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The number-one magazine for learning and teaching English! @LEARNHOTENGLISH

No.241

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16 USEFUL

IDIOMS FOR WORK & BUSINESS! TO CLIMB THE CORPORATE LADDER

PHRASAL VERBS: TO FALL!

HAIR VOCABULARY!

THE MULLET ISSN

15777898

9 771577 789001

00241

PLUS… phrasal verbs, grammar, idioms, vocabulary, useful expressions… and much, much more.


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EDITOR’S INTRO

Magazine Index

How you learn English with Hot English magazine

Pre-Intermediate (CEF level: A2)

Why are you learning English? To get a better job, to pass an official English exam, to travel, or just to communicate in English? Hot English magazine helps with all this. 1

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Increase your vocabulary. In every issue of Hot English you’ll learn over 350 English words and expressions! Plus you’ll learn lots of idioms, phrasal verbs, grammar and more. Improve your listening. Every magazine has 60 minutes of spoken English audio. You’ll learn to understand English, plus you can hear lots of different accents! Exam English. Hot English helps prepare you for official English exams (First Certificate, IELTS, TOEFL, etc.). How? Exams test your ability to speak and your range of vocabulary. Hot English improves your communication skills and your knowledge of words and expressions. Business English. Practical English for the office, for meetings, for talking to clients – it’s all in Hot English. Plus, read business tips from entrepreneurs.

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Travel English. Want to travel to English-speaking countries? With Hot English you’ll learn the words and expressions you need for international travel! Social English. How do native English speakers really talk? Learn with our natural English conversations. Also, learn English slang. Plus, in Hot English you’ll read about current events (news, culture, music, films) so you can make conversation with native English speakers. Want to learn even more? Get an English Unlocked book. You’ll learn extra vocabulary, grammar, social English and business English. The English Unlocked books are linked to the topics in Hot English magazine. Visit our website for more details.

Hi, and welcome to another issue of Learn Hot English – the fun magazine for learning English. In this month’s issue, we’re looking at 16 useful idioms for work & business! Native English speakers use idioms all the time, but do you know what these ones mean? Learning them will really improve your English level, and impress your teacher. Of course, that’s not all, we’re also looking at a travel destination in Italy, a hairstyle known as the mullet, famous American drinks, a historical figure (Caligula), phrasal verbs, idioms, slang, vocabulary, UK-US word differences, a business topic, and lots, lots more. Well, we hope you enjoy reading and listening to this issue of Learn Hot English. Have fun, learn lots of English and see you all next month!

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Editorial

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Dr Fingers’ Error Correction Clinic

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Fingers’ Pronunciation

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In The City Intermediate (CEF level: B1)

10 Three great holiday destinations! 12 Story Time 14 The Mullet 16 Crank Calls 19 Business Dialogues - The Builders 20 16 Useful Idioms For Work &

Business!

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22 Idioms Exercises Upper Intermediate (CEF level: B2)

24 Crossword 26 Fingers’ Grammar Clinic 27 Business Dialogues -

The Office Share

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28 Animal Matching 29 Animal Triva 30 Idioms – Dogs 32 Vocabulary - Hairdressing 33 Typical Dialogues - The Hairdresser

PS Remember to sign up for our newsletter so you can receive lots of FREE language lessons, and find out what we’re doing. Just visit our website (www.learnhotenglish.com) and enter your name and e-mail address in the box on the right-hand side of the page. Don’t forget to check out the blog on our website: www. learnhotenglish.com/blog for free lessons and articles on how to learn English. Or “like” us on Facebook or Twitter (@LearnHotEnglish)so you can keep up with our latest news.

COMPANY CLASSES FOLLOW HOT ENGLISH ON FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/LearnHotEnglish

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35 Wordsearch & Matching 36 Living Abroad - Padua, Italy 38 Living Abroad - Charlie in Italy Advanced (CEF level: C1)

40 Caligula 42 Weird World Cartoon

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All material in this publication is strictly copyright, and all rights are reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The views expressed in Hot English Magazine do not necessarily represent the views of Hot English Publishing SL, although we do think that a mullet is a cool haircut, and Caligula’s horse was an intelligent chap.

44 American Drinks 46 US Bar Chat 47 Dictionary Of Slang 48 In The News 47 Phrasal Verbs - Fall 50 Answers

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AUDIO

DR FINGERS’ ERROR CORRECTION CLINIC

In this section Dr Fingers identifies and corrects typical errors… and ensures that they are NEVER, EVER repeated.

DR FINGERS’ ERROR CORRECTION CLINIC Hello, everybody, and welcome to my “Error Correction” clinic. You know, just the other day I heard and recorded the following conversation in one of my classes. There are some errors. See if you can find them. Dr Fingers: Good morning, class. Oh, no. Who has glued my book to the desk? Come on, I want to know who did it. I am very angry. Books are for reading, not for, erm, gluing. You can all stay behind for detention after school tonight, unless the person who did this owns up. OK, class, now we’re going to do a little exercise. Class: Oh, no! Dr Fingers: Yes, now settle down. Right, Laura, come to front of the class. Now, here are some words. I want you to make some sentences with them. Laura: OK, that’s easy: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

“Asleep” - I am feeling asleep. “Sleepy” - He has sleepy. “Borrow” - I borrow you my bicycle. “Lend” - I lent the pencil from her. “Interested” - That film is very interested. “Interesting” - She is interesting in modern architecture. “Raise” - The sun raised at 6 am. “Rise” - They rise the box to the top floor.

Dr Fingers: OK, Laura. Very good, now go and sit down while we have a look at what you have been saying … (fades out)

Today ’s class: Confusing words 7. “Raise” - this verb needs an object (it is transitive): “we raised the prices”. 8. “Rise” - this verb has no object (it is intransitive): “the sun rises in the east”.

Solutions Later, I disciplined my student privately for a few hours, and now I think she understands the words. Let’s listen to her again: 1. “Asleep” - She is asleep. 2. “Sleepy” - He is sleepy. 3. “Borrow” - She borrowed the bicycle from me. 4. “Lend” - I lent her the pencil. 5. “Interested” - She is interested in modern architecture. 6. “Interesting” - The film is very interesting. 7. “Raise” - They raised the box. 8. “Rise” - The sun rose at six in the morning. OK, that’s all for today. Bye for now, and may you have an error-free month.

Problems Did you hear the mistakes? Poor Laura got all her sentences wrong. Let’s see: 1. “Asleep” is an adjective that we use to describe someone who is sleeping. So we could say, “he is asleep.” 2. “Sleepy” - this is an adjective we use to describe someone who feels tired. So, the correct answer would be “I’m feeling sleepy”, or, “I’m sleepy”. 3. “Borrow” - you “borrow” something from someone. For example, “I borrowed the pen from John”. 4. “Lend” - you “lend” something to someone. For example, “I lent my car to Jane”. 5. “Interested” - this word describes your feelings about something. For example, “I’m interested in finding out the answer”, or, “I’m interested in hearing your opinion”. 6. “Interesting” - and this word is used to describe the characteristics of something, and to say what it is like. For example, “the book is very interesting”, or, “the film was very interesting”.

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AUDIO

DR FINGERS’ PRONUNCIATION

DR FINGERS’PRONUNCIATION Hello, everybody, and welcome to my pronunciation course! (The answers to the exercise are on page 51)

Irregular Participles

Listen & Repeat

Exercise

This is another part of our series on irregular participles and their pronunciation. Just to start, I would like to perform another rap to help you with the pronunciation of these words. Once again, I asked my good friend DJ Stokes to lay down another drum ‘n’ bass line. I hope you enjoy my little rap, especially as the language focus of my rap is based on the pronunciation of these words.

Now let’s get on with some pronouncing. This month we are looking at some participles that are different to the infinitive, and another category of participles that stay the same as the infinitive. Listen and repeat these verbs and their irregular pasts and participles:

Now let’s do an exercise. Listen to the following sentences and repeat them with me. Then, listen again and try to write the sentence normally and in connected speech. We’ve done the first one for you. Good luck! (answers on page 50) 1. It cost a lot = it cos ta lot. 2. ____________________________ 3. ____________________________ 4. ____________________________ 5. ____________________________ 6. ____________________________ 7. ____________________________ 8. ____________________________ 9. ____________________________ 10. ____________________________

Dr Fingers’ Rap “I Hate Change” There was a time, when all was fine, But now it makes me want to cry, I often dream of good old days, When traditions ruled and skies were grey. I used to smoke in my favourite bar, And drive across the town by car, But now they’ve begun to ban the smoke, And the roads have become a terrible joke. I didn’t use to pay too much, And one hour’s work could fix my clutch, But now they’ve cut my lunchtime subsidy, And shut down the village factory. I used to run around the park, And visit the zoo to see the shark, But they’ve turned the park into a sty, And let the poor old shark die. All these things make me so sad, And now I feel so awfully bad, So I need to sit and think, And to have a lovely drink. By Dr Fingers

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Infinitive

Past

Past Participle

Begin Come Drink Sing Cost Cut Hit Hurt Let Put Shut Spread

Began Came Drank Sang Cost Cut Hit Hurt Let Put Shut Spread

Begun Come Drunk Sung Cost Cut Hit Hurt Let Put Shut Spread

OK, that’s all for today. Bye for now, and happy talking!

Connected Speech Now, let’s look at these participles in connected speech. As you can see, many of these participles end with consonants. Now, when the following word starts with a vowel, these consonant sounds connect with the following vowel to form a new sound. For example: “I’ve begun a new course”, which is like this if you say it in connected speech, “I’ve begu na new course”. Listen to some more examples: 1. She hurt a dog = she hur ta dog. 2. They put it down = they pu tit down.

G LO S S A RY to drive across the town exp to drive from one side of the town to the other to ban vb to prohibit to fix vb to repair; to make something work again a clutch n an object in a car. When you put your foot on the clutch and press it, you can change gear a lunchtime subsidy n money you receive to help you pay for your lunch to shut down phr vb to close permanently to run around a park exp to go from one point in a park to another point, running along the edge of the park a shark n a large fish with big teeth. They sometimes eat humans a sty n a place where a pig lives. Also, a word to describe a dirty, horrible room awfully adj terribly

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AUDIO

IN THE CITY!

IN THE CITY! Listening: in the city

a hotel

the underground

a skyscraper

a restaurant

a museum

a pub

a traffic jam

traffic lights

a sign

an alley

a building

a theatre

1

Listening

You’re going to listen to two people talking in the street. Listen once. Which places from the Vocabulary section on this page are mentioned? 2

Listening

Listen again. Then, choose the correct answers. 1. What time are they meeting for lunch? a) at 1pm b) at about 2pm 2. Where are they meeting? a) an Indian restaurant b) an Italian restaurant 3. Where is it? It’s in… a) Green Street b) Maple Street 4. Where is the Natural History Museum? It’s in… a) Bentley Street b) Maple Street 5. Where is the Science Museum? It’s next to… a) the Geological Museum b) the Natural History Museum 6. Where has Paul left his phone and the sheet of paper? a) in Megan’s house b) in a café

Discussion Ask and answer the questions. What restaurants are there in your city? Which ones do you like? Why do you like them? Is there a theatre near where you live or in your city? How often do you go there? What plays have you seen there? What do you like or dislike about going to the theatre? What is there to do in your town or city? What places can you visit? What do you like to do? Why?

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3

Speaking activity

Use the phrases below to ask and answer questions about a city.

What you say Where can I find a bus timetable, please? Can you recommend any good hotels? How do I get to the city centre? Is there public parking near the museum? Have you got a map of the subway? Where’s the best place to go shopping for clothes? What are the main tourist attractions?

What you hear There’s a new art exhibition this Sunday. There’s a street festival all next week. There’s a new Thai restaurant that’s just opened. The best way to get to the centre from here is to take bus 64. Most of the museums are in the centre of the town.

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AUDIO

THREE GREAT HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS!

THREE GREAT HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS! 1

Pre-listening

B

Look at the list of ideas for holiday destinations (a-d). Which one would you choose? Why?

Notice how the word sounds join together:

There’s ̮a There a̮ re

Listen and repeat:

a) There’s ̮a There’s a̮ b) There ̮are There a̮ re C

Now listen and repeat these sentences.

a Spa hotel

b Beach resort

a) b) c) d)

There’s a hotel around the corner. There’s a chair in here. There are three restaurants in this town. There are some boxes in here.

D

Now listen and write the sentences you hear.

1. 2. 3. 4.

Discussion Ask and answer the questions. c Cruise ship 2

d Chalet in the mountains

Listening I

You’re going to listen to three people talking about their holidays. Listen once. Which holiday destination from the Pre-listening task isn’t mentioned? 3

Listening II

Listen again. Then, write the name of a place from the Pre-listening activity next to each statement. 1. You can go for walks in a forest. 2. There’s a restaurant next to a theatre. 3. There’s a village about one kilometre away. 4. There are comedy shows in the theatre.

Have you ever stayed at a spa hotel? What was it like? What did you do there? How did you feel afterwards? Would you go back? Why? Why not? Which beaches have you been to? What do you like or dislike about the beach? What do you do when you’re at the beach? Have you ever been on a cruise? Where did you go? What did you see? What did you do on the ship? Would you like to go on a cruise? Where would you go? Why? Have you ever stayed at a ski resort? Where was it? What did you like or dislike about it?

Weak sounds: a, are A

When we speak naturally, many grammar words (articles, prepositions, auxiliary verbs, etc.) are pronounced as weak sounds. Listen to the pronunciation of the weak forms a and are. Both words have the same sound /ə/:

a) a /ə/ There’s a bird in the sky. b) are /ə/ There are four bags on the floor.

This weak, unstressed sound is called the schwa sound. It’s represented by this symbol /ə/. Listen and repeat these sentences with weak sounds.

a) b) c) d) 10

There’s a banana on the table. There’s a chair in the living room. There are three of them. There’s are two more in the fridge. / www.learnhotenglish.com / Contact us for fantastic online classes for your company, wherever you are: classes@learnhotenglish.com


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AUDIO

Jokes, stories and anecdotes as told by native English speakers

STORY TIME

e m i t y r o t S In this section you can hear two native English speakers, Jim and Sam, telling each other jokes. This authentic conversation will really help with your listening skills. Listen to the conversation and answer these questions:

Two Jokes: The Horse & The Ring 1. What’s the punch-line (the funny part) of the first joke (the horse). 2. What’s the punch-line of the second joke? Jim: Sam: Jim: Sam: Jim: Sam:

Jim: Sam: Jim: Sam: Jim:

Sam: Jim:

Sam: Jim: Sam: Jim: Sam:

So, have you heard any good jokes recently? Yeah, I heard this great joke about a horse. A horse? Oh, right, go on then. Yeah, so, this guy walks into a bar and sees a horse behind the bar serving drinks. Behind the bar? Yeah, and so the guy is staring at this horse and the horse says to the guy. What’s the matter? Haven’t you ever seen a horse serving drinks before? Quite rightly. And the guy goes, “No it’s not that,” he says, “I just never thought that the bear would sell the place”. The bear, ah, very bad. What about you? Have you heard any good jokes lately? Yeah, I’ve got one - just as bad. Er, there’s two girls talking, and one of them has just split up with her husband / boyfriend. That’s terrible. And the other one goes, “Oh, I hear you just broke off the engagement. Erm, why?” And the other one, the other girl goes, “Oh it’s just my feelings towards her, towards him aren’t the same any more”. Oh really? And the other one says, “Well, are you giving all of these things back? You giving the ring back?” Well, of course, right? And she goes, “No way, my feelings towards the ring haven’t changed a bit”. Yeah, that’s just as bad as mine. Yeah.

idioms Phrasal verbs booklets 12

GLOSSARY this guy exp notice how we use “this” to refer to people or things when we are telling jokes or stories. “Guy” is an informal word to refer to a man walks exp notice how we tell the story in the present simple tense to stare vb to look at someone continuously what’s the matter? exp “what is the problem?”

quite rightly exp exactly; yes, of course goes exp “says” a bear n see the photo to split up phr vb to terminate a relationship with someone to break off an engagement exp an “engagement” is a formal promise to marry someone. If you “break it off”, you decide not to marry that person

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AUDIO

A look at some cool places from around the world

THE MULLET

Amazing World

THE MULLET A really strange haircut for really strange people What kind of hair do you have? Long hair? Short hair? Mediumlength hair? Of course, there is a time in everyone’s life when they do something drastic like shaving their head perhaps, getting a Mohawk, or even dyeing it bright pink or blonde. It’s perfectly normal, and everyone likes to experiment. During the late 1970s and early 1980s there was a very revolutionary hairstyle known as the mullet. Basically, someone with a mullet has short hair at the front and sides and on top, and long hair at the back. These days the mullet is still popular. Why? And who has mullets?

Butt-Rockers Mullets first appeared in the late 1970s. They were popular with football players and rock stars. Later, the mullet became popular as thousands of young men and women said this famous phrase to barbers and hairdressers around the world: “Cut the top and sides, but don’t touch the back!” There are many different categories of mullet. Here are a few of them: Classic Mullets - the original style. Junior Mullets - these are mini-mullets. Cadet Mullet - these are mullets with slightly more hair at the back. Senior mullet - these are the complete versions. Sport Mullets - these are the mullets favoured by football players.

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The Female Mullet (“Fe-mullet”) - this is the ladies’ version of the mullet. (see photo of Martina Navritalova) The Dreadlocked Mullet - mullets are ethnically diverse too, you know.

So Cool At some point in the 80s, mullets were cool. All the popular kids in school had them. Young people liked them because they were rebellious and different. Mullets were also popular because they required very little maintenance to preserve them, and they could be left for long periods of time with no washing. Another benefit was that the mullet provided good insulation for the neck. Perhaps the best reason to get a mullet was the fact that the hairstyle offered the user a double personality: from the front the user appears to be very serious; but seen from the back, you are a party-animal. As the saying goes, “It’s all business in the front, and party at the back!”. Eventually, mullets went out of mainstream fashion; but they haven’t disappeared. And these days they are so hated that there are many anti-mullet clubs, websites and organisations.

I Hate The Mullet Johan Strauss of the “Frankfurt Anti-Mullet Brigade” detests mullets. “Wearing a mullet makes you look like a complete and total jerk,” Strauss explained. “Why can’t these people just have a normal haircut?” he asked.

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THE MULLET INFORMATION BOX So why is there so much negative feeling towards mullets? Psychologists have studied the mullet phenomenon and they have come to the conclusion that mullets confuse people. “People find it disorientating to see a haircut like this,” said Klaus Klinkel, a renowned German psychiatrist, “and they can’t understand how someone could want to appear so ridiculous. Also, long hair is traditionally viewed with suspicion and is perceived as a threat,” Klinkel added. Now have a look at our Mullet Guide and see how to make your very own mullet. Next month we’ll be looking at some celebrity mullets, and ways of dealing with people with mullets.

Cut Your Own Mullet Would you like to be the owner of a little mullet? Just follow our simple guide and create your own mullet. 1. Find some scissors. 2. Cut the top of your hair very short. 3. Cut the sides even shorter. 4. Don’t touch the back. 5. Admire your mullet.

Alternative Names Mullets are also known as the following: The “STLB” (short on the top, long at the back) “Hockey Hair” (because many ice-hockey players had mullets) “The Kentucky Waterfall” (because mullets are popular in the southern states of the US) “The Canadian Passport” (because during the 1980s almost every Canadian male had one) “Yep-Nope” (because it’s a “yes” - “no” haircut: “yes”, cut the front, “no”, don’t cut the back) “Ugly Hair” (because mullets are just plain ugly) and, “10/90” (10 cm at the front, 90cm at the back).

The Mullet (The Fish Version) So where does the word “mullet” come from? There’s a fish called a mullet. It’s a grey fish with blue bits on its back, and silvery sides. It’s found near the coast and it doesn’t have a silly haircut. The word could also have come from the French word mulet, which means “dim” (stupid). GLOSSARY to shave vb to cut hair from your body a Mohawk n a hairstyle with very short hair at the sides and vertical hair on the top to dye vb to change the colour of your hair by using chemicals to require very little maintenance exp to be very easy to look after, because you don’t have to do very much to provide good insulation exp to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer a party animal n a person who really enjoys parties and goes to many of them

a saying n something that people often say mainstream fashion n the clothes and styles that most people are wearing to detest vb to hate a jerk n an idiot renowned adj well-known and respected in his or her profession to perceive vb to notice, to see a threat n a danger

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AUDIO

Telephone conversations to help improve your listening skills.

CRANK CALLS

Crank Calls Here are some more crank calls - those funny telephone calls that are designed to wind people up. Have fun listening to these two. (answers on page 50)

Crank Call I - The Party

Crank Call II - The Gym

For this call we phoned a health centre to ask some very important questions. Listen to the conversation and answer this question: What information does the man want?

For this call we phoned up a gym to complain. Listen to the conversation and answer this question: What complaints does the man have about the gym?

Victim Charleston Health Clinic here, how can I help you? Hot: Oh, hi, I was wondering whether you would be able to help me. Victim: Do you have you policy number to hand? Hot: I am not currently a member. Victim: This is a private clinic, sir. Hot: Look, I’m throwing a party tonight… you could come if you want. Victim: No, I don’t think so. Hot: Well, anyway, basically, I’m looking for something to liven up my party. Victim: I’m not following you. Hot: I need some drugs - do you follow that? Victim: This is a centre for people with a drug-dependency problems. Hot: Oh, so you don’t sell drugs? Victim: No, that’s illegal. Hot: I don’t suppose you know anywhere I can get any highlevel crack, do you? Victim: We don’t have that kind of information, sir. Hot: Or how about some speed? It’s so hard to get quality these days. Victim: I’m sorry, sir, but I’m going to have to terminate this conversation. Hot: Oh, OK, bye.

Victim: Hot: Victim: Hot: Victim: Hot: Victim: Hot: Victim: Hot: Victim: Hot: Victim: Hot:

16

Body Karma Fitness Centre, how can I help you? Hi, I’m just phoning up to make a complaint. Oh, what seems to be the problem? I’m a member and I don’t like the music you play there. Oh, well, you need to speak to the manager. No! I won’t. And the gym instructors are rude. Who? Who was rude? One of them looked at me in a strange way. Shall I pass you on to the manager? And another one followed me into the shower. Maybe he was just going to the bathroom. He was looking. Looking? What do you mean? Here, I’ll pass you on… No, I’m going, and I expect better treatment next time.

GLOSSARY to wind someone up phr vb to irritate someone and make them angry a policy number n an identification number you are given when you join an organisation to hand exp if you have something “to hand”, it is close to you and you can refer to it to throw a party exp to organise a party and invite people to come to liven up phr vb to make something more exciting

I’m not following you exp “I don’t understand you” I don’t suppose you know exp this is a way of saying, “is it possible that you know…” speed n an illegal drug that stimulates to complain vb to talk about a situation that makes you angry or unhappy to pass you on to someone exp to connect you with another phone so you can speak to a different person

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18


AUDIO

BUSINESS DIALOGUES

BUSINESSDIALOGUES

THE SECRETARIAL JOB In this phone call, John is calling up to ask about a secretarial job he has seen advertised in the local press. Sonia Barkston takes his call. Listen to the conversation and answer these two questions:

John: Sonia:

1. What ordinary duties will the new secretary have to do? 2. What unusual jobs are there associated with the job? Sonia: Sonia Barkston here, who’s speaking? John: Oh, hi, this is John Craydon, and I was just phoning up regarding the secretarial job you have advertised. Sonia: Oh, very good. What sort of experience do you have? John: I’ve been working for an import-export company for three years. Sonia: Mmm… that sounds good. Can you provide any references? John: Yes, of course. Sonia: Jolly good. John: So, what kind of work would the job involve? Sonia: Well, we’re an international marketing company. We’re looking for someone to do all the usual things - you know, filing, sending faxes, keeping our databases up-to-date and phoning clients and answering the telephone. John: Sounds fairly standard to me. Sonia: Oh, and there’s a bit of cleaning work to be done too. John: Cleaning work? Sonia: Yes, nothing too complicated. Just giving the toilets the once over, and sweeping the floor… John: Cleaning the toilets? That’s not normal, is it? Sonia: Yes, all the top companies are combining secretarial work with cleaning duties. You’ll find it’s standard practice these days. John: Well, I’ve never heard of that before. Is there anything else you haven’t mentioned yet? Sonia: Yes, we do have a few pets that require a bit of care and attention. John: Pets? Sonia: Yes, I keep exotic pets - I find it reduces my stress levels

John: Sonia: John:

and it’s very relaxing. (the sound of a hissing snake) What is that? Oh, that’s Simon. (hissing and rattling). Say hello Simon. Good boy. (to the snake) Good boy, down boy, down! (to John) So when would you like to come in for an interview? Mmm… I’m going to have to think about this one. Oh, OK, well, you’ve got my number. Yes, bye. And say goodbye to Simon for me.

Exercise Now listen to some extracts from the conversation again. You will notice there are some missing words and a beeping sound. See if you can write the missing word. Answers on page 50. 1. What sort ______ experience do you have? 2. I’ve been working for an import-export company _________ three years. 3. We’re looking _________ someone to do all the usual things. 4. All the top companies are combining secretarial work __________ cleaning duties. 5. When would you like to come in ________ an interview?

GLOSSARY to phone up phr vb to telephone a reference n someone who can give information about you and how you work jolly good exp very good filing n the action of putting papers into files (paper objects where you can put paper documents) keeping something up-to-date exp ensuring that something has all the latest information included

a database n a collection of information that is stored in a computer standard adj normal, ordinary to give the toilets the once over exp inform to clean the toilets to sweep the floor exp to clean the floor by using a broom (an object with a long wooden handle and a brush at the end) a pet n an animal that you keep in your house

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19


16 USEFUL IDIOMS FOR WORK & BUSINESS!

16 USEFUL IDIOMS FOR WORK & BUSINESS! PART 1 Native English speakers use idioms all the time. So, you need to understand their meaning if you want to follow conversations. In this lesson, you’ll learn 16 really useful idioms to use in business and at work. This is the first part of a new series. Learn these idioms, and use them whenever you can.

1

A cash cow

A “cash cow” is a product or service that generates a lot of money for the company: “Drinks and snacks sales in the cinema are our cash cow – they generate even more than movie ticket sales.”

5

Scale back your hours

If you “scale back your hours”, you reduce the number of hours that you work: “After Pete had the accident, he decided to scale back his hours and work part-time until he’d fully recovered.”

20

2

At a premium

If you sell something “at a premium”, you sell it at a price that’s higher than its true value: “When this product first came out, it was selling at a premium, but now it’s sold at about 50% of its original price.”

6

Crunch time

“Crunch time” is a critical moment when you need to take action or make a decision urgently: “Sales are down, there are lots of bills to pay and our competitors have just brought out a product to rival our own – it’s crunch time!”

3

To bite the bullet

If you “bite the bullet”, you force yourself to make a difficult or painful decision: “Demand for our services is down for the 5th consecutive month, so I think we need to bite the bullet and lay off certain members of staff.”

7

A bitter pill (to swallow)

A “bitter pill” is something bad or unpleasant that has happened to you and that is difficult to accept: “Failing to get the contract was a bitter pill to swallow, especially after all the work we had put into it.”

4

Pull your weight

If you “pull your weight” in a team, you do your share of the work: “You can’t expect everyone else to do all the work on the project – you need to pull your weight too.”

8

Brownie points

If you get “brownie points”, you get imaginary bonus points for doing something good (such as helping someone). As a result, your boss, manager, supervisor, etc. is happy with you: “I got brownie points for volunteering to work at the conference over the weekend.”

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To climb the corporate ladder

If you “climb the corporate ladder”, you get promoted, move up in the company or become a manager: “You need lots of important friends if you want to climb the corporate ladder in this organisation.”

11

Dog-eat-dog

A “dog-eat-dog” situation is a competitive one in which people only think about themselves: “It’s dog-eat-dog in the entertainment sector – one minute you’re on top, the next minute, everyone has forgotten about you!”

13 To

drum up business

If you “drum up business”, you find new customers for your product or service: “Sales were very bad in the last quarter, so we need to think of ideas for drumming up new business.”

15 To

fast track

If you “fast track” something, you give it high priority, and you make it happen more quickly than usual: “The sporting event is in 20 months, so I think we should fast track the construction of the new stadium, or it won’t be ready in time.”

10 To

compare apples to oranges

If you “compare apples to oranges”, you compare two very different things: “Comparing the food at this restaurant and the other one is like comparing apples to oranges – one sells fast-food and the other is a 5-star establishment.”

12 To

dot your i’s and cross your t’s

If you “dot your i’s and cross your t’s” while creating a document, etc., you pay careful attention to all the little details, and you try to make sure there aren’t any mistakes: “When preparing the annual report, it’s very important to dot your i’s and cross your t’s – there can’t be any errors!”

14 To

face the music

If you “face the music”, you have to deal with the consequences of a bad decision or action: “We launched the product without doing all the necessary market research, which was a disaster, and now we have to face the music.”

16 To

UNDERSTANDING IDIOMS An idiom is an expression that describes a situation in a funny, original or unusual way. Interestingly, the meaning of the idiom is different from the meanings of the individual words. For example: • It cost an arm and a leg = It was very expensive. • She’s over the moon about her new job = She’s very happy about her new job. • I felt like a fish out of water in the party = I felt very uncomfortable in the party. In some cases, you can guess the meaning of an idiom from the context – what the people are talking about. In other cases, you can “visualise” (imagine) the idiom as some idioms actually represent an action that you might do in the situation that the idiom is referring to. For example: • I like to put my feet up after work = I like to relax after work [Literally, some people put their feet on a chair or table when they want to relax.] • They’re up in arms about the changes = They’re angry about the changes. [Literally, some people put their arms in the air when they’re angry.]

generate a buzz

If you “generate a buzz”, you create a lot of interest in a product or service, often by doing something that is reported by the media: “They gave away free samples of their product on the streets of London, which generated a lot of buzz.”

GLOSSARY lay off = if workers are “laid off”, they lose their jobs. A bullet = a small, metal object that comes out of a gun when you shoot it. To crunch = if you “crunch” something, you apply pressure to it, or push down on it with your foot, teeth… Bitter = “bitter” food has a sharp taste like a lemon, black coffee, etc. A Brownie = literally, a Brownie is the level of girl scouts for girls aged 6-8 A ladder = a piece of equipment for climbing up and down with two vertical bars and steps to stand on. A track = a path or road that goes through the countryside and that is often made of earth. A buzz = if you can hear a “buzz” or a “buzzing” sound, you can hear a continuous, low sound like the one a bee or other insect makes.

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21

16 USEFUL IDIOMS FOR WORK & BUSINESS!

9


IDIOMS EXERCISES

IDIOMS EXERCISES Answers on page 50

1

Gap-fill exercise

2

Complete the definitions with the words from below.

drum

buzz

pill

brownie

music

crunch

track

1. If you “generate a ”, you create a lot of interest in a product or service by doing something that is reported by the media. ”, you have to deal with 2. If you “face the the consequences of a bad decision or action. 3. “ time” is a critical moment when you need to take action or make a decision urgently. ” something, you give it high 4. If you “fast priority, and you make it happen more quickly than usual. up business”, you find new 5. If you “ customers for your product or service. 6. If you get “ points”, you get imaginary bonus points for doing something good (such as helping someone). As a result, your boss, manager, supervisor, etc. is happy with you. back your hours”, you reduce 7. If you “ the number of hours that you work. 8. A “bitter ” is something bad or unpleasant that has happened to you and that is difficult to accept.

22

Sentence completion

Complete the definitions with the correct words. 1. Demand for our services is down for the 5th consecutive month, so I think we need to bite the and lay off certain members of staff. -dog in the entertainment 2. It’s dogsector – one minute you’re on top, the next minute, everyone has forgotten about you! 3. You need lots of important friends if you want in this to climb the corporate organisation. 4. When preparing the annual report, it’s very important your t’s – there can’t to dot your i’s and be any errors! 5. Drinks and snacks sales in the cinema are our cash – they generate even more than movie ticket sales. 6. You can’t expect everyone else to do all the work on too. the project – you need to pull your 7. When this product first came out, it was selling at a , but now it’s sold at about 50% of its original price. 8. Comparing the food at this restaurant and the other – one one is like comparing apples to sells fast-food and the other is a 5-star establishment.

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ANSWERS ON PAGE 50

CROSSWORD

CROSSWORD

Across 3: 6: 8: 9: 10: 12: 14: 15: 17: 22: 23: 24: 26: 27:

If you are driving, you are _____ the wheel If you leave a place driving, you drive ___ If you really like something, you are fond __ that thing A shortened form of “want to” To shout To wake up in the night and start to move about while you are still sleeping: to sleep ____ To stay in the air and not to move: to h ____ To hit someone many times: to ___ someone up To completely destroy something: to smash something __ Increasing: on the ____ A metal container for drinks: a __ To move downstairs very quietly and secretly: to _____ downstairs A person who tries to stop cars so he/she can travel somewhere for free: a h _________ A substance used to stick two pieces of paper together

Down 1: 2: 4: 5:

To casually make a comment about something. To r _____ A light that isn’t bright: a ___ light To go out and have a really good time: to let your hair ____

7: 9: 11: 13: 16: 18: 19: 20: 21: 25:

A bubbly drink made from water and sugar such as Coca Cola, Pepsi, etc To believe something that isn’t true: to fall ___ a trick An exclamation that people say when they do something wrong If someone is about to cry, tears are welling up in their ____ The part of your mouth that you use for kissing If a plan fails, it falls t h _____ Areas on your head with no hair: bald p ______ A type of dog: a b r ___ of dog Very wet: s o _____ wet Water that is moving: r u _____ water To take something in your hands and to lift it from a surface: to ____ something up

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DR FINGERS’GRAMMAR CLINIC

AUDIO

DR FINGERS’GRAMMARdayCLINIC ’s class: Dear Dr Fingers, I often have problems with conjunctions such as “unless” and “as long as”. Please could you help me? Thank you very much. Monica (by e-mail).

To

“Unless” and “as long as”

Dear Monica, Thank you very much. Of course, I would be delighted to help you with your difficulties. First of all, let’s have a look at “unless”.

Unless We use this conjunction to talk about exceptions; and in many cases it is like saying “except if”, or “the only exception is if…”. For example: ”I won’t go to the cinema unless you pay”, which is like saying, “I won’t go to the cinema. The only exception is if you pay”. “She won’t work unless I help her”, which is like saying, “she won’t work. The only exception is if I help her”. ”He won’t do it unless you explain how to do it”, which is like saying, “he won’t do it. The only exception is if you explain how to do it”. ”I will be here tomorrow unless there’s a strike”, which means, “I will be here tomorrow. The only exception is if there’s a strike”.

As long as Now let’s look at “as long as”. This can be used to make a condition, and it is similar to “if” or “on condition that”. For example: “I’ll lend you my car, as long as you don’t crash it”, which means, “I’ll lend you my car, on condition that you don’t crash it”. “I’ll come as long as you pay”, which means, “I’ll come on condition that you pay”. “I’ll do the job as long as you help me”, which means, “I’ll do the job on condition that you help me”.

Additional Notes For Advanced Students And finally, a few points for advanced students. Notice how we use a present tense to express a future idea with both “unless” and “as long as”: “I won’t be angry as long as you do it well”. It is NOT correct to say, “… you will do it well”. “I won’t go unless you go with me.” It is NOT correct to say, “… unless you will go… ” In more formal sentences you can use “provided that” instead of “as long as”: “I’ll lend you my car, provided that you don’t crash it.” Be careful because “as long as” can also be used to make comparisons: “This piece of string is as long as the other one.” “Mine is as long as yours.” Well, I hope that has answered your question. Now, I am going for a lovely walk to the park, where I will throw some stones at the ducks and frighten old ladies. Yours, Dr Fingers. Bye!

26 For fantastic Video-Phone classes, e-mail classes@learnhotenglish.com / www.learnhotenglish.com /


AUDIO

BUSINESS DIALOGUES

BUSINESSDIALOGUES

THE OFFICE SHARE In this dialogue, Michael and Jane have decided to rent an office together to cut costs. They’ve just moved in and they are talking about the new office. Listen to the dialogue and see if you can answer these questions: 1. What advantages are there with the new office? 2. What areas of conflict are there? Jane: So, it should be nice and quiet here. Michael: Yeah, there’s not too much traffic and there’s lots of light too. Jane: This is great. We cut all our costs by sharing electricity bills and we just have one secretary between us. Michael: Yes, it just made so much sense to make this move. I don’t know why we didn’t think of it before. Jane: Yeah, plus we can help each other when one of us is ill, or away. Michael: Yeah, I can take your calls, and you can take mine. (loud screaming) Jane: Good God! What was that! Michael: Oh, don’t worry about that, it’s just the guy next door. He’s a psychotherapist - he has some original ideas. (more loud screaming) Don’t worry. It’s only in the morning session. The rest of the day there isn’t much noise… apart from when he’s treating the “wall hitters”. Jane: “Wall hitters”? What are they? Michael: “Wall hitters” are people who have an obsession with walls and an uncontrollable urge to hit them. Here, like this (bang, bang, bang). Jane: Oh, right. Anyway, I think I’ll put my things on the desk by the window. Michael: Oh, well actually, sorry, but, erm, I’d already decided to put my things there. Jane: Oh, had you? Michael: Yes, I need natural light. I can’t work otherwise. Jane: Well I do too. Oh, and by the way, I noticed that my name on the plaque is smaller than yours.

Michael: Your name is longer; we had to make it smaller so it would fit. My name is just “Michael Bailey”, but yours is “Jane Swingeon Burgess” - the letters have to be smaller. Jane: And why is your name above mine? Michael: I was here first. (more loud screaming) Jane: No you weren’t. Michael: Yes, I was. Jane: No, you weren’t. Michael: Yes, I was. Jane: Oh dear, I can see this isn’t going to work. (more loud screaming) Michael: Yes, I agree. I think we should call the whole thing off. Jane: Good idea. Bye. Michael: Bye.

Exercise Now listen to some extracts from the conversation again. You will notice there are some missing words and a beeping sound. See if you can write the missing word. Answers on page 50. 1. We just have one secretary _________ us. 2. I’ll put my desk and things right here __________ the window. 3. I noticed that my name on the plaque is smaller ________ yours. 4. I can see this isn’t going __________ work. 5. I think we should call the whole thing _________ .

GLOSSARY to cut vb to reduce an electricity bill n a piece of paper that tells you how much you must pay for electricity to take a call exp to answer the telephone an uncontrollable urge n an irresistible desire to do something by the way exp people use this expression when they suddenly think of something they want to

say and they need to change the topic of conversation a plaque n a piece of wood or metal that has the name of businesses, groups or people on it to fit vb if a name “fits” on a piece of paper, it is the right size for the piece of paper to call the whole thing off exp to cancel everything

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27


ANIMAL MATCHING

Animal Matching Exercise See if you can do this matching exercise. Look at the list of things (1 to 12), and the photos ( A - K ). Write a letter next to the name of each thing in the list below. Answers also on page 50 1. Dragonfly 2. Cheetah 3. Kangaroo 4. Spider 5. Dolphin 6. Honeybee

B

7. Snake 8. Walrus 9. Ostrich

A

10. Greyhound 11. Goldfish

C

D

H

28

G

F

E

I

K

J

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AUDIO

Here are some more interesting and fascinating facts about animals. Every year, we spend about 1.5 billion euros on pet food. This is four times more than the amount we spend on baby food. Dragonflies are the fastest insects in the world, and they can fly about 80 kph. And while we’re on the subject of speed, just have a look at the following “Speed Table”, with the maximum speeds for a variety of animals… and a human: Animal Cheetah Lion Horse Rabbit Kangaroo Human Elephant Spider Snail

Speed 112 kph 80 kph 72 kph 56 kph 48 kph 42 kph 40 kph 2 kph 0.2 kph

The largest egg in the world comes from the ostrich. These eggs are from 15 to 20 centimetres long, and take about 40 minutes to hard-boil. The breed of dog known as the greyhound was “created” in Egypt about 5,000 years ago. In England it was bred by aristocrats to hunt hares. Female chickens (hens) can make one egg in about 24 to 26 hours. A fit, healthy hen can start producing another egg just thirty minutes after laying an egg. Pet parrots can eat just about any food that we eat, except for chocolate and avocado pears. In fact, both of these things can kill the parrot. So now you know - the next time you find yourself in a difficult situation with an awkward parrot, just offer it some chocolate. Hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the world. The smallest ones are the size of your thumb nail when fully-grown. In fact, they are so small that one of their enemies is an insect: the praying mantis. Incidentally, hummingbirds are the only birds that can hover, and fly up, down and backwards; however, they cannot walk. George Washington’s favourite horse was named Lexington; Napoleon’s was named Marengo; and US President Grant had three favourites: Egypt, Cincinnati, and Jeff Davis. Goldfish lose their colour if they are kept for long periods in dim light or in running water.

Each year, hungry insects eat 1/3 of the Earth’s food crop. German shepherds bite humans more than any other breed of dog. Dolphins sleep at night just below the surface of the water. They often wake up for a bit of air. The honeybee kills more people world-wide than all the poisonous snakes combined. The largest animal ever seen alive was a 33-metre, 1,700-kilogram blue whale. Pigs, walruses and light-coloured horses can all get sunburnt. So, don’t forget to buy some suntan cream for your pets - they need it too, you know. Elephants can communicate using sounds that we humans can’t detect. This is because the sounds are below our hearing range, which is between 14 and 35 hertz. The giant squid is the largest creature without a backbone. It can weigh up to 2,000 kilograms, and can grow up to 15 metres long. Each eye has a diameter of about 300 centimetres. The average cat eats about 127,750 calories a year - nearly 28 times its own weight in food. Incidentally, cats cannot survive on a vegetarian diet.

New Zealand’s national bird, the Kiwi, cannot fly, is almost blind and lays only one egg each year. It spends most of its life in a hole in the ground, but despite this, it has survived for more than 70 million years and had a fruit named after it.

GLOSSARY pet food n food for animals. “Pets” are animals we keep at home a crop n a type of plant or cereal we grow in large quantities for food a breed (of dog) exp a type of dog such as a chow, pitbull and German shepherd to get sunburnt exp if you “get sunburnt”, your skin becomes red because you have been in the sun for too long below our hearing range n a sound that is too low for us to hear a squid n a large animal that lives in the sea and has 8 legs a backbone n the long bone in our back up to 2,000 kilograms exp any weight less than 2,000 kilograms a diameter n a line that goes through a circle, passing through the middle of it an average cat n a normal, ordinary cat to hard-boil (an egg) exp to put an egg in hot water until it becomes hard inside to breed vb if you “breed” animals, you keep these

animals so they can produce babies that you can sell a hare n a type of large rabbit to lay an egg exp if a chicken “lays” an egg, an egg comes out of the chicken’s body an avocado pear n food that is green inside and has the shape of an ordinary pear. People often use avocados in salads or to make guacamole awkward adj with a difficult nature and personality a thumb n the big finger on your hand a nail n the hard object at the end of your finger to hover vb if a plane or bird “hovers” in the air, it stays in one position in the air dim light exp light that is not bright running water exp water that is moving constantly blind adj if you are “blind”, you cannot see to name after phr vb to give something the same name as another thing

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29

ANIMAL TRIVIA

Animal Trivia


DOGS IDIOMS

DOGS IDIOMS This month we are looking at some idioms related to “dogs”. Illustrations by www.carosia.com

Dirty dog An evil person who gets what he/she wants: “He told us he was really poor and he convinced us to give him some money, but later we found out that he was a millionaire - what a dirty dog!”

Dog-tired Exhausted after working really hard: “I’ve been working all day and now I’m dog-tired.”

Puppy love Romantic love which a young person feels for another person. This type of love usually disappears quickly: “I fell in love when I was just 14 and I was sure I was going to marry him. But later I found out what he was really like so I suppose it was just puppy love.”

Puppy fat Excess fat that children have and that they lose when they get older: “He’s a bit overweight now, but that’s just puppy fat.”

To call off the dogs To stop an investigation; to stop attacking someone: “The bank were going to sue us for not paying back the money, but now they’ve decided to call off the dogs.”

A shaggy-dog story A joke which is very long and which has a silly ending: “My dad loves telling shaggy-dog stories, but he’s the only one who finds them

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GLOSSARY Please note that some of the words in this glossary box are literal translations of parts of idiomatic expressions. to find out phr vb to discover a puppy n a very young dog to sue vb to start a legal process against someone in order to get compensation to pay back phr vb to return money to someone or a bank shaggy adj “shaggy hair” is hair that is long and not ordered


Clases de inglés...

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VOCABULARY HAIRDRESSING

VOCABULARY HAIRDRESSING Here is some useful vocabulary related to hairdressing. A barber - this is the man or woman who cuts men’s hair. Barbers have years of experience doing one basic haircut: short back and sides.

Curlers - these are the hot pieces of metal that are used to make your hair curly. They are also excellent instruments of torture and may be used to extract information from stubborn friends.

A hairdresser - this is the person who will do just about anything to your hair, including cutting it, washing it, dyeing, drying it, curling it, straightening it, etc.

Hair oil - this is the oily substance that you can put on your hair. Put on a large amount and give yourself that Mafia look to intimidate your friends.

A wig - this is a piece of false hair that covers the top of the head. Stick your wig on with a strong glue to ensure it doesn’t fly off in a gale.

Scissors - these are the objects they use to cut your hair. Inexperienced hairdressers often use scissors to cut off portions of client’s ears. On your next visit, remember to wear a helmet to avoid any injuries.

Clippers - this is the electronic device that is used to cut your hair. Use your clippers to recreate the sound of a thousand mosquitoes.

A barber’s seat - these are the chairs that you sit on in the hairdressers. Have fun spinning around on the seat - it’s cheaper than going to the fun fair, and you get a haircut.

A brush (hairbrush) - this is the object you use to put your hair in order. Save the hairs on your hairbrush to make a lovely wig of your very own hair.

A razor blade - this is the sharp object used for cutting the hairs on the back of the neck.

A comb - this is the plastic object that is used to put your hairs in place. It’s got lots of little teeth. Impress your friends by using your comb as a mouth organ, and giving them your version of “My Way” by Frank Sinatra. Hair dye - this is the chemical substance that changes the colour of your hair. Dye your hair with ammonia to save money. However, be careful as repeated use of ammonia may burn your scalp. A towel - this is the object used to dry your wet hair. Wrap your towel around your head and pretend you are from an exotic country.

A hairdryer - this is the electronic device that’s used to dry your hair. It is also useful for drying paint on walls.

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Hairspray - this is the wonderful mixture of air, perfume and glue that is used to keep your hair in place. Hair gel - this is the sticky substance that is used to keep your hair looking wet. Regularly throwing a bucket of water over your head has a similar effect. GLOSSARY short back and sides exp a haircut that consists of cutting the hair short at the back and the side of the head to curl vb to design hair so it has little circles in it. People with “curly” hair have these circles naturally to stick vb to fix something with glue (see below) glue n a substance that we use to fix things usually paper onto paper to fly off phr vb if something “flies off” your head, it suddenly comes away from your head a gale n violent weather with very strong wind a mouth organ n a small musical instrument that you put it in your mouth. They are often used in

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blues songs a scalp n the skin on your head wrap a towel around your head exp put a towel on your head and tie it ( see picture) to pretend vb to act as if something is true even if that thing isn’t true stubborn adj someone who is “stubborn” insists on doing things his/her way a helmet n an object you put on your head to protect your head. People on motorbikes often wear them to spin around phr vb to move around in circles many, many times and very fast


AUDIO

TYPICALDIALOGUES

TYPICAL DIALOGUES

ANSWERS ON PAGE 50

THE HAIRDRESSER Here’s a typical dialogue with lots of useful vocabulary and expressions to use when you go to the hairdresser’s. In this scene Mr Paylos has come in for a haircut. Listen to the dialogue and answer these questions. (answers on page 50) 1. What does the hairdresser offer the man? 2. Is the customer satisfied in the end? Hairdresser: Good afternoon, sir. Haircut? You know we’re giving away a free brush and comb for every customer this month. Mr Paylos: Oh good. I’ll have a haircut then, please. Hairdresser: OK, take a seat, please. Now, how would you like it? Mr Paylos: Well, I just need a trim - you know, just a bit off the back and the sides. Hairdresser: Very well, sir. Now just sit back and relax while I put this blindfold on you. Mr Paylos: Blindfold? Hairdresser: Yes, I find it easier to work if the customer can’t see what I’m getting up to. Mr Paylos: Getting up to? Hairdresser: I mean, doing. Could I interest you in a perm? We’ve got some very good offers this month. Mr Paylos: Erm, no thanks. Hairdresser: A change of colour perhaps? We’ve got a very snazzy new range of hair dyes. Mr Paylos: No, I’m fine thanks. Hairdresser: Very well, sir. Whoops! Mr Paylos: What? What’s wrong? Hairdresser: Nothing. It’s just that these scissors are a bit blunt. It’s nothing to worry about. You just sit back and relax. Mr Paylos: So, erm, is this a busy time of the year? Hairdresser: Yes, very busy. And there have been no fatal accidents for twenty years. Mr Paylos: Fatal accidents? I didn’t ask about any accidents. Hairdresser: Oh, didn’t you, sir? I’m sorry. It just sort of slipped out. Mr Paylos: Erm… what happened twenty years ago? Hairdresser: I don’t like to talk about it. Mr Paylos: By the way, I was just wondering - it says outside that you also do gardening work. Is that right?

Hairdresser: Yes, I find the two jobs are quite similar. Mr Paylos: What? Hairdresser: I said… Good, now I’m just going to burn off those loose ends. Mr Paylos: Burn? Erm, sorry, but I can feel some heat on the back of my neck… in fact it’s quite hot, erm, and it hurts. Hairdresser: Oh dear. Mr Paylos: What? Hairdresser: I don’t suppose you’ve got any glue, have you? Mr Paylos: Glue? Look, I think you’ve done quite enough. Let me have a look. Hairdresser: Here you are, sir. Shall I dry the remaining hairs for you, sir? A bit of hairspray might look good. Mr Paylos: No, no, I’m fine. (looking in the mirror) Oh, yes. This haircut is very, very good. I like the way there are some spiky bits, and some bald patches and a bit of long hair at the back. It’s perfect. How much do I owe you? Hairdresser: That’ll be 20 euros, please. Plus you get your free comb. Mr Paylos: Excellent!

GLOSSARY a brush n an object you use to make your hair look nice. It has many soft plastic “hairs” on it a comb n an object you use to make your hair look nice. It has many hard plastic “teeth” on it a trim n a haircut that consists of cutting off a little hair a bit off the back exp “cut a little hair from the back of my head” the sides n the hair at the sides of your head a blindfold n a piece of material that completely covers the eyes to get up to something exp to do something - usually something bad or illegal a perm abbr a “permanent”. A process which makes your hair curly (with lots of little circles) snazzy adj stylish and attractive a hair dye n a chemical that makes your hair change colour

whoops! excl people say this when they do something wrong or make a mistake scissors n an object you use to cut paper or hair blunt adj if a knife is “blunt”, it doesn’t cut very well busy adj if you are “busy”, you have lots of work to slip out phr vb if something “slips out”, you say that thing accidentally to burn off phr vb to eliminate something by burning it loose ends exp the ends of your hair that are not in place glue n a substance used for sticking paper onto paper spiky bits exp bits of hair that are sticking up (in a vertical position) bald patches exp areas of your head with no hair. Someone with no hair is “bald”

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See if you can identify the word below. Then, try to find these words (here on the right) in the Wordsearch. Good luck! Answers on page 50.

MATCHING

GONNA

RAID

HOOD

TRESPASS

BENCH

LITTER

WILL

UNCIVIL

CHOP

OUGHT

STABLE

FILE

STAB

USER

See if you can match the two columns. Answers on page 50.

A: Gonna B: A hood C: A bench

1. A long seat often found in a park 2. To put papers and documents in organised boxes 3. A person who uses something

D: A will E: To chop F: A stable

4. To throw old bits of paper and plastic on the ground 5. Should 6. Rude and not polite

G: To stab H: A raid I: To trespass

7. To put a knife in someone 8. A “house” for horses 9. If the police do this, they go to an area in order to arrest people

J: To litter K: Uncivil L: Ought to

10. To go on an area of private land without permission 11. To cut with a large knife 12. Going to

M: To file N: A user

13. A part of a jacket or coat that goes over your head 14. An official document that explains what will happen to your money when you die

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WORDSEARCH

WORDSEARCH


A look at some cool places from around the world

PADUA, ITALY

Amazing World

PADUA, ITALY If you’re interested in art, architecture and Italian culture, then Padua is the place for you. It’s got more than 3,000 years of history and it’s full of interesting sights and things to do. by Cristiano Righi Inspiration As soon as you get to Padua you’ll see the is the wall that goes around the city. The most interesting parts of the wall include the “Portello Gate” and the “Savonarola Gate”. So where can you start on your journey around Padua? Well, the best place is the Botanical Gardens. It was founded in 1545 as a garden for medical plants. These days it’s part of the “Faculty of Medicine” in The University of Padua. “Il Botanico”, as it is known, is the oldest botanical garden in the world, and has an extremely important collection of rare plants, including a palm tree that was planted in 1585 and that worked as inspiration for the German poet Goethe in the 18th century.

Unofficial Ceremonies “Bo’ Palace” is another good place to visit. It’s basically a large group of buildings which were constructed at the beginning of the 17th century. They were built near a medieval inn called the

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Bo’, which means “ox” in the dialect of the Veneto region. The Bo’ Palace is now the main seat of the university. It’s great for walking around. In the old central square you can also see the rooms with their ancient draperies and paintings. On graduation day at the “Bo’ Palace”, students receive the ancient Roman “crown of laurel” - just like the one that Caesar used to wear. If you are lucky enough to be around when this is happening, you’ll also see the “unofficial” celebration that usually follows the official one. In this “unofficial” ceremony, students play tricks on one another. Here are some of the typical things they do: 1. Undressing a student and watching him walk around the crowded squares begging for money 2. Using cling film to stick a live eel on a student, then throwing the student into one of the fountains; 3. Covering the student in sticky tape and watching him trying to get out of it.

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Another interesting place to visit is the Prato della Valle. This is the traditional site for fairs and entertainment. One of the most spectacular shows is the firework display that takes place on 15th August. You can also see a typical Italian flea market that sells really cheap things and second-hand goods every Saturday morning. The market is in a large building that was constructed in 1775. Centuries before there was a Roman theatre here. Nowadays this is one of the main places for young people to meet on Saturday afternoon. Many of them go skating around the square, which makes this area the oldest skating track in the world.

in northern Italy. One of the most popular tourist sites is the cathedral. It was constructed in the 13th century in a RomanesqueGothic style. It contains the body of Saint Anthony and has artistic masterpieces like the impressive frescoes by Titian, sculptures by Donatello and a monument dedicated to the legendary knight “Gattamelata”, also by Donatello.

Time For Food Just a few steps away from Prato della Valle there’s a fantastic pizzeria: “Pizzeria Orsucci”. It’s been run by the same family since the beginning of the century, and they make the best and cheapest pizza you’ll ever have in your life. You can choose a simple “Margherita” (tomato and mozzarella), a tasty “Capricciosa” (artichokes, mushrooms and ham) or a superb “Parmigiana” (aubergines and Parmesano cheese). Wash your pizza down with an ice-cold “Moretti” beer, which is the most popular beer in the northeast.

Shopping! The best places for shopping are the three large squares in the centre of town, known respectively as Piazza delle Erbe, Piazza dei Signori and Piazza della Frutta. The three of them are all joined together and surrounded by a complex system of arcades. Piazza delle Erbe, has the huge building known as “Palazzo della Ragione”, which is where the law courts are. There are some important frescoes by the artist Giotto here too. Under the squares there are some shopping galleries with more than 50 tiny shops. It’s one of the oldest shopping centres in Europe and you can buy wine, vegetables, pets and fruit here. In Piazza delle Erbe there’s a busy market every day.

Coffee Time After all this walking around, you’ll be ready for a refreshing cup of coffee. The best place to go is Caffè Pedrocchi. This magnificent, old-fashioned café was designed by the famous architect Jappelli. It is the perfect way to end your visit to the city of Padua. Ciao!

Padua’s Best Drink: the Spritz While you are in Padua, you have to try a “Spritz”. This is a great drink for hot days and consists of a sparkling orange drink that needs to be downed in one. If you fancy making one yourself, here’s the recipe: Pour some dry white wine and Campari into a glass until the glass is 2/3 full. Add a slice of orange or lemon and some ice for decoration, then fill it to the top with soda. Perfect!

Padua’s History Padua was originally a fishing village. However, in the 4th century BC it became an important centre for the Venetians. It was also a very important town during the Roman Empire. In 1222 one of the first universities in Europe was founded here. Some of its most illustrious students include Giotto and Galilei. Padua’s inhabitants claim that their town is the oldest city

INFORMATION BOX - USEFUL PHRASES English Where is Prato della Valle? I would like a coffee, please

Italian Dov’e si trova Prato della Valle? Vorrei un caffè, per favore.

Could you take a photo of me next to the fountain, please?

Potrebbe farmi una foto vicino all Potrebbe farmi una foto vicino all fontana, per favore?

Where can I find a McDonald’s, please?

Dov’e posso trovare un McDonald, per favore?

GLOSSARY an inn n a small hotel or pub an ox n a bull that has been castrated the main seat of the university n the central and administrative area of a university draperies n curtains or decorative pieces of material to undress vb to take off your clothes to beg vb to ask desperately for something cling film n very thin plastic that you put around food to keep the food fresh to stick vb to fix, to attach, to put live adj that is living - not dead an eel n an animal that lives in the sea that we eat. It looks a bit like a snake a fountain n a decorative public feature where water comes out of an opening sticky tape n a tape that you use to fix paper onto paper a site n a place a firework display n a celebration with lots of fireworks (things that explode in the sky with a lot of noise and colour) a flea market n an outdoor market with many different things for sale at low prices second-hand goods n objects that are not new

to skate vb a sport that consists of running in shoes with wheels on them to run vb to organise, control and direct a business tasty adj that tastes good when you eat it an artichoke n a green vegetable with leaves that are like the petals from a flower an aubergine n a large purple vegetable to wash your pizza down with a drink exp to have a drink with your pizza huge adj very big the law courts n buildings where they have legal processes to decide if someone is innocent or guilty of a crime a fresco n a picture that is painted on a wall a shopping gallery n an indoor area with many shops tiny adj very, very small a busy market n a market with many people a café n a restaurant where you can drink coffee, tea, etc sparkling adj a liquid with bubbles of gas in it to down in one exp to drink all the liquid in a glass without stopping to pour vb to put liquid in a container

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PADUA, ITALY

Meeting Places


CHARLIE IN ITALY

Living Abroad

Charlie in

ITALY

Every month we interview someone who has lived in or visited a foreign country. This month we are talking to Charlie, an Irishman, about his time in Sicily. What were your first impressions of Italy?

I was on a train travelling down from the north of Italy. In the morning, I woke up to see a Carabinieri come into the carriage. He stood beside my seat with a cigarette in his mouth and his pistol almost touching my shoulder. I thought, “Oh, my God, I’m in the Wild West”. Later, I arrived at Catania and the first thing I noticed was the traffic with hundreds of Vespas, and the air heavy with their fumes. The buildings impressed me too with their black-walled Gothic designs. Apparently, after the city was flattened by Mount Etna in the late seventeenth century, they rebuilt everything using black lava rock.

What did you do there? I went to study classics. My contact was Professor Romano. On our first day there we went to his office and told him who we were. He just smiled and told us to go to the beach, find some nice Sicilian girls to teach us Italian, and to come back after Christmas. And that’s what we did. For the second year I worked.

What job did you do? Getting work in Sicily is difficult. Sicily is a very traditional society

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where the family network is fundamentally important. Businesses are mostly family affairs, and many small firms employ all three generations of the immediate family, with the grandmother at the till and the grandchildren lifting boxes. During my first year the only job I got was washing dishes in a restaurant. The only real options are as an English teacher or as a waitress; I say “waitress” because in Sicily they only hire girls in bars. Eventually I went to work in an English academy.

What were the best things about it? Culturally Sicily is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Greeks, Romans, Muslims, Normans, Bourbons... you name it, they’ve been there. Cities such as Taormina and Syracusa are beautiful and full of history. By day you’ve got the beach, the volcano and great surrounding towns and cities to see. Sometimes you look up at Mount Etna smoking away and wonder why there is a city there at all. You can go up and check out the lava flows. You could even ski there until last year, when the latest eruptions destroyed the ski station at Nicolosi. At night, we did a lot of drinking. Catania’s got great nightlife, and it’s much better compared to many other Italian cities. This is mostly because it’s full of university students.

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CHARLIE IN ITALY

Was it easy to meet people? Sicilians tend to socialise in large groups, which I hated. I made great friends, but it was hard to get them to go out on an individual basis. Sicilians are also old-fashioned people. They are very warm and sincere, even when they say things like “let’s go out sometime”, which in Ireland usually means you’re never going to go out. But Sicilians are different and they take this very literally and will get offended if you don’t phone them. They are also very welcoming and love to bring you into their home and dish up a plate of pasta.

What were the worst things about being there? Waiting for a group of Sicilians to decide where they want to go out.

Sicily

Did anything funny happen while you were there? Oh yes, lots of things. I remember once there was a slight communication problem. When I first got to the hotel it was late, so the old woman in charge just gave me the key and let me go up to the room. The next day I went to fill out the forms with my friend, Justin. This was no problem and we wrote in our details and handed the form back. But then the old woman tried to tell us something, and I couldn’t understand a word. She kept repeating it over and over, getting louder and louder all the time, but it was impossible. Finally she called in an Italian guy who said that he would translate for her. So, she repeated her phrase and the man translated it for her, saying: “Today, Etna has a big ‘erection’!” And Justin turned to me and asked: “Who is Etna?” at which point we both laughed. Of course, it turned out that Mount Etna was actually going to have a big “eruption”. What a relief! Would you go back? Yes. And with a decent job I’d stay a long time. OK, Charlie, that was really interesting. Thank you very much.

GLOSSARY a Carabinieri n an Italian police officer a shoulder n the joint at the top of your arm between your arm and your upper-body fumes n the smoke that comes out of vehicles as they are driven the city was flattened exp “the city was destroyed and all the buildings fell down” the till n the computer in a supermarket or shop that a cashier works with and in which all sales are registered to lift boxes exp to do the physical work in a shop or business to wash dishes exp to clean the dirty plates

to hire vb to pay money to use something for a limited period of time to smoke away phr vb if a volcano is “smoking away”, smoke is coming out of it continuously to check out phr vb to see, to explore, to investigate to dish up phr vb to serve (a plate of food) to fill out phr vb to complete in writing to hand back phr vb to return something to someone to turn out phr vb if something “turns out” a particular way, it happens like that in the end

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39


CALIGULA

CALIGULA Imagine you suddenly became king or queen of a country. How would you react? Would you be a kind ruler? Or would you be cruel? Now imagine you were ruler of ancient Rome. You’ve got armies, slaves and lots of land, and you are regarded as a god. Caligula, became emperor of the vast Roman Empire in AD 37. he only lasted four years and he became famous for his cruelty, brutality, extravagance and madness. What happened to him? And why? To Die In Vain In AD 37 Emperor Tiberius died and Caligula suddenly became the most powerful man in the world. Things went well at first and Caligula was a good ruler. But then his character changed and he turned into a heartless, cold and ruthless ruler. He was most famous for his cruelty. Let’s see some examples of this. On one occasion Caligula was at the arena watching the gladiators. Half-way through, Caligula was informed that there weren’t enough condemned criminals to fight the tigers and lions. What was he going to do? Simple. Caligula just ordered some spectators to be dragged from the benches into the arena. Caligula also liked to steal money from rich senators. He ordered people to write out wills leaving everything to him. Then, he would just kill them and inherit all their money. Once, a supposedly rich man had died, but it turned out that he had no money, Caligula commented, “Oh dear, he died in vain.” Caligula also opened a brothel in his palace and ordered the wives and daughters of senators and soldiers to work there; and, of course, Caligula took all the money.

asleep and Caligula declared that each time the senator nodded, it was a bid for a gladiator. By the time the senator woke up, he had a massive debt and 13 very expensive gladiators. But at other times things were more serious. When Caligula became tired of someone, he would simply order them to commit suicide, as he once did with his secretary.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow Caligula also suffered from paranoia. He was short and bald and had a hairy body. He was very sensitive about this and during his time it was a crime for anyone to look down on him from a high place. Sometimes he ordered those with a fine head of hair to be shaved. Even the mention of “hairy goats” in conversation was dangerous. One poor man was flogged to death for making a comment with this expression. Caligula was sexually perverted. He often committed incest with his three sisters; and at weddings, he would order the bride to strip naked, then carefully examine her in public.

He Really Is Mad Music To His Ears Caligula was also famous for his short temper. Once, he asked a friend, “Who is the greater: Jupiter or Caligula?” Instead of answering immediately, the friend hesitated, and Caligula whipped him to death. As the poor man was dying, Caligula casually remarked, “Remember, I have the power to do anything to anyone.” On a funny note, Caligula was once at an auction. A senator was

40

There are lots of other examples of Caligula’s madness. Whenever he kissed his wife’s neck, he used to say, “This lovely neck will be chopped as soon as I say so”. He once ordered his slaves to construct a five-kilometre bridge of boats across the Bay of Naples. Then, he crossed the boats on horseback, wearing Alexander the Great’s armour. He also treated his horse, Incitatus, like a king. He gave it necklaces, a marble stable with furniture and servants to look

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CALIGULA

after it. He made it a priest of his temple, and even proposed to make it a senator. At dinner Caligula drank pearls that had been dissolved in vinegar, and during the day he liked to roll around on mountains of gold coins. About half-way through his reign he set up a special temple with a life-sized statue of himself in gold, which was dressed each day in the same clothing that he wore himself.

He’s Mad So what exactly was the problem with this man? There are some theories that Caligula was actually suffering from schizophrenia. Others say Caligula’s eccentricities had something to do with his childhood. Caligula’s father Germanicus, his mother Agrippina and all his brothers were killed. And others think that having absolute power caused the worst features of his character to develop. Whatever the problem, it all came to an end after a very short period.

All Good Things Come To An End By AD 41 the senators and guards had had enough. One night, his Praetorian guards stabbed him to death as he was leaving the theatre. One of the conspirators was Cornelius Sabinus, whose wife had been publicly humiliated by Caligula. Another was Cassius Chaerea, who was angry because Caligula had imitated his high voice. And so ended the life of the cruellest and most unusual of the Roman leaders.

GLOSSARY FOR CARTOON to drag vb to pull someone phy-sically so far exp until now to slit someone’s throat exp to cut someone’s throat (the front part of your neck) carry on exp continue to get your oats exp “oats” are a type of cereal. To “get your oats” can mean, to have sex to make a mess exp in this case this expression means “to go to the toilet” to pick something up exp to put something in your hands and to lift this thing from a surface a facial mud bath n “mud” is a mixture of earth and water. This can be applied to the face as a beauty treatment

giddy up! exp go faster (to a horse) to chop off phr vb to cut off hay adj dried grass stop bothering me exp stop irritating me a horseshoe n an object a horse wears on its feet to protect the feet shiny adj bright and clean a tough day exp a difficult day to send someone into exile exp to force someone to leave a country and to go and live somewhere else a nosebag n a bag with in it that a horse wears

GLOSSARY heartless adj cruel and sadistic ruthless adj with no mercy to drag vb to use physical force to take someone to a place a bench n a wide, hard, long chair - often found in parks to write out phr vb to write a will n a document that says what will happen to your possessions after you die to die in vain exp to die for nothing; to die for no good cause a brothel n a house where prostitutes work a short temper n if you have a “short temper”, you become angry very easily and quickly to whip someone to death exp to hit a person with a whip (a piece of rope or leather) until that person dies to remark vb to say casually an auction n a public sale to nod vb to move your head up and down. If you “nod” while you are awake, it is a way of saying yes a bid n an offer of a quantity of money to buy something a debt n if you have a “debt”, you must return a sum of money to someone bald adj with no hair on the head

a fine head of hair exp with lots of hair on the head to shave vb to cut off all the hair to flog someone to death exp to hit someone with a whip (a piece of rope or leather) until they die to commit incest exp to have sexual relations with a member of your family the bride n the woman who is getting married during a wedding to strip naked exp to take off all your clothing to chop vb to cut on horseback exp on a horse armour n metal clothing that soldiers wear to protect themselves a necklace n jewellery that you wear around your neck a stable n a building where horses live a priest n a person who works in a church as a religious official to dissolve vb to turn a solid into a solution to roll around phr vb to lie on the floor and to move in circles on the ground a Praetorian guard n a special guard whose job was to protect the emperor to stab someone to death exp to kill someone by putting a knife in their body

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(GLOSSARY ON PREVIOUS PAGE)

(GLOSSARY ON PREVIOUS PAGE)

WEIRD WORLD CARTOON

Weird World Cartoon

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AMERICAN DRINKS

AUDIO

AMERICAN DRINKS by Laura Warrell (American English spelling) What do you drink in the morning? Some tea, perhaps, or a cup of coffee, or just water. And what do you have during the day when you’re feeling thirsty? More water. Now what about the Americans? What do you think they drink? Like most things in the United States, Americans have a big choice when it comes to drinks. There’s coffee, milk, juice, soft drinks and special “diet drinks” (made with enough chemicals to exterminate a small village), and beer. So what do Americans prefer? And when do they drink it?

Soda Americans are well-known soda drinkers. Pepsi and Coca-Cola dominate the soda industry, though there are smaller companies trying to compete. There’s the basic brown cola, plus an endless supply of other flavors, including orange, lime, grape and cherry. Then there are crystal-clear drinks like Sprite and 7-Up, and a lesser-known product called Crystal Pepsi. Many people blame this high soda consumption for most of the country’s social problems, including obesity, heart disease and an inability to drive. Apparently, in 2000, more than 75 billion litres of soda was consumed…. which means at least one can per day for every man, woman and child.

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Milk What do you give your guests when they come to your house? A glass of beer, or wine? Or some tea or coffee, perhaps? Foreigners in the States are often surprised when they sit down to dinner with an American family and are offered milk. But this is perfectly normal as many Americans, especially children, have milk with nearly every meal. At present, there’s an aggressive campaign to get Americans to drink even more milk. It’s healthy, they say, and prevents bone diseases such as osteoporosis. The milk industry also scares consumers by saying 88% of women and 60% of men aren’t getting enough calcium in their diets, and how 28 million people already have bone diseases. Then, they push old ladies to show how easy it is to break a limb when you’re not drinking enough milk. For a long time, there was a series of television ads as part of the “Got Milk” campaign. They showed famous people wearing a “milk mustache” (a line of milk above their upper lip) and saying something meaningful about the drink. Some of the people who have appeared in the videos include Britney Spears, director Spike Lee and Sarah Michelle Gellar.

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Coffee is the numberone hot drink in the US. Apparently, 52 percent of Americans over 18 drink a cup of joe (coffee) regularly. The average coffee drinker drinks 3.3 cups every day; and many Americans can’t start their day without it. Regular coffee is basically a weak coffee with hot water that some say tastes like mud. “Gourmet” coffee is what they drink in European countries such as France, Spain and Italy, and has become more popular in the States with the rise of cafés like Starbucks. These cafés have introduced the average American to things like cappuccino and espresso, as well as exotically flavored coffees. They have also managed to convince Americans to spend four dollars, instead of the 50 cents they used to pay, on coffee mixed with things like chocolate syrup, caramel and whipped cream. For many, sitting in a Starbucks is like sitting in a McDonalds except that it’s green, the chairs are more comfortable and it smells like coffee instead of meat.

Alcohol Americans have a poor attitude towards alcohol. They don’t drink for pleasure as the French, Spanish or Italians do. They drink to get wasted, trashed, annihilated, bombed, wrecked or just plain drunk. Although 21 is the legal drinking age in most states, many Americans begin drinking in high school because of pressure from their friends. University is the place where most Americans start their relationship with booze. At fraternity parties, young people like to drink until their blood is replaced by alcohol and they can no longer speak or walk. The real fun comes the next morning when they can complain about their massive hangovers and entertain their friends with stories about how they “got totally wasted and puked all over the place”. Once they leave school and enter the workforce, Americans can enjoy “Happy Hour”. During Happy Hour, restaurants and bars offer cheap drinks and food between five and nine, when the workday ends. Business executives and other professionals think of Happy Hour as an opportunity to relax after work, get thoroughly drunk and start casual relationships with colleagues.

Spirits & Cocktails More sophisticated Americans enjoy cocktails. There are thousands of fancy names for them, but some of the most popular are Bloody Marys (vodka and tomato juice) and Screwdrivers (orange juice and vodka). Also

popular are Daiquiris, which are made with ice and rum, and come in strawberry, lime and other flavors. Pina coladas are coconut flavoured, and mudslides are made with rum, kahlua, chocolate and ice cream. Americans also love to “do shots”. A shot is a small glass of alcohol that you drink in one quick gulp. Typical shots are made with tequila, whiskey or rum. One of the most powerful shots is the “Kamikaze”, which is made with vodka, triple sec and lime juice. Its green color looks wonderful on car upholstery when you puke it up hours later.

Beer The most popular alcoholic drink in America is beer. In fact, the average American drinks about 100 litres of beer a year. Americans are as loyal to their beer brands as they are to their football teams. There are “Beer of the Month” clubs, beer collectibles and even a beer cookbook, which has recipes with beer, and recipes for foods that go well with beer. Beer companies attract customers with provocative ads that usually include Swedish models in bikinis, or gorgeous girls who decide to sleep with dorks simply because of the beer they’re drinking. One of the most successful beer commercials was from Budweiser. In it, a group of friends greeted each other by happily yelling, “Whassup?” There were many versions of the ad, including one in a karaoke club and another with Italian mafiosos. This helped Budweiser sales, and led to an increase of idiots crying “whassuuuuup” every time someone said hello to them. So what will you drink on your next visit to the States? GLOSSARY soda n a bubbly drink with sugar, such as Coke, Pepsi, Fanta, etc lime n a small, green fruit similar to a lemon grape n a small fruit that is used to make wine cherry n a small, red fruit crystal-clear adj transparent lesser-known adj not as well known as other things to blame vb to say that someone is responsible for something a can n a small, cylindrical, metal container for beer, coke, etc to scare vb to frighten a limb n an arm or a leg an ad n a piece of publicity about a product a lip n the part of your mouth that you use to kiss meaningful adj significant mud n a mixture of water and earth the rise of exp if there is a “rise of” something, there is an increase in that thing

a café n a bar where you can have hot drinks and food to get wasted, trashed, annihilated, bombed, wrecked exp to get very drunk booze n alcohol a fraternity party n US a party organised by a social organisation at a university or college in America a hangover n the terrible pain in your head the morning after a night of drinking alcohol to puke vb inform to vomit fancy adj sophisticated a gulp n a quantity of liquid that you drink car upholstery n the material on the seats in the interior of a car beer collectibles n objects that you can collect and that are related to beer foods that go well with beer exp food that is good to have with beer a dork n US inform an idiot to greet vb to say hello to yell vb to shout

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AMERICAN DRINKS

Coffee


Authentic conversations by native American speakers AUDIO

US BAR CHAT

t a h c r a b S U

MULLETS This month we are going to listen to two young Americans, Kay and Randy, who are talking about the hairstyle known as the mullet (see picture). This hairstyle consists of long hair at the back, very short at the sides and short and spiky at the top. Listen to the conversation and answer these questions: 1. What arguments are there in favour of the mullet? 2. What arguments are there against the mullet? Kay: I’m so disgusted. Katy just got a mullet and it looks hideous. Randy: Really? Why? I think they look great! Kay: The whole side, shortness thing with the long back. It’s so outdated. Randy: Really? People… I don’t know… people define mullets in different ways. I’ve seen some websites where they have all different types of mullets. And depending on the type. Granted, some aren’t that good-looking, but some of them are pretty interesting. Kay: Like the spiky thing on the top with the long on the back. I… it doesn’t really make sense. Randy: I don’t… I think… I really think that depending on the person, depending on their style, depending on where they live…

Practice English Conversations

Kay: Randy: Kay: Randy:

Maybe the South, maybe in… Maybe in the South …maybe in 1985, I mean… Well, so, it was big during, like, with, with musicians back in the day. Kay: So how does it make sense that somebody would get a mullet now? Randy: Well, what’s the difference? It’s just style, style changes. Kay: Yeah, but you wouldn’t wear like a beehive haircut, you wouldn’t… Randy: … Well, you don’t know, maybe I would. GLOSSARY disgusted adj angry, shocked a mullet n a hairstyle with long hair at the back, and short hair on the sides and at the top outdated adj old and not popular any more granted exp “I accept”, “I agree” the spiky thing on the top exp the hair on the top that is sticking up (in a vertical position) the South n

the southern states of the US (Texas, Florida, Mississippi, etc) in 1985 exp mullets were popular in the late 1970s and 1980s big adj popular a beehive haircut n a hairstyle with very high hair. It was popular with women in the 1960s

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AUDIO

DICTIONARY OF SLANG

Dictionary of slang Here we’ve got some examples of how to say things in different situations.

>

Situation

Formal

Relaxed

Informal

You think someone is lucky because they have an easy, relaxed and wellpaid job:

You have a very good job

You’ve got a great job

You’ve got a cushy job; your job’s a piece of piss

You are the owner of a bar. You make a comment about the number of customers in your bar:

There are lots of customers here tonight

The place is full of people tonight

There are lots of punters in tonight; it’s wall-to-wall; it’s heaving; it’s buzzing; it’s up to the rafters

You greet a friend in the street:

Hello. How is everything going?

How’s it going?

How’s it hanging? What’s up? What’s happening?

You are talking in the street and referring to a group of people that you can see:

Look, there is a gathering of people over there

Look, there’s a group of people over there

Look, there’s a bunch of people over there

You tell someone to stop being silly:

Please cease acting in a juvenile manner!

Stop being silly!

Stop mucking about! Stop arsing about! Stop messing around!

You are talking about a friend of yours who you think is very nice:

He is a decent chap

He’s nice

He’s a good bloke; he’s allright; he’s spot on; he’s cool

You want to emphasise the fact that something you saw is true:

I honestly declare that I saw it

I really did see it, I promise

I saw it, straight up; I swear I saw it; I saw it, no messing; I saw it, on my life

GLOSSARY

Please note that the words in this glossary box are literal translations of parts of idiomatic expressions.

wall-to-wall adj “wall-to-wall carpeting” is a carpet (a large piece of material) that covers all the floor from one wall to another to buzz vb

this is the noise that insects make when they are flying the rafters n long, horizontal pieces of wood that support a roof (the top part of a house)

to greet vb to say hello to someone to mess (around) phr vb to act in a silly or irritating way

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AUDIO

IN THE NEWS

In The News... Japanese Names If you had a child now, what name would you like to call it? John, Mary, Steven, Susan, James, Sarah, Charles? Those are some of the more common names in the English-speaking world. However, in Japan, parents have been giving their children all sorts of names, including Beetle, Sardine, Cancer, Dung, Who, Turnip and Spider. Incredible? Yes. And even more surprising is the fact that the Japanese government has agreed to all of them. Traditionally, most Japanese names have meanings related to character traits. Some typical ones used to be “Fortitude” and “Strength” for men; and “Grace” and “Beauty” for women. But unusual names have been on the rise in recent years, as parents want originality instead of tradition. As professor Masachi Osawa of the Kyoto University has said: “People should be free to choose. I am in favour of a broader range of options.”

Gorillas On TV Staff at the Dallas zoo in Texas have come up with a very original way of entertaining their gorillas: allowing them to watch DVDs. And it’s working. Brian, a 14-year-old mountain gorilla, was diagnosed as clinically depressed. But now he’s much better and he can’t get enough of the TV. His favourite programmes are cartoons and National Geographic documentaries. “We tried to put on sports programmes, but he didn’t like them. At first we thought it might generate aggressive behaviour, but he really wasn’t interested,” said Erin McDougal, one of his keepers. The gorillas are also fond of Disney cartoons, with The Little Mermaid, The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast on their list of favourites. “They don’t follow the story, of course,” McDougal added. “But they like the music, the colour and all the movement.”

It’s All A Beer A police officer is facing dismissal for an unusual offence: drinking police evidence. “They told me to go to destroy some confiscated property,” said 28-year-old officer Mark Lake. “And that’s what I did. And so what if I drank it? It got destroyed, didn’t it?” Lake said during a press conference. In total, officer Lake drank 84 cans of beer, which had been confiscated by police after a raid on an under-aged drinking party. “There was no crime committed,” says Lake’s lawyer, Simon Buze, who is threatening to sue to get Murphy reinstated. “Turning beer to urine is acceptable destruction of stolen property, in my opinion,” he added.

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GLOSSARY a beetle n a small insect with a hard covering on its back a sardine n a type of small fish that we eat. They are often sold in tins dung n excrement from cows, horses, etc a turnip n a big yellow vegetable that is similar to a potato a character trait n one part of your personality fortitude n the quality of being brave, calm and strong on the rise exp increasing a broader range of options exp more things to choose from; more options to entertain vb to do interesting things to make someone happy; to give food and organise games, etc to diagnose vb if a doctor “diagnoses” an illness, he or she identifies the illness he can’t get enough of… exp “he wants more and more of…” fond of exp if you are “fond of” some-thing, you really like that thing a can n a metal container for drinks such as beer and Coca Cola a raid n if the police “raid” a party, the police go to the party to arrest people an under-aged drinking party exp a party with many young people (under 18) who are drinking. In many states in America, you cannot drink alcohol until you are 21 to threaten vb to promise to do something bad to someone to reinstate vb if they “reinstate” you, they permit you to return to your job


PHRASALVERBS FALL PHRASALVERBS

The verb “to fall” has many different uses. Generally, we use this verb to describe movement down towards the ground. For example: “He fell while he was dancing.” Now let’s see some phrasal verbs with the verb “to fall”.

Fall through Fall for If you “fall for” someone, you start to love that person. “Don’t tell anyone, but I think I’ve fallen for you.”

If a plan “falls through”, it goes wrong and cannot be completed. “If you don’t score 60 points in 10 minutes, our plans for victory will fall through.”

Fall for (a trick or joke) Fall out If you “fall out” with someone, you stop being friends with that person. “Hey, son. Why don’t you go cycling with Johnny?” “You must be joking! We’ve fallen out; and besides, he’s a self-centred, egomaniacal narcissist.”

If you “fall for” a joke, you are the victim of a joke, and you believe the joke. “A fishing line with a hook and a worm on the end of it! I can’t believe they think we’d fall for that old trick.”

Fall behind Fall back on If you can “fall back on” something, you can use that thing in an emergency. “My partner, Jane, lost our month’s salary in the casino last night; but don’t worry, we’ve got this money to fall back on.”

If you “fall behind” on something, you have too much work and the work starts to accumulate “Yes, yes, I know we were supposed to finish the building work three months ago. Yes, yes, we have fallen behind a bit, but don’t worry, we’re working on it right now.”

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Hot Staff Directors

ANSWERS

Answers & scripts DR FINGERS’ PRONUNCIATION

1. It cost a lot = it cos ta lot. 2. They hit it hard = they hi tit hard. 3. She let us go = she le tus go. 4. Put it away! = pu ti taway! 5. They spread it around = they sprea di taround. 6. Shut up! = shu tup! 7. We cut it off = we cu ti toff. 8. They let us do it = they le tus do it. 9. They have drunk it all = they have drun ki tall. 10.They have sung a song = they have sun ga song.

LISTENING: CITY VISIT

the ship. 2. There are three bars in the club. 3. There’s an area for relaxing. 4. There are two discos on the lower deck.

CROSSWORD

Financial Director Leigh Dante (00 34 91 549 8523) leigh@learnhotenglish.com Classes Department

THREE GREAT HOLIDAY ESTINATIONS!

(00 34 91 455 0273) classes@learnhotenglish.com

BUSINESS DIALOGUES THE OFFICE SHARE

1a 2b 3b 4a 5b 6a Audio script Megan: Here’s my house key. Paul: Thanks. M: And I’ll see you later for lunch at about 2pm. P: Where are we meeting again? M: 2pm at Marco’s - it’s an Italian restaurant. If you go down this road then take the first right into Maple Street, it’s about 200 metres on the left. I wrote the address on the sheet of paper I prepared for you. P: Great! And where’s your house from here? M: It’s just over there - the big building on the left. P: Great. M: If you get lost, just give me a call. P: OK. M: Now, there’s a park just over there on the right. And there’s a cinema at the end of this street if you want to see a film. There’s also the Natural History Museum which is really good. P: Where’s that? M: It’s on Bentley Street, which is just over there on the left down Green Street. P: And the Science Museum? M: It’s next to the Natural History Museum. P: OK. Great. M: Anyway, here’s a map just in case. P: OK. M: And the centre is just over there. Just go down Park Avenue. Then, take the first left into Mark Street, and carry on - you can’t miss it. It’s got lots of nice shops and cafés. P: Perfect! M: So, I think you’ve got everything, haven’t you? P: Yes, I think so. Oh, erm, I think I’ve left my phone and the sheet of paper with the useful addresses on it in your house. M: You’re joking? P: No, sorry. I’ll just go back and get them. It’s this way, isn’t it? [He starts walking the wrong way.] M: No, it’s over there. Here, I’ll take you. I don’t want you getting lost. P: Great! Thanks. So, what… [fades out]

1. The new secretary will have to do some filing, send faxes, work on the databases and MATCHING use the phone. A12 B13 C1 D14 E11 F8 G7 H9 2. The unusual jobs are: cleaning the I10 J4 K6 L5 M2 N3 office and looking after the pets.

LISTENING: THREE GREAT HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS!

IDIOMS EXERCISES

2 Listening I = d 3 Listening II 1. spa hotel;

2. cruise ship; 3. chalet in the mountains; 4. cruise ship

PRONUNCIATION PERFECTION

1. There’s a swimming pool on

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STORY TIME

1. In the first joke, the man wasn’t surprised that a horse was serving drinks - he was surprised that the bear had sold the bar. 2. In the second joke, the woman feels nothing for the man anymore, but still “loves” the ring.

1. The new office has lots of light, they can share the electricity bill, and have just one secretary between them. Plus they can help each other if one of them is ill. 2. They both want the desk next to the window, they both want to be on top of the plaque and they both want their names to be bigger.

OFFICE SHARE

1.between; 2. by; 3. than; 4. to; 5. off

ANIMAL MATCHING

1B 2A 3H 4C 5I 6J 7C 8E 9K 10F 11G

TYPICAL DIALOGUES

1. The hairdresser offers the a free comb and brush, plus a perm, some hair dye, some hairspray, and to dry the man’s hair with the hairdryer. 2. Yes, the customer is satisfied in the end.

BUSINESS TALK

1. They suggest adding some bottles of perfume and aftershave as a promotional gift. 2. Paula doesn’t want a bottle of the perfume because she doesn’t like it.

WORDSEARCH

Teacher Coordinator teacherinfo@learnhotenglish.com Accounts manager classes@learnhotenglish.com Administration Department Subscriptions (9:30-13:00) subs@learnhotenglish.com payments@learnhotenglish.com Credit control and administration 9:00 - 2pm (by e-mail thereafter) Office hours 10am to 6pm (Spanish time) Barcelona office (Hot English) barcelona@learnhotenglish.com Seville office (Hot English) classes@learnhotenglish.com Editorial Department James Conway assistant editor Vanesa Carosia design Patrick Dempster writer Steve Brown writer Christine Saunders writer Louisa Staines writer Contributors Magnus Jones proof reading Marcie Peters proof reading Natalia Smith proof reading Laurent Guiard French depart. Peter Time proof reading Danielle Ott intern Georgina Brown intern Rayner Taylor intern Vanessa Simmonds writer Petra Bates writer Slim Pickens special intern Nick Hargreaves writer Printing Printerman Audio Production

CRANK CALLS

HEP

Crank call I: the man wants to know where he can buy drugs. Crank call II: the man says the music is too loud, the staff are rude, they look at him in a strange way and that one person tried to follow him into the shower.

ISSN 1577-7898 Depósito Legal M.14277.2001 June 2022

BUSINESS DIALOGUES THE SECRETARIAL JOB

1 1. buzz; 2. music; 3. crunch; 4. track; 5. drum; 6. brownie; 7. scale; 8. pill 2 1. bullet; 2. eat; 3. ladder; 4. cross; 5. cow; 6. weight; 7. premium; 8. oranges

Editorial Director Andy Coney (00 34 91 543 3573) andy@learnhotenglish.com Finance

Audio script

We spoke to a few people who are on holiday. They told us where they are and what they’re doing. 1. I’m on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean. It’s got lots of great things. There’s a swimming pool, a disco and a theatre. There are shows in the theatre every night. We saw a comedian last night who was really funny. The restaurant is right next to the theatre. That’s where we have breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are lots of bars on the ship too, so you can sit outside and have a drink and enjoy the view. It’s fantastic! 2. I’m in a spa hotel in the country. It’s really relaxing and I’m here with a few friends. There’s a forest and a lake close by where we go for walks. Inside the hotel, there’s a swimming pool, a gym, a Jacuzzi and a sauna. Our room has a lovely view of the mountains. There’s a restaurant here too where they serve really healthy food. It’s amazing! 3. I’m in a chalet in the mountains right next to a ski resort. There’s a kitchen in the chalet where we cook most nights. However, if we’re tired, we go into the village, which is about a kilometre away. It’s really nice, with lots of shops, restaurants and bars. The best thing is that the ski lifts are just 100 metres away from our chalet

Managing Director Thorley Russell (00 34 91 543 3573) thorley@learnhotenglish.com

US BAR CHAT

1. The arguments in favour of the mullet are: it’s a personal thing, it’s interesting and it’s popular with musicians. 2. The arguments against the mullet are: it’s bad, it’s outdated, it’s ugly and it doesn’t make sense.

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How to pronounce regular past tense verbs! 5 tips for dealing with your boss

“Money” phrasal verbs

How to learn difficult words in English!

Phrasal verbs: speaking & talking! How to talk about fear in English

8 expressions for describing trends and graphs 9 ways that poems can help you learn English!

12 ways that TV series can help you learn English!

How to learn English easily! 9 unusual world records

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8 great films for learning English

Learn English. Be inspired! Visit the blog!

The top 10 things we keep losing! Bad day tweets!

10 unusual works of modern art! Five unusual diets

4 stories of revenge!

Film titles with unusual translations

Travel English – going through customs

8 useful words and expressions for socialising

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Learn English… LEARN ENGLISH OVER THE PHONE!

…with Hot English VIDEO-phone classes! Native English teachers. FREE materials. Structured classes with clear objectives. Choose your timetable from 7am - 10pm (CET). But don’t take our word for it, try out a... ...and then choose one of the four courses from below.

1 IMPROVE YOUR SPOKEN ENGLISH

2 LEARN BUSINESS ENGLISH

3 BE SUCCESSFUL AT JOB INTERVIEWS

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4 PASS YOUR EXAMS

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