Activities

Reading comprehension

Read the following text and then answer the comprehension questions below with complete answers.

20 tips to behave yourself at a cocktail party

People often feel uncomfortable at cocktail parties because they aren’t sure what to do or say. If you are invited to a cocktail party and want to be sure you are confident enough to enjoy yourself and handle yourself with grace, read the tips below:

  1. Don’t overload your plate. If you are extremely hungry, find an out of the way spot, eat and then return to mingling. Remember that the objective of business and social events are to build relationships, not the food. Food is to take a back seat to the people around you. They are not having the event because you are hungry.
  2. Stay away from hard to eat foods like chicken wings, lamb chops or messy ribs.
  3. If you are standing up, don’t eat and drink at the same time.
  4. Hold your beverage in the left hand so your right hand won’t be wet and clammy to shake.
  5. If you are talking to someone who is continually scanning the room, move on.
  6. Don’t spend more than 5 or 10 minutes with anyone. The idea is to mix and mingle.You can always excuse yourself.
  7. It is easier if you go with someone you know but don’t spend the whole time with them.
  8. Be respectful of personal space. Don’t stand closer than 3 feet unless the room is very crowded.
  9. When meeting a celebrity or highly placed executive take initiative to greet them, but don’t overstay your welcome. Introduce yourself, say a few words and then move on. Don’t monopolise their time.
  10. Walk past a group to get a register of the conversation topic. If they are talking about politics, sports, computers, or some other impersonal topic, you’ve found a conversation you can join. Wear a pleasant look, make eye contact with 1 or 2 people, and listen to what’s being said. If someone looks over and smiles it is usually a cue for you. If the topic is personal or about people you don’t know, move on. If they make no move to invite you in, move on. Don’t take it personally.
  11. Avoid shop talk of the critical type. Loose lips sink ships.
  12. Keep a close rein on alcohol. If you start feeling like a raconteur par excellence, you probably aren’t.
  13. Hold a wine glass by the stem. When the glass is empty, look for a side board where glasses are gathered. If you don’t see one, ask the bartender or waiter what you should do with it. Thank him for taking it.
  14. Don’t tip the bartender unless it is a cash bar. Gratuities are built into the waiter’s fee and leaving one puts staff in an awkward position.
  15. If hors d’oeuvres are passed, take a napkin and have it in your hand under your plate. Do not take food directly from a serving tray and put it directly into your mouth. Instead put it on your plate or napkin. Don’t eat, talk and drink all at once. Do one activity at a time.
  16. What to do with toothpicks? Keep them in your napkin if there’s not a receptacle.
  17. Timing at business events should be fairly punctual, within 15-20 minutes of the start time indicated on the invitation.
  18. If you are in the reception line it is OK to have a drink but you should dispose of it before it is your turn to go through.
  19. At large receptions, if you are seated with strangers, it is a courtesy and sign of respect to introduce yourself.
  20. It is only the most boorish guest who changes seating arrangements.

Comprehension questions:

  1. What is the purpose of the tips?
  2. What is the objective of business and social events?
  3. Why do you have to hold your beverage in the left hand?
  4. When can you feel you have been invited to join a group?
  5. Where should you leave an empty wine glass?
  6. Where should you put food from a serving tray?
  7. Who may change seating arrangements?

Suggested answers:

  1. To teach you to be confident enough to enjoy yourself and handle yourself with grace at a cocktail party.
  2. The objective of business and social events is to build relationships, not the food.
  3. You should hold your beverage in the left hand so your right hand won’t be wet and clammy to shake.
  4. If someone looks over and smiles it is usually a cue for you.
  5. Either leave it on a side board where glasses are gathered or if you don’t see one, ask the bartender or waiter what you should do with it.
  6. You should put it on your plate or napkin.
  7. Only the most boorish guest does.

Speaking

The objective of this activity is to practise the speaking skills by making some suggestions.

Read the following sentences and then make an appropriate suggestion for each one. Record your answer and then listen to it to check your pronunciation.

  1. I need to learn English.
  2. We’re all very tired.
  3. I’m quite depressed.
  4. I can’t find a job.
  5. Isn’t it very cold in this room?
  6. I feel alone.

Now listen to the answers and respond to each one in an appropriate way. You can agree or disagree with the suggestion given.

Responding to suggestions ( 276.4 KB )

Note: there’s no correct answer to this question. To check your pronunciation, type your answers in the text editor in the 'Text-to-speech' website and then listen to the pronunciation. Practise as much as you want by repeating the words that you hear.

Listening comprehension

The objective of this activity is to listen to a text and understand the necessary information to answer the comprehension questions.

Download and listen to the following text. Then answer the comprehension questions below.

Netiquette ( 571.6 KB )

Comprehension questions:

  1. Why did Laura interview Mr Mark Jason?
  2. What is the objective of the netiquette?
  3. Which are the two main reasons not to use capital letters when writing an email?
  4. How can people know that you are trying to be funny?
  5. Does Mark Jason recommend the use of smileys?
  6. What do subject headings usually refer to?
  7. When doesn’t he recommend a prompt response?
  8. What should you do in case you want to attach a document?

Suggested answers:

  1. He is a specialist on Netiquette.
  2. The set of rules aim at a pleasant, efficient and agreeable interaction among Internet users.
  3. Using capital letters may sound as if you were angry and makes reading more difficult.
  4. You can make them know that by using smileys.
  5. No, he recommends not to use them very often.
  6. They usually refer to the content of the message.
  7. He recommends no response when you are being flamed.
  8. You should ask the person you are sending it whether he or she can open an attachment of the type you are sending.

Writing: Preparing a brochure

The objective of this activity is to research and develop contents for writing.

When designing the materials to promote the trade fair, the designer suddenly felt ill and couldn’t continue his work. Your supervisor asked you to finish the task, which consisted of designing a leaflet with the following information:

  • A description of the exhibition: main products exhibited, number of exhibitors, goals, etc.
  • Venue
  • Programme
  • Showdates
  • Entrance fee
  • Opening hours

Example of leaflet:

A leaflet

Making suggestions

The objective of this activity is to practise the different forms to make suggestions and to choose the appropriate suggestions in a specific context.

Imagine that a friend tells you that he/she wants to learn English well. Make 6 suggestions telling him/her what he/she could do to reach that objective (use different ways of making suggestions).

I’d like to learn English really well. What could I do?

Suggested answers (the expressions used to make suggestions are in italics):

  1. You could buy a good dictionary.
  2. Why don’t you go the watch films in English?
  3. How about speaking in English as much as possible?
  4. What about doing lots of grammar exercises?
  5. I suggest that you take some English classes in a language school.
  6. I suggest taking a private teacher.

Making and responding to invitations

The goal of this activity is to practise the different ways of making and responding to invitations and focus on the necessary syntactical structures.

a) Complete the following sentences by making appropriate invitations in the situation described below:

You have just finished a long meeting with your colleagues. You invite them to do different things.

  1. I would like to invite you to…
  2. Would you like…
  3. Would you like to…
  4. What about…
  5. Why don’t we….
  6. You are invited to…

b) Now you must accept three invitations and reject the other three in an appropriate way.

Suggested answers:

a)

  1. … have a coffee with me.
  2. … anything to eat?
  3. … go to the station with me?
  4. … sharing my car to go home?
  5. … have dinner together?
  6. … attend my daughter’s wedding on 23rd April.

b)

  1. Thank you very much. I would like that very much.
  2. Thanks. That would be great.
  3. Yes, I’d like that. Thanks.
  4. No, thanks anyway. I’ve got my motorbike.
  5. Thank you but I can’t. I’m having dinner with my parents tonight.
  6. Thank you for your invitation but I am afraid I cannot attend because I will be away on that date.

Expressing ability

The objective of this activity is to practise the use of the modal verb can to express ability in the present and in the past.

a) Write 3 things that you can do and 3 things that you can’t do now.

b) Write 3 things that you could do when you were a child and 3 things that you couldn’t do.

a) Suggested answers:

  1. I can speak English quite well.
  2. I can drive a car.
  3. I can swim.
  4. I can’t play the violin.
  5. I can’t stay at home everyday.
  6. I can’t ski.

b) Suggested answers:

  1. I could watch television all the time.
  2. I could sleep until late at weekends.
  3. I could read.
  4. I couldn’t go to bed late.
  5. I couldn’t go out with my friends.
  6. I couldn’t speak English.

Expressing obligation

The objective of this unit is to practise the use of the modal verbs must and should to express obligation.

Remember that the modal verb must is used to express a strong obligation, usually, but not always, established by the law. On the other hand, the modal verb should is used to express a moral obligation, that is, an action which is not prohibited, but it is advisable to do.

a) Say 3 things that you must and 3 things that you mustn’t do

b) Say 3 things that you should do and 3 things that you shouldn’t do to learn English.

a) Suggested answers:

  1. I must drive on the right.
  2. I must go to work to earn a salary.
  3. I must study hard to pass the exams.
  4. I mustn’t smoke in restaurants.
  5. I mustn’t light a fire in the woods in summer.
  6. I mustn’t sleep at work.

Remember: the verb must suggests a strong obligation, often imposed by the law.

b) Suggested answers:

  1. I should use a dictionary to look up unknown words.
  2. I should practise speaking with a native speaker.
  3. I should do the grammar activities.
  4. I shouldn’t use automatic translators all the time.
  5. I shouldn’t watch films dubbed into Spanish.
  6. I shouldn’t study only one hour a week.

Remember: the verb should indicates a moral obligation, that is, what you think it is or it isn’t right to do.

Expressing possibility

The objective of this activity is to practise the use of the modal verbs may or might to express possibility.

Say 3 things that may happen and 3 things that may not happen if the following situation comes true, as in the example.

Remember: may and might both express possibility, but with might, the possibility is seen as more remote.

If the economic crisis continues for a long time, …

Example: …we may have lots of problems.

Suggested answers:

  1. … I may lose my job.
  2. … I might sell my house.
  3. … the government may lose the next election.
  4. … we might not go on holiday in summer.
  5. … I may not have money.
  6. … I may not go to the gym anymore.

Making requests

The main goal of this activity is to practise different ways of making requests by using the appropriate words in a specific situation.

Make an appropriate request for each of these situations. Use the ideas in brackets. Start your request as indicated:

  1. It’s very hot in the room. (the window) - Can you…
  2. It’s very dark. (the lights) - Will you…
  3. You are very thirsty. (a glass of water) - Could you…
  4. You’re cold. (the heating) - Do you mind…
  5. The music is very loud and you can’t concentrate. (the volume) - Can you…
  6. You need money to go back home. (5 euros) - Would you mind…

Sugested answers:

  1. … open the window?
  2. … turn on the lights (please)?
  3. … bring me a glass of water (please)?
  4. … turning on the heating (please)?
  5. … turn down the volume (please)?
  6. … lending me 5 euros (please) ?

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