Revise all the articles of this Unit and get ready to discuss the following points.

1. What role do you think private education should play in the system of education? Should it be looked upon as pure business or should it be a means of raising the national elite?

2. What advantages does the Internet bring to education? Are there any disadvantages?

3. Does cheating lead to lower quality of education? Why?

4. Do you think there is a correlation between affluence or poverty and the level of academic attainment at schools? Why?

5. Must schools be strictly controlled by education authorities? Why do you think so?

6. To what extent does academic attainment of school children depend on the teacher? Can you give examples of pupils getting good knowledge thanks to the teacher, irrespective of the teacher and in spite of the teacher?

7. Must schools only give academic knowledge or must they develop the character of the pupils and give them some practical skills?

8. Should there be extracurricular activities at schools (sport, art, music clubs and the like)?

9. Comment on the following quotation. Edward F. Halifax: “Education is what remains after we have forgotten all that we have been taught.”

 

Writing

21. Write an essay (about 250 words): “The school of the future”. Describe the way things are now, how they are going to change and why.

Suggested procedure:

1. Revise the articles of the Unit and see what ideas and concrete information you can use in the essay.

2. Arrange the ideas in a logical order and make up a plan of the essay giving an introduction that will state the subject of the essay and a conclusion which will summarize your ideas and, if possible, give recommendations.

3. See the word list of the Unit and decide what vocabulary would be appropriate in your essay.

4. Write the essay. Introduce each idea or paragraph with linking words like ‘first and foremost, most importantly, above all, furthermore, clearly, therefore, in addition, moreover, however, as a result of, to sum it up’.

 

 

Everyday English. Being Polite

 

22. Study Grammar Reference, (IV) Distancing, p. … and make up short dialogues in the following situations.

1. You are a personal assistant of Mr Greenwood, a Barkley Bank manager. You’ve been given a task of arranging a business lunch with an important client, Mr Casey. The meeting is to take place at the restaurant of ‘Le Merridian’ hotel in Piccadilly Street, London. The problem to be discussed at lunch is the investment Mr Casey is going to make. Get in touch with Mr Casey and enquire most politely if he accepts the invitation and ask him to name the date and time of the meeting. Ask him also to bring his draft contract. During the conversation ask Mr Casey to wait so that you could find out if the time of the meeting is convenient for Mr Greenwood. When you are through, phone the hotel restaurant and book a table for two.

 

2. You are an exchange student living with an English family. Your hosts seem to be nice and you decide to invite two friends to dinner. Naturally, you will pay for extra food and cooking. Ask the hostess if you can do it.

 

 

3. You are a student living in New York. You need money so you’ve got a job as a salesperson in a big department store. Your supervisor asked you to take care of a customer who wants to buy a present for his daughter. Help him to make his choice. Remember that there are some things that you can bring from a back store room if the customer waits a little.

 

4. Formal correspondence. (See Grammar Reference (5) p. …) You are a travel agent. A regular customer, a certain Mr Smith, asked you to arrange a holiday for him in two weeks’ time. Advise him where to go and send him travel brochures to help him make his choice.

a. Dictate a letter to this effect to your secretary.

b. Dictate a similar letter that could be addressed to a friend.

 

 

 

Unit 2

 

Reading and Speaking: Jobs and Work

 

Focus on Grammar:

Simple Present Perfect

Simple Past Perfect

Simple Future Perfect

 

Grammar Training

 

Simple Present Perfect

1.Look at the following examples and explain the meaning of theverb forms. Study Grammar Reference () p. … first.

a. I don’t know where we are going. I’m afraid, we’ve missed the turning.

b. I’m sorry we are late. We missed the turning and got lost.

c. Let’s have lunch at this café. Oh, wait a little. I’ve left my wallet in the car.

d. Waiter! The bill, please. Oh, sorry! I left my wallet in the car. I’ll go and get it.

e. I see you’ve got a new car. How much did you pay for it?

f. I’m paying for the car by installments. – How much have you paid for it?

g. No one has phoned since I’ve been here.

h. No one has phoned since I arrived.

i. We’ll move house after we have all the repairs done.

j. We won’t move house until we’ve had all the repairs done.