wtorek, 14 października 2014


Welcome after a short break. Time works wonders and we are going back to work – indeed…
I. Finish the sayings connected with the world of work. Don’t work yourself up to a lather, please:

1.A woman’s work is……..                                                                          a) light work
2.All work and no play…….                                                                         b) hurt anyone
3.Little work never…..                                                                                  c) makes Jack a dull boy
4.Many hands make…..                                                                               d) work for idle hands
5.The devil finds……...                                                                                 e) never done
6.To work like  …….                                                                                      f) fingers, the bone
7.To work your ………. to ………                                                                  g) a dog, beaver/!/,mule, slave  

II. Work your way through some examples of  word formation: 
a) I felt helpless-the solution to the problem seemed absolutely ……… .

b)The company is famous for its excellent …………….. .The quality of their products is unbeatable.     

c) He works 24/7 - he must be ……………. .                                                        WORK

d) This essay is far from perfect- you have to ………… it.

e) She never takes time off work and hasn’t been on holiday for ages. I think she is a real ………… .

f) The …………… conditions in that factory are really appalling. 
III. Keep up the good work and fill in the missing prepositions: 

-I know we disagree  on many points but I believe we can work it all ____ .
-She got all work _____  about the bad news.
-If you have problems in your relationship, you should work them______ with your partner.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Answers:
I.1e, 2c,3b,4a,5d,6g,7f
II. a) unworkable, b)workmanship, c)overworked, d)rework, e)workaholic, f)working
III. -out, -up,- through/out

sobota, 16 listopada 2013




Zoom in on Phrasal Verbs
You may think they are the apple of our eye but we feel it is good to brush up the subject in the long autumn evenings.
I.  Match  some unusual phrasals with their meanings:
1. zonk out                             a) withdraw
2 .doll up                                 b) add together    
3 .beaver away                       c) work very hard
4. gear up                               d) get ready
5. curl up                                e) dress in attractive clothes
6. bottle out                            f) fall asleep
7 .tot up                                 g) lie down 
Another proof there is no escape from phrasal verbs!
Fill in the text so that it will describe daily routine.
Your alarm clock 1.g…………..  o…… too early as usual. You have a little 2. l…………..  i……  in your cosy bed and then all you have to do is to 3.h………….  u….. not to miss the chance to 4.c……………  u……. w…... the latest news with your classmates. You 5.p………….  o…… whatever you can find in your wardrobe and 6.s…………  o……… for school. Attending classes means7.d………………  w……. various problems- sometimes your last resort is 8.to  t…………….. the teacher i………. 9.p……………. o…… the test until tomorrow. Apart from that, you try to 10.s…………..  u…….  very hard. To be honest, you do it until you decide to 11.s……………  o……and tell your mom you have a bad headache…. 
 
You’re not sated yet, are you? Finally, the most challenging exercise-grammar transformations. 

1.Pete Johnson continued to get up at 6:30 even after he retired.
CARRIED Pete Johnson .................................................... at 6:30 even after he retired.
2.They discussed the problem but nobody had a solution.
CAME They discussed the situation but  nobody.................................................... a solution.
3.I regret not contacting Marco when I was in Bologne.
TOUCH I wish that I ....................................................with Marco when I was in Bologne.
4.The coach had the respect of the whole team.
UP
The whole team .................................................... the coach.
5.Ana's mother started the club that Ana now presides.
SET The club that Ana now presides is .................................................... her mother.
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Answers: I. 1f,2e,3c,4d,5g,6a,7b
II.1.goes off,2.lie in,3.hurry up,4.catch up with,5.put on,6.set off,7.dealing with,8.talk ( the teacher) into,9.putting off,10.swot up,11.skive off
III.1.carried on getting up,2.came up with,3.had got in touch,4.looked up to, 5.the club set up by
 


piątek, 13 września 2013

Are you warmed up a bit? We hope so. How about describing the following picture now?
  


An example description

The picture shows a group of people who might be tourists visiting a foreign country.  There are five people/holidaymakers in the foreground and they are probably standing on a pavement next to a street. The lady on the right is trying to take  a photo. In the background there is a huge mountain which is surrounded by a wall. The wall is presumably the main tourist attraction in the area. I suppose these people are about to approach the mountain and admire the view while having a stroll on the wall. The man with a backpack and the one in a navy blue striped T-shirt might be talking about the trip. The man whose T-shirt is blue is probably waiting for the others to join him. On the left there is a car park. Behind this car park there is a group of houses. These houses are probably detached ones, however, given the fact that one can just see their roofs, I find it really difficult to estimate what types of buildings they are. On the left side of the photo I can see a farm machine and a small field whose fence is made of stones. There are also some lampposts in the photo but since it is daytime they are not turned on yet. One can spot various types of trees and bushes in the picture as well. 
A new school year, new coursebooks, new matura exam… Well, it is actually the last year of the old matura exam as a completely new one is about to come in 2015 J  Anyway, it is high time for us to bring brushing up on your English into focus, so why don’t we take up the gauntlet and start fighting for the best matura exam results ever? First, approach some questions:


1.     To start from scratch means the same as to start from zero. True or False?
2.  It’s high time they memorize these rules. Is the sentence gramatically correct?
3.  If  sth is out of the question, is it possible?
4.  Being ecstatic after hearing the news he couldn’t stop limping. Which word is out of place?
5.  Which one is not correct: a possibility to do sth or a possibility of doing sth?


And for dessert scan the post quickly and:
1.  find a phrasal verb which might make you think of an object we use for cleaning
2.  find an idiom with a piece of clothing in it







Answer key:  1) T  2)No. Memorized instead of memorize.         3) No, it isn’t.               4) Of course!!! It’s a must           
5) a possibility to do sth is not correct, so stop using it        Phrasal verb: to brush up on sth      Idiom: to take up the gauntlet

środa, 26 czerwca 2013

 
 SWAG
Slang words are great!

 

Yes, you deserve a holiday! As you are probably about to set off soon, we provide some
essential slang expressions you may come across while travelling. These are our favourite ones by the way!  Enjoy both- our post and your free time of course- and TTFN-ta ta for now- Goodbye!

 Look for slang equivalents of the given words and expressions:

1.full of energy   2.mad   3.that’s it!   4.confused   5.excellent   6.easy   7.talking rubbish
8.it's very cold   9. various things   10. don't get worked up about it!   11.food   12.amazed   13.great   14. calm down!   15.to be lazy or avoid doing sth   16.gone crazy   17.to be well informed, aware 
 
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a)Don’t get your knickers in the twist!       b)Bob’s your uncle!             c)Isn’t just hunky-dory ?         

d)You’re talking baloney!            e)I’m full of beans today.       f)Let’s take some good nosh!              

                      g) I was absolutely  gobsmacked!                  h) Keep your hair on!  
   
 i)He’s  lost the plot !                                     j) It was so doodle!   
       
                k)Let me take my bits and bobs first.           l) I’m at sixes and sevens.    
m)It’s monkeys outside!                       n)He must be barmy!  
                               
   o)You’re bee’s knees !                               p) I’m going to skive.      q)You should know your onions.

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Answers: 1)e,  2)n ,3)b ,4)l,  5)c, 6)j, 7)d , 8)m, 9)k, 10)a, 11)f, 12)g, 13)o, 14)h, 15)p 16)i 17)q


 

czwartek, 2 maja 2013


 
 
 
Writing in a nutshell
 
We would like to throw you a lifeline revising some fixed phrases essential for your future matura letters or short forms .Get your message across!

Fill in the missing words and identify the degree of formality of the following phrases/sentences:
 

1. Drop me a l...............!

2. I am writing to make a c............... about a mobile phone I bought in your online shop last week.

3. I’m looking f................. to hearing from you.

4. Please, write b................ soon.

5. I am writing in r................... to your advertisement.

6. Please, find the copy of the receipt along with proof of purchase e................... .

7. I would be grateful if you could send me further i................... .

8. Thank you in a..................... for your help.

9. Give my r.................. to your parents.

10. Wish you w.............. here!

11. I am writing to e.................... about your holiday offer which I saw advertised in the latest issue of the ‘’Holidaymaker’’ magazine.

12.I e................... my CV and references.

13. I would like to request a r............... or product replacement.

14. Thank you for your time in c................ my application.

15. I would appreciate a response at your earliest c.................. .

16. Keep in t................

17. Let me k.............. if you can help.

18. Sorry, I haven’t w............... for so long but I’ve been very busy recently. 

Answers:1.line- Informal, 2.complaint- Formal, 3.forward-I, 4.back-I, 5.response-F, 6.enclosed-F, 7.information-F, 8. advance-I/F, 9.regards-I/F, 10.were-I, 11.enquire-F, 12.enclose-F, 13.refund-F, 14.considering-F, 15.convenience-F, 16.touch-I, 17.know-I, 18.written-I.


Please, find some samples of our favourite ads- make sure you won’t write anything using the English sense of humour....

German shepherd dog - 85 pounds, neutered, speaks German, Free!

Wedding gown for sale - only worn once - by mistake!

Complete Encyclopedia Brittanica - 45 volumes, excellent condition, $ 300 or best offer. No longer needed - got married last weekend - wife knows everything!

Lost dog! Blind in one eye, missing right ear, tail missing, recently castrated. Answers to name of "Lucky!"

Now is your chance to have your ears pierced and get an extra pair to take home too.

Dog for sale! Eats everything and is fond of children.