinct symbol after all.
.
“Everybody that’s come in and tried to talk about this has tried to create that image of her,” said Mike Semandiris, whose family has owned a chili parlor around the corner for more than 70 years. “But she didn’t give a damn about preserving old Ballard. The lady just wanted to live in her house.”
Ms. Macefield was 86 when she died in June of pancreatic cancer. Six months later, her 108-year-old bungalow is cloaked by what will soon become an LA Fitness club and a Trader Joe’s, set to open next year.
.
Inside, bed sheets are still on the living room sofa where Ms. Macefield slept when she could no longer climb the stairs. Ceramic cows ornament the top of every appliance. A few copies of “The Little House,” the children’s tale by Virginia Lee Burton of a country cabin swallowed by sprawling development, are in one corner. People she did not know would drop them off.
.
In a bookcase in a dark hallway there is another book, not well known like the others. In fact, it is unclear whether anyone other than its author has ever read “Where Yesterday Began.”
Ms. Macefield paid to have her novel published in 1994, under the pen name Domilini. It is set against the backdrop of post-World War I Europe.
.
An introductory page begins, “This story is for all those who have ever loved — truly, deeply, irrevocably — and in the thrust of disaster. For some, love simply dies — and one moves on. But for a few, love is as lasting as the ages — despite the impossibilities, the separation, the insured loneliness.”
.
The book is 1,138 pages long, not counting the musical references, from Scottish folk songs to a 1915 work by the English composer Albert W. Ketelbey, and a 16-page glossary of the French, German and Italian phrases sprinkled throughout. “I think it was kind of a love story,” said Mr. Peck, the longtime friend. “I never did read it.”
.
The book is dedicated to “B. Robert Aigner, M.D.,” with no explanation why. Reached by phone at his home in a Seattle suburb, Dr. Aigner, 80, said he remembered Ms. Macefield was a patient, but nothing more.
.
Dr. Aigner, a neurologist, was amazed and amused that Ms. Macefield would have dedicated her ambitious work to him. He had never heard of it.
“I have no idea what I was treating her for,” he said.
She wrote other manuscripts and short stories, and, of course, there are the tales she told the few visitors she invited inside her house.
Ms. Macefield constructed her stories while the city surrounding her rushed to construct itself, while the new condos rose even as the big seagoing fish processors still sounded their horns on their way to Alaska, while the coffee shops became espresso shops and the bars became clubs.
.
She lived on a street whose other houses had been torn down decades ago. Not only did she have no real neighbors, but she also had no known family. Born in Oregon, she told people she had moved to Seattle from Europe as an adult to care for her mother. Her mother died many years ago, apparently in the house that Ms. Macefield refused to sell.
.
For years Mr. Peck was the person closest to her. They both loved music. He was a divorced father without much money when he met her in the 1980s. Soon he was driving her to appointments, helping get her groceries. He bought her the word processor that still sits on a desk in her house. She became like a grandmother to his sons.
.
“She was a really curious person, but she was always fun,” Mr. Peck said.
By the early 1990s, he said, Ms. Macefield had made him the beneficiary of her estate through a living trust. Now that she is gone, he said he has hired a lawyer to determine his rights. Not that Ms. Macefield had much beyond well-positioned real estate. All Mr. Peck said he knew was that she worked decades ago making deliveries for the Washington Dental Service.
.
In the fall of 2006, as developers were pressing Ms. Macefield, Mr. Peck tried to convince her to sell. She was in the hospital after having fallen and broken some ribs, he recalled, and the sale would have paid Ms. Macefield about $1 million, as well as help her move to new housing.
.
“She just pulled out, right there, at the last minute,” said Mr. Peck, 63. “She didn’t trust them. It really hurt our relationship, too, because she thought I was in bed with these guys.” Mr. Peck has since moved to another part of the state.
.
In February, Ms. Macefield signed a new will that placed her estate in the control of a man she had known well for less than a year, Barry Martin, the senior superintendent of the construction project that was quickly surrounding her. The trailer from which Mr. Martin was overseeing the project was just a few dozen feet from Ms. Macefield’s house.
.
“At first, it was only 10 minutes of your time,” said Mr. Martin, 52, “but pretty soon she’s actually counting on you. And you can’t just walk away.”
He took her to the doctor. Then he took out her laundry. Then he dropped off lunch. Then one night he cooked her halibut and new potatoes and green beans. Then it was three meals a day and then he was changing the liner on her dentures. Then, last spring, Ms. Macefield was told she had cancer. She died at home.
.
Word got out later that Mr. Martin had gained control of Ms. Macefield’s estate. He had made no mention of this when reporters first interviewed him after her death.
.
Some people sniped on the local blogs. Others weighed in at Mike’s Chili Parlor, around the corner. They said Mr. Martin was an opportunist, either a tool of the developer or out for himself.
“I am going to benefit,” Mr. Martin said, standing in Ms. Macefield’s kitchen, his eyes welling more than once with tears. “And that’s the dilemma.”
.
What happened to him, Mr. Martin said, is what had happened to many people who Ms. Macefield let in her front door. He listened to her stories, and while he did not know if all of them were true, he liked that she told them, and he liked her.
.
“Barry’s probably closer to altruistic than opportunistic,” said Mr. Semandiris, of the chili parlor. “I think once he got to know her he was probably into it for the right reasons.”
Given the downturn in the market, nobody thinks the house will fetch anything close to $1 million anymore. Still, Mr. Martin said, he does plan to sell it, to make whatever he can to help pay for his daughters’ college education. He said Ms. Macefield would have wanted it that way.
.
He said he would have to muster the willpower to clean the place out, to gather up all those ceramic cows, to pack up the Puccini and Perry Como recordings. There also is the question of what to do with the stories that Ms. Macefield wrote.
He, too, has yet to read “Where Yesterday Began.”
.
Vocabulary:
Holdout: noun [C] a person, organization or country that continues to do something, despite other people trying to force them not to
to point out: phrasal verb [M]to tell someone about some information, often because you believe they are not aware of it or have forgotten it
tiny: adjective - extremely small
to level: verb [T] -ll- or US USUALLY -l- 1 to make a surface flat - 2 to completely destroy a building or area
to make way: same as to give way - to be replaced by something, especially because it is better, cheaper, easier, etc
faux: adjective [before noun]not real, but made to look or seem real; false
trendy: adjective INFORMAL modern and influenced by the most recent fashions or ideas
dusty: adjective - covered in dust
hardback: noun [C or U] (US ALSO hardcover) a book which has a stiff cover
undercover agent: adjective [before noun] working secretly using a false appearance in order to get information for the police or government
liaisons: noun - [C] MAINLY US someone who helps groups to work effectively with each other
renown: noun [U] FORMAL the state of being famous
78s: Antigos discos de 78 rotações –(Easier explained in Portuguese)
Knotted: verb [T] -tt- to fast by tying together the ends of a piece or pieces of string, rope, cloth, etc
Gentrification: noun [U] when an area is gentrified (people of high social class, especially in the past)
Blandness: noun [U] lacking a strong taste or character or lacking in interest or energy
turns out: (HAPPEN) phrasal verb to happen in a particular way or to have a particular result, especially an unexpected one
stirs: verb to stir – in this case used figuratively - verb [I] -rr- UK INFORMAL DISAPPROVING to cause trouble intentionally between other people, especially by telling false or secret information
knowable: adjective able to be known
succinct: adjective APPROVING said in a clear and short way; expressing what needs to be said without unnecessary words
chili parlor: A place specialized in Chili - Texans call it ‘A BOWL OF RED’. They think Chili Con Carne was invented in a jailhouse in San Antonio, Fort Worth, Corsicana or where ever (depends on who’s spinnin’ the yarn.)
didn’t give a damn: didn’t care for
pancreatic cancer: Cancer de pancreas (easier explained in Portuguese)
cloaked: noun [S or U] something which hides, covers or keeps something else secret
climb: verb [I] to go up, or to go towards the top of something
swallowed: Past tense of to swallow – verb [M] If something large swallows (up) another thing, it makes it disappear or stop existing separately by making it part of itself
sprawling: verb [I usually + adverb or preposition] DISAPPROVING (especially of a city) to cover a large area of land with buildings which have been added at different times so that it looks untidy
development: noun [C] UK an area of high numbers of people without jobs where the government encourages new industries to start so that more jobs will be created
is set against: phrasal verb to consider something in relation to another thing and compare their different qualities or effects (in this text it means that it is placed against….)
backdrop: noun - [S] the view behind something
loneliness: noun [U] the state of being lonely
sprinkled: Past tense of sprinkle - verb [T] to scatter a few bits or drops of something over a surface
throughout: preposition, adverb in every part, or during the whole period of time
amazed: adjective extremely surprised
amused: adjective showing that you think something is funny
seagoing: adjective [before noun] (of ships) built for use on journeys across the sea, not just for coastal and river journeys
fish processors: Plantas de processameno e industrialização de peixes e frutos do mar (easier explained in Portuguese)
torn down: phrasal verb [M] to intentionally destroy a building or other structure because it is not being used or it is not wanted any more
beneficiary: noun [C] a person or group who receives money, advantages, etc. as a result of something else (neste texto usado como herdeiro)
estate: noun [C] LEGAL everything that a person owns when they die
developers: noun [C] a person whose job involves buying and selling buildings and land, and arranging for new buildings to be built
overseeing: verb [T] overseeing, oversaw, overseen to watch or organize a job or an activity to make certain that it is being done correctly
halibut: noun [C] plural halibut or halibuts a big, flat sea fish which can be eaten (alabote negro)
dentures: plural noun false teeth fixed to a small piece of plastic or similar material, which fits inside the mouth of someone who does not have their own teeth
sniped: verb [I] to criticize someone unpleasantly
tool: noun - something that helps you to do a particular activity
welling: verb [I usually + adverb or preposition] (of liquid) to appear on the surface of something or come slowly out from somewhere
downturn: noun [C usually singular] a reduction in the amount or success of something, such as a country's economic activity
fetch: verb [T] to be sold for a particular amount of money
to muster: verb [I or T] to produce or encourage especially an emotion or support
willpower: noun [U] the ability to control your own thoughts and the way in which you behave; determination
to gather up: verb 1 [T] to collect or obtain several things, often from different places or people

Essential Idioms in English - Contents

SECTION 1 - BASIC
.
LESSON 1
Get in/get on…. get out of / get off….put on….take off….call up….turn on….turn off
right away….pick up…. sooner or later….get up….at first
.
LESSON 2
Dress up….at last….as usual….find out….look at….look for….all right….all along..
Little by little…tired out….call on….never mind
.
LESSON 3
Pick out….take one’s time….talk over….lie down….stand up….sit down…. all(day, week, month, year) long… by oneself… on purpose….get along with…make a difference (to)…take out
.
LESSON 4
Take part in….at all….look up….wait on….at least…. so far….take a walk, stroll, hike, etc… take a trip…. try on….think over….take place… put away
.
LESSON 5
Look out…. shake hands… get back….catch cold…get over….make up one’s mind… change one’s mind…for the time being….for good… call off….put off…in a hurry
.
LESSON 6
Under the weather….hang up…count on…make friends… out of order…get to…
Few and far between….look over… have / take time off…. go on…. put out…all of a sudden
.
LESSON 7
Point out…be up…be over…on time….in time to… get better, worse, etc…get sick,
well, tired, busy, wet, etc… had better… would rather… call it a day/night…figure out…think of
.
LESSON 8
Be about to… turn around…. take turns… pay attention (to)….brush up on… over and over (again)…. wear out….throw away…fall in love….go out…out of the question….have to do with
.
LESSON 9
Wake up….be in charge of…. as soon as….get in touch with….have a good time…in no time….cut down on….quite a few….used to….be used to….get used to…back and forth
.
LESSON 10
Make sure…now and then….get rid of…every other (one)…go with… first-rate….come from….make good time….mix up….see about….make out…by heart
.
LESSON 11
Keep out….keep away (from)….find fault with… be up to…ill at ease….do over…look into…take hold of….get through….from now on…..keep track of…be carried away
.
LESSON 12
Up to date…. out of date…blow up…. catch fire….burn down….burn up….burn out…make good…stands to reason….break out….as for…feel sorry for
.
LESSON 13
Break down…turn out….once in a blue moon….give up….cross out….take for granted…. take into account…make clear….clear-cut….have on….come to….call for
.
REVIEW – LESSONS 1 –13
.
SECTION 2 - INTERMEDIATE
.
LESSON 14
Eat in / eat out…. cut and dried…. look after….feel like….once and for all… hear from…. hear of…..make fun of….come true….as a matter of fact….have one’s way… look forward to
.
LESSON 15
Inside out… upside down….fill in….fill out… take advantage of….no matter….take up… take up with…take after…. in the long run…. in touch….out of touch
.
LESSON 16
On one’s toes….get along….hard of hearing…see eye to eye….have in mind…. keep in mind…for once….go off….grow out of….make the best of….cut off….cut out
.
LESSON 17
Blow out….. become of…. shut up…..have got…have got to….keep up with…on the other hand….turn down….fifty-fifty….break in…. a lost cause….above all
.
LESSON 18
Do without….according to….be bound to… for sure….take for…try out….tear down… tear up…..go over….run out of…. at heart….about to
.
LESSON 19
Bite off….tell apart….all in all….pass out….go around…be in (the/one’s way)…put on…. put up….put up with… in vain….day in and day out… catch up
.
LESSON 20
Hold still….know by sight….be the matter….bring up….get lost….hold up….run away….rule out….by far….see off….see out…..no wonder
.
LESSON 21
Go up….go up to….hand in…in case…..take apart….put together…be better of…
be well-off….take by surprise….keep in touch with…. name after….hold on
.
LESSON 22
Stop by…drop (someone a line)….come across….stand for….stand a chance….take pains….look on….look up to….look down on…take off…pull off….keep time
.
LESSON 23
Make do….give birth to….close call….get on one’s nerves….put down….go for…go in for…stay up….stay in….take over….show up…. clean out
.
LESSON 24
Knock out….knock oneself out….carry out….run into….set out….set out to…
draw up… give and take….drop out of….believe in….cheer up…. make sense
.
LESSON 25
Burst out….get away….get away with….serve (someone right)…. keep up….keep up with….stand out…let on….go wrong….meet (someone) halfway….check up on… stick up
.
LESSON 26
Come about….bring about…build up….die down….fade away….die out…make out…live up to….stick it to… stand up for…cut corners
.
LESSON 27
Take on…take down….fall through…fall behind….give in…..give off….give out…have it in for….have it out with….hold off…hold out… hold over
.
REVIEW – LESSONS 14 – 27
.
SECTION 3 – ADVANCED
.
LESSON 28
Let up…lay off….bring out….bring back….wait up for….leave alone…let alone… break off… wear off…. wear down….on the whole…touch and go
.
LESSON 29
Work out…back up…back out…have one’s heart set on…. buy up….buy out….
sell out….catch on…. be cut out for….throw out…throw up….clear up
.
LESSON 30
Slow down….dry up….dry out…be up to something…beat around the bush…. come to an end…put and end to…. get even with…fool around…look out on…stir up….take in
.
LESSON 31
Go through… go without saying…. put (someone on)…. keep one’s head…. lose one’s head… narrow-minded…… stand up….get the better of….break loose….on edge….waste one’s breath… cut short
.
LESSON 32
Step in…. step down…step on….a steal….play up to…more or less….screw up…..
goof up…. go off the deep end…. lose one’s touch…. in hand….on hand
.
LESSON 33
Kick (something) around….on the ball….make up….make up with….pull together..
be looking up…kick the habit….cover up….drop off….turn over….go through channels…last straw
.
LESSON 34
Get cold feet….trade in….face-to-face….be with (someone)…be with it….fall for….it figures….fill (someone) in….make (someone) tick….cover for….give (someone) a break….bow out
.
LESSON 35
Pin on….get a rise out of…stick around….pick up the tab….be the way….go to town….let slide….search me…..get off one’s chest….live it up….liven up…have a voice in
.
LESSON 36
Check in….check out….take at (the/one’s) word….serve one’s purpose….in the worst way….cop out….line up….lose one’s cool….leave open….turn on….miss the boat….think up
.
LESSON 37
Throw (someone) a curve…. make waves…carry on….not on your life…cover ground… mind the store….throw the book at….put one’s foot in…be up for grabs
…show off…learn the ropes….keep (one’s) fingers crossed
.
LESSON 38
Land on one’s feet… dish out….get through to….keep one’s word… be over one’s head…ask for…be a far cry from….by all means….get out from under…take the bull by the horns…. give (someone) a hand….give (someone) a big hand
.
LESSON 39
Goof off….talk back to…. be in…..be out….draw the line at… get out of line…. dry run….play by ear….be in (someone’s) shoes…. Keep after…fix up… be had

Answer Key

LESSON 1
A. 1.b 2.c 3.b 4.a 5.b 6.c 7.a 8.c 9.b 10.c
B. turns off / right away / gets up / sooner or later / turns on / takes off /
puts on
.
LESSON 2
A. 1.c 2.c 3.a 4.b 5.a 6.a 7.b 8.b 9.b 10.a
B. dress up / looking for / tired out / never mind / looking at / found out / at last
all along
.
LESSON 3
A. 1.a 2.c 3.a 4.b 5.b 6.a 7.c 8.b 9.c 10.a
B by yourself / take out / all…along / on purpose / talk over / getting along with
sit down
.
LESSON 4
A. 1.c 2.a 3.c 4.a 5.b 6.c 7.a 8.b 9.b 10.a
B. wait on or attend to / at all / so far / at least / take a walk or take a stroll /
think…over
.
LESSON 5
A. 1.b 2.a 3.c 4.b 5.a 6.b 7.a 8.b 9.c 10.b
B. get back / in a hurry / make up my mind / gotten over / for the time being
put off
.
LESSON 6
A. 1.a 2.b 3.c 4.c 5.b 6.a 7.a 8.c 9.b 10.c
B. under the weather / all of a sudden / hung up / look over / count on / put out
.
LESSON 7
A. 1.c 2.b 3.a 4.a 5.c 6.c 7.c 8.b 9.b 10.a
B. in time to / had better / would rather / figure out / point out / think…of
.
LESSON 8
A. 1.b 2.a 3.c 4.c 5.a 6.c 7.b 8.c 9.a 10.b
B. worn out / over and over again / go out / throw away / out of the question /
have to do with / fallen in love
.
LESSON 9
A. 1.a 2.c 3.c 4.b 5.a 6.a 7.b 8.c 9.b 10.b
B. am used to / in no time / get in touch with / quite a few / be in
charge of
.
LESSON 10
A. 1.c 2.c 3.b 4.b 5.a 6.a 7.c 8.a 9.b 10.a
B. goes with / get rid of / making out / by heart / see about / first-rate /
make good time
.
LESSON 11
A. 1.a 2.c 3.b 4.a 5.b 6.a 7.c 8.b 9.a 10.c
B. keep out / get through / do…over / from now on / keep away from / up to /
find fault with / ill at ease / get carried away
.
LESSON 12
A. 1.b 2.a 3.c 4.a 5.c 6.c 7.a 8.a 9.b 10.a
B. broke out / burned down / out of date / burned up or ticked off / as for /
feel sorry for / stands to reason / up-to-date
.
LESSON 13
A. 1.a 2.a 3.b 4.c 5.c 6.c 7.a 8.a 9.b 10.c
B. turns out / have on / broke down / once in a blue moon / calls for / take for
granted / comes to / take into account
.
REVIEW – LESSON 1 – 13
A. 1.d 2.l 3.a 4.g 5.f 6.i 7.k 8.b 9.c 10.e 11.h 12.j
.
B. 1.f 2.f 3.t 4.t 5.f 6.t 7.f 8.t 9.f 10.t 11.f 12.f
.
C. 1. to look at 2.to look into 3.to look up 4.looked over 5. look for
6.look out
.
D. 1.to take place 2.take hold of 3.takes her time 4.took out 5. to take part in
6.to take a walk 7.take turns 8.take off 9. to take a trip
.
E. 1.get rid of 2.to get in touch with 3. to get over 4.to get on, get off
5.get out of, get in 6.to get along with 7.gets up, gets to, gets back
.
LESSON 14
A. 1.c 2.a 3.b 4.a 5.c 6.c 7.a 8.b 9.b 10.a
.
LESSON 15
A. 1.c 2.c 3.a 4.b 5.a 6.c 7.a 8.c 9.b 10.c
.
LESSON 16
A. 1.b 2.a 3.c 4.b 5.b 6.b 7.c 8.c 9.b 10.a
.
LESSON 17
A. 1.a 2.b 3.a 4.c 5.a 6.c 7.a 8.b 9.b 10.a
.
LESSON 18
A. 1.c 2.a 3.a 4.a 5.b 6.b 7.c 8.b 9.a 10.c
.
LESSON 19
A. 1.b 2.a 3.b 4.b 5.c 6.a 7.a 8.b 9.b 10.c
.
LESSON 20
A. 1.c 2.a 3.b 4.b 5.a 6.b 7.c 8.b 9.a 10.b
.
LESSON 21
A. 1.b 2.a 3.b 4.c 5.c 6.a 7.b 8.b 9.a 10.c
.
LESSON 22
A. 1.a 2.c 3.c 4.a 5.b 6.c 7.b 8.a 9.b 10.a
.
LESSON 23
A. 1.c 2.b 3.b 4.c 5.b 6.a 7.a 8.c 9.b 10.c
.
LESSON 24
A. 1.c 2.c 3.b 4.a 5.a 6.b 7.b 8.c 9.b 10.c
.
LESSON 25
A. 1.c 2.c 3.a 4.a 5.b 6.b 7.c 8.a 9.c 10.a
.
LESSON 26
A. 1.b 2.c 3.a 4.a 5.b 6.c 7.a 8.b 9.b 10.c
.
LESSON 27
A. 1.c 2.a 3.b 4.b 5.c 6.b 7.b 8.a 9.a 10.c
.
REVIEW – LESSON 14 – 27
A. 1. i 2.c 3.k 4.e 5.g 6.l 7.b 8.d 9.j 10.a 11.f 12.h
.
B. 1.t 2.f 3.t 4.t 5.f 6.t 7.f 8.f 9.t 10.t 11.f 12.t
.
C. 1. close call 2.called it a day 3.calls for 4.calls up 5. called off
6 call on
.
D. 1.make a difference 2.to make fun of 3.made good time 4.make sense
5.to make do 6.make good 7. make out 8.make clear 9.to make the
best of
.
E. 1.put away 2.put up with 3.put on 4.put out 5.put off 6.to put down
7.to put together
.
REVIEW – LESSONS 28 – 39
A. 1.e 2.i 3.a 4.f 5.g 6.b 7.k 8.l 9.d 10.h 11.c 12.j
B. 1.t 2.f 3.t 4.f 5.t 6.t 7.f 8.f 9.f 10.t 11.f 12.t
.
C. 1.gave birth to 2.to give me a break 3.give and take 4.give me a hand
5. gave (him or her) a big hand 6. gave out 7.is giving off 8. gave up
9. give in
.
D. 1. to keep his head 2.to keep up with 3. to keep track of 4.to keep after
5.keep your word 6.keep in touch with 7.to keep away 8. keep in mind
9.keep our fingers crossed
.
E. 1.went off 2.went over 3.touch and go 4. to go around 5. go through
6.went to town 7.go in for 8.goes without saying 9.goes with

Lesson 1

Get in/get on.... get out of/get off…put on…take off… call up… turn on… turn off…
Right away… pick up… sooner or later… get up… at first
.
To get in/to get on: to enter or to board a vehicle
To get in is used for cars; to get on is used for all other forms of transportation.
Ø It’s easiest to get in the car from the driver’s side. The door on the other side doesn’t work well.
Ø I always get on the bus to work at 34th street.
.
To get out of/to get off: to leave or to descend from a vehicle.
To get out of is used for cars; to get off is used for all other forms of transportation.
Ø Why don’t we stop and get out of the car for a while?
Ø Helen got off the train at the 42nd Street terminal.
.
To put on: to place on oneself (usually said of clothes) (S)*
Ø Mary put on her coat and left the room.
Ø Put your hat on before you leave the house.
.
To take off: to remove (usually said of clothes) (S)
Ø John took off his jacket as he entered the office.
Ø Take your sweater off. The room is very warm.
.
To call up: to telephone (also: to give someone a call) (S)
To call can be used instead of to call up, as in the first example below.
Ø I forgot to call up Mr. Jones yesterday. I’d better call him now.
Ø Call me up tomorrow, Jane. We’ll arrange a time to have lunch together.
Ø I promise to give you a call as soon as I arrive in New York.
.
To turn on: to start or cause to function (also to switch on) (S)
Ø Please turn on the light; it’s too dark in here.
Ø Do you know who turned the air conditioning on?
.
To turn off: to cause to stop de functioning (also: to switch off, to shut off) (S)
Turn on and turn off, as well as their related forms, are used for things that flow, such as electricity, water, gas, etc.
Ø Please turn off the light when you leave the room.
Ø Are you really listening to the radio, or should I turn it off?
.
*The symbol (S) indicates that an idiom is separable – that a noun or noun phrase may be placed between the verb and the special preposition (called a particle). In these cases, examples of both separable and inseparable forms are given.
.
Right away: very soon; immediately (also: at once)
Ø Dad says that dinner will be ready right away, so we’d better wash our hands and set the table.
Ø Tell Will to come to my office right away. I must see him immediately.
Ø Stop playing that loud music at once!
.
To pick up: to lift from the floor, table, etc., with one’s fingers (S)
Ø Harry picked up the newspaper that was on the front doorstep.
Ø Could you pick your toy up before someone falls over it?
.
Sooner or later: eventually, after a period of time
Ø If you study English seriously, sooner or later you’ll become fluent.
Ø I’m too tired to do my homework now; I’m sure I’ll do it sooner or later.
.
To get up: to arise, to rise from a bed, to make someone arise (S)
For the last definition a noun phrase must separate the verb and particle.
Ø Carla gets up at seven o’clock every morning.
Ø At what time should we get the children up tomorrow?
.
At first: in the beginning, originally
Ø At first English was difficult for him, but later he made great progress.
Ø I thought at first that it was Sheila calling, but then I realized that it was Betty.
.
E X E R C I S E S
.
Choose the appropriate idiomatic expression to substitute for the italicized word or words in each sentence below.
.
1. His alarm clock is always set for six o’clock. He arises at the same time every
day.
a. turns off
b. gets up
c. puts on
.
2. She telephoned her friend to tell him about the meeting. They decided to drive
there together.
a. turned on
b. took off
c. called up
.
3. It’s 4 P.M. now, and this important letter must be mailed today. Can you take it to
the post office immediately?
a. at first
b. right away
c. sooner of later
.
4. Be sure to switch off the light before you leave the house.
a. to turn off
b. to take off
c. to get off
.
5. Pat placed her new hat on her head while looking in the mirror.
a. picked up
b. put on
c. gets on
.
6. Remove your jacket and sit down for a few minutes.
a. Turn on
b. Get on
c. Take off
.
7. I want to stay unmarried for a while, but I hope to get married eventually.
a. sooner or later
b. right away
c. at first
.
8. In the beginning I thought that it was Bob who was in the car.
a. To get on
b. At once
c. At first
.
9. He boarded the bus at Broadway and 79th Street.
a. got off
b. got on
c. picked up
.
10. John took the pencil with his fingers and began to write a note.
a. turned on
b. got off
c. picked up
.
Fill in each blank with the appropriate form of an idiomatic expression from this unit
.
Jean’s alarm clock makes a loud ringing noise. She________________ the alarm clock immediately after it rings each morning. However, she doesn’t rise from bed
____________________ . She waits a few minutes before she______________.
Jean enjoys lying in bed for a while, but _______________ she gets up. Then she
________________ the bedroom light and goes to her closet. She____________
her pajamas and ________________ her work clothes.

Lesson 2

Dress up... at last... as usual… find out… look at…. look for…. all right… all along.. little by little…. tired out…. call on…. Never mind
.
To dress up: to wear formal clothes, to dress very nicely
Ø We should definitely dress up to go to the theater.
Ø You don’t have to dress up for Mike’s party.
.
At last: finally, after a long time
Ø We waited for hours and then the train arrived at last.
Ø Now that I am sixteen, at last I can drive my parents’ car
.
As usual: as is the general case, as is typical
Ø George is late for class as usual. This seems to happen every day.
Ø As usual, Dora received first prize in the swimming contest. It’s the third consecutive year that she has won.
.
To find out: get information about, to determine (S)
This idiom is separable only when a pronoun is used, as in the second example.
Ø Will you please try to find out what time the airplane arrives?
Ø I’ll call right now to find it out.
.
To look at: give one’s attention to, to watch
Ø The teacher told us to look at the blackboard and not at our books.
Ø I like to walk along a country road at night and look at the stars.
.
To look for: to try to find, to search for
An adverb phrase such as all over can be put between the verb and preposition, as in the second example. However, the idiom cannot be separated by a noun or pronoun.
Ø He’s spent over an hour looking for the pen that he lost.
Ø So there you are! We’ve looked all over for you.
.
All right: acceptable, fine; yes, okay
This idiom can also be spelled alright in informal usage.
Ø He said that it would be all right to wait in her office until she returned.
Ø Do you want me to turn off the TV? Alright, if you insist.
.
All along: all the time, from the beginning (without change)
Ø She knew all along that we’d never agree with his plan.
Ø You’re smiling! Did you know all along that I’d give you a birthday present?
.
Little by little: gradually, slowly (also: step by step)
Ø Karen’s health seems to be improving little by little.
Ø If you study regularly each day, step by step your vocabulary will increase.
.
To tire out: to make very weary due to difficult conditions or hard effort (also: to wear out) (S)
Ø The hot weather tired out the runners in the marathon.
Ø Does studying for final exams wear you out? It makes me feel worn out!
.
To call on: to ask for a response from; to visit (also: to drop in on)
Ø Jose didn’t know the answer when the teacher called on him.
Ø Last night several friends called on us at our home.
Ø Why don’t we drop in on Sally a little later?
.
Never mind: don’t be concerned about it, ignore what was just said
Ø When he spilled his drink on my coat, I said, “Never mind. It needs to be cleaned anyway.”
Ø So you weren’t listening to me again. Never mind; it wasn’t important.
.
E X E R C I S E S
.
Choose the appropriate idiomatic expression to substitute for the italicized word or words in each sentence below. Idioms from previous lessons are indicated by number.
1. Nan is trying to find the purse that she lost yesterday.
a. finding out
b. looking at
c. looking for
.
2. As is typical, Doug is late for the meeting.
a. At last
b. All along
c. As usual
.
3. Were you able to determine what his occupation is?
a. to find out
b. to pick up (lesson 1)
c. to call on
.
4. I am very weary after all that physical exercise today.
a. turned off (lesson 1)
b. tired out
c. never mind
.
5. John’s mother knew that he wasn’t telling the truth from the beginning.
a. all along
b. all right
c. little by little
6. Some old friends of mine visited us last night.
a. called on
b. called up (lesson 1)
c. wore out
.
7. Eventually, Mario will be able to speak English better than he does now.
a. Never mind
b. Sooner of Later (lesson 1)
c. At last
.
8. Is it acceptable for Mary to borrow our car for a few hours?
a. right away (Lesson 1)
b. all right
c. step by step
.
9. Would you please give your attention to me while I’m talking?
a. dress up
b. look at
c. wear out
.
10. They waited for forty-five minutes until finally the waiter brought their food.
a. at last
b. little by little
c. at first (lesson 1)
.
Fill in each blank with the appropriate form of an idiomatic expression from this unit only.
.
Bob: Jim, should we______________ for the party tonight?
Jim: No, informal clothes are fine. I’m __________________ my shoes. Have you
seen them?
Bob: No. Did you check that closet by the front door?
Jim: Of course, I did! Gosh, my legs hurt. I’m really _____________________
from playing so much soccer today.
Bob: What did you say?
Jim: Oh, _____________________. It wasn’t important.
Bob: Sorry, I’m___________________ the TV news. It’s about the robbery.
Jim: Have the police___________________ who stole the million dollars?
Bob: No, they haven’t.
Jim: ____________________I’ve found my shoes! They were in that closet by the
door_________________!
Bob: I told you so!