Basic English Course

stairs!
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TOPIC: FAMILY. FRIENDS. RELATIVES.
Text 1
Victor Raul Manani is twelve years old. He lives in a little town near Lima on the west coast of Peru. He's got three brothers and two sisters. His father is dead. His mother sells potatoes in the market. Victor sells chewing gum and hats to people in cars.
"I work because I need to eat", says Victor. "I don't like selling things in the streets but I like making money. I make quite a lot. 1 spend it on shoes, school books and clothes but I give some money to my mother. I like school and learning English. I can speak a little English now."
Text 2
Paloma Jerez is Spanish. She is married to Juan, a dentist, and lives in a flat in Madrid. She has twins, two girls aged three, and she's a teacher of mathematics. In her spare time she likes going to parties, playing the classical guitar and swimming, but she doesn't like watching television at all. She likes going to Ibiza for her holidays.
Text 3
My name is Georgina, but I'm called "Georgie" by my friends. I live near York, in the north-east of England. I'm a dental nurse. I work for a young Australian dentist. He's very nice and he's a very good dentist, but I don't like my job very much.
My sister is called Rosie. She's married with two children, a girl and a boy, and lives in a house near London in a town called Enfield. She's a teacher. She teaches in a big school in the north of London. She likes her job very much.
My brother's name is Andrew. He doesn't have a job. He's unemployed.
Conversation
Presenter: And now on Radio 5: Sportworld with Kevin Callaghan.
Kevin: Good afternoon, and welcome to Sportsworld. Today in the studio we have a special guest, an up-and-coming tennis star, winner of the Monte Carlo Cup, second in the Earls Court Indoor Championships — yes, it's Debbie Ford. Hello, Debbie!
Debbie: Hello'
Kevin: Well, Debbie, you're a very successful tennis star and you're still very young... just how old are you?
Debbie: 15.
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Kevin: Just 15! That's fantastic! Tell me, Debbie, what's the
secret of your success? Are you all good sportsmen
in your family? Debbie: Well, I started playing tennis very young. My mother's
a teacher and she started me playing. Kevin: I see... what about your father? Debbie: Oh Dad? ... No ... he's a bit lazy ...he's 49 now ... and he
just doesn't have the time. Kevin: What does he do? Debbie: He's a doctor. He used to play football when he was
younger...
Kevin: Have you got any brothers or sisters? Debbie: Yes, I've got a brother and a sister. Kevin: Tell me about them. Debbie: Well, Jane... my sister's name's Jane .. she's 20 and
she's a secretary... she works for the Chesterton
Gazette.
Kevin: And what about your brother? Debbie: David ... well he's only 10 so he's still at school. Kevin: Are they good at sport? Debbie: Mmm! Not bad! Jane swims quite well ... she likes
swimming ... but David's the one to watch. Kevin: Oh yes?
Debbie: He started playing tennis two years ago and... Kevin: With your mum? Debbie: Yes, Mum started him off. It's good ... we can practise
together ... he's faster than... Kevin: And he's only 10! Debbie: Mmm! Kevin: So, we'll have to look out for David in a few years time.
Now, Debbie ... tell us something about your training
schedule...
TOPIC: WORKING DAY. DAILY ROUTINE.
Text
Gavin is a student from Cardiff College of Further Education. He is spending a year at the Sorbonne University in Paris. After a few weeks in Paris he wrote a letter to his friends at the college.
Paris,
21 st October Dear All,
I'm writing this letter in my room and I can see the river Seine from my window. It's beautiful.
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I am staying in a student hostel some miles from the centre of Paris. I've got a big room and I use it as a bedroom and a study and a sitting room! I share a big kitchen with the other students in the hostel. I sometimes cook there, but I usually have my meals, at the University. The food there is good and quite_сhеар
The University is about two stops from here on the Metro (the underground). It only takes ten minutes to get there, so that's easy Most of the other students cycle, but I haven't got a cycle yet.
I'm enjoying myself very much Pans is a fascinating city. I really like walking round the old parks It's very different from Cardiff.
Do write if you have time.
All the best Yours, Gavin
Conversation
John: So you work in a pub.
Lucy: Yes, that's right.
John: What's it like?
Lucy: It's nice. I like it. You meet a lot of interesting people.
A lot of boring ones too, mind you. John: I beg your pardon? Lucy: I said, a lot of boring ones too. John: Oh, yes. I can imagine. A pub — I should think that's
hard work, isn't it? Lucy: Yes and no. It depends. John: How do you mean? Lucy: Well, it's hard at weekends. I mean, last Saturday night,
with both bars full and one barman away ill — well, my feet
didn't touch the ground. But on weekdays it's usually very
quiet.
What about you? What do you do1 You're an accountant or
something, aren't you? John: I work in a bank.
Lucy: Oh yes, that's right. Ann said. That must be nice. John: It's all right. Lucy: But you have to move round from one place to another, don't
you? I mean, if you get a better job — if they make you
manager or something — it'll probably be in another
town, won't it? John: Yes, probably. Lucy: I wouldn't like that. I mean, I've got lots of friends here.
I wouldn't like to move somewhere else.
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John: Oh, we like it. We've lived here for, what, six years now. We're ready for a change.
TOPIC: WEEKEND. PASTIME. HOLIDAYS. Text
The Woods are a busy family. Paul is a businessman and Sheila is a doctor at a busy clinic in Oxford. Their daughter, Joan, is busy too She is only 20, but she is a trainee manager at a hotel in town. The Woods have got a large, smart house near Oxford but they do not really live together. One of them is always out, and they are often all out.
Rich, the "baby of the family", now lives away from the family. He is a student in London and he lives in a small flat there. This is his first year away from home, and life in London is not always easy. So he's often at home at weekends. This weekend he's at home but he's got problems there too. He's got a suitcase full of dirty clothes and the washing machine is broken. He's hungry, too, but there is something wrong with the cooker and the electrician's away for the weekend. There are some cheese biscuits on the table and there's some cold soup in the fridge but that's all.
His mother and father are at a conference in New York and his sister's no help! She's got an invitation to a conference this weekend and the taxi's on its way. This is not Rich's idea of a happy weekend at home!
Conversation 1
Chris: 7^8—2 — double 5 -0.
Nick: Hello. This is Nick. Is that Chris?
Chris: Yes it is.
Nick: Do you want to come to the cinema tonight? There's a good
film at the Odeon. Chris: Er ... Well, I'm sorry, Nick, but I visit my gran on Mondays,
so I can't go to the cinema today Nick: Oh dear! Well, let's go on Thursday then. Chris: Thursday? Oh, on Thursdays I have my trumpet lesson. Nick: Oh no! Well, what do you do on Saturdays? Chris: I always play football on Saturdays. Nick: You certainly have a busy week! Chris: Yes, I'm sorry, Nick. See you, Nick: Goodbye!
Conversation 2 Simon: What's the matter? Wendy: I'm bored.
Simon: Why don't we watch television? Wendy: Oh Simon, television's boring.
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Simon: You're right Well, let's play football then
Wendy I don't like football, Simon!
Simon: Oh! Do you like dancing?
Wendy: Yes, I do.
Simon: Well, let's go to the disco
Wendy: Simon, what time is it?
Simon: It's 4.30
Wendy: And what time does the disco open?
Simon: At 8 o'clock Well, shall we go to the ice rink?
Wendy: I can't skate, Simon.
Simon. Oh, can you ride a bicycle?
Wendy: Yes I can ... But I haven't got a bicycle.
TOPIC: SHOPPING
Text
John wanted a copy of "War and Peace", by Tolstoy, so he went to a famous bookshop in Charing Cross Road and asked for it.
The assistant looked puzzled. "You should try the foreign book department", she said. "But it's a novel, and I want it in English," John replied. "Oh, novels are on the first floor," she said.
Eventually John found the novels, and after some time he discovered a copy of "War and Peace". "I'd like to buy this, please," he said to an assistant in a yellow jumper. She took it from him and gave him a receipt. "Pay at the cash desk," she said pointing towards the far corner of the shop.
John waited for ten minutes in a small queue, then he paid and the girl at the cash desk stamped his receipt and gave it back to him. He took it to the girl in the yellow jumper. She glanced at it and handed him a parcel. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you," she replied. When John got home, he opened his parcel. It contained
a book about roses.
Conversation 1
Mrs Cox: Good morning. Perhaps you can advise me...
Assistant: Yes, madam.
Mrs Cox: I'm looking for a toy ... for my nephew.
Assistant: Oh, yes ... how old is he?
Mrs Cox: He'll be nine years old on Saturday.
Assistant: Skateboards are still very popular.
Mrs Cox: Hmm, I don't want him to hurt himself.
Assistant: What about a drum set?
Mrs Cox: I don't think so. His father will be angry if I buy him
one of those. Have you got anything educational? You
see, he's a very intelligent boy. Assistant: I've got the perfect thing! A do-it-yourself computer kit!
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Conversation 2
Man: Good morning, madam. Can I help you3
Anna: Yes, please Have you got the Times?
Man: No, madam, we haven't. We —
Anna: Oh dear What about the Guardian?
Man: No, madam. We haven't got the Guardian. We don't —
Anna: Well, have you got Time Magazine?
Man: No, we haven't This isn't —
Anna: You haven't got any newspapers or magazines? Is this a
newsagent's shop or isn't it? Man: It isn't. It's a bookshop. We don't sell newspapers and we
haven't got any magazines.