GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY PRACTICE

PLUS

UNIT 1

Grammar
1

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

I ______________________________ (just / make) some biscuits. Theyre

nicer than the ones I (make) last week.

In the past, children ______________________________ (work) in factories

and ______________________________ (live) in unsanitary houses.

Rick ______________________________ (just / change) the channel. Why?

Well, because he ______________________________ (already / watch) the
film on Channel 1 two nights earlier.

We ______________________________ (get) there late because the train

______________________________ (be delayed) back in Manchester.

______________________________ (Sally / write) those letters yet? She

______________________________ (start) them hours ago, so they should
be finished.

Read the answers and write questions using the prompts.

1

When / Jenny / join / the book club?

__________________________________________________________
Oh, on the fifth of September.

How long / Simon / have / a bad cold?

__________________________________________________________
Oh, for a couple of days. He feels awful.

When / he / write / the play?

__________________________________________________________
Two years ago.

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he / lose / his umbrella?

__________________________________________________________
Yes. He cant find it anywhere.

What time / she /get up?

__________________________________________________________
Seven oclock this morning.

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

Ive ______________________________ (know) Simon all my life.

Susie got absolutely soaked because she

______________________________ (forget) to bring her umbrella.

We ______________________________ (wait) for you for ages. Why are

you so late?

Tim has ______________________________ (tell) that awful joke at least

four times already.

I ______________________________ (not eat) very much for breakfast so I

felt very hungry by twelve oclock.

How long ______________________________ (you / renovate) that old

house? Will you finish the work soon?

Choose the best options to complete the sentences.

1

Ive been to the gym

__ a last weekend.

__ c twice this weekend.

__ b since Tuesday.

__ d a couple of days ago.

Hes been playing computer games

__ a twice today.

__ c from two to three oclock.

__ b all afternoon.

__ d last night.

He had been phoning Donald

__ a since he got in.

__ c twice today.

__ b these days.

__ d but he has been busy.

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Josephine has left the school

__ a since two oclock.

__ c before you rang.

__ b five minutes ago.

__ d and is on her way home.

Sean had gone home

__ a since five oclock.

__ c as soon as the bell had rung.

__ b before the lesson ended.

__ d from two hours.

Complete the text with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.
Sally (1) ______________________________ (work) as a journalist in
London for six months when I first (2) ______________________________
(meet) her in the summer of 2008. The week before, she
(3) ______________________________ (just / write) a couple of important
articles about British politics for her newspaper. Since then, Sally and I
(4) ______________________________ (be) friends. She
(5) ______________________________ (help) me many times in my career as
a reporter and we (6) ______________________________ (have) a lot of fun
together from time to time. She (7) ______________________________
(travel) in South America for the last month or so. She
(8) ______________________________ (send) me a postcard last week,
saying that she (9) ______________________________ (interview) a leading
politician there earlier in the day, and that she
(10) ______________________________ (have) a great story for one of the
tabloids.

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Translate the sentences into your own language.

1

Amy had been playing tennis for an hour when we arrived.

__________________________________________________________

Ive just bought a new coat.

__________________________________________________________

How many times have you fallen off your bike?

__________________________________________________________

Jo has been listening to music since she got home.

__________________________________________________________

Sue felt tired because she had been working hard all day.
__________________________________________________________

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Vocabulary
1

Write words for the definitions.

1

A sensationalist newspaper. ______________

A radio or video file that you can download from the internet.
______________

A short radio or TV programme with the most important news items.

______________

Someone who writes newspaper articles. ______________

A type of TV programme that is informative about things like history,

geography or wildlife. ______________

A person who decides what goes in a newspaper. ______________

A serious newspaper. ______________

A type of TV programme on which someone interviews celebrities.

______________

A person who presents the news on TV or radio. ______________

10 A journalist who lives and works in another country. ______________

2

Complete the sentences with the correct words.

1

Emma spends most afternoons ______________ the internet.

Emily likes channel ______________ because she cant concentrate on one

programme for long.

Greg ______________ in to his favourite radio programme every day.

Most mornings, I ______________ the newspaper to get an idea of the main

news stories.

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Write words for the definitions.

1

Important national and international events happening now. ______________

The person in charge of commissioning and planning a TV programme.

______________

The person who is in front of the camera on a TV news programme and tells
you what the days news is. ______________

A short message you receive on your mobile to inform or notify you about
something. ______________

Someone who interviews celebrities on a TV programme. ______________

A news programme that suddenly appears on TV or radio to inform you of a

major news story that has just happened. ______________

Make compond nouns using the words in the box. Then complete the
sentences with the compound nouns.
broad
1

reader

pod

web

cast

sheets

lines

pages

head

news

I downloaded a ______________ of my favourite comedy programme onto

my laptop.

I like the way the ______________ on my local news always smiles at the end
of each story.

This website has hundreds of ______________, and all of them are full of
information.

Tabloid ______________ tend to be huge and shocking sometimes.

I prefer reading serious ______________ to sensationalist tabloids.

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Complete the sentences with the correct words.

1

There is some breaking ______________ just in. A plane has crashed in India.

I watched an interesting current ______________ programme about the state

of the economy.

The president spoke to journalists at a press ______________.

The chat show ______________ asked the pop star a lot of questions about
her private life.

I get most of my news and information from text ______________.

The next short news ______________ will be at ten oclock.

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

Sue forgot ______________ (check) her emails, so she hadnt read my

message.

Ill never forget ______________ (win) the first prize on the TV quiz show.

When the film star entered the room, everyone stopped ______________
(talk).

I was thirsty, so I stopped ______________ (drink) a glass of water.

Did you remember ______________ (pick up) the letters in the mail box?

Jenny regretted ______________ (spend) so much money on the new dress.

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