Oral Activity

The teacher sets the situation first. Sarah Ford, the well-known millionaire’s daughter, was kidnapped yesterday. Then he/she asks the students to look at the cues below and, working in groups of three, to prepare the story in 2 minutes using the passive. Each group then reports its story to the class. Students decide which group’s story is the best and has the fewest mistakes.

Cues: Sarah Ford kidnapped/yesterday. threatening calls made/before. Sarah seen/last/park. same day/letter sent. Sarah released/as soon as/kidnappers given £300,000. police informed/immediately. all areas searched/since yesterday. nothing found/so far.

Progress Test

1. Open the brackets. Use the appropriate tense and voice form.

(A)

There is an old castle in Norwich which (1) (to believe) to be haunted. It (2) (to call) North Castle and it (3) (to say) that ghosts can (4) (to see) there at night. The castle (5) (to build) 400 years ago and (6) (to own) by two old ladies who (7) (to believe) to be witches. One day, long ago, they both disappeared and they (8) (never/to see) again. In 1985 the castle (9) (to buy) by a businessman and (10) (to convert) into a luxurious hotel. The castle (11) (to visit) by quite a few guests every year and special groups (12) (to organize) to watch for ghosts. It has been a long time some any ghosts (13) (to see), but one night a trick (14) (to play) on some visitors by a local couple, who dressed up as the two “witches”. They (15) (to see) by a guest who said she (16) (to frighten) almost to death. The couple apologized the next day, and (17) (to tell) never to visit the castle again, certainly not in the middle of the night dressed up as witches.

(B)

Professor Higgins, who (18) (to award) a major science prize last month, (19) (to invite) to take part in a conference which (20) (to hold) in London last week. He (21) (to meet) at the airport by a driver who, unfortunately, (22) (to give) the name of the wrong hotel to take the professor to. A large reception (23) (to organize) for the professor and at least 200 eminent scientists (24) (to invite) to meet him that evening. The poor professor, however, (25) (to leave) at a small hotel in a rather bad area, and when he asked to speak to the Head of the Conference Committee, he (26) (to tell) to try somewhere else because he (27) (not/to hear off) there. Luckily, later that evening, the driver (28) (to send) to the hotel where the reception (29) (to hold), and when he (30) (to ask) what he had done with the professor, everyone realized that a mistake (31) (to make). The professor says that if he (32) (ever/to send) another invitation to a conference, he hopes it (33) (to organize) more efficiently.

2. Fill in by or with.

34. “The Old Man and the Sea” was written … Ernest Hemingway.

35. Radium was discovered … Pierre and Marie Curie.

36. My desk was covered … papers.

37. The safe was blown open … dynamite.

38. “The Gold rush” was directed … Charlie Chaplin.

39. The house was painted … a new kind of paint.

40. The cake was made … dried fruit.

41. The safe was blown open … the robbers.

42. The photos were taken … a very cheap camera.

43. “Imagine” was composed and sung … John Lennon.