English Refresher

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English Refresher · CEFR C1 · Unit 9

Designing Your Dream Life

Imagine your future and pitch a five-year vision — mastering future forms and conditionals along the way. Practice, check your answers instantly, and study the flashcards.

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1
Speaking

The Future Me

What to do: Work in pairs or small groups. Discuss the questions and try to use a different future form in each answer. There is no score — just speak and listen.
Audio 1Listen to an example
Listen to someone describe where they'll be in five years — notice the future forms and conditional plan — then describe your own.

Talk about it

  • Where do you see yourself in five years? What's one thing you hope you'll have achieved?
  • Is there anything you definitely won't be doing?
  • What would you do if your main plan didn't work out?
Use these future forms & hedges:
By 2030, I'll have…I'll probably be…There's a good chance I'll…I might end up…It's unlikely I'll…If that doesn't work, I'll…
Featured Reading

The Power of a Vision

Read how one woman transformed her life in five years.

Read it →
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Reading

Vision & Small Steps

What to do: Read this short extract from the unit article. Then answer the questions and tap Check Answers. (Read the full article using the link above!)

Five years ago, Maya felt stuck. So she did something simple but powerful: she wrote down a clear vision of the life she actually wanted — the work, the place, the way her days would feel. Then she broke it into small, almost boring steps and did a little, most days.

Not everything went to plan. There were setbacks and false starts. But each time, she adjusted the plan without abandoning the vision — because the vision was rooted in her values, and that made it worth protecting.

1. Maya began by writing down a clear ______ of her future.
2. The big change came not from one leap but from small, consistent ______.
3. What kept her going through setbacks?
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Listening

Two Five-Year Plans

What to do: Listen two times. Then complete the sentences and answer the questions. Notice the future forms and conditionals.
Audio 2Sara and Tom share their plans

Sara: So, where do you see yourself in five years?

Tom: Honestly? By then I'll have started my own business — that's the plan, anyway.

Sara: Bold. And if it doesn't work out?

Tom: If it doesn't, I'll go back to consulting and try again later. What about you?

Sara: Less dramatic. I'll probably still be teaching, but I'd like to be doing it abroad. There's a good chance I'll have moved to Spain.

Tom: Nice. What's stopping you now?

Sara: Mostly my comfort zone. If I'm honest, I wouldn't even be considering it if I hadn't burned out last year. Sometimes a bad year pushes you.

1. Tom says by then he'll have ______ his own business.
2. If it doesn't work out, Tom will go back to ______.
3. Sara says she wouldn't be considering the move if she hadn't ______ out last year.
4. What is Sara's plan?
5. What does Sara say is mainly holding her back?
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Vocabulary

The Right Word

What to do: Complete each sentence with a term from the unit. Spelling counts. Tap Check Answers when you're done.
1. A clear picture of the future you want is a ______.
2. The principles that matter most to you are your ______.
3. An important step or achievement on the way to a goal is a ______.
4. The familiar, safe situation you're reluctant to leave is your ______ ______ (two words).
5. Living on purpose, by your own choices and values, is ______ ______ (two words).
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Grammar

Confident or Hedged?

What to do: Does each prediction sound confident or hedged (cautious)? Tap a card to move it (first box, then second box, then back), then tap Check Answers.
Confident
Hedged / Cautious
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Structure

Build the Sentence

What to do: Tap the chunks in the correct order to build an advanced sentence (a future perfect and a second conditional). Tap a chunk in your answer to send it back. Then tap Check Answers.

1. Future perfect:

2. Second conditional:

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Writing

A Letter to My Future Self

What to do: Write a 250–300-word vision statement (a letter to your future self): where you live and work, what you've achieved, what helped, and what you overcame. There is no automatic score; use the checklist.
Model: "By 2030, I'll have built a small studio of my own. I'll probably be working four days a week, prioritizing the projects that actually matter to me. There's a good chance I'll have moved closer to the coast. None of this would be possible if I hadn't started saying no to work that drained me. And if the studio doesn't take off at first, I'll keep freelancing and try again — the vision is worth a few false starts."
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Vocabulary

Flashcards

What to do: Tap a card to reveal the meaning and an example. These are the key terms for this unit and the reading.
a visionnountap to reveal
a clear picture of the future you want"Write your vision down to make it real."
valuesnountap to reveal
the principles that matter most to you"A goal that fits your values is easier to keep."
ambitionnountap to reveal
a strong desire to achieve something"Her ambition is to run her own school."
a milestonenountap to reveal
an important step or achievement toward a goal"Finishing the course was a real milestone."
mindsetnountap to reveal
your habitual way of thinking"A growth mindset welcomes mistakes."
intentional livingnountap to reveal
living deliberately, by your own choices and values"Intentional living means fewer, better choices."
a comfort zonenountap to reveal
a familiar, safe situation you're reluctant to leave"Growth happens outside your comfort zone."
to prioritizeverbtap to reveal
to treat something as more important than other things"Prioritize the goals that match your values."
a long-term goalnountap to reveal
something you aim to achieve over years, not days"Break a long-term goal into small steps."
fulfillmentnountap to reveal
deep satisfaction from meaningful goals"A life of fulfillment, not just success."

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