Adults|Spoken|Intermediate|1. Telling lies

We’re going to find out your opinion about some dishonest actions.

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Rate the following things for dishonesty (1:perfectly okay, 5:totally dishonest)

Read and listen to the article. Do the task below.

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Archer goes

Jeffrey Archer pulled out yesterday from the election to become mayor of London after admitting that he had persuaded a friend to lie for him in court in 1986. He could now face criminal charges.

This is, of course, not the first time that Archer has been economical with the truth. Early in his political career the rumour spread that he had attended the famous Berkshire school, Wellington College. In fact, he had studied at the far more ordinary Wellington School in Somerset. It was also widely believed that he had studied for an MA at Oxford University. In reality, he took part of a postgraduate diploma course — a course for which he was not qualified. Elected to Parliament in 1969, he was said to be the youngest MP ever. Not true.

There is no doubting his ability to make money. By 1974 he had already made a fortune in business, but various investment mistakes over a number of years meant he lost it all and was left with huge debts. Resigning from Parliament, he started writing to pay back what he owed. His novels became best-sellers and have earned him as much as £50 million over the years.

He returned to politics in 1985, but was forced to resign a year later following stories that he had sent £2000 to a prostitute, Monica Coghlan. Some newspapers suggested in their reports that Archer had had sex with Ms Coghlan. He took legal action and won libel damages of £500,000.

Jeffrey Archer became Lord Archer in 1992 but questions over his financial dealings continue to this day and his ability to exaggerate simple facts seems not to have decreased. So, will he survive this latest scandal? Only time will tell, but Archer has a reputation for being able to bounce back.

Decide if these sentences are True or False

Choose a set. Have you ever lied about any of the following? Give examples.

Do you remember the expression from the text «be economical with the truth». What does it mean? Below are some more ways of talking about lying and dishonesty.

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Put the missing words back into the expressions below

Now use the correct form of the verbs in these sentences

Discuss what you would do in these situations

• revolting — disgusting
• rail fares — money you pay to travel by train

What would you say in these situations?

✔️ If my mother knitted me a revolting sweater, I would…

1. Your mother knits you a revolting jumper for your birthday.
2. A new friend invites you for dinner. You’re doing nothing but you don’t want to go.
3. You are a doctor. Your patient has six months to live.
4. Your child is 13. To get reduced rail fares she should be under 13.
5. Your partner has spent hours preparing to go out for dinner. He/she looks terrible.

Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Read the questions and some of these words.

Life is impossible without telling lies.

1. Why do people lie?
2. Is it always very bad thing to tell lies?
3. What makes people tend to tell lies?
4. Do you have to lie sometimes? Why? Can you provide examples.

Write an essay answering the questions

Instructions

1. Read the topic and the questions carefully.
2. Plan what you are going to write about.
3. Write at least 3 paragraphs: introduction, main body and conclusion.
4. Check your essay before sending it for revision.