Praticar o Inglês - Nº 2013-9

THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK IS ABOUT "TRAIN IDIOMS"

1.1. Exercise A

Read the following text:

Trains run on railway tracks which are made up of rails. Trains cannot climb hills easily, so in the past tunnels were built through hills and mountains. If a train is derailed, it comes off the rails. At the end of the railway line, usually in a station are buffers. Sometimes, if a train does not stop in time, it hits the buffers. The first trains were steam trains, but today they are more likely to be diesel or electric. Very fast trains are called express trains.

PART A:
Use some of the words in the passage above to complete these idioms:

light at the end of the ?????
a one-???? mind
under my own ?????
hit the ?????
ran out of ????
right off the ????
back on ?????
let off ?????
on the right ?????
like an ???? train

1.2 Answers exercise A

PART A:

Use some of the words in the passage above to complete these idioms:

light at the end of the TUNNEL
a one-TRACK mind
under my own STEAM
hit the BUFFERS
ran out of STEAM
right off the RAILS

back on TRACK
let off STEAM
on the right TRACK
like an EXPRESS train

2.1 Exercise B

Use the idioms above in the following situations.

1. The Government's first 2 years were very successful, but then everything seemed to hit the ????.
2. I don't need a lift, thanks Alex. I'll get there ?????.
3. We want to design a cheap, eco-friendly car. There are one or two problems but basically we're ????
4. Our business has had a difficult few years but things are starting to improve. There's ?????.
5. The Conservative Party lost the election. Their campaign started well but it just ???? a week before the election.
6. Since his girlfriend left him, Paul's lost his job and is drinking heavily. He's really gone ????.
7. My boyfriend Tom just thinks about football all the time. He's so boring. He's got a ?????
8.Alex: Would you like a game of tennis tonight, Paul?
Paul: Yes, I'd love to. I've had a really stressful week at work. I need to ?????

9.Alex: How are things at work after the fire?
Paul: It's taken us 3 months to sort everything out but things are ????? now.

10.Alex: Did you see the football last night? What about Ronaldo's goal?
Paul: He's incredible. He's so fast, he's ?????. There's no stopping him.

2.2 Exercise B - answers

Use the idioms above in the following situations.

1. The Government's first 2 years were very successful, but then everything seemed to hit the BUFFERS.
2. I don't need a lift, thanks Alex. I'll get there UNDER MY OWN STEAM.
3. We want to design a cheap, eco-friendly car. There are one or two problems but basically we're ON THE RIGHT TRACK
4. Our business has had a difficult few years but things are starting to improve. There's LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.
5. The Conservative Party lost the election. Their campaign started well but it just RAN OUT OF STEAM a week before the election.
6. Since his girlfriend left him, Paul's lost his job and is drinking heavily. He's really gone RIGHT OFF THE RAILS.
7. My boyfriend Tom just thinks about football all the time. He's so boring. He's got a ONE TRACK MIND!
8.
Alex: Would you like a game of tennis tonight, Paul?
Paul: Yes, I'd love to. I've had a really stressful week at work. I need to LET OFF STEAM

9.
Alex: How are things at work after the fire?
Paul: It's taken us 3 months to sort everything out but things are BACK ON TRACK now.

10.
Alex: Did you see the football last night? What about Ronaldo's goal?
Paul: He's incredible. He's so fast, he's LIKE AN EXPRESS TRAIN. There's no stopping him.

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