TAKE IT EASY
128
Take It Easy
I N T R O D U C T O R Y PASSAGE
For some people, learning English is hard work, but other people know how to take it easy. They have a lot of fun because they liven up their studies. Here are some tips from students of different nationalities:
French |
— Take an American girl out and forget the language |
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barrier. |
Spanish |
— Drop by a friend's house and stay up all night dancing |
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to rock 'n roll. Use American body language. |
Germans — |
Organize a group, skim through your guidebook, and |
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hire an interpreter to show you around. |
Iranians |
— Put your feet up and go to sleep with your textbook |
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under your pillow. |
Russians |
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Have a few Americans over for dinner. You will forget |
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your pronunciation problem after the third bottle of |
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vodka. |
Japanese — |
Turn on the radio, switch on the TV, plug in the |
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headphones, and bury yourself in your dictionary. |
NOTES
IDIOMS AND |
THE POSITION |
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OF THEIR OBJECTS |
GRAMMATICAL NOTES |
STYLE |
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1. take [it] |
easy |
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often imperative |
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informal |
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129
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Take It Easy |
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2. |
liven |
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up |
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3. |
take |
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out |
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4. |
drop by |
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5. |
stay up |
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6. |
skim through |
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7. |
show |
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around |
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8. |
put [one's feet] |
up |
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9. |
have |
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over |
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10. |
turn |
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on |
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11. |
switch |
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on |
informal
informal
informal
informal
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Take It Easy |
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12. |
plug |
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in |
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13. |
bury |
[oneself] in |
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Use this page for one or more of the following exercises: |
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•Write the meaning of the idiom.
•Write sample sentences.
•Look for the idioms in short stories, novels, newspapers, or maga zines, and copy the sentences containing them.
•Give examples of appropriate direct objects or objects of the prep osition for each idiom that requires an object.
•Practice saying the idioms with correct stress. In general, verbs and particles are stressed, but prepositions are unstressed.
I.DEFINITIONS
DIRECTIONS: Mark the answer that is the closest synonym for the italicized idioms.
1.Take it easy, dinner will be ready in a few minutes.
a. |
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hurry |
b. |
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relax, be calm |
с |
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come here |
2.The party was boring until one girl started to do a belly dance. That livened things up.
a. |
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made more exciting |
b. |
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took time |
с |
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made boring |
3.She left him because he never took her out.
a. |
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visited |
b. |
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invited for entertainment |
с |
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asked where she wanted to go |
Take It Easy
4.Why don't you drop by on your way home from work tonight.
a. |
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bring it to me |
b. |
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visit informally |
с |
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come for a dinner party |
5.The children stayed up all night on Christmas Eve.
a. |
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slept |
b. |
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talked |
с |
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remained awake |
6.It takes him too long to read novels in English so he usually skims through them.
a. |
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translates |
b. |
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doesn't try to read |
с |
( |
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reads quickly to get the general idea of |
7.It was her first trip to Rome so she got a tour guide to show her around.
a. |
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take on a tour |
b. |
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translate for |
с |
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introduce to people |
8. Her husband had a hangover so he just put his feet up and watched
TV all day. |
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a. |
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washed himself |
b. |
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did exercise |
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rested |
9.We're having the whole class over for dinner tonight.
a. |
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inviting to the restaurant again |
b. |
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going out with |
с |
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inviting to our home |
Take It Easy |
133 |
10.She is afraid of the dark so the minute she enters the house she turns on all the lights.
a. |
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touches a button to start |
b. |
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looks for |
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cleans |
11.He finally paid his gas and electric bill after three months and the company switched on the electricity this morning.
a. |
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touched a button to start |
b. |
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stopped |
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disconnected the power supply |
12. The alarm didn't ring because I forgot to plug in the clock-radio.
a. |
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put the plug in the socket |
b. |
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pull the plug out of the socket |
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set |
13.Every Sunday she buries herself in the crossword puzzle.
a. |
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finishes |
b. |
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becomes very involved in |
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tries to do |
II. WORD ASSOCIATION
DIRECTIONS: Two of the three choices below can be used with the idiom. Mark the two answers that can be used to complete each sentence correctly.
1. Take it easy,
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you're working too hard |
b. |
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you're making me nervous |
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we have to finish in three minutes |
Take It Easy
2.Your jokes really livened up the
a. |
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class |
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b. |
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book |
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e. |
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party |
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3. He's a good father. He takes |
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weekend. |
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a. |
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his children |
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b. |
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the movies |
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the whole family |
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4.She was so nervous she stayed up all night
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a. |
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sleeping |
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b. |
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watching television |
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talking to her roommate |
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5. |
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showed us around all morning. |
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a. |
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The tour guide |
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b. |
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The receptionist |
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The guidebook |
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6. After |
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he came home, put his feet up, |
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and had a drink. |
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a. |
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the seven-hour exam |
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b. |
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a ten-hour sleep |
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working all night |
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7.We're having some friends over this weekend
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a. |
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for drinks |
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b. |
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for a barbeque |
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to clean the house |
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8. She said to drop by |
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any morning. |
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a. |
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for class |
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b. |
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for a chat |
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for a few minutes |
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Take It Easy |
135 |
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9. You should at least skim through |
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before |
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your exam. |
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a. |
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the chapter |
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b. |
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your notes |
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each word |
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10.The little girl turned on
a. |
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the light |
b. |
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the stereo |
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the watch |
11.During the blackout, he tried to switch on the but nothing worked.
a. |
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lamp |
b. |
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telephone |
с |
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radio |
12.After the time he got an electric shock, he was afraid to plug in the
a. |
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toaster |
b. |
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on-off button |
с |
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sewing machine |
13. As soon as he gets to |
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office, he always buries himself in |
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his paperwork |
b. |
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the newspaper |
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the cemetery |
III.T H E POSITION OF T H E OBJECT
DIRECTIONS: Fill in one of the blanks (a or b) in each sentence with the object given in parentheses. Two of the sentences do not have objects. For those sentences, do not write anything.
1. You should learn to take |
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easy |
(it) |
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136 |
Take It Easy |
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2. |
He wanted to liven |
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up |
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3. |
If you are free, please drop_ |
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by |
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They are going to show |
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around |
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5. She wants to have |
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a6. |
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through |
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If you have a few minutes, skirm |
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(this) |
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b |
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He didn't know how to turn |
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b |
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8. |
He was so sleepy that he couldn't stay_ |
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up |
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She has buried herself |
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in |
(it) |
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10. |
Go to the living room and switch |
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(it) |
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11. |
It's impossible to plug |
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in |
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12. |
Now you can put |
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up |
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(your feet) |
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She is going to take. |
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out |
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(him) |
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IV. LISTENING COMPREHENSION ANSWER SHEET
DIRECTIONS: You will hear a situation presented in one or two sentences. Listen to each statement and mark the response that most closely corresponds to the situation.
1. a. |
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She was meeting friends at the club, |
b. |
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She had to hurry home, |
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Her friends didn't come to the club until 8:00. |
Take It Easy |
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He put his feet up during the party.
He didn't do anything during the party.
The next morning, he just relaxed.
It's easy to have a nervous breakdown.
He is probably working too hard.
He would like to have a nervous breakdown.
He reads slowly.
He reads quickly.
When he reads the paper, he reads for the main idea only.
The typewriter is broken.
You didn't turn on the typewriter.
The plug isn't in the socket.
He dates a lot of girls.
He plays with the boys seven nights a week. Girls invite him out every night.
Come anytime this weekend.
Please make an appointment before you come. You should buy something this weekend.
The secretary took him to see the city.
The secretary took him on a tour of the company. The first day he worked for the president's secretary.
She couldn't sleep.
She wanted to finish the book.
She is tired of the novel.
She is probably looking for a job.
She covers her face with the newspaper.
She is very involved in her job.
138Take It Easy
11.a. You didn't put water in the kettle. b. There is no gas.
с There was no flame under the kettle.
12.a. She is a show-off.
b.She talks like Marilyn Monroe.
с She acted like Marilyn Monroe on TV.
13.a. Don't forget to wash the clothes.
b.Turn on the dishwasher.
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Exchange the washing machine this afternoon. |
V. FILL IN
DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with the correct preposition or particle. (Note: Number 13 requires an adverb.)
Dear Paul,
My first two days in America have been fun. Yesterday, I dropped
your cousin's house. She was so nice that I took her
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for dinner.
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all night speaking English. In the morning, |
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she showestayed |
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.the city. Don't worry, I didn't bury |
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myself. |
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my guidebook. |
When I got home after the tour, I put my feet. 
.and skimmed. 
.some magazines.
Tonight I am having some friends. 
_for dinner. I guess
I'll plug. |
.the stereo and switch. |
.the music. |
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Take It Easy |
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Then I'll turn |
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stove and |
put the TV dinners in |
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oven. I'll probably liven |
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meal with some wine |
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take it |
the rest of the night. |
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Sincerely yours, |
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Eugene
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Pedro is going to California for a working vacation. He made a list of things to do. Read the list and then make up sentences using the idioms in parentheses.
People to contact: Jim Vincent (805) 573-2190
Peggy de Benedictis (213) 903-1517
Buy a guidebook and a road map
Invite some business associates for dinner
Borrow a guitar for the party
Rent a car to go to the beach on the weekend
1.(drop by)
2.(take out)
3.(skim through)
4.(show around)
5.(have over)
140Take It Easy
6.(liven up)
7.(take it easy)
ADDITIONAL EXERCISES
1.Make up a story about the picture at the beginning of the chapter. Use as many idioms as possible. This exercise can be written or oral.
2.Ask each other questions about the picture. You must use an idiom in your response.
3.Use the lines below the picture for a dictation exercise. The teacher or a student dictates the introductory passage and the students write it.
4.Rewrite the introductory passage in the future tense (use will and going to). Write the passage in the third person singular (he).
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