English Competency

Course
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
SESSION GRAMMAR VOCABULARY SKILL PAGES
Action verbs Reading
1 Present Simple vs Time Expressions PET Speaking Part 1 3-12
Present Continuous Jobs Listening
Regular & Irregular verbs PET Listening Part 1
2 Simple Past vs Past Time Expressions Reading 13-22
Continuous Positive & Negative adjectives Writing a Blog Entry

3 Present Perfect vs Past Participle Verbs Listening 23-30

P.P. Continuous Time Expressions PET Reading Part 1

PET Speaking Part 3

4 Present Perfect vs Time Expressions PET Reading Part 4 31-38
Simple Past PET Listening Part 2

5 Past Perfect Types of Films PET Reading Part 2 39-47

Film-related Words Listening
Reading
6 Future Tenses Time Expressions Listening 48-55
Technology at home Progress Test
PET Listening Part 4
7 Conditionals 0,1,2 Weather Vocabulary PET Reading Part 3 56-62

Practice for the Listening

8 Comparatives & Adjectives & Adverbs & Writing Test 63-66
Superlatives Speaking test

9 Modal Verbs: Can, Quantifiers PET Reading Part 3 67-74

Have to & Must Countable & Uncountable Nouns PET Listening Part 2
Reading: Open
10 Make & do Adjectives -ed /-ing questions 75-79
Articles: A, An & The Listening & Writing
Test
Writing a Composition
11 Passive Voice Connectors for Compositions Listening True or False 80-86
& Open questions

Practice for the Final

12 Relative Clauses Vocabulary in context Exam 87-92
Irregular verbs list 93-94
Credits 95

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 2

 SESSION 1
TIME TO READ

Faking it a new you!

1 Can you change who you are in only twenty-eight days? Can a farmer become a rock singer?
Can a surfer become a web designer? That is the challenge for contestants on the Channel 4
programme, Faking it.
2 In the first programme of a new series, we follow the transformation of Sian Evans from a student of
classical music to club DJ. At the end of the four weeks she must try to convince three professional DJs that
she is one of them. Sian comes from a small village in the countryside. She is studying classical music and
first impressions are that she is a quiet but talented musician who knows she’s good at what she does. Sian
admits she doesn’t like dance music; never goes to dance clubs and she doesn’t stay up night like lots of
girls her age.
3 But Sian likes a challenge and her life is about to change completely. First, she moves to London to
live with a professional DJs Anne and Lottie who have the job of transforming Sian into a club DJ. They are
in for a big surprise! When Sian arrives, she’s wearing smart clothes and is carrying her cello. ‘What are your
thoughts on house music? They ask her. Sian doesn’t know what to say. They stare at her in disbelief, ‘Do
you know anything about house?’ Sian finally answers, ‘It’s quite loud, isn’t it? But there´s no going back.
Anne and Lottie are keen to get it right and Sian has to learn fast. The real test begins when Lottie starts
teaching Sian the art of mixing records. From the start Sian hates the music and finds mixing the records
very difficult. She wants to be a success but at the end of the day wearily admits ‘it is hard’.
4 Sian is under pressure. She knows that she has to mix records like a professional and she also has
to look right. A fashionable hairdresser gives Sian a new image and Anne helps her to choose the right
clothes; she is beginning to look like a real DJ. After a couple of weeks of practicing different styles of dance
music, Sian now has to work on her own for the first time and play to an audience. She is terrified and when
she mixes the records badly, everybody leaves. Things aren’t going well for Sian and the evening ends in
tears. It seems as if Sian can’t get it right, so Anne arranges for a few lessons with a voice and movement
coach. Over the next couple of days Sian begins to feel more confident and learns how to talk and move like
a DJ.

5 At last, Anne thinks Sian is ready. It’s the final test and new Sian arrives at the club, nervous but
ready to do her best. Can this shy girl who hates dance music convince the professional DJs that she is real,
or do they know she’s faking it?

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 3

A. Read the text on page 2 and match the topics (A-E) with the paragraphs (1-5).
a. New skills and new look ____
b. Can you do it? ____
c. A real DJ? ____
d. From classical musician to DJ ____
e. The transformation begins ____

B. Read the text again and choose the best answer, a, b, c, or d.

1. What is the idea of the program Faking it?
a. farmers become hairdressers.
b. people from the countryside move to London.
c. people learn new skills.
d. professional DJs show someone how to do their job.

2. Why does Sian want to make part in the program Faking it?
a. She wants to be a professional DJ.
b. She likes wearing smart clothes.
c. She wants to learn how to mix house music.
d. She likes the challenge of learning new things.

3. What do Anne and Lottie think when they first meet Sian?
a. It will be easy for her to become a DJ.
b. They find the way she looks and speaks surprising
c. They like the clothes she is wearing.
d. They’re pleased to see her.

4. How does Sian feel the first time she DJs for an audience?
a. Frightened.
b. Sad
c. Confident
d. Professional

5. When does Anne know Sian is ready for the final test?
a. When she changes the color of her hair.
b. When she starts mixing records well.
c. When she finally looks and acts like a DJ.
d. When she gets some new clothes.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 4

 TIME FOR GRAMMAR
PRESENT SIMPLE vs. PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Present continuous Present simple

To talk about habits and routines. Things we
To talk about things that happen at the often do, every day, every week, etc. Things
moment of speaking use the present that always happen.
continuous.
The first lesson starts at 8.45.
Ann is reading a book at the moment.
The lesson finishes at 9.30.

SIMPLE PRESENT TIME EXPRESSIONS PRESENT CONTINUOUS TIME

EXPRESSIONS
• Usually, always, sometimes, never,
often… • Now
• On Sundays, Mondays… • At this moment
• Every …. • Right now, today
• Once a week, twice a week, month… • Look! Listen!

State verbs that describe states are not usually used in the continuous form. Some state verbs are:
Mental/ thinking verbs Agree, believe, know, remember, think, understand

Attitude verbs Hate, like, love. Need, prefer, want, wish

Sense/ Perception verbs Hear, see, smell, taste

Appearance, qualities Appear, look, seem, sound

Being, possession Be, belong, contain, have, own

Other verbs Cost, fit, mean, own

A. Add –s or –es to the verbs if it is necessary. If not, put a (-) in the gap.
1. I watch ______TV every day. 4. We play ________ tennis every weekend.

2. She go _______to work by car. 5. They go _______ on Holidays in August.

3. The film finish ______at ten o’clock. 6. The dog eat _______ fish for lunch.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 5

B. Complete these sentences using a verb from the box. Add –s / -es if necessary
Fly - study - eat - smoke - drink - live

1. He ________________toast for breakfast.

2. I __________________coffee three times a day.
3. My father ________________a new language every year.
4. She ________________to New York once a month.
5. He _______________ten cigarettes a day.

C. Complete the questions using Do or Does

1. ______ you like chocolate?

2. ______ they work here?
3. ______ Peter live in London?
4. Where __________ you live?
5. What ________ your mother do?
6. _________ you want to be rich?
7. How often _________ you watch videos online?
8. __________ London have many museums?

D. Complete the sentences with the Present Continuous form of the verbs.

come cook play study swim

1. Listen! Pamela ___________________ the piano.

2. Look! Somebody ___________________ in the river.
3. Hurry up! The bus ___________________
4. Paul: Where are you, Sam? Sam: In the kitchen. I ___________________dinner.
5. Sonia: Hello, Can I speak to Ann, please? (on the phone)
Adam: She ___________________ for an exam right now. Can you call her later?

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 6

E. Complete the conversations by writing the questions.
1. A: (you / watch / tv?)

____________________________________________________________________
B: No, you can turn it off.
2. A: (the children / play?)
_____________________________________________________________________
B: No, they’re sleeping.
3. A: (What / you / do?)

_____________________________________________________________________
B: I’m making my dinner.
4. A: (What / Jim / do?)
____________________________________________________________________
B: He’s taking a nap.

5. A: (the teacher / write / on the board?)

____________________________________________________________________
B: Yes, she’s copying some examples.

F. Fill the text about Amy using the correct form of the verb in Present simple or Continuous
Amy 1 _________________ (want) to work in the film industry. She 2 ______________ (take) a course

in photography at school, and she 3________________ (go) to the cinema as often as she can. She is

very good at acting, but she 4______________ (not- think) she wants to be an actress. She prefers the

technical side of movie-making. She 5___________ (have) a Saturday job in a camera and video shop,

so now she 6 ___________ (learn) a lot about all the new technological developments. She 7

________________ (save) to buy a really good digital video camera. Her friends think she is pretty

ambitious, but she really 8 ___________ (believe) in herself, and is sure she will make it!

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 7

G. Read and choose the correct answer

1. Carla ____ in the bath right now. I'm surprised because she generally...

a. Sing / doesn’t sing b. isn't singing / sing

c. sings / isn't singing d. is singing / doesn't sing

2. A: _____ you ______ the old house?

a. Are / remember b. Do / remember c. Do / remembering d. Are / remembering

3. A: What ____ these days? B: Nothing. She _____ a rest at home.

a. is she doing / is having b. does she do / has

c. is she doing / has d. does she do / is having

4. Monica ______ a new wardrobe. She ______ it can help her tidy her bedroom.

a. needs / believes b. need / is believing c. needs / is believing d. need / believe

5. A: Why _____ you always _____ there same clothes?

a. are / wears b. do / wearing c. are / wear d. do / wear

6. Rose: Where ____ ? Amy: To the hairdresser's.

Rose: But your hair looks very good. Amy: I _____ I'm just bored of it.

a. are you going / am knowing b. are you going / know

c. do you go / knows d. do you go / am knowing

H. Complete the sentences with the present simple or present continuous.

1. They ___________________ breakfast right now. (eat)

2. My teacher __________________ her computer at the moment. (not use)

3. I ______________________ up early on Sundays. (not get)

4. Sheila ____________________ to school by bus every day. (go)

5. My parents _____________________ in the garden today. (work)

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 8

FREQUENCY ADVERBS

% Adverb of Frequency Example

100% Always He always goes to the gym after class
90% Usually I usually take a bus to go to work.
80% Normally/ Generally I normally get good pieces of advice from my mum.
70% Often/ frequently I often read in bed at night.
50% Sometimes They sometimes pick me up.
30% Occasionally I occasionally go to bed early.

10% Seldom I seldom go to a peña.

5% Hardly ever/ Rarely I hardly ever get sick.
0% Never He never drives my car

Subject + Adverb + Main Verb Subject + BE + Adverb

Daniel always passes his exams He is always happy.

A. Rewrite these sentences by using the adverb in brackets in its correct position.
1. Paul is ill in winter. (often)

___________________________________________________________________

2. I have dinner with my family. (usually)

______________________________________________________________

3. My sister is in bad mood. (usually)

___________________________________________________________________

4. Teachers correct the exams at the weekend. (always)

____________________________________________________________

5. The tour guide likes to take the tourist to see the unusual sights. (sometimes)

_____________________________________________________________

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 9

TIME FOR VOCABULARY: JOBS
A. Read the definitions and write the job for each statement

1. A person who is in charge of delivering mail. _________________________

2. A person who helps a doctor. _________________________

3. Person who guides tourists. _________________________

4. Person who can fix problems in your teeth. _________________________

5. Person who specializes in the treatment of hair _________________________

6. A person who helps preventing crime. _________________________

7. A person who designs and builds complex products. _________________________

8. A person that works in a store or shop selling products. _________________________

B. Write sentences with the following words:

1. Pilot _____________________________________________________________

2. Cook _____________________________________________________________

3. Surgeon _____________________________________________________________

4. Pediatrician _____________________________________________________________

5. Engineer _____________________________________________________________

C. Answer these questions:

1. What job do you find very interesting? Why?
___________________________________________________________________________
2. What job do you find hard to do?

________________________________________________________

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 10

TIME TO LISTEN: JOBS

A. Listen and choose the correct answer.

Pilot tour guide nurse dentist shop assistant

1. Speaker A works as a ______________________

2. Speaker B works as a ______________________

3. Speaker C works as a______________________

4. Speaker D works as a______________________

5. Speaker E works as a ______________________

B. Listen and choose the correct answer.

1. Does speaker A enjoy his job?

a. Yes b. Sometimes c. No

2. When does speaker A work?

a. When he is at university. b. Weekends and holidays. c. Summer holidays.

3. When does speaker B work?

a. Weekdays b. Weekends and holidays c. Summer holidays

4. What does speaker B say tourists love doing?

a. Visiting universities. b. Taking a boat trip. c. Swimming in the river.

5. Does speaker C like his job?

a. Yes. b. Sometimes. c. No.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 11

TIME TO TALK: PET SPEAKING PART 1
PERSONAL QUESTIONS ABOUT FAMILIAR TOPICS
The examiner asks questions and you give information about yourself, talk about past experiences, present
job, studies, where you live, etc., and future plans.

EXAMINER’S QUESTIONS
A. HOMETOWN
 Where are you from?
 Can you tell me something about your town?
 What is the most interesting part of your town?
 Can you describe some of the shops in your town?

B. FAMILY AND HOME

 Can you tell me about your family?
 What does your family do together?
 Can you describe your house or flat?
 Do you have a favourite relative? What’s he / she like?

C. WORK / STUDY
 Can you tell me something about your university?
 What subjects do you enjoy the most? The least?
 How long have you been studying English?
 What do you find most difficult in studying English?
 Do you have a part-time job after university?

D. LEISURE
 Do you have any hobbies?
 How did you become interested in your hobby?
 What kind of music do you enjoy most?
 What kind of sports are you and your friends interested in?
 What do you and your friends like to do when you go out?
 How do you usually spend your holidays?

E. FUTURE PLANS
 What do you hope to do in the next few years?
 What kind of job do you hope to be doing in 10 years’ time?

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 12

 SESSION 2
TIME TO READ
A. Read the text and answer the questions. Choose a, b or c.

MAN SURVIVES 4 MONTHS IN THE ANDES 1. How did the helicopter crew find Mr.
Gomez?
On Sunday a helicopter carrying Argentinian officials was making a a. by accident
routine check of snow levels in the Andes when they spotted a man b. they were checking mountain shelters
run out of a cabin and wave to get their attention. The cabin was a in the area
mountain- climbing shelter 9,300 ft. above sea level near Mount c. after spending months looking for him
Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America.
2. What is true about Mr. Gomez?
The man’s name is Raul Fernando Gomez Cincunegui, he is 58 a. He was injured when they rescued
years old and he spent almost four months alone in the cabin. He him.
survived by eating raisins and sugar left in the cabin, and by trapping b. He had survived thanks to his
small animals and eating them. He lost 20 kilos during his time there supplies.
c. He had to find his own food to
and was tired and weak when he was found, but otherwise he was
survive.
in good health. Hospital staff say he is doing well and should be
allowed to go home in a few days. 3. Where was Mr. Gomez at the time the
article was written?
Mr Gomez is from a Uruguayan town called Bella Unión, where the a. at home with his family
three countries of Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina meet. He is a b. living in a mountain climbing shelter
health worker and part-time plumber and enjoys long journeys on c. in hospital
his motorbike. On 11th May, he set off on a journey through the
4. Why did Mr. Gomez send his family a
mountains but his motorbike broke down. He sent a text message
message?
to his family saying he was planning to continue the journey on foot. a. to ask for help because he was in
This was the last message they heard from him as he lost his way trouble
during a snowstorm. b. to tell them he was not giving up
c. to inform them he was returning on
By 19th May, his family realised something was wrong and informed
foot
the authorities. Rescue teams were unable to find Mr Gomez, and
they feared the worst had happened. It was quite a shock for the 5. What was the first thing Mr. Gomez did
helicopter crew when they found him. They couldn’t believe how he when he was found?
had survived for so long. In the helicopter, they let him use a phone a. He communicated with his family.
to call his wife, mother and daughter. They were travelling to San b. He asked the paramedics to take him
home.
Juan at the time and his mother said, ‘I am so happy. I always knew
c. He informed the authorities.
he was alive.’

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 13

TIME FOR GRAMMAR
The Past Simple is used:
*For an action that started and finished in the past.
 I saw a ghost last Friday.
*For a repeated action in the past.
 When he was young, he watched a lot of television every day after school.
 My father always gave me flowers on my birthday.
 (We could also say, he used to watch a lot of television.)
*For stative verbs, which are verbs that do not express an action, but a state of mind or being. E.g.
have (own), be, think (believe), know, dislike, need, owe, understand, wish.
 He had a small flat in front of the sea.
 He wasn't afraid of mistakes.
Regular past simple tense verbs end in -ed
 I talked to my uncle yesterday.
 I phoned my girlfriend this morning.
Irregular past simple tense verbs do not end in -ed. You need to learn irregular past tense verbs.
 I felt sick yesterday morning. So, I went to the doctor.

A. Read the text on page 12 again. Make a list of regular and irregular past tense verbs.
REGULAR VERBS IRREGULAR VERBS

B. Complete the text with the verbs in the Past Simple.

I 1 _______________ (meet) my best friend, Joshua, at university. He 2 _______________ (be) born in Kenya,
East Africa and 3 _______________ (come) to England when he was eighteen. We both 4 _______________
(study) electronics and we both 5 _______________ (get) our first jobs in the same computer company.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 14

We 6 _______________ (not like) our jobs very much, so we 7 ______________ (leave) after one year to
start our own electronics company. Last year we 8 _______________ (go) to Canada to open a new office.
We also 9 _______________ (have) a short holiday before we 10 _______________ (return) home.

C. Read the text in Exercise B. Read these answers and write questions.

1. ________________________________________________________________________ ?
In Kenya.
2. ________________________________________________________________________ ?
When he was eighteen.
3. ________________________________________________________________________ ?
Electronics.
4. ________________________________________________________________________ ?
In the same company.
5. ________________________________________________________________________ ?
After one year.

The past continuous tense is used:

 When talking about TWO actions in the past; one continues for a period and the other starts and
ends (past simple).
 While I was talking on the phone, someone stole my car.
 I was making breakfast when the cat knocked over the milk carton, so I burnt the toast.
These sentences usually use While or When
To talk about TWO actions in the past, both happening over a period. E.g., I was working on my computer
and my children were watching television.
To talk about a TEMPORARY activity taking place over a limited time.

The past continuous tense is: SUBJECT + WAS / WERE + V+ING

E.g.
 I was living in the countryside when it happened.
 I was staying at my friend's house while my parents were touring Italy.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 15

D. Complete the sentences. Use when or while.

1. Was it raining ___________________ you met Frank?

2. Mary had breakfast ___________________ she was waiting for the bus.

3. ________________ she put new batteries in the radio, it started working.

4. ______________ we were happily dancing, somebody turned off the music.

5. Did everybody go home _________________ they knew the bad news?

E. Complete the sentences using Simple Past or Past Continuous.

1. I ______________________ (watch) TV when she ____________________ (call).

2. When the phone ________________ (ring), she _____________________ (write) a letter.

3. While we ________________ (have) the picninc, it (start) ___________________ to rain.

4. What (you, do) _________________________ when the earhtquake _______________ (start)?

5. I ______________________ ( listen) to my iPod, so I _________________ (not, hear) the fire alarm.

6. I _____________ (see) Kathy in the club last night, but she ________________ (look) the other way.

7. I _________________ (meet) my cousins at the airport a few weeks ago. They _____________ (go) to
Boston and I ________________________ (go) to Montreal. We ______________ (talk) while
we________________ (wait) for our flights.

8. My sister _________________________ (ride) her bicycle yesterday when a man ________________

(step) out into the street in front of her. She ___________________ (go) pretty fast, but luckily. She
____________ (manage) to stop in time and __________________ (not/ hit) him.

F. Complete the sentences with past continuous or simple past phrases.

1. While we were walking to the park, ______________________________________________________ .

2. When the doctor came to the ward, the nurses _____________________________________________ .

3. __________________________________________________________, his kids turned on the TV.

4. ___________________________________________________________ while she was driving home.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 16

TIME TO LISTEN

A. Listen and complete the information on the cards.

Fast Fit Gym

Name: Stefania 1_____________________
Membership: Gold
Membership number: 2_______________

Hi-Rate
Credit Card
7842 0293 3293 1738
Mr 3________ 4
_______________

Be Well Insurance
Name: 5___________ 6
_______________
Date of birth: 17/03/1991
ID number: 329428 29384102

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 17

 B. Listen and choose the answer (A, B or C) which fits best according to what you hear.

1. Where did the boy read the story?

a b c

2. What was the girl’s birthday present?

a b c

3. What does the girl’s dad collect?

a b c

4. What is broken?

a b c

5. What belongs to the boy’s brother?

a b c

6. What is the girl reading?

a b c
7. What app is the boy going to try later?

a b c

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 18

TIME TO WRITE

A. Read the box below and circle the connectors of sequence in the paragraph.

CONNECTORS OF SEQUENCE
 First
 Then
 Later
 After (that)
 Afterwards
 Finally

Saturday was a great day! First, I met my friends at the mall. Then, we had lunch at Pardo´s

restaurant. Next, we went to the National museum and saw some amazing things. Finally, we

went to the cinema to watch a fantastic action film.

B. Complete the blog entry with the connectors of sequence.

CLARE’S BLOG

Yesterday, it was my birthday and it didn’t start well. I went to the mall to meet my friends, but they weren’t

there. I decided to look for them. 1 ______________, I went to the sports center opposite the park, but they

weren’t there. 2 _______________, I looked for them at the library, but they weren’t there. 3

_________________, I tried the park and the restaurant near the park, but my friends weren’t there. 4

_______________, I went home, and my friends were there with a birthday cake, ice cream, music and

games. It was a surprise party for me! In the end, I had a great birthday.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 19

C. Match the words (1-6) with their definition (a-f).

1. Disgusting ___ a) to collect someone who is waiting for you

2. miss ___ b) To investigate, inspect, or look at something of interest

3. dizzy ___ c) If you’re sick, food and drink come up from your stomach and out of your mouth

4. check sth out ___ d) to arrive too late to get on a bus, train, etc.

5. pick sb up ___ e) extremely unpleasant, really awful.

6. be sick ___ f) feeling like everything is turning round, so that you feel sick or as if you might fall

D. Write the adjectives in the correct group. There is an example.

funny disgusting embarrassing annoying brilliant cool

boring awesome immature scary messy terrible

amazing fantastic interesting friendly awful hilarious

Positive Negative
Funny Boring

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 20

E. Read this blog entry about a trip to LLanganuco Lake

Llanganuco Lake Trip

Posted by Lara on 20 June, 2019 at 18:25

Yesterday was fantastic! We went on our end-of-year trip to lake Llanganuco. I had to get up so early
though as the bus picked us up from school at 8 a.m.!! Not funny!!
Can you believe that Dan nearly missed the bus? Typical! He ran down the street as fast as he could
shouting and luckily Mr. Andrews, the teacher, saw him and stopped the bus. The journey was awful -
there was an accident on the motorway so we were in a traffic jam for ages, so we got to the lake really
late and there were already huge queues for all the different activities.
The activities were brilliant! I went on fast motor boat ride which is totally crazy! It goes so fast and I felt
really dizzy when it stopped. And guess what? Luisa Martin was sick all over herself! Disgusting!!
After lunch we went on different water activities – they were great! We got so wet and it started raining
too! They took a photo of us and I had my eyes closed and screamed all the way. Such an embarrassing
photo and then Kiara showed it to everyone... how embarrassing! Anyway, I took loads of photos too -
check these out...

It was a really good day ... so much fun ... can't wait to go again!!

F. Use the words and phrases in the box to complete the blog. There is an example.

fantastic Can you believe friendly So scary

something amazing
amazing check them out I can’t wait
happened

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 21

 I had an 1 amazing time on summer camp in Florida. I met loads of great people and have lots of stories
to tell. 2_____________________________ I saw a shark in the sea? Yeah, I surfed and had a 3

__________________________ time with my friends, then suddenly a shark came really close. I could
see its teeth! ___________! We all screamed and luckily the shark swam away.
I love Florida, the people are so cool and 5 _____________________ and the sun is always out. And,
6____________________ something amazing happened __________________, top secret, but I met a
really nice girl. We’re going to keep in touch!
Anyway, I had a great time. 7 __________________________ to go again next year. I’ve put loads of new
photos on Facebook so 8 ______________________ and leave a comment, too!

G. Write a blog entry about a trip you went on before and choose a tittle for it. Write your entry
answering to these questions:
 Where did you go?
 Who did you go with?
 What did you do there?
 What did / didn’t you enjoy?
 Do you want to go back?
Your entry needs to use past tenses, connectors of sequence and have between 100 -120 words

MY BLOG

__________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 22

 SESSION 3
TIME FOR GRAMMAR
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE & CONTINUOUS
A. Choose the most appropriate alternative to complete these sentences.
1. I've ____ a couple of music festivals this year.
a. been to b. been going to

2. I’m tired as I’ve ____ all night long.

a. studied b. been studying

Remember: Verbs with stative meanings are not used in the progressive.
E.g., I have been knowing Alice since he was a child. (incorrect)
I have known Alice since he was a child. (correct)
Both the Present Perfect Simple and the Present Perfect Continuous can be used to describe an activity
that started in the past and continues up to the present and possibly into the future.
E.g., They have been studying English for three years.
They’ve studied English for three years.

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Form Have/has + V-ed Have/has + been + V-ing

Usage Expresses an action that is still going Expresses an action that is still going on.
on or that stopped recently, but has
Puts emphasis on the duration or course of
an influence on the present.
the action.
Puts emphasis on the result.

Adverbs For, since, already, ever, never, yet, The whole week, all day, for, since, etc.
frequently still, etc.
How long?
used
How many?

Example I have written five letters. I have been playing football since 3 o’clock.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 23

B. Fill in the gaps using the correct form of the verbs in brackets in Present perfect

1. __________ you ever __________ (play) Candy Crush? Yes, ___________

2. The baby __________________ (not/fall) asleep yet. What’s the matter?

3. My parents ____________________ (not/keep) all my school-books since first grade but they
______________ (frame) every single painting!

4. _________ he _____________ (finish) making the pizza yet? No, He ___________

5. How long _________ Lady Gaga _______________ (be) famous?

6. We __________ never __________ (try) Chinese food. __________ you?

7. ________ your brother ever __________ (eat) sushi? Yes, he __________.

8. I _________ already _____________ (complete) my English homework.

9. My family and I ______________________ (already/visit) many Greek islands.

10. _______ you ever _____________ (fly) in a helicopter? No, I ____________.

C. Choose the correct Frequency Adverbs to complete the sentences.

1. Have you never/ever/yet been to Budapest?

2. It’s a book I’ve already/yet/ever read twice.
3. No, I’ve ever/never/yet been sailing.
4. Have you finished your project yet/never/ever?
5. I’ve already/yet/never seen that film, it’s very good.
6. He’s ever/never/yet studied French.
7. Has she never/already/ever been in an aeroplane?
8. They’ve ever/yet/already been on holiday.
9. I’ve yet/ever/never won a competition.
10. Have you seen Mary recently/ago/usually?

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 24

D. Complete the sentences using Present Perfect Continuous

1. My cat ________________________ (sleep) all day.

2. A: ______________Jimmy ______________ (do) _________________ exercise?

B: Yes, he ______________. He needs a rest.

3. It _______________________ (rain) for several days.

4. I failed the test because I __________________________(not study) hard.

5. We _________________________(drive) for two hours.

6. Tom and me __________________________ (play) tennis for an hour.

7. I’m sorry I’m late. ______________you ______________________ for a long time?

8. Why __________________you _________________ (get) up so early recently?

E. Fill the blanks with the suitable form of the verbs: Present Perfect Simple or Continuous.

1. How long ________________________________ your best friend? (you/ know)

2. You look tired. What _________________________________ all day? (you/ do)

3. How many times ________________________________ Europe? (Carl / visit)

4. She ____________________ French for years, but she still doesn't speak it fluently. (learn)

5. The children______________________________ videos for two hours. (watch)

6. __________________________________ hard today? (he/ study)

7. I ______________________________________. (never / smoke)

8. Sorry, I'm late. ___________________________________ for long? (you/ wait)

9. We ________________________________________ Lisa recently. (not/ see)

10. He ___________________ (write) his essay all day, but he __________________ yet. (not / finish)

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 25

F. Read the text. Choose the correct answer.

I’ve 0 C been to Australia but I would like to go. My family and I 1 _____ many interesting places already.

We’ve just come back from an African safari. Have you 2 _____ been on a safari? It was amazing. I’ve 3

_____ had such a great holiday. We 4 _____ in several campsites, 5 _____ of which were really basic and 6

_____ which were very luxurious. One day we went through the African bush 7 _____ foot. Not many people

get the chance to do this. 8 _____ for wild animals this way was very exciting. 9 _____ it’s really easy to travel

through Africa but 100 years ago it was very difficult. I 10 _____ about the trip on my blog already and

hundreds of people have commented on it. I haven’t uploaded my photos 11 _____ , but I’ll do that tomorrow.

I hope you’ll all look at 12 _____ when you get a chance.

Example: 0 a. already b. ever c. never

1 a. have visited b. visited c. were visiting

2 a. already b. ever c. yet

3 a. ever b. yet c. never

4 a. stayed b. stay c. were staying

5 a. others b. they c. some

6 a. others b. some c. them

7 a. by b. with c. on

8 a. looked b. looking c. look

9 a. actually b. already c. nowadays

10 a. am writing b. have written c. was writing

11 a. already b. never c. yet

12 a. they b. them c. their

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 26

TIME TO WATCH

A. You’ll watch a report about Peruvian Weavers.

B. This is the glossary with useful words you will hear in the video
blanket: a covering that keeps you warm in bed
cloth: material used for making clothes, etc.
cooperative: a business or organization owned by the people who work in it and who all profit from it
poncho: a traditional South American coat made from a single piece of cloth, with a hole in the middle for
the head
self-sufficient: able to provide everything you need for yourself
shawl: an article of clothing worn around the shoulders
spin: twist fibres of a material into thread to make cloth
thread: a long thin line of fibre (British)
weave: make cloth by crossing threads over and under each other
weaver: a person who weaves
wool: a material made from the hair of sheep and other animals
yarn: a long thin line of fibre (American)

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 27

C. Watch the video Peruvian Weavers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B19pJ2wsHUQ and
complete the summary using words from the box.

Business cooked farming self-sufficient shawls

traditions village visitors weavers

This video is about a group of women 1 ________________ in a small 2_________________ in Perú.

Traditionally in this village women 3 _______________, looked after the children and made cloth, and men

farmed. But now 4 _____________ is not enough to support a family and some women have formed a new

type of 5___________ a weavers' cooperative. The women use traditional methods to weave blankets,

6_______________and ponchos which they sell to 7_________________ In this way, they preserve their

identity and 8________________but also make some money which helps them become 9_______________

D. Watch the video and answer the questions.

1. Who is Nilda Cayanupa?

______________________________________________________________________________
2. Why did she decide to start the cooperative?
______________________________________________________________________________
3. What was her dream?
______________________________________________________________________________
4. How did one man get involved in the weaving?
______________________________________________________________________________
5. How much money can the women make?
______________________________________________________________________________

E. Write a paragraph about any of these topics. Write between 60-80 words.

1. Do your clothes express who you are?

2. Maintaining traditions & making business.

3. Andean women become self-sufficient

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 28

TIME TO READ

The legend of fairies

(1) Fairies today are the stuff of children’s stories, little magical people with wings, often shining with light.
Typically, pretty and female, like Tinkerbell in Peter Pan, they usually use their magic to do small things and
are mostly friendly to humans.

(2) We owe many of our modern ideas about fairies to Shakespeare and stories from the 18th and 19th
centuries. Although we can see the origins of fairies as far back as the Ancient Greeks, we can see similar
creatures in many cultures. The earliest fairy-like creatures can be found in the Greek idea that trees and
rivers had spirits called dryads and nymphs. Some people think these creatures were originally the gods of
earlier, pagan religions that worshipped nature. They were replaced by the Greek and Roman gods, and then
later by the Christian God, and became smaller, less powerful figures as they lost importance.

(3) Another explanation suggests the origin of fairies is a memory of real people, not spirits. So, for example,
when tribes with metal weapons invaded land where people only used stone weapons, some of the people
escaped and hid in forests and caves. Further support for this idea is that fairies were thought to be afraid of
iron and could not touch it. Living outside of society, the hiding people probably stole food and attacked
villages. This might explain why fairies were often described as playing tricks on humans. Hundreds of years
ago, people © 2019 British Council www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish actually believed that fairies stole
new babies and replaced them with a ‘changeling’ – a fairy baby – or that they took new mothers and made
them feed fairy babies with their milk.

(4) While most people no longer believe in fairies, only a hundred years ago some people were very willing
to think they might exist. In 1917, 16-year-old Elsie Wright took two photos of her cousin, nine-year-old
Frances Griffiths, sitting with fairies. Some photography experts thought they were fake, while others weren’t
sure. But Arthur Conan Doyle, the writer of the Sherlock Holmes detective stories, believed they were real.
He published the original pictures, and three more the girls took for him, in a magazine called The Strand, in
1920. The girls only admitted the photos were fake years later in 1983, created using pictures of dancers that
Elsie copied from a book.

Task 1 - Are the sentences true or false or is the information not given?

1. Fairies are not usually male.

True False Not given
2. Newer religions changed how people thought of fairies.
True False Not given
3. People used iron to protect themselves from fairies.
True False Not given

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 29

4. People thought very good babies were presents from the fairies.
True False Not given
5. Arthur Conan Doyle created some fake photos.
True False Not given
6. Elsie and Frances were surprised Arthur Conan Doyle believed them.
True False Not given

Task 2 - Circle the best answer.

1. In paragraph 1, the word they refers to …

a. fairies.
b. children.
c. stories.

2. In paragraph 2, the words these creatures refer to …

a. tree and rivers.
b. the spirits of trees and rivers.
c. the Ancient Greek people.

3. In paragraph 2, the word They refers to …

a. pagan gods.
b. pagan religions.
c. Greek and Roman gods.

4. In paragraph 3, the words this idea refer to …

a. the idea that fairies were based on people.
b. the idea that fairies used metal weapons.
c. the idea that fairies used stone tools.

5. In paragraph 3, the word This refers to …

a. the fact that fairies were thought to be afraid of iron.
b. stolen food.
c. the possibility that hiding people stole food and attacked villages.

6. In paragraph 4, the word more refers to …

a. the girls.
b. the photos.
c. the fairies.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 30

 SESSION 4
TIME FOR GRAMMAR
A. Read the text about working habits. Underline sentences in Past Simple and circle the ones in
Present Perfect.
In the past, everybody travelled to their offices and worked from 8 to 6. However, since the 90s, working
habits have changed. The majority of homeworkers started their activity between 1995 and 2000, and a lot
of them about 44% are consultants. Before 1995 only 5% used the Internet, but now the percentage is much
higher, approximately 94% of homeworkers use emails or websites. Many of these people do other different
activities, such as study or take care of their children, during the days and work in the evenings.

PAST SIMPLE PRESENT PERFECT

Structure S + verb (past tense) + C S + has/have v(participle) + C

For an action that happened in the For an action that started in the past, but
Use past and is done or finished continues or has an effect today

Time Yesterday, last night, last month, last lately, recently, once, twice, so far, for…,
expressions/ week, last year, days ago, etc. since…,
Adverbs

B. Complete the following sentences with Simple past or Present perfect.

1. We ___________ (go) to the movies last night.
2. Tom ______________ (see) that movie three times already.
3. I _________ (read) yesterday's newspaper, but I ________________ (read, not) today's.
4. The students _________ (have) eight exams last month.
5. The students _____________ (have) eight exams this month.
6. The students _____________ (have) eight exams in the last month.
7. They ______________________ (practice) for the concert for over three hours now.
8. __________ you ever __________ (be) to a professional football game?

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 31

C. Use these words to make sentences in present perfect or simple past.

1. The secretary / finish / yet / her work

____________________________________________________________

2. Giuseppe / back / just / from Italy / come

____________________________________________________________

3. I /a camel / never / ride

____________________________________________________________

4. The realtor / my house / sell / last week

____________________________________________________________

5. That patient / in hospital / yesterday / be

____________________________________________________________

6. Peter / task / do / his / already / math

____________________________________________________________

D. Complete the text. Use the present perfect or the past simple.

Filmmaker George Richards 1 ___________ (be) interested in the cinema since he 2___________ (be) a

small child. He 3___________ (make) his first film when he 4___________ (be) just twelve years old. He is

now almost forty and he 5___________ (make) thirty films. George loves travelling. His work 6___________

(take) him all over the world. He 7____________ (be) to Africa, India, Australia, China, the USA and South

America. Last year, he 8___________ (visit) Russia for the first time. George is married to the singer Kathy

Burke. They 9_____________ (be) married for 10 years. They live with their two children on the Greek island

of Kos. They 10___________ (buy) a house on the island in 1987 and they have lived there since then.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 32

TIME TO LISTEN: PET LISTENING PART 2
Listen carefully to the interviewer’s questions. They will use words that help you decide
where to find the correct answer, even though different words are used in the options.
You’ll hear an interview with a student talking about a sport. Circle the correct answer.

1. What does Elena say about running in competitions?

a. it can take several years to prepare for a race.
b. you need to run a lot every day before the race.
c. you can choose to run the same distance without competing.

2. What does Elena enjoy about running?

a. the opportunity to be outside
b. the chance to test herself
c. running with companions

3. Elena wanted to play rugby because

a. it’s a faster game than netball.
b. it has a lot of physical contact.
c. the competitions are better.

4. What advice does Elena give to people who are bad at sports?
a. keep going and you will improve.
b. use it as a way of getting fit.
c. try to enjoy whatever you are doing.

5. What does Elena like about team sports?

a. the feeling of being in a group
b. the fact you can work less hard
c. the way the group helps you

6.Elena suggests that if there is too much competition in a sport,

a. it’s better to pick another sport.
b. you should try doing the sport with a friend.
c. you should choose to practise the sport privately.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 33

TIME TO TALK: SPEAKING PART 3
In this part, you will be asked to describe a photograph for 1 minute.
Useful tips for describing a picture
1. General description of the scene
 This picture shows a family having a picnic.
 In this photo I can see a group of tourists visiting a monument.
 This is a picture of some people queuing in front of a bus stop.
 This photograph shows people in a market

2. The People in the photograph and their actions

Where are they?
 There's a man sitting in his office
 There is a group of children in a classroom
 The two men/cyclists are near a lake/in the mountains etc... Use Present
Simple for
What are they doing? permanent
characteristics and
 He's working on his laptop
Present
 They're colouring their pictures
Continuous for
 They've stopped cycling to take a rest/to look at the view
things that are
happening in the
Who are they? What do they look like (e.g. height, weight, age, hair)?
photo.
 He might be a businessman.
 The woman must be their teacher.
 Probably, they're friends.

How old are they?

 He could be in his 30s (thirties)
 I think the kids are about 8 years old. They look like primary school kids.
 Maybe they are middle-aged/in their twenties/teenagers

What are their feelings?

 I think he's bored
 They look like they're having fun
 Perhaps they're tired

What are they wearing?

 He's wearing a smart suit.
 This girl's wearing a pretty pink dress. That boy is wearing a striped t-shirt and some shorts.
 They're both wearing typical cycling clothes.

3. The Place (Giving more information)

 He's in an office. Outside the window I can see some buildings in the background.
 Behind the desk I can see a blackboard
 This picture is taken in the countryside/in the mountains/ on a beach/in a street/ in a square

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 34

PART 3 – Examples of descriptions
Example A.

Example B.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 35

You will be asked to describe a picture to the examiner for 1 minute.
Here is an example. Practice with your partner.

These are photographs of friends spending time together. Describe 1 of the

photos for 1 minute.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 36

TIME TO READ: PET READING PART 4
A. Read the text and questions below. For each question, choose the correct letter A, B, C or D

CAN ANYONE HELP?

Nickysox14: I’m trying to save up to go on holiday to the USA next year, but at the moment I’ve got nothing
in the bank! My problem is clothes – I don’t like wearing the same things, so I’m always buying something
new. I need to stop soon. Give me some advice, and please don’t just say ‘Don’t go shopping!’ – I can’t!

Dexy393: OK! Nicky. I had the same problem. Last year I had this plan – to go and visit my cousin in
Australia... I saved a lot of money in the first week by doing jobs for people. I walked my neighbour’s dogs,
cleaned some cars and I didn’t spend anything. Then the next weekend I went shopping with my mates and
there was a sale in my favourite shop. Disaster! I spent everything I’d saved because there were so many
bargains! I felt terrible. Then another friend invited me to a ‘swishing’ party. It’s a party where friends swap
old clothes that they don’t want any more. I thought these parties were for oldies, like my mum! But they’re
not. Everyone is having these parties these days – even celebrities! It’s a way of getting a new look without
spending anything. It’s also a way of helping the environment because people don’t throw away as much as
they used to. The only people who don’t benefit from this really are the clothes shops! Apparently, the word
‘swishing’ was invented by Lucy Shea, the person who started the PR green company Futerra. It’s the sound
that silk clothes make when they move.

Anyway – my friend, who has been to loads of these parties, persuaded me to go with her. You have to take
some of your own clothes with you to swap and then you can take the same number of ‘new’ clothes home.
I took an old red coat with me. I bought it last year – in the sale, of course – but it still cost me a lot of money.
It was a designer label. But the next day I realised that it didn’t really suit me, so I haven’t worn it since.
Something good to swap, I thought. I also took some summer tops and a really expensive handbag which
someone had given me for my birthday – but I didn’t like the colour. I didn’t really know what the party would
be like. I thought maybe there would be a lot of cheap or very old-fashioned clothes. But I was really surprised.
The quality of the clothes was excellent! I went home with a fantastic blue silk shirt and a top designer black
jacket. And I spent nothing! I also had a great time. There was music, good food and I met some lovely
people. Bonus! Try it and you’ll soon be saving money for the USA. I’ve put some party links below.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 37

B. Read the questions below. Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D

1. Nicky needs some advice about

a. earning some money quickly
b. finding a cheap holiday
c. dealing with a spending habit
d. buying inexpensive clothes

2. Dexy and Nicky are similar because they both

a. tried doing extra jobs to get some money.
b. wanted to go on a long trip.
c. stopped buying clothes for a while.
d. had a plan which failed.

3. ‘Swishing’ parties
a. sell new designer clothes cheaply.
b. can benefit the environment.
c. are popular with older people.
d. encourage people to swap clothes online.

4. What does ‘it’ in the following line refer to?

It’s a way of getting a new look without spending anything.
a. recycling clothes
b. using a green website
c. spending nothing
d. having swishing parties

5. When Dexy went to a party she …

a. swapped something that she didn’t like.
b. couldn’t decide easily what to take.
c. came home with a designer red coat.
d. took some clothes with her that she’d worn a lot.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 38

 SESSION 5
TIME FOR GRAMMAR
A. Read the story and look at the picture. Fill in the blanks with one of the sentences below.

1 The shark had already attacked three people.

2 A large wave had carried the shark into the pool during the night.

AUSTRALIA

In Sydney, early in the morning, some swimmers were taking a swim in an outdoor swimming pool that was
very close to the ocean. The swimmers were very surprised when
suddenly the pool assistants started shouting “get out of the water!
Quickly!”
The swimmers immediately got out. Then they realized that there
was a shark at the other end! ______________________________
Fortunately, none of the swimmers were hurt and the shark was
caught in a net and put back into the ocean.

PAST PERFECT

B. Look at these underlined verbs from the Australia story. Answer the questions.

A. Then, they realized that there was a shark at the other end!
B. A large wave had carried the shark into the pool during the night.

1 Which action happened first, A or B?

2 What are the two parts of the verbs in sentence B?

When we talk about something that happened in the past, we sometimes want to refer back to something
that happened before that time. We can use the past perfect tense (had + past participle) to do this.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 39

C. Complete the following sentences using your own words in Past Perfect.

1. When I got to the check-in desk, I suddenly realized that ______________________

2. When we arrived back from our vacation, we found that _______________________

3. When the movie started, I realized immediately that __________________________

4. I couldn’t answer any of the exam questions because I _______________________

5. We spent 20 minutes in the parking lot looking for the car because we couldn’t remember ____________.

D. Complete the sentences using the words in brackets. Add articles, prepositions etc.

1. Louise wasn’t hungry because she ______________________________________________________ .

(have / big lunch / vegetarian restaurant downtown)

2. I didn’t know who she was because I ____________________________________________________ .

(not meet / she / before)

3. The police arrived because somebody ___________________________________________________ .

(rob / local bank)

4. John couldn’t come to classes yesterday because he ________________________________________ .

(break / his leg / skiing accident)

5. Laura didn’t want to go to the cinema because she __________________________________________ .

(see / the film / before)

6. I __________________________________________________________ so I didn’t want to eat outside.

(already / prepare / dinner)

7. They __________________________________________________ so the electrical company cut it off.

(not / pay / electricity bill)

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 40

PAST PERFECT & PAST SIMPLE

Past Perfect: I had seen / Past Simple: I saw

The past perfect is used to sequence events in the past to show which event happened first.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 41

The past simple often suggests a stronger connection between the time of the two events.

When she came through the door, everyone Past simple + past simple: this sentence shows

shouted, “Surprise! Happy Birthday! that as she came through the door, everyone

immediately shouted “Surprise!”

When she had heard all the greeting cards, Past perfect + past simple: this sentence

she made a short thank-you speech. emphasized that she had finished reading the

cards before she made her speech.

E. Fill the blanks with the correct form of the verb in the past perfect or the past simple tense.
1. Unfortunately, when we arrived at Samantha’s birthday party, all the guests
________________________ home so we did not meet anybody. (go)

2. I didn’t take a map with me so obviously I ____________________________ in London. (get lost)

3. I was really surprised when I heard that Steven _______________________ his exams. (fail)

4. Marvin returned to his hometown after 15 years and he could not believe how much it
_______________________ (change)

5. I did not get any reply to my email so I ____________________________to phone them. (decide)

F. Complete the story with the past perfect or past simple form of the verbs in brackets. Sometimes
both are possible.

When she went into the kitchen, she (0) saw (see) the letter on the table. After she (1) _________ (read) it,

she (2) _____________ (tear) it into small pieces. Then she went for a long walk. By the time she (3)

_______________ (come) home, she (4) ______________ (form) a plan. She began to pack a small

suitcase. She (5) ______________________ (leave) the house by the time he (6) _______________ (phone)

her the next morning.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 42

TIME FOR VOCABULARY: FILMS

animated film/ comedy

action adventure film documentary
cartoon

horror romantic film science fiction (sci-fi) thriller western

A. Fill in the gaps with the type of the film.

1. A movie that makes you laugh is a __________________.

2. A movie that makes you scream is a ___________________.
3. A movie that is exciting with lots of guns and explosions is an _____________ movie.
4. Movies about the future or space are known as __________________ films.
5. A movie about real life is a _______________________.
6. An __________________ film has cartoon characters.
7. A film about lots of travelling and exciting or dangerous events is _______________ .
8. A film about love is ________________ .

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 43

B. Read these definitions connected to film vocabulary and write the correct word from the box.
Soundtrack cast special effects star dubbed main character stunt
set subtitles

Example: A verb that is used to say which actors or actresses are in a film Star
1. When the dialogue is written on the screen, the film has _____________________
2. The most important character in a film is called the _________________________
3. A recording of the musical accompaniment to a film is ______________________
4. When the voices of the actors in a film are replaced by those of other people, it is _____
5. Computer generated images used in the film are ___________________________
6. A verb that indicates where the story of a film takes place ___________________
7. A noun that means all the actors in a film, is _______________________________
8. A part of films which isn't normally done by actors because it’s too dangerous, is called a _______

C. Find the words in the box in the Word search below

Historical drama cartoon action romantic comedy science fiction horror

thriller comedy drama war animated film documentary

H A C T O I M F I S C I D K
I N T A K L B H O R R O R J
S M L I F D E T A M I N A W
T I O A N M M K S A S A M A
O E W N Q K L I A O Q U A C
R O M A N T I C C O M E D Y
I N T E R N E A T S A S T T
C T I A M A R R I A C P H H
A C T I O Y N T O A E E R R
L A B W O D D O N A N C I I
D R A M E E A O P L U I L L
R O M A N M U N I C L A L L
A N N A D O C U A M T A E E
M U N D O C U M E N T A R Y
A N I M A F T E D N G H K N
S C I E N C E F I C T I O N
Z H J K L Ñ H O R R A R W A

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 44

TIME FOR LISTENING: FILMS

A. Listen and complete. Match the speaker to the genre of film.

Speaker A___ 1. A science fiction film

Speaker B___ 2. A modern vampire film

Speaker C___ 3. An action film

Speaker D___ 4. A romance

Speaker E___ 5. A romance based on a book

B. Fill in the gaps with the correct speaker.

1. Speaker _____ thinks the film shows you not to judge people too quickly.

2. Speaker _____ says the film is not too sentimental, thanks to the actor.

3. Speaker _____ likes a film in which everything we think is real is fiction.

4. Speaker _____ prefers the first version of the film.

5. Speaker _____ likes the scenes filmed in different countries

C. Listen again and write true or false. There is an example.

Ex. Noah from the film “The Notebook”, is a rich boy who meets a poor girl called Allie. False

1. Allie’s parents don’t want their daughter to be in a relationship with Noah _____

2. Noah is played by Ryan Gosling in “The Notebook”. _____

3. “Skyfall” was filmed in Shangai and Scotland. _____

4. “Pride and Prejudice” is a very recent film. _____

5. “Pride and Prejudice” is a clever, interesting and romantic story. _____

6. The best about “The Matrix”is the special effects. _____

7. “Let the right one” is a film which has three different versions. _____

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 45

TIME TO READ: PET READING PART 2

The first thing you should do when you get to Reading Part 2 is to check what exactly
the five different people want from their perfect place. Read each description very
carefully and underline the things that are important to each person.

A. The people below are interested in books. Read the text. Match each person (a–f) with the best

book description (1–7) for them. There is one extra book description.

a. Ray is thirteen. He is interested in exciting adventure stories. ____

b. Henryk wants to know more about important people and events in the past. ____

c. Noam likes reading about crimes and detectives. He loves Poirot. ____

d. Suzy is sixteen and likes to read about love and romance. She likes happy endings. ____

e. Maria is eleven and likes to read fairy tales. She likes stories about princes and princesses. ____

f. Helena loves to read love stories from the past and she likes stories which are set in England. ____

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 46

1. The Magic Apple Tree tells the story of Princess Polly. She was sitting under a tree when a

magic apple fell into her hand. After she eats the apple she goes to magical places.

2. Down the Amazon is about two teenage boys’ adventures on the River Amazon. Full of exciting

stories of where they go, who they meet and the dangers of the river.

3. Exciting Meetings is about Jake and Peggy. The story begins with the accident that brings them

together and then they fall in love…, but their parents are worried.

4. It’s late and the Boston streets are quiet. A man slowly opens a window of the old house, takes

a knife out of his pocket and goes inside. Then there is a terrible scream. The horror of the night

has started.

5. The latest in the Christy Agate series, A Crime of Passion. The story starts with a murder. Will

the detective find the murderer when so many people hate the victim? Will the murderer kill again?

6. Miss Sarah loves Jonathon. Her sister Emma loves Jonathon’s brother, Cecil. But Jonathon

loves Emma and Cecil loves Sarah. My Heart is Yours is set in 18th century England in the village

of Tenderton.

7. The Life of Leaders takes place in the twentieth century. It follows the lives of some great world

leaders. This story tells of their hopes, dreams and successes.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 47

 SESSION 6
TIME TO READ
A. Read the text.

Homes of the future

Here at Teen Talk we just love exciting new gadgets and
technology! Last week we visited the ‘Homes of the Future’
exhibition in the city of Liverpool to answer this question: What will
our homes be like in the year 2050?’ We spoke to technology
expert Mr Oswald, a science teacher who helped to organise the
show.
So, Mr Oswald. What will homes be like in the year 2050?
Well, as you can see, they will be very different from homes today. Look at a typical home today – people
have lots of equipment in their kitchens. Almost every home has a fridge, microwave and washing machine.
Everything needs to be switched on and off – this costs us a lot of money and energy. That is going to
change by the year 2050. The household machines we use nowadays are quite big, but the new technology
will be small and there won’t be so much of it. Our homes will maybe just have one machine to do everything,
and with this one machine people will be able to cook, chat to their friends, shop and even study. You will be
able to switch your house on or off with one button. It will be good for people – old people think technology
is very difficult so this new technology will be quite easy for them.
Wow! That’s very exciting! Will there be robots in every house of 2050?
Well, it’s quite possible that there will be robots in every house. You will plug your robot in before you go to
work in the morning. When you are at the office, the robot will do everything you need around the house.
Some robots will even be able to look after children and work in the garden!
But what will people do? Do you think that people will become lazy with all this new technology?
Well, I suppose some people will become lazy. There will be people who won’t go out anymore because they
have everything they need at home, but there will also be a lot more time for sport and hobbies. I think it’s
going to be very interesting because it will really change the way we live.
Well, we can’t wait to see what the future will be like! Thanks very much for talking to us! We’re going
to go and see some of these robots now.

B. Write if the sentences are true or false.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 48

Ex.: The Homes of the Future Exhibition show what homes will be like in the year 3000. F
1. Mr Oswald thinks that homes in 2050 will be very different from today’s homes. _____

2. The homes of the future will have lots of different gadgets. _____
3. There won’t be any robots in the homes of the future. _____
4. Mr Oswald thinks that people will have nothing to do in the future. _____
5. Mr Oswald thinks that the future will be interesting. _____

C. Read the text again and choose the correct answer.

Ex.: Where is the exhibition?
A London
B Liverpool
C Paris
1. What is Mr Oswald’s job?
a. he’s a journalist.
b. he’s a technology expert.
c. he’s a teacher.

2. Why do our homes cost us a lot of money?

a. because they use a lot of energy
b. because we have to heat them
c. because things are always breaking down

3. What will the difference be between our homes now and the homes of 2050?
a. houses will be smaller.
b. we won’t have so many different machines.
c. houses will be underground.

4.Why does Mr Oswald think that these homes will be good for old people?
a. robots will look after the old people.
b. they will teach old people about technology.
c. technology in the future will be easier to use.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 49

5. What will the robots do?
a. work in offices
b. go to the shops and buy your food
c. do jobs around the house when you are not there

6. What does Mr Oswald think most people will do with their free time?
a. sleep more
b. take part in hobbies and sports
c. nothing much

7. Why does he think that the future is going to be very interesting?

a. robots will take over the world.
b. technology will change our way of life.
c. scientists will keep making new gadgets.

8. Who does he think the future will be bad for?

a. lazy people
b. young people
c. poor people

9. The Teen Talk reporter thinks the future will be

a. exciting.
b. frightening.
c. boring.

10. What is the Teen Talk reporter going to see at the exhibition?
a. a microwave
b. a dishwasher
c. the robots

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 50

TIME FOR GRAMMAR: FUTURE TENSES

A. Complete the sentences using will (‘ll) or going to.

1. A: Why are you turning on the television?

B: ____________________________________________________ the soap opera. (I/ watch)

2. A: Oh, I just realized. I forgot my wallet.

B: Really? Well, don’t worry. _____________________________________ you some. (I/ lend)

3. A: I have a temperature.
B: You do? Wait a minute and __________________________ some medicine for you. (I/ get)

4. A: Why are you boiling water?

B: _____________________________________________________ some coffee. (I/ prepare)

5. A: I’ve decided to take vacations?

B: Oh, really? Where __________________________________________________? (you/ go)

B. Fill the chart with suitable ideas

That bag looks heavy. I ______________________ you. You’ve just decided
Promise
Thanks for lending me S/. 50. I ___________ back next week.
WILL Offers
________ you __________ some coffee with me? Predictions about the
future
In 5 years’ time, people’s lives ______________ very different.

Michael told me Paul won some money. He _______________ Previously planned

BE GOING TO a new car. General predictions
about the future
It __________________________ hot tomorrow.
PRESENT Arrangements
CONTINUOUS My brother __________________ tennis on Tuesday morning. appointments

PRESENT I have to get to the train station at 6:00 PM because my train Fixed schedules or
SIMPLE timetables
__________________ at 7:00 PM
FUTURE Tomorrow, don’t call me between 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, I An action that will be in
CONTINUOUS ______________________________ an exam progress at a particular
time in the future.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 51

C. Write the sentences in the correct category.

I don't think I'll ever be famous.

We'll help you! You'll feel better soon.
I'll hold the door for you.
I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
Are you going to the cinema tomorrow night?
I'll wash. You dry.
It won't take long to get there.
I'm playing basketball tonight.
I'm seeing Jenny on Sunday.
What are you doing next week?
I'll ask him.

Predictions Spontaneous ideas Plans & arrangement

D. Complete the sentences with the correct future form.

1. Look at Jason! He ______________________________ (sneeze).

2. Do you think people ______________________________ (travel) to the Moon again?
3. Tomorrow we______________________________ (rehearse) a school play in the gym.
4. Dad ______________________________ (wait) for you at the station when you arrive next week.
5. Tidy your room now or you ______________________________ (stay) at home tonight.
6. A: Why do you need the planks? B: I ______________________(make) a shelf for my tech project.
7. What _______________________________ (you, do) tomorrow at 3 p.m.?
8. Look at that car! It ______________________________ (crash) if the driver doesn’t slow down.
9. If I don’t know the answer, I ______________________________ (ask) my elder sister.
10. By this time tomorrow, I __________________________ (open) my gifts because it’s my birthday.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 52

E. Choose the correct alternative
1. The sports club has put up the prices again. I’ll cancel / I’m going to cancel my membership.
2. I’ve talked to my boss, but he doesn’t care and won’t do / isn’t going to do anything about the problem.
3. I’ll go / I’m going to go into town this afternoon. Can I get you anything?
4. Will you hold / Are you going to hold this box for a moment while I open the car?
5. I hear the government’s announced they’ll raise / they’re going to raise taxes again.
6. My car won’t start / isn’t going to start. It must be the cold.
7. I’ll start / I’m going to start a new job next week.
8. Sorry, I forgot your birthday. Please come tomorrow night and I’ll cook / I’m going to cook you a meal?
9. I took the pants back to the shop, but they won’t change / aren’t going to change them without a receipt.
10. You look tired. Shall we eat / Are we going to eat early this evening?

TIME FOR VOCABULARY: TECHNOLOGY AT HOME

A. Match these words with the photos (A–H).
_____coffee maker ________dishwasher _____ fridge-freezer ______kettle
_____microwave _______remote control _____ smart TV ______washing machine

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 53

B. Look at the pictures and complete the sentences using the correct Word

1. We can heat up yesterday’s leftover pizza in the _____________________

2. My parents have a ____________________ which makes an espresso in less than a minute.
3. Keeping vegetables in the ________________ helps them last longer.
4. Is that a _______________? Can you download apps on it?
5. I need to turn the TV off. Where’s the _________________?
6. Put the _______________ on and boil some water for a cup of tea, will you?
7. Harry, look at all these dirty clothes! Don’t you know where the ____________________ is?
8. All the plates and cups in the _________________ are clean. Can you put them away, please?

C. Complete the sentences with these words and phrases.

dishwasher fridge hairdryer hair straighteners headphones microwave

1. You’re too late for dinner, but you can heat your dinner in the ____________________ .

2. Steve can’t hear you, Mum. He’s wearing ____________________ !

3. Julia uses ____________________ every day – she doesn’t like her curly hair.

4. ‘There are no clean glasses.’ ‘You can find some in the ____________________ .’

5. Don’t leave the milk on the table on a hot day like this! Put it in the ______________________ , please.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 54

TIME FOR LISTENING
A. You will hear a conversation. Circle the correct answer.
Ex. 1. ___ will like the headphones. a. teachers b. dentists c. doctors

2. The fridge plays music when it is getting _____.

a. full b. empty c. dirty

3. The 3D TV doesn’t have a _____.

a. plug b. remote control c. power switch

4. The dishwasher has a _____ on its front door.

a. TV screen b. radio c. picture

5. Lisa thinks the dishwasher _____ very well.

a. will sell b. won’t sell c. won’t wash the dishes

6. The microwave _____ when the food is ready.

a. plays music b. speaks to you c. makes a funny noise

B. Listen again. Who are these sentences about: Lisa (L) or Ben (B)?

Ex. 1 This person sometimes plays music too loud. B

2 This person doesn’t think the fridge looks interesting at first. ____

3 This person feels hungry thinking about watching cookery programmes. ____

4 This person doesn’t want to stand up and watch the TV. ____

5 This person is going to buy the microwave as soon as it gets to the shops. ____

6 This person wants to find out how much the microwave costs. ____

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 55

 SESSION 7
TIME FOR GRAMMAR

CONDITIONALS STRUCTURE USE

ZERO If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils. To talk about a general
“condition” or to describe
Conditional IF + SUBJECT + VERB / SUBJECT + VERB something that usually
happens.

FIRST If you visit Miami, I will take you to dinner.

Conditional IF + SUBJECT + VERB / SUBJECT + WILL + To talk about a real
VERB possibility and possible
actions in the future
I’ll buy a red dress if I don’t find a blue one.
SUBJECT + WILL + V / IF + SUBJECT +
VERB
SECOND If I were millionaire, I would have a summer To talk about unreal or
Conditional house in a tropical island. imaginary situations.

IF + SUB + PAST SIMPLE / SUB + WOULD +

VERB

A. Complete the sentences with the Zero Conditional. Use the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

1. If Rita _______________ a blouse that she likes, she _______________ to make it herself. (see, try).

2. We sometimes ______________home together if we both ___________ at the same time. (walk, finish).

3. Max _______________ music if it __________________ a fast rhythm. (not like, not have).

4. He _______________ really upset when his team ___________________________ (get, lose).

5. I often ________________ a bargain in that shop if I ______________________ carefully. (find, look).

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 56

B. Choose the correct alternatives. First & Second Conditional.

1. Will he be angry if I don’t come/ didn’t come to her party?

2. If I had $ 500 to spend today, I’ll buy / ‘d buy a nice present for my mum.

3. If I see Charles, I’ll ask / ‘d ask him to call you.

4. If I know / knew somebody on that course, I’d ask them about it.

5. He would travel if he has / had money.

C. Complete these sentences with your own ideas. Use the Second conditional.

1. If I had lots of money, ______________________________________________________________.

2. If I were a film star, ________________________________________________________________.
3. If I could live anywhere in the world, ___________________________________________________.
4. If I met a famous pop star, ___________________________________________________________.
5. If my friend gave a party for me, ______________________________________________________.

D. Write a sentence with if… for each situation.

E.g. We don’t see you very often because you live so far away.
We would see you very often if you didn´t live so far away.

1. We don’t go out to eat because we can’t pay for it.

___________________________________________________________________.

2. I can’t meet you tomorrow. I have an appointment with the doctor.

___________________________________________________________________.

3. It’s raining, so we can’t have lunch near the pool.

___________________________________________________________________.

4. I don’t want her advice, and that’s why I’m not going to ask for it.
___________________________________________________________________.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 57

E. Put the verb into the correct form.
1. We wouldn’t need a car if we __________________ (not live) in the country.

2. If we had the choice, we _________________________ (live) in the country.

3. This salad isn’t very good. It ___________________ (taste) better if it weren’t so salty.

4. I wouldn’t mind living in Cajamarca if the weather ______________________ (be) better.

F. Complete the 2nd sentence so that it means the same as the 1st. Use the verbs in brackets.
E.g., We can’t have a party here because our flat’s too small. (could)
If our flat were bigger, we could have a party here.

1. I’d like to invite her, but I haven’t got her phone number. (would).

If I ____________________her phone number, I _____________________________________ her.

2. They can’t stay with us because we don’t have a spare room. (could)

If we ____________________________ a spare room, they __________________________ with us.

3. He’d like to tell them his plans, but it’s possible that they’ll disagree with him. (might)

If he __________________________ them his plans, they ___________________________ with him.

4. We have a lot of work this month, so we feel stressed (wouldn’t)

If we ________________________ a lot of exams this year, we ________________________ stressed.

G. Fill the blanks with the verbs in brackets. Use the 1st or 2nd conditional.
1. Tom lives in the country. If he ____________ (live) in a city, he ________________ (go) out more often.

2. I want to go to Puno soon. If I _____________ (not go) this month, I ________________ (go) the next.

3. If I __________________ (can) have any job in the world, I ____________________ (be) a musician.

4. I find math difficult, but If I __________________ (solve) the problems easily, I ___________________
(study) sciences.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 58

TIME TO LISTEN: PET LISTENING PART 4

The questions always follow the same order as what you hear on the recording. Use
the questions to help you understand the recording.

A. Listen to a conversation between Tom and Samantha, about being late for school. Decide if each
sentence is correct or incorrect by ticking on YES or NO.

YES NO
1. Tom isn’t worried about what Mrs. Morrison said. _____ ______

2. Samantha thinks waking up is easy. _____ ______

3. Tom isn´t able to cope with his workload. _____ ______

4. Tom agrees he will have health problems from tiredness. _____ ______

5. Samantha thinks Tom should speak to his brother. _____ ______

6. Samantha believes watching television will help him relax. _____ ______

B. Listen to the conversation again and answer these questions:

1. Is it easy or difficult to wake up early for you? Why?

_____________________________________________________________________________ .

2. Have you had any health problem from tiredness? Which?

_____________________________________________________________________________ .

3. What helps you to relax when you have much workload?

_____________________________________________________________________________ .

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 59

TIME FOR VOCABULARY

WEATHER VOCABULARY

A. Fill the blanks with words from the box.

1. If tomorrow is ______________ I’ll go to the beach.

2. Mary would wear her new dress if it weren’t very ________________ . She needs a warm coat.

3. Take an umbrella. You’ll need it if there’s a big ____________________ .

4. If we hadn’t driven in those very __________________ conditions we wouldn’t have had that accident.

5. Open the windows and the door if it’s too __________________ inside.

B. Answer the questions using Conditionals & the Weather Vocabulary.

1. Would you stay at home on a rainy weekend? Why?

______________________________________________________________________________ .

2. If there were snow in Lima, would you play with it?

______________________________________________________________________________ .

3. What would you do if you saw a beautiful rainbow?

______________________________________________________________________________ .

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 60

TIME TO READ: PET READING PART 3

You will be given a long text with ten true/false statements for you to decide on.

Underline the keywords from each sentence and find them in the text and make sure
you number where you found it in the main text.

An extremely useful but easy and effective way to do this part of the test is to turn the
statements into questions

A. Look at the sentences below about a family trip to see dolphins. Read the text on the next page to
decide if each sentence is True or False.

1. Paul has family connections with the place he first visited in New Zealand. ______

2. Paul and his family chose to go to Kaikoura as part of their tour. ______

3. As soon as Paul arrived in Kaikoura he knew he might see some dolphins there. ______

4. The weather got worse during Paul's boat trip. ______

5. Paul had expected to go swimming closer to land. ______

6. Paul was beginning to feel unhappy about the trip until someone saw the dolphins. ______

7. Paul believed the dolphins were inviting him to join them in the water. ______

8. Paul felt that he had failed to communicate with the dolphins. ______

9. One dolphin copied exactly what Paul did in the water. ______

10. Paul was pleased when the guides finally called them back onto the boat. ______

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 61

 DOLPHIN TRIP
By Paul Hannan

My family have always been huge fans of New Zealand - my mum comes from the capital - so we saved up
and went for a holiday there. We started with a week in the city she grew up in. After that, we toured around
for a while before ending up by chance in Kaikoura, a small town on the coast. The first evening it seemed a
rather dull place, but the next day I remembered what I'd read about it - that it was often possible to see
dolphins and whales there! always think of Kaikoura as the place where I finally achieved my lifelong ambition
- to swim with wild dolphins.
My family and I set off on a dolphin trip on a cold, grey day with a number of other people on a small boat.
However, the sky soon turned blue, and we raced across the waves in the sunshine until we finally reached
the place where we were supposed to go swimming. To my surprise, this was more than 40 km from land. I
was quite cold by this time, and really starting to wonder why my family had made me come all the way out
there, when suddenly someone shouted Dolphin.
All I could see were fins everywhere - there were more than a hundred dolphins, all swimming towards our
boat! Many of them were jumping around in the water as if they were asking us to come and play. I put on my
snorkel and jumped into the sea. Everywhere I looked, all I could see was dolphins, swimming under me and
round me. Then I remembered the guide had told us to make sounds in the water to attract them. So, I did and
actually heard them making ' similar sounds, as if they were trying to answer me. I even made eye contact with
one dolphin, and watched it carefully as I swam round in a circle. Amazingly, the dolphin almost followed me,
but then changed its mind, although it kept eye contact with me all the time. It really made me realize how
intelligent and beautiful these creatures are.
Then after an hour of swimming the guides called us to get back onto the boat, Although I had enjoyed myself,
I was keen to leave the water by then as I was very cold. As I got dry, I noticed that everyone on board was
smiling and I realized what a very special moment we'd had.
I'll never forget that experience, and Kaikoura will always have a special place in my heart

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 62

 SESSION 8
TIME FOR GRAMMAR

ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS

A. Fill the blanks with the adjective or adverb form of the words in brackets
1. You must read the instructions ______________________ (careful) before you use the machine.
2. The bus driver was _________________________ (serious) injured.
3. Kevin is _____________________(extreme) clever.
4. Be __________________________ (careful) with this glass of milk. It's hot.
5. Robin looks ______________________ (sad). What's the matter with him?
6. The black suitcase is _______________________ (slight) heavier than brown one.
7. Children are always very ___________________ (noisy).

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 63

COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVES

A. Read these sentences, underline the adjectives and write if the sentence is describing a
Comparative or Superlative adjective.
1. Einstein was the most intelligent scientist in the world. _______________ .

2. Listening to soft music makes me feel more relaxed than listening to hard rock. ______________ .

3. Shopping in Jockey plaza is more expensive than shopping in Gamarra. _______________ .

4. You’re one of the most romantic people I know. ________________

Comparative & Superlative Chart

B. Complete these sentences with the corresponding adjective form.

1. A piano is probably the _____________________ (good) instrument of all for learning music.
2. Football is ______________________________ (popular) than volleyball.
3. I think baseball is ___________________________ (exciting) than golf.
4. I’m not interested in history films. I think they’re the ________________________ (boring) types of films.
5. I like living in the country. It’s ____________________________ (relaxing) than the city.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 64

6. Jack is the __________________________ (old) student in the class.
7. He is _________________________ (intelligent) than I am.
8. Eva speaks ______________________________ (good) English than I do.
9. My parents are the_________________________ (good) parents in the world.
10. This game is _________________________ (exciting) than the last one.

C. SPEAKING. Discuss these questions. Use comparative and superlative adjectives.

1. Which is better, watching a movie at home or going to the cinema? Why?
2. What kind of films do you prefer? Thriller or horror? Comedy or drama? Why?
3. Which musical instrument would you choose a guitar or a piano? Why?
4. Would you like to travel to the coast, the highland or to the jungle? Why?
5. Where would you live in the city or in the country? Why?

D. Choose the correct answer in the following sentences.

1. I think she is still ill. She looks even ____ than last week.
a. more bad b. badder c. worse d. more worse
2. There are more accidents on this road because it's ____ than the others.
a. narrower b. more narrow c. narrowest d. narrow
3. Which of the three supermarkets do you think has _____ range of products?
a. the better b. more good c. good d. the best
4. He has ___ potential than anyone thought.
a. bigger b. the bigger c. big d. the biggest
5. It's becoming ___ to attract new customers. What we need is a new strategy.
a. the hardest b. harder c. more hard d. the harder
6. In the last few months, competition has become _____
a. most difficult b. more difficult c. the more difficult d. the most difficult

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 65

TIME TO PRACTICE FOR THE LISTENING & WRITING TEST
A. Watch the video: Jeronimo Lazano, Peruvian Retablo Artist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzxvQJn_--A

B. Answer the question

1. What do Retablos depict? Explain
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

C. Write a short paragraph on ONE of these topics:

1. Combining cultural knowledge with artistic skills.
2. Making business and maintaining traditions.
3. Living abroad and keeping native identity.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________ .

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 66

 SESSION 9
TIME FOR PET READING PART 3
Look at these sentences about Crowdsourcing. Read the text to decide if sentence is TRUE or FALSE.
1. A lot of people bring big problems to solve when they go to events. _____
2. Some people outsource security or cleaning up jobs from companies after some big events. _____
3. Outsourcing means using somebody inside a business to do work. _____
4. Wikis and social networking are successful internet organizations. _____
5. Wikis offer free online information on different topics. _____
6. Wikis do not pay people to write articles for them. _____
7. Social networking websites give people instant access to information from news websites or TV news. _____
8. Many critics argue volunteers don’t have the expertise to write about some topics correctly. _____
9. Some wikis & social networking webs fail because people don’t give them much interesting information _____
10. Crowdsourcing is useless to complete large projects. _____

CROWDSOURCING

What can bring together a big crowd? A football game or a rock concert can fill a stadium with people.
But big crowds also bring big problems to solve, like security or cleaning up after the event. The people
in charge often outsource these jobs to security and cleaning companies. Can you imagine a rock band
asking the audience to volunteer to clean up before they leave? That is the basic idea of crowdsourcing
– using a large group of volunteers to work together on a Project. The Word crowdsourcing is a
combination of the words crowd and outsource.

Crowdsource websites, such as wikis and social networking sites, are some of the most successful
internet organizations. Wikis offer millions of people free online information on a variety of topics. Almost
100,000 volunteers from around the world write and edit the topics in many different languages. Social
networking websites also use crowdsoursing. They connect users to stories, ideas, opinions and news,
and they give people instant access to information from many sources. This information is often not
available in traditional media such as news websites or TV news. Wikis are some of the most visited
websites in the world. However, many critics disapprove of their structure. They argue volunteers don´t
have the expertise to write about some topics. They also claim a lot of wiki articles are poorly written.
Another issue is that wikis and social networking websites are only as useful as their network size. Some
wikis and social networking websites fail because they do not have a big enough crowd to provide much
interesting information.

Crowdsourcing has some problems but it’s a useful way to complete large projects. It shows that when
lots of individuals contribute a small amount of time & energy, it quickly adds up to a significant result.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 67

TIME FOR GRAMMAR
MODALS FOR PERMISSION AND OBLIGATION

HAVE TO CAN MUST

DON’T HAVE TO CAN’T MUSTN’T

It´s allowed It´s forbidden It´s an obligation It´s not an obligation

can’t

A. Choose the best modal to complete the sentences.

1. In America, you mustn´t / don´t have to have a license to ride a motorbike.
2. In America, you have to / can clean up after your dog.
3. In America, you have to / can´t be over 21 to buy beer or any other alcoholic drinks.
4. In many countries, dogs can / must be kept under control on main roads.
5. You can’t / don´t have to smoke in pubs in Ireland.
6. Rose mustn’t / can’t give her kids more candies.

B. Fill the blanks with the appropriate form of the Modals for Permission & obligation
1. You ______________ add 1 more dollar if you want extra French fries with your order.
2. A: ____________ I take photographs in this area? B: No, sorry! Go outside.
3. Drivers _____________ stop when they see the red light.
4. Children under two-years _____________________ pay if they enter with their parents.
5. The laws are very clear. Tourists _______________visit the country without a visa and passport.
6. The doctor said you ______________ drink soda at all. It has lots of sugar and it’s is really bad for you.
7. Shhh you _____________ make noise here in the library! People are reading.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 68

QUANTIFIERS

With UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS With COUNTABLE NOUNS With COUNTABLE &

UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS

SOME
MUCH MANY MORE
LITTLE FEW LESS
A LITTLE A FEW ANY
LOTS OF
A LOT OF

A. Choose the correct quantifier.

1. Is there any / some shampoo in the bottle?

2. I bought a little / a few cheap items.

3. My sister´s got enough / lots of friends.

4. I want to buy a / some chocolate.

5. There is little / few yogurt left in the fridge.

B. Complete the text with these words:

any - enough - few - lots - many - much

I’m studying English in a town in the south of England this summer. But I don’t really like it here. There’s too
much traffic and it’s crowded and noisy. Another thing is that there are too (1) ___________ old people in
the town.There’s nothing for young people to do.There are (2) ___________ of expensive restaurants, but
only a (3) ___________ fast-food restaurants in the town. There aren’t (4) ___________ places for young
people to go – for example there aren’t (5) ___________ clubs at all, not one! I’m not having (6) ___________
fun. It’s a bit boring!

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 69

C. Complete with How much & How many and answer the questions.

1. ____________________ milk does your family buy every week?

2. ____________________ times a week do you eat fish?

3. ____________________ coffee do you drink? Do you drink a lot of it?

4. ____________________ glasses of soda do you drink a day?

5. ____________________ fruit do you eat a day?

6. ____________________ secrets has your best friend told you?

D. Select the best quantifier to complete the sentence.

1. She hasn’t got some / any friends.

2. I didn’t do much / many work today.

3. She just ate a few / a little salad and drank some water. She’s on a diet.

4. There aren’t much / many trees in the garden.

5. I haven’t read many / much books.

6. She has prepared very little / few rice for all the people that are here.

E. Fill the blanks using MUCH / MANY / A LOT OF / A / AN

1. I want to make a chocolate cake, but I haven't got _____________ flour.

2. How _____________________cans of coke are there left in the pantry?

3. Can you please give me ____________________ tea bag?

4. How ________________________ sugar do you want?

5. There are ______________________ cookies in the box, please help yourself!

6. You need ______________________ lemons to make lemonade for all these people.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 70

TOO & NOT ENOUGH

He´s got too much work but he hasn´t got enough time.

He´s not relaxed enough to do his work. He´s too stressed.

Complete these sentences following the examples above.

There's too _________ noise coming from that house. The music is _______ loud.
There are too _______ people in the party. The facility is not big __________.

A. Choose the most appropriate expression, according to each situation.

1. I need a bigger hard drive; there is too much / not enough space available for my videos.

2. I like my new I-phone, it is too / too much sophisticated.

3. The public internet is slow because there are too much / too many people connected.

4. This will be a busy weekend. I have too much / too many homework to do.

5. Laptops aren’t comfortable enough / enough comfortable to use for long time.

6. Kaylie considers herself too important / enough important in this company.

B. Complete these sentences with one word.

1. There was too _____________ information about this topic.

2. Jimmy was __________ old enough to watch that film.

3. We didn't have enough __________ to go shopping.

4. I installed too __________ apps in my smartphone.

5. My sister spends too __________ money buying online.

6. Unfortunately, Amy didn’t finish her test. She didn’t have ____________ time as she got late.

7. ____________ hard! The Math exam was really difficult. Only NASA scientists could have solved it.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 71

TIME FOR VOCABULARY
COUNTABLE & UNCOUNTABE NOUNS

A. Fill the blanks with the following words

Meat – cheese – onions – cartons – slices – butter – packages

1. Please, spread just a little _____________________ on my toast.

2. How many ____________________ of milk do you need to make the dessert?

3. The recipe says 250 grs of white, swizz or mozzarella ________________ . Any of them.

4. Cut four ___________ of vanilla cake and two of chocolate one.

5. Believe it or not, my dog eats not only _______________ but also different vegetables.

B. Which container can’t contain the food? Cross the odd one out.

1. I’d like to drink a bottle / a glass / a can of lemonade.

2. Include two bars / jars / pots of honey in the shopping list

3. Some of the ingredients include 3 loaves / jugs / slices of fresh bread.

4. Let’s buy a packet / box / tube of oranges cookies for the kids.

5. Get two heads / cartons / kilograms of broccoli for the salad as well!

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 72

TIME FOR PET LISTENING PART 2
1. What did Vanessa and Robert decide to do last year?
a. get married
b. travel to England by boat
c. travel to England by boat

2. Vanessa was worried that

a. they wouldn't be prepared.
b. the conditions would be bad.
c. the baby would get ill.

3. How did Vanessa feel when they reached Singapore?

a. She wondered if she should fly home.
b. She was worried about the boat.
c. She enjoyed the break from travelling.

4. Why was Vanessa's father-in-law particularly helpful?

a. He was a good cook.
b. He looked after the baby.
c. He helped to sail the boat.

5. Because of spending so much time on the boat, the baby

a. learnt to walk late.
b. doesn't play by himself.
c. only likes certain food.

6. What is Vanessa's advice for people sailing with children?

a. Don't take more than one child.
b. Go for a short time.
c. Don't let children get bored.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 73

TIME TO PRACTICE FOR THE LISTENING & WRITING TEST
A. Watch the video: Try something new for 30 days – Matt Cutts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNP03fDSj1U

B. Answer the question

1.What has the narrator done for 30 days? Why?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

C. Write a short paragraph on ONE of these topics:

1. Stuck in a rut! Try something new!
2. I’ve always wanted to do this, and I’ll do it!
3. 30-day challenge! It looks like a lot.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________ .

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 74

 SESSION 10
TIME FOR READING: OPEN QUESTIONS

Reading text: A Plastic Ocean: a film review

A Plastic Ocean is a film to make you think. Think, and then act. We need to take action on our dependence
on plastic. We’ve been producing plastic in huge quantities since the 1940s.
Drink bottles, shopping bags, toiletries and even clothes are made with plastic. We live in a world full of
plastic, and only a small proportion is recycled. What happens to all the rest? This is the question the film A
Plastic Ocean answers. It is a documentary that looks at the impact that plastic waste has on the environment.
Spoiler alert: the impact is devastating.
The film begins as a journey to film the largest animal on the planet, the blue whale. But during the journey
the filmmakers (journalist Craig Leeson and environmental activist Tanya Streeter) make the shocking
discovery of a huge, thick layer of plastic floating in the middle of the Indian Ocean. This prompts them to
travel around the world to look at other areas that have been affected. In total, they visited 20 locations
around the world during the four years it took them to make the film. The documentary premiered in 2016
and is now on streaming services such as Netflix.
It’s very clear that a lot of research went into the film. There are beautiful shots of the seas and marine life.
These are contrasted with scenes of polluted cities and dumps full of plastic rubbish. We see how marine
species are being killed by all the plastic we are dumping in the ocean. The message about our use of plastic
is painfully obvious. But the film doesn’t only present the negative side. Also, the filmmakers look at what we
can do to reverse the tide of plastic flowing around the world. They present short-term and long-term solutions.
These include avoiding plastic containers and ‘single-use’ plastic products as much as possible.
Reuse your plastic bags and recycle as much as you can. The filmmakers also stress the need for
governments to work more on recycling programs and look at how technology is developing that can convert
plastic into fuel. We make a staggering amount of plastic. In terms of plastic bags alone, we use five hundred
billion worldwide annually. Over 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year, and at least 8 million of
those are dumped into the oceans. The results are disastrous, but it isn’t too late to change Once you’ve
seen A Plastic Ocean, you’ll realize the time is now and we all have a role to play.
Answer these questions based on the text
1. Why does it say that the film A Plastic Ocean is to make people think? Explain.
2. Which event led the filmmakers to travel around? Why?
3. Does the film make a balance between the destruction and the possibilities for the future? How?
4. What’s the most practical recommendation to avoid plastic in the seas?
5. Why should governments campaign in favor of recycling? Explain

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 75

TIME FOR VOCABULARY
ADJECTIVES ENDING IN –ED AND –ING
Rules
To express how something is, adjectives end in ing.
To express how you feel about something, adjectives end in ed.

Adjectives ending in ing Adjectives end in ed

This situation is disgusting. I’m ___________________ by this situation.

The instructions are really I can´t understand the instructions. I’m confused now.
_________________.

The competition was _______________. She was tired after watching the competition.

Too much noise is annoying. I feel __________________ with too much noise.

Luther King's famous speech is inspiring. After reading Luther King´s speech, I felt _________.

A. Use the word given to form a word that fits in the gap.
1. I was very _____________that you didn’t phone me last night. SURPRISE

2. I though the film was rather _______________ after all the publicity it has received. DISAPPOINT

3. Her lessons are very _________________ and enjoyable INTEREST

4. Anita looked quite _________________ when she left the police station. WORRY

5. The kids were really ___________________ by the Pony brought to the party. AMAZE

B. Write down the corresponding ending for each adjective in these sentences.
1. Chuck’s hobby is terrif_____, but he enjoys being terrif____.

2. Shania thinks karaoke is excit _____, and she never feels embarrass _____.

3. Some people feel disgust _____ by bodybuilding, but I think it’s fascinat _____.

4. Jake feels satisf ____ when he finishes a puzzle – he never feels bor ___.

5. The child is depress______ because his pet died last night.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 76

C. Choose a word to fill the blanks. Write them in their correct form:

amuse – complicate – frighten- interest – irritate – confuse - amaze

1. The instructions in the exam were very __________________ and left the students feeling totally lost.

2. I don't think that horror films are__________________ - in fact, I find them quite funny.

3. Would you be __________________ in coming to the theatre this evening? I have a spare ticket.

4. Can't you fix that dripping tap? It's getting on my nerves; it's really __________________.

5. That new comedy was really _____________________. Everybody laughed a lot.

6. Wow, getting 20 in a “Pure math” exam is really _________________________ .

MAKE & DO
General differences

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 77

A. Complete the sentences below with “make” or “do” in the correct form.

1. John worked hard and ___________ his best at his job, but he still wasn't promoted.

2. The teenagers were _____________ such a noise that the neighbour called the police.

3. She __________ a payment on her debt every month. Soon she'll have finished paying it off.

4. So many chores to ____________I need to clean the bathroom and the kitchen, hoover and change all
the beds.

5. Sorry, I've _____________ a mistake. The restaurant isn't here, but on another street.

6. If you don't speak English, you'll find it hard to _____________ business in the UK.

7. He's volunteering at a homeless shelter because he wants to ___________ good.

8. She needs to _____________ a choice. Either move to Madrid or stay in London.

9. Let's ____________ a date to meet and talk about your business idea. How about next Friday?

10. Thanks for _____________ such lovely comments about my paintings! I'm really glad you like them.

B. Select “make” or “do” to

1. I do / make the shopping every Friday afternoon.

2. Please, can you do / make a reservation for me?

3. She doesn't do / make much money.

4. Nobody helps my mother to do / make the housework.

5. Will you do / make me a favor? Help me carry this table.

6. Let's do / make the appointment for 10:00 in the morning.

7. Try not to do / make any grammar mistakes in your writing.

8. Oh, dear! There is so much laundry to do / make.

9. She always does / makes the dishes late at night.

10. I'll do / make spaghetti for dinner. Do you like it?

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 78

ARTICLES: A, AN, THE
A. Complete Ben Carson´s biography using the correct article: a / an / the / o

GIFTED HANDS

Benjamin Solomon Carson, born on September 18, 1951, is 1 __________

American neurosurgeon and the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at 2 _________
Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 3
__________ highest civilian award in 4 __________ United States, by President
George W. Bush in 2008. Carson was born in Detroit, Michigan and was raised by his
single mother, Sonya Carson. He struggled academically throughout elementary
school, but started to excel in middle school and throughout high school. After graduating with 5 __________
honors from Southwestern High School, he attended Yale University, where he earned 6 __________ degree
in Psychology. Carson's eye-hand coordination and three-dimensional reasoning skills made him 7
__________ gifted surgeon. After medical school he became a neurosurgery resident at Johns Hopkins
Hospital in Baltimore. Starting off as 8 __________ adult neurosurgeon Carson became more interested in
pediatrics. With children he believed that "what you see is what you get, when they’re in pain they clearly
show it on their face or when they are happy, they show it by smiling brightly." Since then he has been 9
__________ head of 10 __________ pediatric neurosurgeon department.

B. Underline or highlight the correct article.

1. He is very rich, but he still drives an / the old car.

2. A: “Where’s Sue? B: She’s in a / the bathroom.
3. There’s a / the lake in a / the park near my house. A / The lake is quite big.
4. We live in a / the big house in a / the west of Ireland. A / The house is over 200 years old.
5. Would you like a / the drink? There’s orange juice in a / the fridge.
6. I’m reading an / the excellent book about a / the Second World War.
7. Does a / the town where you live have a / the cinema?
8. Do you have a / the cigarrette? I have finished my packet.
9. She has three children, a / the boy and two girls. A / The boy’s name is Danny.
10. I’m going to a / the party tonight. It’s at a club in a / the centre of town.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 79

 SESSION 11
TIME FOR GRAMMAR

PASSIVE VOICE
GRAMMAR: Check these example sentences
E.g. The dishwasher was designed by an American woman.
Disposable diapers were invented by Marion Donovan
More than 55 million diapers are used everyday.
Natural water is drunk everywhere in the world
Police officers all over the world are protected by the bullet-proof vest.

Look at the two sentences below and answer the questions.

a. An American woman designed the dishwasher.
b. The dishwasher was designed by an American woman.

1. Do the sentences have the same meaning?

2. In which sentence is the focus more on the dishwasher?
3. In which sentence is the focus more on the woman?

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 80

A. READING: Complete the “Did you know…?” text with the participle of a verb from the box.
base call design discover give
Invent open play show use

Did you know…?

One of the most famous logos in the world is the Nike logo. It was 1. _____________
by an American student, Carolyn Davidson, in 1971. Ms. Davidson was only paid
$35 for her design. However, she was later 2. __________a gold ring in the shape
of the logo and Nike shares.

Canned food was 3. _____________ in 1810 in Britain by Peter Durand. Unfortunately, he did not also invent
a can opener, so cans were 4. _____________with difficulty using a knife and a hammer. It wasn’t until
almost 50 years later that the American Ezra Warner invented the can opener.

When people at toy company Parker Brothers were first 5. ____________ the board game – Monopoly, they
were not interested. They said it had 52 fundamental errors, including
taking too long to play. However, a few days later, the company
president saw the game and took it home to try it. He stayed up until 1
a.m. to finish playing it, and the next day he wrote to the inventor, Charles
Darrow, and offered to buy it!.

The modern game of golf was invented in Scotland in the 18th century. It was originally only 6.__________
by men, and was 7.___________ “golf” because of the rule Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden. This is how
the word golf entered into the English language.

Botox was first 8. ____________ in the early 1980s to correct strabismus (lazy eye) in children. The
possibility of using it to make people’s faces look younger was only 9. _________________20 years later.

The character Gregory House in the hit TV series House, M.D. is 10. _____________ on Conan Doyle’s
detective Sherlock Holmes. Like Holmes, House uses his intelligence and knowledge of psychology to solve
cases. House’s relationship with his friend Dr. James Wilson is similar to that between Holmes and his friend,
Dr. John Watson, and the address on his driving license is 221B Baker St., a direct reference to Holmes’s
address.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 81

B. Complete the sentences with present or past passive.

E.g: The Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889. (complete)

1. Many of the things we use every day ______________________ by women (invent)

2. Australia ________________________________ by Captain Cook in 1770 (discover)
3. The songs on this album _____________________________________ last year. (record)
4. “Rome _____________________________________ in a day.” (not build)
5. Nowadays a lot of toys ___________________________________ in china. (make)

C. Rewrite the sentences in the passive, beginning with the underlined words.

1. Jonathan Ive designed the iPod and the iPhone.

_______________________________________________________________________________
2. JK Rowling wrote the Harry Potter books.
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. Shakespeare wrote Hamlet in 1603.
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. Most Mediterranean countries produce olive oil.
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. ATV+ broadcasts live news all day.
_______________________________________________________________________________

Form of the Passive: Be + past participle

ACTIVE PASSIVE

Simple present Mary helps the boy. The boy is helped by Mary.

Simple past Mary helped the boy. The boy was helped by Mary.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 82

D. Change the active to passive using Simple Present & Simple Past.
Jackie scored five goals last week.
Five goals were scored by Jackie last week.

1. The storm affected the rice crops so much.

__________________________________________________________________________________ .

2. Scientists investigate the cure for the virus.

__________________________________________________________________________________ .

3. Dr. Yuen developed an interesting theory.

__________________________________________________________________________________ .

4. A famous translator translates the governmental document into many languages.

__________________________________________________________________________________ .

5. The detectives uncovered the horrible crime.

__________________________________________________________________________________ .

E. Fill the blanks with the best option.

is postponed – wasn’t harmed – are invited –

weren’t submitted – are distributed – weren’t given

1. Nearly 500 kgs of medicines _____________________________ in the population every week.

2. Many of the important documents ___________________________ to the lawyers of the case.

3. Despite the scandal, her reputation _________________________________ .

4. Because of the quarantine, the wedding party _____________________________ indefinitely.

5. The cousins of the groom ______________________________ but nobody likes them.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 83

TIME FOR LISTENING – TRUE or FALSE

A. Listen to the recording WOMEN INVENTORS and write TRUE or FALSE in the space provided

1. The dishwasher was invented by Tomas Edison. ___________

2. Josephine Cochrane was a rich woman. ___________

3. Josephine’s servants often broke plates and glasses. ___________

4. Josephine hired a designer to create a washing machine. ___________

5. Now only Hotels and Restaurants acquire Josephine’s machines. ___________

6. Mary Anderson invented the windscreen wipers. ___________

7. The first disposable nappy was invented in 1991. ___________

8. An American company bought Mary’s idea. ___________

9. The liquid for painting over mistakes was invented in 1956. ___________

10. The Kevlar was invented in 1966. ___________

B. Listen and write the answers to the questions.

1. Why did Josephine Cochrane decide to invent the dishwasher herself?

_________________________________________________________________________________ .
2. What was one of the biggest problems of driving that Mary Anderson resolved?
_________________________________________________________________________________ .
3. When was Marion Donovan’s invention finally bought by a company?
_________________________________________________________________________________ .
4. How did Bette Nesmith Graham feel when she made a typing mistake?
_________________________________________________________________________________ .
5. Who are protected by Stephanie Kwolek’s bullet-proof vests?

_________________________________________________________________________________ .

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 84

TIME TO WRITE
WRITING A COMPOSITION

My last holiday

My last holiday was a five-day trip to Prague in the Czech Republic. I know Prague well because I lived there
when I was at university, more than ten years ago.

Instead of staying in a hotel, I stayed with one of my old friends. It was so much fun, and a little bit like my
old life. I wanted to do all the same things I did in my university days, so I visited the university. It has changed
a lot and looks more modern. I also went to the supermarket near my old house. I loved seeing all the different
foods. I was really happy to find my favourite cheese and chocolate biscuits, but they were a bit more
expensive than I remember!

We did some touristy things too. We walked up beautiful Petrin Hill and around the castle. The views of the
city are amazing up there. We walked across the historic Charles Bridge. My friend's flat is very near the TV
Tower, so we saw the famous baby statues climbing up it. Those things haven't changed, of course.

Structure:
a. Heading/Title,
b. Introduction/Background,
c. Main body
d. Conclusion

Tips:
1. Try to make your writing interesting for the reader. To do this, you can make it personal with your own
memories and experiences.
2. Use adjectives to add detail to your descriptions.
3. Write clear and simple sentences and organise your ideas in short paragraphs. Give each paragraph
a different topic.
4. Use so, but, and, because and other linking words.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 85

TIMET TO PRACTICE FOR THE FINAL EXAM
Grammar & Vocabulary
A. Choose the correct answer.
1. I ________in the gym on Mondays.
a. work out b. go out c. work about
2. My parents have got ____ expensive car.
a. a b. the c. an
3. My mother wants to _____ a course of photography.
a. do b. make c. does
4. This is the school_______ I studied last year.
a. whose b. who c. where
5. Mr. Saller ______ his lamp every night to read in his living room.
a. takes off b. turns on c. gets on
6. Alexandra has studied German _____ 2 years so far.
a. since b. for c. already
7. The kids have been riding their bikes _____ early in the morning. They must be tired.
a. since b. yet c. during
8. How _____ pieces of meat you need for the meal?
a. much b. several c. many
9. How ______ money do you have in the bank?
a. much b. many c. little
10. Pink hasn’t released a new album _____ .
a. since b. yet c. already
11. The designer has redecorated the house ________ .
a. a long time ago b. yesterday c. recently
12. You ______ take photographs in this museum. Sorry!
a. can’t b. are allowed c. have to

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 86

 SESSION 12
TIME FOR GRAMMAR
RELATIVE CLAUSES

We use relative clauses to give additional information about something without starting another sentence. By
combining sentences with a relative clause, your text becomes more fluent and you can avoid repeating
certain words.

A. Fill the blanks with your own ideas, using the relative pronouns in the box.

where when which who whose why

Ex. 1. I don’t really enjoy films ______which show a lot of violence______

2. I don’t often go to parties ____________________________________________________________

3. My teacher usually explains things ____________________________________________________

4. I can remember several occasions ____________________________________________________

5. I cannot understand the reason _______________________________________________________

6. Have you ever met anyone _________________________________________________________ ?

DEFINING AND NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

Defining relative clauses add essential information to a sentence.

- The woman who found my wallet handed it in to reception.

- The student whose dog has run away, has gone to look for it.

- I remember the day when we first met.

- These are the earrings that my mother gave me.

These clauses give essential information about the subject of the sentence. They define
the person, time or thing that we are talking about. If we remove the clause, the sentence does not make
sense.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 87

Non-defining relative clauses add extra information to a noun or noun phrase.

My friend’s birthday, which was last weekend, was great fun.

My current girlfriend, who I love very much, calls me every night.

This extra information is not essential. If we remove the clause, the sentence still makes sense. This type
of clause is more common in written English.

B. Fill the gaps in this letter using who or which when necessary. If no word is necessary, write -- .

Dear Mr Trotter,

I have a number of complaints about the work ________(1) your company did in my house last
week.

You promised that the men _________ (2) carried out the work would arrive by 8.00. As you
know, I have to catch the bus __________(3) leaves at 8.15. On three days the men arrived after
eight, so I missed my bus and my boss, __________(4) is very strict, was extremely annoyed.
The foreman lost the written instructions _________(5) I gave him. The paint ________(6) he
used for the hall was the one __________(7) should have been used in the kitchen. The sitting-
room wallpaper, __________(8) I had chosen with great care, was the wrong way up. My
bathroom, ________(9) you and I agreed did not need redecorating, has been painted.

If you do not promise to put right the mistakes __________(10) your men have made within two
weeks, I will go to my lawyer.
Yours sincerely,
Cecil Trubshaw

C. Complete the sentences with logical ideas.

1. My mother is the person who _________________________________________________________ .
2. Campus 2 of USIL is the place where __________________________________________________ .
3. I don’t know why ___________________________________________________________________ .
4. Summer is the time when ___________________________________________________________ .
5. English is the language which ________________________________________________________ .

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 88

TIME TO PRACTICE FOR THE FINAL EXAM
A. Read the text and answer the questions below.
Reality Television
Reality television is a genre of television programming which, it is claimed, presents unscripted dramatic or
humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary people rather than professional actors.
It could be described as a form of artificial or "heightened" documentary. Although the genre has existed in
some form or another since the early years of television, the current explosion of popularity dates from 2000.
Reality television covers a wide range of television programming formats, from game or quiz shows which
resemble the frantic, often demeaning programmes produced in Japan in the 1980s and 1990s (a modern
example is Gaki no tsukai), to surveillance- or voyeurism- focused productions such as Big Brother.
Critics say that the term "reality television" is somewhat of a misnomer and that such shows frequently portray
a modified and highly influenced form of reality, with participants put in exotic locations or abnormal situations,
sometimes coached to act in certain ways by off-screen handlers, and with events on screen manipulated
through editing and other post-production techniques.
Part of reality television's appeal is due to its ability to place ordinary people in extraordinary situations. For
example, on the ABC show, The Bachelor, an eligible male dates a dozen women simultaneously, travelling
on extraordinary dates to scenic locales. Reality television also has the potential to turn its participants into
national celebrities, outwardly in talent and performance programs such as Pop Idol, though frequently
Survivor and Big Brother participants also reach some degree of celebrity.
Some commentators have said that the name "reality television" is an inaccurate description for several styles
of program included in the genre. In competition-based programs such as Big Brother and Survivor, and other
special-living-environment shows like The Real World, the producers design the format of the show and
control the day-to-day activities and the environment, creating a completely fabricated world in which the
competition plays out. Producers specifically select the participants, and use carefully designed scenarios,
challenges, events, and settings to encourage particular behaviours and conflicts. Mark Burnett, creator of
Survivor and other reality shows, has agreed with this assessment, and avoids the word "reality" to describe
his shows; he has said, "I tell good stories. It really is not reality TV. It really is unscripted drama."
1. In the first line, the writer says 'it is claimed' because
a. they agree with the statement.
b. everyone agrees with the statement.
c. no one agrees with the statement.
d. they want to distance themselves from the statement.

2. Japan
a. is the only place to produce demeaning TV shows.
b. has produced demeaning TV shows copied elsewhere.
c. produced Big Brother.
d. invented surveillance focused productions.

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 89

3. People have criticized reality television because
a. it is demeaning.
b. it uses exotic locations.
c. the name is inaccurate.
d. it shows reality.

4. Reality TV appeals to some because

a. it shows eligible males dating women.
b. it uses exotic locations.
c. it shows average people in exceptional circumstances.
d. it can turn ordinary people into celebrities.

5. Pop Idol
a. turns all its participants into celebrities.
b. is more likely to turn its particiapants into celebrities than Big Brother.
c. is less likely to turn its particiapants into celebrities than Big Brother.
d. is a dating show.

6. Producers choose the participants

a. on the ground of talent.
b. only for special-living-environment shows.
c. to create conflict among other things.
d. to make a fabricated world.

7. Mark Burnett
a. was a participant on Survivor.
b. is a critic of reality TV.
c. thinks the term 'reality television' is inaccurate.
d. writes the script for Survivor.

8. Shows like Survivor

a. are definitely reality TV.
b. are scripted.
c. have good narratives.
d. are theatre.

9. Why do you think reality programs are very popular in many parts of the world?
__________________________________________________________________________________ .
__________________________________________________________________________________ .
10. In which type of reality you’d like to participate and why?
__________________________________________________________________________________ .
__________________________________________________________________________________ .

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 90

B. Grammar & Vocabulary
Choose the correct answer.
1. History is the high-level course _____ you’ll study this year.
a. what b. who c. which
2. Sorry, I just have _____ money for some t-shirts. No pants today.
a. enough b. much c. several
3. You saw the woman ____ was looking at you! She looked really strange.
a. whose b. who c. why
4. Don’t wear that sweatshirt. It’s really huge. It’s _____ for you.
a. that big b. bigger c. too big
5. They got really worried when they noticed _____ she was going.
a. where b. which c. how
6. Oh no! I can't pay for the taxi; I have ___ my money at home.
a. leaving b. been leaving c. left
7. I have never ___ the Great Wall of China before.
a. see b. seen c. saw
8. I have lived in Brussels ___ a year and a half.
a. since b. for c. already
9. The child is still in his bed, he has ___ for nine hours.
a. sleeping b. been sleep c. been sleeping
10. My teacher is going to be so angry; I haven't finished my homework ___.
a. already b. yet c. since

C. Writing
Answer the questions with full answers

1. Who would you write if you had to write a thank-you letter?

_______________________________________________________________________
2. Whose opinion in very important for you?
_______________________________________________________________________
3. If you had magic, what would be the 1st thing you did?

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 91

_______________________________________________________________________
4. How many times a week do you go to the market?
_______________________________________________________________________
5. Where were you going when I saw you last night?
_______________________________________________________________________

D. Vocabulary – Adjectives
1. Fill the blanks with the appropriate words from the box

Close-minded – frightened – disappointing – annoyed – uninterested – shy

1. Although she was _________ at the beginning, Norma talked with some people at the party.
2. The topic is so confusing that in the end the visitors of the museum become____________________
3. You keep on committing the same. You attitude is really __________________.
4. Mr. Fischer was so ____________ with his students. They cheated in the exam.
5. Gonzalo is so _________________ . He rarely talks with people who have different opinions.

2. Select the appropriate choice to fill the blanks

1. A: You look so ___ with the dinner. B: Yes, it was delicious.
a. disappointed b. delighted c. frustrated
2. My biology teacher is always _____ and fun. That makes the course easier for me.
a. well b. healthy c. cheerful
3. Sami’s very _____ with us. She’s always telling us what to do.
a. bossy b. strong c. cruel
4. Currently, they’re a few ___ politicians. Almost all lie and promise whatever.
a. curious b. reliable c. modern
5. A: Who ate the whole peach pie? B: It was little Anne, look at her ___ face.
a. miserable b. unusual c. guilty

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 92

ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 93
ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 94
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ENGLISH COMPETENCY COURSE 95