Skill Builder – RevisionIntermediate

HEADING-MATCHING LISTENING

You will hear six extracts. Read through the headings A-G before listening. For each extract 1-5 choose the heading that best matches the information you have heard. Then write the letter in the corresponding white box. There is one heading you will not need to use. Now read the headings.

GUESS THE SPORT

Listen to Conrad talking about sports. What sports is he talking about?

A. Football

B. Basketball

C. Table tennis

D. Boxing

E. Swimming

F. Handball

G. Waterpolo

DEFINITION 0 1 2 3 4 5LETTER B

MULTIPLE CHOICE LISTENING

Listen to the extract. For items 1-5 choose the option (a, b or c) which best completes them according to the extract. Then write your answer.

WINNING

Monica and Todd debate winning, teen sports and young athletes.

1) Monica says winning is _______ .

a. Essentialb. Very importantc. Far too important

2) Todd says winning ________ .

a. Serves a purposeb. Teaches people characterc. In high school is not important

3) He says winning is _______ .

a. The key to lifeb. The carrot at the stickc. The gold at the rainbow

4) Monica says competition can create ______ .

a. Confusion b. Conflict c. Envy

5) Todd says winning creates _______ .

a. Initiative b. Camaraderiec. Competitiveness

TRUE OR FALSE LISTENING

GAP-FILLING LISTENING

HEADING-MATCHING READING

Read the following texts and match them to the most suitable letter from the list supplied. Each heading can only be used ONCE. There are 5 headings you will not need.

MAKING A SPLASH

TEXT 0

The last thing many people expect to do in a swimming pool these days is swim. The latest fitness phenomenon to make a big splash at the local pool is aqua fitness. The properties of water have long been known to make it one of the safest and most effective media in which to exercise. Physiotherapists have used it for years and, even as far back as the Romans, the value of water for healing has been recognised.

TEXT 1

Today “aqua fitness”, as it is known, has seen exercising in the swimming pool progressing from merely being an activity for the recovery of an injury. Aqua fitness has become a valuable training aid even for professional athletes who use it to reduce the risk of overtraining. However, that is not to say that exercising in water is not ideal for the rest of us too, from the young to the old, from the fit to those who do suffer from complaints such as arthritis.

TEXT 2

Exercising in water raises the heart rate less than land aerobics. Lydia Campbell, a fitness expert, says there are no conclusive studies on why it has a less drastic effect on your heart, but there are some factors that partly explain it. Lydia says, “Water is supportive, as we all know, and with blood flowing more easily, there is less stress on the heart.”

TEXT 3

There are other benefits to working out in water such as the fact that your muscles are less likely to ache the following day; the water has a massaging effect on the body, and of course, there is always the possibility of getting a bit slimmer. It is generally thought that an aqua fitness workout can use from 450 to 700 calories an hour. And don’t forget, water is fun – exercising to music in water is a unique experience!

TEXT 4

Apart from the mentioned benefits, as far as modesty is concerned, if you miss a step, if you carry a little more excess weight than you feel comfortable with or if you just feel embarrassed because you have not exercised before, there is no need to be anxious as everything is hidden beneath the water level!

TEXT 5

Classes usually start with a warm-up aimed at stimulating and raising the body temperature. Using the properties of water, an aqua workout can create an effective training programme that might change some previous ideas about how easy exercising in water is. Try running in shallow knee-deep water. It is easy, but try running in thigh-deep water and things suddenly get more difficult – chest-deep water is even harder, as the water resistance increases.

- You are unlikely to cause yourself an injury in water.

- It is not as easy as it looks.

- Aqua fitness can do more than simply help heal injuries.

- You can lose weight and enjoy yourself at the same time.

- You can strengthen your heart and muscles by training every day.

- Your body will adapt to exercising in water.

- Don’t worry about what you look like.

- Exercise in water puts less pressure on the heart.

- The idea of exercising in water is not new.

- You can easily hurt yourself in water.

TEXT 0 1 2 3 4 5

LETTER I

MULTIPLE CHOICE READING

TRUE OR FALSE READING

CLOZE TEST

Read the following text. For items 1-15 choose the option (a, b or c) which best completes them according to the text. Then write your answer.

A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYBODY

Joe stepped onto the aeroplane and was met by one of the cabin crew (0) ________________ showed him to his seat. This was his first (1) ________________ and he was feeling quite nervous. His hands were (2) ________________ slightly and he was breathing deeply.

He walked along the (3) ________________ of the plane and found his seat. Joe had spent a lot of time (4) ________________ planning his holiday, given this was the first time he had been abroad. Sitting next to him was an 8 year-old boy who also (5) ________________ to be quite nervous.

Joe knew he was quite good (6) ________________ children, so he decided to try to calm the boy. After (7) ________________ with the boy for a few minutes, Joe produced some chocolate and gave it to him. The (8) ________________ then became quite cheerful as he explained that he loved chocolate (9) ________________ much.

The man and the boy found that they (10) ________________ well together as they chatted (11) ________________ the whole flight. Joe discovered that they were on the same (12) ________________ flight the following week, which pleased them both. When they (13) ________________ at the terminal, Joe commented about what a very (14) ________________ flight he’d had. The young boy agreed, saying that he was looking forward to (15) ________________ Joe again on the return flight.

ANSWER0. a. who b. which c. what 0 a1. a. travels b. flight c. plane 12. a. moving b. trembling c. jumping 23. a. aisle b. path c. lane 34. a. on b. to c. at 45. a. was b. appeared c. sat 56. a. at b. for c. with 67. a. conversing b. discussing c. debating 78. a. young b. youth c. youngster 89. a. too b. extremely c. so 910. a. got on b. were c. got to 1011. a. during b. over c. for 1112. a. returning b. back c. return 1213. a. disembarked b. Took off c. boarded 1314. a. well b. good c. great 1415. a. bumping into b. catching up with c. getting on with 15

Do you remember about the first time you went up on a plane? What was it like?

What are some of your earliest memories of holidays and travelling as a child?

What was the first foreign country you went to?

SCANNING READING

SPEAKING - MONOLOGUE

HOBBIES

In an increasingly stressful society, hobbies seem to be a wonderful way to relax. Give your opinion on this subject, taking into account the following points: - What makes you nervous - Activities that make you relax - Your main hobby/hobbies

SPEAKING – INTERACTION

FREE TIME

You and your partners are all working in Britain for a year and would like to do some interesting activities in your free time. Discuss the following points in detail and try to reach an agreement:

- An activity to take up- The equipment/experience you may need- Times when you can do it and how much you are ready to pay

WRITING TIPS

You will be evaluated on the following aspects:

1. COMMUNICATION

a. FORMATUse appropriate

greetings and endings in letters and e-mails.

Divide your text into paragraphs.

Indent paragraphs.

b. REGISTER Only use short forms in informal letters/e-mails to friends or relatives.

c. STYLE

ListsBrackets (…)

Colons (:)

commas (,)semi-colons (;)

d. CONTENT Do not write information you are not asked for Be polite Do not be strongly demanding. (I want > I’d like)

e. TEXT LENGTH (120 words approx)

Texts that aretoo short

ortoo long

are not valid

2. COHESION & COHERENCEa. IDEAS

Plan what you are going to write first.

b. SENTENCES English sentence structure - S V O A

(Subject + Verb + Object + Adverbial)

c. PARAGRAPHSAll paragraphs must have the same length (approx).

A paragraph usually contains a minimum of three sentences.

d. CONNECTIVES

3. RANGE & COMPLEXITY

a. INFORMATION -Cover all the points in the instructions.b. STRUCTURES

DON’T REPEAT YOURSELF!! Don’t repeat structures Don’t use many empty words (thing, nice…). Don’t repeat the same word in the same sentence or paragraph.

4. GRAMMATICAL & LEXICAL ACCURACY

BE CAREFUL!! Verbal tenses Subject/verb agreement (“s” in 3rd person singular!). Prepositions Collocations (e.g. make a cake, do sport) Spelling Punctuation

REVISE YOUR TEXT

ANSWER KEY

HEADING-MATCHING LISTENING

GUESS THE SPORT

DEFINITION 0 1 2 3 4 5LETTER B D F C A E

MULTIPLE CHOICE LISTENING

WINNING

1.C2.A3.B4.B5.A

TRUE OR FALSE LISTENING

AN INCIDENT IN COSTA RICA

GAP-FILLING LISTENING

HOW TO ROAST A TURKEY

HEADING-MATCHING READING

MAKING A SPLASH

TEXT 0 1 2 3 4 5

LETTER I C H D G B

MULTIPLE CHOICE READING

TRUE OR FALSE READING

THOMAS EDISON

CLOZE TEST

A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYBODY

ANSWER0. a1. b2. b3. a4. a5. b6. c7. a8. c9. c10. a11. a12. c13. a14. b15. b

SCANNING READING

FOOTBALL