Progress test 3 15.1 Grammar Complete this paragraph with the past simple of the verbs in the box. Sir Tom Farmer (1) ________ school when he (2) ________ 15 and (3) ________ a job with a local tyre firm. At 20 he (4) ________ Goodyear as a salesman. At 24 he (5) ________ his own business. He (6) ________ this four years later and (7) ________ to the USA. But at 31 he (8) ________ back to the UK to start a motor vehicle business called Kwik-Fit. The business now has almost 2,000 centers in the UK and mainland Europe and a turnover of ￡515 million. 15.2 Grammar Here are the answers to some questions. What are the questions? 1 A: When _______________________________________? B: I joined the company six years ago. 2 A: What __________________________________________? B: I was an office assistant. 3 A: Which _________________________________________? B: They worked in After-sales. 4 A: How long ______________________________________? B: She worked in that department for eighteen months. 5 A: ______________________________________________? B: Yes, we have some rooms free. 6 A: _____________________________________________? B: No, we don’t have any T-shirts in stock. 15.3 Grammar Complete the sentences with the correct comparative or superlative form of the adjective in (brackets). 1 A typewriter is ________ (cheap) than a computer. 2 IBM is the ________ (big) computer company in America. 3 A notebook computer is ____________ (expensive) than a desktop one. 4 I think a desktop computer is ________ (good) than a notebook one. 5 In my opinion, a telephone is the ____________ (important) piece of office equipment. 6 The ________ (fast) way to contact a client is by phone. 15.4 Grammar Complete these sentences with some or any. 1 A: Is there (1) ________ paper in the photocopier? B: No, there isn’t (2) ________. 2 We need (3) ________ pens and pencils, and we don’t have (4) ________ scissors? 3 A: I’m going to Paris tomorrow, but there aren’t (5) _________ seats available on the train. B: You should try airlines. They might have (6) ________ seats. 4 A: Are there (7) _________ clients I should visit in Paris while I’m there? B: There are (8) ________, but they are located quite far from the center. 15.5 Vocabulary Add some more words to each list. 1 office furniture: chair, _________________________________________________ 2 Fruit: orange, ________________________________________________________ 3 Colors: black, ________________________________________________________ 4 Materials: plastic, ____________________________________________________ 15.6 Language in use Read this telephone conversation and then complete it with suitable words. CLERK: Sales department. Good morning. YOU: (1) _____________________________. CLERK: Certainly. What exactly would you like to know about our filing cabinets/ YOU: (2) _____________________________. CLERK: They cost $199 each. YOU: (3) ______________________________. CLERK: No, I’m sorry, they’re not available in black. YOU: (4) _______________________________. CLERK: We can deliver by the end of the week. YOU: (5) _______________________________. CLERK: You’re welcome. Thank you for calling. 15.7 Listening Read this information from an office supplier’s catalogue. Then listen to a phone conversation between a customer and the supplier and check if the numbered information in the catalogue is correct. Write any corrections in the blanks below. 1 _________________________ 2 _________________________ 3 _________________________ 4 _________________________ 5 _________________________ 6 _________________________ References 15.1 1 left 2 was 3 got 4 joined 5 started 6 sold 7 went 8 came 15.2 1 When did you joined the company? 2 What was your position? / What did you do? 3 Which department did they work in? 4 How long did she work in that department? 5 Do you have any rooms free? 6 Do you have any T-shirts in stock? 15.3 1 cheaper 2 biggest 3 more expensive 4 better 5 most important 6 fastest 15.4 1 any 2 any 3 some 4 any 5 any 6 some 7 any 8 some 15.5 Possible answers Office furniture: desk, table, bookcase, shelves Fruit: apple, cherry, melon, strawberries Colors: red, white, yellow, green, blue Materials: wood, nylon, glass, metal 15.6 Possible answers Good morning. I’d like some information about your filing cabinets. How much do they cost? Are they available in black? When can you deliver the goods? Thank you for your help. 15.7 1 $75.00 2 not grey 3 $10 4 correct 5 correct 6 $14 SUPPLIER: Office Furniture. Good morning. CUSTOMER: Hello. This is Patricia Exton from Barker and Watson. I’d like some information about office chairs. SUPPLIER: Right. Er, what exactly would you like to know? CUSTOMER: Well, we need some chairs for our new office. I’ve got a copy of your catalogue … I’d just like to confirm the details. Now catalogue number 8001 ---- that’s the typist chair? SUPPLIER: Yes, that’s right. It costs from $75. CUSTOMER: $75. Right. And it’s available in black and grey from stock? SUPPLIER: Well, in black, yes, but not in grey; I’m afraid the manufacturers have discontinued it in grey. You see, it wasn’t very popular. CUSTOMER: Oh, that’s a pity. Well, what about in red? SUPPLIER: Yes, and we can deliver from stock.. CUSTOMER: Fine. And that costs an extra $9? SUPPLIER: Er … $10. CUSTOMER: An extra $10. And what about the operator chair? The one with arms. Er… that’s catalogue number 3001. Does that still cost from $101? SUPPLIER: Yes, it does. All colors are available from stock. CUSTOMER: And in red that’s an extra $11? SUPPLIER: I’m afraid not. That should be $14. it sounds to me as if you’ve got a copy of last year’s catalogue. Would you like me to send you a new one? CUSTOMER: Ah, yes, if you would. Thank you very much. Let me give you our address. It’s …