Unit 1 · Workbook

1B. Lost in translation — Workbook

Extra practice for home study · with answer keys

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How to use this workbook

  • Try each exercise on paper first — don't peek!
  • Tap Show answer on a single item, or use the big button above to reveal everything.
  • Re-do anything you got wrong the next day.

1. Vocabulary — compound adjectives

Choose the compound adjective that best fits each sentence.

  1. She left for the airport at 5am without any plan. Total ___ traveller!

  2. He's never had a lesson — completely ___.

  3. She's been to 60 countries. Very ___.

  4. We flew from London to Sydney — a brutal ___ trip.

  5. I love how ___ he is — he tries every new food.

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2. Modifiers — gradable vs. strong adjectives

Complete each sentence with ONE word from the box. Be careful: 'very' does NOT work with strong adjectives.

Word bank — drag or tap, then tap a gap
  1. I'm  drop  exhausted — I haven't slept in two days.
  2. That answer is  drop  wrong, sorry.
  3. She's  drop  tired, but she'll be OK.
  4. The film was  drop  good — better than I expected.
  5. It's a  drop  easy exercise.
  6. Honestly, that idea is  drop  brilliant.
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3. Vocabulary — discursive writing

Discuss the advantages of being a 'broad-minded' and 'self-schooled' language learner in the modern world.

Check your writing

  • Use at least 3 compound adjectives
  • Maintain a formal, discursive register
  • Use cohesive devices to link your arguments
  • Check for varied C1-level grammatical structures
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4. Grammar — short answers (so / neither)

Reply to each statement with a short answer agreeing or disagreeing as indicated.

  1. I love karaoke. (agree)

  2. She hasn't been to Brazil. (agree)

  3. We didn't enjoy the trip. (agree)

  4. He's studying Japanese. (disagree)

  5. I can speak three languages. (agree)

  6. They've never tried sushi. (disagree)

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5. Grammar — emphasis with auxiliaries

Rewrite each sentence to add emphasis using do / does / did.

  1. I tried to warn you.

  2. She speaks Italian — really well.

  3. We enjoyed your party.

  4. He understands the question.

  5. They invited us.

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6. Grammar — the…, the… + comparatives

Join each pair into ONE sentence with the…, the…

  1. You sleep a lot. You feel good.

  2. The flight is long. I am tired.

  3. He spoke fast. I understood little.

  4. We arrived early. We got a good seat.

  5. She practised a lot. Her accent improved.

  6. I read difficult books. My vocabulary grew.

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7. Grammar — find and fix the mistake

Each sentence has ONE mistake. Rewrite it correctly.

  1. Neither I have been there.

  2. The most you practise, the best you get.

  3. I do called her yesterday.

  4. She does speaks four languages.

  5. The more big the city, the more hard it is.

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8. Reading — true / false / not given

Read the short text, then mark each statement T (true), F (false) or NG (not given).

Yuki moved to Edinburgh five years ago. She had studied English since she was ten, but the first weeks were a shock — the accent, the speed, the constant small talk. She kept a tiny notebook in her pocket and wrote down every new expression. "The more I noticed, the more I learned," she says. "I did want to give up at first — honestly. But I never did." Today she works as a translator and laughs at her own old mistakes.

  1. Yuki started learning English as a teenager.T  /  F  /  NG
  2. Her first weeks in Edinburgh were difficult.T  /  F  /  NG
  3. She speaks French as well as English.T  /  F  /  NG
  4. She felt like giving up at the beginning.T  /  F  /  NG
  5. She is now a tour guide.T  /  F  /  NG
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9. Writing — guided task

Write 60–80 words about a language you'd love to speak. Include: (a) ONE auxiliary for emphasis (I DO want…), (b) ONE the…, the… sentence, (c) TWO compound adjectives.

Check your writing

  • 60–80 words
  • ONE emphatic do/does/did
  • ONE the…, the… sentence
  • TWO compound adjectives
  • Clear personal voice
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10. 🎧 Listening — gist & detail

Play the dialogue. Cover the text and answer from memory.

🎧 Anna & Carlos · the 'embarazada' mix-up in Madrid
📄 Show transcript

A: So, Anna, tell me again about that hilarious language mix-up you had in Spain.

B: Oh, don't remind me! It was so embarrassing. It happened in Madrid, at her host family's home.

A: Right, at the host family's. What were you even trying to say?

B: I was trying to say that I was embarrassed about being late.

A: And what word did you actually use? And what does it mean?

B: I used 'embarazada' — which means pregnant in Spanish! I completely mixed it up with 'embarrassed'.

A: Oh no! How did the host's dad react to that?

B: He nearly choked on his soup. I think he assumed I was making an announcement!

A: I can only imagine! Did you manage to explain yourself then?

B: Not really. My Spanish just seemed to collapse afterwards. I panicked — the harder she tried, the worse her grammar got. It was a disaster.

A: So, what have you decided to do about it now?

B: Definitely going to start proper Spanish lessons and learn the false friends. Never again!

  1. Where did Anna's mistake happen?
  2. What did she try to say?
  3. What word did she actually use, and what does it mean?
  4. How did the host's dad react?
  5. Why did her Spanish 'collapse' afterwards?
  6. What has Anna decided to do about it?
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11. 🎧 Listening — gap-fill (dictation)

Listen again and write the missing word in each line.

🎧 Anna & Carlos — key lines
📄 Show transcript

A: Carlos, you always have the most incredible stories about language mishaps.

B: Oh, Anna, you know me! The more dramatic the opening, the worse it gets.

A: I can only imagine! Tell me about that time you used the wrong word at the family dinner.

B: Right! I did say embarazada. Loudly. In front of the whole family.

A: Oh no! Meaning 'pregnant' in Spanish, not 'embarrassed'! They must have been completely shocked.

B: They were! I swear, the harder you try in a panic, the worse the grammar gets.

A: It’s so true! It's like your brain just short-circuits. So, what did you learn from that memorable evening?

B: Well, for one, the sooner I learn the false friends, the better. And honestly, the more mistakes you make now, the funnier the stories later.

  1. The more the opening, the worse it gets.
  2. I did say embarazada. . In front of the whole family.
  3. They must have been completely .
  4. The harder you try in a , the worse the grammar gets.
  5. The sooner I learn the false friends, the .
  6. The more mistakes you make now, the the stories later.
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12. 🔥 Challenge — sentence transformation

Rewrite the second sentence so it means the same as the first, using 2–5 words including the KEYWORD.

  1. 1. I haven't been to Brazil. My sister hasn't either. → Neither _______ Brazil. (KEYWORD: HAS)

  2. 2. When you read more, your vocabulary grows. → _______, the bigger your vocabulary. (KEYWORD: MORE)

  3. 3. She really does enjoy classical music. → She _______ classical music. (KEYWORD: DOES)

  4. 4. Long flights make me very tired. → _______, the more tired I get. (KEYWORD: LONGER)

  5. 5. I love sushi. My brother loves it too. → _______ sushi. (KEYWORD: SO)

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13. 🔥 Challenge — word formation

Complete each sentence with the CORRECT form of the word in CAPITALS.

  1. She's a fast learner — extremely ___. (RESOURCE)

  2. His Spanish is ___ correct, but a bit robotic. (GRAMMAR)

  3. The translation was ___ inaccurate. (COMPLETE)

  4. I admire her ___ — she never gives up. (PERSEVERE)

  5. He's a world-___ interpreter. (RENOWN)

  6. It was a deeply ___ experience. (MOVE)

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14. 🔥 Challenge — odd one out

Three of the four words/phrases share a meaning. Pick the ODD ONE OUT.

  1. 1. Words meaning 'completely':

  2. 2. Relaxed person:

  3. 3. Done at the last second:

  4. 4. Travelled a lot:

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15. 🔥 Challenge — extended writing

Write a 120–150 word post titled "The best language tip I ever got". Use AT LEAST: 2 the…, the… sentences, 2 emphatic auxiliaries, 3 compound adjectives.

Check your writing

  • 120–150 words
  • At least 2 the…, the… sentences
  • At least 2 emphatic do/does/did
  • At least 3 compound adjectives
  • Personal voice and clear advice
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16. Self-check

Tick the things you can now do confidently.

  • I can use short answers with the correct auxiliary.
  • I can add emphasis with do/does/did.
  • I can build the…, the… + comparatives sentences.
  • I can use compound adjectives to describe people and travel.
  • I can choose the right modifier (absolutely / really / fairly / a bit).
  • I can read English aloud with natural sentence rhythm.
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