Presenter: Could you tell us then, what exactly was found on the expedition?

Richard Roberts: Well, as you’ve mentioned, we Australian and also Indonesian researchers have discovered the actual skeleton of a miniature human and some (2) … in a cave on Flores, an island (3) … . This little human we’ve called the «hobbit» because her structure reminded us of the creatures from the Lord of Rings books. Her original skeleton stood at just one meter tall and weighed about twenty five kilograms. She was around 30 years old at the time of her death which occurred 18,000 years ago. This tiny female «hobbit» was found in the same area on Flores that contained (4) … of dwarf elephants, giant rodents, and even huge lizards called Komodo dragons.

Presenter: That’s really fascinating! So what did these «hobbits»actually look like?

Richard Roberts: From what we can tell, they were about the size of a three-year-old child, but with a skull only one-third as large. They had (5) … but a more narrow forehead, thicker eyebrows and no chin.

Presenter: Not very attractive according to modern standards, were they? Can scientists say anything about their way of life?

Richard Roberts: Certainly. While they might not look like modern people, some of their behaviour was surprisingly human.These little people of Flores (6) … and hunted animals, particularly the stegodon.This primitive dwarf elephant could be found on the island at that time and, although small, was still quite heavy at 1,000 kilograms. For the tiny «hobbit» hunter, this beast would have been a challenge so they also included in their diet: fish, frogs, snakes, tortoises, birds, and rodents.

Presenter: I wonder how and why the «hobbits» came to be so small. Have you got any explanations for this?

Richard Roberts: When scientists discovered the tiny skeleton, they thought it was (7) … . At the time, there was no record of human adults that were that small. Modern Pygmies are considerably taller, at about 1.4 to 1.5 meters tall. The most likely explanation is that, over thousands of years, the species became smaller because the environmental conditions of the island demanded (8) … . Islands provide only a limited food supply and the few species that live there are competing for the same territory. Survival would then depend on (9) … . But there is no absolute proof that this is what in fact happened with this small human.

Presenter: And my last question for today’s programme: Could you tell us why this discovery is so important?

Richard Roberts: These «hobbits» were nobody’s fool. They survived alongside us for at least 30,000 years. However different they were from us, they were still managing some extraordinary things and all with a brain size only one-third the size of ours. They were not only producing sophisticated stone tools and hunting pygmy elephants, but they were also (10) … to reach their island from mainland Asia. They, in fact, present an intriguing problem in evolutionary biology. I could not have predicted such a discovery in a million years. This find shows us how much we still have to learn abou human evolution.

(Nobody’s fool – clever and with a lot of life experience so that you aren’t easily tricked by others)

XVII. Look through the interview again and count all cases of the verbs in the Present Perfect tense.

XVIII. Read how Angela and Paul are discussing the radio programme and fill in the gaps with the expressions from the “Dialogue vocabulary”. Then listen to the recording and practice saying the sentences:

Angela: (1) … the latest programme “Prehistoric Journeys”? I watched it with interest (2) … the discovery they described is of great scientific importance.

Paul: Yes, that’s my feeling too. (3) … I was so impressed… I had never thought such civilizationscould have ever existed on our planet. (4) … that’s almost like a science fiction story?

Angela: (5) … with that. On the contrary, the discovery is based on historical artefacts and the results of serious research.

Paul: (6) … . Skeletons found by scientists helped them describe the “hobbits” and their way of life. And … (7) … ?

“Dialogue vocabulary”:What do/did you think/feel?

…what’s your opinion?

Do/Would you agree ….?

The reason why … is/was …

… because it seems/seemed to me …

… because I really do think …

Yes, that’s my feeling too.

That’s a very good point.

I’m afraid I don’t agree.

We both agreed/thought/felt …

We couldn’t agree/decide because …

Our opinions are different: … thinks …

And I believe that …

XIX. Read and translate the words and the sentences in the table. Pay attention to the words in bold. What parts of speech are they?

XX. Look through the verbs below and say which of them have the same form as their noun equivalents. Check your answers in the dictionaryif necessary:

Show, discover, challenge, explain, prove, diet, answer, evolve, surprise, present, dance, study

XXI. Make up sentences using the words above

Part II

XXII. Modal verbs + Present Perfect = expressing degrees of probability in the past:

Модальные глаголы + настоящее совершенное время = выражение уверенности (различной степени) в прошлом:

Must

may / might + have + V-3 (V-ed)

Can / could

Can’t / couldn’t

XXIII. Use — must; may / might; can / could or can’t/ couldn’t — plus the correct form of the verb in these sentences. The first sentence is done for you:

1. Has Flora been at school today? - She … (be) at school. The school year started yesterday.

Has Flora been at school today? - She must have been at school. The school year started yesterday.

2. I’m absolutely sure! They … (arrive) yesterday. I saw their tickets.

3. The course … (begin) on the fifth of September but I’m not so certain about it.

4. You are joking! Nick … (not go) to Moscow last week. He’s supposed to be at work now.

5. Flora … (come) from the expedition, but I’m not sure.

6. It … (not be) the skeleton of a human adult: it was too tiny!

7. We … (take) the wrong turn. We should be there by now.

8. The skeleton … (not weigh) 25 kilos: the tiny female was 30 years old!

9. These little people … (not hunt) animals that weighed 1,000 kilos.

10. They … (not miss) their train. Otherwise they would be here by now.

11. It … (not be) Angela who answered the phone because she’s away.

12. I can’t find my cat anywhere. It … (not get out) through the window. The opening is too small.

XXIV. Match the facts and the reasons that can/could/may/might/must have caused them:

XXV. Jim was accused of misbehaviour. You don’t believe the statements below at all. Invent some arguments to prove that he can’t have done those things.

Example:It was Jim who smashed the electric bulb in the school corridor. – Jim can’t have done it because he left school at 4 pm and the bulb was still OK by half past four.

1. It was Jim who started the argument during the Science class.

2. It was Jim who covered the wall with graffiti.

3. I’m sure it was Jim who spoilt the pie with salt and pepper.

4. It must be Jim who broke the tree in the yard.

XXVI. Work in pairs. Discuss the statements. Use different modal verbs to say how certain you are about them. Then give your reasons:

1. People lived in the Arctic territories in prehistoric times.

2. The pyramids in Egypt were built by aliens.

3. Humans evolved from apes.

4. In the past there was only one continent on Earth.

5. … your own idea.

Part III

XXVII. Revise the Past Perfect Tense:

Прошедшее совершенное время (The Past Perfect Tense) обозначает действие, которое завершилось к определенному моменту в прошлом. Этот момент может быть выражен обстоятельством времени с предлогом by или союзами before (до того, как), after (после того, как) в придаточных предложениях с глаголом в Past Simple. Форма образуется с помощью глагола to have в прошедшем времени и причастием прошедшего времени от смыслового глагола:

I had studied the rule by 5 o’clock. I had studied the rule by the time you came. I had done it when you came. You came after I had done it. I had done it before you came. I bought the book he had recommended. He said he had done it.

XXVIII. Complete the sentences, using the Past Perfect Tense. The first one is done for you:

1. By the time we went outside to play football, it had already started raining.

2. Angela asked Flora if she (read) the book about the Mayan civilization.

3. I had to stay at hospital because I (break/my leg) playing football.

4. Flora’s dad (take part) in lots of expeditions before he came to the Olhon Island.

5. When Angela met Flora she just (come back) from the expedition.

6. Flora said they (find) the traces of ancientpeople.

7. I didn’t pass my English test because I (not prepare) for it properly.

8. Nick couldn’t get into the house because he (lose) his key.

9. By the time we got to Ann’s place, the guests already (leave).

10. Researchers learnt about the collapse of Mayan civilization centures after the climate change (cause) it.

11. I knew the actor well as I (see) him in many plays.

12. Robert was late for the lecture because he (miss) the 8 o’clock bus.

XXIX. One of the most world-known phenomenon in the sphere of ship-building was the Titanic. Read the text paying attention to the verbs in the Past Perfect Tense:

Pay attention to the words:

1. to sink (sank, sunk) – тонуть

2. to carry (carried, carried) – везти ; нести

3. to save (saved, saved) – спасать

4. safe – безопасный

5. a steamship company – пароходная компания

6. lifeboat drill – испытание спасательных лодок

In 1912, the Titanic hit an iceberg on its trip across the Atlantic, and it sank four hours later. At that time, the Titanic was the largest ship that had ever travelled on the sea. It was carrying 2207 people, but it had taken on enough lifeboats for only 1178 people. When the passengers tried to leave the ship, only 651 of them were able to get into lifeboats.

The Carpathia was 58 miles away when the Titanic called on its radio for help. It arrived two hours after the great ship had gone away, and it saved 705 people. Some of the survivors had been in the icy water for hours when they were saved. Most of the passengers hadn’t lived that long. 1502 people had lost their lives.

Why was there such a great loss of life? Why were there so few survivors?

Firts of all, nobody had prepared for such a tragedy. Nobody had believed that the Titanic could sink. The steamship company had thought that its ship would be completely safe in all situations. They’d followed an old rule for the number of lifiboats, so they’d supplied lifeboats for only half the people.

The passengers had not yet received their lifeboat numbers, nor had they practised lifeboat drill before the accident. Many of them had not even dressed warmly, for the ship had hit the iceberg at night, and they didn’t believe they were in danger.

XXX. Agree or disagree:

1. After the Titanic had sunk it hit an iceberg.

2. The Titanic had sunk before the Carpathia arrived.

3. Most passengers had saved on lifeboats by the time the ship sank.

4. By the time the Carpathia arrived 2207 people had lost their lives.

5. Nobody had thought that the great ship could sink.

6. Before the accident all the Titanic passengers had practised lifeboats.

7. Before the ship hit the iceberg everybody had dressed warmly.

8. The people had not been long in the icy water when they were saved.

9. The steamship company had supplied lifeboats for all the passengers.

10. The passengers had not had their lifeboat numbers.

XXXI. Study the example of asking questions of different types in the Past Perfect Tense:

The Titanic had sunk before the Carpathia arrived.

a) general question: Had the Titanic sunk before the Carpathia arrived?

b) alternative question: Had the Titanic sunk or not before the Carpathia arrived?

c) special question: What had happened before the Carpathia arrived?

d) disjunctive question: The Titanic had sunk before the Carpathia arrived, hadn’t it?

XXXII. Ask the questions of different types to the following sentence:

Ann had revised all grammar rules by the English test yesterday.

Part IV

XXXIII. Revise the Future Perfect Tense:

Будущее совершенное время (the Future Perfect Tense) обозначает действие, которое завершится к определенному моменту в будущем. Этот момент может быть выражен обстоятельством времени с предлогом by или придаточным времени с глаголом в Present Simple. Форма образуется с помощью глагола to have в будущем времени и причастия прошедшего времени от смыслового глагола:

He will have studied the rule by 5 o’clock tomorrow. He will have studied the rule by the time you come. He will have studied the rule when you come.

XXXIV. Use the verbs in brackets in the Future Perfect Tense:

1. When Tom arrives, Jim (go) to bed.

2. By the time the Carpathia arrives, the Titanic (sink).

3. By the time she comes back to Irkutsk, Flora (read) the book.

4. Next month we (study) in the college exactly one year.

5. By the time Flora passes her exams, her dad (leave) for excavations.

6. When the twins get up tomorrow morning, their mum (make) them breakfast.

7. By the time you graduate from the university, I (start) working.

8. By the end of the next year I (revise) all English grammar.

9. Before the end of this winter holiday he (spend) all his money.

10. Don’t worry! When the classes are over, the rain(stop).

XXXV. Study the example of asking questions of different types in the Future Perfect tense:

It will have stopped raining by the time the plane lands.

a) general question: Will it have stopped raining by the time the plane lands?

b) alternative question: Will it have stopped or started raining by the time the plane lands?

c) special question: When will it have stopped raining?

d) disjunctive question: It willhave stopped raining by the time the plane lands, won’t it?

XXXVI. Ask questions of different types to the following sentence:

By the end of the summer Flora will have already come back from the expedition.

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