LAB ENGLISH ACTIVITIES UPPER INTERMEDIATE

A.
1.1

Listen just for a gist to this extract from a radio programme presenting writers Lesley Morris and Wendy Johnson who have just published two interesting books about tourism.
At this first step, just listen for general comprehension and don't worry if there are some words you don't understand: you should be able to get the general idea. Then try to answer these two questions below.Finally check the correct answers.

A.	What is Lesley Morris' book about?
B.	What is Wendy Johnson's book about?	A.early package tours B.women travellers

STEP 2	Now look over these notes about the interview you have just listened above. What information seems to be missing? The missing information is contained in the radio programme.
	Listen once again – twice if necessary – and complete the notes by writing one word only in each gap. Then check the correct answers.

THOMAS COOK

	Thomas Cook (1808-1892), travel agent, inventor of the package
	tour and father of the modern tourist industry.
	Mr. Cook organised his first package holiday in 1841
	when he chartered a train for 570 people going to a
	religious  festival.

He then organised tours to Scotland and to Seaside resorts. The first

record of one of his package tours abroad is of a trip to Germany, France and

Belgium in about 1855.

LADY MARY WORTLEY MONTAGU

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689-1762) was a writer and
traveller.  She went off to Turkey in 1716,
and later to Italy, where she lived for 22 years.

LADY HESTER STANHOPE

	Lady Hester Stanhope (1776-1839) was a niece of a Prime
	Minister and traveller. She spent 29 years living in the Middle
	East, calling herself  'queen of the desert'.

FACTS ABOUT EARLY WOMEN TRAVELLERS IN EUROPE

► 1st example: 4th century abbess from Spain who travelled to

Jerusalem and visited famous  places described in theBible.

► 15th century: records of women travelling alone on Pilgrimages.

► In the late 19th century: women travelling in great numbers, either

as tourists with Thomas Cook or as independent travellers. Some went on

package tours before marrying (e.g. Cook's special cycling tours

in the 1890s). Others, not expecting to get married , and with money and

time to spare, went independently.

1.2

ACTIVITY 1Read the text below and choose from the menus the suitable answer. Then check your answers. The first alternative [ eager - fast - important - urgent ] is already done for you.

WOMEN IN HISTORY

	Is the history of the world in    need of correction?
	Some historians, mostly women, argue that insufficient
	attention  has been paid to a very important group: women.
	These historians  want  history textbooks to be revised
	so that they show accurately the role  played  by women.

according to  the history books, cavemen  provided most of the food for their

families through hunting animals. But the  evidence shows that 80% of the diet of

prehistoric humans was vegetarian and it was collected by females.  in addition,

women's efforts in fighting in wars or leading revolutions have been ignored. Textbooks

concentrate on men such as Hannibal or Che Guevara and neglect  outstanding

women such as Théroigne de Méricourt, an opera singer who led the storming of the

Bastille in 1789, or Mariya Bochkareva, a Bolshevik who organised a well-trained and

highly  successful troop of 2,000 fighting women during the Russian revolution in

1917.  Women rulers are also forgotten. Between 962 and 1582 there were at least 16

women rulers in countries  ranging from Italy to Angola.

Women  make up half the human  race. If there is no  reference  to their contribution to history in the textbooks, then the real story is not being told. However many male historians  deny that important female figures have been kept out of the history books. ACTIVITY 2Read the text below and choose from the menus the suitable answer. Then check your answers. The first alternative [ character - credit - fame - reputation ] is already done for you. ENGLISH SPELLING Why does English spelling have a  for being so difficult? English was first written down when Christian monks came to England in Anglo-Saxon times. They used the 23 letters of Latin to write down the sounds of Anglo-Saxon speech as they heard it. However, English has a wider range of basic sounds (over 40) than Latin. The alphabet was too small, and so combinations of letters were needed to express the different sounds. Inevitably, there were inconsistencies in the way that letters were combined. With the Norman invasion of England, the English language was put at risk. English survived, but the spelling of many English words changed to follow French patterns, and many French words were introduced into the language. The result was more irregularity. When the printing press was invented in the fifteenth century, many early printers of English texts spoke other first languages. They made little effort to respect English spelling. Although one of the short-term effects of printing was to produce a number of variant spellings, in the long term it created fixed spellings. People became used to seeing words spelt in the same way. Rules were drawn up , and dictionaries were put together which printers and writers could refer to. However, spoken English was not fixed and continued to change slowly - just as it still does now. Letters that were sounded in the Anglo-Saxon period, like the 'k' in 'knife', now became silent. Also, the pronunciation of vowels then had little in common with how they sound now, but the way they are spelt hasn't changed. No wonder , then, that it is often difficult to see the link between sound and spelling.

ACTIVITY 3Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only ONE word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning [ was ]. Then check the correct answers. ISABELLA BEETON Isabella Beeton, who    born in London in 1836, is the most famous British woman cookery writer. She was well educated and finished  her  education in Heidelberg,  where  she learnt French and German. In 1856 she married Sam Beeton, an enterprising young publisher, and the following year  began  contributing a column on various household matters to his 'The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine'. This  was the first of the cheap women's magazines. It pioneered the problem page and medical columns, and introduced dress-making patterns  from  France to British readers.   When  she was only 23 she edited 'Beeton's Book of Household Management'. This was an immense work, containing more  than 3,000 recipes as well as advice on instructing servants, nursing, legal matters, good manners and bringing  up  babies. Many of the recipes  were  contributed by the readers of 'The English Woman's Domestic Magazine' and others were simply taken  from previous cookery writers. The chapters on specialist topics were  written  anonymously by a doctor, a lawyer and  other  experts. But even  though  Mrs Beeton herself was not a creative cook, the editing work that she did on the book is a great achievement for  someone so young. She died  at  the age of 28 after the birth of her fourth son. ACTIVITY 4Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only ONE word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning [ can ]. Then check the correct answers. ELSA SCHIAPARELLI (1896-1973) The innovation of a top fashion designer    greatly influence the public's taste  in  dress. Elsa Schiaparelli was a French designer  whose  ideas shocked the fashion world of the 1930s. Today she is mainly remembered for  making  the padded shoulder popular and introducing  to  the fashion world the colour  'shocking pink'. Schiaparelli was Italian  by  birth, but attended French, Swiss and English schools before working in the United States. In 1920 she went to Paris  where  she made friends with Salvador Dali, Jean Cocteau and other surrealist artists  who influenced the design of the clothes she made for herself. As a result of wearing  her  own striking black and white sweaters, Schiaparelli began  getting  orders from an American store. In 1929 the store's managers were  so  impressed that they decided to set her  up  in business. Soon she  was  able to expand into jewellery, perfume, cosmetics, lingerie and swimsuits and to commission her artist friends to create further fashion ideas. After the war, it was not clear  what  was going to happen to the fashion industry. But by 1947 Schiaparelli and others  had  re-established Paris as the heart of the fashion world. She continued to spread the city's fashions across the world on a large commercial scale  until  her death in 1973. ACTIVITY 5Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words, including the word given. Then check the correct answers. 1. Richard seldom fell ill when he was a child. hardly Richard was  hardly ever during  his childhood. 2. Drunk driving causes many accidents. by Many accidents   are caused by  drunk driving. 3. Why don't you stay in bed for a few days? I If I   were you, I would stay  in bed for a few days. 4. You seem to have a terrible cold. as It looks   As though you have  a terrible cold. 5. Take this medicine and you'll soon feel better. you If you   take this medicine, you'll  soon feel better. 6. Apples are better for you than cakes. you Cakes are not   as good for you as  apples. 7. Can I borrow your hot water bottle? mind Do   you mind lending  me your hot water bottle? 8. The new doctor is going to give me a health check. going I   am going to be given  a health check by the new doctor. 9. Before you buy a boat, you ought to learn to swim. had Before you buy a boat, you   had better learn  to swim. 10. I prefer having an injection to feeling the dentist's drill. rather I'd   rather have an injection than  feel the dentist's drill. B. 1. 1) She delayed getting (get) out of bed. 2) He demanded to speak (speak) to the manager. 3) I offered to help (help). 4) I miss going (go) to the beach. 5) We postponed doing (do). 6) I'd hate to arrive (arrive) too late. 7) She admitted stealing (steal) the money. 8) I chose to work (work) here. 9) She waited to buy (buy) a drink. 10) I really appreciate being (be) on holiday. 11) I couldn't help laughing (laugh). 12) It seems to be (be) raining. 13) I considered moving (move) to Spain. 14) They practised speaking (speak). 15) Finally I managed to finish (finish) the work. 16) I really can't stand waiting (wait) for the bus. 17) Unfortunately, we can't afford to buy (buy) a new car this year. 18) She risked being (be) late. 19) I'd love to come (come) with you. 20) I prepared to go(go) on holiday. * 1) I don't fancy going (go) out tonight.. 2) She avoided telling (tell) him about her plans.. 3) I would like to come (come) to the party with you.. 4) He enjoys having (have) a bath in the evening.. 5) She kept talking (talk) during the film.. 6) I am learning to speak (speak) English.. 7) Do you mind giving (give) me a hand?. 8) She helped me to carry (carry) my suitcases.. 9) I've finished cooking (cook) - come and eat!.. 10) He decided to study (study) biology.. 11) I dislike waitting (wait).. 12) He asked to come (come) with us.. 13) I promise to help (help) you tomorrow.. 14) We discussed going (go) to the cinema, but in the end we stayed at home.. 15) She agreed to bring (bring) the pudding to the dinner.. 16) I don't recommend taking (take) the bus - it takes forever!.. 17) We hope to visit (visit) Amsterdam next month.. 18) She suggested  going (go) to the museum.. 19) They plan to start (start) college in the autumn.. 20) I don't want to leave (leave) yet..*1. He is determined to win (win) that race. 2. He lay in bed planning (plan) the days to come. 3. We went running (run) in the morning. 4. Her fear of spiders made travelling (travel) difficult. 5. They don't mind waiting (wait) outside. 6. The problem is to get (get) there on time. 7. I am accustomed to taking care (take care) of myself. 8. I want him to paint (paint) the wall. 9.  (be), or not to be (not be), that is the question. 10. This guy is known for breaking (break) the rules. 11. Sue enjoys dancing (dance). 12. The advantages of going (go) by train were clearly visible. 13. Your advice to plan (plan) ahead was excellent. 14. Your addiction to drinking (drink) will not serve you well. 15. I am pleased to meet (meet) you.