The topic explained
LESSON 1A VOCABULARY AND SPEAKING
- Vocabulary: verbs of movement, travel and transport, idioms related to movement
- I can use verbs and idioms related to movement to talk about travelling.
How people move: hobbled, strode, surged, shuffled
For each sentence, choose the correct form of the verb of movement from the recording to complete it.
1 After hurting his ankle, the footballer ___ off the pitch to get some help.
a hobbled b strode c surged
2 As soon as the train arrived, the crowd ___ forward to try and get on it as quickly as possible.
a wobbled b shuffled c lurched
3 My brother and I lifted up the sofa with some difficulty and ___ across the room with it. It was far heavier than we expected.
a strode b staggered c surged
4 I woke my sister up when I came home and, while still half asleep, she ___ out of her bedroom and asked me where I had been.
a shuffled b strode c lurched
5 Angry at having to wait for so long, my father ___ up to the manager and demanded an explanation.
a shuffled b hobbled c strode
6 Mariam ___ into the room with a tray of tea and cake, terrified of dropping it on the expensive carpet.
a strode b wobbled c surged
7 Shortly after the fire alarm went off , the workers ___ out of the office looking very worried.
a surged b shuffled c wobbled
Movement idioms: complete the sentences
1 There are new roadworks in the town centre, and it is driving motorists up the _ . So you’d better _ clear of the main junction for at least a week.
2 He encountered some obstacles while training to become a pilot. It wasn’t all ___ sailing.
3 It was because of Suha’s commitment that the new rail project was successful. She was the driving ___ behind it.
4 The airline used to have an excellent reputation, but in recent months, it’s been going ___ quickly.
5 Everyone’s furious about the increase in car parking fees. We’re all in the same _ – we have no other option. We know the city needs money, but no one likes to be taken for a _ .
ACTIVE VOCABULARY | Idioms
Idioms: the meaning is not in the words
- Idioms are used mainly in informal or colloquial language.
- It is important not to change any word in an idiom or the meaning is lost.
- It is better not to overuse idioms, as this can sound unnatural.
WATCH OUT!
Travel verbs can mean two things
Think of each verb's literal and figurative meaning, like fly. Then complete the sentences with the verbs, past tense.
1 Reem ___ through her interview to become a tour guide.
2 My cousin ___ himself too hard in his work as a holiday rep and he’ll be ill if he’s not careful.
3 I was so stressed while reading the speech that I ___ over some of the words.
4 We were ___ by the amount of work the children did for their exam.
5 I was late this morning and I ___ down the road to catch the bus with a few seconds to spare.
6 No one can agree about whether or not to install speed bumps, so let’s just ___ that idea for now.
7 He was in such a hurry that he ___ the lights and nearly had a crash.
8 The man was about to tell us not to park outside his house when he realised we were police officers. He ___ very quickly!
