A: Я вважаю, нам потрібно поговорити про те, що сталося під час учорашньої зустрічі. Твій тон здався мені трохи зневажливим, коли я презентував свою доповідь.
B:"I’m sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. It’s just that the meeting was dragging on, and I was worried we wouldn't have time to discuss the budget."
A: Я розумію, що ти відчував тиск, але критика моєї пропозиції перед усією командою справді підірвала мій авторитет.
B:"You’re right, I should have discussed my concerns with you in private. I acted unprofessionally."
A: Дякую, що визнаєш це. Я просто хочу переконатися, що ми однаково розуміємо ситуацію надалі, особливо коли строки дуже стислі.
B:"I agree. What’s the best way to handle it if we have disagreements about deadlines again?"
A: Давай домовимося висловлювати будь-які зауваження напряму один одному до того, як піднімати їх на загальному обговоренні.
B:"Deal / Agreed. Let's clear the air and focus on solving our current tasks."
Корисний вокабуляр для студентів (B2 Vocabulary Focus):
dismissive tone — зневажливий тон
to drag on — затягуватися (про час)
under pressure — під тиском / у стресовій ситуації
to undermine someone's authority — підривати чийсь авторитет
in private — наєдинці / приватно
to be on the same page — бути на одній хвилі / однаково розуміти ситуацію
tight deadlines — стислі терміни / дедлайни
to raise concerns — висловлювати занепокоєння / зауваження
to clear the air — розрядити обстановку / зняти напругу
воскресенье, 11 октября 2026 г.
1. Outbreak & Escalation of Conflict
Blow up (at someone)
Definition: To suddenly lose one’s temper and express intense anger.
Example: "Instead of addressing the issue calmly, he blew up at his team during the meeting."
Flare up
Definition: To suddenly erupt or intensify, often describing dormant or underlying tensions.
Example: "Tensions between the two departments flared up again after the budget cuts were announced."
Simmer away / Simmer under the surface
Definition: To exist in a suppressed, quiet state of anger or resentment that threatens to break out.
Example: "Unresolved grievances had been simmering under the surface for months before the strike began."
Spark off / Set off
Definition: To trigger or cause a sudden conflict or argument.
Example: "A casual remark about workload sparked off a fierce debate among the senior partners."
Lash out (at someone)
Definition: To attack someone verbally or physically, often impulsively out of frustration or defensiveness.
Example: "When criticized, people often lash out at others rather than accepting responsibility."
2. Dynamic During a Dispute
Play down
Definition: To minimize the significance or severity of a problem or dispute.
Example: "Management tried to play down the conflict, claiming it was just a minor misunderstanding."
Fall out (with someone over something)
Definition: To stop being on friendly terms with someone after a major disagreement.
Example: "The co-founders fell out over the future strategic direction of the company."
Back down
Definition: To concede a point, withdraw a demand, or yield in an argument.
Example: "Neither party was willing to back down, leading to an absolute deadlock."
Dig in (one’s heels)
Definition: To stubbornly refuse to alter one’s opinion, stance, or position.
Example: "Instead of searching for common ground, both sides dug in and refused to negotiate."
3. Mediation & Resolution
Smooth (things) over
Definition: To reduce tension or repair damage after an argument, often by reassuring those involved.
Example: "The mediator managed to smooth things over before the final negotiations."
Iron out
Definition: To resolve small problems, details, or discrepancies through discussion.
Example: "We need a follow-up meeting to iron out the remaining points of contention."
Patched up
Definition: To temporarily or partially repair a damaged relationship or agreement.
Example: "They managed to patch up their working relationship, though underlying trust issues remained."
Thraw out / Unbend(often used as: Rule out / Step in)
Step in
Definition: To intervene in a dispute in order to assist, mediate, or prevent further escalation.
Example: "HR had to step in when the workplace environment became toxic."
Talk (someone) down
Definition: To persuade someone to calm down or abandon a hostile stance through gentle persuasion.
Example: "An experienced leader knows how to talk down an agitated colleague."
4. Post-Conflict & Aftermath
Simmer down
Definition: To gradually become calm after a period of excitement, anger, or agitation.
Example: "Give them a few hours to simmer down before attempting a serious discussion."
Clear the air(Idiomatic Phrasal Verb)
Definition: To engage in an open conversation to remove lingering mistrust or misunderstandings.
Example: "Holding an honest debrief allowed the team to clear the air and start fresh."
Suggested C1 Task Integration
To help students internalize these phrasal verbs, you can ask them to:
Rephrase sentences: Convert formal statements into idiomatic expressions (e.g., "They refused to compromise"$\rightarrow$"They refused to back down / They dug in").
Role-play: Conduct a mediation scenario where one student acts as a neutral third party using phrasal verbs like step in, smooth over, and iron out.
Would you like a fill-in-the-blank exercise or a set of targeted discussion questions centered specifically on using these phrasal verbs
A: Я вважаю, нам потрібно поговорити про те, що сталося під час учорашньої зустрічі. Твій тон здався мені трохи зневажливим, коли я презентував свою доповідь.
B:"I’m sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. It’s just that the meeting was dragging on, and I was worried we wouldn't have time to discuss the budget."
A: Я розумію, що ти відчував тиск, але критика моєї пропозиції перед усією командою справді підірвала мій авторитет.
B:"You’re right, I should have discussed my concerns with you in private. I acted unprofessionally."
A: Дякую, що визнаєш це. Я просто хочу переконатися, що ми однаково розуміємо ситуацію надалі, особливо коли строки дуже стислі.
B:"I agree. What’s the best way to handle it if we have disagreements about deadlines again?"
A: Давай домовимося висловлювати будь-які зауваження напряму один одному до того, як піднімати їх на загальному обговоренні.
B:"Deal / Agreed. Let's clear the air and focus on solving our current tasks."
Корисний вокабуляр для студентів (B2 Vocabulary Focus):
dismissive tone — зневажливий тон
to drag on — затягуватися (про час)
under pressure — під тиском / у стресовій ситуації
to undermine someone's authority — підривати чийсь авторитет
in private — наєдинці / приватно
to be on the same page — бути на одній хвилі / однаково розуміти ситуацію
tight deadlines — стислі терміни / дедлайни
to raise concerns — висловлювати занепокоєння / зауваження
to clear the air — розрядити обстановку / зняти напругу
A. Michel Guyot, owner and restorer of Saint Fargeau castle in France, first had the idea of building a 13th-century style fortress following the discovery that the 15th-century red bricks of his castle obscured the stone walls of a much older stronghold. His dream was to build a castle just as it would have been in the Middle Ages, an idea which some found mildly amusing and others dismissed as outright folly. However, Maryline Martin project director - was inspired by the exciting potential for the venture to regenerate the region. It took several months to bring together and mobilise all the various different partners: architects, archaeologists and financial backers. A site in the heart of Guédelon forest was found: a site which offered not only all the resources required for building a castle a stone quarry, an oak forest and a water supply - but in sufficient quantities to satisfy the demands of this gigantic site. The first team started work and on June 20th 1997 the first stone was laid.
B. Unlike any other present-day building site, Michel Guyot's purpose is clear, he warmly welcomes members of the public to participate. The workers' role is to demonstrate and explain, to a wide audience, the skills of our forefathers. Stone quarrying, the building of vaulted ceilings, the blacksmith's work and the raising of roof timbers are just some of the activities which visitors can witness during a visit to Guédelon. The workers are always on hand to talk about their craft and the progress of the castle. Each year 60,000 children visit Guédelon with their schools. The site is an excellent educational resource, bringing to life the history of the Middle Ages. Guided tours are tailored to the school curriculum and according to age groups: activity trails for primary school children and interactive guided tours for secondary school children. Pupils of all ages have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of medieval stonemasons by taking part in a stonecarving workshop or discover the secrets of the medieval master-builders at the geometry workshop.
Workers in the Burgundy region of France are building a 13th century castle. They're not restoring an old castle. They're actually building a new old castle. See the builders are constructing it from scratch. The craftsmen have been working for nearly ten years now but they're not even halfway done yet. That's because they're using only medieval tools and techniques. The World's Gerry Hadden takes US to the site of what will be the Guedelon Castle. Another reason said by Jean Francois, a member of Guedelon stone cutter's guild, for eight hours a day he bangs on a 13th century chisel with a 13th century iron mallet.
D. The progress of construction has to give way to tourists side for their visits. The visitors from 2010, however unsightly they may be, are vital to the project. The initial funding came not from pillaging the local peasantry but from regional councils, the European Union and large companies. For the last 10 years, Guédelon, 100 miles southeast of Paris, has funded itself from its entrance fees. Last year it had a record 300,000 visitors, who paid almost €2.5m, making it the second most-visited site in Burgundy. The most-visited site was the Hospice de Beaune, a beautiful 15th-century almshouse built 600 years before, or, if you prefer, 200 years "after", Guédelon.
E. limestone is found in the construction of various local buildings, from the great and prestigious edifice of Ratilly castle to the more modest poyaudines houses. This stone contains 30-40% iron oxide; this can make it extremely hard to extract and dress. Having studied the block in order to determine and anticipate the natural fault lines of the stone, the quarrymen first carve a series of rectilinear holes into the block. Iron wedges are then hammered into this line of holes. The shockwaves produced by the quarrymen's sledgehammers cause the stone to split along a straight line. The highest quality blocks are dressed to produce lintels, voussoirs, corbels, ashlars etc. The medium quality blocks are roughly shaped by the stonecutters and used on the uncoursed curtain walls, and as facing stones on the castle's inner walls. There are water-filled clay pits in the forest. Clay is taken from these pits, cleaned and pugged. It is then shaped in wooden moulds to form bricks. After the bricks have been left to air-dry, they are fired in a woodfired kiln for about 12 hours, at roughly 1000°c.
F. The mortar is the "glue" used to bind the castle's stones. It is made up of precise doses of lime, sand and water. The people working there wear the tunics, skirts and headgear that they might have worn then, but they wear these over jeans and shoes with reinforced toes. They mix their mortar primarily as they would have done then, using sand they dig themselves, but they are not allowed to use the extremely effective hot lime from medieval days, because of its toxicity, and so they add a modem chemical ingredient instead, to achieve the same effect. Workers in the Mid Age obviously were unaware of it and some died earlier by inhaling toxic gas. And so, we met many wonderful people who do not pretend to be anything but modem human beings practicing an old technique and finding out what it would have felt like, as much as possible, to do it with only the resources of an older time.
G. We also learned that even if there is a straight lintel across a doorway, you will usually find an arch of stones built into the wall differently. Because of the physics of an arch, which channels the weight above it down into whatever is supporting it at each side instead of pressing down in the middle, this helps to take a lot of the weight off of the lintel itself, whether it is free standing or buried in the wall against the impact of warfare. The arch is the strongest element for spanning space in stone architecture. This is why, in ancient ruins, you will often find the entire wall missing, and the arched windows and doorways still standing, in beautiful patterns against the sky.
Questions
Questions 1–4True / False / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1? Write
TRUE if the Statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage
1 The French people would not abandon his idea in favor of realistic one.
2 One aim of the castle is to show the ancestral achievement to public
3 Short lifespan of workers was due to overdue heating.
4 stones were laid not in a straight line arrangement to avoid damaging or collapsing.
Questions 5–10Summary Completion
Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage, using A-L from the following options for each answer.
A. metal vedge | B. hammer handle | C. lift
D. Masons | E. patterns | F. heating
G. bricks | H. wood | I. experts
J. split | K. walls | L. holes
Limestone Processing:
When 5 found suitable block, they began to cut lines of 6 into it. 7 were used and knocked into and generated shockwaves to make stone 8. Different qualities of blocks would be used in different place of castle. On the other hand, 9 were shaped from clay in a mould and went through a process of 10 for about 12 hours.
Questions 11–13Three Choices
Choose three correct letters, A-F.
111213Why does the castle building project last 10 years for just half progress?
They lack of enough funds
Guedelon castle needs a time-consuming design
Workers obeyed modem working hours
Their progress were delayed by unpredictable weather
