Posted in Advanced C1, Exam Preparation Class

C1 Advanced: Key Word Transformation Training #4

Posted on by Tim Warre
2. Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) Preparation

This is another worksheet designed to help introduce students to typical expressions that are tested in part 4 of the reading and use of English paper. Download the handout below:

c1-key-word-transformation-training-4-2Download

Use this Quizizz game for space repetition of the expressions: https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/616ed396bccf36001d65cf8e

Version 1

Read the sentences and guess the meaning of the underlined expression with your partner:

  1. As far as we can tell, the accident was caused by human error.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. Could you keep an eye on my bag while I go to the toilet?

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. The teacher turned a blind eye to the students who were whispering at the back of the class.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. I need to brush up on my German before my trip to Berlin next month.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. I’m on holiday next week but please keep me in the picture about how the project is going.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. She can’t have been pleased to see her ex-boyfriend sitting at the bar when she came in.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. Steve hardly ever gets to work on time.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. I didn’t recognise the number that was calling me but it turned out to be my brother on his new phone.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. In accordance with his last will and testament, the majority of his fortune was donated to charity.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. Never before have I seen such a beautiful display of dance.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. It took her a while to come to terms with the death of her parents.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. If it hadn’t been for Charlie, I would still be working in that dead-end job.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. Investigators are trying to piece together what happened after they lost contact with the pilot of the plane.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. The match has been called off due to unforeseen circumstances.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. Contrary to popular opinion, not all Mexican food is spicy.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. Since getting promoted, I’ve struggled to get to grips with my new responsibilities.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. Can you give me a lift to the airport in the morning?

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. His love of jazz music dates back to his visit to New Orleans 20 years ago.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. We could meet at 9am Thursday morning, I hope that this suggestion meets with your approval.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. His son’s failure to get into a good college was a source of great disappointment to him.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. The president is widely expected to lose the upcoming election.

Meaning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

  1. In all likelihood, there will be job losses at the company due to a drop in sales.

Version 2

Try to recall the expressions using the key word in brackets to help you.

  1. Based on the evidence we have we think the accident was caused by human error. (TELL)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. Could you watch my bag while I go to the toilet? (EYE)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. The teacher pretended not to see the students who were whispering at the back of the class. (EYE)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. I need to refresh and revise my German before my trip to Berlin next month. (BRUSH)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. I’m on holiday next week but please give me regular updates on how the project is going. (PICTURE)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. She definitely wasn’t pleased to see her ex-boyfriend sitting at the bar when she came in. (HAVE)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. Steve is almost always late for work. (HARDLY)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. I didn’t recognise the number that was calling me but in the end it was my brother on his new phone. (TURNED)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. Based on his last will and testament, the majority of his fortune was donated to charity. (ACCORDANCE)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. It was the first time I had seen such a beautiful display of dance. (NEVER)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. It took her a while to understand and accept the death of her parents. (TERMS)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. Without Charlie, I would still be working in that dead-end job. (BEEN)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. Investigators are trying to deduce what happened after they lost contact with the pilot of the plane. (PIECE)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. The match has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. (CALLED)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. Despite what most people think, not all Mexican food is spicy. (CONTRARY)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. Since getting promoted, I’ve struggled to deal with/understand my new responsibilities. (GRIPS)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. Can you drive me to the airport in the morning? (LIFT)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. His love of jazz music started when he visited New Orleans 20 years ago. (DATES)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. We could meet at 9am Thursday morning, I hope that this suggestion is acceptable to you. (MEETS)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. His son’s failure to get into a good college was disappointing for him. (SOURCE)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. Most people expect the president to lose the upcoming election. (WIDELY)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. There will probably be job losses at the company due to a drop in sales. (LIKELIHOOD)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Posted in Advanced C1, B2 First, Conversation Classes, Exam Preparation Class

B2+ Goat vs Bear – Exam Practice & Discussion

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is a lesson plan for B2+ students. It is based on a text from https://www.iflscience.com/ on the subject of wild animals. It will serve as good exam practice for students preparing to take Cambridge exams and should also be an engaging topic of conversation for teenagers and adults. Download the handouts and slides below:

goat-vs-bearDownload
goat-vs-bear-student-handoutDownload
goat-vs-bear-answer-keyDownload

Link to original article: https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/badass-goat-killed-grizzly-bear-by-skewering-it-on-its-horns-necropsy-reveals/

Procedure

  1. Show students the second slide of the PowerPoint, encourage them to guess which animal would win.
  2. Show them the second and have them speculate about how a goat would beat a bear.
  3. Give out handout and have students read to confirm their speculations, check in open class.
  4. Have students complete the open cloze, they could work in pairs or individually and then check with their partner. Good practice for Cambridge exams use of English.
  5. Lead students through the vocabulary exercises.
  6. Discussion: Which animal could you beat in a fight? Show students the fourth slide and explain the statistics to them. Put students in groups and have them discuss which animals they think they could beat and how they would do it. 
  7. Lead a discussion on the best way to tackle certain large, dangerous animals. Have students speculate on the best thing to do in each encounter, then check on the internet to see whether or not they would have survived. Board any emergent language and exploit it for recall later.

Open Cloze Key

Apex predators make (1) IT to the top (2) BY being the most efficient hunters in their domain, but every now and (3) THEN an underdog crops up to disrupt the food chain. (4) SUCH an example played out on the mountains of Burgess Pass in Yoho National Park, where Parks Canada retrieved the body of a female grizzly bear. Such a creature would usually (5) BE  the slayer rather than the slain, and most surprisingly of all the assailant turned (6) OUT to be a goat.

The battle (7) TOOK place sometime before September 4 after which Parks Canada was made aware (8) OF the presence of a carcass. Bodies such (9) AS these need to be removed as they can otherwise lure in wildlife that could put visitors to the pass (10) AT risk.

The discovery of a slain bear merits a forensic investigation to determine the (11) CAUSE of death, and so a necropsy (12) WAS conducted on the animal. During the examination, staff noticed that the fatal wounds were at the base of the bear’s neck and in (13) ITS armpits. The attack sites might sound random to the uninitiated, but to experienced park rangers, this was the work (14) OF one extremely lucky mountain goat.

“When grizzly bears attack, they tend (15) TO focus (16) ON the head, neck, and shoulders of the prey, usually (17) FROM above,” Alison Biles, Public Relations and Communications Officer for Parks Canada, told IFLScience. “In turn, the defensive response of mountain goats would (18) BE  to protect themselves using (19) THEIR sharp horns.”

“Grizzly bear predation of mountain goats is relatively common and significant goat activity was observed (20) IN the immediate area. (21) IN this case, it appears that the mountain goat was (22) TRYING/ABLE to defend itself. While rare, other cases of mountain goats defensively killing bears have (23) BEEN reported in the past, (24) WHICH is not completely surprising since mountain goats are strong animals that are well-equipped to defend (25) THEMSELVES” 

Adapted from: https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/badass-goat-killed-grizzly-bear-by-skewering-it-on-its-horns-necropsy-reveals/ 

Find words or phrases in the text to match these definitions:

  1. Animals at the top of the local food chain. – APEX PREDATORS
  2. Someone in a game or fight who has little chance of winning. – AN UNDERDOG
  3. A killer. – SLAYER – assailant – an attacker
  4. The dead body of an animal. – CARCASS
  5. Attract. – LURE IN
  6. Where your arm meets your chest. – ARMPITS
  7. People without experience. – THE UNINITIATED 
  8. A person who patrols and maintains a national park. – PARK RANGER
  9. To have the tools to do something. – BE WELL-EQUIPPED

Complete the collocations from the text:

  1. MAKE it to the top
  2. Every NOW and then
  3. Such AN example
  4. The assailant TURNED out to be a goat
  5. The battle took PLACE sometime before September 4
  6. Parks Canada was MADE aware of the presence of a carcass.
  7. Put visitors at RISK
  8. An investigation to determine the cause of DEATH

Complete the sentences with one of the collocations:

  1. The police still aren’t sure of the CAUSE OF DEATH
  2. I don’t go out often but EVERY NOW AND THEN I like to meet up with friends and let my hair down.
  3. His carelessness PUT everyone on board the ship AT RISK, it can’t happen again.
  4. I have been MADE AWARE OF some complaints that customers have made and I would like to address them.
  5. The match will TAKE PLACE tonight at the usual address.
  6. To MAKE IT TO THE TOP in this industry you have to work very hard and get lucky.
  7. We thought it was a shark under the boat but TURNED OUT TO BE a piece of rubbish.
Posted in Advanced C1, Writing Classes

C1 Advanced Essay Task: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

Posted on by Tim Warre
How To Reduce The Carbon Footprint? | World Culture Network

This is a writing task for C1 students preparing for the Cambridge Advanced exam. Download the handout below:

essay-reducing-your-carbon-footprintDownload

Task

Your class has recently taken part in a debate on ways individual citizens can reduce their carbon footprints in order to combat climate change. Below are three of the methods discussed and some quotes from people who took part in the debate.

  • Changing our diets
  • Changing travel habits
  • Changing our shopping habits

Comments:

“Going vegetarian or vegan would be so hard for me, I couldn’t live without meat or cheese!”

“Airplanes and cars pollute so much, I cycle to work and try not to fly too often.”

“Fast fashion is terrible for the planet, people buy cheap clothes and sometimes don’t even wear them!”

Write an essay discussing two of the methods in your notes. You should explain which method you think is most realistic for most people and give reasons to support your argument. You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions expressed in the debate but you should use your own words as far as possible. Write your essay in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.

Posted in Advanced C1, Exam Preparation Class, Proficiency, Vocabulary Classes

C1/C2: A Priceless Family Heirloom

Posted on by Tim Warre
Turning Heirloom Jewelry Into a New Design | Jewelry Wise

This is a short text I wrote for C2 students who had to to a proficiency writing on a possession with sentimental value. I haven’t designed a full lesson plan around it yet but it might be useful for other teachers of high levels:

a-priceless-family-heirloomDownload

Do you have any possessions that you have inherited from other family members?

Do they have sentimental value to you?

If your house caught fire and you had enough time to save one thing, what would you choose?
My great grandpa’s old stamp collection is a priceless family heirloom that has been handed down from generation to generation. It was his prized possession and he held onto it through thick and thin, travelling the world to collect over 2000 different stamps. Leafing through the pages gives a fascinating insight intoa bygone era. Smelling the pages evokes memories of a seemingly simpler time before all the noise and stress of life in the 21st century. Some would call it a dusty old knick knack but the collection has huge sentimental value to me and has been a source of endless hours of pleasure. It seems that my dad really was a chip off the old block because he has his own collection. This geeky fascination with stamps really seems to run in the family because now my son is crazy about stamps too, I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Apparently a rival collector once offered my dad €200,000 for the collection but he turned it down out of hand. You can’t put a price on that slice of history. Blood really is thicker than water.

Posted in Teacher Training

APAC Summer Training Courses: Update

Posted on by Tim Warre

There are still places left on APACs summer training courses. The four courses will run from July 5th-15th 100% online. They will consist of a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous learning. I’ll be running a course on teaching methodologies and lesson frameworks. You’ll learn about a range of approaches and techniques and put them into practice while working on a portfolio of lesson plans and materials that you can use straightaway.

Follow the link below for more information about my course and the three other fantastic courses on offer. A great opportunity for professional development!

https://www.apac365.org/campaign-3

Posted in 2Ts in a Pod: Podcast, Listening Classes

2Ts in a Pod Episode 52: Pride Month Special – The Wonderful World of Drag

Posted on by Tim Warre
Image credit: Mark Wilding

For episode 52 we spoke to Oscar/Lana Vuli a drag performer based in Barcelona. We spoke about his/her route into drag performance and experiences performing live and on the Youtube Channel “Science Queers”. You’ll find a link to the channel below.

It was a great episode and a really enjoyable interview, we hope you like it!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWR22076Osunb7hiTHfhr1Q

Posted in 2Ts in a Pod: Podcast, Advanced C1, B2 First, Listening Classes, Proficiency, Reading Classes

2Ts in a Pod: Episode 51 – Book Club – Thursday Murder Club Part 7

Posted on by Tim Warre

Don’t you just love a 2 episode week? We’re back with episode 51 continuing our book club series on Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club.

In this episode we talk about chapters 32-40; we discuss the things that happen, our favourite parts and examine some interesting vocabulary that comes up.

Why not read and listen along? Or, if you’re a teacher, encourage your students to do so.

Listen on SoundCloud:

Or, alternatively, listen on Spotify:

Posted in Advanced C1, B2 First, Conversation Classes, Proficiency

Where do you stand? Summer Edition

Posted on by Tim Warre
Is SUMMER about to truly start? - The Church Irish Bar Albir

This is a special summer edition of my “Where do you stand?” conversation series. Students decide to what extent they agree with different statements on the topic of summer activities and holidays and then share their views with their classmates. Download the PowerPoint and student handout below:

where-do-you-stand_-summerDownload
where-do-you-stand-summerDownload

The PowerPoint has some quite advanced language for discussion on it. You may want to use this phrase sheet, designed with B2 students in mind, for lower levels.

Posted in 2Ts in a Pod: Podcast, Advanced C1, B2 First, Listening Classes, Reading Classes

2Ts in a Pod: Episode 50!!! Book Club – Thursday Murder Club Part 6

Posted on by Tim Warre
Image credit: Mark Wilding

We’ve made it to 50 episodes! Thanks to all our listeners for your continued support, we ❤️ you all!


In episode 50 we’re pressing on with Richard Osman’s wonderful debut novel The Thursday Murder Club, chapters 24-31.

Why not get your students to listen and read along?