Wellman Guy. The Heinemann ELT Wordbuilder
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Size, quantity, dimensions and measurements
Game
The size, strength or capacity of things can be measured in many different ways.
Cover the column on the right and complete the following sentences with an
appropriate word or phrase of measurement or size.
1 It's just a normal family car: a five-... .
2 He's bought himself a new 750 ... Kawazaki.
3 My old van has a maximum ... of just over
50...
4 We really need another 100-... bulb.
5 We could also do with an extra 13-... plug.
6 This 25-year-old whisky is 85% ....
7 Her wedding ring is 24-... gold.
8 It's over 85 ... Fahrenheit in the shade today.
9 We sailed across the Atlantic in a 20,000-... liner.
10 The ship was travelling at an average speed of 28 ... .
11 Winds of gale ... 9 were reported.
12 The Krakatoa explosion (1883) happened too long ago for the
intensity of its sound to be measured in ....
13 The recent earthquake gave a reading of point 7 on the
Richter....
14 The Empire State is a 102-... building.
15 My parents live in a two-... flat.
16 The Government has a 24-... overall majority in Parliament.
17 The town has a ... of 24,000.
18 We have our own 60-... orchestra.
19 The article in the newspaper ran to four ....
20 Hong Kong has the highest... of population of any country in
the world.
21 My girlfriend's are 38 25 38.
22 She passed her final exams with a ... 3.
23 The Tower of Pisa leans at an ... of several
... to the vertical.
24 .Rank in the services is usually indicated by the number of...
on one's sleeve.
25 Parts of the Pacific Ocean are known to be well over 30,000
feet in....
26 Britain has a two-... system of central government
consisting of the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
27 The people voted to remain in the Common Market by a ... of
two to
one.
28 Redundancies are being announced now at a ... of a thousand
a
day.
29 Most symphonies have four ....
30 Songs that have more than four ... are often too
long to be recorded commercially.
31 A number of rock-groups now own their own 16 or 24-...
recording equipment.
32 The man thought to have been the heaviest ever is reported
to have been over 70 stone in ... .
33 The final of the tennis championship — men's singles-was
the best of five ....
34 The 800 metres is normally a two-... race.
35 The duke and duchess'farm extends over an ... of 640 acres.
36
After
doing
that
exercise
I
feel
in
need
of a
... whisky rather than a ....
seater
c.c.
speed
m.p.h. (miles
per hour)
watt
amp. (ampere)
proof
carat
degrees
ton
knots
force
decibels
scale
storey
bedroomed
seat
population
piece
columns
density
vital statistics
grade
angle
degrees
stripes
depth
tier
ratio
rate
movements
verses
track
weight
sets
lap
area
double, single
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Size, quantity, dimensions and measurements
Reading 2
Many quantities are set for us by the way various products are prepared or packaged
for sale. Read through the shopping list, then test yourself on the words by covering
first the right-hand column then the left-hand one.
Who said you don't get much for your money nowadays? For less than £300 you could
buy a whole case of best-quality champagne. Or you could buy all of the following
and still have some change.
a string of imitation pearls
a bar of soap
a family-size tube of toothpaste
a sample sachet of shampoo
a loaf of wholemeal bread
a carton of low-calorie yoghurt
a 500g tin of baked beans
a packet of salt and vinegar flavoured crisps
a bunch of grapes
a pack of eight different breakfast cereals
a few sheets of greaseproof paper
a pair of sheets
a pad of writing paper
a roll of toilet paper
a box of matches
a bundle of firewood
a sack of coal
a bottle of cognac
a barrel of English beer
a can of Australian lager
a crate of brown ale (24 bottles)
a few sticks of celery
a jar of pickled onions
a 51b bag of potatoes
a 50p book of stamps
a giant-sized block of ice-cream
a set of spanners
Practice
The words sort, kind and type could be used to complete many of the questions
below. Naturally enough, though, we have a number of other words which might be
used. Use one of the eight words listed below to complete the sentences.
brand family model race
branch species style group
1 What... of astro-physics is Aunt Sally studying?
2 Which ... of reptile would you least like to have in your bedroom?
3 Which Fiat... is supposed to be the most economical to run?
4 What... of music was popular before The Beatles?
5 Which ... of soap-powder do you usually use?
6 What age-... are most of the unemployed in?
7 What... of people did the English descend from?
8 What... of animals does the cheetah belong to?
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Size/ quantity, dimensions and measurements
Here are eight more words and eight more sentences for you to complete.
form category part grade
make breed department bracket
1 What... of speech is the word 'down'?
2 What... of dog is least trouble to look after?
3 Which ... of petrol do you use, two star or four star?
4 What salary-... do most teachers fall into?
5 Which ... of your branch are you working in at the moment?
6 What... of car would you say is the most reliable?
7 What... of corporal punishment do you personally hate most?
8 What... of book would you list War and Peace under: fact or fiction?
Think of a big city that you know or have seen photographs of in books. Describe the
impression it made on you when you first arrived there.
Discuss why English is in some ways so easy and in others so difficult.
Imagine you had a dream last night which involved a horrible creature of gigantic
proportions. Describe the monster.
Imagine you are taking part in a meeting to discuss the siting of a new airport near
your home. Consider the possible effects of the noise and the traffic on the local
population and the countryside. Write a statement which clearly expresses your
feelings and views.
You have just visited a Third World country with appalling problems. Write a
one-minute speech for a radio news programme on the country's limited resources
and enormous needs.
Write down, after discussion with a partner if possible, a list of all the things
(including
food)
that
you
will need
to put in the
nuclear fallout
shelter
you
have
just
built.
Write the first minute of your Olympic Games Opening Ceremony commentary in
which you describe the scene in front of you.
Add here any other words or expressions you may meet.
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Shapes
Game
Decide which of these shapes describes each chocolate. Then look at the picture and
try to describe the shape of each chocolate without the help of phrases 1 - 14.
1 pyramid-shaped
2 spherical
3 a perfect cube
4 crescent-shaped
5 a spiral
6 pear-shaped
7 conical, a cone
8 oblong, with a convex top
9 rectangular, with a concave top
10 round, with a serrated edge
11 semi-circular, half-moon shaped
12 square, with an uneven surface
13 cylindrical, log-shaped
14 triangular, three-sided
Practice
And now some sophisticated work on the English alphabet. Which word (in capital
letters) is being described below? Describe other words in the same way. When you
can do this, you are doing very well with the vocabulary of this unit.
First letter
One full-length perpendicular line is joined at the top and at its centre point
by two parallel lines, the former slightly longer that the latter, extending to the
right horizontally.
Second letter
A symmetrical, wedge-shaped figure: two straight but oblique lines slanting
down to the base from a common point at the top; these are bisected by a single
horizontal line.
Third letter
A long vertical line is connected at two points - at the top and halfway down
- to a curved, semi-circular line running to the right. From the centre
intersection a sloping line drops to the baseline at an angle of 45 degrees to
the perpendicular, again to the right.
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Shapes
Match the adjectives on the left with a suitable noun on the right.
1 hollow
2 rough
3 pointed
4 oval
5 triangular
6 sloping
7 sharp
8 spiral
skin
roadsign
swimming pool
shoes
roof
cheeks
staircase
blade
Discuss or write the answers to these two questions.
1 Do you like modern art? Can you describe any modern works of art that you either
really liked or strongly disliked when you saw them?
2 Where have all the curves gone - from cars, cups, watches, buildings, phones,
bottles and clothes? How true is it that circles and curves are disappearing and
giving way to more angular shapes? Give examples of this trend and any
exceptions that you can think of to support your argument.
Game
Finally, a drawing game. Try to draw each of the items below, spending a maximum
of three seconds on each.
1 a dotted line
2 a crooked line
3 an octagon
4 a pointed chin
5 a jagged edge
6 a hollow tree
7 a rough sea 13
8 a steep hill 14
9 a bumpy road 15
10 a sharp bend 16
11 a gentle curve 17
12 a smooth surface 18
rolling hills
\vavy hair
a meandering river
undulating countryside
a calm sea
an oval face
Add here any more words about shapes as you meet them.
115
Substances, materials
and textures
Quiz
[1] Even if chemistry lessons are a thing of the (distant) past for you, try this exercise on
elements, metals and gases. Cover the column on the right and see if you can say
which elements, metals and gases these symbols stand for. Each one has a simple
clue beside it to help you.
Ag
Zn
Al
U
Au
Sn
Ca
S
CO
Pu
Fe
Pt
H
P
Hg
Ni
О
N
Cu
NaCl
a twenty-fifth wedding anniversary
a bluish-white metal
light to carry and silvery to look at
named after a planet
an Olympic winner
a can is made of it
think of your teeth
think of matches
breathe out
nuclear power can come from this
the most widely used metal of all
describes a particular type of blonde hair
think of the bomb
gives out light in the dark
used in thermometers
and an American coin
life-supporting
80% of the air
maybe the first metal used by man
commonly known as salt
silver
zinc
aluminium
uranium
gold
tin
calcium
sulphur
carbon dioxide
plutonium
iron
platinum
hydrogen
phosphorus
mercury
nickel
oxygen
nitrogen
copper
sodium chloride
Does that bring back memories of acids, alkalis and smelly experiments? If you're in
good form, try these. What alloys or other substances will you get if you mix the
following? (Keep the right-hand column covered.)
copper and tin
copper and zinc
iron and carbon
lime, clay, sand and water
the
above plus
gravel
3rd place medal
a band
knives
brick walls
for a path
bronze
brass
steel
cement
concrete
Practice
In a recent nightmare, my grandson was saying to his girlfriend: Tour hands are like
vinyl,
the
skin
on
your
face
is
like
purest
acrylic
and
your hair
is
like real
polystyrene'.
How do you feel about recent changes in the materials that things are made of? Read
the text on the next page. Decide which of the items in the right-hand column have
their advantages and which items in the left-hand column you really prefer. Give
your reasons.
116
Substances, materials and textures
The old
lace handkerchiefs
satin bed-linen
cotton pyjamas
tweed jackets
woollen cardigans
flannel trousers
leather shoes
feather (preferably down) beds
velvet curtains
marble floors
solid wood funiture
(of teak, pine, mahogany, oak)
cast iron pots and pans
china tea-service
porcelain dinner plates
steel cutlery
brown paper
wooden boats
The new
paper tissues
nylon sheets
polyester shirts
denim tops
acrylic sweaters
cord(uroy) slacks
suede uppers, man-made soles
polyurethane-foam pillows
vinyl upholstery
formica worktop, polystyrene tiles
chipboard units
hardboard shelves
stainless steel saucepans
smoked-glass cups
enamel mugs
plastic spoons
polythene bags
fibreglass yachts
[2] Most materials are happy to act as adjectives as well as nouns.
Sheffield
produces
a lot of
steel.
It has
quite
a
large
steel
industry.
I
need
a
steel
bar to put across this cage-door.
Most materials, however, can also add a letter or two to make another adjective
with a different, more figurative meaning.
He gave me a steely look, (a bit like steel)
Cover the second and fourth columns below. Choose nouns to go with the two lists of
adjectives, then see how many of yours are the same as the ones the book suggests.
1 a leather
2 rubber
3 a glass
4 a silk
5 a grass
6 a mud
7 a stone
8 a skin
9 a tin
10 an ice
11 a wire
12 an oil
13 a silver
14 a meat
15 a gold
16 a metal
17 a milk
18 a smoke
19 a wooden
20 a grease
21 a soap
22 a woollen
jacket
gloves
eye
scarf
skirt
hut
wall
disease
drum
cube
coat-hanger
well
chain
pie
tooth
container
bottle
signal
leg
gun
bubble
jumper
a leathery
rubbery
a glassy
silky
a grassy
muddy
a stony
a skinny
a tinny
an icy
a wiry
an oily
silvery
a meaty
a golden
a metallic
a milky
a smoky
a wooden
a greasy
soapy
a woolly
steak
lips
look
hair
slope
boots
silence
person
sound from a cheap radio
stare
marathon runner
rag
hair
discussion
opportunity
voice
complexion
room
actor
rag
water
argument
Note
the two
exceptions:
a
wooden
leg,
a
wooden
actor (unnatural);
a
woollen
jumper,
a
woolly argument (vague, confused).
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Substances, materials and textures
Practice
Discuss or write the answers to these questions.
1 Are precious metals and stones — diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, etc.
— as beautiful as their prices suggest?
2 How have materials for clothes, household goods, furniture etc. changed during
your lifetime? In what ways are these changes for the better and in what ways are
they changes for the worse?
3 What is being done in your country to counter the dangers of certain materials in
use today: asbestos, lead, DDT, nuclear waste, nicotine?
2 Write a paragraph from your latest short story in which the hero, blindfolded,
stumbles through
a
cardboard
box
factory
in an
attempt
to
escape
from
his
pursuers. Describe his feelings as he comes into contact with various substances
and surfaces during the chase.
Add here any more words about substances as you meet them.
118
Colours
There are an enormous number of words and expressions describing colours in
English. A lot are mentioned in this unit. Try to remember and begin to use those of
particular use to you.
Game
[1] You and your partner have been invited to attend a dinner in aid of charity. It is not
an occasion for a suit and an evening dress, but you can't go in jeans and a T-shirt.
Below, for each garment you are going to wear, you are given a choice of four colours.
Choose an outfit for both of you which you think will look attractive.
For him
jacket:
trousers:
tie:
shoes:
For her
skirt:
blouse:
jacket:
tights:
shoes:
navy blue
royal blue
multi-coloured
reddish
deep blue
salmon pink
olive green
flesh-coloured
rust-coloured
white
khaki
yellow
buff
dark brown
fawn
bright orange
peach
crimson
sea green
emerald green
black
russet lavender pale blue
tangerine lilac pearl
mauve rose yellowish
tan bright pink turquoise
violet greeny-blue jet black
You and your partner are going to decorate two of the rooms in a flat. From the
alternatives below, choose a colour scheme for each room.
The kitchen
ceiling:
walls:
tiles:
woodwork:
The bedroom
ceiling:
walls:
woodwork
carpet:
curtains:
pure white
brick red
whitish
reddish-brown
brilliant white
copper
purple
mottled blue and
green
bottle green
greyish
sandy-coloured
pitch black
coffee-coloured
off-white
dazzling white
cream-coloured
golden
silvery grey
light green amber
steel blue lemon
shocking pink brownish
smokey-grey scarlet
lime green
beige
bronze
maroon
indigo
sky blue
chocolate
straw-coloured
charcoal grey
gingery red
Practice
Colours love to be used idiomatically. Cover the column on the right and complete
each sentence with the appropriate colour.
1 He was ... with envy as he watched his friend riding his
new bike.
2 When his father told him later he couldn't have a new bike,
he went... with rage.
3 I'm all... and ... after being in that crowded underground train
for half an hour.
green
purple / white
black, blue
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Colours
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
The student went as ... as a beetroot when the lecturer red
gave her one of his famous ... looks. black
You can be sure to find quite a few ... movies blue
in that... light district. red
I can't really believe that Nero was
as ... as he is painted. black
I
felt sorry
for
those
...
recruits,
getting
Sergeant
green
'Squash 'em' Sanders on their first day.
You're
...!
You're
just
afraid
of
what your
wife
will
do
yellow
to you if you do.
I
feel
so ...
when
I see
you,
hand-in-hand with
blue
another man.
My
fingers
were
...
with
cold
and I
imagine
my
face
blue
was as ... as a sheet. white
I'll need your resignation in ... and ... of course. black, white
She came out of that... comedy about making pies black
from
murder victims with
her
face
a
ghastly
shade
of....
green
You've got to stop looking at the world through ... rose
tinted spectacles, stop considering these matters in
terms of... and ..., and start realising there's a black, white
huge ... area in between. grey
My father-in-law was hundreds of pounds in the ... red
after paying
for our
splendid
...
wedding. white
Each of the concepts on the left can be expressed with a word or phrase that includes
the colour given. Cover the right-hand column and see if you think of each idiom.
Black
1 a person who refuses his union's instructions to strike
2 a member of the family who fails to live up to the
others' standards
3 illegitimate trading, perhaps of goods in short supply
4 a number of people under suspicion, or in danger of
unfavourable treatment
Red
5 caught in the act, in the middle of a crime
6 a special, very important occasion
7 an excessive amount of bureaucracy
8 a very special welcome for a very special guest
Blue
9 very, very rarely
10 suddenly and unexpectedly
11 those doing manual, not clerical or administrative
work
12 someone of noble birth, an aristocrat
a blackleg
a black sheep
the black market
a blacklist
caught red-handed
a red-letter day
red-tape
the red carpet
once in a blue moon
out of the blue
blue-collar workers
someone with
blue
blood
Write or discuss the answers to these questions.
1 Which of the following do you prefer? Why?
a sunrise or sunset?
b April or October?
с black and white photos or colour ones?
d pastel colours in rooms or strong, bright colours?
e paintings by six-, eleven- or sixteen-year-olds?
120