B No, there wasn’t much after they’d (7) deducted tax and pension contributions. But it was enough to keep me going.
6 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words in the box. You may need to make other changes.
1 When I was at college I kept all my personal things in an old cupboard.
2 A lot of people who leave university before getting a degree end up in good jobs.
3 I think she’ll get a good degree, but I wouldn’t risk my money on the exact result.
4 The money I spent at college was more than what I earned in my part-time job.
5 The chances of my being offered a job after that interview must be quite remote.
6 Our business has done very well since we changed our advertising.
7 I think telling the truth and not cheating is always the best policy.
Key: (1) belongings (2) dropouts (3) gamble (4) exceeded (5) odds
(6) has thrived (7) honesty
7 Answer the questions about the words and expressions.
1 If something is not all it’s cracked up to be, is it (a) valid and interesting, or (b) just a little bit disappointing?
2 If someone keeps banging on about something, are you likely to be (a) interested in, or (b) bored by what they say?
3 If there is a lot of hassle in your life, are you likely to feel (a) stressed, or (b) relaxed?
4 If something happens out of the blue, is it (a) unexpected, or (b) part of your plan?
5 If you say you ended up in a particular job, do you suggest that (a) you have fulfilled your ambition, or (b) it happened almost by chance?
6 Are the regulars in a pub (a) the customers who come very often, or (b) the food the pub offers most often?
7 If something is dead easy, is it (a) very easy, or (b) not easy at all?
8 If you treat someone to something, do you (a) buy something nice for them, or (b) behave badly to them?
9 If you cheer a place up, do you (a) make the place look brighter, or (b) make the people in the place happier?
Reading and interpreting
8 Look at the sentences from the passage and identify the style features.
1 Twelve years at school and three years at university, teachers banging on about opportunities in the big wide world beyond our sheltered life as students, and what do I find?
This shows the informality of an incomplete sentence in the first part, the use of an informal expression (banging on) and a rhetorical question to the reader (What do I find?)
2 Try as I might to stay cheerful, all I ever get is hassle, sometimes with people (especially boys, god, when will they grow up?) …
This has the use of an informal word (hassle), an informal exclamation (god) and a question to the
reader (When will they grow up?)
3 Actually, I had my eye on the course at the London School of Economics (LSE).
Here there is a discourse marker typical of speech (Actually) and an informal phrase (had my eye on).
4 I kind of understand it, and not just because my degree is in economics.
Here “kind of” is a sort of discourse marker of informal speech (showing something is general, vague or not definite).
5 I wanted something in finance and investments, because you know, maybe with a job like that, I could use my degree.
This has a discourse marker of informal speech (you know).
6 ... it’s true, he really did seem to have three hands.
Again here is a discourse marker of informal speech (it’s true).
7 I talked to him about ... well, about pretty well everything …
This has another discourse marker of informal speech (well) and an informal phrase (pretty well).
Language in use
word formation: compound nouns
1 Write the compound nouns which mean:
1 a degree which is awarded a first class (a first-class degree)
2 work in a hospital (hospital work)
3 a ticket for a plane journey (a plane ticket)
4 a discount for students (a student discount)
5 a pass which allows you to travel on buses (a bus pass)
6 a room where an interview is held (an interview room)
7 a period spent in training (a training period)
word formation: noun phrases
2 Write the noun phrases which mean:
1 a career which is rewarding from the financial point of view (a financially rewarding career)
2 legislation which has been introduced recently (recently introduced legislation)
3 instructions which are more complex than usual (unusually complex instructions)
4 an institution which is orientated towards academic (academically orientated work)
5 work which makes physical demands on you (physically demanding work)
6 information which has the potential to be important (potentially important information)
7 candidates who have been selected after a careful procedure (carefully selected candidates)
8 a coursebook in which everything has been planned beautifully (a beautifully planned textbook)
try as … might
3 Rewrite the sentences using try as … might .