Umm-Lajj Travel
A visit to Umm lajj,
ENGLISH IN USE
Umlij, also known as Umm lajj, Omlouj and Umlejh, is a town which
lies on the western coast of Saudi Arabia. Last year, I (1) the
chance to visit a friend who lives there. I had never been to that part of
the world before so I was overjoyed by his invitation. The town is famous
(2) its sweet mangoes, which attract visitors from all over the
country. My friend Sami took me to a nearby orchard and explained that it
was the time of year when farmers (3) already started picking
the fruit. I tasted a mango and I have to admit, they (4) the
juiciest mangoes that I had ever had. One of the locals told us that the
production of mangoes in Umlij (5) smaller in the past. Now
farmers produce (6) many mangoes – 4 times more compared
to last year – that (7) is becoming difficult to sell them at the
market. But buying and selling takes (8) in other places, too.
Another man we talked to said he sold his mangoes to nearby cities, or on
the street, outside mosques and malls. Overall, my trip to Umlij was both
enjoyable and interesting.
Fishing in a...
123
Listen to an interview with a man who has just come
back from a trekking holiday in Patagonia. Check your
predictions in the previous activity.
• What do you think tourists who visit Patagonia can see and do there?
• What animals live in Patagonia?
Look at the map and the picture from Patagonia and discuss.
1. John describes trekking as .
2. John enjoyed the peace and quiet in Patagonia because
he had the chance to
there.
3. Except for trekking, John also went
and
in Patagonia.
4. John’s friend, Armando, works as
a .
5. In the past, were so big
that gauchos had to do a lot of walking every day.
6. John went trekking in the Los Glaciares National Park
with some .
7. John says he is planning to return to South America in a
few years with .
• Would you like to go on a trekking holiday in Patagonia? Why/Why not?
Discuss.
Before you listen, read the rubric carefully so that you know
what topic is being discussed. Try to predict or guess what
the speakers are going to say about the topic. This way, it
will be easier for you to understand.
listening & speaking
1. PRE-LISTENING
LISTENING SPEAKING
2. LISTENING TO CHECK PREDICTIONS
3. LISTENING FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION
Listen to the interview again and complete the sentences
below.
4. POST-LISTENING
Talk in pairs. Imagine that you are going
to go on holiday next week. On the next
page are some things that can ruin a
holiday. First, talk to each other about
how serious each problem is. Then,
decide which two would completely
spoil your holiday. You can use some
of the words and expressions in the
boxes.
In my opinion… is the worst thing
that can happen because…
I believe… is not such a serious problem.
As far as I’m concerned… can be such
a hassle.
To my mind… would be very
troublesome.
…would ruin my holiday.
…could cause me lots of stress
and anxiety.
…may not completely spoil my holiday
but it would definitely worry/annoy me.
stress worry disappointment
trouble hassle let down
There are no right or wrong answers but you must
make sure to justify your answer.
Remember this is not a monologue so both speakers
must have equal opportunity to speak.
You should listen to your partner’s opinion and
respond by either agreeing or disagreeing with it.
Focus on the written prompts above the visuals to
keep the task in mind.
Don’t forget that there are two parts to the task. One
part is expressed in the instructions as ‘First, talk…’
and the second part as ‘Then decide…’. So towards
the end of the task, you must reach a decision that
you have negotiated with your partner.
1. WARM-UP
2. SPECULATING AND MAKING
A DECISION
• What kind of things do you enjoy doing
during your holiday?
124
vocabulary & grammar
A. Read the extract from the interview that you heard in the listening
section. What was unfortunate?
VOCABULARY
ADVERBS OF MANNER
NOTE
Adverbs of manner describe or add information to the meaning
of a verb, an adjective, another adverb or a whole sentence.
They are usually formed by adding –ly to an adjective
(e.g. unfortunate – unfortunately).
Well, I heard plenty of stories about pumas but, unfortunately, I didn’t
actually see any.
B. Read the sentences below and circle the correct answer.
1. Dan lost his wallet but, fortunately / completely, the person who found
it returned it to him.
2. We were playing football when, possibly / suddenly, it started raining.
3. It was probably / incredibly hot yesterday; they say the temperature
reached 48 0C.
4. Naturally / Luckily, Bassam was happy to hear that he got the job he had
applied for.
5. I will finally / probably not go out tonight because I’m not feeling very well.
6. Our team played as well as they luckily / possibly could.
7. My brother couldn’t drive me to the airport, but luckily / probably, I
m found a taxi easily and managed to get there on time.
GRAMMAR
USED TO - WOULD - WAS/WERE GOING TO
A. Read the extracts from the interview that you heard in the
listening section and answer the questions that follow.
He told us about the old days when he used to be all alone and wouldn’t
see another human being for days.
We were going to go sailing on one of the lakes, too. But, unfortunately,
something went wrong and that was cancelled.
1. Which structure refers to actions somebody intended to do in the
past (but probably didn’t)?
2. Which structures refer to repeated actions or situations in the past?
B. Rewrite the sentences below using the words in brackets.
1. In the past, I ate meat, but I stopped a few months ago. (used)
2. I planned to get up early this morning, but my alarm didn’t go off.
(going)
3. Omar would work out at the gym every day before he got married.
(used)
4. My parents wanted to travel by plane, but all the flights were fully
booked. (going)
5. Our Maths teacher always helped us whenever we couldn’t solve a
problem. (would)
• How serious is each of these problems?
• Which two would completely spoil your holiday?
Grammar Reference pp. 140-141.
a b c
125
1. DISCUSS
Have you ever been in an embarrassing situation? What happened? How did you feel?
2. FOCUS ON TASK COMPLETION, STYLE AND ORGANISATION
WRITING A STORY
Read the rubric and the story below. Then, answer the questions 1-5.
The English Club of your school/college has organised a short story competition and you have decided to enter. The competition
rules say that the story must end with the following words:
Looking back, I can now say it was very funny but at the time, I was so embarrassed!
1. Why was the writer embarrassed? Do you think the situation was funny?
2. Has the writer changed the prompt sentence used at the end of the story?
3. In which paragraph does the writer mention where and when the story took place?
4. Does the writer use formal or informal language?
5. What tenses does the writer mainly use in the story?
Last year, I went to Switzerland on holiday. Since Switzerland is well-known for
its _ine chocolate, I decided to buy some for my dad. Boy, was that a mistake!
When I got to Geneva airport, I went straight to a shop that had all kinds of
chocolates. There was dark chocolate, white chocolate, even chocolate in the
shape of objects! My dad collects antique knives, so when I found a chocolate
bar in the shape of a Swiss army knife, I thought, 'This is the perfect gift!' I put
the 'knife' in my bag, and went through security control.
As the men were screening my bag, they seemed to be anxious and started
making phone calls. Then, a police o__icer appeared and said, 'Will you please
follow me, Sir?' Suddenly, I remembered: the knife!
After I had taken the chocolate out of my bag and showed them what it really
was, they laughed and apologised for the misunderstanding. Looking back, I
can now say it was very funny but at the time, I was so embarrassed!
126
3. FOCUS ON TIME LINKERS
A. Complete the rules below with the highlighted
words in the story on page 126.
• Use , before, , until, till,
as soon as and by the time to link two past actions,
one of which happened earlier than the other.
• Use while and with the Past
Progressive to link two past actions which were
happening at the same time or to introduce the
‘longer’ of the two actions.
• Use time words/phrases such as yesterday, last night,
, after that, , next,
, just then, etc. to indicate when
something happened.
B. Expand the notes below into full sentences. Use the
appropriate past tenses and the time linkers given.
1. we / arrive / we / go / straight / hotel (as soon as)
2. Khaled / have / big / breakfast / he / go sightseeing (then)
3. Bob / take / pictures / monuments / guide / tell /
tourists / about / history / city (while)
4. I / walk / square / stranger / approach / and / ask for /
some money (as)
5. Tim / get / station / train / already / leave (by the time)
4. WRITING TASK
A. Read the rubric below and complete the outline for
the story.
An international travel magazine is organising a short
story competition and you have decided to take part. The
competition rules say that the story must end with the
following words:
It was a holiday I will never forget.
When writing a story remember that:
you should try to keep the plot of the story fairly simple.
the story should continue from or end with the prompt
sentence.
the story should be organised in paragraphs, have an
interesting introduction and an appropriate ending.
you should use informal or consistently neutral language.
you should use past (narrative) tenses.
you should use linking words (to indicate the sequence
of events, chronological order, etc.).
you should try to create an appropriate atmosphere by
using direct speech, very short sentences, questions,
exclamations and vivid vocabulary.
INTRODUCTION
When did you go on the holiday?
Where did you go?
Who did you go with?
How did you feel at the time?
MAIN PART
What were you expecting the holiday to be like?
What was it like? / What happened?
What did you (and the others) do?
How did you (and the others) feel?
CONCLUSION
What was the outcome of the events?
How did you (and the others) feel at the time?
How do you (and the others) feel about the events now?
B. Now write the story (120-180 words).
For linking words/phrases and other words/
phrases that you can use, see Appendix I.
127
round-up
A. Choose the word that most appropriately completes
the sentence.
1. a. was wanted b. was wanting c. wanted
2. a. embarrassing b. fascinating c. disappointing
3. a. hotel b. resort c. cabin
4. a. interested b. interesting c. interest
5. a. had been making b. was making c. had made
6. a. Naturally b. Suddenly c. Luckily
7. a. had been taking b. was taking c. had taken
8. a. was growing b. was grown c. had been growing
9. a. had gone b. were going c. went
10. a. tour b. outing c. trip
VOCABULARY & GRAMMAR
1. Hamza is going on a(n) to the Himalayas.
a. expedition
b. voyage
c. outing
d. tour
2. The holiday resort excellent restaurants and
luxurious suites with a view of the sea.
a. indicates
b. appears
c. features
d. attracts
3. The shipping company announced the of two
new ships.
a. purchase
b. priority
c. reservation
d. owning
4. I think our last phone was unusually high.
a. fee
b. fare
c. payment
d. bill
5. Alex bought a(n) flat in the city centre.
a. spacious
b. absolute
c. lonely
d. barren
6. Nasir burst into the room while I was getting
ready to leave.
a. luckily
b. suddenly
c. finally
d. naturally
7. The of the village have an interesting custom;
on 1st May they collect white flowers from the
mountains.
a. visitors
b. passengers
c. inhabitants
d. tourists
8. Brendan is feeling more about the future since
he got a promotion at work.
a. optimistic
b. pessimistic
c. tired
d. bored
C. Expand the notes below into full sentences. Use the
appropriate past tenses and the time linkers given.
1. I / leave / house / I / realise / I / not take / my
sunglasses after
2. Ben / get / home / he / turn on / TV as soon as
3. bus / leave / we / arrive / station by the time
4. Bassam / swim / sea / he / see / octopus while
5. children / swim / pool / suddenly / it / start / raining
when
B. Read the text below and decide which answer a, b
or c best fits each gap.
A visit to Umm lajj,
ENGLISH IN USE
Umlij, also known as Umm lajj, Omlouj and Umlejh, is a town which
lies on the western coast of Saudi Arabia. Last year, I (1) the
chance to visit a friend who lives there. I had never been to that part of
the world before so I was overjoyed by his invitation. The town is famous
(2) its sweet mangoes, which attract visitors from all over the
country. My friend Sami took me to a nearby orchard and explained that it
was the time of year when farmers (3) already started picking
the fruit. I tasted a mango and I have to admit, they (4) the
juiciest mangoes that I had ever had. One of the locals told us that the
production of mangoes in Umlij (5) smaller in the past. Now
farmers produce (6) many mangoes – 4 times more compared
to last year – that (7) is becoming difficult to sell them at the
market. But buying and selling takes (8) in other places, too.
Another man we talked to said he sold his mangoes to nearby cities, or on
the street, outside mosques and malls. Overall, my trip to Umlij was both
enjoyable and interesting.
Fishing in a...
123
Listen to an interview with a man who has just come
back from a trekking holiday in Patagonia. Check your
predictions in the previous activity.
• What do you think tourists who visit Patagonia can see and do there?
• What animals live in Patagonia?
Look at the map and the picture from Patagonia and discuss.
1. John describes trekking as .
2. John enjoyed the peace and quiet in Patagonia because
he had the chance to
there.
3. Except for trekking, John also went
and
in Patagonia.
4. John’s friend, Armando, works as
a .
5. In the past, were so big
that gauchos had to do a lot of walking every day.
6. John went trekking in the Los Glaciares National Park
with some .
7. John says he is planning to return to South America in a
few years with .
• Would you like to go on a trekking holiday in Patagonia? Why/Why not?
Discuss.
Before you listen, read the rubric carefully so that you know
what topic is being discussed. Try to predict or guess what
the speakers are going to say about the topic. This way, it
will be easier for you to understand.
listening & speaking
1. PRE-LISTENING
LISTENING SPEAKING
2. LISTENING TO CHECK PREDICTIONS
3. LISTENING FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION
Listen to the interview again and complete the sentences
below.
4. POST-LISTENING
Talk in pairs. Imagine that you are going
to go on holiday next week. On the next
page are some things that can ruin a
holiday. First, talk to each other about
how serious each problem is. Then,
decide which two would completely
spoil your holiday. You can use some
of the words and expressions in the
boxes.
In my opinion… is the worst thing
that can happen because…
I believe… is not such a serious problem.
As far as I’m concerned… can be such
a hassle.
To my mind… would be very
troublesome.
…would ruin my holiday.
…could cause me lots of stress
and anxiety.
…may not completely spoil my holiday
but it would definitely worry/annoy me.
stress worry disappointment
trouble hassle let down
There are no right or wrong answers but you must
make sure to justify your answer.
Remember this is not a monologue so both speakers
must have equal opportunity to speak.
You should listen to your partner’s opinion and
respond by either agreeing or disagreeing with it.
Focus on the written prompts above the visuals to
keep the task in mind.
Don’t forget that there are two parts to the task. One
part is expressed in the instructions as ‘First, talk…’
and the second part as ‘Then decide…’. So towards
the end of the task, you must reach a decision that
you have negotiated with your partner.
1. WARM-UP
2. SPECULATING AND MAKING
A DECISION
• What kind of things do you enjoy doing
during your holiday?
124
vocabulary & grammar
A. Read the extract from the interview that you heard in the listening
section. What was unfortunate?
VOCABULARY
ADVERBS OF MANNER
NOTE
Adverbs of manner describe or add information to the meaning
of a verb, an adjective, another adverb or a whole sentence.
They are usually formed by adding –ly to an adjective
(e.g. unfortunate – unfortunately).
Well, I heard plenty of stories about pumas but, unfortunately, I didn’t
actually see any.
B. Read the sentences below and circle the correct answer.
1. Dan lost his wallet but, fortunately / completely, the person who found
it returned it to him.
2. We were playing football when, possibly / suddenly, it started raining.
3. It was probably / incredibly hot yesterday; they say the temperature
reached 48 0C.
4. Naturally / Luckily, Bassam was happy to hear that he got the job he had
applied for.
5. I will finally / probably not go out tonight because I’m not feeling very well.
6. Our team played as well as they luckily / possibly could.
7. My brother couldn’t drive me to the airport, but luckily / probably, I
m found a taxi easily and managed to get there on time.
GRAMMAR
USED TO - WOULD - WAS/WERE GOING TO
A. Read the extracts from the interview that you heard in the
listening section and answer the questions that follow.
He told us about the old days when he used to be all alone and wouldn’t
see another human being for days.
We were going to go sailing on one of the lakes, too. But, unfortunately,
something went wrong and that was cancelled.
1. Which structure refers to actions somebody intended to do in the
past (but probably didn’t)?
2. Which structures refer to repeated actions or situations in the past?
B. Rewrite the sentences below using the words in brackets.
1. In the past, I ate meat, but I stopped a few months ago. (used)
2. I planned to get up early this morning, but my alarm didn’t go off.
(going)
3. Omar would work out at the gym every day before he got married.
(used)
4. My parents wanted to travel by plane, but all the flights were fully
booked. (going)
5. Our Maths teacher always helped us whenever we couldn’t solve a
problem. (would)
• How serious is each of these problems?
• Which two would completely spoil your holiday?
Grammar Reference pp. 140-141.
a b c
125
1. DISCUSS
Have you ever been in an embarrassing situation? What happened? How did you feel?
2. FOCUS ON TASK COMPLETION, STYLE AND ORGANISATION
WRITING A STORY
Read the rubric and the story below. Then, answer the questions 1-5.
The English Club of your school/college has organised a short story competition and you have decided to enter. The competition
rules say that the story must end with the following words:
Looking back, I can now say it was very funny but at the time, I was so embarrassed!
1. Why was the writer embarrassed? Do you think the situation was funny?
2. Has the writer changed the prompt sentence used at the end of the story?
3. In which paragraph does the writer mention where and when the story took place?
4. Does the writer use formal or informal language?
5. What tenses does the writer mainly use in the story?
Last year, I went to Switzerland on holiday. Since Switzerland is well-known for
its _ine chocolate, I decided to buy some for my dad. Boy, was that a mistake!
When I got to Geneva airport, I went straight to a shop that had all kinds of
chocolates. There was dark chocolate, white chocolate, even chocolate in the
shape of objects! My dad collects antique knives, so when I found a chocolate
bar in the shape of a Swiss army knife, I thought, 'This is the perfect gift!' I put
the 'knife' in my bag, and went through security control.
As the men were screening my bag, they seemed to be anxious and started
making phone calls. Then, a police o__icer appeared and said, 'Will you please
follow me, Sir?' Suddenly, I remembered: the knife!
After I had taken the chocolate out of my bag and showed them what it really
was, they laughed and apologised for the misunderstanding. Looking back, I
can now say it was very funny but at the time, I was so embarrassed!
126
3. FOCUS ON TIME LINKERS
A. Complete the rules below with the highlighted
words in the story on page 126.
• Use , before, , until, till,
as soon as and by the time to link two past actions,
one of which happened earlier than the other.
• Use while and with the Past
Progressive to link two past actions which were
happening at the same time or to introduce the
‘longer’ of the two actions.
• Use time words/phrases such as yesterday, last night,
, after that, , next,
, just then, etc. to indicate when
something happened.
B. Expand the notes below into full sentences. Use the
appropriate past tenses and the time linkers given.
1. we / arrive / we / go / straight / hotel (as soon as)
2. Khaled / have / big / breakfast / he / go sightseeing (then)
3. Bob / take / pictures / monuments / guide / tell /
tourists / about / history / city (while)
4. I / walk / square / stranger / approach / and / ask for /
some money (as)
5. Tim / get / station / train / already / leave (by the time)
4. WRITING TASK
A. Read the rubric below and complete the outline for
the story.
An international travel magazine is organising a short
story competition and you have decided to take part. The
competition rules say that the story must end with the
following words:
It was a holiday I will never forget.
When writing a story remember that:
you should try to keep the plot of the story fairly simple.
the story should continue from or end with the prompt
sentence.
the story should be organised in paragraphs, have an
interesting introduction and an appropriate ending.
you should use informal or consistently neutral language.
you should use past (narrative) tenses.
you should use linking words (to indicate the sequence
of events, chronological order, etc.).
you should try to create an appropriate atmosphere by
using direct speech, very short sentences, questions,
exclamations and vivid vocabulary.
INTRODUCTION
When did you go on the holiday?
Where did you go?
Who did you go with?
How did you feel at the time?
MAIN PART
What were you expecting the holiday to be like?
What was it like? / What happened?
What did you (and the others) do?
How did you (and the others) feel?
CONCLUSION
What was the outcome of the events?
How did you (and the others) feel at the time?
How do you (and the others) feel about the events now?
B. Now write the story (120-180 words).
For linking words/phrases and other words/
phrases that you can use, see Appendix I.
127
round-up
A. Choose the word that most appropriately completes
the sentence.
1. a. was wanted b. was wanting c. wanted
2. a. embarrassing b. fascinating c. disappointing
3. a. hotel b. resort c. cabin
4. a. interested b. interesting c. interest
5. a. had been making b. was making c. had made
6. a. Naturally b. Suddenly c. Luckily
7. a. had been taking b. was taking c. had taken
8. a. was growing b. was grown c. had been growing
9. a. had gone b. were going c. went
10. a. tour b. outing c. trip
VOCABULARY & GRAMMAR
1. Hamza is going on a(n) to the Himalayas.
a. expedition
b. voyage
c. outing
d. tour
2. The holiday resort excellent restaurants and
luxurious suites with a view of the sea.
a. indicates
b. appears
c. features
d. attracts
3. The shipping company announced the of two
new ships.
a. purchase
b. priority
c. reservation
d. owning
4. I think our last phone was unusually high.
a. fee
b. fare
c. payment
d. bill
5. Alex bought a(n) flat in the city centre.
a. spacious
b. absolute
c. lonely
d. barren
6. Nasir burst into the room while I was getting
ready to leave.
a. luckily
b. suddenly
c. finally
d. naturally
7. The of the village have an interesting custom;
on 1st May they collect white flowers from the
mountains.
a. visitors
b. passengers
c. inhabitants
d. tourists
8. Brendan is feeling more about the future since
he got a promotion at work.
a. optimistic
b. pessimistic
c. tired
d. bored
C. Expand the notes below into full sentences. Use the
appropriate past tenses and the time linkers given.
1. I / leave / house / I / realise / I / not take / my
sunglasses after
2. Ben / get / home / he / turn on / TV as soon as
3. bus / leave / we / arrive / station by the time
4. Bassam / swim / sea / he / see / octopus while
5. children / swim / pool / suddenly / it / start / raining
when
B. Read the text below and decide which answer a, b
or c best fits each gap.
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