There are a number of things you should know about politeness culture when you visit other countries. You do not have to behave like the locals but it is useful to know some of the rules of the game. Here are some examples from around the world.
Holding the door open
In the UK, it is very common for people to hold the door open for each other. If you go through a door first and there’s some-body coming behind you, you wait for them with the door open and they nearly always say ‘thank you’. The appropriate response is ‘my pleasure’ or ‘don’t mention it’.
Shop assistants
In Canada, shop assistants greet you with a smile and ask ‘can I help you?’. When customers tell them what they want, shop assistants patiently take the time to explain what the different models are and how much they cost. At the end of the transaction the shop assistant says ‘thank you’ ‘good day’ etc.
merely nod their head, so it is best to wait for a woman to extend her hand. Men may kiss a woman they know well
on the cheek in place of a handshake. Greetings are leisurely and include time for social discussion and exchanging pleasantries.
Dropping things
In New York, if someone drops a folder full of papers in a busy street, passersby will stop and help to pick up all the scattered documents. The person who stops to help is of course thanked and the appropriate reply might be ‘no problem’.
Proximity
In Egypt, space relationships among members of the same sex are much closer than western Europeans are comfortable
Module 2
Practice Test 4
ACTIVITY 2
Read the leaflet below about how to save energy in our everyday life and make your own leaflet in English
(180-200 words). You should suggest ways we can save energy.
Begin like this:
YOU HAVE THE POWER. SAVE IT!
There are a number of ways in which we waste energy in our everyday lives. Let’s learn how to save it instead of wasting it!
Now, continue writing under the following headings (180-200 words):
1. Central heating 2. Electrical appliances 3. Light bulbs and lighting 4. Recycling
Εξοικονόμηση ενέργειας
Ζεζηαθείηε... οικολογικά Ρπζκίζηε ην ζεξκνζηάηε ζε κία ινγηθή ζεξ- κνθξαζία, θαζώο κία δηαθνξά ελόο κόιηο βαζκνύ κπνξεί λα κεηώζεη ην ινγαξηαζκό ζαο κέρξη θαη 10%. Με ρξεζηκνπνηείηε άζθνπα ηα ειεθηξηθά ζεξκαληηθά ζώκαηα πνπ είλαη ηδηαίηεξα ελεξγνβόξα. Εμαεξώλεηε θαη κε ζθεπάδεηε ηα θαινξηθέξ. Κιείλεηε ηα παηδνύξηα θαη ηηο θνπξηίλεο ηα βξάδηα ηνπ ρεηκώλα. Μη ζπαηαλάηε ενέπγεια Οη ζπζθεπέο «ζε αλακνλή» εμαθνινπζνύλ λα θαηαλαιώλνπλ ελέξγεηα. Κιείζηε ηηο από ηνλ θεληξηθό δηαθόπηε ή βγάιηε ηηο από ηελ πξίδα. Τπνινγίδεηαη όηη ζηελ Ειιάδα ε δηαξξνή ελέξγεηαο από ηελ θα- ηάζηαζε αλακνλήο είλαη ππεύζπλε γηα πεξίπνπ 45.000.000€ ζε θνπζθσκέλνπο ινγαξηαζκνύο θαη γηα 600.000 ηόλνπο δηνμείδηνπ ηνπ άλζξαθα ζηελ αηκόζθαηξα εηεζίσο. Πποζέξηε ηι ζςζκεςέρ αγοπάζεηε Πνιιέο ειεθηξηθέο ζπζθεπέο (ςπγεία, πιπληήξηα ξνύρσλ θαη πηάησλ, ειεθηξηθέο θνπδίλεο) νθείινπλ λα αλαγξάθνπλ ηελ ελεξγεηαθή ηνπο απόδνζε. Αλλάξηε λάμπερ Αληηθαηαζηήζηε ηνπο ζπκβαηηθνύο ιακπηήξεο κε ιάκπεο εμνηθνλόκεζεο ελέξγεηαο. Μόλν ην 10% ηεο ελέξγεηαο πνπ θαηαλαιώλνπλ νη θνηλέο ιάκπεο ρξεζηκνπνηείηαη γηα θσηηζκό. Σν ππόινηπν 90% ηεο ελέξγεηαο γίλεηαη ζεξκόηεηα θαη ράλεηαη. Οη ζπκπαγείο ιακπηήξεο θζνξηζκνύ ρακειήο θαηαλάισζεο ρξεηάδνληαη 4 έσο 5 θνξέο ιηγόηεξε ελέξγεηα θαη δηαξθνύλ 8-12 θνξέο πεξηζζόηεξν. Πληπώζηε λιγόηεπο ηλεκηπικό Η ηνπνζέηεζε ελόο ειηαθνύ ζεξκνζίθσλα κπνξεί λα πεξηθόςεη ην ινγαξηαζκό ηνπ ειεθηξηθνύ πεξίπνπ 20-25% θαηά κέζν όξν. Δποζιζηείηε ανέξοδα Έλαο αλεκηζηήξαο νξνθήο έρεη ρακειό αξρηθό θόζηνο ελώ κόιηο πνπ θαηαλαιώλεη ηελ ελέξγεηα πνπ ρξεηάδεηαη έλαο θνηλόο ιακπηήξαο. Αεξίζηε ηα δσκάηηα ηε λύρηα. Φπηέςηε θπιινβόια δέληξα. Ανακςκλώζηε Κάζε πξντόλ πνπ αγνξάδνπκε παξάγεηαη κε ηε ρξήζε ελέξγεηαο, θάζε κνλάδα ηεο νπνίαο ζηε ρώξα καο επηβαξύλεη ηελ αηκόζθαηξα κε έλα θηιόModule 3
Practice Test 4
ACTIVITY 1
Listen to three instances of talk. After each listening, choose the best answer (A, B, or C) for items 1-6. Read item 1. Listen and respond.
1. The purpose of this recording is A. to inform.
B. to persuade. C. to forewarn.
Read item 2. Listen again and respond. 2. This recording is mainly about how to
A. grow all kinds of vegetables and crops. B. protect your home against natural disasters. C. get compensated for crop losses.
Read item 3. Listen and respond. 3. This recording is mainly about
A. the life of a famous singer. B. offering one’s services. C. helping with chores at home. Read item 4. Listen again and respond. 4. What the speaker is talking about
A. could benefit the community. B. is time consuming.
C. concerns a few people. Read item 5. Listen and respond. 5. This recording is mainly about
A. human rights. B. environmental rights. C. workers’ rights.
Read item 6. Listen again and respond. A.
B.
Module 3
Practice Test 4
ACTIVITY 2
2.1 Read items 7-8. Listen and choose the best answer (A, B, or C) for each item. 7. Christina Economos is a medical
A. director. B. researcher. C. inspector.
8. The male speaker says that in the U.S. A. children are undergoing an identity crisis. B. kids today tend to be fatter than in the past. C. over 9 million adults are overweight. Listen again and check your answers.
2.2 Read items 9-10. Listen and choose the best answer (A, B, or C) for each item. 9. From the way Christina Economos speaks, we guess she is feeling
A. desperate. B. concerned. C. irritated.
10. Christina Economos states that if we’re not careful A. obesity might become a generalized problem. B. weight problems will no longer be treatable. C. health care costs will be one’s own responsibility. Listen again and check your answers.
2.3 Read items 11-12. Listen and choose the best answer (A, B, or C) for each item. 11. According to the speaker, Economos’ work examines whether
A. cultural factors influence a child’s psychology.
B. fatness is linked to cultural and environmental factors. C. schools have physical education programs.
12. Christina Economos concludes that how we live our lives A. determines our identity.
B. has an impact on our weight. C. may lead to behavioural problems. Listen again and check your answers.
Module 3
Practice Test 4
ACTIVITY 3
3.1 Read items 13-14. Listen and choose the best answer (A, B, or C) for each of these items. 13. The people talking are probably
A. indoors. B. in an open-air cafe. C. at work. 14. These people seem to have a relationship which is most likely
A. romantic. B. casual. C. unconventional.
3.2 Read items 15-16. Listen and choose the best answer (A, B, or C) for each of these items. 15. We are listening to three people
A. sharing experiences. B. exchanging opinions on a topic. C. arguing with each other. 16. The topic of the speakers’ conversation is
A. quitting smoking. B. smoking. C. passive smoking. 3.3 Read items 17-20. Listen and choose the best answer (A, B, or C) for each of these items. 17. All three of them believe that
A. things will not change. B. smoking is a problem. C. smokers are addicted. 18. The female speaker
A. talks about her feelings. B. dislikes being a passive
smoker. C. tells a true story.
19. One of the male speakers is hopeful and the other is
A. enthusiastic. B. upset. C. pessimistic.
20. Jokingly, at the end, the speakers suggest that the solution to the problem is
A. meeting outdoors. B. respecting everyone’s rights. C. accepting the truth. Listen again to the whole conversation and check all your answers.
ACTIVITY 4 Read items 21-25. Listen and fill in the gaps.