READING: FOUR SHORT TEXTS IN WHICH PEOPLE TALK ABOUT WAYS

TO ENHANCE MENTAL ABILITY: MIND-BOOSTING METHODS

1) Look at the highlighted words in the text and match them with their
meanings. There is one extra meaning which you do not need to use.
 Intake: The amount eaten
 Adage: A saying
 Retain: To keep
 Cram: To try to learn a lot of information in a short time.
 Verify: To confirm

READING: AN ARTICLE: THE GENIUS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI

1) Look at the highlighted words in the text and match them with their
meanings. There are two extra meanings which you do not need to use.
 Renowned: Famous and admired
 Evident: Clear, obvious.
 Disprove: To show that sth is not true.
 Portrait: A drawing/painting/photograph of a person.
 Phenomenal: Extraordinary

VOCABULARY

1) Read the sentences and match the expressions underlined with the
definitions a-j.
1. Finding a suitable babysitter for the twins really took a load off
my mind.
 To relieve sb of a problem or worry
2. Joey isn’t afraid to speak his mind, but it often get him in
trouble.
 To honestly say what you think, even if it
upsets sb.
3. It’s impossible to get the image of the car crash out of my mind.
 To stop thinking about sth.
4. It never would have crossed my mind that Jason would do
something like that.
 To decide to do sth and make an effort to
achieve it.

5. Getting the light in the kitchen fixed is always at the back of my

mind, but I haven’t got round to it.
  To be aware of sth

TIP

 Many nouns are formed by adding a suffix as –ness or –ity to an

adjective.
 Most adjectives that end in –ant/-ent form nouns in –ance/-ence.

2) Complete the table with the correct nouns.

-ITY -NESS
Curiosity Seriousness
Fatality Loneliness
Capability Cheerfulness
Equality Carelessness
-ENCE -ANCE
Independence Tolerance
Excellence Significance
Existence Relevance
Absence Distance

3) Complete with the correct form of the words in capitals.

1. You should check the reliability of your sources before you
start writing the paper. (RELIABLE)
2. Using e-banking to pay the pills is a real convenience.
(CONVENIENT)
3. The island is known for the diversity of plant and animal life
found on it. (DIVERSE)
4. After the earthquake, many people who had lost their homes
had feelings of helplessness and despair. (HELPLESS)
5. Many teenagers are insecure and lack confidence.
(CONFIDENT)
6. We didn’t understand Greg’s reluctance to come with us.
(RELUCTANT)
7. Ignorance of scientific facts led people in the past to believe
that the word was flat. (IGNORANT)
8. The quiet and emptiness of the flat made me feel homesick.
(EMPTY)
4) Complete the sentences with the correct preposition.
1. We are not 100% satisfied with the service.
2. You never stop playing video games! You’re addicted to them.
3. The painting is inferior to the first one we saw.
4. I don’t think the applicant is suitable for the position.
5. My English professor was respect for his great knowledge and
many accomplishments.
 6. Are you familiar with this computer programme?
7. Heather is very popular with all her colleagues.
8. Kevin was unaware of the problem he had caused.

GRAMMAR: INFNITIVES AND –ING FORMS

1) Match the rules of the uses of full infinitive, the bare infinitive or the –ing
forms.

The bare infinitive is used:

o After modal verbs.

o After let and make in the Active Voice.
o After would rather and had better.

The full infinitive is used:

o To express purpose.
o After certain verbs (want, would like, hope, decide,
manage, agree, refuse, seem)
o After it + be + adjective.
o After too and enough.
o After questions words.
o After certain adjectives (ready, prepared)

The –ing form is used:

o As a subject of a verb.
o After certain verbs (avoid, enjoy, love, hate, finish,
imagine, mind, risk, suggest)
o After certain expressions.
o After prepositions.
2) Complete the text with the full infinitive, the bare infinitive or the –ing form
of the verbs in brackets.
1
Reading (read) people’s minds is impossible. However, mind-reader
use a technique called “cold-reading”, which makes it 2look (look) like
they can 3understand (understand) what you are thinking. Without
4
knowing (know) anything about a person, a practised cold reader is
capable of 5obtaining (obtain) a great deal of information about a subject
just by 6analysing (analyse) their clothes, age, ethnic group, body
language, etc. They are also quick 7to notice (notice) the subject’s level
of education, accent and place of origin. Cold readers first try 8to make
(make) high-probability guesses; then they are able 9to recognise
(recognise) signals from the subject as to whether their guesses are
going in the right decision, whole moving on from missed guesses. A cold
 reader may 10make (make) statements like, “Your father died due to
problems in his chest of abdomen”. This seems 11to work (work) well on
older subjects.

GRAMMAR: CAUSATIVE FORMS

1) Match the rules of causative forms

 The structure subject + have/get + object + past participle is used
when we do not do something ourselves, but we arrange for someone
else (usually an expert) to do it for us. It is also used to express an
accident or misfortune that happened to us.
 The structures have someone do something means to make
someone do something or ask someone to do something.
 The structures get someone to do something means to persuade
someone to do something.
2) Complete the sentences with the correct form of causative forms.
 Dye-Hair
A. I dye my hair by myself once every two months. What
about you?
B. I get it died at the hair and beauty salon on Marple Road. I
can’t bother to do it myself.
 Fix-It
A. My computer crashed again! Wham am I going to do?
B. Do you want me to fixed it for you?
A. No, I think I’ll have to have it fixed by a technician this
time.

REVIEW

1) Choose a, b, c or d.
1. When the teacher handed the exam paper, her mind went
a)blank and she forgot everything.
2. Our English teacher always encouraged us to use our
c)intuition to come up with unique ideas when doing class
projects.
3. In my opinion, exercising is c)by far the best way to lose
weight.
4. Christopher Columbus voyages led to the b)discovery of the
Americas.
5. I’m not at all familiar c)with this part of the town.
6. It didn’t b)cross my mind that Julie was unhappy at her new
job.
7. After ten hours studying, my brain doesn’t seem to c)retain
properly.
 8. They let to use the service for an b)trial period at first before
you start paying for it.
2) Complete the sentences using the correct form of the words in capitals.
1. Her ignorance of the safety procedures could cause us all
problems. (IGNORANT)
2. It is believed that video games contain too much violence.
(VIOLENT)
3. We need to check the availability of flights to Rome on the
Internet. (AVAILABLE)
4. Ryan’s curiosity about the topic made him spend hours at the
library doing research.
5. Emily finds it hard to get over her nervousness before giving a
presentation in front of the audience. (NERVOUS)
6. Jack didn’t know what to do or say to prove his innocence.
(INNOCENT)
7. Young children and elderly people do not have much
tolerance to extreme temperatures. (TOLERANT)
8. She had feelings of emptiness and despair when her son
accepted a job abroad. (EMPTY)
3) Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in brackets.
1. Memorising (memorise) ten-digit numbers isn’t an easy task.
2. Will you remember to pass (pass) by the supermarket to get
(get) a few things on your way home?
3. I haven’t decided what to do (do) yet, but I’d rather make up
(make up) my mind later.
4. Justin avoids drinking (drink) too much orange juice. It makes
him feel (feel) sick.
5. I moved here to open (open) my own business and I’m
planning to succeed (succeed).
4) Complete the sentences using the correct form of the causative form.
1.
A. Johnny kicked a ball and broke our living room window.
B. Oh no. We should call the repair man and have it fixed.
2.
A. I want to complain to the manager!
B. One minute and I’ll get him to come out
3.
A. Did you hear what happened to Mary?
B. No, what?
C. She had her Smartphone stolen right out of her bag.