CHANGES

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CHANGES

Exercise 1

Look at these sentences and decide if the statement which follows each one is true or false. Use the words and expressions in bold to help you decide.

1	The population of the country has trebled in the last 25 years. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of people living in the country.
2	Unemployment has dropped by about 2% every year for the last six years. There has been a steady decrease in the number of people out of work.
3	The government has spent a lot of money improving roads around the country. There has been a deterioration in the national road system.
4	The number of exam passes achieved by the school's pupils has risen by almost 50%. There has been a decline in the number of exam passes.
5	American travelers abroad have discovered that they can buy more foreign currency with their dollar. There has been a weakening of the dollar.
6	It is now much easier to import goods into the country than it was a few years ago. There has been a tightening up of border controls.
7	We're increasing our stocks of coal before the winter begins. We're running down our stocks of coal.
8	Prices have gone up by about 4% every year since 1998. There has been a constant rise in the rate of inflation.
9	The pass rate for the exam was 3% lower this year than it was last year. There has been a sharp fall in the pass rate.
10	The alliance are going to reduce the number of conventional weapons in their armed forces. The alliance are going to build up the number of weapons they have.
11	Deflation has adversely affected industries around the country. There has been a growth in industrial activity.
12	The rules are much stricter now than they were before. There has been a relaxation of the rules.
13	Last year, 12% of the population worked in industry and 10% worked in agriculture. This year, 14% of the population work in industry and 8% work in agriculture. There has been a narrowing of the gap between those working in different sectors of the economy.
14	Some management roles in the company will not exist this time next year. Some management roles are going to be phased out.
15	More people are shopping at large supermarkets rather than small local stores. There has been an upward trend in the number of people shopping in small local stores.
16	Her English is clearly better now than it was when she first arrived. There has been marked progress in her English.
17	People live in better houses, drive nicer cars, and eat higher-quality food than they did twenty years ago. There has been a general improvement in the standard of living.
18	Our company has opened new factories in Detroit, Houston, and Des Moines in the last five years. Our company has witnessed considerable expansion in the last five years.
19	The government will spend less on the healthcare services next year. There are going to be cuts in healthcare spending next year.
20	Americans nowadays want to see more of the world. Americans nowadays want to narrow their horizons.

Exercise 2

The box below contains 31 more words used to describe change in different situations. These are all verbs, and they can be found by reading from left to right and from right to left, starting in the top-left corner and following the direction of the arrows. Separate these words, then use some of them to complete sentences 1 – 10 below. In some cases you will need to change the form of the verb (for example, by putting it into its past simple or past participle form).

1	The company cannot refund customers' money, and goods can only be _____________ on production of a receipt or other proof of purchase.
2	We have made radical changes to college regulations, and students are expected to _____________ to these over the next few weeks.
3	The discovery of oil _____________ the country from a small emirate to a major economic power.
4	The science building is currently being _____________, but will remain open while building work is carried out.
5	After only three weeks on the History course, she decided to _____________ to something more practical.
6	Fees _____________ according to the length of the course: the longer the course, the more you pay.
7	As water freezes, it _____________.
8	The economic situation is _____________ rapidly, and the entire economy is in danger of collapse.
9	Course fees will be _____________ on January 14: some will come down, but most of them will go up.
10	Elastic becomes weaker the more it is _____________.

ANSWER KEY

Exercise 1

1	True	11	False: there has been a decline
2	True	12	False: there has been a tightening up of the rules
3	False: there has been an improvement	13	False: there has been a widening of the gap
4	False: there has been an increase	14	True
5	False: there has been a strengthening of the dollar	15	False: there has been a downward trend
6	False: there has been a relaxation of border controls	16	True
7	False: we're increasing or building up our stock of coal	17	True
8	True	18	True
9	False: there has been a slight fall	19	True
10	False: they're going to decrease the number	20	False: Americans want to broaden their horizons.

Most of the words in this task can be verbs as well as nouns. Use a dictionary to check which ones

Exercise 2

The words in the box are: adapt replace expand promote reduce transform switch renovate exchange demote alter disappear vary raise lower extend enlarge heighten lengthen deepen shorten stretch revise amend cut outsource deteriorate streamline upgrade restructure downsize

1	exchanged
2	adapt
3	transformed
4	renovated
5	switch
6	vary
7	expands
8	deteriorating
9	revised or amended (revised prices are usually increased, but they can also go down, as in this example. This verb in this context is usually used in the passive voice)
10	stretched