Personal Growth and English Vocabulary
Unit 3: Take the Initiative
Take the initiative, live your own life (vive tu propia vida), play it safe (estar a salvo), take the easy option, rise to challenges (desafiar), overcome setbacks (superar obstaculos). Take charge of your own life; don’t just sit back (mirarlo de lejos); it’s up to you (tu decides). Are you cynical (cínico), optimistic, realistic, generous, pessimistic, selfish, kind, proactive (active), sensible (sensato), mean (tacaño), rash (impulsivo), sensitive (sensible), nasty (desagradable), or reactive (respondon)?
Alive: (vivo) alive and kicking (vivito y coleando), get a life, life, lifelike (natural), live (vivo/vivir), lively (animado), liven up (animar), the life and soul of the party.
DO: a favor, good, harm, lots of things, the housework, your best, your homework.
MAKE: a fuss, a mistake, an effort, plans, the bed, the most of something.
Unit 4: Vocabulary and Grammar
Account for (explicar), clear up (resolver), far-fetched (inverosimil), get to the bottom of (llegar al fondo), hoax (broma de mal gusto), odd (raro), rule out (descartar), unsettling (perturbador), weird (extraño).
Movement Verbs: Crawl (gatear), limp (ir cojo), rush (rapidamente), stroll (lentamente), tread (pisar), wander (pasear).
Adjectives: Amazing (increíble), amazed (fascinado), annoying (irritante), annoyed (molesto), confusing (confuso), confused (confundido), embarrassing (vergonzoso), embarrassed (avergonzado), engrossing (atractivo), engrossed (absorto), frightening (aterrador), frightened (asustado), intriguing (intrigante), intrigued (intrigrado), motivating (motivador), motivated (motivado), stunning (imponente), stunned (estupefacto).
Phrasal Verbs:
- Put up with – tolerate
- Run down – criticize
- Get down to – begin
- Get round – persuade
- Put off – postpone
- Keep on – continue
Relative Pronouns: Who, which, that, where, whose, when, why.
A Strange Encounter
The night was cold, and a thick fog hung outside, which I could see from my window. There was a knock on my door. I woke up to see a strange-looking boy before me, with two antenna-like objects sticking out of his head, above a hairy body. I was scared, and I screamed in fright, but he said something in an alien language and gesticulated with his hands, indicating that he meant no harm. Sensing that I was frightened, he gave me a translator to put on my ears that would allow me to understand his language. He talked to me about life on Mars, telling me that it is much bigger than our planet Earth, having its own solar system. They don’t eat, for they survive on noble gases that are in abundance. He carefully tried to convince me to go to Mars, saying that life there would be better than on Earth. But I refused, and he decided to go to convince more humans.
Formal Letter: Job Application
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing in connection with the position of monitor to work directly with campers for the summer. To begin with, I have worked in many places with children of different ages, and I have a lot of experience in summer camps. Furthermore, I worked as a monitor in a swimming camp in London last summer. In addition, I am in very good physical shape because, when I was a child, I practiced a lot of sports. I am also very friendly and kind with other people.
I would be very interested in the opportunity to work at your summer camps. I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed if you choose me.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
[Name]