Unit

1 - Lesson 1:
Interviewer & Interviewee

1. READING & SPEAKING

a) Look at the photos of Benedict Cumberbatch and Elisabeth

Moss and read their biographical info. Discuss: Have you seen

any of the TV shows or movies that they have been in? What

did you think of them?

The actor Benedict

Cumberbatch was
born in London in 1976.

He has starred in many

 successful TV shows and
movies, including

Sherlock, War Horse, Star

Trek, and The Hobbit.

The actress Elisabeth

Moss was born in

California in 1982. She

has been in several very

successful US TV dramas,

including The West Wing

and Mad Men, for which

she won an Emmy award.

b) Now read the interviews and match questions A-G with their
answers.

A. How do you relax?

B. What don't you like about your appearance?

C. What's your earliest memory?

D. What makes you unhappy?

E. If you could edit your past, what do you think you would
change?

F. What was your most embarrassing moment?

G. Who would you most like to say sorry to?

Every week the newspaper, The

Guardian, chooses people who have been

in the news recently and publishes a

short interview with them called Q&A.

1. What's one of your

happiest memories?

Sitting with the sun on

my face the morning after

I had been in a carjacking

in South Africa.

2.

When I was six, I got

stung by a wasp in a

Greek market. A woman

rubbed an onion on my

bottom.

3. What don't you like

about your personality?

I'm impatient, but also

indecisive.

4. What is your

greatest fear?

Forgetting people's

names.

5.

The size and shape of my

head. People say I look

like Sid from Ice Age.

6. What costume

would you wear to a

costume party?

I enjoyed wearing

bandages around my face

as the Invisible Man at the

last one I went to. People

got to know me without

recognizing me.

7. Which words or

phrases do you most

overuse?

I say "Erm..." too much.

8. What one thing

would improve the

quality of your life?

Better time

management.

9.

I might not have called

Trevor Nunn, the famous

director, "Adrian" at my

first audition for him.

1.

Going out into the

backyard of my home in

LA and pretending to

build a vegetable garden

with sticks and rocks. I

must have been five.

2. Which living person

do you most admire?

This is kind of cheesy,

but my mom.

3. Which living person

do you most despise,

and why?

I won't say his name.

4.

Not getting enough

sleep.

5. What is your

favorite smell?
 Jasmine. I grew up in Los

Angeles, in the hills, and

there was always jasmine

growing.

6.

To a really good

girlfriend who I lost touch

with when I was little. I

would love to see her

again.

7. If you could go back

in time, where would

you go?

To a 1930s jazz club in

New York City. I love the

art deco period - the

jewelry, the clothes, the

music.

8.

I am a big fan of getting

 a box set and watching

the entire show in two or

three weeks. I'm watching

The Sopranos at the

moment, because I missed

it when it first came out.

9. What has been your

most frightening

experience?

When I was little, I was

on a lake in the US and

got caught underneath a

rowing boat. That was

pretty scary.

c) Read the interviews again. Answer the questions with BC

(Benedict Cumberbatch) or EM (Elisabeth Moss).

Who...?

1. had an embarrassing experience as a child

2. finds it hard to make decisions

3. avoids answering one of the questions

4. had a dangerous experience when they were traveling

abroad

5. had a dangerous experience when they were young

6. often hesitates when they're speaking

7. was fond of a kind of flower when they were a child

8. has a favorite decade

d) Discuss: Which of the questions in the interviews do you

think is...?

• the most interesting

• the most boring

• too personal to ask a person who you don't know well

e) Choose six questions from Q&A to ask your teacher. Then

answer the questions from your teacher.

2. GRAMMAR BASE: question formation

a) Now read the questions in exercise b in READING &

SPEAKING again and answer the questions below.

1. Which questions are examples of...?

• a subject question, where there is no auxiliary verb

• a question that ends with a preposition

• a question that uses a negative auxiliary verb

2. What happens to the word order in the question What would

you change? when you add do you think after what?

b) Listen and repeat the examples. Then read the rules.

question formation

1. Should we buy her a present?

How long have you been waiting?

How many children does your sister have?

2. Why didn't you like the movie?

Isn't this a beautiful place?

3. What are they talking about?

Who does this bag belong to?

4. Who lives in that house?

How many people follow you on Twitter?

1. We make questions with modal verbs and with tenses where

there is an auxiliary verb (be, have, etc.) by inverting the

subject and the modal / auxiliary verb. With the simple present

and past, we add the auxiliary verb do / does or did before the

subject.

2. We often use negative questions to show surprise or when

we expect somebody to agree with us.

3. If a verb is followed by a preposition, the preposition comes

at the end of the question, not at the beginning (NOT About

what are you talking?)

• We often just use the question word and the preposition, e.g.,

A: I'm thinking. B: What about?

4. When who / what / which, etc., is the subject of the

question, we don't use do / did, e.g., Who wrote this? (NOT

Who did write this?)

indirect questions

Could you tell me what time the store next door opens?

Do you know if (whether) Mark's coming to the meeting?

We use indirect questions when we want to ask a question in a

more polite way, and begin with Can / Could you tell me...? or

when we introduce a question with, e.g., Do you know...? Do

you remember...?

Compare:

What time does the store next door open? (direct question),
and

Could you tell me what time the store next door opens?
(indirect question)

• In indirect questions the order is subject + verb. Can you tell

me where it is? (NOT Can you tell me where is it?)

• We don't use do / did in the second part of the question. Do

you know where he lives? (NOT Do you know where does he
live?)

• You can use if or whether in questions without a question

word (What, How many, etc.) and after Can you tell me, Do you
know, etc.

Other expressions followed by the word

order of indirect questions
 The word order of indirect questions is used
after:

I wonder..., e.g., I wonder why they didn't

came.

I'm not sure..., e.g., I'm not sure what time it

starts.

I can't remember..., e.g., I can't remember

where l left my phone.

I want to know..., e.g., I want to know what

time you're coming home.

Do you have any idea...?, e.g., Do you have

any idea if (whether) James is on vacation this
week?

GRAMMAR EXERCISES:

a) Order the words to make questions.

Model: tomorrow can't Why come you ? ⇒ Why can't you

come tomorrow?

1. music to does What Paul kind like listening of ? ⇒

2. are What about you thinking ? ⇒

3. show people the yesterday to many came How ? ⇒

4. dishes family in Who your the does ? ⇒

5. boyfriend known long have How you your ? ⇒

6. you remember is where Do the museum ? ⇒

7. I Should her tell I feel how ? ⇒

8. you time meeting know starts Do what the ? ⇒

9. tell when you bus next departs the Could me ? ⇒

10. in don't mornings you What doing the like ? ⇒

b) Complete the questions with the words in parentheses.

Model: Where did you go last weekend? (you / go)

1. What kind of work ? (your wife / do)

2. I can't remember where my wallet

last night. (I / leave)

3. talk on the phone so loud? I'm

trying to study here. (you / have to)

4. Who Da Vinci Code? (write)

5. Do you know what time on

weekends? (the pharmacy / close)

6. How often skiing? (you / usually go)

7. Who the chair? (break)

8. your trip to Rome last week? (you /

enjoy)

9. the book you gave her? (Angela /

not like)

10. Could you tell me how much ? (this

cell phone / cost)

3. PRONUNCIATION: friendly intonation, showing

interest

a) Listen to some people asking questions 1-5. Who sounds

friendlier and more interested each time, A or B?

1. Do you have_a big family? A B

2. What don't you like_about the place where you live? A

B

3. What sports_or games_are you good_at? A B

4. Do you think you have_a healthy diet? A B

5. What makes you feel happy? A B

b) Listen and repeat the questions with friendly intonation.

Focus on sentence stress and linking.

Reacting to what someone says

When you ask someone a question and they

answer, it is normal to show interest by saying,
e.g.,

Really? or How interesting! with a friendly

intonation or by asking a question.

c) Now listen to the questions in a conversation. Complete the

expressions or questions that the man or woman use to react to

the answers.


1. Wow ! That's a huge family.

2. ? What's wrong with them?

3. ! We could play a game one day.

4. ! How long have you been a vegan?

5. ? I can't think of anything worse!

d) Listen and repeat the responses. Copy the intonation.

e) Ask and answer the questions with your teacher. Use

friendly intonation, and react to your teacher's answers.

4. READING & VOCABULARY BASE

a) Look at the photo below, and discuss: What do you think is

happening? Do you think the question is one that someone

might really ask in this situation? Why (not)?



b) Read the article once and find out. How would you answer
the question?

Guessing the meaning of new words

and phrases

When you are reading and find a word

or phrase you don't know:

1. Try to guess the meaning from the

context (e.g., the other words around it).

Think also about what part of speech the

unknown word is (e.g., a verb, an

adjective, etc.), whether it is similar to

another English word you know, or

whether it is similar to a word in your

language.

2. If you still can't figure out what the

word or phrase means, either ignore it

and continue reading or use a dictionary

(or glossary if there is one) to help you.

Extreme

interviews

What kind of dinosaur are you? If

you answered Tyrannosaurus rex,

then the bad news is that you
probably won't get the job you're
applying for.

Welcome to the strange world of extreme

interviewing, the latest trend in which

interviewers throw bizarre questions at

candidates to see how they react.

It may seem like a game, but extreme

interviewing is deadly serious. The idea is to

see how quickly job seekers think on their feet

and, at a time when 25 percent of recent

graduates are unemployed, it offers employers

a new way of separating the brilliant candidates

from the merely very good.

This new approach to selecting candidates

comes from Silicon Valley in California - where

else? Google, famous for its demanding

interview process, asked a recent candidate:

"You are stranded on a desert island. You have

60 seconds to choose people of 10 professions

to come with you. Who do you choose? Go!"

One of the early pioneers of extreme

interviewing was Steve Jobs, cofounder of

Apple, who could be famously cruel with job

seekers. Faced once with a candidate he

considered boring, Jobs suddenly pretended to

be a chicken, flapping his arms and making

clucking noises around the unfortunate

applicant, waiting to see what he would do. In

fact, the secret to extreme interviewing is

neither in the question nor the answer. It is in

the candidate's reaction.

David Moyle, a headhunter with the

recruitment agency Eximius Group, who admits

to using the dinosaur as question when

selecting candidates, said: "Essentially, that

kind of interviewing is used by us to give

someone an opportunity to show they are smart

and not easily flustered."

"Most candidates actually get something out of

it, it's not about trying to crush them. We are

trying to give them an opportunity to show their

personality, rather than just showing how they

perform in an interview."
 Of course, getting the job is just the start. In

the modern business world, survival will depend

on what kind of dinosaur you really are.

c) Read the article again carefully. Try to figure out what the

highlighted words and phrases might mean and how you think

they are pronounced.

d) Now match the words and phrases with 1-10.

1. (adj) needing a lot of effort and skill

2. (adj) nervous and confused,

especially because you have been given a lot to do or are in a
hurry

3. (adj) very strange or unusual

4. (idiom) to be able to think and react

to things very quickly without any preparation

5. (noun) a way of doing or thinking

about something

6. (phrase) instead of

7. (verb) to destroy somebody's

confidence

8. (noun) a specialist company that

finds and interviews candidates to fill job vacancies in other
companies
9. (noun) people who are looking for a
job

10. (verb) moving something quickly

up and down, e.g., wings

e) Listen, repeat and check.

f) Using your own words, answer the questions below.

1. What are extreme interviews?

2. What kind of companies first started using them?

3. Why do some people think that they are better than normal

interviews?

g) Do you think extreme interviews are a good way of choosing

candidates? Which of the questions below (used in real

interviews) do you think would work well? Why?

On a scale of 1-10, how weird are you?

Which TV character are you most like?

Does life fascinate you?

If you were a car, what car would you be?

Room, desk, or car which do you clean first?

Can you name three Lady Gaga songs?

5. LISTENING

a) Discuss: Have you ever been to a job interview? What kind of

questions did they ask you? Did you get the job?

b) Listen to five people talking about a strange question they

were asked in job interviews. Complete the questions in the
first column.

What
What strange question were How did they
happened in
they asked? answer?
the end?

1. Do you still

2. What would make you

3.

are

you? How much

you

4.

would

you like to be reincarnated

as?
 5. Are you planning to

c) Listen again and take notes in the rest of the chart.

d) Discuss: Which of the questions did you think were good or

bad to ask at an interview?

6. SPEAKING

a) Your teacher is giving you an extreme interview for a job in

his / her company. Answer the questions and give reasons for

your answers. Try to think quickly and make a good

impression. Then your teacher will say if he / she would give

you the job and why (not).

1. Which one aspect of your personality would you change if

you could, and why?

2. If you could have dinner with anyone from history, who

would you choose?

3. If you were an animal, which animal would you be?

4. What kind of things make you angry?

5. If you had to spend the rest of your life on a deserted island

(with plenty of food and water), what two things would you

want to have with you?

6. Which TV or movie character would you most like to be?

7. What's the best (or worst) decision you've ever made?

8. If I came to your house for dinner, what would you cook for
me?

b) Change roles. Ask your teacher the questions below, and ask
him / her to give reasons for his / her answers. Then say if you
would give him / her the job and why (not).

9. Which three adjectives describe you best?

10. If you were a type of food, what type of food would you be?

11. How do you usually treat animals?

12. Who do you admire most, and why?

13. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your

superpowers to be?

14. Tell me about something in your life that you are really
proud of.

15. If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you
like to see play the lead role as you?

16. If you could have six months with no obligations or

financial limitations, what would you do with the time?

c) Write three extreme interview questions of your own that

you think might tell you something interesting about another
person.

1.

2.

3.

d) Ask your teacher your questions.

e) Which extreme questions did you think were the most
interesting? Why?

HOMEWORK
1. GRAMMAR: question formation

a) Check ✓ the correct sentences. Correct the mistakes in the

highlighted phrases.

1. A: You have ever been to Spain? Have you ever been

B: Yes, three times.

2. A: Why didn't you tell us the truth?

B: Because I thought you'd be upset.

3. A: Excuse me. Can you tell me where is the train station?

B: It's right around the corner.

4. A: Who is Anna going out with?

B: She's going out with her brother's best friend Mike.

5. A: What did happen in English class yesterday?

B: We studied the Present Perfect tense. It was a very

important lesson.

6. A: Haven't you done the dishes?

 B: No, I haven't. I'm sorry.

7. A: For who are you waiting?

B: I'm waiting for my cousin.

8. A: Whose car did you borrow for the weekend?

B: My uncle's. It's a very old car.

9. A: Where you usually go on vacation?

B: We usually go to Italy.

10. A: How long time have you been learning Spanish?

B: For two years.

b) Write indirect questions.

1. "Where does Kevin work?" ⇒ I wonder where Kevin

works .

2. "When's our parents' wedding anniversary?" ⇒ Can you

remember ?

3. "What time does the plane depart?" ⇒ Can you tell me

?

4. "Are there any more guests coming tonight?" ⇒ Do you know

?

5. "Where did I put my keys?" ⇒ I can't remember

.

6. "Where is the pharmacy?" ⇒ Could you tell me

?
c) Write the questions.

1. when / Johnny / buy / his new car ⇒ When did Johnny buy
his new car?

2. how long / it / take / to get to the airport from here ⇒

?

3. you remember / where / I / leave / my glasses ⇒

?

4. who / eat / the cake / I / leave on the table ⇒

?

5. how long / you / spend / in Switzerland last year ⇒

?

6. what make / you happy ⇒

?

7. you know / who / go / to the meeting today ⇒

?

8. who / do the dishes / in your family ⇒

?

2. READING & VOCABULARY

a) Read the article quickly and match the titles to the

paragraphs.

A. Criticizing past employers

B. Talking too much

C. Doubts about your résumé

D. Bringing a drink with you

E. Ignorance of the company

 Most common

interview mistakes

A job interview is a nerve-racking experience

at the best of times, so it's important to

prepare for it well. Arriving late is sure to ruin

your chances, as is dressing inappropriately.

And do not dream of answering your phone

during the interview. Read on for five more

common blunders and how to avoid making

them.

1.

This is a highly unprofessional habit, as it suggests

a serious inability to manage your time. Surely you

could have planned your schedule better to include

a coffee stop beforehand? Having a cup in your

hand creates the opportunity for distraction: you

might fiddle with it or miss a question while taking

a sip of coffee. Worse still, its contents may end up

on the desk, which will result in the interviewer

remembering you for all the wrong reasons.

2.

In this age of technology, it is inexcusable not to

know anything about your prospective employer.

Most company websites these days have an "About

Us" section giving company history, locations,

divisions, and a mission statement. Do some

research before the Big Day and you won't be

stumped if the interviewer asks you a question

about the place where you, theoretically, want to

work.

3.

An interview is a professional situation, not a

personal one, so the interviewer will not want to

hear your life story. While you need to answer all

the questions you are asked, your responses should

be focused and to the point. Don't get side-tracked

and talk about your home life, your partner, and any

children you may have - save this for the first day

on your new job when you are getting to know your

colleagues.
 4.

It is important to maintain a positive attitude

throughout the interview, even when discussing

things that have gone wrong. Don't let the

interviewer know that you want to leave your

current job because you can't stand your boss.

Saying unpleasant things about your colleagues is

not a good idea, because the interviewer might

know them. Also, you will be showing him how you

will speak about his company if you leave on bad

terms in the future.

5.

Not being familiar with your past history of

employment creates a very bad impression. It

suggests that either you have a very bad memory,

or you made up some of the facts. Make sure you

know the basic information by heart because the

interviewer is sure to ask you about it. If you really

do have a bad memory, take a copy to refer to, but

do not appear to be reading it out loud.

b) Look at the highlighted words and phrases in the text and

try to figure out their meaning. Then match them to definitions
1-10.

1. that cannot be forgiven

2. connected with what is being discussed

3. making you very nervous or worried

-

4. stupid mistakes

5. be unable to answer a question

6. from memory

7. start talking about something less important

-

8. drinking a very small amount of liquid at a time

9. dislike very much

10. play with something because you are nervous

3. PRONUNCIATION: friendly intonation

a) Listen and complete the questions.

1. What kind of music do you like to listen to?

2. did you go to?

3. in an office?
4. for the future?

5. abroad?

6. do you speak?

b) Listen again and repeat. Copy the rhythm.

4. LISTENING

a) Read the job ad and listen to an interview for the job. Is the
applicant successful or unsuccessful ?

CURRENT VACANCIES

Employer: Park Hotel, New York City

Job: Receptionist

Contract: Temporary

Hours: Full-Time

Salary: $2,200 per month

b) Listen again and look at the list of common interview

mistakes. Check ✓ the mistake that the applicant makes.

1. bringing a drink

2. talking too much

3. criticizing past employers

4. ignorance of the company

5. doubts about his résumé

c) Listen again and complete the sentences.

1. Stephen Bridges went to the interview by

 and .

2. He wants a temporary job because he's moving across the

country in .

3. Stephen has a degree in .

4. He worked in a for
.

5. He can speak foreign languages.

6. Most of the Asian guests come from

.

7. In his previous job, Stephen didn't have to

.

8. Stephen thinks he has the for the

job.

d) Listen again and read the audio script below. Try to guess

the meaning of any words you don't know. Then check in your

dictionary.

Interviewer: Hello, Mr. Bridges?

Applicant: Yes, hello. I'm Stephen Bridges.

Interviewer: Good morning. My name's Jenny Howarth.

Applicant: Nice to meet you, Ms. Howarth.

Interviewer: Would you like to get some coffee before we

start?
Applicant: Oh, no thank you.

Interviewer: All right, please come in and take a seat.

Applicant: Thank you.

Interviewer: You had no trouble finding us this morning, then?

Applicant: Yes, it was easy. I took the subway to 42nd Street,

and then I walked. It's a beautiful morning.

Interviewer: Yes, it is. So you're here for the position of hotel

receptionist, is that right?

Applicant: Yes, that's right. I saw your ad on the Complete

Jobs website and I decided to apply.

Interviewer: You know that this is only a temporary position,

don't you Mr. Bridges?

Applicant: Yes, I do. And that's ideal for me. I'm moving across

the country in three months, so it fits in perfectly with my

plans.

Interviewer: Really? Where are you going to go?

Applicant: Well, I just graduated from college with a degree in

Modern Languages, and I'm going to graduate school to work

on a Master's degree in California in September to study

applied linguistics. My cousin lives there so I'm going to stay

with him, which I'm really looking forward to. We get along

really well and he knows all the best restaurants to visit. He's

been living in California for a couple of years now, and I've

been to see him a few times...

Interviewer: Yes, well, back to you, Mr. Bridges, have you had

any experience working in a hotel reception?

Applicant: Yes, I have. Last summer, I spent a month at Fiesta

Hotel in Playa del Carmen. My Spanish improved a lot while I

was there, and I also learned a lot about customer care. Some

of my colleagues were a little bit difficult sometimes, but in

general, we worked well as a team.

Interviewer: I see. You mentioned Spanish, Mr. Bridges.

Which other languages do you speak?

Applicant: I speak Spanish, French, and a little Italian. From

my research, I believe most of your guests are from South

America, is that right?

Interviewer: Yes, but we also have some customers from Asia,

mainly Japan. Do you think this would cause you any

difficulties?

Applicant: Not at all, I'm a good communicator, so we would

be able to understand each other.

Interviewer: Tell me how you would deal with a difficult guest,

for example someone who thinks there is a mistake with the

bill.

Applicant: I don't think I would have much of a problem. I

would speak English with them - very slowly if necessary - and

I would use a lot of actions to explain what I wanted to say. If

there was a problem with a room number or a price, I would

write it down for them. I'm sure I'd be able to make myself

understood. I'm very friendly and professional, so I'd have no

problem making customers happy.

Interviewer: OK. Can you tell me a little more about your

experience in Playa del Carmen? What were your duties there?

Applicant: Well, I was assistant receptionist there, which

meant that I had to deal with the guests who were checking

into and checking out of the hotel. I didn't have to make phone

reservations - the head receptionist dealt with that. I read on

your website that you only have one receptionist on the desk at

any one time. Is that right?

Interviewer: Yes, we're just a small hotel, so you would have

to deal with guests in person and on the phone. Would that be

a problem for you?

Applicant: No, not at all. I mean, I haven't used a reservations

program before, but I'm sure I'd pick it up really quickly. I'm

very good with computers.

Interviewer: Yes, the program is very easy. So, Mr. Bridges.

Why do you think I should hire you and not somebody else?

Applicant: Well, I think I have the right skills for the job. I'm a

very reliable and efficient person, and I've had some

experience in the field. I can also use my language skills to

communicate with the foreign guests. The position is for a

limited amount of time, which suits us both. Basically, I think

that I'm perfect for the job and the job is perfect for me.

Interviewer: That's fine, Mr. Bridges. One last question: When

can you start?

ANSWER KEY

1. READING & SPEAKING

b) Now read the interviews and match questions A-G with their
answers.

8 A. How do you relax?

5 B. What don't you like about your appearance?

1 C. What's your earliest memory?

4 D. What makes you unhappy?

9 E. If you could edit your past, what do you think you would
change?

2 F. What was your most embarrassing moment?

5 G. Who would you most like to say sorry to?

c) Read the interviews again. Answer the questions with BC

(Benedict Cumberbatch) or EM (Elisabeth Moss).

Who...?

1. BC had an embarrassing experience as a child

2. BC finds it hard to make decisions

3. EM avoids answering one of the questions

4. BC had a dangerous experience when they were traveling

abroad

5. EM had a dangerous experience when they were young

6. BC often hesitates when they're speaking

7. EM was fond of a kind of flower when they were a child

8. EM has a favorite decade

a) Now read the questions in exercise b in READING &

SPEAKING again and answer the questions below.

1. Which questions are examples of...?

• a subject question, where there is no auxiliary verb D

• a question that ends with a preposition G

• a question that uses a negative auxiliary verb B

2. What happens to the word order in the question What would

you change? when you add do you think after what? The
question becomes What do you think you would
change? It becomes an indirect question and there is no
inversion of you and would (the subject and auxiliary)

GRAMMAR EXERCISES:

a) Order the words to make questions.

Model: tomorrow can't Why come you ? ⇒ Why can't you

come tomorrow?
1. music to does What Paul kind like listening of ? ⇒ What
kind of music does Paul like listening to?

2. are What about you thinking ? ⇒ What are you thinking

about?

3. show people the yesterday to many came How ? ⇒ How

many people came to the show yesterday?

4. dishes family in Who your the does ? ⇒ Who does the

dishes in your family?

5. boyfriend known long have How you your ? ⇒ How long

have you known your boyfriend?

6. you remember is where Do the museum ? ⇒ Do you

remember where the museum is?

7. I Should her tell I feel how ? ⇒ Should I tell you how I

feel?

8. you time meeting know starts Do what the ? ⇒ Do you

know what time the meeting starts?

9. tell when you bus next departs the Could me ? ⇒ Could

you tell me when the next bus departs?

10. in don't mornings you What doing the like ? ⇒ What

don't you like doings in the mornings?

b) Complete the questions with the words in parentheses.

Model: Where did you go last weekend? (you / go)

1. What kind of work does your wife do? (your wife / do)

2. I can't remember where I left my wallet last night. (I / leave)

3. Do you have to talk on the phone so loud? I'm trying to

study here. (you / have to)

4. Who wrote Da Vinci Code? (write)

5. Do you know what time the pharmacy closes on weekends?

(the pharmacy / close)
6. How often do you usually go skiing? (you / usually go)

7. Who broke the chair? (break)

8. Did you enjoy your trip to Rome last week? (you / enjoy)

9. Didn't/Doesn't Angela like the book you gave her? (Angela

/ not like)

10. Could you tell me how much this cell phone costs? (this
cell phone / cost)

3. PRONUNCIATION: friendly intonation, showing

interest

a) Listen to some people asking questions 1-5. Who sounds

friendlier and more interested each time, A or B?

1. Do you have_a big family? A B

2. What don't you like_about the place where you live? A

B

3. What sports_or games_are you good_at? A B

4. Do you think you have_a healthy diet? A B

5. What makes you feel happy? A B

c) Now listen to the questions in a conversation. Complete the

expressions or questions that the man or woman use to react to
the answers.

1. Wow ! That's a huge family.

2. Why not? What's wrong with them?

3. Me too! We could play a game one day.

4. How interesting! How long have you been a vegan?

5. Oh, really? I can't think of anything worse!

4. READING & VOCABULARY BASE

d) Now match the words and phrases with 1-10.

1. demanding (adj) needing a lot of effort and skill

2. flustered (adj) nervous and confused, especially because

you have been given a lot to do or are in a hurry

3. bizarre (adj) very strange or unusual

4. think on their feet (idiom) to be able to think and react to

things very quickly without any preparation

5. approach (noun) a way of doing or thinking about

something

6. rather than (phrase) instead of

7. crush (verb) to destroy somebody's confidence

8. recruitment agency (noun) a specialist company that finds

and interviews candidates to fill job vacancies in other
companies

9. job seekers (noun) people who are looking for a job

10. flapping (verb) moving something quickly up and down,

e.g., wings

f) Using your own words, answer the questions below.

1. What are extreme interviews? Extreme interviews are

interviews in which candidates have to answer strange,
unexpected questions.

2. What kind of companies first started using them? IT

companies / companies in Silicon Valley (in California)

3. Why do some people think that they are better than normal

interviews? Because they give the interview candidate a

chance to show who they really are.

5. LISTENING

b) Listen to five people talking about a strange question they

were asked in job interviews. Complete the questions in the
first column.

What
What strange question were How did they
happened in
they asked? answer?
the end?

1. Do you still practice I still think a He got the

philosophy? lot. job.

"I'd only kick

it if the dog

had bad
2. What would make you kick She got the
grammar and
a dog? job.
couldn't

punctuate

properly."

He was

offered the
3. How tall are you? How We don't
job, but
much do you weigh? know.
didn't accept

it.

4. What animal would you He didn't get

A cat.
like to be reincarnated as? the job.

"Not in the

immediate
5. Are you planning to have She got the
children? future, but job.

maybe one

day."

HOMEWORK - ANSWER KEY

1. GRAMMAR: question formation

a) Check ✓ the correct sentences. Correct the mistakes in the

highlighted phrases.

1. A: You have ever been to Spain? Have you ever been

B: Yes, three times.

2. A: Why didn't you tell us the truth?

B: Because I thought you'd be upset.

3. A: Excuse me. Can you tell me where is the train station?

Can you tell me where the train station is?

B: It's right around the corner.

4. A: Who is Anna going out with?

B: She's going out with her brother's best friend Mike.

5. A: What did happen in English class yesterday? What

happened in English class yesterday?

B: We studied the Present Perfect tense. It was a very

important lesson.

6. A: Haven't you done the dishes?

B: No, I haven't. I'm sorry.

7. A: For who are you waiting? Who are you waiting for?
 B: I'm waiting for my cousin.

8. A: Whose car did you borrow for the weekend?

B: My uncle's. It's a very old car.

9. A: Where you usually go on vacation? Where do you

usually go on vacation?

B: We usually go to Italy.

10. A: How long time have you been learning Spanish? How
long have you been learning Spanish?

B: For two years.

b) Write indirect questions.

1. "Where does Kevin work?" ⇒ I wonder where Kevin

works .

2. "When's our parents' wedding anniversary?" ⇒ Can you

remember when our parents' wedding anniversary is?

3. "What time does the plane depart?" ⇒ Can you tell me what
time the plane departs?

4. "Are there any more guests coming tonight?" ⇒ Do you know

if/whether there are any more guests coming tonight?

5. "Where did I put my keys?" ⇒ I can't remember where I put

my keys.

6. "Where is the pharmacy?" ⇒ Could you tell me where the

pharmacy is?

c) Write the questions.

1. when / Johnny / buy / his new car ⇒ When did Johnny buy
his new car?

2. how long / it / take / to get to the airport from here ⇒ How

long does it take to get to the airport from here?

3. you remember / where / I / leave / my glasses ⇒ Can you

remember where I leave/left my glasses?

4. who / eat / the cake / I / leave on the table ⇒ Who ate the
cake I left on the table?

5. how long / you / spend / in Switzerland last year ⇒ How long

did you spend in Switzerland last year?

6. what make / you happy ⇒ What makes/made you happy?

7. you know / who / go / to the meeting today ⇒ Do you know

who went/goes/will go to the meeting today?

8. who / do the dishes / in your family ⇒ Who does the dishes

in your family?

2. READING & VOCABULARY

a) Read the article quickly and match the titles to the

paragraphs.

4 A. Criticizing past employers

3 B. Talking too much

5 C. Doubts about your résumé

1 D. Bringing a drink with you

2 E. Ignorance of the company

b) Look at the highlighted words and phrases in the text and

try to figure out their meaning. Then match them to definitions
1-10.

1. that cannot be forgiven inexcusable

2. connected with what is being discussed focused

3. making you very nervous or worried nerve-racking

4. stupid mistakes blunders

5. be unable to answer a question stumped

6. from memory by heart

7. start talking about something less important get side-

tracked

8. drinking a very small amount of liquid at a time sip

9. dislike very much can't stand

10. play with something because you are nervous fiddle

3. PRONUNCIATION: friendly intonation

a) Listen and complete the questions.

1. What kind of music do you like to listen to?

2. Which college did you go to?

3. Have you ever worked in an office?

4. What are your ambitions for the future?

5. Would you like to work abroad?

6. How many languages do you speak?

4. LISTENING

a) Read the job ad and listen to an interview for the job. Is the
applicant successful or unsuccessful ?

CURRENT VACANCIES

Employer: Park Hotel, New York City

Job: Receptionist

Contract: Temporary

Hours: Full-Time

Salary: $2,200 per month

b) Listen again and look at the list of common interview
mistakes. Check ✓ the mistake that the applicant makes.

1. bringing a drink

2. talking too much

3. criticizing past employers

4. ignorance of the company

5. doubts about his résumé

c) Listen again and complete the sentences.

1. Stephen Bridges went to the interview by subway and on

foot/ he walked.

2. He wants a temporary job because he's moving across the

country in three months.

3. Stephen has a degree in modern languages.

4. He worked in a hotel for a month.

5. He can speak three foreign languages.

6. Most of the Asian guests come from Japan.

7. In his previous job, Stephen didn't have to make phone

reservations.

8. Stephen thinks he has the right skills for the job.