Get happy!

Present tenses . Simple or continuous? . Passive . Sport . Numbers and dates

TEST YOUR GRAMMAR

WHAT MAKES PEOPLE HAPPY?
Present tenses
Look at the pairs of sentences.
Which one is correct? Why?
1 Look at the ingredients for happiness. How important is each one
1 They have a teenage son. to you? 1 = very important; 5 = not important.
They’re having a teenage son.
good health in mind and body a big house
job satisfaction regular holidays
a loving marriage a supportive family
hobbies and leisure activities lots of friends
no money worries
Compare your answers with a partner.
2 What do you think is the happiest time of a person’s life –
when they are young or when they are old? Why?
2 She speaks five languages.
She’s speaking five languages.
3 Don’t turn off the TV! I watch it.
Don’t turn off the TV! I’m watching it.
4 Oh no! It rains.
Oh no! It’s raining.
5 We’re thinking opera is boring.
We think opera is boring.
6 English speaks all over the world.
English is spoken all over the world.

14 Unit 2 . Get happy!

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3 A T 2.1 Read and listen to the text about Sidney Fisk. Answer the questions.
1 What do you think are the good and bad things about Sidney’s life?
2 Do you think his life is exciting or boring? Would you like to have a life
like Sidney’s?
3 Do you know any people with similar lives? Are they happy?

‘I don’t know
if I’m happy.’
Sidney Fisk, 45
Work
Sidney Fisk is a lawyer. He’s paid very
well, but he usually has to work long
hours. He works for an international
company in Dallas, Texas, so he travels
a lot in his job. At the moment he’s
working in Mexico, and next week he’s
travelling to France.
Free time
Home life If he’s at home at the weekend, he and
his wife sometimes play golf, but that
Sidney is married and he’s got two doesn’t happen very often. They never
children, aged 11 and 14. He rarely sees have much time to relax together.
his children because so much of his
time is spent away from home. He’s got Is he happy?
a beautiful house in a suburb of Dallas.
It’s very big, with eight bedrooms. His He says he doesn’t know if he’s happy.
wife is an interior designer. He’s too busy to think about it.

GRAMMAR SPOT 4 Complete the questions about Sidney.

Then ask and answer them with a partner.
1 Find these words in the text about Sidney Fisk: usually, often, rarely, never. • . . . married?
What kind of words are they? Is he married?
• What . . . do?
2 What tense are most of the verbs in the text? Why? • Where . . . live?
3 Find two examples each in the text of the Present Continuous and the • Has . . . any children? Yes, he is.
Present Simple passive. Which auxiliary verb is used to form these? • What . . . his wife do?
4 Complete the questions and answers with the correct auxiliary verbs. • Which sports . . . play?
• Where . . . working at the moment?
a he travel a lot? Yes, he .
• . . . paid very well?
b she work in a bank? No, she .
A T 2.2 Listen and check.
c they play golf? Yes, they .
d you play tennis? No, I . 5 Ask and answer similar questions with
e he paid a lot? Yes, he . your partner.
f he working in France at the moment? No, he . Are you married? No, I’m not.
Grammar Reference 2.1 and 2.2 pp135–136

Have you got any brothers or sisters?

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 PRACTICE
Listening and speaking
1 A T 2.3 Look at the photos and listen to Jeff Norman. What’s unusual
about his lifestyle? What does he like about it?

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! 45-year-old

college graduate makes $60,000 a year as a paperboy!

JEFF NORMAN from Iowa City, Iowa

2 What did Jeff say? Complete the sentences. 3 Write notes about Sidney and Jeff in
the chart.
1 I ’m paid good money – $60,000 a year. And I often
$50 a week in tips. Sidney Fisk Jeff Norman
2 I at 2.00 a.m. The first newspaper Work
at 2.30 a.m.
3 I a red Chevy Blazer and the newspapers
into the back.
4 I the peace and quiet. Home
5 Occasionally, I a jogger. and family
6 I usually home by 7.00 a.m.
7 My wife at the University of Iowa.
8 Some days I my kids’ baseball team, other days I golf. Free time
9 I also for my master’s degree at the moment.
I be a marriage counsellor.
10 Some people it’s not much of a job, but, hey, when they
in an office, I golf. Work with a partner. Compare Sidney’s
life with Jeff ’s. How old are they? How
A T 2.4 Listen and check.
many things do they have in common?
Who do you think is happier? Why?

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WHAT DO YOU DO? PRACTICE
Simple or continuous? Discussing grammar
1 Are these sentences correct (✓) or
1 A T 2.5 Read and listen to the conversation. incorrect (✗)? Correct the mistakes.
1 What do you want to drink? ✓
2 I’m not understanding this word. ✗
I don’t understand this word.
3 I’m loving you a lot.
4 Do you think Michiko plays golf well?
5 I’m sorry. I’m not knowing the answer.
6 We’re enjoying the lesson very much.
We’re working hard.
7 I’m thinking you speak English very well.
8 The lions are fed once a day. They’re
being fed at the moment.
2 Complete the pairs of sentences using the
verb in the Present Simple or the Present
Continuous.
1 come
A What do you do? Alec and Marie are French. They
B I’m an interior designer. I decorate people’s homes and give from Paris.
them ideas for furniture and lighting. They’ll be here very soon. They
A And what are you working on these days? by car.
B Well, I’m not working on a home at the moment. I’m working 2 have
on a hotel. I’m designing a new lobby for the Plaza. Lisa can’t come to the phone. She
A Do you like your job? dinner now.
B Yes, I love it. She a beautiful new car.
Memorize the conversation and practise it with a partner. 3 think
I that all politicians tell lies.
2 Work with a partner. Have similar conversations with some of these jobs. I about my girlfriend at the
an architect a research scientist an artist an actor moment. She’s in Australia.
a rock musician a web page designer a journalist 4 not enjoy
a film director a football player a zookeeper We this party at all. The
music is too loud.
3 Ask each other about your own jobs or studies.
We big parties.
GRAMMAR SPOT 5 watch
Be quiet! I my favourite
1 Some verbs are used in both simple and continuous forms. These are programme.
called action verbs. I always it on Thursday
She usually drives to work, but today she isn’t driving. She’s walking. evenings.
2 Some verbs are almost never used in the continuous form. These are 6 see
called state verbs. Joe isn’t here. He the doctor
I like black coffee. (NOT I’m liking black coffee.) at the moment.
I your problem, but I can’t
3 Seven of these verbs are not usually used in the Present Continuous.
Underline them. help you. I’m sorry.
7 use (Careful!)
like know understand work enjoy think (= opinion) This room usually
come play have (= possession) love want for big meetings.
But today it being
Grammar Reference 2.3 p136 for a party.

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 READING AND SPEAKING
I’m a clown doctor!
THE CLOWN
1 What does a doctor do? What does a clown do? Write
down three things for each. Tell the class your ideas.
2 Which of these things did you think of? Which do
clowns do? Which do doctors do? Which do both do?
wear funny clothes
make children feel better
wear white coats
do magic tricks
DOCTOR
perform operations give injections All over the world, children in hospital are being
wear red rubber noses make funny faces treated with a new kind of medicine: laughter.
tell jokes give medicine LUCY is 23 and works for Theodora Children’s
Trust. She is one of many clown doctors who
3 Look at the pictures. Lucy Cheetham is a clown doctor bring a smile to the faces of sick children.
working for Theodora Children’s Trust – a charitable
organization. What do you think a clown doctor does? I’m a Theodora clown doctor, I call myself
Dr LooLoo. I spend two days a week in
4 Read the introduction. What is the new kind of children’s hospitals being extremely silly with
medicine? my friend and colleague Dr Chequers. We make funny
5 Read the rest of the article. Answer the questions. faces, tell jokes, and do magic tricks. As I walk into the
wards I blow bubbles, shake hands with the kids, and
1 Who is Dr LooLoo? Who is Dr Chequers?
make up nonsense songs for those children well
2 In what ways is their job ‘extremely silly’?
enough to sing. We take special balloons to make
Give examples.
‘balloon animals’ and tell funny stories about them.
3 How did Lucy become a Theodora clown doctor? We often meet kids who one week look really sick,
4 Why does she like her job? then we go back the next week and they’re racing
5 What does she wear? about yelling ‘Hi there, Dr LooLoo! Hi Dr Chequers!’
6 What would be useless?
7 Why is it useful to eat in the hospital cafeteria? I’m naturally a very cheerful person. I’ve always
8 What does she do after work? been a clown. In fact my father’s a clown and I started
9 Where does the money for Lucy’s salary come from? working with him when I was eight years old. I knew it
10 Describe a typical working day for Lucy. was just the job for me and I became a clown doctor
because I think it’s a great way to cheer up sick,
She arrives in the hospital with … frightened children in hospital. I wear a fancy coat,
Then she goes into the wards and … a yellow shirt, and tights with big stripes. Also, I have
a red rubber nose and wear my hair in crazy plaits.
GRAMMAR SPOT Being a clown in a hospital is very tiring both
1 Complete these sentences from the text. physically and emotionally. We have to learn not to
show our feelings, otherwise we’d be useless. Clown
All over the world, children in hospital
doctors are sensitive but this is not a side most people
with a new kind of medicine.
see. To the children we’re happy all the time. I’m still
It’s a charity; so we with the money
learning to allow myself to feel sad occasionally.
people give.
There are special kids you get really close to. At the
What tenses are they? moment I’m working
2 Complete these passive sentences. with a very sick little
1 People of all ages love clowns. girl from Bosnia who
Clowns by people of all ages. speaks no English,
so our only common
2 He is giving her an injection.
language is laughter.
She’s given an injection.
She’s been in and
Grammar Reference 2.4 p137 out of hospital for
operations so many
times and she’s always
on my mind.

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 Language work
6 Find lines in the text which mean the same as
the following.
1 They’re running about shouting.
2 I have a happy personality.
3 We would be no help at all.
4 I’m always thinking about her.
5 I go out for the evening with friends.
6 It helps me relax.
7 I go to bed and immediately fall into a deep sleep.
8 I am lucky to have this job.
7 Read the interview with Lucy (L). Complete the
interviewer’s (I) questions.
I ?
L Oh yes, I do. I enjoy my job very much.
I ?
L Because I love working with children and making
them laugh.
I ?
L I wear crazy clothes. A fancy coat and stripy tights.
I ?
L Well, at the moment I’m working with a very sick
little girl from Bosnia. She’s had so many
operations. She’s very special to me.
I ?
L No, she doesn’t. We communicate through laughter.
I ?
L Yes, it is. It’s very tiring indeed. I’m exhausted at the
end of each day.
I ?
L No, I don’t. I often go out with friends. I have the
best friends and the best job in the world.

A T 2.6 Listen and compare your answers. Are your

At lunchtime we eat in the hospital cafeteria and that’s questions exactly the same? What are the differences?
really useful because we meet the nurses and doctors.
They tell us about particular kids who they think will
benefit from a clown doctor visit. If a child is What do you think?
frightened, perhaps they’re being given an injection or
some nasty medicine – we can distract them so the Discuss the questions in groups.
nurses can do their job. • What are some of the good and bad points about being
a clown doctor?
About six o’clock Dr Chequers and I take off our
• What kind of jobs make people happiest?
make-up and change our clothes. We’re totally
exhausted. Sometimes I have a night out with friends,
• When are you happiest? At work? At home? With friends?
it helps me unwind. When I finally fall into bed, • What were your happiest times last year?
I crash out. At weekends we are often asked to • It’s often said ‘laughter is the best medicine’. Do you agree?
participate in events to raise money for Theodora
Children’s Trust. It’s a charity; so we are paid with
the money people give. Being a clown doctor
makes the worries of everyday life seem small.
All in all, I feel privileged to do this job.

Unit 2 . Get happy! 19

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 VOCABULARY AND LISTENING
Sport and leisure

1 Make a list of as many sports and leisure activities

as you can think of. Use the pictures to help you.

2 Write play, go, or do.

snowboarding aerobics volleyball fishing golf
jogging basketball football yoga mountain biking

3 Choose some of the sports or leisure activities from your list and complete the chart.
Use a dictionary to look up any new words that you need.

Sport / Activity People Place Equipment and clothes

go snowboarding snowboarder ski resort / dry ski slope snowboard / boots / helmet / goggles /
waterproof jacket and trousers

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4 A T 2.7 Listen to three people talking about a sport or EVERYDAY ENGLISH
activity they enjoy and take notes.
Numbers and dates
Mary 1 Say the numbers.

15 50 406 72 128
Mary Jenny Thomas 90 19 850 36 1,520
Which sport/activity
are they talking about?
How often do they
do it?
247 5,000 100,000
2,000,000
Where do they do it? A T 2.8 Listen and practise.
2 Say the numbers.
What equipment and
clothes do they need? Money
£400 50p €9.40 €47.99 ¥5,000 $100
Are they good at it?
Fractions
¹⁄₄ ³⁄₄ ²⁄₃ ⁷⁄₈ 12¹⁄₂
Decimals and percentages
6.2 17.25 50% 75.7% 100%
Dates
1995 2020 1789 15/7/94 30/10/02
Phone numbers
01865-556890 800 451-7545 919 677-1303

Jenny A T 2.9 Listen and practise.

3 A T 2.10 Listen to the conversations. Write the
numbers you hear.
1 fifteenth
2
3

Thomas 4
5
5 Ask and answer questions with a partner.
Discuss what each number refers to with a partner.
• What sports do you play? • What equipment . . . ?
• How often . . . ? • Are you good at . . . ? The 15th is a date.
• Where . . . ? 4 Work with a partner. Write five numbers that are
important in your life and explain why.
WRITING: Letters and emails
Go to p104

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