Open World p 15. Personality. Speaking

A) Interaction

1. Do you know anybody who has a nose for lucrative deals? Does any of your friends have a good nose for a bargain?
2. Do you have an eye for fashion? Does any member of your family have an eye for contemporary art?
3. Do you have an ear for English pronunciation?
4. When was the last time you saw somebody lose their head? Have you ever lost your head?
5. Is there anybody that you would regard as a safe pair of hands at your workplace? Do their colleagues admire their conscientiousness?
6. Do you know anybody who has earned a reputation as someone who'll stick his neck out? Have you ever stuck your neck out and said something bold that many others wouldn't dare say?
7. Do you know any sportsperson who is head and shoulders above the rest? Has their outstanding achievement been recognised?
8.  When was the last time you had to bite your tongue to avoid trouble? Are you impetuous or circumspect when it comes to saying what you think?

B) Monologue 

Student A 

1. What are environmental groups fighting tooth and nail for? Have you ever fought tooth and nail to get something? Would you describe yourself as persevering? Who is one of the most determined, stubborn, persevering people you have ever met?

2. Do you tend to give credit to your colleagues when they perform well? Should we give credit to others more often? Could we be more thoughtful? Do we sometimes speak thoughtlessly?

3.  Do you know anybody who is reasonably knowledgeable about a particular field? Do you enjoy listening to people who talk knowledgeably about a subject?

 Student B

1. Do you know anybody who has started behaving rather eccentrically after the pandemic? Has any of your acquaintances a reputation for eccentricity?

2. Do we tend to distance ourselves from people because of their narrow-mindedness? 

3. When was the last time you behaved unselfishly towards others?

 

 

Vocabulary 

lose your head:

to lose control and not act in a calm way.

E.g.

He usually stays quite calm in meetings but this time he just lost his head. 

a safe pair of hands:

someone who you can trust to do an important job well, without making mistakes: Colleagues regard her as a safe pair of hands.

stick your neck out ​(informal) to do or say something when there is a risk that you may be wrong. E.g.
I’ll stick my neck out and say that Bill is definitely the best candidate for the job.

fight tooth and nail
​to fight in a very determined way for what you want. 

E.g.
The residents are fighting tooth and nail to stop the new development.
She fought tooth and nail to keep custody of the children.

persevering: /ˌpɜːsəˈvɪərɪŋ/

being determined to achieve a particular aim despite difficulties.

E.g.
A few persevering climbers finally reached the top.

credit: 

praise or approval because you are responsible for something good that has happened.

E.g.
to get/deserve/receive/take/claim the credit.
He's a player who rarely seems to get the credit he deserves.
We did all the work and she gets all the credit!
credit for (doing) something I can't take all the credit for the show's success—it was a team effort.
At least give him credit for trying (= praise him because he tried, even if he did not succeed)
Credit will be given in the exam for good spelling and grammar.
His courage brought great credit to his regiment.