30 Mar 2020

Online session, March 30th / 31st.


LEVEL: C1.2
GROUPS: A, B, C
DATE:    March 30th, 31st  

CHECKING HOMEWORK:   

Grammar. Relative clauses, exercises 1, 2 and 3 (pages 181 and 182). Answer keys:

Exercise 1, Grammar reference
1 a correct
1 b correct
2 a correct
2 b incorrect – need to add a preposition: The company in which he invested all his savings went bust.
3 a incorrect – should be whose not who’s
3 b correct
4 a correct
4 b incorrect – can’t use that to introduce a non-defining relative clause, should be who here instead
5 a correct
5 b incorrect – need another comma added in to enclose the non-defining clause: Taxpayers, many of whom have debts themselves, are paying for the banks’ losses.

Exercise 2, Grammar reference
1 We have to identify areas in which improvements can be made.
2 My boss, whose office is next to mine, heard everything.
3 In January, we borrowed €10,000, most of which has already been spent.
4 For the starting point of our study we chose 2004, the year in which our president submitted his first budget.
5 I wanted to explore the extent to which large corporations influence the economic health of nations.
6 We have over 9,000 employees, the vast majority of whom are based in China.
7 We’ve reached a crucial point, beyond which we cannot cut costs any further without having to lay people off.
8 The S and L bank, which was bailed out by the government and whose executives were imprisoned for fraud, has finally returned to profit.
7 There are no fixed answers needed here. Work with what students come up with. Here is a sample answer to provide as an example:
1 In our country, we are currently in a situation ... we have never faced before / which could lead to serious unrest / in which thousands face a life of unemployment
Note that the phrases provided can be followed by a preposition and a relative pronoun, so make sure students are aware of the following:
1 a situation in which
2 cases in which
3 the point at which
4 no reason for / why
5 the way in which
6 the extent to which

Exercise 3, Grammar reference
1 f Our founder was Mr. Johnson, after whom the company is named.
2 e We’re lucky enough to have an incredible team, without whom we would never have survived this difficult year.
3 c After much research, we’ve come up with a prototype with which we’re all very satisfied.
4 a We’re conducting research into the Kazakh market, about which we currently know very little.
5 b I’d like to say thanks in particular to my boss, from whom I’ve learned a huge amount.
6 d Naturally, we are all influenced by the things with which we surround ourselves.

I didn’t tell you to do activity n. 4, but this is the answer key in case you did it because you wanted more practice:
Exercise 4, Grammar reference
1 Our founder was Mr. Johnson, who the company is named after.
2 We’re lucky enough to have an incredible team, which we would never have survived this difficult year without.
3 After much research, we’ve come up with a prototype which we’re all very satisfied with.
4 We’re conducting research into the Kazakh market, which we currently know very little about.
5 I’d like to say thanks in particular to my boss, who I’ve learned a huge amount from.
6 Naturally, we are all influenced by the things (which / that) we surround ourselves with.

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. You have the link for your group in my blog.

Deadline for oral presentations: April 3rd

WRITTEN PRODUCTION:

Proposals. Read the information about proposals: purpose, structure and content. Then, do activities 1, 2 and 4b. Click here to download the handout.
Finally, write a proposal yourself in 180-190 words:
Your work in a large accountancy company in London and you have heard staff complaining about the fact that the office environment needs to be improved (furniture, décor, illumination, computer systems, a non-existent canteen, etc.). As the representative of the employees, you get the chance to suggest to the managing director that some available funds could be used to improve the office environment.
Deadline: April 3rd

LISTENING:

Go to your DVD-rom and listen to track 49. This is the recording of a business meeting in a footwear company.  After listening to the track, do activity 5 (page 128), matching the speakers to their roles in the company.
Go to your DVD-rom again and listen to track 50. This is the ongoing business meeting that you started before. They are discussing a financial loss and a new product. Do activity n.8, in which you have to decide whether the information in those statements is accurate or not.

VOCABULARY:

If you have time, read activities 2, 3, 4 (page 128) and look up the words or expressions you don’t understand. Next Wednesday/Thursday we will have our next Zoom session at our regular time and you will be able to practice orally with these new words.

Group A: April 2nd, 12 midday.

Group B: April 1st, 5 pm.

Group C: April 1st, 7 pm.


That’s all for now.

Take care,

Ángel

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