Talking About The News - english learning
Real World: talking about news
Grammar: Present Perfect Tense for recent events
Review: Past Simple Tense
Objective: to develop students’ speaking skills on the topic; to develop attention and linguistic guessing
WORLD OF NEWS
The bad news is time flies.
The good news is youʼre the pilot.
Unknown
_____________________________________________________________
Warming-up
1. What association does come across to your mind when you hear the word “news”? Put the words into columns according to parts of speech.
Newspapers The Internet TV
Magazines NEWS Radio
e.g. I associate news with the Internet.
I associate news with the magazines.
Essential Vocabulary
Nouns Adjectives Verbs Phrasal Verbs
news flash unbiased to broadcast to pick up
rolling news revealing to receive to tune in
column well-researched to publish to look through
broadsheet detailed to cover to cover up
editorial educational to manipulate to hot up
breaking news informative to forbid to come out
tabloid factual to educate to turn up
Note:
Articles (= pieces of writing about an important subject, e.g. an article about drugs)
Headlines (= title in large letters above the report/article, e.g. a front-page headline) Reviews (= articles giving an opinion of new films, books, etc., e.g. a review of ...) Adverts (= words and pictures about a product, to make people buy it, e.g. an ad for ..)
Useful Language
Giving good and bad news
GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS
• Iʼm really pleased to tell you ...
• Iʼve got a bit of good news to tell you …
• Iʼve got some good / brilliant / great / wonderful news …
• You know what! Iʼve got a bit of great news for you ...
• Great news for you ... • Iʼm afraid Iʼve got some bad news for you ...
• Iʼm sorry Iʼve got a bit of bad news to tell you ...
• I really donʼt know how to say it, but …
• Iʼm sorry to have to say this, but …
• I really feel bad / sad to have to say this, but …
Responding to news
GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS SURPRISING NEWS
• Oh, thatʼs good
• Wow, that sounds exciting!
• Thatʼs great!
• How fantastic!
• What fantastic / good / brilliant / great / wonderful / splendid news!
• Thatʼs good / brilliant / great / wonderful / splendid news!
• That sounds like great news!
• Congratulations!
• Thatʼs wonderful / fantastic!
• Iʼm glad to hear that!
• Great news!
• Incredible!
• Superb!
• Sounds great!
• Lucky you!
• Oh, how wonderful!
• I canʼt believe that! • Oh, dear. Are they OK?
Yes, isnʼt it awful?
• Iʼm awfully sorry that …
• Iʼm sorry to hear that …
• Iʼm sorry to hear such terrible news.
• My goodness!
• I canʼt believe it!
• Poor you!
• I do sympathize with you.
• Please, accept my deepest sympathy.
• I know how you must be feeling.
• That must be awful
• Oh, dear !
• Too bad !
• Thatʼs awful / a pity / unfortunate.
• Oh no, thatʼs terrible • Youʼre joking!
• Really?
Note: awful and terrible have the same meaning (= very had).
Note: We say What happened? not What did happen? in this context. This is because What is the subject of happened, and in subject questions we use the Past Simple form, not did + infinitive.
Vocabulary Practice
2. Match the nouns to the phrases.
Words Meaning
1 news flash a is a piece of writing in a newspaper which is written regularly by the same person.
2 rolling news b is a newspaper which reports more serious news.
3 column c is an article which expresses opinion and the paperʼs political viewpoint.
4 broadsheet d is a short news report, giving the most recent information about an important or unexpected event.
5 editorial e is a popular newspaper with many pictures, reporting ʼsoftʼ news.
6 breaking news f is continuous news broadcast – 24 hours a day.
7 tabloid g is news that is happening and being reported or revealed at this moment.
3. Match the headlines to the different sections of a newspaper listed below.
1 NEW HIGH-TECH PLANE FLIES
AT CALIFORNIA AIR BASE a Sports
2 SOMERSET HOUSE TRANSFORMS INTO A GIANT OPEN-AIR CINEMA FOR 10 NIGHTS IN AUGUST b Education
3 NEW GOVERNMENT RAISES
RETIREMENT AGE LIMIT TO 67 c Politics
4 POP STAR GIVES BIRTH TO BABY BOY d Arts
5 WWF LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN
TO SAVE SOUTH AFRICAN FISHERIES e World News
6 EARTHQUAKE ROCKS INDONESIA LEAVING
THOUSANDS HOMELESS f Science/Technology
7 HENRY TO RETURN TO PRO TENNIS TOUR g Entertainment
8 MINISTER OF EDUCATION SUGGESTS
NEW APPROACH TO SCHOOL DISCIPLINE h Environment
4. Match the qualities to the phrases. Use them to tell your partner what makes a good magazine/newspaper.
Words Meaning
1 unbiased a contain or be based on actual facts
2 revealing b teach something you did not know before
3 well-researched c contains a lot of information or details about sb/sth
4 detailed d comment fairly on events without being influenced by other peopleʼs opinions
5 educational e give the reader useful facts ideas of
6 informative f study the topics carefully and discover facts about them
7 factual g discover facts about sb/sth
A good newspaper should be unbiased so that it comments fairly on events without being influenced by other peopleʼs opinions.
Speaking
5. Think about your answers to these questions. Use ideas from tasks 1 – 5 and your own ideas.
1) How do you usually find out about the news? Where do you get news from (the Internet, TV, newspapers, magazines, the radio)? Which do you prefer? Why?
A: I usually keep up with news by reading daily newspapers. I find them well-researched and unbiased.
B: I prefer reading magazines, especially the arts and entertainment sections, as some of the articles can be very informative, and revealing when it comes to the life of the stars.
2) What sort of news are you most interested in? Are you interested in local, national or international news? Are you interested in sports news? Celebrity news? Business news?
A: I usually read the world news section because Iʼm interested in whatʼs happening in the world. I never read the sports section, though, because Iʼm not really interested in it.
3) What stories are in the news at the moment? Think of an important story that you have heard.
4) Are old people and young people interested in the same news? (Why? / Why not?)
5) How do you think people will get their news in the future?
6. Describe different ways of getting the news. You should say:
→ whether you get the news every day;
→ if the news is national or international;
→ how you get your news (TV, radio, newspaper, Internet);
→ and say how important you think it is to be up to date with news.
7. Compare and contrast the photographs saying why you think the people are reading newspapers. Talk about place, people, clothes, feelings. Use the useful language (Apendix 1).
Writing
8. Choose any newspaper (magazine) and complete the following sentences:
1) The newspaper carries an article on / about …
2) The author describes different problems connected with …
3) The aim of the article is to discuss / to show / to comment on …
4) The most interesting feature is about …
5) The most striking photograph shows …
6) An article about … on page … made me feel …
7) We can draw the conclusion that…
8) This article helps me to understand / gives me useful information about …
Note: Learn English, Hot English Magazine
Grammar
9. Unscramble the sentences:
HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEWS YET?
1) abroad. / They / never / have / been
2) How / long / has / here? / she / lived
3) Mum / delicious / has / cookies. / just / made
4) made / havenʼt / yet. / bed / I / my
5) neighbours / roof. / their / have / fixed / Our / already
6) eaten / never / before. / have / seafood / I
7) to / havenʼt / party. / his / since / birthday / talked / I / Paul
8) My / vegetarian / several / sister / a / been / months. / for / has
9) We / havenʼt / Alan / seen / since / yesterday.
10) suitcase / Have / you / your / yet? / packed
11) Dad / has / coffee. / drunk / black / just
12) never / golf. / Sue / played / has
13) come / home / kids / havenʼt / back / yet. / The
14) the / you / sent / yet? / Have / invitations
15) married / thirty / for / been / grandparents / have / five / My / years.
16) of / Who / last / cake? / piece / the / eaten / has
17) prize? / you / main / Have / won / ever / the
10. Read these news stories. Put the verbs in brackets in the Present Perfect Tense active or passive.
Remember: we use the Present Perfect Simple for giving news about something that happened a short time ago, but we donʼt say exactly when.
Examples: At least forty people have been arrested.
The UK has failed to meet its targets.
The governmentʼs pay offer1 ____________ (reject) by the Transport Union. The union leader, Alan Stone, 2______________ (just confirm) that train drivers will go on strike at midnight.
However, next weekʼs postal strike 3_____ (call off) after the union accepted a pay offer of 3.4 %.
Scientists in Cambridge 4_________. (find) the gene that causes asthma. The gene is one of many allergy genes that5 ______________ (discover) in the last few years.
Rock singer Heidi Gee6 _______ (just arrive) in the UK for her sell-out tour. Her second album. Serenity. 7 ________ (already sell) over five million copies.
And we 8_________ (just hear) that the actor Henry
Robson 9 _______________ (take) to hospital after a car accident.
His condition 10 _______________ (describe) as serious.
11. Put the words in brackets in the correct places in these sentences.
Remember:
ʼjustʼ comes between the auxiliary verb (ʼhaveʼ) and the past participle.
ʼyetʼ is used in questions and negatives and usually comes at the end of the sentence.
ʼstillʼ usually comes in ʼmid-positionʼ
ʼalreadyʼ usually comes in mid-position.
(for practice use https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/quick-grammar/just-yet-still-already).
1) The strike has lasted three weeks, (already)
2) The Prime Minister has arrived. (just)
3) The relatives havenʼt been told, (yet)
4) Heʼs been questioned by the police, (already)
5) Two men have been arrested. (just)
6) Has the match finished? (yet)
7) The results havenʼt been published, (still)
12. Match each infinitive to its irregular Past Simple form.
Infinitive Past Simple
lose find take say fall break choose win put tell chose lost told won put found broke said fell took
Reading
13. Look at the headlines of news reports 1 and 2. Which TV news stories are they about, do you think?
EVEREST CLIMBERS FOUND
Terry and Carla Ellis, the British couple who wanted to be the first husband-and-wife team to climb Everest, are now safe. An army helicopter found them on the side of the mountain yesterday afternoon and took them to a hospital in Kathmandu.
“The weather was terrible and climbing was very difficult,” said Carla. “Two days ago Terry fell a hundred metres down the mountain and broke his leg. He lost the radio when he fell and so we stayed on the mountain and waited for help. We were really happy to see the helicopter. Weʼre lucky to be alive.”
Do they want to try and climb Everest again in the future? “Maybe,” said Terry from his hospital bed. “Carla really wants to come back next year. Iʼm not so sure.”
DOG WINS LOTTERY!
Wednesday nightʼs lottery winner Joe Hall received a cheque for over £13 million yesterday at the supermarket where he works. His dog, Max, who chose the winning numbers, was with him.
“I usually choose the numbers,” said 28-year-old Joe from Liverpool. “But I never win anything. So this time I asked Max to choose the numbers for me - and I won over £13 million!”
But how did the dog choose the numbers? “I wrote the numbers 1 to 49 on envelopes and put a dog biscuit in each envelope,” Joe explained. “I put the envelopes in different places in my house and told Max to find the biscuits. Then I wrote down the numbers from the first six envelopes he found - and now Iʼm a millionaire!”
Now Joe wants Max to find him a girlfriend!
14. Work in two groups (in pairs). Group A (Student A), read report 1 and answer questions 1 – 5. Group B (Student B), read report 2. Answer questions a) – e).
1) Where are Terry and Carla now?
2) When did Terry fall?
3) What did he break when he fell?
4) Why didnʼt they call for help?
5) Do they want to come back next year? a) Where did Joe receive the cheque?
b) What did Joe write on the envelopes?
c) Where did Joe put them?
d) Why did the dog want to find the envelopes?
e) What does Joe want his dog to do now?
Home Project
15. Create advertisement for the following.
a) You are looking for a pen-friend. Write an advertisement for the “Personal” column of an international magazine describing yourself, your interests.
b) You have lost something valuable. Write an advert for the “Lost and Found” column of an English-speaking newspaper.
c) You want to sell your car. Write an ad for the newspaper describing the car (condition, mileage, reasons for selling it)
16. Answer the questions with facts from the article.
NAME OF THE NEWSPAPER: _______________________
DATE OF THE NEWSPAPER: _______________________
HEADLINE OF ARTICLE: _______________________
TENSE USED IN ARTICLE: _______________________
EXAMPLES OF VERBS: _______________________
WHAT? What event / thing happened?
WHO? Who were the people involved in the event / thing?
WHERE? Where did the event / thing happen?
WHEN? When did the event / thing happen?
WHY? Specifically, why did the event happen?
HOW? Specifically, how did the event happen?
Useful Resources
1. bbc news one minute news
2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/with.
3. https://www.newsinlevels.com/
4. https://breakingnewsenglish.com/
5. https://learningenglish.voanews.com/z/957.
Additional Reading Section
17. Newspaper headlines often proclaim a new scientific breakthrough or discovery. You are going to read an article about the “sweet tooth gene”. Before reading, discuss these questions with a partner.
a) Where do you get most of your information about new scientific discoveries from – newspapers, documentaries or your studies?
b) Have you got a sweet tooth? Does this trait run in your family?
c) If scientists could discover a sweet tooth gene, what could they do with this information?
18. Read the article and then decide if the following statements are true or false.
a) Having a sweet tooth is an inherited trait.
b) A drug has been developed which can put off sweet food.
c) The two teams of researchers used different types of mice.
d) The sweet tooth gene produces a protein.
e) Aubrey Sheiham believes dieting is futile if you have the sweet tooth gene.
f) It is natural for humans to be attracted to sweet foods.
g) This discovery may lead to the production of a new type of chocolate.
19. What scientific developments do you think we will see in the near future as the result of work on DNA.
IF BINGEING ON CHOCOLATE MAKES YOUR TROUSERS TOO TIGHT, BLAME THE GENES
Chocoholics no longer need to feel guilty about their craving. They are simply the victim of their genes, scientists have found.
The so-called “sweet tooth gene” has been identified by separate teams of researchers and helps explain why some find it harder to resist chocolate bars and cream cakes.
It also raises the possibility of designing a drug which could “switch off” the gene and help people resist sugary foods. Children, in particular, risk their health by eating too many sweets and chocolates.
To identify the gene, the research teams – based at Harvard Medical School in Boston and Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York – conducted almost identical experiments using mice which have differences in their ability to taste sweet foods. They compared the DNA of the two types of mice and noticed differences in the gene, called T1R3.
Dr. Gopi Shanker, of the Mount Sinai team, said: “It contains information which produces a protein called the sweet taste receptor.
This recognises the sweet content of food and initiates a cascade of events which signal to the brain that a sweet food has been eaten.” Dr. Shanker added: “Exactly the same gene exists in humans, so it means that if your parents have a sweet tooth then you probably will as well.”
Research by the Harvard team has come to the same conclusion.
But Aubrey Sheiham, professor of dental public health at University to College, London, said the results did not provide chocoholics with an excuse to give up dieting.
He said: “We have always known that some people have a sweeter tooth than others. But it has also been proved that if you gradually expose people to less sugar, then the body becomes accustomed to less. They will be satisfied with a lower level of sweetness.”
Mr. Sheiham warned against any to form of gene therapy which sought to deactivate the sweet tooth gene.
“We have produced this gene so through evolution because sweet foods in nature are not poisonous and also give us energy. We all need to have some sugar in our diet.”
The U.S. researchers are using their discovery to develop artificial sweeteners without an aftertaste.
20. Fill the gaps (1 – 10) in the article below with the linking devices from the box. There are two linking devices which do not fit.
and whatʼs more as but because by then even despite provided resulted in so to cap it all then
30,000 Runners Take London in Their Stride
(0) ....No sooner..... had the gun sounded than we were all off, including me and my running flatmate. Fran, jostling for position (1) .................... we crossed the starting line, which was awash with plastic bags, unwanted clothing, bottles and banana skins.
The real running began as Greenwich came into view and the crowds, which were already big, increased even further. People shouted at friends. Anyone with their name on their vest became public property (2) ............ everyone wanted to be part of this event. Screams of encouragement mixed with brass bands and Beatles tribute bands.
The 12-mile point. I must have lived this part at least a dozen times from my armchair. I could hear a commentator murmuring about how plucky we all were.
(3) ............ the halfway mark was within reach and it was getting tiring. Tower Bridge loomed, magnificent, with thousands of people screeching encouragement.
I knew what was coming. At 13 miles out I saw a small Hag fluttering and annoying someoneʼs ear and then the words: “There he is.” My parents had spotted me. I stopped for a chat, and went on my way. (4) ……. Someone was watching after all.
(5) ……….. regularly ingesting isotonic fluid and strawberry and banana flavoured gels (350 calories a sachet) we were getting only fleeting benefits. Children were pressed to the barriers offering support and sometimes sweets.
Through a haze of discomfort Canary Wharf appeared. It went on forever. Things were flagging. Knees were sore, ankles pinching,
(6) ………… my arms were tingling. Twenty miles gone and it was agony. 1 guessed this was my wall coming. Tall and slippery with broken glass on the top. How 1 got past that point without hiring a cab I have yet to unravel.
Things worsened. The closer to home, the harder it became. My feel were sticking to the floor. Fran was looking worried. We did not stop and walk (7) ……….. just ran at a walking pace.
The last mile felt like the first 13. Nothing was much fun. I was gone. (8) ………… I was hungry.
(9) ……….. turning past Big Ben I saw a man holding an advert for McDonaldʼs bacon double cheese burger. Unbelievable cruelty. (10) …...... I would have eaten my hand if it was encased in a bun and covered in mayo with a couple of those gherkin-type things for relish. And I am a vegetarian.
The finish was in sight. Past Buckingham Palace and a couple of screeching friends and to the end. The full stop finish, no more, never again. Around me people staggered, their faces covered in dry salt deposits from sweat, lips trembling, a few crying.
Strangers offered congratulations, touched our backs, smiled the brightest smiles, spoke the most beautiful words. I loved the world and it loved me.
Real World: talking about news
Grammar: Present Perfect Tense for recent events
Review: Past Simple Tense
Objective: to develop students’ speaking skills on the topic; to develop attention and linguistic guessing
WORLD OF NEWS
The bad news is time flies.
The good news is youʼre the pilot.
Unknown
_____________________________________________________________
Warming-up
1. What association does come across to your mind when you hear the word “news”? Put the words into columns according to parts of speech.
Newspapers The Internet TV
Magazines NEWS Radio
e.g. I associate news with the Internet.
I associate news with the magazines.
Essential Vocabulary
Nouns Adjectives Verbs Phrasal Verbs
news flash unbiased to broadcast to pick up
rolling news revealing to receive to tune in
column well-researched to publish to look through
broadsheet detailed to cover to cover up
editorial educational to manipulate to hot up
breaking news informative to forbid to come out
tabloid factual to educate to turn up
Note:
Articles (= pieces of writing about an important subject, e.g. an article about drugs)
Headlines (= title in large letters above the report/article, e.g. a front-page headline) Reviews (= articles giving an opinion of new films, books, etc., e.g. a review of ...) Adverts (= words and pictures about a product, to make people buy it, e.g. an ad for ..)
Useful Language
Giving good and bad news
GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS
• Iʼm really pleased to tell you ...
• Iʼve got a bit of good news to tell you …
• Iʼve got some good / brilliant / great / wonderful news …
• You know what! Iʼve got a bit of great news for you ...
• Great news for you ... • Iʼm afraid Iʼve got some bad news for you ...
• Iʼm sorry Iʼve got a bit of bad news to tell you ...
• I really donʼt know how to say it, but …
• Iʼm sorry to have to say this, but …
• I really feel bad / sad to have to say this, but …
Responding to news
GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS SURPRISING NEWS
• Oh, thatʼs good
• Wow, that sounds exciting!
• Thatʼs great!
• How fantastic!
• What fantastic / good / brilliant / great / wonderful / splendid news!
• Thatʼs good / brilliant / great / wonderful / splendid news!
• That sounds like great news!
• Congratulations!
• Thatʼs wonderful / fantastic!
• Iʼm glad to hear that!
• Great news!
• Incredible!
• Superb!
• Sounds great!
• Lucky you!
• Oh, how wonderful!
• I canʼt believe that! • Oh, dear. Are they OK?
Yes, isnʼt it awful?
• Iʼm awfully sorry that …
• Iʼm sorry to hear that …
• Iʼm sorry to hear such terrible news.
• My goodness!
• I canʼt believe it!
• Poor you!
• I do sympathize with you.
• Please, accept my deepest sympathy.
• I know how you must be feeling.
• That must be awful
• Oh, dear !
• Too bad !
• Thatʼs awful / a pity / unfortunate.
• Oh no, thatʼs terrible • Youʼre joking!
• Really?
Note: awful and terrible have the same meaning (= very had).
Note: We say What happened? not What did happen? in this context. This is because What is the subject of happened, and in subject questions we use the Past Simple form, not did + infinitive.
Vocabulary Practice
2. Match the nouns to the phrases.
Words Meaning
1 news flash a is a piece of writing in a newspaper which is written regularly by the same person.
2 rolling news b is a newspaper which reports more serious news.
3 column c is an article which expresses opinion and the paperʼs political viewpoint.
4 broadsheet d is a short news report, giving the most recent information about an important or unexpected event.
5 editorial e is a popular newspaper with many pictures, reporting ʼsoftʼ news.
6 breaking news f is continuous news broadcast – 24 hours a day.
7 tabloid g is news that is happening and being reported or revealed at this moment.
3. Match the headlines to the different sections of a newspaper listed below.
1 NEW HIGH-TECH PLANE FLIES
AT CALIFORNIA AIR BASE a Sports
2 SOMERSET HOUSE TRANSFORMS INTO A GIANT OPEN-AIR CINEMA FOR 10 NIGHTS IN AUGUST b Education
3 NEW GOVERNMENT RAISES
RETIREMENT AGE LIMIT TO 67 c Politics
4 POP STAR GIVES BIRTH TO BABY BOY d Arts
5 WWF LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN
TO SAVE SOUTH AFRICAN FISHERIES e World News
6 EARTHQUAKE ROCKS INDONESIA LEAVING
THOUSANDS HOMELESS f Science/Technology
7 HENRY TO RETURN TO PRO TENNIS TOUR g Entertainment
8 MINISTER OF EDUCATION SUGGESTS
NEW APPROACH TO SCHOOL DISCIPLINE h Environment
4. Match the qualities to the phrases. Use them to tell your partner what makes a good magazine/newspaper.
Words Meaning
1 unbiased a contain or be based on actual facts
2 revealing b teach something you did not know before
3 well-researched c contains a lot of information or details about sb/sth
4 detailed d comment fairly on events without being influenced by other peopleʼs opinions
5 educational e give the reader useful facts ideas of
6 informative f study the topics carefully and discover facts about them
7 factual g discover facts about sb/sth
A good newspaper should be unbiased so that it comments fairly on events without being influenced by other peopleʼs opinions.
Speaking
5. Think about your answers to these questions. Use ideas from tasks 1 – 5 and your own ideas.
1) How do you usually find out about the news? Where do you get news from (the Internet, TV, newspapers, magazines, the radio)? Which do you prefer? Why?
A: I usually keep up with news by reading daily newspapers. I find them well-researched and unbiased.
B: I prefer reading magazines, especially the arts and entertainment sections, as some of the articles can be very informative, and revealing when it comes to the life of the stars.
2) What sort of news are you most interested in? Are you interested in local, national or international news? Are you interested in sports news? Celebrity news? Business news?
A: I usually read the world news section because Iʼm interested in whatʼs happening in the world. I never read the sports section, though, because Iʼm not really interested in it.
3) What stories are in the news at the moment? Think of an important story that you have heard.
4) Are old people and young people interested in the same news? (Why? / Why not?)
5) How do you think people will get their news in the future?
6. Describe different ways of getting the news. You should say:
→ whether you get the news every day;
→ if the news is national or international;
→ how you get your news (TV, radio, newspaper, Internet);
→ and say how important you think it is to be up to date with news.
7. Compare and contrast the photographs saying why you think the people are reading newspapers. Talk about place, people, clothes, feelings. Use the useful language (Apendix 1).
Writing
8. Choose any newspaper (magazine) and complete the following sentences:
1) The newspaper carries an article on / about …
2) The author describes different problems connected with …
3) The aim of the article is to discuss / to show / to comment on …
4) The most interesting feature is about …
5) The most striking photograph shows …
6) An article about … on page … made me feel …
7) We can draw the conclusion that…
8) This article helps me to understand / gives me useful information about …
Note: Learn English, Hot English Magazine
Grammar
9. Unscramble the sentences:
HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEWS YET?
1) abroad. / They / never / have / been
2) How / long / has / here? / she / lived
3) Mum / delicious / has / cookies. / just / made
4) made / havenʼt / yet. / bed / I / my
5) neighbours / roof. / their / have / fixed / Our / already
6) eaten / never / before. / have / seafood / I
7) to / havenʼt / party. / his / since / birthday / talked / I / Paul
8) My / vegetarian / several / sister / a / been / months. / for / has
9) We / havenʼt / Alan / seen / since / yesterday.
10) suitcase / Have / you / your / yet? / packed
11) Dad / has / coffee. / drunk / black / just
12) never / golf. / Sue / played / has
13) come / home / kids / havenʼt / back / yet. / The
14) the / you / sent / yet? / Have / invitations
15) married / thirty / for / been / grandparents / have / five / My / years.
16) of / Who / last / cake? / piece / the / eaten / has
17) prize? / you / main / Have / won / ever / the
10. Read these news stories. Put the verbs in brackets in the Present Perfect Tense active or passive.
Remember: we use the Present Perfect Simple for giving news about something that happened a short time ago, but we donʼt say exactly when.
Examples: At least forty people have been arrested.
The UK has failed to meet its targets.
The governmentʼs pay offer1 ____________ (reject) by the Transport Union. The union leader, Alan Stone, 2______________ (just confirm) that train drivers will go on strike at midnight.
However, next weekʼs postal strike 3_____ (call off) after the union accepted a pay offer of 3.4 %.
Scientists in Cambridge 4_________. (find) the gene that causes asthma. The gene is one of many allergy genes that5 ______________ (discover) in the last few years.
Rock singer Heidi Gee6 _______ (just arrive) in the UK for her sell-out tour. Her second album. Serenity. 7 ________ (already sell) over five million copies.
And we 8_________ (just hear) that the actor Henry
Robson 9 _______________ (take) to hospital after a car accident.
His condition 10 _______________ (describe) as serious.
11. Put the words in brackets in the correct places in these sentences.
Remember:
ʼjustʼ comes between the auxiliary verb (ʼhaveʼ) and the past participle.
ʼyetʼ is used in questions and negatives and usually comes at the end of the sentence.
ʼstillʼ usually comes in ʼmid-positionʼ
ʼalreadyʼ usually comes in mid-position.
(for practice use https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/quick-grammar/just-yet-still-already).
1) The strike has lasted three weeks, (already)
2) The Prime Minister has arrived. (just)
3) The relatives havenʼt been told, (yet)
4) Heʼs been questioned by the police, (already)
5) Two men have been arrested. (just)
6) Has the match finished? (yet)
7) The results havenʼt been published, (still)
12. Match each infinitive to its irregular Past Simple form.
Infinitive Past Simple
lose find take say fall break choose win put tell chose lost told won put found broke said fell took
Reading
13. Look at the headlines of news reports 1 and 2. Which TV news stories are they about, do you think?
EVEREST CLIMBERS FOUND
Terry and Carla Ellis, the British couple who wanted to be the first husband-and-wife team to climb Everest, are now safe. An army helicopter found them on the side of the mountain yesterday afternoon and took them to a hospital in Kathmandu.
“The weather was terrible and climbing was very difficult,” said Carla. “Two days ago Terry fell a hundred metres down the mountain and broke his leg. He lost the radio when he fell and so we stayed on the mountain and waited for help. We were really happy to see the helicopter. Weʼre lucky to be alive.”
Do they want to try and climb Everest again in the future? “Maybe,” said Terry from his hospital bed. “Carla really wants to come back next year. Iʼm not so sure.”
DOG WINS LOTTERY!
Wednesday nightʼs lottery winner Joe Hall received a cheque for over £13 million yesterday at the supermarket where he works. His dog, Max, who chose the winning numbers, was with him.
“I usually choose the numbers,” said 28-year-old Joe from Liverpool. “But I never win anything. So this time I asked Max to choose the numbers for me - and I won over £13 million!”
But how did the dog choose the numbers? “I wrote the numbers 1 to 49 on envelopes and put a dog biscuit in each envelope,” Joe explained. “I put the envelopes in different places in my house and told Max to find the biscuits. Then I wrote down the numbers from the first six envelopes he found - and now Iʼm a millionaire!”
Now Joe wants Max to find him a girlfriend!
14. Work in two groups (in pairs). Group A (Student A), read report 1 and answer questions 1 – 5. Group B (Student B), read report 2. Answer questions a) – e).
1) Where are Terry and Carla now?
2) When did Terry fall?
3) What did he break when he fell?
4) Why didnʼt they call for help?
5) Do they want to come back next year? a) Where did Joe receive the cheque?
b) What did Joe write on the envelopes?
c) Where did Joe put them?
d) Why did the dog want to find the envelopes?
e) What does Joe want his dog to do now?
Home Project
15. Create advertisement for the following.
a) You are looking for a pen-friend. Write an advertisement for the “Personal” column of an international magazine describing yourself, your interests.
b) You have lost something valuable. Write an advert for the “Lost and Found” column of an English-speaking newspaper.
c) You want to sell your car. Write an ad for the newspaper describing the car (condition, mileage, reasons for selling it)
16. Answer the questions with facts from the article.
NAME OF THE NEWSPAPER: _______________________
DATE OF THE NEWSPAPER: _______________________
HEADLINE OF ARTICLE: _______________________
TENSE USED IN ARTICLE: _______________________
EXAMPLES OF VERBS: _______________________
WHAT? What event / thing happened?
WHO? Who were the people involved in the event / thing?
WHERE? Where did the event / thing happen?
WHEN? When did the event / thing happen?
WHY? Specifically, why did the event happen?
HOW? Specifically, how did the event happen?
Useful Resources
1. bbc news one minute news
2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/with.
3. https://www.newsinlevels.com/
4. https://breakingnewsenglish.com/
5. https://learningenglish.voanews.com/z/957.
Additional Reading Section
17. Newspaper headlines often proclaim a new scientific breakthrough or discovery. You are going to read an article about the “sweet tooth gene”. Before reading, discuss these questions with a partner.
a) Where do you get most of your information about new scientific discoveries from – newspapers, documentaries or your studies?
b) Have you got a sweet tooth? Does this trait run in your family?
c) If scientists could discover a sweet tooth gene, what could they do with this information?
18. Read the article and then decide if the following statements are true or false.
a) Having a sweet tooth is an inherited trait.
b) A drug has been developed which can put off sweet food.
c) The two teams of researchers used different types of mice.
d) The sweet tooth gene produces a protein.
e) Aubrey Sheiham believes dieting is futile if you have the sweet tooth gene.
f) It is natural for humans to be attracted to sweet foods.
g) This discovery may lead to the production of a new type of chocolate.
19. What scientific developments do you think we will see in the near future as the result of work on DNA.
IF BINGEING ON CHOCOLATE MAKES YOUR TROUSERS TOO TIGHT, BLAME THE GENES
Chocoholics no longer need to feel guilty about their craving. They are simply the victim of their genes, scientists have found.
The so-called “sweet tooth gene” has been identified by separate teams of researchers and helps explain why some find it harder to resist chocolate bars and cream cakes.
It also raises the possibility of designing a drug which could “switch off” the gene and help people resist sugary foods. Children, in particular, risk their health by eating too many sweets and chocolates.
To identify the gene, the research teams – based at Harvard Medical School in Boston and Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York – conducted almost identical experiments using mice which have differences in their ability to taste sweet foods. They compared the DNA of the two types of mice and noticed differences in the gene, called T1R3.
Dr. Gopi Shanker, of the Mount Sinai team, said: “It contains information which produces a protein called the sweet taste receptor.
This recognises the sweet content of food and initiates a cascade of events which signal to the brain that a sweet food has been eaten.” Dr. Shanker added: “Exactly the same gene exists in humans, so it means that if your parents have a sweet tooth then you probably will as well.”
Research by the Harvard team has come to the same conclusion.
But Aubrey Sheiham, professor of dental public health at University to College, London, said the results did not provide chocoholics with an excuse to give up dieting.
He said: “We have always known that some people have a sweeter tooth than others. But it has also been proved that if you gradually expose people to less sugar, then the body becomes accustomed to less. They will be satisfied with a lower level of sweetness.”
Mr. Sheiham warned against any to form of gene therapy which sought to deactivate the sweet tooth gene.
“We have produced this gene so through evolution because sweet foods in nature are not poisonous and also give us energy. We all need to have some sugar in our diet.”
The U.S. researchers are using their discovery to develop artificial sweeteners without an aftertaste.
20. Fill the gaps (1 – 10) in the article below with the linking devices from the box. There are two linking devices which do not fit.
and whatʼs more as but because by then even despite provided resulted in so to cap it all then
30,000 Runners Take London in Their Stride
(0) ....No sooner..... had the gun sounded than we were all off, including me and my running flatmate. Fran, jostling for position (1) .................... we crossed the starting line, which was awash with plastic bags, unwanted clothing, bottles and banana skins.
The real running began as Greenwich came into view and the crowds, which were already big, increased even further. People shouted at friends. Anyone with their name on their vest became public property (2) ............ everyone wanted to be part of this event. Screams of encouragement mixed with brass bands and Beatles tribute bands.
The 12-mile point. I must have lived this part at least a dozen times from my armchair. I could hear a commentator murmuring about how plucky we all were.
(3) ............ the halfway mark was within reach and it was getting tiring. Tower Bridge loomed, magnificent, with thousands of people screeching encouragement.
I knew what was coming. At 13 miles out I saw a small Hag fluttering and annoying someoneʼs ear and then the words: “There he is.” My parents had spotted me. I stopped for a chat, and went on my way. (4) ……. Someone was watching after all.
(5) ……….. regularly ingesting isotonic fluid and strawberry and banana flavoured gels (350 calories a sachet) we were getting only fleeting benefits. Children were pressed to the barriers offering support and sometimes sweets.
Through a haze of discomfort Canary Wharf appeared. It went on forever. Things were flagging. Knees were sore, ankles pinching,
(6) ………… my arms were tingling. Twenty miles gone and it was agony. 1 guessed this was my wall coming. Tall and slippery with broken glass on the top. How 1 got past that point without hiring a cab I have yet to unravel.
Things worsened. The closer to home, the harder it became. My feel were sticking to the floor. Fran was looking worried. We did not stop and walk (7) ……….. just ran at a walking pace.
The last mile felt like the first 13. Nothing was much fun. I was gone. (8) ………… I was hungry.
(9) ……….. turning past Big Ben I saw a man holding an advert for McDonaldʼs bacon double cheese burger. Unbelievable cruelty. (10) …...... I would have eaten my hand if it was encased in a bun and covered in mayo with a couple of those gherkin-type things for relish. And I am a vegetarian.
The finish was in sight. Past Buckingham Palace and a couple of screeching friends and to the end. The full stop finish, no more, never again. Around me people staggered, their faces covered in dry salt deposits from sweat, lips trembling, a few crying.
Strangers offered congratulations, touched our backs, smiled the brightest smiles, spoke the most beautiful words. I loved the world and it loved me.
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