Jake and michael, two friends, are talking. j: hello, i (1) (not see) you for ages. m: no, it must be about two years since we last (2) (meet). what (3) (you/do) with yourself? j: i (4) (do) all sorts of things. life (5) (be) very busy lately. i (6) (start) a new job at the sailing centre. m: really! doing what? j: well, i (7) (teach) beginners' courses to school groups this term but when those (8) (finish), i'll be teaching more advanced groups on holiday courses. m: that sounds great. what about your old job at the tourist office then? j: well, i (9) (work) there for ten years and i quite (10) (enjoy) the job but i (11) (want) to do something different. i (12) (always/enjoy) sailing in my spare time so i (13) (think) it would be nice to do it for a job. m: so how long (14) (you/be) at the sailing centre? j: for about two months now. i'm sure i (15) (do) the right thing. it's a really enjoyable job. and what about you? m: well, i'm still at the rembrandt hotel. i (16) (work) there for fifteen years now. but i (17) (have) a promotion so that's good. they (18) (give) me the job of head receptionist. ‡ j: oh, that's good news. m: yes, it (19) (make) me feel much better about work. i mean, i (20) (do) a lot of different jobs at the hotel but i (21) (never have) a job with this much responsibility before. i (22) (work) on the reception desk for four years when i (23) (start) at the hotel – that was before they (24) (move) me into the office – but i (25) (be) only a junior receptionist then so i just ( (do) what i (27) (be told) to do. j: so when (28) (you/get) the new job? m: a month ago, after i (29) (pass) my intermediate exams in spanish and german at the college. did you know i (30) (do) language evening classes at the college for a while now? j: no, i didn't realize. m: yes, i (31) (decide) that i (32) (cannot get) any further at work without learning some languages. a: and so you did! what a good idea. 3. in your notebook, rewrite the following passages putting the verbs into the present perfect simple or past simple. news (1) (just come in) that there (2) (be) an air crash somewhere off the south coast of england. there (3) (be) 120 passengers and crew on the plane and it is understood that no survivors (4) (be found). apparently the plane (5) (go) mysteriously out of control and (6) (plunge) into the sea. relatives of most of the passengers and crew (7) (now be informed) and many of them (8) (set off) for the sea rescue base, but they (9) (not be given) much hope. most of the passengers (i0) (be) on business. despite the problems that the government (11) (have) in the last two years, it (l2) (somehow manage) to stay in power. there (13) (be) a number of scandals involving government ministers, including one rumour about the prime minister himself. it is said that he (4) (promise) gifts to certain members of parliament in exchange for their vote before he (15) (be elected) leader. in spite of all this, the government (16) (maintain) its position in parliament and (17) (claim) that this (18) (be) the most successful term of office that a government (19) (ever have). this is rather surprising as they (20) (come) to power with only a small majority.
Jake and Michael, two friends, are talking.
J: Hello, I (1) haven't seen you for ages.
M: No, it must be about two years since we last (2) met. What (3) have you done with yourself?
J: I (4) have done all sorts of things. Life (5) has been very busy lately. I (6) have started a new job at the sailing centre.
M: Really! Doing what?
J: Well, I (7) am teaching beginners' courses to school groups this term but when those (8) finish, I'll be teaching more advanced groups on holiday courses.
M: That sounds great. What about your old job at the tourist office then?
J: Well, I (9) worked there for ten years and I quite (10) enjoyed the job but I (11) wanted to do something different. I (12) had always enjoyed sailing in my spare time so I (13) thought it would be nice to do it for a job.
M: So how long (14) have you been at the sailing centre?
J: For about two months now. I'm sure I (15) am doing the right thing. It's a really enjoyable job. And what about you?
M: Well, I'm still at the Rembrandt Hotel. I (16) have been working there for fifteen years now. But I (17) have had a promotion so that's good. They (18) have given me the job of head receptionist.
J: Oh, that's good news.
M: Yes, it (19) makes me feel much better about work. I mean, I (20) have done a lot of different jobs at the hotel but I (21) have never had a job with this much responsibility before. I (22) worked on the reception desk for four years when I (23) started at the hotel – that was before they (24) moved me into the office – but I (25) was only a junior receptionist then so I just (26) did what I (27) was told to do.
J: So when (28) did you get the new job?
M: A month ago, after I (29) passed my intermediate exams in Spanish and German at the college. Did you know I (30) am doing language evening classes at the college for a while now?
J: No, I didn't realize.
M: Yes, I (31) decided that I (32) couldn't get any further at work without learning some languages.
A: And so you did! What a good idea.
3.
News (1) has just come in that there (2) was an air crash somewhere off the south coast of England. There (3) were 120 passengers and crew on the plane and it is understood that no survivors (4) have been found. Apparently the plane (5) went mysteriously out of control and (6) plunged into the sea. Relatives of most of the passengers and crew (7) have now been informed and many of them (8) have set off for the sea rescue base, but they (9) haven't been given much hope. Most of the passengers (I0) were on business.
Despite the problems that the government (11) have had in the last two years, it (l2) has somehow managed to stay in power. There (13) have been a number of scandals involving government ministers, including one rumour about the Prime Minister himself. It is said that he (4) had promised gifts to certain Members of Parliament in exchange for their vote before he (15) was elected leader. In spite of all this, the government (16) has maintained its position in Parliament and (17) claimed that this (18) has been the most successful term of office that a government (19) has ever had. This is rather surprising as they (20) came to power with only a small majority.