Harry’s Accident

Harry used to be a runner.  Then, one day while

running alongside a road, he was hit by a car.  The

car was going too fast and had gone out of control. 

As a result of the accident, Harry almost died from a

serious injury.  Since then, he hasn’t been able to

walk, and he has had to use a wheelchair.

In spite of his injury, Harry hasn’t let it stop him

from going ahead with his life.  After his injury,

instead of thinking about all the things he couldn’t

do, he focused on what he could do.  He realized

that there are many interesting possibilities for

someone who can’t walk.

One of the things he became interested in was

foreign languages.  Everyday he listened to tapes

and read books, and he found he was very good at

learning languages.  After several years he became

fluent in five languages.  Then he started working as

a translator.

Now he works full time for a translation company. 

He and a group of friends are even thinking of

starting their own company.

Though Harry wishes he could walk, he is looking

forward to the future.  Sometimes, when looking

back on his life, he wonders what might have

happened had he not been injured.  He misses being

able to walk or run.  But at least he is able to live on

his own and do things that he enjoys.  He thinks

there is much to be thankful for.

Joe’s Café 

Joe used to run a little coffee shop.  Business was

good and his shop was busy because it was near a

factory.  The factory workers often came there for

coffee and something to eat.

Then two things happened.  First, another coffee

shop opened across the street.  This hurt Joe’s

business because some of his customers went to the

other shop.  The other coffee shop’s prices were

lower because its workers were paid less.

Second, and more serious, the factory began to lay

off workers.  It was forced to reduce its operations

because of its high levels of pollution.

It wasn’t long before the number of customers had

dropped by more than half.  At that point, Joe was

forced to close the business he had run for twenty

years.  Now he’s trying to decide what to do next.

One possibility he is considering is to open up

another shop in another place.  Another choice is to

take a friend’s advice and invest all of his money in

the stock market.  If he’s lucky, he might make

enough to retire.  On the other hand, if his

investments were to fail, he could lose everything. 

He’s not sure if he should take the risk.

Sandra’s Dilemma

Sandra has her own business, a small printing

company.  She started it more than ten years ago. 

It’s a growing business, and her clients are happy

with her work.  She prints posters, brochures and

books.  She enjoys her work, and she takes pride in

what she has accomplished.

Now another company has offered her a lot of

money to buy her business.  They even want her to

stay on and work for them.  In fact, if she won’t stay

on for at least a year, they won’t buy her business. 

They like the way she runs her business.

On the other hand, they would like to cut costs and

make the business even more profitable.  She’s sure

they would force her to make changes.

Sandra has a choice.  She can sell the company and

let them control it.  Or she can keep the business and

run it herself.

If she sells the company, she worries what might

happen to her employees.  She doesn’t want to sell

unless she knows her employees can keep their jobs.

If she refuses their offer, the other company will

compete against her.  They will open a new printing

company nearby.  If they compete against her, she’ll

have to work harder.  There’s even a chance her

company will fail and be forced to close.  On the

other hand, she will be her own boss.  She also has

many loyal customers who are pleased with the

quality of her work.

If Sandra accepts their offer, the other company will

pay her a high salary.  She will also have a ten

percent share of the larger company.  On the other

hand, if they own the company, they will make the

big decisions.  If they decide to, they could even let

her go.  They could also decide to lay off some of

her employees.

If you were Sandra, what would you do?

She is probably going to refuse their offer. She

enjoys running the business, and she wants to see

how well she can do.  Unless she keeps the business,

she’ll never know what she could have done on her

own.  If she sold the business, she would never

know what she could have done on her own.  She

would also feel bad if her employees lost their jobs. 

If you were one of  Sandra’s employees, what would

you advise her to do?

Question Summary 

What couldn’t he have done if he hadn’t studied

foreign languages?  What does Harry miss being

able to do?  What is something Harry can be

thankful for?

Where did Joan use to work?  Why did Joan lose her

job?  Why was Joan’s job eliminated?  What

happened to the travel agency where she used to

work?  Why was she depressed?  What kind of job

did she want?  How did she find out about the job at

the health food company?  What job was being

advertised?  Why did she apply for the job?  Why

wasn’t she sure if she should take the job?

Who used to come to Joe’s for coffee and something

to eat?  Would business have been as good if there

hadn’t been a factory nearby?  How did the other

coffee shop hurt Joe’s business?  How did the other

coffee shop’s prices compare to Joe’s?  Why did the

factory have to begin laying off workers?  What

advice would you give to Joe?  Why shouldn’t he

invest all his money in the stock market?  What is he

trying to decide? Besides investing in the stock

market, what is he considering?  Why can’t he retire

right now?  What would happen if he invested in the

stock market and stock prices went down?

Who owns a small printing company?  Why does the

other company want her to stay?  If she sells the

company, who will control it?  Who will run the

company if she refuses to sell it?  What might

happen if she refuses to sell?  If Sandra sells her

company, who will make the big decisions?

Fact/Conditional Summary 

He was hit by a car while running alongside a road.

If he hadn’t been running near a road he wouldn’t

have been hit by a car.

It went out of control because it was going too fast.

If the car hadn’t been going too fast, it wouldn’t

have gone out of control.

He can’t walk because he was injured in an

accident.

If he hadn’t been injured, he could walk.

He has to use a wheelchair because he was injured

in an accident.

He wouldn’t have to use a wheelchair if he hadn’t

been injured.

He learned a foreign language.  As a result, he

became a translator.

He couldn’t have become a translator if he hadn’t

learned a foreign language.

She lost her job because the agency she worked for

was bought by another company.

She wouldn’t have lost her job if the agency

hadn’t been bought by another company.

Her job was eliminated because another company

bought the agency.

Her job wouldn’t have been eliminated had

another company not bought the agency.

She was depressed because she had lost her job.

She wouldn’t have been depressed had she not lost

her job.

Since Joan was looking for a challenge, she decided

to apply.

If she hadn’t been looking for a challenge, she

wouldn’t have decided to apply.

She applied for the job because she wanted a

challenge.

If she hadn’t wanted a challenge, she wouldn’t

have applied for the job.

Since she joined the company, it has more than

doubled in size.

If she hadn’t joined the company, it might not

have doubled in size.

Joe’s shop was doing well until the other coffee

shop opened.

If the other coffee shop hadn’t opened, Joe’s

coffee shop might still be doing well.

He was losing money, so he had to close his shop.

If he hadn’t been losing money, he wouldn’t have

had to close his shop.

He doesn’t have enough money, so he can’t retire.

If he had enough money, he could retire.

He won’t lose money unless the stock market goes

down.

He’ll lose money if stock prices go down.

Her business is growing because she’s doing a good

job.

Her business wouldn’t be growing if she weren’t

doing a good job.

Her business wouldn’t be growing unless her clients

were happy.

Her business wouldn’t be growing if her clients

weren’t happy.

Her business is growing because her clients are

happy.

If her clients weren’t happy her business wouldn’t

grow.

They like the way Sandra runs the company, so they

want her to stay.

If they didn’t like the way she runs the company,

they wouldn’t want her to stay.

They won’t buy her company unless she agrees to

stay.

If she doesn’t agree to stay, they won’t buy her

company.

The other company won’t compete against her

unless she refuses to sell.

If she refuses to sell, the other company will

compete against her.

Epidemic

Our Changing Lives

Our lives are changing.  New technologies are

developing every day, changing the ways we live

and think.  As a result, in every house there are

products from around the world.

Along with changes in technology, the world

population continues to grow.  People are living

longer.  Diseases which wiped out populations just a

hundred years ago are now under control.

Medical science has made great progress.  If your

heart wears out, you can get a new one.  If your

kidney fails, you can still live, and maybe even

receive a transplant.   Modern drugs have made it

easier to treat a cold or get over the flu.  Many

diseases, such as pneumonia and small pox, are now

under control or wiped out entirely.

Fighting Infections

There have been many great successes in history.  In

the field of medical science, there have been many

great discoveries.  The development of vaccines and

antibiotics has helped to control the spread of

infectious diseases.

Polio, for example, is a viral disease that attacks the

nervous system.  Because of the success of the polio

vaccine, polio has been brought under control.

Powerful antibiotics have also been developed. 

Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections,

such as pneumonia.

Drugs and vaccines work together with our body’s

immune system to fight infection.  Some kinds of

infection come from viruses.  HIV, for example, is a

virus.  Other kinds of infection come from bacteria. 

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that has killed

millions.  And recently, the E-coli bacteria has

become a threat.

To cure or control a disease, it is necessary to kill or

control the infection which causes it.  Sometimes a

drug can be used to fight an infection.  For example,

antibiotics are often used to fight common

infections, such as pneumonia.

For some diseases, a vaccine is made by using a

weakened form of a virus.  When injected into the

body, the vaccine causes the immune system to

create antibodies.  These antibodies will prevent or

fight off infection.

Another approach is to interfere with a virus’s

ability to reproduce and spread.  This can be done

by injecting various substances into the body.

The Adaptability of Life

Life is adaptable.  This has helped humans to

survive in many different situations.  In any group of

people there are genetic differences.  As a result,

some people will be more resistant to a new disease

than others.

The adaptability of life also has a bad side.  It makes

it far more difficult to control diseases.  Bacteria and

viruses are both life forms.  Like human beings, they

can adapt too.  A drug that kills 99% of a particular

type of bacteria may leave stronger bacteria that are

more resistant.  As these stronger bacteria reproduce

and spread, drugs that used to be effective no longer

work.  This means that new drugs or other means of

control need to be developed.

Of course, if an infection cannot be controlled, it

can cause an epidemic.  An epidemic occurs when a

disease spreads to many people.  Epidemics have

occurred throughout history.  In some cases,

epidemics have resulted in many deaths.

Preparing for Our Future 

In preparing for our future, we need to consider

epidemics and how to control them.  It used to be

that diseases were confined to a small area.  Travel

was slow and difficult.  A deadly epidemic in

Europe couldn’t quickly spread to South America. 

Now, however, a serious disease could spread

around the world within a few days.

There is a real concern that a worldwide epidemic

could break out.  This epidemic could threaten our

survival.  Medical scientists and public health

officials in many countries are now studying this

issue.  They want to develop policies and plans to be

prepared for such an event. 

In the struggle against disease, national boundaries

mean nothing.  Diseases don’t stop at the borders

between nations.  Therefore, we need to think and

act on a global scale.  Clean water supplies, air

quality in airplanes, and effective vaccination

policies are worldwide issues.

The threat of a global epidemic is another example

of how modernization is bringing us together.  We

must learn to live together more effectively than we

have in the past.  As with many important issues, the

best approach is to use good judgment.  If we work

together, we can build a better future.

Question Summary (Answer Key) 

This is about technology and change.

New technology is changing our lives.

The products we use come from around the world.

The world’s population continues to grow.

Some diseases are now under control.

People are living longer because of changes in

technology.

This is about how science has changed our lives.

If your kidney fails, you can still live.

Pneumonia and small pox are both diseases.

Many diseases are under control because of medical

science.

Vaccines and antibiotics are used to control the

spread of diseases.

Polio is a viral disease that has been brought under

control.

One great success has been the development of

vaccines.

Viruses and bacteria can both cause infections.

Our body's immune system fights infections.

HIV is a virus.

We must kill or control an infection to cure or

control a disease.

Antibodies fight infection.

A virus can reproduce and spread.

One way to control a virus is to stop it from

reproducing.

Drugs can be used to fight an infection.

An antibiotic is a type of drug. 

Adaptability has helped us to survive. 

Genetic differences have helped us to adapt.

In any group of people there are differences.

Adaptability has resulted in more resistant bacteria.

Adaptability is both good and bad.

Drugs which used to be effective no longer work. 

Some bacteria have become stronger.

Throughout history epidemics have caused many

deaths.

Epidemics occur when a disease spreads to many

people.

An epidemic can be prevented if an infection can be

controlled.

Compared to how it used to be an epidemic could

spread more quickly now. 

When travel was slow and difficult epidemics could

be confined.

Epidemics could be confined more easily in the past.

An epidemic could threaten our survival.

We need to develop policies to be prepared for an

epidemic.

Scientists are studying the issue of how to prepare

for an epidemic.

The struggle against disease is a global issue.

National boundaries cannot stop an epidemic.

Modernization has increased the threat of a global

epidemic.

To build a better future we need to work together.

We need global policies to prevent the spread of

disease.

Sentence Reordering (Answer Key) 

New technologies are developing every day,

changing the ways we live and think.  Better

communications and transportation, for example,

have given us a global economy.  As a result, in

every house there are products from around the

world.

Some kinds of infection come from viruses.  HIV,

for example, is a virus.  Other kinds of infection

come from bacteria.  Tuberculosis is a bacterial

infection that has killed millions.

To cure or control a disease, it is necessary to kill or

control the infection which causes it.  Sometimes a

drug can be used to fight an infection.  For example,

antibiotics are often used to fight common infections

such as pneumonia.

In preparing for our future we need to consider

epidemics and how they spread.  It used to be that

diseases were confined to a small area.  A deadly

epidemic in Europe couldn’t quickly spread to South

America.  Now, however, a serious disease could

spread around the world within a few days.

In the struggle against disease, national boundaries

mean nothing.  Diseases don’t stop at the borders

between nations.  Therefore, we need to think and

act on a global scale.

In the field of medical science, there have been

many important discoveries.  The development of

vaccines and antibiotics has helped to control the

spread of infectious diseases.  Polio, for example, is

a viral disease that attacks the nervous system. 

Because of the success of the polio vaccine, polio

has been brought under control in most parts of the

world.

For some diseases a vaccine is made by using a

weakened form of a virus.  When injected into the

body, the vaccine causes the immune system to

create antibodies.  These antibodies will prevent or

fight off infection.

Life is adaptable.  For humans, adaptability has

been a key to survival.  In any group of people there

are genetic differences.  As a result, some people

will be more resistant to a new disease than others.

Bacteria and viruses are both life forms.  Like

human beings, they can adapt too.  A drug that kills

99% of a particular type of bacteria may leave

stronger bacteria that are resistant.  As these

stronger bacteria reproduce and spread, drugs which

used to be effective no longer work.

There is a real concern that a worldwide epidemic

could break out.  This epidemic could threaten our

survival.  Medical scientists and public health

officials in many countries are now studying this

issue.  They want to develop policies and plans to be

prepared for such an event

Space and Time Sequences

Presentation

Neither one of them is in the middle.  Neither of

them is an adult.  A child is on either side of the redhaired woman.  Neither of the children is in the

center.  One of them is on the far right and one of

them is on the far left. The person in the middle is

neither a child nor a woman. One of the children is a

girl, and the other is a boy.

They are children, except for the adult in the middle.

Except for the woman in the middle, they don't have

red hair.  They are as close together as possible.

They are as far away from each other as possible. 

There isn’t anybody in the middle.  There are people

on the left and right, but nobody in the center.

There is a child on either side of Sharon. The little

girl is neither in the middle nor next to David.  One

of the children is next to Jeff.  One of the two

people on the left is a woman.  The red-headed

woman is on the right, but not all the way.

Nicole was still working when Sharon left.  Sharon

had just arrived when Jeff came in the door.  By the

time Nicole arrived, Jeff was already working. 

There wasn't anyone there when Sharon arrived at

the office.

It was raining until the tow truck arrived.  While she

was talking on the car phone, it started to rain. The

tow truck still hadn't come when it started to rain. 

By the time her car broke down it had already

started to rain.  It had been raining for about ten

minutes when her car broke down.

As she was talking on the phone she realized that it

was beginning to rain.

Nicole and Sharon couldn't leave until after Jeff left. 

Except for Jeff, nobody was at the office when

Sharon arrived.  By the time Dave arrived

everybody else was there.

Speech Practice 

Neither one of them is in the middle.

Neither of them is an adult.

A child is on either side of the red-haired woman.

They are as far away from each other as possible.

They are as close together as possible.

One of the two people on the left is a woman.

Neither of the adults is next to the girl.

There isn’t anybody in the middle.

The two children are next to each other.

It started to rain just after her car broke down.

It was raining until the tow truck arrived.

She had just gotten gas when it started to rain.

Time Game (sample sequences)

Jeff left the office before Sharon did, but not until

after Nicole.

Nicole and Sharon couldn't leave until after Jeff left.

Nicole was still working when Sharon left.

By the time Dave arrived everybody else was there.

Sharon still hadn't come and Nicole was already

working when Jeff got there.

The office was empty when Sharon got to work.

Jeff was surprised when he found Sharon already at

work.

By the time Nicole arrived, Jeff was already

working.

Except for Jeff, nobody was at the office when

Sharon arrived.

By the time her car broke down it had already

started to rain.

It had been raining for about ten minutes when her

car broke down. Luckily she was able to call for a

repair truck.

It didn't start to rain until after her car broke down

and she had telephoned for a repair truck.

Her car had broken down and it was starting to rain

when she telephoned for help.

She was talking on the car phone when it started to

rain.

While she was talking on the car phone, it started to

rain.

A few minutes later she stopped for gas and the rain

stopped.

As she was talking on the phone she realized that it

was beginning to rain.

Since she was low on gas she stopped at a gas

station.

It was already raining when she stopped for gas.

After stopping for gas she called her husband and

said she would be late.

Luckily, the rain didn't start until after the tow truck

arrived.

While she was driving home, it started to rain.

A few minutes later her car broke down so she used

her car phone to call for a tow truck.

The tow truck still hadn't come when it started to

rain.