Supply the correct form of the verbs given in brackets and perform the role play given below .

 

Air Travelers Given Right to Compensation

Air travelers whose flights (1) _______________________ (to delay, overbook or cancel) will be legally entitled to generous levels of compensation following a landmark European Union deal. But the pact between European Parliament and EU governments drew howls of protest from low-cost airlines yesterday. They claimed the deal (2) __________________ (to force) air fares up and argued the rules (3) ________________ (to be) discriminatory.

Under the deal, passengers will, for the first time, be legally entitled to compensation if their flight (4) ________________ (to cancel). Compensation amounts (5) ________________ (to vary) between £175 for short flights and £420 for long trips. Passengers also (6) _________________ (to offer) a full refund for their ticket. The same level of compensation also (7) ________________ (to give) to travelers who (8) ________________ (to bump) off flights which (9) _________________ (to overbook). This is more than twice the current levels of compensation for overbooking.

Low-cost air-lines had wanted compensation levels (10) ________________ (to link) to the price of the original ticket. They are concerned that the compensation (11) ________________ (to be) more than the price of the original ticket. However, their intense lobbying efforts fell on deaf ears and some airlines claimed last night the new rules (12) __________________ (to hit) them hard.

“Of course this will put up fares,” said an EasyJet spokesman. “If you are on a cancelled £37 flight to Belfast and the airline has to pay you £175, ultimately the cost of the fine (13) ________________ (to push) on passengers. Who else (14) ________________ (to pay) for it?”

Virgin Express agreed that low-fare airlines (15) ________________ (to discriminate) against. “The principle is unfair,” said a Virgin Express spokesman. “The goal of the regulation is very worthy but it (16) ________________ (can/do) in a better way. A system where compensation (17) ________________ (to link) to the ticket price (18) ________________ (to be) much fairer.”

The Consumers’ Association poured cold water on the claims but accepted the impact on the low-cost sector (19) ________________ (to have/to keep) under review. “Any claim by airlines that changes of this sort (20) __________________ (to put up) fares has (21) _________________ (to treat) with some skepticism,” said Phil Evans, the organization’s principal policy adviser. “However, given the importance of the low-cost sector in the UK, anything that undermines its competitiveness (22) ________________ (to be) a concern.”

Under the new rules airlines will also be legally obliged to offer passengers who (23) _________________ (to suffer) delays of over five hours the choice between full reimbursement for their ticket or a return flight to their initial point of departure.

Meals, hotel and free phone calls also (24) ________________ (to have/to offer) by airlines on a sliding scale for delays between two hours and one day.

(From ‘The Guardian’ October 16, 2003, abridged)

 

Role play. The Consumers’ Association is holding a discussion of compensation levels air travellers could be entitled to.

Role 1. You are Phil Evans, the leader of the discussion. Introduce the problem to be discussed and outline the official point of view on the situation. Ask the participants to present their ideas. Comment on them at the end of the discussion.

Role 2. You are John Wallace, an EasyJet spokesman. Explain why you find raising compensation levels unfair.

Role 3. You are Sharon McDowel, a regular customer of EasyJet. You have a different point of view. You think compensation should vary according to the cause of a delay. If it is due to force majeure circumstances the compesation levels should remain the same. However, overbooking, being the fault of the company, should be treated differently. (Give an example: Your flight – to overbook – to miss an important meeting. If you – to arrive on time – you – not to lose a deal. Demand (insist) – the air company...)

 

Vocabulary Revision

38. Revise Vocabulary 1 Unit 6 (p. …) and do the following multiple choice task.

 

1. I phoned Ann this afternoon but nobody ______.

A. answered B. replied C. retorted

2. The dog _______ to his name.

A. answers B. replies C. retorts

3. I asked him where he was going but he didn’t _______.

A. answer B. reply C. retort

4. “Are you ready?” – “Why should I be ready when you aren’t?” she _______.

A. answered B. replied C. retorted

5. “Clean the mess in the kitchen, will you?” – “Do it yourself! I’m not paid for it,” she _______ insolently.

A. answered B. replied C. retorted

6. Few people _______ in the building after the alarm was given.

A. remained B. stayed

7. Can you ________ for dinner? – Sorry, I must be off. I’ve got things to do.

A. remain B. stay

8. We can’t have any parties now. My mother is ______ with us this week.

A. remaining B. staying

9. Though John was intimidated he _______ faithful to his friends and didn’t reveal any information.

A. remained B. stayed

10. It only _______ for me to say that the problem will be dealt with soon.

A. remains B. stays

11. Grandma was ill and I _______ with her till she got better.

A. remained B. stayed

12. She _______ put where she was, she couldn’t leave the house.

A. remained B. stayed

13. If you go to a number of ______ shops you’ll find great variations of price for the same articles.

A. different B. varied

14. Martin is a _____ man from what he was ten years ago.

A. different B. varied

15. Wildlife in the country is quite ______.

A. different B. varied

16. People have most _______ ideas about what is important in life: some value fame, others value money or freedom.

A. different B. varied

17. Going through Britain by car you see the most ______ country; the scenes change every hour.

A. different B. varied

18. He _______ that his journey would be delayed by bad weather and didn’t make any concrete arrangements for the trip.

A. forecast B. foresaw C. predicted

19. The economic situation in the country is so unstable that our future profits are impossible to ______.

A. forecast B. foresee C. predict

20. Why are you complaining? The situation was quite clear. You should have ______ the difficulties.

A. forecast B. foreseen C. predicted

21. Economists _______ that the rate of inflation will go down.

A. forecast B. foresee C. predict

22. The weather is fine. But my grandmother, who has lumbago, _______ it is going to change for the worse.

A. forecast B. foresaw C. predicted

23. The policeman _____ the thief but fell down and had to give it up.

A. chased B. pursued

24. Wherever the travelers went they were _______ by beggars.

A. chased B. pursued

25. His behaviour is unpredictable. I don’t see what aims he _____.

A. chases B. pursues

26. The cat ______ the mouse but couldn’t catch it.

A. chased B. pursued

27. It has been raining for days. Cars are ______ to skid on wet roads.

A. likely B. liable

28. If you park your car in front of a doorway you are ______ to get fined.

A. likely B. liable

29. Do you think Jane is telling the truth? – It’s quite ______.

A. likely B. liable

30. Jack hasn’t attended a single lecture this term. He’s _____ to fail all his exams.

A. likely B. liable

31. This plan will be the _______ of many opposition attacks.

A. aim B. target

32. You are going to have a nervous breakdown. What’s the ______ of working so hard?

A. aim B. target

33. If I were to counter Roy, I would first of all find out what his ______ are.

A. aims B. targets

34. If your savings reach the ______ figure of £25,000 this month you’ll be able to follow through with the plan.

A. aim B. target

35. Was George ________ from high school? – No, he dropped out because it was driving him mad.

A. expelled B. excluded

36. We can _______ the possibility that it was the boy who shot the President.

A. expel B. exclude

37. You are all guilty. I can _______ no one from the list of suspects.

A. expel B. exclude

38. If you are caught using drugs in a British university, you are liable to be ______.

A. expelled B. excluded

 

 

Unit 8

 

Reading and Speaking: Mass Media

 

Focus on Grammar:

Modal Verbs

 

Grammar Training

 

1. Study Grammar Reference p. … and analyze the following examples. Point out the difference in meaning of the following modal auxiliary verbs. Translate the sentences into Russian.

a.

1) Can I use your cell phone?

2) May I use your cell phone?

3) I wonder if I might use your cell phone?

b.

1) You could be more polite when you ask people to do you a favour.

2) You could have been more polite when you asked Alison to do you a favour.

c.

1) May there always be peace and harmony in this new family.

2) Can there always be peace and harmony in a family?

d.

1) This is a terrible party. We really must go home.

2) This is a lovely party, but we’ve got to go home because of the baby-sitter.

e.

1) You mustn’t drive fast or you’ll skid on the wet road.

2) You can’t drive fast here. The speed limit is 40 mph.

3) You don’t have (need) to drive fast. There’s plenty of time.

f.

1) I have to tell Mary the truth. She should know what happened.

2) I need to tell Mary the truth. It’s so exciting.

g.

1) Nobody was hungry and I didn’t need (have) to cook much food.

2) You needn’t have cooked so much food. Nobody was hungry.

 

h.

1) Mark should have come to say good-bye to Maggie.

2) Mark must have come to say good-bye to Maggie.

i.

1) The Prime Minister must take part in the discussion of this vital issue.

2) The Prime Minister is to take part in the discussion of this vital issue.

j.

1) Mr McGuinnie was to make an important statement and everybody was greatly interested.

2) Mr McGuinnie was to have made an important statement.