Online session, March 18th

LEVEL: C1.2

GROUPS: B, C

DATE:    March 18^th

CHECKING HOMEWORK:

You don’t need to send me your homework. I will give you the answer key for all those tasks on the following online session. If you have any questions after checking the answer, then send me an email and ask me. Answers will be in BLUE.

HW TASK 1: You were told to do the vocabulary activity on page 124. Here, you needed to decide if the words in Italics had the same meaning or a different meaning in that context. If it was different, you needed to explain why. 

1. We've seen a definite upturn /decline in sales over recent months. Different: an upturn in sales = sales increase // a decline in sales = sales go down 

2. We're lucky in that we have a solid client base / loyal customers. same meaning in context: you have lots of people who know, like and buy your product 

3. We've been inundated / flooded with orders. same meaning in context: you've received a lot of orders 

4. We're actually going to be relocating / moving to a smaller town, where rents / overheads are cheaper. same meaning in context: relocating and moving   ///  different: rent = only the money you pay to use the office or factory space // overheads = rent as well as wages, gas, electricity, water, etc.

5. We've had to lay off / employ about 30 people. different: lay off = make redundant // employ = give jobs to

6. We're actually thinking of floating / launching the firm on the stock market. same meaning in context: start to sell shares to the public for the first time 

7. If things don't pick up / get better soon, we're going to end up going under / have to make serious cutbacks. same meaning in context: pick up and get better = improve  ////  different: end up going under = go bankrupt and thus have to close // have to make serious cutbacks = survive as a company, but only after cutting costs dramatically

8. Times are tough, but we're just about hanging in / surviving. same meaning in context 

9. We're having to diversify / consolidate the range of services we provide. different: diversify the range = branch out and start selling a wider range of products and services // consolidate = stick with what you have, focus on core strengths and protect and develop what’s already there 

10. We've had to take on staff / make staff redundant this year. different: take staff on = employ people // make staff redundant = make them unemployed

11. There's been a definite downturn / drop in sales this quarter. same meaning in context 

12. We're in the middle of terminating / pitching for a big contract in Russia. different: terminating = you already have a contract but have decided to end it // pitch for a contract = try to win the contract

HW TASK 2: Answer key to the matching halves activity about Coronavirus:

A	B
contract	A virus
display	symptoms
respiratory	difficulty
Incubation	period
Confirmed/diagnosed	cases
A spike	In cases
death	toll
placed	In lockdown / in quarantine
face	masks
Develop	A vaccine

ORAL PRESENTATIONS:

I remind you that those of you who were scheduled for today should record a track (preferably on MP3) and upload it on  www.padlet.com. Remember that you have the link for your group in my blog.

READING:

Read the text called “Corporations: in what sense responsible?” included in this PDF document. Click here to download the text. Then, do activities 4, 5 and 6. Click here to download these and other activities for this session.

PRONUNCIATION:

Question intonation may vary depending on our intention.

·         When we want to find something out, we use a falling tone at the end of questions.

·         When we want to make sure about something, we use a rising or fall-rising tone

Let’s practice with this. Go to activity n. 2 in the PDF document above. Click here and listen to this track. Then, write FSO if the speaker is finding something out or MS if the speaker is making sure. When you finish, repeat the questions after listening to the questions again.

VOCABULARY:

A loanword is a word taken from one language and used in another. You will do three activities about loanwords: activity 1 in the PDF document whose link is above and activities 8 and 9 on page 126 in your textbook.

For activity 8 you will need track 48 in the book CD. In this one, you need to listen to the pronunciation and explain the meaning of those loanwords.

All the answers for this online session will be provided in our next session, on March 23^rd.