We only employ workers born under specific star signs, says insurance company
By Mail Foreign Service
Read the article here.
1. KEY WORDS – PART 1
Match the words and the synonyms.
recruit, constellation, claim, the authorities, superstition, gender, race, limitation
1. enlist, enrol, obtain
2. administration, government
3. control
4. a group of stars in the sky
5. belief that is not based on reason or the known laws of science
6. sex
7. a different variety of humans
8. demand, state as a fact
2. KEY WORDS – PART 2
Match the signs and their English names.
Aries, Cancer, Libra, Taurus, Leo, Pisces, Gemini, Capricorn, Scorpio, Virgo, Aquarius, Sagittarius
The Ram, The Bull, The Twins, The Crab, The Lion, The Virgin, The Scales, The Scorpion, The Archer, The Sea-goat, The Water Carrier, The Two Fish
3. MULTI-WORD VERBS
Match the words and the prepositions (they all occur in the text).
under, out, to (3X)
1. stick
2. to be born
3. according
4. lead
5. break
Put the expressions into the sentences below.
1. He was ________________ a bad sign.
2. Obama will __________ tax promise, his aides say (LA Times)
3. 'Deeper' recession will ________________ financial crime wave (The Independent)
4. A bitter quarrel __________ between them over the use of the computer.
5. _____________________ the survey the rate of decline is increasing.
4. LISTENING
Listen to Carl Sagan talking about astrology and astronomy and then answer the questions.
1. What are the two ways of viewing the stars?
2. What does Mars represent according to astronomers and astrologists?
3. What does Carl Sagan say about newspapers and magazines concerning astrology and astronomy?
4. What is the origin of the word ’disaster’?
5. Why did astrology survive and flourish?
6. In what way are astrological predictions in newspapers designed?
5. HAVE FUN
Listen to the Age of Aquarius song from the musical Hair.
Read more for the answers.
ANSWERS
1. KEY WORDS – PART 1
1. recruit
2. authorities
3. limitation
4. constellation
5. superstition
6. gender
7. race
8. claim
2. KEY WORDS – PART 2
Aries The Rat
Taurus The Bull
Gemini The Twins
Cancer The Crab
Leo The Lion
Virgo The Virgin
Libra The Scales
Scorpio The Scorpion
Sagittarius The Archer
Capricorn The Sea-goat
Aquarius The Water Carrier
Pisces The Two Fish
3. MULTI-WORD VERBS
stick to
to be born under
according to
lead to
break out
1. born under
2. stick to
3. lead to
4. broke out
5. According to
4. LISTENING
1. as they really are, or as we might wish them to be
2. a place, as real as the earth
3. they contain a daily coloumn on astrology and not even a weekly on astronomy
4. Greek: bad star
5. it seems to lend a cosmic significance to the routine of our daily life
6. actually they are not predictions, they tell you what to do, they are consciously designed to be so vague that they could apply to anybody, they disagree with each-other
