Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Module 1 – Wordspot
Get
1 Look at the sentences below. Put the sentences into the correct group in the tableaccording to their type. Do not worry if one of the sentences does not fit into a group inthe table – we will look at it in Exercise 2.
1 We’re planning to get the train in the morning.
2 Have you got your suit dry-cleaned yet?
3 Tom and Lucy should have got the letter by now
4 She got a surprise when the phone bill arrived.
5 I can’t believe he got away with not doing his homework.
6 If we get to the station early, we can buy some drinks for the journey.
7 His teacher was getting concerned about the standard of his work.
8 I don’t think we’re getting anywhere with this project. We’ll have to start again.
9 I’d better let my parents know I’ll be late otherwise they’ll get worried.
10 At night it gets much colder so you might want to turn the heating up.
11 Did you get my postcard from Tenerife?
12 She’s tried the number at least five times but she still hasn’t managed to get through.
13 They won’t get to London until late tomorrow night.
14 It’s about time we got this room redecorated.
15 Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get tickets for the match.
16 The class has to be cancelled today because the teacher has got the flu.
Group AGet + Noun
Group BGet +
Adjective/Comparative
Group CGet + Preposition
(+ noun)
Group DGet + Noun + Past
Participle
We’re planning to get thetrain in the morning.
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2 Which of the sentences from Exercise 1 did not fit into the groups above? What does itmean?
3 Each of the items in the list below corresponds to a use of get. For each one decide whichof the four groups in Exercise 1 it fits into. Can you think of another example?
a receive A For example When did you get thatnew dress?
b become __ ___________________________________
c obtain/buy __ ___________________________________
d arrive __ ___________________________________
e catch __ ___________________________________
f phrasal verbs __ ___________________________________
g arrange for someone
to do something __ ___________________________________
4 How does the way we use get change when it is used to mean arrive with the words home,here and there?
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Module 1 – Wordspot
Get
Teacher’s Notes
This worksheet can be used to consolidate the material on page 13.1
Group AGet + Noun
Group BGet +
Adjective/Comparative
Group CGet + Preposition
(+ noun)
Group DGet + Noun + Past
Participle
1 get the train3 got the letter4 got a surprise11 get my postcard15 get tickets16 got the flu
7 getting concerned9 get worried10 gets much colder
5 got away with6 get to the station12 get through13 get to London
2 got your suit dry-cleaned14 got this roomredecorated
2 8 – Not getting anywhere. It means not making any progress.
3 a receive Ab become Bc obtain/buy Ad arrive Ce catch Af phrasal verbs Cg arrange for
someone to dosomething D
4 The preposition to is not usually used with the words home, here and there.
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Module 2 – It seems this student is in a bit of a fix
Prefixes
1 Read these sentences that a student wrote. He has made mistakes with his prefixes. Writethe correct prefix for each sentence.
a When we got to the check-in the only seats left on the plane were anti-smoking.
b India is a good example of an over lingual country. They speak a lot of languages there.
c At first Terry couldn’t understand the text. He must have multi-read it at least three
times before he understood it.
d The post-president, Bill Clinton, is going to visit the prime minister for an informal
discussion.
e He was not to blame for the fight. He was just acting in anti-defence.
f This word is often disused. Not everyone knows how to use it correctly.
g After his undergraduate course he decided to do an over-graduate course.
h Oh dear! I haven’t bought enough drinks for everyone. I must have discounted how
many people are here.
i She thought the chicken was pre-cooked because it seemed a little raw.
j I’ve displaced my keys. Have you seen them anywhere?
2 Put the correct prefixes in front of the following words. For the first sentence there aretwo possible answers.
a Frank was supposed to stay for only two days. He ended up staying a week and would
have stayed longer if his hosts hadn’t made it clear he had _______stayed his welcome.
b Peter was furious when he picked up the paper and saw they’d _______printed his
name.
c She has never liked working for other people and has always preferred to be _______-
employed.
d It was only when he decided to resign that they realised they had _______valued his
hard work.
e I think it is safer to buy jeans which are _______-shrunk because with other types of
jeans you’ll never know how much they’ll shrink when you wash them.
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Module 2 – It seems this student is in a bit of a fix
Prefixes
Teacher’s notes
This worksheet should be done after completing page 25.
1 a When we got to the check-in the only seats left on the plane were non-smoking.
b India is a good example of a multi lingual country. They speak a lot of languages there.
c At first Terry couldn’t understand the text. He must have re-read it at least three
times before he understood it.
d The ex-president, Bill Clinton, is going to visit the prime minister for an informal
discussion.
e He was not to blame for the fight. He was just acting in self-defence.
f This word is often misused. Not everyone knows how to use it correctly.
g After his undergraduate course he decided to do a post-graduate course.
h Oh dear! I haven’t bought enough drinks for everyone. I must have miscounted how
many people are here.
i She thought the chicken was undercooked because it seemed a little raw.
j I’ve misplaced my keys. Have you seen them anywhere?
2When going through the answers with students you may want to highlight the differencesbetween disused and misused; discount, miscount and re-count; undercooked and pre-cooked; misplaced and displaced.
a Frank was supposed to stay for only two days. He ended up staying a week and would
have stayed longer if his hosts hadn’t made it clear he had over/outstayed his
welcome.
b Peter was furious when he picked up the paper and saw they’d misprinted his name.
c She has never liked working for other people and has always preferred to be self-
employed.
d It was only when he decided to resign that they realised they had undervalued his hard
work.
e I think it is safer to buy jeans which are pre-shrunk because with other types of jeans
you’ll never know how much they’ll shrink when you wash them.
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Module 3 – Risky, dangerous or just plain stupid?
Telling a story
1 Which of the following do you think are the most dangerous and why?
• Using a mobile phone while driving• Internet dating• Hitch hiking in a foreign country• Agreeing to take a parcel abroad for someone• Stopping someone from mugging a person• Walking through a park late at night
2 Read the story below and write the different parts you are asked to.
You and some friends have been invited to a party in a part of the city, which has quite ahigh crime rate. After a long discussion the four of you decide that you do not fancy thewalk through the park and you agree to get a mini cab there and back together. As you aregetting closer to the house where the party is being held, you notice several large groups ofpeople standing on the street corners. It is not clear exactly what they are doing but fromtheir body language, they look quite suspicious. A minute later you see a man running witha handbag in his hand and a woman, who is shouting and screaming, running after him. Noone around does anything and the man disappears into the darkness. Finally, you arrive atthe party and things seem a little calmer. A man walks over and introduces himself. Hecontinues talking to you and your friends.
a Write the conversation you have.
__________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
The man walks away and you then see your friend who invited you. He tells you somemoney and jewellery have been stolen. The money stolen was just over three hundredpounds in fifty pound notes. He then describes a gold ring with the letters JP engraved onit. It was his grandfather’s and had a great deal of sentimental value. You ask him aboutthe other jewellery which he describes to you.
b Describe the other jewellery.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Your friend then asks you if you saw anyone coming from the hall which leads to thebedrooms. You remember while you were talking to the first man you met at the party thatyou saw someone walking out of the hall.
c Describe the man.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
You are not sure if the man was just trying to distract your attention while his accomplicewas stealing the money and jewellery. Then a little later the man returns and once againengages you and your friends in conversation. After some time you decide you do not feelvery comfortable in this man’s company and you and your friends decide to leave.However, he manages to persuade your friend Lisa to stay with him. It turns out they havecommunicated to each other before through a computer chat room.
d Can you trust this man? What might happen to Lisa if you leave her with him? What doyou do? Finish the story.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
Cutting Edge Companion Website www.longman-elt.com/cuttingedge Copyright © 2001 Pearson Education Photocopiable
Module 3 – Risky, dangerous or just plain stupid
Telling a story
Teacher’s Notes
This worksheet should be used in conjunction with pages 32-33.
Where necessary pre-teach any unknown vocabulary before setting up this task (e.g.accomplice, sentimental).
The purpose of this task is to encourage students to write in the class. The work thestudents produce in class will probably be better than their homework as they have theteacher at hand to help and, in some cases, it will be less rushed.
Monitor and correct students’ work during each stage. The mistakes students make can beused as the basis of future classes.
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Module 4 – Our perfect children
Qualities of mind
Read the information below and answer the questions that follow.
Mr and Mrs Crow are discussing how they would like to see their children grow up. They wouldlike their children to be different, each with distinctive characteristics. Mr Crow would like hisson to be someone his sister can rely on. He strongly believes that a man’s word is his bond, soif he says something he’ll do it. It does not matter what temptations are put in front of him, hewill be able to say ‘no’ and feel sure he has made the right choice. His wife agrees as shethinks boys are more likely to be influenced by their friends than girls. Therefore, she wantsher son to grow up knowing what is right from wrong, be able to resist trying things that arewrong and, like Mr Crow, not worry about the decisions he makes.
However, Mrs Crow does not think it is wrong to try new things. As long as they are good things,she approves and would like to see her daughter do this. She hopes her daughter will be able todo the things she could not do – like travel to exotic countries and try foods from all over theworld. She believes travelling is the best education and hopes her daughter will learn from herexperience. In fact she would love her daughter to be very intelligent and demonstrate greatexpertise in the profession she chooses. Mr Crow, on the other hand, thinks intelligence isimportant but worries his daughter might grow up to be like her mother, who is sometimes toosensitive. In his opinion, it is very important that a child is taught to control their emotions andremain calm. This is what he would like his daughter to learn from a very young age.
Both Mr and Mrs Crow agree they do not want their children to feel unhappy because they haveno friends. However, they do not think it is important to be liked by everyone.
1 From the box below which adjectives would you use to best describe what Mr and MrsCrow:
a would like their son to be like?
b would like their daughter to be like?
c think is not important for their children?
determined strong-minded well-adjusted adventurous
confident dependable lonely stubborn
brilliant popular awkward impulsive
2 Give one other adjective, not from the box above, that Mr and Mrs Crow could use todescribe:
a their son
b their daughter
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3 What do you think of Mr and Mrs Crow’s opinions about bringing up children?
4 Do you think you have the right to impose your values on your children and if so, when?
5 What characteristics would you like your own children to have? Give reasons for the onesyou have chosen.
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Module 4 – Our perfect children
Qualities of mind
Teacher’s notes
This worksheet should be used after completing the exercises on page 41.
1a dependable, strong-minded and confident
b adventurous, brilliant and well-adjusted
c lonely and popular
2 Students can be asked to support their answers by quoting the relevant parts of the text.Here is one example for each of their children:
a Reliable: ‘Mr Crow would like his son to be someone his daughter can rely on.’
b Well-travelled: ‘She [Mrs Crow] believes travelling is the best education …’
When students have completed Exercises 3-5, their answers can be used as the basis fordiscussing the ideas that arise, in pairs or as a class.
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Module 5 – Perfect aspect
Perfect aspect in the past, present and future
1 Put the following words and phrases into the correct column in the table below.
• by the time I was five• yet• by midnight tonight• by the time I finish this course• by the time I started school• recently• before now
• before I came to my lesson• by this time next week• so far• before the end of this year• lately• by last Monday• before the end of this month
2 Which tenses are often used with each group of phrases in the table?
a Before a point in the past _____________________
b From the past until now _____________________
c Before a point in the future _____________________
3 Complete the following sentences below with information about yourself.
Achievements (or lack of achievement) in childhood
By the age of three _________________________________________________________
By the time I started school __________________________________________________
By the time I was ten _______________________________________________________
Achievements (or lack of achievement) so far
____________________________________________________________________ so far.
______________________________________________________________________ yet.
Up until now _______________________________________________________________
Future ambitions
By this time next year _______________________________________________________
By the time I’m sixty-five ____________________________________________________
By the time I finish this course _______________________________________________
Before a point in the past From the past until now Before a point in thefuture
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Module 5 – Perfect aspect
Perfect aspect in the past, present and future
Teacher’s notes
This worksheet can be used after covering the material on pages 56-57.
1
2 a past perfect
b present perfect
c future perfect
3 Give the students some examples from your own life to help get them started. You mayalso want to remind students that yet is usually used in negative sentences.
Before a point in the past From the past until now Before a point in thefuture
by the time I was fiveby the time I started schoolbefore I came to my lessonby last Monday
yetrecentlybefore nowso farlately
by midnight tonightby the time I finish thiscourseby this time next weekbefore the end of this yearbefore the end of thismonth
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Module 6 Abbreviations
1. Match the abbreviations with the correct definition.
For example 1. m.p.h. – (e) miles per hour
1. m.p.h. (a) per calendar month
2. etc. (etcetera) (b) as soon as possible
3. i.e. (id est) (c) and others
4. e.g. (exempli gratia) (d) per year
5. R.R.P. (e) miles per hour
6. n.b. (nota bene) (f) and other similar things
7. esp. (g) estimated time of arrival
8. P.T.O. (h) please reply
9. A.S.A.P. (i) for example
10 VAT (j) take special notice of
11. R.S.V.P. (k) in other words
12. et. al. (l) recommended retail price
13. p.a. (per annum) (m) including
14. p.c.m. (n) please turn over
15. lb. (libra) (o) pound (imperial weight)
16. inc. (p) value added tax
17. ETA (q) weight
18. wt. (r) especially
19. nr. (s) thousand
20. k (t) near
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
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2. Rewrite the following sentences using abbreviations where appropriate. The first has
been done for you.
(1) The concert included works by Mozart and others.Concert inc. works by Mozart et. al..
(2) Please take special notice of the change of my estimated time of arrival.
(3) Can you please reply to Mr and Mrs Convivial’s invitation to dinner as soon as you can?
(4) The price of the television is exclusive of value added tax but it is still cheaper than thenormal shop price.
(5) When you finish reading the first part of the contract please turn over and sign thedeclaration.
(6) We did not know the exact weight in kilograms as it was given in pounds on the bag.
(7) The salary is twenty-four thousand dollars a year which works out to two thousand dollarsevery calendar month.
(8) The speed limit in residential areas is normally thirty miles per hour but you might need todrive slower especially near schools
(9) The supermarkets are reducing the price of most items. For example, apples, oranges andother popular fruits have all been reduced by ten per cent.
(10) Hot drinks, that is to say coffee and tea, are available at the counter.
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Module 6 Teacher’s notes (To be used with p.71)
1. Please note the choice of full stops in the abbreviations is often dependent on the user.
1. m.p.h. (e) miles per hour
2. etc. (etcetera) (f) and other similar things
3. i.e. (id est) (k) in other words
4. e.g. (exempli gratia) (i) for example
5. R.R.P. (l) recommended retail price
6. n.b. (nota bene) (j) take special notice of
7. esp. (r) especially
8. P.T.O. (n) please turn over
9. A.S.A.P. (b) as soon as possible
10 VAT (p) value added tax
11. R.S.V.P. (h) please reply
12. et. al. (c) and others
13. p.a. (per annum) (d) per year
15. p.c.m. (a) per calendar month
15. lb. (libra) (o) pound (imperial weight)
21. inc. (m) including
22. ETA (g) estimated time of arrival
23. wt. (q) weight
24. nr. (t) near
25. k (s) thousand
2. Please note the answers given are only samples and other alternatives are possible.
(2) The concert included works by Mozart and others.
Concert inc. works by Mozart et. al..
(3) Please take special notice of the change of my estimated time of arrival.
N.B. change of ETA.
(4) Can you please reply to Mr and Mrs Convivial’s invitation to dinner as soon as you can?
R.S.V.P. to (Mr + Mrs) Convivial’s dinner invitation A.S.A.P..
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(5) The price of the television is exclusive of value added tax but it is still cheaper than the
normal shop price.
T.V. price not inc. VAT but cheaper than R.R.P..
(6) When you finish reading the first part of the contract please turn over and sign the
declaration.
P.T.O. + sign declaration after reading first part of contract.
(7) We did not know the exact weight in kilograms as it was given in pounds on the bag.
We didn’t know exact wt. in kg as given in lbs..
(8) The salary is twenty-four thousand dollars a year which works out to two thousand dollars
every calendar month.
Salary $24k p.a. works out to $2k p.c.m..
(9) The speed limit in residential areas is normally thirty miles per hour but you might need to
drive slower especially near schools
Residential area speed limit normally 30mph but slower esp. nr schools.
(10) The supermarkets are reducing the price of most items. For example, apples, oranges and
other popular fruits have all been reduced by ten per cent.
Supermarkets reducing price of most items. E.g. apples, oranges, etc. reduced by 10%.
(10) Hot drinks, that is to say coffee and tea, are available at the counter.
Hot drinks, i.e. coffee + tea, (available) at counter
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Module 7 Relative Pronouns
1. Look at the sentences below and decide which ones require commas. Put the commas in
the correct places.
(1) Amanda lives on her own in a one-bedroom flat. She keeps her money in the bedroom which
has a lockable door.
(2) Sandra lives on her own in a two-bedroom house. One of the bedrooms has a lock on it the
other doesn’t. She keeps her money in the bedroom which has a lockable door.
(3) Richard Martin has three daughters. One lives in New York, one lives in Sydney and the
youngest one lives in Liverpool. Next week he is going to visit his daughter who lives in New
York.
(4) Robert Williams has a son. Next week he is going to visit his son who lives in New York.
(5) There were a lot of cars parked in the car park but only one was involved in the accident.
The man whose car was hit by the lorry was furious when he returned.
(6) It was very fortunate that only one car was parked in the car park when the accident
happened. However, the man whose car was hit by the lorry was furious.
Do the parts of the sentence with commas include important or extra information?
Do the relative clauses without commas tell you something important or extra?
2. First put the story below into a logical order (there are various possibilities).
The man gave the dog a drink.
A dog walked over to him and licked his hand.
One evening a man walked into a pub.
The man asked for a packet of salted crisps instead.
Once again the dog went over to him and licked him.
As usual the man gave the dog a drink.
The barmaid served him and then the man sat a table.
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“Well, it’s obvious my friend” the man replied, “you haven’t got any peanuts.”
The barmaid gave him the crisps and the man sat down at a table.
“Stop!” shouted the landlord.
The same thing happened again and again over the next couple of weeks.
The man stood up, put the packet of crisps on his head and started to walk out.
The man turned around and looked at the landlord.
He ordered a pint of beer and a packet of peanuts.
He then put the peanuts on his head and left.
Then one day when he returned the landlord watched him enter and instructed the barmaid to
tell him there were no more peanuts.
“You’ve been coming to this pub for over two weeks now and I don’t understand why you put
those crisps on your head” said the landlord.
The landlord and barmaid watched the man to see what he was going to do next.
Now rewrite the story adding relative clauses to make it more interesting. Try to use some
relative clauses which have important information and some which have extra information.
You might need to make some changes to the text.
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Module 7 Teacher’s notes (To be used with p.78-79)
Look at the sentences below and decide which ones require commas. Put the commas in the
correct places.
(1) Amanda lives on her own in a one-bedroom flat. She keeps her money in the bedroom, which
has a lockable door.
(2) Sandra lives on her own in a two-bedroom house. One of the bedrooms has a lock on it the
other doesn’t. She keeps her money in the bedroom which has a lockable door.
(3) Richard Martin has three daughters. One lives in New York, one lives in Sydney and the
youngest one lives in Liverpool. Next week he is going to visit his daughter who lives in New
York.
(4) Robert Williams has a son. Next week he is going to visit his son, who lives in New York.
(5) There were a lot of cars parked in the car park but only one was involved in the accident.
The man whose car was hit by the lorry was furious when he returned.
(6) It was very fortunate that only one car was parked in the car park when the accident
happened. However, the man, whose car was hit by the lorry, was furious.
Do the parts of the sentence with commas include important or extra information?
Extra
Do the relative clauses without commas tell you something important or extra?
Important
The lines come from a popular joke in Britain. It may not be suitable for your students. If
not, why not use a popular story/joke you know and give the students the basic facts.
Where students put relative clauses and the type of information they choose to include is
up to them and it is at your discretion which are acceptable or not.
One evening a man walked into a pub. He ordered a drink and a packet of crisps. The barmaid
served him and then the man sat a table. A dog walked over to him and licked his hand. The
man gave the dog a drink. He then put the peanuts on his head and left. The same thing
happened again and again over the next couple of weeks. Then one day when he returned the
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landlord watched him enter and instructed the barmaid to tell him there were no more
peanuts. The man asked for a packet of salted crisps instead. The barmaid gave him the crisps
and the man sat down at a table. Once again the dog went over to him and licked him. As usual
the man gave the dog a drink. The landlord and barmaid watched the man to see what he was
going to do next. The man stood up, put the packet of crisps on his head and started to walk
out. “Stop!” shouted the landlord. The man turned around and looked at the landlord. “You’ve
been coming to this pub for over two weeks now and I don’t understand why you put those
crisps on your head” said the landlord. “Well, it’s obvious my friend” the man replied, “you
haven’t got any peanuts.”
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Module 8 - Defining moments
These words all appeared in the reading on page 86-87 or in the “Are you a political
animal?” questions on page 87. Look at the words below and choose the definition on the
right closest to the way the word was used in the text. The first set of words has one extra
definition; the rest have two extra definitions for each set.
Annexe ❑ showing or feeling very little interest
Apparently ❑ as it seems
Apathetic ❑ addition to something (e.g. to a document)
❑ a building added to another one
Campaign ❑ people who believe others do not do things for good/sincere reasons
Constitution ❑ the condition of a person’s body with regard to health/strength
Cynics ❑ the laws according to which a state is governed
❑ a series of military operations
❑ a series of planned activities with a particular commercial or political
aim
Deficit ❑ disappointed/mislead
Demonstration ❑ the amount of money short of what is required
Disillusioned ❑ the excess of debts over income
❑ showing how something works
❑ a protest usually on the streets against/supporting something
Eccentric ❑ to have the right to something
Election ❑ unusual/strange
Entitle(d) ❑ not circular or not having the same centre
❑ to give a name to a book, play, etc.
❑ a way of choosing by voting
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Launched ❑ the material used for the inside of a jacket or coat
Lining ❑ the taking off of a ship or rocket
Lucrative ❑ (when used with pockets) means to make money usually dishonestly
❑ to start a career in something
❑ profitable
March ❑ the head of a council of a city or borough
Mayor ❑ the way which soldiers walk (regular steps of equal length)
Morals ❑ practical lessons to stories (things to learn from stories/experiences)
❑ standards of behaviour / your principles
❑ a protest through the streets
Petty ❑ unimportant
Platform ❑ beliefs/ideals
Policies ❑ raised floor
❑ main aims on which a political party is based
❑ contracts of insurance
Recession ❑ thought
Reckoned ❑ a series of hits of the ball in a game of tennis before a point is won
Rally ❑ a large gathering of people usually for political reasons
❑ opposite of boom
❑ used with “with” to mean considered important
Serve ❑ to put the ball into play in a game of tennis
Slogan ❑ meeting between the heads of governments
Summit ❑ the highest point
❑ a phrase that is easy to remember
❑ to perform the duties of the post to which you have been appointed
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Now using the definitions you are left with match them with one of the words on the left to
show another meaning of the word. See the example below.
Annexe ❑ showing or feeling very little interest
Apparently ❑ as it seems
Apathetic ❑ addition to something (e.g. to a document)
❑ A building added to another one
Campaign ❑ people who believe others do not do things for good/sincere reasons
Constitution ❑ the condition of a person’s body with regard to health/strength
Cynics ❑ the laws according to which a state is governed
❑ a series of military operations
❑ a series of planned activities with a particular commercial or political
aim
Deficit ❑ disappointed/mislead
Demonstration ❑ the amount of money short of what is required
Disillusioned ❑ the excess of debts over income
❑ showing how something works
❑ a protest usually on the streets against/supporting something
Eccentric ❑ to have the right to something
Election ❑ unusual/strange
Entitle(d) ❑ not circular or not having the same centre
❑ to give a name to a book, play, etc.
❑ a way of choosing by voting
Launched ❑ the material used for the inside of a jacket or coat
Lining ❑ the taking off of a ship or rocket
Lucrative ❑ (when used with pockets) means to make money usually dishonestly
❑ to start a career in something
❑ profitable
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March ❑ the head of a council of a city or borough
Mayor ❑ the way which soldiers walk (regular steps of equal length)
Morals ❑ practical lessons to stories (things to learn from stories/experiences)
❑ standards of behaviour / your principles
❑ a protest through the streets
Petty ❑ unimportant
Platform ❑ beliefs/ideals
Policies ❑ raised floor
❑ main aims on which a political party is based
❑ contracts of insurance
Recession ❑ thought
Reckoned ❑ a series of hits of the ball in a game of tennis before a point is won
Rally ❑ a large gathering of people usually for political reasons
❑ opposite of boom
❑ used with “with” to mean considered important
Serve ❑ to put the ball into play in a game of tennis
Slogan ❑ meeting between the heads of governments
Summit ❑ the highest point
❑ a phrase that is easy to remember
❑ to perform the duties of the post to which you have been appointed
Now from each group choose one word which has two definitions and write one sentence
for each to show you understand the different meanings.
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Module 8 Teacher’s notes (To be used with p.86-87)
These words all appeared in the reading on page 86-87 or in the “Are you a political
animal?” questions on page 87. Look at the words below and choose the definition on the
right closest to the way the word was used in the text. The first set of words has one extra
definition; the rest have two extra definitions for each set.
Annexe a building added to another oneApparently as it seemsApathetic showing or feeling very little interest
Campaign a series of planned activities with a particular commercial or politicalConstitution the laws according to which a state is governedCynics people who believe others do not do things for good/sincere reasons
Deficit the excess of debts over incomeDemonstration a protest usually on the streets against/supporting somethingDisillusioned disappointed/mislead
Eccentric unusual/strangeElection a way of choosing by votingEntitle(d) to give a name to a book, play, etc.
Launched the taking off of a ship or rocketLining (when used with pockets) means to make money usually dishonestlyLucrative profitable
March a protest through the streetsMayor the head of a council of a city or boroughMorals standards of behaviour / your principles
Petty unimportantPlatform main aims on which a political party is basedPolicies beliefs/ideals
Recession opposite of boomReckoned used with “with” to mean considered importantRally a series of hits of the ball in a game of tennis before a point is won
Serve to perform the duties of the post to which you have been appointed toSlogan a phrase that is easy to rememberSummit meeting between the heads of governments
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Now using the definitions you are left with match them with one of the words on the left to
show another meaning of the word. See the example below.
Annexe addition to something (e.g. to a document)
Campaign a series of military operationsConstitution the condition of a person’s body with regard to health/strength
Deficit the amount of money short of what is requiredDemonstration showing how something works
Eccentric not circular or not having the same centreEntitle(d) to have the right to something
Launched the taking off of a ship or rocketLining the material used for the inside of a jacket or coat
March the way which soldiers walk (regular steps of equal length)Morals practical lessons to stories (things to learn from stories/experiences)Platform raised floorPolicies contracts of insurance
Reckoned thoughtRally a large gathering of people usually for political reasons
Serve to put the ball into play in a game of tennisSummit the highest point
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Module 9 - Did you hear that?
Look at the notes below and expand them to make complete sentences. Be careful with
your punctuation and remember the most likely words you will need to add are
prepositions, auxiliary verbs and articles. Also you might need to write the full form of
some abbreviations.
Some help has been provided in bold.
Enormous egg / with circumference 81.78 cms. / found Western Australian beach / 1993 / by 3
children / initially mistook it for very large smooth rock (you’ll need to use a relative pronoun
to connect the last part of the sentence)
What makes egg even more extraordinary / that bird laid it / monstrously large flightless bird
called Aepyornis Maximus or ‘elephant bird’ / became extinct about 400yrs. ago + lived only on
island Madagascar / at least 6,5k kms. from Australian coastline
Scientists believe egg / transported from Madagascar (use modal of deduction and be careful
it needs to be in the passive form) / on prevailing ocean currents / Indian + Southern Oceans
actually converge at exact point egg found
Egg now kept Western Australian Museum / paid $25k Australian children’s families /
recognition of egg’s importance scientists
When you have finished your teacher will play the listening again for you to check your
sentences. If you have anything that is different to the listening, underline it. Your teacher
will then tell you if your sentences are grammatically correct or not.
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Now expand the words below to make proper questions. You will need to put verbs into the
correct tenses and you might need to change the word order for some of the questions.
When you have finished try to answer the questions based on the information from all three
parts of the listening.
1. Which / most recent story?
2. What / statues of Ganesha / make of?
3. What / monster make out of?
4. Elephant Bird / be able / fly?
5. Which stories / provide / scientific explanation? (Try to use present perfect passive)
6. Who / decide / admit / trick?
7. Why / priest / believe / statues / drink / milk?
8. Which paper / first publish / story / Loch Ness Monster / when publish?
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Module 9 Teacher’s notes (To be used with p.99)
This worksheet not only acts as a set of comprehension questions for the listening on page99 but also revises passive structures in Unit 4. Additionally, it provides an opportunity toexpand notes - a different skill which is the opposite of what students were required to doin Unit 6 (page 71 students’ book and website worksheet).
The answers provided are the same as the listening but variations to this are also possible.Therefore after students have heard the listening for a second time you may wish to discussany differences they have.
This enormous egg, with a circumference of 81.78 centimetres, was found on a WesternAustralian beach in 1993 by three children who initially mistook it for a very large smooth rock.What makes the egg even more extraordinary is that the bird that laid it - a monstrously largeflightless bird called Aepyornis Maximus or ‘elephant bird’ - became extinct about four hundredyears ago and lived only on the island of Madagascar, at least 6,500 kilometres from theAustralian coastline. Scientists believe that the egg must have been transported fromMadagascar on the prevailing ocean currents: the Indian and Southern Oceans actually convergeat the exact point where the egg was found. The egg is now kept in the Western AustralianMuseum, which paid 25,000 (twenty-five thousand) Australian dollars to the children’s familiesin recognition of the egg’s importance to scientists.
Answers to question expansion
1. Which is the most recent story?B. The story about the statues drinking milk.
2. What were the statues of Ganesha made of?(You might want to highlight the difference here between made “of”, “out of”, “from”, “with”and “by”)
Marble3. What was the monster made out of?
A toy submarine and some plastic wood.4. Was the Elephant Bird able to fly?
No. It was flightless.5. Which stories have been provided with a scientific explanation?
B and C.6. Who decided to admit that it was a trick?
One of Weatherill’s sons.7. Why did the priest believe the statues were drinking the milk?
Because the gods were showing their power - especially to the younger generation.8. Which paper first published the story about the Loch Ness Monster and when was itpublished?
The Daily Mail in 1934.
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Module 10 - Giving Opinions
Working with a partner put the sentences below into the most suitable column in the table
on the next page.
As I see it....
Do you really think so?
From my own point of
view I’d say....
Given the choice I’d go
for....
How about....
I adore....I see you point,
but....
I believe....
I can’t stand....
I hardly think so.
I particularly like....
I really love....
I wouldn’t like to say.
I’d rather....
I’m afraid it’s not really
my cup of tea.
I’m in two minds about
this.
I’m not at all keen on....
I’m not exactly sure what
you mean.
I’m not really sure.
I’m not too sure about
that.
I’m not very fond of....
I’m quite keen on....
I’m really not in favour
of....
If I had to choose I’d opt
for....
If you asked me, I’d
say....
In my opinion....
It seems to me that....
It’s a difficult choice, but
on the whole I prefer....
It’s difficult to say.
Let’s....
Now, that’s a difficult
question.
One possibility would be
to...
Personally,....
That’s one way of seeing
it but....
We could always....
We’d like to....
We’re going to....
We’ve decided to....
What about....
Why don’t we....
Yes, but have you thought
about....
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Language of
agreement
Language of
disagreement
Stating opinion Showing
uncertainty
Making
suggestions
Expressing likes Expressing
dislikes
Showing
preference
Describing your
decisions
Asking for
clarification
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Imagine your school has won a prize of £2,000 which they can spend on anything they like.
Below are some ideas with their advantages and disadvantages. Can you add any ideas to
the list?
Suggestion Advantage Disadvantage
New books. Teachers could use the books
to find more interesting
material.
Students hardly ever look at
the books which are in the
library now.
Educational Trips It would make a pleasant
change for the class to go out
as a group.
It’s difficult to find a time
when the whole class can go
out together.
Camcorder Students could make films
which is a fun way to practise
their English.
Not all students like being
recorded and the shyer
members of the class might
feel uncomfortable.
Language Lab It provides a different way for
students to practise and
improve their speaking and
listening.
More money would need to be
raised. Language labs are
quite expensive.
Teachers’ Bonus Teachers would be happier
and as a result the class might
be a lot more fun.
Some teachers are never
happy and they earn enough
as it is.
Discuss in groups what the money should be spent on. You might not agree with the
advantages and disadvantages given. If you don’t, say so.
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Module 10 Teacher’s notes (To be used with p.110-111)
This task revise the language covered in both modules 8 & 10. It also extends the range
covered and will require plenty of opportunities for practice.
For the first task you might find there is some disagreement as the meaning of many of the
expressions depends on both the context and intonation use. The answers given below
therefore are only a guide.
Language ofagreement
Language ofdisagreement
Stating opinion Showinguncertainty
Makingsuggestions
I think you’reright about....That’s what Ithink too.I’d have said thesame.That’s a greatidea.That’s for sure!You’re not wrongthere!What a goodidea!
I hardly think so.Do you reallythink so?I’m not too sureabout that.That’s one wayof seeing itbut....Yes, but haveyou thoughtabout....I see you point,but....
Personally,....I believe....It seems to methat....If you asked me,I’d say....In my opinion....As I see it....From my ownpoint of view I’dsay....
It’s difficult tosay.Now, that’s adifficultquestion.I wouldn’t like tosay.I’m not reallysure.I’m in two mindsabout this.
We couldalways....Why don’t we....How about....What about....Let’s....One possibilitywould be to...
Expressing likes Expressingdislikes
Showingpreference
Describing yourdecisions
Asking forclarification
I particularlylike....I really love....I’m quite keenon....I adore....
I’m really not infavour of....I’m not very fondof....I can’t stand....I’m not at allkeen on....I’m afraid it’snot really mycup of tea.
It’s a difficultchoice, but onthe whole Iprefer....I’d rather....Given the choiceI’d go for....If I had to chooseI’d opt for....
We’ve decidedto....We’re goingto....We’d like to....
I’m not exactlysure what youmean.
There are no right or wrong answers for the second table completion task but the task gives
students some time to think about alternative ways to spend the money.
For the discussion stage of the task you could do it as a whole class activity and award
points every time a student uses one of the expressions appropriately.
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Module 11 (To be used with p.120-121)
Look at the broken sentences below. Put them into the correct tense and then answer the
questions about yourself. You will need to add some words.
1. If/you/have/the/ability/to/become/invisible/when/you/use/it/and/what/for?
2. If/you/can/read/minds/whose/mind/you/read/and/why?
3. If/you/have/one/wish/what/it/be? I wish....
4. Imagine/that/you/can/control/people/by/telepathy. When/you/use/it?
5. Suppose/that/you/witness/a/crime/commit/by/someone/famous. What/you/do?
Now ask your partner the questions above and make notes below. Your teacher will ask you
to report back their answers to the class. During the reporting-back session ask any
questions about people’s choices.
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Now look at the answers below from five different people and match them to the questions
above.
(Antonio) I’m not sure what I’d want. I’m quite content with the things the way they are. I
guess if I had to make one, I’d probably like to do something which would benefit a lot of
people. Perhaps, putting an end to world hunger.
(Beata) Well, the first thing that came to my head was blackmail. I know it’s not the right thing
to do but people like these after role models and shouldn’t behave like that. However, I’m not
really sure if I’d have the courage to do it. I don’t think I’d have the courage to go to the police
either. I guess I’d probably do nothing.
(Cristina) This is something I’d love to be able to do and I’m sure I’d see a lot of things which I
wasn’t supposed to. I’d probably end up getting into trouble because of it but it’d be so much
fun. Could you imagine being able to go to the cinema without paying? You could save a fortune
on all sorts of things.
(Daniel) I’d hate this and I certainly wouldn’t use it. In the wrong hands this could be
catastrophic! One person could have power over the whole world. On the other, if it was used
properly you could use it to help people overcome their fears.
(Erica) I have no doubts when I’d use this - with my boyfriend! I know sometimes the lies he
tells me are white lies - you know not hurt my feelings - but I prefer honesty. And what I hate
most is when he says he’s going to be back at a certain time but I know he has not intention of
returning at that time. I wish he’d just tell me the truth!
Now match one of the words in the text to one of the definitions below.
(a) conquer
(b) help
(c) lot of money
(d) satisfied
(e) plan/aim
(f) a harmless untruth
(g) disastrous
(h) demanding money by threatening to reveal information
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Module 11 Teacher’s notes (To be used with p.120-121)
Look at the broken sentences below. Put them into the correct tense and then answer the
questions about yourself. You will need to add some words.
1. If you had the ability to become invisible, when would you use it and what for?
2. If you could read minds, whose mind would you read and why?
3. If you had one wish what would it be?
4. Imagine that you could control people by telepathy. When would you use it?
5. Suppose that you witnessed a crime commit by someone famous. What would you do?
During the pair work and reporting back session you can monitor and make notes of any
mistakes.
Now look at the answers below from five different people and match them to the questions
above.
(Antonio) Question 3.
(Beata) Question 5.
(Cristina) Question 1.
(Daniel) Question 4.
(Erica) Question 2.
Now match one of the words in the text to one of the definitions below.
(a) conquer overcome
(b) help benefit
(c) lot of money fortune
(d) satisfied content
(e) plan/aim intention
(f) a harmless untruth white lie
(g) disastrous catastrophic
(h) demanding money by threatening to reveal information blackmail
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Module 12 - In the press
Look at the sentences below. Write T next to the ones which are true and F
next to the ones which are false. The first has been done for you.
(a) You usually find a caption under a photograph in a newspaper. (T)
(b) If someone was having problems with 6 across, they would be reading the letters page.
(c) The best place to find out what is going on in famous people’s lives is the gossip column.
(d) Newspapers are divided into two groups - commercial and financial.
(e) On the whole, newspapers come in two sizes - broadsheet and tabloid.
(f) Classified advertisements are usually placed by private sellers.
(g) An agony aunt usually writes the horoscopes for newspapers.
(h) If you were reading an obituary, you would be reading a review about a theatre play.
(i) The editorial is a section in the newspaper which gives the newspaper’s opinion.
(j) An editor would be happy if the circulation of his paper was gradually decreasing.
Now look at the headlines below and try to guess what each story is aboutand where you might find them. Choose from the box.
sports pages television guide business pages gossip column
domestic/home news foreign news arts pages
1. Ratings soar with telly soap murder
2. U.S. paper sued for libel
3. United out after 4-0 defeat
4. Tories lose another seat
5. Rembrandt exhibition sees record queues
6. Whitbread Ltd. all set for multi-million merger
7. L.A. clean up after another shake of 7.2 on Richter scale
8. Another case of TB in local primary
9. Bygate to wed no.6
10. Terrific title defence with 2nd round K.O.
Now choose one of the above and write the rest of the article.
Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate Worksheet
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Module 12 Teacher’s notes (To be used with p.130 of theStudent’s book or p.77 of the Workbook)
Look at the sentences below. Write T next to the ones which are true and F
next to the ones which are false.
(a) T(b) F (they would be doing a crossword)(c) T(d) F (quality and popular)(e) T(f) T(g) F (she usually writes replies to letters in the problem page)(h) F (you would be reading about the life of someone well-known who had recently died)(i) T(j) F (they would like to see an increase in circulation (the number of papers sold))
Now look at the headlines below and try to guess what each story is aboutand where you might find them. Choose from the box.
sports pages television guide business news gossip columndomestic/home news foreign news arts pages
1. Ratings soar with telly soap murder television guide (about an increase in televisionratings because of the murder of on of the characters)
2. U.S. paper sued for libel foreign news (about an American paperwho were taken to court and sued for printing something untrue)
3. United out after 4-0 defeat sports pages (about the 4-0 defeat of a footballteam which resulted in them going out of a competition)
4. Tories lose another seat domestic/home news (about the Conservativeparty losing a local election)
5. Rembrandt exhibition sees record queues arts pages (about queues of recordlength to see paintings by Rembrandt)
6. Whitebread Ltd. all set for multi-million merger business news (about two companiesjoining together)
7. L.A. clean up after another shake of 7.2 on Richter scale foreign news (about anearthquake in Los Angeles)
8. Another case of TB in local primary domestic/home news (about a case oftuberculosis at a local primary school)
9. Bygate to wed no.6 gossip column (about a famouscelebrity getting married for the 6th time)
10. Terrific title defence with 2nd round K.O. sports pages (about a boxer successfullydefending his title with a knock-out in the second round)
Now choose one of the above and write the rest of the article.The last task can be done in class or given for homework.