Unit 1: Big Changes

Quick Check

A. Vocabulary. Find each vocabulary word in the texts on page 6. Read the words that come before and after that vocabulary word and then decide which meaning is best for it.

1. c to affect
2. b to launch
3. d to take for granted
4. a to establish
5. e to host

B. Comprehension. Answer true or false.

1. T Sputnik was the name of a Russian space ship.
2. T King Abdul-Aziz set Saudi Arabia on the road to modernization.
3. F At present the UAE has 10 member states.
4. F The UAE dirham came into use in 1963.
5. F Digital forms of information are something of the past.

3. Grammar

A. Complete the sentences with the words in parentheses. Use the simple present or the present progressive of the verbs.

1. He is living with his uncle until he can find his own place. (live)
2. The water is boiling. Please turn it off. (boil).
3. The scientists don't understand the cause of the problem. (not/understand)
4. does it snow in your country in winter? (it/snow)
5. The moon goes around Earth. (go)
6. What do you think of my idea? (you/think)
7. Currently, the number of immigrants in our country increases. (increase)
8. We don't remember the year the first Grand Prix took place in Dubai. (not/remember)
9. Dubai is part of the UAE, but it doesn't have as many oil reserves as Abu Dhabi. (not/have)
10. Ahmed has a part-time job on Saturdays, but he isn't working today. (not/work)

B. Complete the email with the correct forms of the verbs. Use the appropriate tense.

Hi Martin,
How’s it going? I hope you are well and that you don't work (1. not work) too hard.
University life in Britain is (2. be) very different from the way it is in Santo Domingo.
Most international students live (3. live) in dorms for the first year of study.
The dorms are places that help (4. help) new students gradually settle into life in the UK and meet (5. meet) other students like them!
In the second or third year, the university encourages students to find off-campus
accommodation. I was (6. be) lucky when I first arrived (7. arrive) at the
university. I got (8. get) a nice, comfortable room. I have (9. have) a neighbor
from Ghana who is also my friend.
It is (10. be) winter here now, and I haven't seen (11. not see) the sun since I arrived.
While you are swimming (12. swim) in the warm ocean, I am wearing (13. wear) a raincoat.
When I applied (14. apply) for this scholarship, I was (15. know) it was (16. be) a great opportunity, and I wanted (17. want) the experience of living abroad.
I really like (18. like) this country, but I miss (19. miss) you, and sometimes I feel (20. feel) really homesick.
Write back soon.
Best regards,
Fernando

C. Ask Fernando, from exercise B, about his life in Britain. Work with a partner. Make up questions and answers.

A: Have you ever eaten fish?

B: Yes, I have.

A: Do you like it?

B: Yes, I do.

A: How often do you eat it?

B: twice a week.

A: When was the last time you ate it?

B: I ate it three days ago.

5. Listening

Listen to the information about immigrants in the past.
Answer true or false.

1. T Many immigrants came to the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
2. F The voyage across the ocean was hard, but most immigrants had comfortable compartments on ships for sleeping and eating.
3. T Many of the immigrants were poor.
4. F At Ellis Island, the role of officials was to give immigrants information about the United States.
5. T People who were sick had to go back to their native countries.
6. T Ellis Island became known as “Heartbreak Island” among immigrants.

8. Conversation

About the Conversation

In pairs, ask and answer the questions. Then switch roles.

1. Where is Hans’ family from?

His family is from Leipzig.

2. How long has his family been in the western part of Germany?

His family has been in the western part since the German reunification.

3. Has Samir kept in touch with his relatives in Berlin?

No, he hasn't.

4. Why is he allowed to work legally in Germany?

Because he has a German passport, because his grandparents were German.

5. Is he thinking of going back to his native country in the future?

No, he isn't.

9. Reading

After Reading

A. Choose the meaning of each word as it is used in the reading.

1. transforming

a. moving

b. changing completely

c. making worse

2. hub

a. center

b. start

c. end

3. vibrant

a. strong and active

b. awake

c. quiet

4. thriving

a. happy

b. prosperous and strong

c. poor

5. ambitious

a. determined to succeed

b. greedy

c. glorious

6. enterprises

a. ideas

b. schools

c. businesses

7. diversity

a. make more varied

b. widen

c. improve

8. transparent

a. unclear

b. unlocked

c. open and honest

C. Look again at the text. List five of the planned developments.

1. develop economy to encourage investment.
2. use geographical position to improve trade and transport.
3. support young people in finding jobs and training.
4. develop and diversity the economy.
5. apply efficiency and responsibility at all levels of government.

10. Writing

A. Read the guidelines and rewrite the sentences using capitals.

1. jack decided to fly to new york next monday.

jack decided to fly to New York next Monday.

2. my brother has never been to dubai.

My brother has never been to Dubai.

3. riyadh is the capital of saudi arabia.

Riyadh is the capital of Saudi Arabia.

4. the telephone was invented by graham bell.

The telephone was invented by Graham Bell.

5. africa is an amazing continent.

Africa is an amazing continent.

6. we usually go shopping on thursday evening.

We usually go shopping on Thursday evening.

7. a lot of people go away in august.

A lot of people go away in August.

8. lake huron, in north america, is one of the largest lakes I have ever seen.

Lake Huron, in North America is one of the largest lakes I have ever seen.

B. 1. How do most people communicate nowadays? How do you communicate with your friends and relatives?
Discuss and make notes.

We communicate by the telephone and the internet.

C. Read the text and make notes in the chart about the important facts and the changes the Internet has brought about.

D. Think about an event that has brought about major changes. Make notes in the chart about the event
and the impact it has had on your country.

2. Use the information you put in the chart to write a short discursive essay about the event and the impact on your country.

The discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia:

• On March 3, 1938, an American-owned oil well in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, drilled into what would soon be identified as the large source of petroleum in the world.
• The discovery radically changed the physical, human and political geography of my country, the Middle East and the world.
• Before the discovery Saudi Arabian were largely nomadic.
• After the discovery Saudis established strong infrastructure. Oil accounts for roughly 92% of the Saudi budget.

11. Form, Meaning and Function

A. What can you remember about Hans and Samir on page 11? Use the list below to make true sentences.
Use the simple past, present perfect simple, and simple present tense.

1. be from Leipzig

Was Hans from Leipzig?

2. be from Dubai

Saud was from Dubai.

3. move to West Germany

Han's family moved to West Germany.

4. be in Berlin

Saud has been in Berlin for three years.

5. be born in Berlin

Hans was born in Berlin.

6. be from Germany

Saud's grandparents were from Germany.

7. be a biologist

Saud is a biologist.

8. have a good job

Saud has a good job.

9. have lots of friends

Saud has a lots of friends.

10 . be happy

Saud is happy.

C. Make sentences using when. Follow the example.

1. The people / sleep// the earthquake / happen.

The people were sleeping when the earthquake happened.

2. Fatima / going home // see / her friend, Nawal.

Fatima was going home when she saw her friend Nawal.

3. Majid / look at / trees// he / see / parrot

Majid was looking at the trees when he saw a parrot.

4. The students / wait for / bus // rain / start

The students were waiting for the bus when rain started.

D. Complete the text with the past simple tense or the past progressive tense of the verb in parentheses. Add your own ideas.

• When they were young, my grandparents were very poor. There was no work in their country, so they decided to leave.
• In September 1971, my grandparents (1) left their hometown in South Turkey and (2) travelled (travel) to Istanbul.
• There they (3) boarded (board) a train for Germany with 1,500 other passengers.
• As the long steam train (4) was setting off (set off ), all the people on the train (5) cried (cry) a final goodbye to their friends and family, who (6) were standing (stand) on the platform and watching the train depart.
• They (7) made (make) their long journey to Germany and (8) arrived (arrive) in Munich in the early morning hours two days later.
• When my grandparents (9) stepped (step) off the train, their hopes and expectations (10) was (be) bigger than their suitcases…