THIRD EDITION STUDENT’S BOOK

ADVANCED

Hugh Dellar
Andrew Walkley

LEARNING

Australia • Brazil • Canada • Mexico • Singapore • United Kingdom • United States

 SPEAKING

1 Cities • Describe and relate your experiences of a city

• Tell stories and share urban myths
• Work together to create a plan to improve a city
Developing conversations: Reinforcing, emphasizing
and exemplifying a point

page 6

2 Relationships • Explain what people are like and describe their

traits
• Discuss issues around love and long-term
relationships
• Roleplay sharing and talking through personal
problems
Developing conversations: Giving your impression
page 14
WRITING 1: Describing visual data page 22 Review 1 page 24

3 Culture and identity • Discuss the things you like and don’t like about
where you live
• Talk about the cultural meanings of di erent
household objects
• Explore and explain your own personal cultural
identity
Developing conversations: Challenging
page 26 overgeneralizations

4 Politics • Discuss how you feel about proposals for your city
• Compare and contrast political systems
• Present and vote on policies
Developing conversations: Giving opinions

page 34
WRITING 2: Writing an introduction to an argumentative essay page 42 Review 2 page 44

5 Going out, • Have conversations about a memorable night out

• Share and discuss fun or unusual activities to do

staying in • Organize a book club and research titles you could

read
Developing conversations: Speculating on what
is said
page 46

6 Con ict and • Roleplay disagreements where you reach a

solution

resolution
• Relate what you have found out about di erent
conflict and peace processes
• Debate issues connected to conflict and peace
Developing conversations: Defending and justifying
page 54
WRITING 3: Writing an arts review page 62 Review 3 page 64

7 Science and • Explain and discuss news stories about science

• Discuss issues around science and science fiction

research • Practise thinking critically about particular statistics

Developing conversations: Expressing surprise and
disbelief

page 66

8 Nature and • Tell the stories behind photos

• Describe animals, their habitats and habits

nurture
• Debate issues around stereotypes
Developing conversations: Emphatic tags

page 74
WRITING 4: Describing processes page 82 Review 4 page 84
2
GRAMMAR VOCABULARY READING LISTENING
• Intensifying adverbs and • City life • A wiki entry explaining urban • Two conversations about cities
adjectives • Binomials legends • A radio discussion about an
• Passive structures for plans and • Urban plans and policies urban project
predictions

• Phrasal verbs • Describing people • An article about long-term • Three short conversations
• Would • Relationships partnerships and science about di erent people
• Five people talk about an
incident involving a young man

• Cleft sentences • Society and culture • An article about surprising • Three conversations about
• Things in the house objects in di erent cultures society and culture in di erent
• Phrases with thing countries
• Three British people talking
about their own cultural
identities
• A lecture about identity

• Alternatives to if • Consequences • An article about democracy • Two conversations about

• Alternative conditional patterns • Elections and politics in Switzerland. current social topics
• Voting • Five people talking about voting

• Participle clauses • Nights out • An opinion piece about free- • Two conversations about nights
• Describing books time activities, children and out
parenting • A radio feature about books
and reading

• Ellipsis and substitution • Arguments and discussions • An article about a degree • Two conversations in which
• Conflict and resolution programme called Peace arguments occur
• War metaphors Studies • Three radio debates about
news stories connected with
conflict

• Passive infinitive and -ing • Talking about science • An article about predictions • Two conversations about
forms • Word families in sci-fi science stories in the news
• Statistics • An extract from a radio
programme about statistics

• Compound adjectives • Describing scenery • Descriptions of di erent • Two conversations about

• Using auxiliaries to add • Animals animals and how they live holiday photos
emphasis • Stereotypes • A lecture about language and
gender

Contents 3
 SPEAKING

9 Work • Introduce a place of work and explain people’s

roles
• Give personal responses to a story from
someone’s work life
• Reach a judgement based on evidence and justify
your decision
Developing conversations: Deductions
page 86

10 Health and illness • Describe di erent medical and surgical

procedures
• Share and discuss information about di erent
health hacks
• Carry out a survey about attitudes to health
Developing conversations: Replacing forgotten
words
page 94
WRITING 5: Writing a covering letter page 102 Review 5 page 104

11 Play • Talk about sporting successes and failures

• Describe games you like playing
• Revise vocabulary using word games
Developing conversations: Irony and humour

page 106

12 History • Describe key events in people’s lives

• Discuss historical mysteries
• Explain the importance of certain historical events
Developing conversations: Similes

page 114
WRITING 6: Writing a magazine article page 122 Review 6 page 124

13 News and the • Share and comment on di erent news stories

• Debate the pros and cons of a media regulation

media
• Discuss choices of news stories and create a short
bulletin
Developing conversations: Using heads and tails for
emphasis in spoken language
page 126

14 Business and • Make calls for business and networking purposes

• Discuss your views on financial and economic

economics
matters
• Roleplay a business meeting to take decisions
Developing conversations: Small talk

page 134
WRITING 7: Writing a proposal page 142 Review 7 page 144

15 Trends • Discuss views on fashion and styles

• Discuss current trends in di erent areas of life
• Plan a marketing campaign for a new fashion
product
Developing conversations: Backtracking and
correcting
page 146

16 Danger and risk • Describe accidents and injuries

• Think and talk critically about texts
• Roleplay a radio phone-in programme
Developing conversations: Interjections

page 154
WRITING 8: Citing other people’s work page 162 Review 8 page 164

4 GRAMMAR REFERENCE page 166 IRREGULAR VERBS page 186

GRAMMAR VOCABULARY READING LISTENING
• Continuous forms • Roles and tasks • A story from The Living Dead, • Someone being shown round
• Adverb-adjective collocations a business management book their new workplace
• Work rights and benefits • A summary of the lessons
David Bolchover takes from his
experience
• News stories about labour
issues

• Will for habits and assumptions • Medical procedures • A blog about di erent hacks • Two conversations about
• Actions, processes and the for health and well-being surgical procedures
body • Five doctors talking about their
• Nouns based on phrasal verbs jobs and issues connected to
their work

• Linking words and phrases • Sports and events • A blog post about the impact of • Three conversations about
• Talking about gaming gaming on students sport
• Phrases with repeated sounds • A podcast about word games
and word play

• Emphatic inversion • Personal histories • An article about mysterious • A conversation about a

• Historical events historical sites remarkable person
• A short academic presentation
about an aspect of history

• Reporting verbs with the • Commenting on news stories • An article about a paparazzo • Five short conversations about
passive • Common sayings the news
• News headlines • A mock radio news bulletin

• Relative clauses and • How’s business? • An article about money and • Two phone calls between
prepositions • The economy and finance debt business colleagues
• Business situations • Part of a business meeting
where the speakers discuss a
financial loss and a new product

• Prepositions • Style and fashion • An article about a trend that • Six short conversations about
• Trends seems to have no end clothes and style
• Verb forms and word families • A discussion on a radio
programme about the media
and mental health

• Probability and future phrases • Accidents and injuries • A news report and a • Two conversations about
• Laws and regulations newspaper editorial related to accidents
• Talking about danger compensation culture • A radio phone-in about the
internet.

VOCABULARY REFERENCE page 187 INFORMATION FILES page 189 AUDIO SCRIPTS page 201 Contents 5
 1

IN THIS UNIT, YOU:

• describe and relate your experiences of a city
• tell stories and share urban myths
• work together to create a plan to improve a city

SPEAKING
1 Work in pairs. How many adjectives can you
come up with to describe the place in the
photo?
2 Work in groups. Make a list of as many
advantages and drawbacks of living in this
place as you can think of. Decide if you would
live there or not.
3 In what ways is the place in the photo similar
or different to where you live?

6
7 Look at the Grammar box and correct the mistakes in 9 Match the sentences (1–6) with the examples (a–f).
the sentences. One sentence is already correct.
1 It’s like Beverly Hills round there.
1 There are some absolutely fancy shops around there, 2 The place is like a building site.
despite the crumbling buildings.
3 They treated us like royalty.
2 There was just a really buzz about the place and we had
4 They treat the road like a race track.
an absolute whale of a time.
5 It was like talking to a brick wall.
3 It was just a simply amazing thing to experience – an
absolute dream come true. 6 It was like a fridge in there.
4 The area is incredibly quiet and the streets are very, very a They drive along there at 100 miles an hour.
deserted at night.
b They just refused to do anything whatsoever to help.
5 It was really and really run-down, with some buildings
just completely derelict. c It’s all just massive, gated mansions with fancy cars
parked outside.
8 Think of three examples for these categories and write d The aircon was on so high, I had to put my coat on.
a comment using intensifying adverbs and adjectives.
e They provided this incredible five-course dinner.
Then share your ideas in groups.
f They’re constantly repairing the roads and crumbling
• a city / area you know • something in the news buildings.
• a night out you had • something that went wrong
10 Use the sentences and examples in Exercise 9 to have
• a weather experience • something you’d recommend
conversations. Add words like honestly, seriously and
G See Grammar reference 1A. literally where appropriate.
A: It’s like Beverly Hills round there.
DEVELOPING CONVERSATIONS B: Really?
A: Seriously. It’s all just massive, gated mansions with fancy
Reinforcing, emphasizing and cars parked outside.
exemplifying a point
We often use similes to emphasize or exaggerate a point CONVERSATION PRACTICE
in our anecdotes. The listener may respond with Really?
Yeah?, etc. and we then reinforce the point with a further 11 Write the names of two cities you have been to. Make
example introduced with Honestly, Absolutely, I swear, etc. notes about aspects of the cities and think of at least
A: It’s like hitting this thick wall of heat. one thing that happened to you in each city.
B: Gosh. Really? 12 Now have conversations about your chosen
A: Honestly. You’d just die if you walked for any length of cities. Begin with Have you been to …? Keep the
time. conversation going by asking questions to get more
details or by making comments like Really? or Yeah?

Chinatown at night in
Bangkok, Thailand.

Unit 1 Cities 9
 1A IN THIS LESSON, YOU:
• describe and relate your experiences of a city

A real buzz about the place • talk about city life and places you know
• practise listening to conversations about city experiences
• practise adding emphasis to descriptions and anecdotes

VOCABULARY City life 4 Work in pairs. Compare your ideas from Exercise 3 and
discuss the questions.
1 Work in pairs. Read the sentences about different cities
and areas. Discuss what you think the words in bold 1 What cities do you think the speakers could be
mean. describing? Why?

1 There are new businesses springing up all over the 2 Which place would you rather live in? Why?
place. There’s a real buzz about the place. 5 Listen again and complete the sentences.
2 There are lots of grand houses and gated apartments in
the area alongside fancy restaurants and designer shops. Conversation 1

3 They’ve invested heavily in the transport infrastructure, 1 It’s really wild. It actually.
including trams and a metro system, and it all runs 2 We went out with these people and ended up in a
very smoothly. place .
4 The smog is awful because of the traffic and the climate. 3 You walk really.
You have to wear a mask or you’d choke on the fumes. 4 Honestly, you walk out of your hotel and this
5 There’s not a trace of rubbish on the pavements. thick wall of heat.
Apparently, you can get heavily fined for littering. 5 It does , but as I say, it just has a real buzz.
6 It takes ages to get anywhere because the transport Conversation 2
infrastructure is so poor. The traffic often just grinds to a
halt and you get everyone sounding their horns. 6 It is, if you like .
7 It was quite working class, but it’s experiencing 7 It’s more lively. There’s , you know.
gentrification now, with a lot of middle-class professionals 8 So you wouldn’t to live there?
settling down there and investing in the area. , it is a good place to live if you’re
9 Don’t
8 The city centre was once quite grand, but it’s been bringing up kids.
somewhat neglected and you see a lot of peeling paint 10 So if I , I might move back. It’s just not what I
and derelict buildings. want right now.
9 There are a lot of new residential developments
springing up on the outskirts of the city as people 6 Work in groups. Discuss the questions.
seek more space and access to the countryside. 1 What places, people or things have taken you by surprise?
10 There are hundreds of blocks crammed into a small area 2 Have you ever been out or up till the early hours? What
with lots of narrow, dark and dingy streets. happened?
2 Work in pairs. Answer the questions. 3 What drawbacks are there to the place you live in?

1 What other things might give a place a buzz? 4 What ‘scenes’ are there where you live?

2 What’s the opposite of buildings springing up? 5 Where’s a good place to settle down in your region? Why?

3 What other infrastructure is essential for the smooth

running of a city? GRAMMAR
4 What else apart from traffic might grind to a halt?
Intensifying adverbs and adjectives
5 What other signs of gentrification might there be? Why
do you think it happens? Some adjectives like spotless or fantastic are ungradable
and cannot be used with very. They can be made stronger
6 Why might an area become neglected? What other signs
with other intensifying adverbs.
might there be?
It’s absolutely / completely / utterly / really spotless.
7 Which of these words could describe each place in
Exercise 1? We can also use the adjective form of these adverbs to
intensify nouns.
affluent chaotic congested deprived It was complete chaos.
polluted run-down spotless sprawling We sometimes combine two intensifiers like these with and
up-and-coming vibrant well-run for added emphasis. Utter(ly) usually comes second.
It was totally and utterly fantastic.
LISTENING It was a complete and utter waste of time.
With gradable adjectives, we don’t usually combine different
3 Listen to two conversations about cities. List the intensifying adverbs, but you can repeat very or really.
good and bad things you hear about each place.
It’s just very, very conservative.
It was really, really good.

8
 1B IN THIS LESSON, YOU:
• tell stories and share urban myths

Urban tales • talk about monuments and legends where you live
• practise avoiding assumptions when reading a text on urban myths
• learn about binomials and use them to discuss city life

SPEAKING VOCABULARY Binomials

1 Work in groups. Discuss the questions. V See Vocabulary reference 1B.
1 Are there any monuments or places where you live
connected to a legend or fairy tale? 7 Binomials are common pairs of words usually linked
with and / or (e.g. complete and utter or dark and
2 Were you read fairy tales or legends when you were
dingy). Read the text and find six more examples.
young, or did you learn about them at school? Which
ones? Did you like them? Why? / Why not? 8 Find twelve more binomials by matching words from
3 What morals do different legends and fairy tales teach each box.
kids? Do you think these are still important lessons for
modern kids to learn? checks here hit hustle law long
4 Have you heard of the term urban legend ? What do you out rise rules safe straight to
think it means? Do you know any examples?

about balances bustle fall

READING fro hard miss narrow
2 Read the extract from a wiki entry explaining urban order regulations sound there
legends on page 11. Then with a partner discuss how
far it matches your ideas in Exercise 1. Did you find
any new information?
9 P Listen to the binomials from Exercises 7 and 8.
Practise saying them. Which ones do you find hard to
3 Work in pairs. Read the extract again and decide if the say? Practise saying them again.
following statements are true (T), false (F) or not given
(NG) according to the information in the extract. 10 Now complete the sentences with binomials from
Exercises 7 and 8.
1 Jan Brunvand was the first to talk about urban legends.
1 , cities should be good places for children.
2 Folklore studies was started by the Brothers Grimm.
2 A certain amount of crime is just of life in the
3 Brunvand believed urban legends aren’t simply told for city, I’m afraid. It’s unavoidable.
entertainment.
3 It can be quite hard to get away from the in
4 Some of the stories in Brunvand’s collections came from the city and find some peace and quiet.
his students.
4 Our capital is very affluent and only has small pockets of
5 Urban legends involve either a crime, injury or death. poverty .
6 Urban legends are about particular cities. 5 We should keep around planning and life in
7 Modern society isn’t misogynistic. the city to a minimum.
8 Rumour and fake news is becoming more widespread. 6 The fortunes of different cities naturally .
9 It’s easy to differentiate urban myth and rumour. 7 Anyone thinking about moving out of a city should think
because it’ll be impossible to move back.
4 Make a list of six words or phrases from the text that
were new for you and that you think might be useful 8 When you’re in the city, you’ll see a lot of
to remember. homeless people begging.
9 There are plenty of places to eat in the city, but the
5 Work in groups. Compare your lists and agree on the quality is very .
most useful six words or phrases. 10 There has been a breakdown in in some cities
and crime is out of control.
6 Work in pairs. Choose two sets of questions to discuss.
1 Do you think folklore is a good thing to study and 11 Work in groups. Discuss to what extent the sentences
research? Why? / Why not? What tradition or story in Exercise 10 are true or not.
would you pass on to the next generation?
2 Have you heard any variations of the urban myths SPEAKING
mentioned in the text? What moral do they teach or
what aspects of modern life do they reflect? 12 M Work in pairs. Use the notes to tell each other
urban legends.
3 Are there any derelict buildings where you live? Who
owns them? What’s going to happen to them? Are there Student A: Choose one of the urban myth outlines in File 1
any stories about them? on page 189.
4 Do you think rumour, conspiracy and fake news are Student B: Choose one of the urban myth outlines in
increasing? Why? Are there any particular rumours File 19 on page 196.
circulating at the moment?

10
READING
Urban Legends
‘Urban legend’ is a term popularized by
Professor Jan Brunvand in collections such
as The Choking Doberman and Other ‘New’
Urban Legends. Brunvand taught folklore
studies, a subject which encompasses a
wide range of traditions and culture typically
passed on from generation to generation by
word of mouth or by imitation rather than
the written word. One area of folklore is fairy
tales and myths, such as those collected by
the Brothers Grimm in the early 19th century,
which typically involve magic or monsters
and carry a moral. In his early days at Utah
University, Brunvand found that students
saw folklore as fundamentally old and not
something that was part and parcel of Urban legends have much
modern life. Partly to counteract this attitude, in common with ancient
he introduced his students to the idea of the myths like Medusa.
urban legend.

Brunvand argued there were many stories that circulate in our own society and function in much the same
way as fairy tales. He started collecting these urban legends and asked his students to contribute stories they
heard or saw reported in the media.

Similarities with myths and fairy tales

Listeners might not immediately recognize urban legends as essentially modern fairy tales because they are
typically introduced as happening to ‘a friend of a friend’ rather than set ‘Once upon a time’. Other realistic
details are added by the teller, such as setting the events in a real city, using common names or reporting
specific dialogue. However, while these additions vary from place to place, the core plot remains the same
everywhere and as these same stories are told so far and wide, they are clearly as fictional as any fairy tale.
Similarly, the modern-life contexts of most urban legends – crime, office work, sewage systems, suburban
homes – may give an air of authenticity but, on closer examination, the stories actually share many unreal
features of older legends: magic, monsters, violence and horror. For example, the ‘magic’ may be the
mystery of someone returning a ‘lost’ item only to find the owner has been dead for some time; the
monster may be a spider living in a woman’s hairdo; the violence and horror could be a burglar being
maimed by a dog, or a boyfriend coming to a grisly end after he abandons his partner.

And just as stories such as Medusa or Hansel and Gretel may have reflected those societies’ misogynistic
attitudes or fear of famine, Brunvand suggested urban legends may reveal something about the darker side
of city life and what we are afraid of in contemporary society.

Differences to rumour and conspiracy

Urban myths have much in common with rumours, conspiracy theories or fake news, and the boundaries
between them are not cut and dried. They are all fictions that get retold orally or through social media
but, by and large, rumours and conspiracy theories arise in response to particular events which we feel
threatened by. For example, a rumour could ‘explain’ why a building has collapsed or what might replace
it. Rumours are often pieces of information, whereas urban myths are first and foremost ‘horror’ or
entertainment stories with a beginning, middle and end.

Urban Legend examples

The babysitter: a babysitter gets phone calls time and again telling them to check the kids who are sleeping
upstairs. The babysitter phones the police who trace the next call to the same house the babysitter is in.
Cockroach eggs in drinking straws: someone in a fast food restaurant notices their coke tastes off and
finds lots of tiny specks. Subsequent research reveals an epidemic of cockroach eggs in fast food straw
dispensers throughout the city.
The jogger’s wallet: a man chases down a mugger and reclaims his wallet … only to find his own wallet is
actually at home.
Alligators in the sewers: wild animals – usually gators, but also wild pigs! – are discovered by labourers
doing work on the city sewer.

Unit 1 Cities 11
 1C IN THIS LESSON, YOU:
• work together to create a plan to improve a city

Urban planning • talk about urban plans and policies

• practise identifying main ideas in a podcast about Neom
• explain predictions and expectations related to plans

VOCABULARY Urban plans and policies 8 The project to encourage more cycling was
a success and now there are plans to to the
1 Complete the sentences with the correct pair of words. whole city.
consultation + imposed demolish + from scratch 9 The housing was developed in close with
locals rather than being top-down.
envisaged + materialize harness + renovate
initiated + spiralled inward + thriving 2 Work in pairs. Discuss if each of these plans could
pump + beacon pilot + scale it up happen / could have happened where you live.
undertook + credited Why? / Why not?

1 The council cut business taxes to attract

LISTENING
investment and invested heavily in skills training to
establish a tech industry. 3 FS Speakers will often quickly add a short
2 They’ve decided to the derelict buildings explanatory phrase that’s not essential to the main
and start with a new development. sentence. Listen and write what you hear.
3 The plan is to billions into renewables 4 Listen to an introduction to a radio discussion
and become a for green technology and about a project called Neom. Find out the significance
sustainable living in the future. of the following:
4 It was originally the museum would attract
tourists and inward investment, but few tourists came St Petersburg 500,000 two 170 2030 2045
and the investment failed to .
5 The plan aims to existing expertise in the 5 Work in groups. Share your initial thoughts on Neom
community to parks and buildings. and think of at least six questions about the project
6 The previous mayor an ambitious plan that your discussion raises.
to redevelop the city centre, but it’s run into financial
difficulties as the costs have . 6 Listen to the rest of the discussion and see if any of
your questions are answered.
7 The city a big campaign against antisocial
behaviour, which was with reversing rising
crime rates.

Urban planning students

discuss a city model.

12
7 Complete the notes with one to three words from 10 Work in pairs. Think about a city or town you know.
the discussion in each space. Then listen again and Write at least six sentences using the patterns in the
check your answers. Grammar box. Think about things like:
1 Neom is part of Saudi Arabia’s attempts to transition to
a post-oil . demographics size / building work
politics and elections different areas
2 The two blocks that make-up Neom will be separated by
. jobs and industry past developments

3 The transport system that’s envisaged is comparable to

one in . G See Grammar reference 1C.
4 Ambitious plans can often help to boost .
5 Cities grow as a result of economic migrants who may
SPEAKING TASK
start .
11 M Work in groups. You are going to decide how to
6 Planners can’t easily predict the emergence or failure of improve the city of Oldbury. You have $50 million
. available. Read the information and follow the
7 In 2013, the city of Detroit went . instructions (not necessarily in this order).
8 Some argue the best way for places to recover is through
. Oldbury is a small city of 250,000 inhabitants.
9 Positive changes and renovations in areas are often There’s an important chemical works on the
instigated by . southern outskirts of the city which generates
10 In the future we’re going to see an increase in employment. A coal mine in the surrounding area
. had also been a source of work but has closed.
There’s also some tourism related to mountains to
8 Work in pairs. Choose three questions to discuss. the west of the city, a castle and a very run-down
historical centre that dates back 300 years. The city
1 From what you have heard, do you think Neom will
has a well-known sports team (which is struggling),
thrive? Why? / Why not?
and a good university specializing in engineering.
2 Do you know of any new cities or towns that were There’s high unemployment, mainly concentrated in
planned from scratch? What are they like now? the old centre and in the suburb near the chemical
3 Do you know of any cities that have grown a lot over the works. The city is quite congested as the transport
last few decades? Why? How? What’s good or bad about system is limited to buses.
very large cities?
4 Do you know any public spaces that have changed • Choose a leader.
where you live? In what way? What do you think of the
• Identify the biggest issues.
changes?
• Brainstorm some ways to improve the city and research
5 What examples of public art are there where you live?
how other cities have made improvements.
What do you think of them? Do you think it’s good to
spend money on public art? Why? / Why not? • Decide what you’ll spend the $50 million on.
• Discuss how you could raise more money for further
GRAMMAR improvements and what they might be.
• Estimate the time scale and what results are expected.
Passive structures for plans and • Prepare a presentation for the class.
predictions
12 Take turns to present your group’s ideas. Ask
We often use a limited number of verbs in the passive
questions about the other presentations and raise any
to talk about plans and predictions, especially in more
concerns.
formal communication.
The building work is projected to be completed
by 2030.
MY OUTCOMES
It’s intended to be a beacon for international business.
The budget is set to rise to nearer a trillion dollars. Work in pairs. Discuss the questions.
The population is expected to have reached nine 1 What did you find intriguing or educational about this topic?
million by 2045. 2 Have you gained confidence in telling anecdotes? In what
Companies that were expected to provide thousands ways?
of jobs are failing. 3 What lexical or grammatical problems did you have?
4 How will you reuse and recycle language from this lesson
outside of class?
9 Work in pairs. Look at the examples in the Grammar
box. Answer the questions.
1 How do you show a plan / prediction has changed?
2 How do you emphasize the plan / prediction is achieved
before a certain time?
3 Which verb describing the plan / prediction is in the
passive?

Unit 1 Cities 13
 2
Relationships
IN THIS UNIT, YOU:
• explain what people are like and describe their traits
• discuss issues around love and long-term
relationships
• roleplay sharing and talking through personal
problems

SPEAKING
1 Work in groups. Look at the photo and discuss
the questions.
1 Who were your school friends? Were you
inseparable? What’s your relationship like now?
2 Do you have a friend you didn’t hit it off with
immediately? Why? What changed?
3 Do you think it’s easier to maintain close friendships
over time these days or more difficult?
4 Why might friends drift apart / fall out / reconnect?
Why might a family member become estranged or
ostracized?

14
 Kids play football in a
school yard in Phnom
Penh, Cambodia.

Unit 2 Relationships 15
 2A IN THIS LESSON, YOU:
• explain what people are like and describe their traits

Get the impression • give examples of different characteristics and behaviour

• practise listening to conversations about different people
• describe people you know and what they are like

DEVELOPING CONVERSATIONS 3 Now match the sentences in Exercise 2 (1–12) with

these descriptions (a–l).
Giving your impression a He’s an incredibly bubbly and upbeat person.
If we want to ask about and give our impression of people
b He’s a bit of a loner.
we have only met a few times or only know by sight, we
often use these questions and structures. c She’s very, very approachable.
What do you make of the guy with the hat? d She can be very prickly.
What’s your impression of your new boss? e Well, I’d call it a real stubborn streak.
He seems fairly laid-back. f I find that utter arrogance really annoying.
She strikes me as someone you can trust. g He’s a real team player.
He comes across as a real gentleman. h He can be incredibly naïve.
I get the impression / feeling she’s very principled. i It’s his sheer resilience that impresses me.
j She can be very intense.
k She’s incredibly laid-back.
1 Work in pairs. Ask each other questions about:
l He’s such a cynic.
• people in the photos on this page
• famous people you think your partner may have seen on 4 P Listen to the words from Exercise 3 and practise
the news, TV, etc. saying them on their own and in a phrase. Which
words or phrases do you find hard to say? Practise
• people you see in your local area
saying them again.

VOCABULARY Describing people 5 Spend a few minutes trying to memorize the sentences
in Exercise 3. Then work in pairs and test each other.
2 Work in pairs. Discuss what you think the phrases in Take turns to read a sentence from Exercise 2. Your
bold mean or how to translate them into your first partner should remember and say the sentence from
language. Don’t use a dictionary. Exercise 3.
1 She’s so full of herself and goes round like she owns
A: She’s always a willing listener and is very easy to confide in.
the place.
B: I know. She’s very approachable.
2 She’s always a willing listener and is very easy to confide in.
3 She’s prone to see things as a criticism and get very
defensive.
4 Maybe it’s simple shyness, but he very much keeps
himself to himself.
5 It can be quite hard work talking to her. She needs to
lighten up a bit.
6 She’s one of those people who never panics and just
takes everything in their stride.
7 I put it down to his sheltered upbringing. He’s not had
much experience of the world.
8 He just thinks everyone’s got an agenda and is only
interested in themselves.
9 He’s gone through so many difficulties in his life but he
never gets dragged down. He always bounces back
and stays cheerful.
10 He’s one of those people whose positivity rubs off on
other people and they light up a room.
11 He’s not one of those people who has to be the centre of
attention. He’s just very conscientious and helps to get
the job done.
12 I’d say it’s more that she’s principled. She sticks to her
guns and doesn’t back down when people are trying to
pressure her.

16
6 Work in pairs. Choose four of these ideas to explain to Conversation 3
your partner. 7 Pilar gets on well with everyone in her student flat.
• some of your family’s traits, interests or talents that have 8 Pilar doesn’t study very much.
rubbed off on you
9 Pilar feels a bit let down.
• an instance where you stuck to your guns
• people or things at work or school that can drag you 9 Work in groups. Choose three sets of questions to
down discuss.
• a time you were a bit naïve 1 What would you do in the first speaker’s situation? Do
you know anyone who has a difficult relationship with
• a time you confided in someone, or they confided
their boss? Why?
in you
2 Can you think of any celebrities who try to raise
• a time you were the centre of attention
awareness of a cause? What’s the cause? What do you
• the words in Exercise 2 that definitely do and don’t apply think about it?
to you
3 How common is it for students to share accommodation
in your country? Have you ever shared accommodation
LISTENING with anyone? If yes, how was it? If not, how would you
feel about it?
7 Listen to three short conversations about different
people. Answer the questions for each story. 4 Do you know anyone who’s ‘a bit of a slacker’? Do you
ever trade insults with friends as a joke? What kind of
1 Who is the person they mainly talk about? insults?
2 What is the person like?

8 Work in pairs. Decide if these sentences about the CONVERSATION PRACTICE

conversations in Exercise 7 are true (T) or false (F). 10 Think of a person you know for each of these
Then listen again and check. categories. Prepare to describe them and give
Conversation 1 examples of their habits and things they say or do.
Say how you feel about them and why.
1 The department is doing OK, despite their incompetent
boss. • someone in your family
2 The boss has a manager who isn’t very supportive. • someone that can be described with words from
3 The speaker thinks managers are more focused on Exercises 2 and 3
promotion than dealing with problems. • someone you get on really well with
Conversation 2 • someone you don’t get on with at all
4 The musician talks a lot about social issues that are • someone quite unusual, eccentric or annoying
important to him. • someone you admire
5 According to one speaker, the musician gives a lot of
11 Work in pairs. Exchange names. Ask questions and tell
money to charity.
each other about the people on the lists. Find out as
6 The speakers trade insults at the end of the conversation. much as you can.

Unit 2 Relationships 17
 2B IN THIS LESSON, YOU:

Getting together
• discuss issues around love and long-term relationships
• identify arguments and opinions in a text about love and science
• respond to a text by sharing your own ideas and experiences
• practise using phrasal verbs to talk about relationships

READING GRAMMAR
1 Work in groups. Discuss the questions.
Phrasal verbs
1 Look at the photo. What do you think of this method of
meeting a partner? Grammatically, there are different types of phrasal verb.

2 Make a list of other ways of meeting a partner. What are Type 1 phrasal verbs have no object.
the pros and cons of each? Parts of the brain light up in scans.

2 Work in pairs. You’re going to read an article about Type 2 phrasal verbs have an object or -ing form that
long-term partnerships and science. Discuss how these always goes after the particle(s) – unless they are passive.
phrases might relate to the topic. It boils down to our willingness to see good.
Type 3 phrasal verbs can have the object before or after
go through rough times cling on to the dream the particle, but pronouns always go before.
step in and guide us narrows down users’ choices sort out problems / sort problems out / sort it out
carried out scans parts of the brain lit up (but NOT sort out it)
boils down to our willingness talk through the issue Type 4 phrasal verbs can have two objects.
My friends really helped to see me through my divorce / it.
3 Now read the article and see if your ideas were correct.
4 Work in pairs. Choose the correct answer. 6 Work in groups. Look at the Grammar box. Then do
1 Why is Fred and Doreen Wilson’s story included? some research and match these phrasal verbs to their
a They have broken a record. type. They may match more than one.

b They have been studied by social scientists.

account for agree on back up call off
c They illustrate an ideal many people have. cater for come between draw on fend for
2 What does alimony in the third paragraph refer back to? get into go through with keep from move on
a the financial cost of divorce read up on see through split up
b the social cost
c perseverance 7 In sentences 1–9 add the correct missing particle for
each phrasal verb in the correct place.
3 What argument is NOT made about free apps compared
to paying websites? 1 There are not enough dating sites that cater older people.
a It’s easy to find a date. 2 You should never keep anything your partner.
b You can’t expect to get good results if it’s free. 3 It’s important to read parenting before you have children.
c Too many users give false information. 4 It’s important for couples to agree one approach to
parenting or it can come them.
4 What do the neuroscientists’ discoveries suggest about
being in love? 5 When things are tough, couples need to draw the
support of friends to see them it.
a Addicts are more likely to fall in love.
6 Before you get a long-term relationship it’s important
b We have no control over our feelings.
you have learned to fend yourself.
c People react in random ways to pictures of their partners.
7 If you have doubts about your wedding, it’s better to call
5 What conclusion is NOT drawn by the author? it than go it.
a The research is interesting. 8 You should always back your partner if they get a
b People shouldn’t get married. dispute with someone else.
c There are important questions science can’t answer. 9 If things are not good in a marriage, it’s always best to
split and move.
5 Work in groups. Discuss these questions.
8 Write four more opinions on dating and relationships
1 Do you think there is anything missing from the list of
using phrasal verbs.
why couples stay together? Why do you think couples
without kids are more likely to stay together? G See Grammar reference 2B.
2 Do you know anyone who has had a long relationship?
What do you think is their secret?
SPEAKING
3 How far do you agree with the author’s conclusion?
What might be a different view of love and marriage? 9 Work in pairs. Decide on eight sentences from
4 What can governments do to help people in their Exercises 7 and 8 that you both agree on.
relationships? What policies may damage relationships?

18
 READING

A woman inspects profiles

at a matchmaking event.
Jinan, China.

Daria Karpenko discovers what insights science can offer into love and attraction.
Fred and Doreen Wilson are not your average husband To try and analyze what’s going on inside the brain,
and wife. In fact, having just celebrated their 75th wedding neuroscientists carried out scans on people who say they
anniversary, they may well enjoy the nation’s longest-lasting are deeply in love. They found that when the subjects
marriage. ‘There’s no great secret to our success,’ muses Fred. were shown pictures of their beloved, the same parts of
‘We’ve always got on very well and respected each other, the brain lit up, while another part was deactivated. The
but neither of us has ever expected the other to be the only active areas were associated with reward, desire, euphoria
source of happiness in life. We’ve been off and done our own and addiction, whereas the inactive area was associated
things, which has kept things fresh. When you go through with fear, which means we literally drop our guard and can
rough times, people often think changing partners will help, become blind to our partners’ faults. Further research found
but hardly anyone ever ends up better off as a result.’ that when subjects were asked to focus on faults that their
partner had, the ‘love’ activity in the brain tapered off.
Given that in many countries four out of ten marriages now
end in divorce, examples of such devotion, patience and So, falling in love might boil down to our willingness to
perseverance may seem like a thing of the past. But the see the good in people, but some researchers argue
appearance of such stories in the media is testament to the that willingness will be affected by the randomness of
fact that people seem to cling on to the dream of finding a our previous experiences and the circumstances in which
life partner, despite the evidence that more often than not, we meet. A first date could fail just because the weather
it won’t happen. And perhaps modern societies also still puts us in a bad mood. Given this unpredictability, these
want relationships to last forever because of the social and researchers argue that instead of thinking that love is
financial costs marital breakdown can entail. something which is found, we should focus on how it can
be built.
It’s perhaps unsurprising then, that science and technology
is increasingly being used to step in and guide us in an Which brings us back to Fred and Doreen. Social scientists
area that was previously dominated by lonely hearts ads in focus on couples like them to identify traits which have
newspapers and in-person matchmaking events, such as the enabled them to stay together. High on the list is desire and
one in the photo above. What’s more, there’s money to be respect for each other. That doesn’t mean these couples
made in helping people find the perfect match and one that never argue, but they talk through any issues without
will help them avoid heartache and alimony in later life. personalizing them and don’t try to sort out problems by
text. They also don’t expect all their support and intimacy
In the field of online dating, it certainly appears you get what
to come from their partner. They certainly celebrate good
you pay for. While many free apps let people match up with a
news and do things together, but each person also finds
simple swipe of the finger, their success in finding a long-term
happiness within themself and maintains friendships outside
partner is decidedly hit and miss. More pricey dating sites
the marriage. Finally, and perhaps surprisingly, it seems that
apparently have a much better track record, with the leading
the happiest couples never have kids.
brand claiming that someone finds love on their site every
fourteen minutes. The difference may be in the algorithms. These insights are all well and good, but they raise the
Dating sites ask users to fill out extensive questionnaires of question of how couples can put them into practice. Should
up to 150 items to get a detailed idea of their preferences. couples get brain scans to check they’re in love? Should we
The resulting data is then analyzed using a sophisticated have mandatory marriage classes before we tie the knot?
mathematical formula which narrows down users’ choices. Should couples stop having children?
However, other researchers are questioning how far people Or maybe the premise of the research is wrong. Perhaps
actually know their own minds when stating what they we need to abandon a past world of matchmaking and life
want from a partner. Research based on interviews before partners and embrace a different view of love, marriage and
and after speed-dating suggested that people’s stated separation. And for that it might be more helpful to turn
preferences before the session were quite different to the to philosophers rather than expecting science to solve the
people they actually set up dates with. problem.

Unit 2 Relationships 19
 2C IN THIS LESSON, YOU:

Mixed messages
• roleplay sharing and talking through personal problems
• talk about different kinds of relationships
• listen to different speakers talking about a boy who’s in trouble
• practise speculating on the causes, events and consequences of the story

SPEAKING a He got me through a difficult losing streak when I lost my

form and helped me bounce back.
1 Choose which of these relationships you have had. b She’s quite frail and unsteady on her feet so I keep an
Number them in order from 1 (the biggest influence
eye on her as she has no relatives nearby.
on your life) to 10 (the smallest influence).
c When I was a teenager, she really sparked my interest
in science.
siblings grandparent – grandchild
life partners parent – child d I’ve collaborated with him on a number of projects
and he’s taught me a lot.
colleagues teacher – pupil
business partners coach – athlete e They’re not on speaking terms at the moment, which
neighbours doctor – patient can make it awkward at meetings.
f We’re on first-name terms as I have to go and see him
so often.
2 Work in groups. Compare and explain your choices.
g They maintain a professional relationship, but they don’t
see eye to eye on many issues.
VOCABULARY Relationships h They’re at each other’s throats all day and they’re
3 Work in pairs. Read the sentences (a–l) and answer the constantly competing for my attention.
questions (1–3). i She puts people at ease and reassures them about the
1 What relationship from Exercise 1 do you think is being whole process.
talked about in each case? j She pushes them incredibly hard and if she thinks
2 Do you think the relationship is good or bad? Why? someone’s slacking they get dropped from the next
competition.
3 Could you say this about any relationships you know?
k Whenever there’s trouble, he always seems to single me
out. It’s not fair.
l He doesn’t really pull his weight with the kids, which
can cause some friction.

A professional basketball
coach speaks to students
at school in Chicago, US.

20