2. Put а/аn, the or - in the spaces. If zero article is an alternative for the, write the /-.

BOB COLLINS: A PROFILE

Bob Collins recently become (1) ....... minister in the new government, being appointed (2)……. Minister for Industry. Mr Collins has had a varied career. He was (3) ……. professional footballer in the 1960s, some people considering him to be (4) …….. most skilful player of his generation. After a serious injury, he became (5) ………manager of (6) …….. oldest pub in Edinburgh. Five years later, he was offered the position of (7)……… executive director of Arcon, one of (8) …….. biggest supermarket chains in the country. He became (9) ……...Member of Parliament in 1990.

3. If necessary, correct these sentences (a-d).

1. Sri Lanka has the wonderful climate.

2. The organisation's aim is to educate the public about the dangers of smoking.

3. We need an environment free from pollution.

4. She has worked in a fashion industry since she left school.

5. The wind is blowing dust all the way from Africa.

6. We can look forward to a warm southerly wind this weekend.

7. The USA is a country with the high level of immigration.

8. How can we combine economic growth and respect for an environment?

9. Car exhaust emissions are having a major effect on a world's climate.

10. That's Terry - he's the third person on the right.

11. She has become the important figure in Norwegian politics.

12. It's a most important issue and we need to discuss it in detail.

Unit 5 stories in history Grammar Practice: links with the past

Irregular verbs

Past Simple and Past Perfect

1. Complete the sentences with the verb in bold in either the Past Simple or the Past Perfect. All the verbs are irregular.

• fall

a Harry ____________in love with a beautiful Greek girl while he was working in Athens.

b At last there was silence from the back of the car. All the children ____________ asleep.

• feel

с She told me that she ____________sick with nerves before making that speech.

d Tom ____________really sorry for himself. Not only had his girlfriend gone off with his

best friend, but he didn't get the promotion he wanted.

• have

e It was clear from the tense atmosphere that Susie and Gary____________ yet another

row.

f We breakfast on the veranda every morning whilst we were staying in

Venice.

• tear

g Camilla ____________his letter into tiny pieces and threw it onto the fire.

h Johnny's mother asked him how he ____________his trousers.

• cost

i I didn't ask the price of Ted's new car, but I knew it ____________a fortune.

j It more to have our word processor fixed than to buy a new one.

• fly

k My father ____________ into a temper when he heard I'd failed my exams.

1 I went to visit my brother in Australia. I was nervous because I (never)

before.

• catch

m We ____________a taxi outside the restaurant, and it took us to our hotel.

n She wondered how she a cold in the middle of summer.

• be

о They ____________ held hostage for over six weeks when they finally escaped.

p Talks ____________ held in New York last week to discuss global warming.