Advanced - Idiomatic Expressions And Collocations
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1.
What does SUV stand for?
a. b. c.
Super Useful Vehicle Sports Utility Vehicle Safe Use Vehicle
2.
Why are environmentalists opposed to SUVs?
a. b. c.
They are only owned by rich people. They consume much more fuel than ordinary cars. They take up a lot of space in cities.
3.
Why do many Americans defend the use of SUVs?
a. b. c.
They believe people should be free to choose the type of car they drive. They regard buying an SUV as a patriotic act. They don’t care how much fuel they use.
Now look in the text and check your answers.
Match the following idiomatic expressions used in the text with their meanings. 1. gas-guzzling 2. bete noire 3. axles of evil 4. hot-button issue 5. Gotham 6. envirocrazies 7. wall-to-wall
a. b. c. d. e. f. g.
a play on words meaning “unpleasant cars” filling a space completely; everywhere fanatical environmentalists using a huge amount of fuel the favourite target for activists or protesters a very controversial topic another name for New York City, derived from the city in the Batman movies
©Macmillan Publishers Ltd Taken from the News section in www.onestopenglish.com
Axles of evil
need such a huge car? This is not a militarized zone."
Arnold Schwarzenegger has five. Mike Tyson has four. And they account for a third of all car sales in the US. But now environmentalists are going to war against the SUV.
Ron DeFore, the communications director of SUV Owners of America (SUVOA), says if anyone like Weinstock touched his SUV (what others call a four-wheel drive or off-road vehicle), he would "hire a private investigator, track that animal down and get them put in jail for defacement of personal property". He is tired of "envirocrazies" giving Americans a hard time for their vehicle choice and believes their arguments about the environment and safety are bogus. His message to them? "Get on with your life and stop bitching."
It's Tuesday night on the Upper West Side in New York and Adam Weinstock has his work cut out. As we turn the corner on 68th and Lexington, an entire block of sports utility vehicles awaits him. Half car, half truck they have names like Navigators, Excursions, Expeditions, Pathfinders, Cherokees and Escalades names designed to evoke the great outdoors parked in the wealthy heart of densely packed Gotham. Weinstock approaches each one with a critical eye. "You'll notice the front grilles," he says, pointing to the bars framing the bumper. "They're particularly important for all the trees you're going to run into when riding around New York City." And then he slaps them with a fake parking ticket. "Violation: Earth," it says. "Open your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and get honest with yourself . . . Why do you
The SUV is all the rage. Along with its even bigger, uglier, warlike cousin, the Hummer, it makes up almost a third of all the cars sold in America. It has made "light trucks" the most successful category the US car industry has ever known and one of the most profitable. Indeed its popularity is matched only by the controversy it provokes. Its gas-guzzling reputation has made it the bete noire of environmental activists. In
©Macmillan Publishers Ltd Taken from the News section in www.onestopenglish.com
January some SUVs were set alight by protesters in Pennsylvania; in Washington state they have had their windshields smashed; in Massachusetts they were spray-painted with the slogan: "No Blood for Oil". Branded the "axles of evil", they have been the target of a nationwide advertising campaign. They are ticketed in their millions and attract bumper stickers declaring: "As a matter of fact, I do own the road," and "I'm changing the environment, ask me how." The row has transformed the SUV from a car into a national metaphor that envelops just about every hot-button political issue and cultural touchstone from religion to sex, from tax-cuts to the first Gulf War. These are iconic cars for iconic people. The message from SUVOA's founder on its website begins: "Is this a Great Country or What? Yes it is." Why? "Because we have the freedom to own and operate the vehicles of our choice and to express our belief that freedom must not be diminished because some individuals dislike SUVs."
When fighting in Iraq was at its height, Hummer drivers regarded their choice of vehicle as a patriotic act. "When I turn on the TV, I see wall-to-wall Humvees, and I'm proud," Sam Bernstein told the New York Times. "They're not out there in Audi A4s," he said of the troops. Someone who drives an SUV, according to its critics, does not care about the environment. At the heart of this controversy, like so many here in recent years, is America's favourite drug - oil. Federal figures show that four-wheel-drive SUVs average 17.3 miles per gallon and on some larger models that goes down to 12.
Hummers are even worse. In comparison, the average petrol-fuelled saloon manages 30mpg. In a country where, according to the US department of energy, per-capita energy consumption has been about 4.5 times greater than the world average, the debate over SUVs is linked to the broader national debate namely what responsibility America has to the rest of the world and how it should go about fulfilling it. "You could say that the American way is to do what you want when you want," says Weinstock. "But there's another American way where people pull together for the common good and we try to set an
©Macmillan Publishers Ltd Taken from the News section in www.onestopenglish.com
example for the rest of the world." So far the protests have had little effect on the American conscience. Sales of SUVs continue to climb faster than those of any other type of car. One of the reasons that the protesters' entreaties may have converted so few is that while the SUV's fuel consumption makes a big difference to the environment, it has little effect on the wallet. At about $1.67 a gallon (3.8 litres), gasoline in America is so cheap that an extra five miles to the gallon would save the average American only $135 a year. The Guardian Weekly
Match the beginnings with the endings: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Environmentalists are opposed to SUVs because …. The fake parking tickets that protesters place on SUVs …. The communications director of SUVOA believes that …. SUVs are …. The war in Iraq made SUV owners feel that …. In general SUVs … US per-capita energy consumption …. The environmentalists’ protests have fallen on deaf ears because ….
a. … is more than 4 times the world average. b. … the arguments of the environmentalists are false. c. … their choice of car was a patriotic act. d. … they cause more damage to the environment than ordinary cars. e. … consume about 45% more fuel than ordinary cars. f. … the price of fuel is not an issue in the USA. g. … the most successful type of car in US automobile history. h. … question the owners’ need to buy such large vehicles.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Find two words which mean ‘false’. Find a word which means ‘damage’. Find a word which means ‘complaining’. Find a word which means ‘famous’ and ‘representing a particular idea’. Find a word which means ‘critics’ or ‘opponents’. Find a word which means ‘a family car’. Find a two-word expression which means ‘to co-operate’. Find a word which means ‘strong requests’.
©Macmillan Publishers Ltd Taken from the News section in www.onestopenglish.com
Fill the gaps with these verbs from the text. fulfil turn on 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
have express
provoke put
to ____________ an example to ____________ an effect to ____________ someone in jail to ____________ controversy to ____________ a belief to ____________ the TV to ____________ a responsibility to ____________ a difference to ____________ to war
Make a list of the points for and against owning SUVs. Should the sale of large cars be banned?
©Macmillan Publishers Ltd Taken from the News section in www.onestopenglish.com
make set
go
1
What do you know?
4
1. b 2. b 3. a 2
3
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Idiomatic Expressions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
d e a f g c b
Comprehension Check 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
d h b g c e a f
©Macmillan Publishers Ltd Taken from the News section in www.onestopenglish.com
Find the Word
5
fake; bogus defacement bitching iconic protesters saloon pull together entreaties
Collocations 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
set have put provoke express turn on fulfil make go
What does SUV stand for?
a. b. c.
Super Useful Vehicle Sports Utility Vehicle Safe Use Vehicle
2.
Why are environmentalists opposed to SUVs?
a. b. c.
They are only owned by rich people. They consume much more fuel than ordinary cars. They take up a lot of space in cities.
3.
Why do many Americans defend the use of SUVs?
a. b. c.
They believe people should be free to choose the type of car they drive. They regard buying an SUV as a patriotic act. They don’t care how much fuel they use.
Now look in the text and check your answers.
Match the following idiomatic expressions used in the text with their meanings. 1. gas-guzzling 2. bete noire 3. axles of evil 4. hot-button issue 5. Gotham 6. envirocrazies 7. wall-to-wall
a. b. c. d. e. f. g.
a play on words meaning “unpleasant cars” filling a space completely; everywhere fanatical environmentalists using a huge amount of fuel the favourite target for activists or protesters a very controversial topic another name for New York City, derived from the city in the Batman movies
©Macmillan Publishers Ltd Taken from the News section in www.onestopenglish.com
Axles of evil
need such a huge car? This is not a militarized zone."
Arnold Schwarzenegger has five. Mike Tyson has four. And they account for a third of all car sales in the US. But now environmentalists are going to war against the SUV.
Ron DeFore, the communications director of SUV Owners of America (SUVOA), says if anyone like Weinstock touched his SUV (what others call a four-wheel drive or off-road vehicle), he would "hire a private investigator, track that animal down and get them put in jail for defacement of personal property". He is tired of "envirocrazies" giving Americans a hard time for their vehicle choice and believes their arguments about the environment and safety are bogus. His message to them? "Get on with your life and stop bitching."
It's Tuesday night on the Upper West Side in New York and Adam Weinstock has his work cut out. As we turn the corner on 68th and Lexington, an entire block of sports utility vehicles awaits him. Half car, half truck they have names like Navigators, Excursions, Expeditions, Pathfinders, Cherokees and Escalades names designed to evoke the great outdoors parked in the wealthy heart of densely packed Gotham. Weinstock approaches each one with a critical eye. "You'll notice the front grilles," he says, pointing to the bars framing the bumper. "They're particularly important for all the trees you're going to run into when riding around New York City." And then he slaps them with a fake parking ticket. "Violation: Earth," it says. "Open your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and get honest with yourself . . . Why do you
The SUV is all the rage. Along with its even bigger, uglier, warlike cousin, the Hummer, it makes up almost a third of all the cars sold in America. It has made "light trucks" the most successful category the US car industry has ever known and one of the most profitable. Indeed its popularity is matched only by the controversy it provokes. Its gas-guzzling reputation has made it the bete noire of environmental activists. In
©Macmillan Publishers Ltd Taken from the News section in www.onestopenglish.com
January some SUVs were set alight by protesters in Pennsylvania; in Washington state they have had their windshields smashed; in Massachusetts they were spray-painted with the slogan: "No Blood for Oil". Branded the "axles of evil", they have been the target of a nationwide advertising campaign. They are ticketed in their millions and attract bumper stickers declaring: "As a matter of fact, I do own the road," and "I'm changing the environment, ask me how." The row has transformed the SUV from a car into a national metaphor that envelops just about every hot-button political issue and cultural touchstone from religion to sex, from tax-cuts to the first Gulf War. These are iconic cars for iconic people. The message from SUVOA's founder on its website begins: "Is this a Great Country or What? Yes it is." Why? "Because we have the freedom to own and operate the vehicles of our choice and to express our belief that freedom must not be diminished because some individuals dislike SUVs."
When fighting in Iraq was at its height, Hummer drivers regarded their choice of vehicle as a patriotic act. "When I turn on the TV, I see wall-to-wall Humvees, and I'm proud," Sam Bernstein told the New York Times. "They're not out there in Audi A4s," he said of the troops. Someone who drives an SUV, according to its critics, does not care about the environment. At the heart of this controversy, like so many here in recent years, is America's favourite drug - oil. Federal figures show that four-wheel-drive SUVs average 17.3 miles per gallon and on some larger models that goes down to 12.
Hummers are even worse. In comparison, the average petrol-fuelled saloon manages 30mpg. In a country where, according to the US department of energy, per-capita energy consumption has been about 4.5 times greater than the world average, the debate over SUVs is linked to the broader national debate namely what responsibility America has to the rest of the world and how it should go about fulfilling it. "You could say that the American way is to do what you want when you want," says Weinstock. "But there's another American way where people pull together for the common good and we try to set an
©Macmillan Publishers Ltd Taken from the News section in www.onestopenglish.com
example for the rest of the world." So far the protests have had little effect on the American conscience. Sales of SUVs continue to climb faster than those of any other type of car. One of the reasons that the protesters' entreaties may have converted so few is that while the SUV's fuel consumption makes a big difference to the environment, it has little effect on the wallet. At about $1.67 a gallon (3.8 litres), gasoline in America is so cheap that an extra five miles to the gallon would save the average American only $135 a year. The Guardian Weekly
Match the beginnings with the endings: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Environmentalists are opposed to SUVs because …. The fake parking tickets that protesters place on SUVs …. The communications director of SUVOA believes that …. SUVs are …. The war in Iraq made SUV owners feel that …. In general SUVs … US per-capita energy consumption …. The environmentalists’ protests have fallen on deaf ears because ….
a. … is more than 4 times the world average. b. … the arguments of the environmentalists are false. c. … their choice of car was a patriotic act. d. … they cause more damage to the environment than ordinary cars. e. … consume about 45% more fuel than ordinary cars. f. … the price of fuel is not an issue in the USA. g. … the most successful type of car in US automobile history. h. … question the owners’ need to buy such large vehicles.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Find two words which mean ‘false’. Find a word which means ‘damage’. Find a word which means ‘complaining’. Find a word which means ‘famous’ and ‘representing a particular idea’. Find a word which means ‘critics’ or ‘opponents’. Find a word which means ‘a family car’. Find a two-word expression which means ‘to co-operate’. Find a word which means ‘strong requests’.
©Macmillan Publishers Ltd Taken from the News section in www.onestopenglish.com
Fill the gaps with these verbs from the text. fulfil turn on 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
have express
provoke put
to ____________ an example to ____________ an effect to ____________ someone in jail to ____________ controversy to ____________ a belief to ____________ the TV to ____________ a responsibility to ____________ a difference to ____________ to war
Make a list of the points for and against owning SUVs. Should the sale of large cars be banned?
©Macmillan Publishers Ltd Taken from the News section in www.onestopenglish.com
make set
go
1
What do you know?
4
1. b 2. b 3. a 2
3
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Idiomatic Expressions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
d e a f g c b
Comprehension Check 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
d h b g c e a f
©Macmillan Publishers Ltd Taken from the News section in www.onestopenglish.com
Find the Word
5
fake; bogus defacement bitching iconic protesters saloon pull together entreaties
Collocations 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
set have put provoke express turn on fulfil make go
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