Unit 1 standard

Unit 1

Grammar Practice (Standard)

1 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

1 We _________________ (see) the film yesterday.

2 When I got there, Peter _________________ (already / arrive).

3 What time _________________ you _________________ (get up) this

morning?

4 He _________________ (not read) that book yet, but he’s going to read it soon.

5 We _________________ (not be) there long when Jill walked in.

6 I _________________ (not hear) of Peter Clark. Who is he?

7 She _________________ (live) here since July.

8 Jack _________________ (arrive) at half past three.

9 A hundred years ago, people _________________ (live) in houses without

heating or running water.

10 I _________________ (just / make) some biscuits. Would you like to try one?

2 Match the sentence halves.

A

___ 1 I’ve played tennis a last weekend.

___ 2 I went swimming b twice this weekend.

B

___ 3 He’s been watching TV c all afternoon.

___ 4 He’s phoned Cathy d twice today.

C

___ 5 Joe left the office e before you called.

___ 6 Susie had left f as soon as the meeting ended.

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd, 2010

3 Circle the correct alternatives.

1 I’ve known/been knowing Paula for ages.

2 Jack’s ears were cold because he had forgotten/been forgetting his hat.

3 We have waited/been waiting for you for ages.

4 Tim has told/been telling that joke at least three times.

5 I hadn’t had/been having my lunch so I felt very hungry.

6 How long have you lived/been living in that old house?

4 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

1 Thomas _________________ (stay) at our house for three weeks now.

2 When we arrived, Bill _________________ (already / leave). It was

disappointing not to see him.

3 Tim _________________ (work) at home that morning and didn’t know anything

about the fire that took place later in the day at his office.

4 How long _________________ the children _________________ (watch) TV?

It’s time they did something else.

5 I _________________ (visit) Paris twice in my life.

6 We _________________ (sunbathe) on this beach all morning. It’s wonderful.


5 Write sentences using the prompts to make a dialogue.

1 When / you first meet / Samantha?

___________________________________________________________

2 I / meet / her / in 2008.

___________________________________________________________

3 How long / she / work / as a journalist / before then?

___________________________________________________________

4 She / already / work / as a journalist / for two years / when I / meet / her.

___________________________________________________________

5 you / be / in touch / lately?

___________________________________________________________

6 We / meet / last month / for a coffee.

___________________________________________________________

6 Translate the sentences into your own language.

1 Rebecca hadn’t been to a zoo before.

___________________________________________________________

2 We’ve been working here all afternoon.

___________________________________________________________

3 I haven’t had my lunch yet.

___________________________________________________________

4 Jim had been waiting for ages when we finally got there.

___________________________________________________________

5 How long have you been studying English?

___________________________________________________________


Vocabulary Practice (Standard)

1 Add a word from the box to each list.

transition debate gossip current affairs

unprejudiced tabloid skim journalist

1 newspaper broadsheet _________________

2 change turning point _________________

3 impartial objective _________________

4 shock sensation _________________

5 news documentary _________________

6 editor reporter _________________

7 analyse discuss _________________

8 browse surf _________________

2 Complete the sentences with words from 1.

1 I like the _________________ analysis of my newspaper. It gives both sides of

a story.

2 Every morning, I _________________ the newspaper headlines to see if there

is anything interesting to read in more depth.

3 The discovery of the new world was a major _________________ in history.

4 My brother spends a lot of time _________________ the internet, looking for

interesting websites.

5 When the foreign minister had an affair with the defence minister’s wife, it

caused a big _________________.

6 Serious newspapers are often called _________________ .


3 Circle the correct alternatives.

1 Dan spends a lot of time skimming/surfing the internet.

2 Some celebrities don’t like giving/making interviews.

3 Robert never watches one programme for long. He prefers channel

hopping/running.

4 Samantha turned/tuned in to her favourite radio programme.

5 I hate the way tabloids dumb/dull down the news. We’re not all stupid!

4 Match the words to make collocations.

___ 1 news a age

___ 2 social b flash

___ 3 press c alerts

___ 4 chat d factors

___ 5 golden e conference

___ 6 mobile phone f show

5 Complete the sentences with the collocations in 4.

1 The president held a _________________ to tell journalists about the fight

against crime.

2 The _________________ of Swedish history took place in the 17th century,

when the country had a powerful army.

3 There are many _________________ which may cause an individual to become

a criminal.

4 I saw an interview with Brad Pitt on a _________________ .

5 A _________________ on the radio reported the terrible train crash that

happened a few hours ago.

6 I love _________________. I can receive information and news updates

wherever I am.


6 Complete the definitions with the words in the box.

newsreader presenter editor journalist

chat show host producer

1 The person who decides what stories go in a newspaper is called an

_________________.

2 The person who is in front of the camera on a TV news programme and tells you

the day’s news is the _________________.

3 Someone who writes articles in a newspaper is a _________________.

4 Someone who interviews celebrities on a TV programme is a

_________________.

5 The person who is in charge of commissioning and planning a TV programme is

the _________________.

6 Someone who introduces documentaries, reality TV programmes and other TV

programmes is a _________________.

7 Read the sentences and choose the correct meaning.

1 He stopped working and looked at the time.

a He looked at the time after he had stopped working.

b He looked at the time and then stopped working.

2 We didn’t stop to have lunch until we had finished.

a We had lunch before we finished.

b We had lunch after we finished.

3 She remembered to buy the milk.

a She remembered and then she bought the milk.

b She remembered after she had bought the milk.

4 He remembered seeing her there.

a He remembered and then saw her there.

b He remembered that he had seen her there.


News & Politics

Unit 1 standard