Reading Read the article and find out… a. the writer’s writer’s reason reasons s for wanting wanting to give give up smoking smoking b. the write writer’s r’s reason reasons s why he smokes smokes c. the method the writer has used to try to give up smoking.
I know it’s bad for me, but I still can’t STOP Three packs of cigarettes were lying there on the pavement. I hopped hopped down down from from Yefim Yefim Shuben Shubentso tsov’s v’s office office doorst doorstep, ep, picked picked them up and pocketed them. Later, in a bar, when I opened the first pack, I found – to my delight – the twenty cigarettes intact. I’m still at the bar, telephone in one hand and the cigarettes in the other. I’m dialling Shubentsov, who told me to call the moment I felt the urge to smoke. I feel it, feel it even stronger than I felt Shubentsov’s healing energy. That’s saying something, since Shubentsov is known around the worl world d for for curi curing ng smok smoker ers s of thei theirr nast nasty y habi habit, t, us usin ing g a myst mystic ical al meth method od.. He transmits his healing energy from his fingertips, he tells me – something he picked up from another bloke in Russia. ‘I help you for free,’ he told me in his muddy accent. ‘Just call me whenever.’ I want to see Shubentsov because I think it’s time to stop. Time to stop because I’m getting old, and I can’t keep doing this to myself. But here’s the real problem. I should quit, but like a lot of you struggling with the same habit, I really don’t want to. At least, not yet. Smoking has been very good to me. Cigarettes have never let me down, never abandoned med me on lonely, desperate nights. Smoking clears my head, helps me think. think. Smokin Smoking g has starte started d conver conversat satio ions, ns, driven driven away away annoyi annoying ng people people.. Smoking helps me celebrate victories, get over losses, comfort the comfortless. It also chases away the mosquitoes. mosquitoes. I will quit. Soon. My body and my mind are demanding that I do, daily. I claim to smoke for pleasure, but I realise that slowly, steadily, I’m losing control of this close, special friend. I hate that. I realise it’s not just a ‘habit’. I’m hooked. So here I am, attempting to give up again, at Shubentsov’s place. I’ve tried all the other quitting techniques available. Anytime the urge to smoke strikes, he said, just call him immediately and he’ll help. The funny thing is, I realise that I’m not phoning him to stop me from lighting lighting up. I’m phoning him so I can. If I call, I’ll have done my part. Then I can smoke this cigarette. Besides, I know that at 9.30 on a Friday night, I’ll get the answering machine. I do. ‘The office is open from ten to four. Call back then. This machine does not take messages.’ I put the phone down and I can honestly say I’m relieved. You see, it’s not Shubentsov’s fault or anyone else’s fault that I’m still smoking. It’s mine. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to smoke this cigarette. Whether I’ll really enjoy it, though, is another story.
1.
Work Work wit with h a par partn tner er.. Disc Discus uss s thes these e ques questi tion ons s abou aboutt phra phrasa sall verb verbs. s. a. What What is the diff differ eren ence ce in meani eaning ng betw betwee een n pick pick a book book up and and pick pick a language up? Which meaning is idiomatic? Which meaning is literal? b. What What is the the differ fferen ence ce in meani aning betw etween een I gave ave in and I gav gave my homework in? Which verb is transitive? Which verb is intransitive? intransitive? c. Look sth up is transi transitive tive and separabl separable. e. Which of the follow following ing patterns patterns is not not possible: I looked up the word / I looked the word up / I looked up it / I looked it up? d. Look into into sth is transitive transitive and not separabl separable. e. Which of these these patterns patterns are not possible: I looked into the matter / I looked the matter into / I looked into it / I looked it into? 2. Identify Identify all the phrasal phrasal verbs in the article article.. For each one, one, decide… -
if the the mea meani ning ng is is lit liter eral al or or idio idioma mati tic c if the the ver verb b is tra trans nsit itiv ive e or int intra rans nsit itiv ive e if the the transi transitiv tive e is is sepa separab rable le or or not not separa separable ble
3.
Use an appr Use approp opri riat ate e phra phrasa sall verb verb from from the the arti articl cle e to rewr rewrit ite e the the underlined phrases at the end of these sentences. sentences.
a. b. c. d. e.
The writer writer found found three packs packs of cigarett cigarettes es on the ground ground – he took took them Shubentsov wasn’t wasn’t born with healing healing power in his fingertips – he learnt learnt it Cigarettes Cigarettes have have been good to the writer writer – they’ve they’ve never disapp disappoint ointed ed them Smoking Smoking is helpful helpful with with losses losses – it helps you recover recover from them. them. There’s There’s an answering answering machine machine in Shubentsov’ Shubentsov’s s office – it says ‘telephone ‘telephone me again later.’
4. Comple Complete te the sentenc sentences es by puttin putting g the the object object pronoun pronoun in bracke brackets ts in the correct position. a. b. c. d. e.
I stopped smoking smoking when I saw a film film about it at school. It really put off. (me) Whenever there’s there’s flu going going round round I always always seem to come down with. with. (it) If I catch a cold cold in winter winter it usually usually takes takes me ages ages to shake shake off. (it) (it) My father has has always always been very fit. fit. It’s a pity I don’t take take after. (him) (him) At the end of of a day, the last last thing thing I want to do do is go running running.. I just don’t don’t feel up to. (it) f. I don’t don’t need need to do any any exercise exercise – my kids wear out (me) (me)
Speaking: Identify the phrasal verbs in these statements about health. Try to write a definition about them. Which of them do you relate to most?
a. b. c. d.
I can’t keep keep up with all all the new diets diets that come come out every every year. year. I know I need need to lose lose weight weight but but I keep puttin putting g it off. My problem problem is that that I can’t can’t do without without chocol chocolate ate I wish someone someone would would come up with with a non-fattening non-fattening chocolat chocolate e that tastes tastes as good as the real thing. e. I’m also also trying trying to to cut down down on on caffeine. caffeine. f. I need to to take a new sport sport,, but not not one one that takes up too too much much time. time.
