Cover of the textbook English File Advanced - Student's Book

The key answer of exercise 2

The key to exercise solutions in chapter 5A - No time for anything for the textbook English File Advanced - Student's Book with authors Christina Latham-Koenig, Clive Oxenden, Jerry Lambert and Kate Chomacki from Oxford University Press

Question

  1. Look at the two nouns below. How are they pronounced? What do they mean?
  2. Read the first paragraphs of two articles about busyness. In pairs, try to complete the missing word in both titles. Which article is positive and which is negative about being busy?
  3. Now read the rest of the two articles and answer the questions.

Answer

a)

  • business /'bɪznəs/ = the activity of making, buying, selling, or supplying goods or services for money; a company
  • busyness /'bɪzɪ:nəs/ = the state or condition of having a lot to do

b)

  1. Are you addicted to being busy? - negative
  2. What keeps you healthy is being busy, busy, busy! - positive

c)

  1. Because other people often post about exciting things that they're doing, which makes busy people worry that they are missing out.
  2. To keep their minds occupied, so they don't think about their break-up.
  3. Because society is obsessed with achievement and being busy creates a sense of importance and value.
  4. Because they feel that they shouldn't be relaxing and doing nothing.
  5. Because people are working for longer, and because smartphones and social media don't allow us to disconnect.
  6. Because they have lots of reasons for getting up in the morning, and they have an active day.
  7. Because people who retire early risk losing muscle strength and getting ill, and they may develop cognitive problems.
  8. Because being active helps to prevent dementia.