1 In pairs, answer the questions.
1 Can you work out the meaning of the title?
Break the ice means find a way of talking to someone in a relaxed way.
2 Do you find it easy or difficult to break the ice with people you don’t know? Say why.
Students’ own answers.
2 Study the phrases highlighted in the article. Then complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first.
ادرس العبارات الموضحة في المقال. ثم أكمل الجملة الثانية بحيث يكون معناها نفس معنى الجملة الأولى.
1 He started talking to the new neighbour. STRUCK He struck up a conversation with the new neighbour.
2 She gave the impression of being very self-confident. ACROSS She came across as being very self-confident.
3 Abeer commented on how nice her shoes were. PAID Abeer paid her a compliment about her shoes.
4 I immediately liked him. TOOK I took to him immediately.
5 We found it really funny. LAUGH We had a laugh really about it.
6 I didn’t really like her friends when I met them. OFF I hit it off didn’t really with her friends when I met them.
3 Listen to someone talking about breaking the ice. What behaviour does she fi nd annoying when meeting new people?
استمع إلى شخص يتحدث عن كسر الجليد. ما السلوك الذي تجده مزعجاً عند مقابلة أشخاص جدد؟
She finds it annoying when someone talks too much, but she thinks it’s even worse when someone keeps fi ring questions at you and thus makes you do all the talking.
4 Match idioms 1–6 with definitions a–f.
طابق التعابير من 1 إلى 6 مع التعريفات من أ إلى و
1 e jump down somebody’s throat
2 b put somebody on the spot
3 f fi re questions at someone
4 d refuse to let something drop
5 c insist on having the last word
6 a not get a word in edgeways
a to be unable to say anything because someone else is talking all the time
b to embarrass someone by forcing them to answer a difficult question
c to have to make the final point
d to not stop talking about something
e to react angrily to something
f to ask someone a lot of questions quickly
5 REFLECT | Society In pairs, make a list of five rules for making a good impression when you meet people for the first time.
في أزواج، ضعوا قائمة بخمس قواعد لترك انطباع جيد عند مقابلة الناس للمرة الأولى
student own answers
Listen to someone talking about breaking the ice. What kind of behaviour does she find annoying when meeting new people?
She finds it annoying when someone talks too much, but she thinks it’s even worse when someone keeps firing questions at you and thus makes you do all the talking.
workbook page 8
1 ★ Match the two parts of the sentences.
1 c Sharing a house creates a strong
2 e My tutor and I really hit it
3 h My friends and I always have
4 a I met our new neighbours and I took
5 d I’m not good at making
6 f Although I may come across
7 b Thankfully, Fadia made
8 i I always try to strike up
9 g If someone pays you
a to them immediately.
b a favourable impression on her new tutor.
c bond between young people at university.
d small talk and I often end up saying silly things.
e off , so I’m looking forward to our lessons together.
f as a confident person, I’m actually quite shy.
g a compliment, smile and say 'thank you'.
h a laugh when we get together.
i a conversation when I meet someone new.
2 ★ Choose the correct words to complete the idioms.
1 He continued to throw / fire questions at someone.
2 You insist on having the last say / word.
3 I didn't like being put on / in the spot.
4 She didn't have to jump down my neck / throat.
5 I couldn’t get a word in edgeways / sideways.
6 He refused to let it drop / stop.
3 ★ Match situations a–f with idioms 1–6 from Exercise 2.
a 3 Then the boss asked me to say who I thought was to blame. It was so embarrassing!
b 2 You always have to be the last one to speak, don’t you?
c 6 I told him I didn’t want to talk about it anymore, but he wouldn’t stop.
d 1 He just kept asking me one thing after another for what seemed like ages.
e 4 When I told her I was going to be a few minutes late, she got really angry!
f 5 She talked so much that I didn’t manage to say anything at all during lunch.
4 ★★ Complete the conversation with the words from the box.
| across bond compliment hit impression laugh small strike take |
Amina So how did your evening go, Huda? Did you and Maha 1 hit it off?
Huda I’m not sure. I tried to 2 strike up a conversation by paying her a 3 compliment, but I have a feeling that I came 4 across as a bit over-enthusiastic.
Amina Oh, I wouldn’t worry. I’m sure you made a favourable 5 impression. People usually 6 take to you, right? Perhaps you were just trying a bit too hard.
Huda Maybe, I mean – we made quite a lot of 7 small talk, but we also had a 8 laugh. She’s got a good sense of humour.
Amina Well, there you go. I mean … you can’t expect to create a strong 9 bond after just one evening out. I think it went better than you imagine.