CONDITIONALS - REVISION

Conditional 0

Situations that are always true if something happens.

This use is similiar to, and can usually be replaced by, a time clause using 'when' (example: When I am late, my father takes me to school.)

If I am late, my father takes me to school.
She doesn't worry if Jack stays out after school.

Conditional 0 is formed by the use of the present simple in the if clause followed by a comma the present simple in the result clause. You can also put the result clause first without using a comma between the clauses.

If he comes to town, we have dinner.
OR
We have dinner if he comes to town.

Conditional 1

Often called the "real" conditional because it is used for real - or possible - situations. These situations take place if a certain condition is met.

NOTE

In the conditional 1 we often use unless which means 'if ... not'. In other words, '...unless he hurries up.' could also be written, '...if he doesn't hurry up.'.

If it rains, we will stay at home.
He will arrive late unless he hurries up.
Peter will buy a new car, if he gets his raise.

Conditional 1 is formed by the use of the present simple in the if clause followed by a comma will verb (base form) in the result clause. You can also put the result clause first without using a comma between the clauses.

If he finishes on time, we will go to the movies.
OR
We will go to the movies if he finishes on time.

Conditional 2

Often called the "unreal" conditional because it is used for unreal - impossible or improbable - situations. This conditional provides an imaginary result for a given situation.

NOTE

The verb 'to be', when used in the 2nd conditional, is always conjugated as 'were'.

If he studied more, he would pass the exam.
I would lower taxes if I were the President.
They would buy a new house if they had more money.

Conditional 2 is formed by the use of the past simple in the if clause followed by a comma would verb (base form) in the result clause. You can also put the result clause first without using a comma between the clauses.

If they had more money, they would buy a new house.
OR
They would buy a new house if they had more money.

Conditional 3

Often referred to as the "past" conditional because it concerns only past situations with hypothetical results. Used to express a hypothetical result to a past given situation.

If he had known that, he would have decided differently.
Jane would have found a new job if she had stayed in Boston.

Conditional 3 is formed by the use of the past perfect in the if clause followed by a comma would have past participle in the result clause. You can also put the result clause first without using a comma between the clauses.

If Alice had won the competition, life would have changed OR Life would have changed if Alice had won the competition.

Need some more practice? Here you can find some exercises:

Various types
Mixed conditionals
Conditionals test
Conditionals - quiz

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE - THINKING BIG

1) Before watching the video read the extract of an article from The Economist and you will find out why robots are not as smart as humans.

Poor eyesight remains one of the main obstacles to letting robots loose among humans. But it is improving, in part by aping natural vision

ROBOTS are getting smarter and more agile all the time. They disarm bombs, fly combat missions, put together complicated machines, even play football.Why, then, one might ask, are they nowhere to be seen, beyond war zones, factories and technology fairs? One reason is that they themselves cannot see very well. And people are understandably wary of purblind contraptions bumping into them willy-nilly in the street or at home.

All that a camera-equipped computer “sees” is lots of picture elements, or pixels. A pixel is merely a number reflecting how much light has hit a particular part of a sensor. The challenge has been to devise algorithms that can interpret such numbers as scenes composed of different objects in space. This comes naturally to people and, barring certain optical illusions, takes no time at all as well as precious little conscious effort. Yet emulating this feat in computers has proved tough.

In natural vision, after an image is formed in the retina it is sent to an area at the back of the brain, called the visual cortex, for processing. The first nerve cells it passes through react only to simple stimuli, such as edges slanting at particular angles. They fire up other cells, further into the visual cortex, which react to simple combinations of edges, such as corners. Cells in each subsequent area discern ever more complex features, with those at the top of the hierarchy responding to general categories like animals and faces, and to entire scenes comprising assorted objects. All this takes less than a tenth of a second.

Here you can find vocabulary which might help you to understand better the text:

ape - to copy something or someone badly and unsuccessfully

purblind - having poor vision; nearly or partly blind.

wary of sth - not completely trusting or certain about something or someone, e.g. I'm a bit wary of/about giving people my address when I don't know them very well.

willy-nilly - a) if something happens willy-nilly, it happens whether the people who are involved want it to happen or not, e.g. Both sides were drawn, willy-nilly, into the conflict.

b) without any order

emulate - to copy something achieved by someone else and try to do it as well as they have

contraption - a device or machine that looks awkward or old-fashioned, especially one that you do not know how to use

2) Before watching the video have a look at the following vocabulary:

to send a shiver downone's spine - a frightened or excited feeling, e.g. At its most terrifying, his writing sends shivers up and down my spine.

nimble - quick and exact either in movement or thoughts

to be endowed with sth - to have a particular quality or feature

Some lucky people are endowed with both brains and beauty.

3) Watch the following programme on artificial intelligence and decide whether the following statements are true or false:

1) Today's robots can be compared to toddlers.
2) The aim of the STAR project is to build robots for companies.
3) Writing algorithms to make machines more intelligent is fairly simple.
4) Programmers need to have a deep understanding of both computer science and robotics.
5) Robots are endowed with extra senses which humans do not have.
6) STAR robots have to be able to recognize the colours of objects.
7) When it comes to learning , numbers function as rewards.
8) Human brain has 11 mln neurons.
9) The knowledge of the human brain is necessary to develop a new generation of smart machines.
10) Machines will soon exert significant influence over our day-to-day existence.

WHAT ARE IDIOMS?

The English language is full of idioms (over 15,000). Native speakers of English use idioms all the time, often without realising that they are doing so. This means that communication with native speakers of English can be quite a confusing experience.

What is an idiom?

An idiom is a group of words which, when used together, has a different meaning from the one which the individual words have. For example:

- How do you know about John's illness?

- Oh, I heard it on the grapevine.

Of course, the second speaker does not mean he heard the news about John by putting his ear to a grapevine! He is conveying the idea of information spreading around a widespread network, visually similar to a grapevine.

We use idioms to express something that other words do not express as clearly or as cleverly. We often use an image or symbol to describe something as clearly as possible and thus make our point as effectively as possible. For example, "in a nutshell" suggests the idea of having all the information contained within very few words. Idioms tend to be informal and are best used in spoken rather than written English.

How can I learn idioms?

It is best to learn idioms as you do vocabulary. In other words, select and actively learn idioms which will be useful to you. Write the idiom in a relevant and practical sentence so that you will be able to remember its meaning easily. If you can, record the idioms in your file and on a card along with other words and idioms which have similar meanings.

Here you can find some exercises on idioms:

Exercise 1: Idioms Quiz
Exercise 2: Body Idioms Quiz
Exercise 3: Money Idioms

List of various idioms

If you can't make head or tail of the exercises, you can always consult the Cambridge Idioms Dictionary!

KOREA EXCELS IN SHIPBUILDING

Before watching the video have a look at the following vocabulary, which might help you to understand it better:

to be on the ropes - doing badly and likely to fail

to streamline - to improve the effectiveness of an organization such as a business or government, often by making the way activities are performed simpler

mammoth - extremely large

snap at one's heels - to compete strongly with someone and have a chance of soon defeating or replacing them

franatic - done or arranged in a hurry and a state of excitement or confusion

gargantuan - very large

to rest on your laurels - to be satisfied with your achievements and not to make an effort to do anything else




1. Watch the video on Korea's shibuilding industry and fill in the gaps:

a) The Hyundai shiyard is absolutely ........... and it spans out over ............
Parts of ships are .......... together using robots and lasers.
b) South Korean shipuilders got off the ground in ............
c) Hyundai shipyard quickly became a huge success by using .......... ........... and a nearly ........... work ethic.
d) Hyundai is also moving into vessels that can double as ......... ........... and is starting to build this ............ ships on land.
e) One of the sophisticated sytems dveloped by Koreans is LNG system, where gas is frozen at ....... C with an incredible safety control system.
f) Koreans are more ............. than Europeans to shipbuilding programs involving complex technology.
g) Chinese yards may be referred to as more ........ shipbuilding technology incomarison to Koreans.
h) Korean shipyards have not fully developed .............. technology.
i) Only ......... of the workers in Hyundai shiyard are its employees.


1a) Why is China a threat? What reasons for that are mentioned?
1b) How serious is the Chinese threat? Is China likely to surpass Korea?
2) What are the weaknesses of the Korean shipbuilding industry? What has to be done to maintain the top position?
3) What is the main advantage Korea has over China?

GOLD MINING

Exercise 1: Watch the following video about gold mining and fill in the gaps:

1a.Gold has ............. a strong come back among investors.
1b. Mining is a ........... business as mineral deposits contain a certain amount of ore and when that ore runs out, the deposit is .................
2. St. Andrew Goldfields is focused on .............. of mines across the world.
3.Thanks to the property in Timmins the company can cost their ......... on new developments further afield.
4. It is anticipated that Timmons Stock Gold Complex will be developed within the next ............ years.
5. A key objective is to increase production from all the ........... .............. and to produce up to ............ per day

Why is acquisition strategy essential to mining companies?

TONGUE TWISTERS

Exercise 1: If you want to practice you pronunciation and have fun at the same time, you can try out tongue twisters:

1. She sells sea shells by the sea shore. The shells she sells are sea shells. I'm sure.

2. Six sick slick slim sycamore saplings.

3. A Tutor who tooted a flute. Tried to tutor two tooters to toot.

4. Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.

5. Six thick thistle sticks. Six thick thistles stick.

6. Which witch wished which wicked wish?

7. Thank the other three brothers of their father's mother's brother's side.

8. A pleasant place to place a plaice is a place where a plaice is pleased to be placed.

9. Cows graze in groves on grass which grows in grooves in groves.

10. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck could chuck wood?

You can find and listen to some more examples here.

DOCUMENTARY ON STEVE JOBS

1. Watch the documentary about Steve Jobs and decide whether the following statements are true or false:

1. Steve Jobs met Steve Wozniak at college.
2. Steve Jobs graduated from Reed College In Portland.
3. Wozniak convinced Jobs to become his business partner.
4. IBM entered the personal computing market in 1989.
5. A computer called Lisa was a commercial success.
6. When launched Mackintosh was less expensive the IBM alternatives.
7. Jobs left Apple beacuse of Scally.
8. By 1996 Apple’s market share continued to decrease due to lack of innovation.
9. Jobs returned to Apple after a nine-year absence.
10. The success of iPod affected Mackintosh sales.