B2 UNIT 3
ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY
Adapt (v) to change something to suit different conditions or uses.
Bare (adj) If a cupboard is bare there is little or nothing in it.
Compartment (n) one of the seperate areas inside a vehicle, especially a train.
Dismantle (v) to take something apart so that it is many pieces.
Document (n) a paper or set of papers with written or printed information, especially of an official type.
Endure (v) to suffer something difficult, unpleasant or painful.
Epic (adj) describes events that happen over a long period and involve a lot of action.
Excursion (n) a short journey usually made for pleasure, often by a group of people.
Fake (adj) not real, but made to look or seem real.
Gust (n) a sudden strong wind.
Holdall (adj) a small case used for carrying clothes and personal things when travelling.
Host (n) someone who has guests.
In style (n) If you admire something in style, you do it in a way that people admire, usually spending a lot of money.
Involve (v) If a situation or activity involves something, that thing is a necessary part of it.
Luxury (n) great comfort, especially as provided by expensive and beautiful things.
Mood (n) The way you feel at a particular time.
Novelty (n) something which has not been experienced before and is so interesting.
Overnight (adj) for or during the night.
Packed (adj) completely full
Panel (n) a flat, usually rectangular part, or piece of wood, metal, cloth, etc., that fits into or onto something larger.
Privacy (n) the state of being alone.
Proclamation (n) a definite statement
Route (n) a particular way or direction between places.
Screwdriver (n) a tool for turning screws, consisting of a handle joined to a metal rod shaped at one end to fit in the cut in the top of a screw.
Snack (n) a small amount of food that is eaten between meals, or a very small meal.
Snatch (v) to take hold of something suddenly and roughly.
Sweaty (adj) covered in sweat or smelling of sweat.
Unspoilt (adj) An unspoilt place is beautiful because it has not been changed or damaged by people.
Wildlife(n) animals and plants that grow independently of people, usually in natural conditions.
Witness (v) to see something happen, especially and accident or a crime.
B2 – UNIT 3
GRAMMAR REFERENCE
PAST SIMPLE, PAST CONTINUOUS, AND USED TO
The past simple is used for:
- actions or events in the past: I visited Egypt last year.
- actions or events which happened on after another: I saw the Pyramids, then I went round the Cairo Museum and later I went to a traditional restaurant.
- things which happened for a long time in the past: She lived in Zaragoza for ten years from 1992 to 2002.
The past continuous is used for:
- an activity which started before and continued until an event in the past. He was driving to work when his car broke down.
- an activity which started before and continued after an event in the past. I was watching TV when the news was announced.
Used to is used for:
- situations or states in the past which are not true now: He used to be in the army but now he is a teacher.
- repeated activities or habits in the past which do not happen now: She used to run in the London Marathon every year until she injured her leg.
Note:
- Used to is a verb which is only used in the past: She used to run in the Marathon. Did you use to run in the Marathon? I did not use to run in the Marathon.
- To talk about habits in the present, use the present simple with an adverb like usually, every day, etc.: I usually drink tea with my lunch. He catches the same train every day.
PAST PERFECT TENSES
The past perfect simple is used:
- to indicate that we are talking about something which happened before something which is described in the past simple: When he got to the station, his train had already left. Compare this with: When he got to the station, his train left. This indicates that the train left at the time he arrived.
- typically with time expressions like: when, as soon as, after, before, etc.: She started driving before he had fastened his seat belt.
- often with these adverbs: already, just, never: He had never eaten steak and kidney pie until he came to England.
The past perfect continuous is also used
- to indicate that we are talking about something which happened before something which is described in the past simple, but it:
- focuses on the length of time: Mandy needed a walk because she had been sitting down all day.
- says how long something happened up to a point in the past: It was two months before any of the teachers noticed that Paul had not been coming to school. He had been playing for Arsenal for only two games when he scored his first goal.