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No.242

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AT THE TOP

AT THE MOMENT

AT SHORT NOTICE

AT THE SAME TIME

18

AT A GLANCE

USEFUL EXPRESSIONS WITH THE

PREPOSITION AT !

CLOTHES VOCABULARY!

BERLIN

DOG IDIOMS!

NEW YORK TAXIS ISSN

15777898

9 771577 789001

00242

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.

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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 18 useful expressions with the preposition “at”. Learning and using fixed expressions will really improve your spoken English level – guaranteed! Of course, that’s not all and we’re also looking at a travel destination in Germany, English breakfasts, clothes, New York taxi drivers, a historical figure (Joan of Arc), 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

4

Dr Fingers’ Error Correction Clinic

6

Fingers’ Pronunciation

8

Mobile Phone Etiquette!

Intermediate (CEF level: B1)

10 Strangers on a Train!

12 Story Time 16 Crank Calls 19 Business Talk - The Book 20 18 useful expressions with the

preposition AT for talking to clients, customers and colleagues!

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22 Preposition AT Exercises Upper Intermediate (CEF level: B2)

24 Crossword 25 Wordsearch & Matching 26 Fingers’ Grammar Clinic 27 Business Dialogues - Office Gossip

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28 Animal Matching 29 Animal Triva 30 Idioms – Dogs 32 Vocabulary - Clothes 33 Typical Dialogues -

The Clothes Shop

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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34 Berlin 36 Eric in Berlin 38 What A Weird World - Joan of Arc 40 Weird World Cartoon Advanced (CEF level: C1)

42 New York Taxi Drivers

42

(00 34) 91 421 7886 FOLLOW HOT ENGLISH ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/LearnHotEnglish

44 New York Taxis - A Survival Guide 46 British Bar Chat 47 Dictionary Of Slang 48 In The News 49 Phrasal Verbs - Eat

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 some white men are silly, and that instant coffee drinkers are pathologically lazy.

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. I’ve got something sticky on my bottom. Did one of you little terrors put chewing gum on my seat? Yes, it’s gum. Now, who did this? It isn’t funny. I’ll have to go and change my trousers. This is most annoying. If I find the culprit…

OK, class, now we’re going to do a little exercise.

Class: Oh, no!

Dr Fingers: Yes, now settle down. Right, Pedro, come to the front of the class. Now, here are some words. I want you to make some sentences with these words.

Pedro: OK, that’s easy: 1. “Smell” - The foods smells to oranges.

2. “Smelly” - The perfume is smelly.

3. “Fall” - I fall my chair.

4. “Drop” - The plate dropped me.

5. “Work” - I have a work to do.

6. “Job” - I hate job.

7. “Career” - I studied a career at university.

8. “Degree” - Oh, I don’t know what “degree” means.

Sorry.

Dr Fingers: OK, Pedro. 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 Solutions Later, I disciplined my student privately for a few hours, and now I think he understands the words. I really don’t like to do this, but it’s for his own good. Let’s listen to him again: 1. “Smell” - The foods smells of oranges.

2. “Smelly” - My feet are smelly.

3. “Fall” - I fell off my chair.

4. “Drop” - I dropped the plate.

5. “Work” - I have some work to do.

6. “Job” - I hate my job.

7. “Career” - She started a career in the civil service.

8. “Degree” - I have a history degree.

OK, that’s all for today. Bye for now and may you have an errorfree month.

Problems Did you hear the mistakes? Poor Pedro got quite a few sentences wrong. Let’s see: 1. With the verb “smell” the preposition is often “of”, so this sentence should have been “the perfume smells of oranges.”

2. We use “smelly” in a negative sense and if you say something is “smelly”, you mean it smells bad. For example, “your feet are smelly”. So, Pedro should have said, “this perfume smells (nice)”.

3. This sentence needs a preposition and should read like this, “I fell off my chair”.

4. We use the verb “drop” actively. So, the sentence should have been, “I dropped the plate”.

5. The noun “work” is uncountable so it should be, “I have some work to do”.

6. “Job” is a countable noun so this sentence should be, “I hate my job”; or, “this job”.

7. A “career” is the profession you choose to do. For example, “after working as an accountant, she started her career in fashion”.

8. And lastly, a “degree” is a course you study at university. So Pedro could have said, “I have a degree in computing science”.

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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 50)

Irregular Participles

Listen & Repeat

Exercise

This is the second part of our series on irregular past 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.

Listen and repeat these verbs and their irregular pasts and past participles:

Dr Fingers’ Rap “I’ve Been A Bad Boy” In my life I’ve been so bad, And done some things that make me sad, I’d like to tell you all about them, And hope you can learn something from them.

I’ve ridden to death some sick old mules, And shown up friends to be real fools, I’ve taken things that were not mine, And thrown a cat from room 49.

I’ve grown some plants that were illegal, And hidden food from a dog called Dougal, I’ve spoken harshly to my class, And stolen things that were made of glass.

I’ve never given to charity, And refuse to speak with clarity, I’ve stolen fruit from trees in Fall, And laughed at cats that were too small.

Now I hope one day you can forgive me, You see, my parents died when I was three, After that I had no love, And no one I could call mum.

By Dr Fingers - copyright, 2004.

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Infinitive

Past

Past Participle

Now let’s try 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!

Give Grow Hide Know Ride Shake Show Speak Steal Take Throw Wake

Gave Grew Hid Knew Rode Shook Showed Spoke Stole Took Threw Woke

Given Grown Hidden Known Ridden Shaken Shown Spoken Stolen Taken Thrown Woken

1. She has hidden it somewhere safe = She has hidde nit somewhere safe.

2. ____________________________ 3. ____________________________ 4. ____________________________ 5. ____________________________ 6. ____________________________ 7. ____________________________ 8. ____________________________ 9. ____________________________ 10. ____________________________

Connected Speech Now, let’s look at these participles in connected speech. As you can see, all of them end in the letter “n”. Now, when the following word starts with a vowel, this “n” sound connects with the vowel to form a new sound. For example: “I’ve stolen a painting”, which is like this in connected speech, “I’ve stole na painting”.

This is quite hard to hear because the articles, prepositions and object pronouns (him, her, us, etc) are often very weak sounds. Listen to some more examples: 1. She has given it away = she has give nit away.

2. The plant has grown a centimetre = the plant has grow na centimetre.

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

GLOSSARY a mule n an animal that is half horse, half donkey (I’ve) shown up friends to be real fools exp I’ve done things to make my friends appear to be stupid (fools) harshly adv in a cruel and strong way to speak with clarity exp to speak openly and honestly Fall n US autumn (October - November) to forgive vb if you “forgive” someone, you stop being angry with them

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VIDEO

MOBILE PHONE ETIQUETTE

MOBILE PHONE ETIQUETTE

1

Pre-viewing

You're going to watch a video about how to use a mobile phone.

What rules can you think of related to this topic?

2

First viewing

Watch the video once. Were any of your ideas from the Pre-viewing activity mentioned?

3

Second viewing

Watch the video again. Then, complete the sentences with the words from below

humans shout invention loud heard hotel microphone level 1. The mobile phone - probably the most important in recent decades.

2. You can go to any café, restaurant, , and you see people that have come together to meet... not the gadgets.

3. Concentrate on the 4. A mobile phone has a built in and an amplifier on the corner's end.

5. You could whisper into a mobile phone and you still

. will be 6. There's no need to .

7. You want to have it (your ringtone) at an audible so you're going to hear it...

8. ...but too and everybody's going to look around.

Discussion Ask and answer the questions.

What type of mobile phone or smartphone have you got?

What do you like or dislike about it?

What apps has it got?

What do you use them for?

What annoys you about mobile phones? Why? What do you think of people who use their phones on trains or buses?

Should this be prohibited if they're speaking loudly?

Why? Why not?

How often do you use your mobile phone?

What do you use it for?

What ringtone have you got?

Do you have different ringtones for different people?

What are the ringtones?

Watching videos in English – top tips!

The most important thing to remember when watching a video in English is this: you won’t understand every word. But this isn’t a problem. Simply listen out for the key words – the most important words in the conversation: the nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. By doing this, you’ll be able to guess what the speakers are saying. Also, before watching the video, think about the topic. If you do this, you’ll be able to predict what the speakers might say, and also guess the meaning of words or expressions, even if you don’t understand them!

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AUDIO

STRANGERS ON A TRAIN!

STRANGERS ON A TRAIN! 1

Pre-listening

Where could you meet a stranger? Think of as many places as you can in just two minutes: at an airport, in a hotel…

2

Listening I

You’re going to listen to two people on a train who start a conversation. Listen once. Does Mike know Petra’s husband? a) no b) yes c) it isn’t clear 3

Listening II

Listen again. Then, answer the questions yes or no.

1. Is Petra a doctor?

2. Does she own a computer shop?

3. Is she a member of a tennis club?

4. Does she ever go to The Grapes wine bar?

5. Does she drink at the King's Head pub?

6. Is she married to Tim Smith?

4

Oral summary

Read over the audio script. Then, give an oral summary of what happened. If you're listening to an oral summary, ask any questions.

PRONUNCIATION: Present simple third-person verb endings There are three ways to pronounce Present Simple third-person verb endings.

A

The /s/ sound (after unvoiced consonant sounds*):

a) laughs: She laughs a lot. b) works: He works here. c) stops: The train stops here.

B

The /z/ sound (after voiced consonant sounds):

a) b) c) d)

rolls: He rolls the dice. rains: It rains a lot. roars: The lion roars. lives: She lives here.

C

The /ɪz/ sound:

a) washes: He washes it once a week. b) watches: He watches it every day. c) raises: It raises the temperature.

D

Discussion Ask and answer the questions.

When was the last time you went by train?

Where did you go?

What was the trip like?

Have you ever talked to someone on a train?

Who was it? What did you say? Where were they from?

Did you exchange details or arrange to meet up again?

Why? Why not?

When was the last time you bumped into someone you know? Where were you? Who was it?

When was the last time you’d seen them? How “pleased” were they to see you? How did you end the conversation?

Now listen and repeat these sentences.

a) /s/ He speaks French. b) /z/ It rains here a lot. c) /ɪz/ It closes early on Fridays.

E

Now listen and write the sentences you hear.

1.

2.

3.

4. *Unvoiced consonant sounds An unvoiced consonant sound doesn’t create a vibration in your throat. For example, if you touch your throat and say “kiss”, you won’t feel a vibration from the /k/ sound.

A voiced consonant sound creates a vibration in your throat.

For example, if you touch your throat and say “very”, you’ll feel a vibration from the /v/ sound.

10

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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, Gordon and Jim, telling each other jokes.

This authentic conversation will really help with your listening skills. Listen to the conversation and answer these questions:

3 Terrible Jokes 1. In joke I why is the answer “Super Pickle”?

2. In joke II why is the answer “a newspaper”?

3. In joke III why is the answer “it’s pitiful”?

Gordon: Jim: Gordon: Jim: Gordon: Jim: Gordon: Jim: Gordon: Jim: Gordon: Jim: Gordon: Jim: Gordon: Jim: Gordon:

So, I know the three lamest jokes in the world.

OK, go on then, I like jokes.

So, what’s green and flies?

I don’t know. What is green and flies?

Well, Super Pickle, what else?

Ha, ha, ha. Very funny!

Alright, so the next one is, erm, what’s white, black, and read [red] all over?

I don’t know. What is white, black, and red all over?

Well, a newspaper!

Ah, you mean “read” as is “to read,” as in the verb, to read.

Yeah, yeah, it’s pretty bad, I know.

Oh, and have you ever heard that watermelon joke?

No, I haven’t heard the watermelon joke.

Oh, it’s pitiful.

Ha, ha, ha. I think you’re right. Those are the three worst jokes I’ve ever heard in my life.

Yeah, sorry I wasted your time.

Ah, no problem.

GLOSSARY lame adj bad, poor, weak pretty bad adj quite bad pitiful adj horrible, terrible, really bad to waste someone’s time exp to make someone lose time doing trivial and unimportant things

USEFUL VOCABULARY to help you with the story:

a pickle

Superman

idioms Phrasal verbs booklets 12

to read (the past is “read”, which is pronouned “red”)

pits or seeds (“pips” in British English)

a watermelon

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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 II - The Police For this call we phoned someone to ask about some recent acts of vandalism. Listen to the conversation and answer this question: What acts of vandalism do we accuse the woman of?

Crank Call I - Little Dogs For this call we phoned someone who had a classified offering some puppies. Listen to the conversation and answer this question: Why doesn’t the victim want to give the puppies to us?

Victim: Hello?

Hot: Oh, hi, I was phoning up about the ad in the local paper - you have some puppies who are looking for a home.

Victim: Oh yeah, that’s right. We’ve got three left.

Hot: Oh perfect, I’ll take them all.

Victim: Erm… what? You, you have a big home do you?

Hot: Erm, no actually I work for a circus.

Victim: A circus!

Hot: Yes, we need some dogs to perform in a dance routine.

Victim: Dance, dance routine? What dance routine?

Hot: Oh it’s great. We train the dogs to jump through burning hoops, and to dance.

Victim: To dance? That’s cruel, man. I can’t agree with that.

Hot: They get well fed. And they all get their own cage.

Victim: No, man. That’s not the sort of home I wanted for them.

Hot: Right. I don’t suppose you have any other animals you’d like to get rid of, do you?

Victim: No, sorry. Goodbye.

Hot: Oh, right, bye.

Victim: Hello?

Hot: Oh, hi, this is the Chelmsford police station. I’d like to speak to Mrs Jones, please.

Victim: Speaking.

Hot: Well, I’m sorry to bother you, Mrs Jones, but we’re investigating a series of acts of vandalism in the park.

Victim: Yes. Hot: We were wondering whether you knew anything about it.

Victim: Vandalism? No, nothing.

Hot: Are you sure, madam? Is there anything that you’d like to tell us?

Victim: No, I’m quite sure.

Hot: It’s just that someone matching your description was seen throwing stones at the ducks.

Victim: Ducks? In the park? I don’t even go to the park.

Hot: Mmm… that’s what they all say.

Victim: What?

Hot: Look, we can all get a bit over-emotional at times.

Victim: I never did anything like that. Who are you?

Hot: I am a police officer, madam. Please address me in a more respectful tone of voice.

Victim: But you just accused me of something I didn’t do.

Hot: Well, that’s my job, isn’t it?

Victim: No it is not. I don’t pay my taxes…

Hot: … I’m sorry, but your time is up. I have other more important matters to deal with. Bye.

GLOSSARY to wind someone up phr vb to irritate someone and make them angry a classified n a small piece of publicity in a newspaper offering a service or selling something a puppy n a baby dog an ad n an advertisement; a piece of publicity on television, radio, etc a local paper n a newspaper that is sold or distributed in the town, village or district you are referring to

16

three left exp “three remaining” to perform vb to act a dance routine n a dance that is carefully prepared a burning hoop n a circle with fire on it. Animals jump through this in circuses they get well fed exp they receive a lot of food a cage n a little “room” with metal bars to stop the animal from escaping

to get rid of exp to throw away an act of vandalism exp an act of destruction in a public place speaking exp this is like saying, “yes, that’s correct”. It is used on the phone when someone asks to confirm your name to bother vb to irritate, to disturb to match a description exp to be the same as a description to get a bit over-emotional exp to become a bit excited

to address vb to formally speak to taxes n money you pay the government to finance services such as the police, education, etc your time is up exp “there is no more time for me to talk to you” matters n things to deal with exp to find a solution to a problem

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PHRASAL VERB

CONVERSATIONS! Do you find it hard to understand native English speakers when they’re talking? This is because they often use phrasal verbs!

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18

AUDIO

BUSINESS DIALOGUES

BUSINESSTALK

THE BOOK In this phone call, a book writer, James Hargreaves, is phoning up his publisher to talk about possible future projects. He is speaking to his literary agent, Sandra Blower. Listen to the conversation and answer these two questions: 1. What is James’ prison book about?

2. Why doesn’t Sandra want to produce another book with James?

Sandra: James: Sandra: James: Sandra: James: Sandra: James:

Sandra: James: Sandra: James: Sandra: James:

Sandra:

James: Sandra:

Sandra Blower here. Who’s speaking?

Hi, it’s James here. How’s it going?

Oh, James. Great to hear from you. How can I help?

I sent in a few book proposals a couple of weeks ago. Did you get a chance to have a look at them?

Yes, of course. (sound of shuffling papers) Just remind me what they were about…

Well, there was that idea for a book on prison cuisine.

Erm, yes, erm…

You know, the one where we get prisoners to cook their favourite food in prison, using just the basic ingredients.

The book would include colour photos of their creations.

There could be a spin-off TV show too.

Erm, yes, I think I’ll have to think about that one. What were the other ideas?

Famous toilets.

And that was?

A book full of nice, colour photos of toilets that famous people have sat on.

No, I’m sorry, but that’s an awful idea.

OK, OK, bear with me here. What about “Computer World”. It’d be photos showing how computers have changed over the past ten years.

No, no. Stop! Look, we’ve done one book together, The Concise History of 17th-Century Chairs and, frankly, sales were pretty poor. And right now, we’re not prepared to launch any more of your ideas.

Please! I really need the work. I’ve just bought a new house…

Look, we’re not a charity, and we don’t owe you a living.

James: Sandra: James: Sandra: James: Sandra: James: Sandra:

James:

Sandra: James:

I’ve got lots of other ideas for other kinds of books.

Such as?

I’ve got one called A Tale of Two Medium-sized Towns.

Would this by any chance be similar to Charles Dickens’ book, A Tale of Two Cities?

Oh, erm, yes. But it’s about time a new version came out.

And how would your version be different?

There’d be photos.

No, no. Look, I’m always prepared to listen to your ideas, but so far not a single one of your projects has interested me. I suggest you take your ideas somewhere else.

I will. And don’t come crying to me when my master novel, The Grapes of Goth, becomes an international bestseller.

No, I won’t. Goodbye.

Bye.

Exercise 1. Did you get a chance to have a look ______ them?

2. The book would include colour photos _________ their creations.

3. OK, bear ________ me here.

4. Computers have changed __________ the past ten years.

5. It’s about time a new version came ___________ .

GLOSSARY a chance n an opportunity a spin-off TV show n a television show that is based on a book or other product bear with me exp please wait a minute pretty poor adj quite bad to launch vb if a product is “launched”, it is put on the market so people can buy it

we don’t owe you a living exp Literally, “we are not responsible for you”. A “living” is the money you earn every month to come out phr vb if a product “comes out” on the market, it is on the market so people can buy it don’t come crying to me exp “don’t come back to me later when you need me because I will reject you”

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19

18 USEFUL EXPRESSIONS WITH THE PREPOSITION AT

18 USEFUL EXPRESSIONS WITH THE PREPOSITION AT

FOR TALKING TO CLIENTS, CUSTOMERS AND COLLEAGUES!

Do you want to improve your spoken English? One good way is to learn lots of expressions. Just to help you with that, we’re looking at some really useful expressions with the preposition at. Learn them, and then use them when you’re talking, and you’ll sound a lot more natural!

IMPORTANT! As you’ll see in the examples, we often use the preposition at to describe a precise point, exact time or definite place. For example, at 10am, at the restaurant, at the top...

1

At once

If you want something “at once”, you want it immediately: “We need to start this work at once if we want to finish it on time.”

5

At last

If you say that something important happened “at last”, you’re saying that it happened in the end, often after a delay or a series of difficulties: “We managed to speak to the client at last, which is a relief.”

20

2

At work

If someone is “at work”, they’re in the office or the place where they work: “She’s at work right now.”

6

At the moment

If something is happening “at the moment”, it’s happening now: “I’m a bit busy at the moment.”

Also, “at present”: “We’re working on the shareholders report at present.”

3

At all costs

If you must do something “at all costs”, it’s extremely important that you do it: “We need to get this contract at all costs.”

7

At night

If something happens “at night”, it happens when the sun is below the horizon and it’s dark (from 10pm to 5am, for example): “I often have to work at night as there’s so much to do.”

4

At hand

If something is “at hand” (or “to hand”) it’s close to you, but not in your hands: “In the office, it’s good to have a pen and paper at hand in case someone calls with some important information.”

8

At the weekend

If something happens “at the weekend”, it happens on Saturday or Sunday: “I’ll probably be busy at the weekend.” (“On the weekend” is more common in US English.)

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At fault

The person who is “at fault” is the person who caused something bad to happen and who is responsible for this thing: “The airline is at fault if your baggage is lost.”

12 At

the latest

If you say that you want something

by Thursday (for example) “at the latest”, you’re saying that the deadline (the final time) is Thursday – and you don’t want it on Friday: “I need this report by Monday at the latest.”

15 At

the top

If something is “at the top” of a list (for example), it’s at the highest position in the list, often meaning it’s the most important thing: “The proposal for a new company slogan is at the top of the agenda for the meeting.” / “There’s a cinema at the top of the road.” The opposite is “at the bottom of”.

18 At

10 At

a glance

If you say you understand something “at a glance”, you understand it immediately, or by looking at it quickly: “I knew at a glance that something was wrong with the process.”

13 At

least

We use “at least” when we want to say something positive after a series of negative things: “It’s a pity that the client didn’t give us the complete project, but at least they gave us a part of it.”

16 At

short notice

If something happens “at short notice”, it happens very quickly and without any advance warning, so you have little time to prepare for it, or: “They cancelled the meeting at short notice and without any explanation.”

11

At a guess

If describe something “at a guess”, you say what you think or imagine it is, even though you aren’t really sure: “At a guess, I’d say there were about 100 people in the conference hall.”

14 At

random

If something happens “at random”, it happens accidentally and not according to a plan or decision; if someone is selected “at random”, they’re selected by chance – not specifically or according to a plan: “The customers are selected at random for the client satisfaction phone calls.”

17 At

the end of the day

1. In the final hours of the day: “I’ll send you the e-mail at the end of the day.”

2. “At the end of the day” is also something we say before we give the most important facts of a situation – it’s like saying, “in the end”: “Of course, I’ll listen to your ideas and suggestions, but at the end of the day, it’s my decision.”

the same time

1. If you do two things “at the same time”, you do them simultaneously; “We met up with the client to discuss the current project and the new proposal at the same time.”

2. We can also use “at the same time” if we want to say something positive after a series of negative things – it’s like saying however or nevertheless: “I think the presentation went well. At the same time, I’m not sure that we managed to convince them it’s the best solution for them.”

GLOSSARY a delay n if there’s a “delay”, something happens later than planned a relief n if you feel a sense of “relief”, you feel happy because something bad didn’t happen busy adj if you’re “busy”, you have a lot of work to do and not much time to do it a deadline n a final time when you must complete something a pity n if you say that it’s a “pity” that something happened or didn’t happen, you feel sad because of this result advanced warning n if you receive “advance warning” about something, people tell you that something will (or won’t) happen a long time before it’s supposed to happen (often giving you time to make other plans)

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21

18 USEFUL EXPRESSIONS WITH THE PREPOSITION AT

9

18 USEFUL EXPRESSIONS WITH THE PREPOSITION AT

18 USEFUL EXPRESSIONS WITH THE PREPOSITION AT

FOR TALKING TO CLIENTS, CUSTOMERS AND COLLEAGUES!

EXERCISES Answers on page 50

1

Gap-fill exercise

Complete the sentences with the words from below.

weekend fault day moment top last time night notice 1. I could talk to you sometime tomorrow if you want, but I’m a bit busy at the .

2. The presentation went well. At the same , I’m not sure that we convinced them to go with us.

3. They cancelled the meeting at short and without any explanation.

4. I’ll probably be busy at the , so I can’t see you on Saturday or Sunday.

5. We managed to speak to the client at , which was a big relief.

6. Of course, I’ll listen to your ideas and suggestions, but at the end of the , it’s my decision.

7. I often have to work at as there’s so much to do and not enough time.

8. The proposal for a new company slogan is at the of the agenda for the meeting.

9. The airline is at if your baggage is lost, and they should pay you some form of compensation.

22

2

Sentence completion

Complete the sentences with the missing letters.

1. I need this report by Monday at the la , and I don’t want any excuses.

2. I knew at a gl that there was something wrong with the contract.

3. We need to start this work at o if we want to finish it on time.

4. It’s good to have a pen and paper at h in case someone calls with some important information.

5. It’s a pity that the client didn’t give us the complete project, but at le they gave us a part of it.

6. At a gu , I’d say there were about 100 people in the conference hall, although I’m not exactly sure.

7. She’s in the office at w right now.

8. We need to get this contract at all c , or the company may have to close.

9. The customers are selected at ra for the client satisfaction phone calls.

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ANSWERS ON PAGE 50

CROSSWORD

CROSSWORD

Down 1: A standard rate: a _ _ _ _ rate 2: If you are cold, your body makes little involuntary movements. This can be described with the verb: to s h _ _ _ _ 3: To ask desperately for something: to _ _ _ 4: The money you receive as a pensioner when you retire from work: a p______ 6: Not to eat at home: to eat _ _ _ 9: To put on clothes so you can see what they look like: to try _ _ clothes 12: To break a thin material: to _ _ _ 13: To fall down suddenly and making a lot of noise: to come crashing _ _ _ _ 15: The line that marks the edge of the road and the pavement: the _ _ _ _ 19: To escape from a place: to run _ _ _ _

Across 1: To suddenly lose control because you are very angry: to have a _ _ _ 5: To find something by chance and accidentally: to come _ _ _ _ _ _ something 7: To eat at home and not to go out: to eat _ _ 8: We do this when they are happy or content: rub our hands in d e _ _ _ _ 10: If a machine or mechanism is working, it is r _ _ _ _ _ _

11: Reasons for to get divorced: g r _ _ _ _ _ for divorce 14: To stop your car and to take someone in it: to pick someone _ _ 16: An animal that lives in the country: a w _ _ _ animal 17: To arrive unexpectedly: to _ _ _ _ up 18: Be careful with the dog!: b e _ _ _ _ of the dog!

20: To explore the origin and source of something: to trace _ _ _ _

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24

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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 A: B: C: D: E: F: G: H: I: J: K: L: M: N:

A decaf A mortgage A mug To surrender A write-off A rucksack Scary Glad A lobby Forbidden To feed A brick To unload A trunk

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

DECAF

GLAD

MORTGAGE

LOBBY

MUG

FORBIDDEN

SURRENDER

FEED

WRITE

BRICK

RUCKSACK

UNLOAD

SCARY

TRUNK

See if you can match the two columns.

Answers on page 50.

To stop fighting because the situation is desperate Frightening The long object that is an elephant’s nose Prohibited A coffee with no caffeine The central area of a hotel where the receptionist is A rectangular object that is used to build houses To take objects such as boxes out of a vehicle, etc Happy, pleased Money the bank lends you to buy a house A large cup for drinking coffee To give food to A bag that you wear on your back A car that has been completely destroyed after an accident

Practice English Conversations

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25

WORDSEARCH

WORDSEARCH

DR FINGERS’GRAMMAR CLINIC

AUDIO

DR FINGERS’GRAMMARdayCLINIC ’s class: Dear Dr Fingers, I was wondering about the difference between the words “don’t care” and “don’t mind”. Please could you help me? I also have problems with “fewer than” and “less than”. Thank you very much.

Pedro (by e-mail).

Dear Pedro, Thank you very much for your question. Of course, I would be delighted to try and help you. First let’s look at “don’t care”.

To Don’t care, don’t mind, fewer than & less than

Don’t Care Basically, if you “don’t care” about something, that thing doesn’t matter to you, and it isn’t important for you. It is a negative way of commenting on something. Let’s see a few examples: A: “Do you mind if I go with you?”

B: “I don’t care”, which means something like this, “you can stay or you can go - it isn’t important for me”.

Don’t Mind Basically, “don’t mind” is more positive, and if you “don’t mind” about something, you have no objection to that thing in the positive sense. For example: A: “Do you mind when I come?”

B: “No, I really don’t mind when you come”, which means, “you can come whenever you like”.

And here’s another example: A: “Do you mind if I take your car?”

B: No, I don’t mind if you take my car”, which means, “You can take my car”.

Fewer Than Now let’s look at “fewer than”. We generally use “fewer than” when we are referring to people or things: “There were fewer than 40 children.”

“Fewer than 1,000 teachers voted in the election.”

It is NOT possible to use fewer than when we are referring to just numbers or figures. So, it is incorrect to say: “we travelled fewer than 3,000 kilometres.”

Less Than We generally use “less than” with numbers, and when there are NO people mentioned. For example: “They are earning less than twenty pounds.”

“I travelled less than 3,000 miles.”

However, these days, many people do say things like this: “There are less than six people here.”

In theory this is incorrect, and strict grammarians get angry when they hear “less than” used in reference to people. But who are we to disagree with the voice of the people?

Bye Right, I hope that has answered your question. Just be careful to say “I don’t mind” when a friend asks you what you want to do, or where you want to go and you don’t have a strong preference.

Here’s just a quick reminder of how to use these words: Don’t care = to say that something is not important for you and does not affect you.

Don’t mind = to say that you have no objection to something.

Fewer than = used with people Less than = used with numbers.

OK, that’s all for now. Thank you very much for your question, and now I feel the need for a rest.

Goodbye, Fingers.

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AUDIO

BUSINESS DIALOGUES

BUSINESSDIALOGUES

OFFICE GOSSIP In this dialogue, Judy, who works in accounting, has heard some very interesting office gossip. She’s telling some colleagues all about it. Listen to the dialogue and see if you can answer these two questions: 1. What does Judy know about Michael?

2. What does Michael want at the end of the conversation?

Judy:

Michael: Judy:

Michael: Judy: Michael: Judy: Michael:

Judy:

Michael: Judy: Michael:

Guess what? I just heard a really juicy bit of gossip. I got it straight from Dan in marketing, who got it from Pete in finance, who got it from Mary in the overseas branch: Simon is going to get the axe. Now don’t tell anyone - I was sworn to secrecy.

I won’t listen to this any longer. Gossip is destructive and creates an atmosphere of suspicion.

No it doesn’t it - it’s a lot of fun. And besides, if it wasn’t for gossip, we wouldn’t know any of the important things, like who’s going out with who, or how much everyone makes.

You know how much I make?

Yes, of course I do.

My God! Is nothing sacred any more?

Of course not. And we know all about your “little” pay rise, Mr Big Bucks!

Oh, erm, well I deserved that. Look, that’s beside the point, they aren’t going to let Simon go. They’ve just given him a pay rise, and he’s the golden boy after winning that Steinbeck contract.

Well, we all know they are looking to get rid of some of the higher-paid executives. And the rumour is that Simon has been called in to see the boss this afternoon at 6 pm.

Oh, don’t be ridiculous. That doesn’t mean anything… but just in case, if he does go, I want his office.

Yeah, sure thing, as long as I get his parking space.

It’s a deal.

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. (The answers are on the page 50.)

1. I got it straight ___________ Dan in marketing.

2. I was sworn _______ secrecy.

3. I won’t listen ______ this any longer.

4. And we know all ________ your “little” pay rise.

5. He’s the golden boy _______ winning that Steinbeck contract.

GLOSSARY office gossip n stories, rumours and information about the private lives of people in the office guess what? exp people often use this expression before they are about to say something interesting or important a juicy bit of gossip exp a very interesting story or rumour about someone’s private life straight from exp directly from to get the axe exp to lose your job besides exp this expression is used to put emphasis on something you are about to say. This is often used when you want to add another comment a pay rise n an increase in your salary

Mr Big Bucks exp inform this is used to refer to someone with a lot of money. A “buck” is an informal word for a dollar to deserve vb if you think you “deserve” something, you think you should get that thing because of your good actions or qualities that’s beside the point exp that is not important or relevant a golden boy exp a person who is the favourite in a group or organisation to get rid of someone exp to tell someone to leave a group or organisation sure thing exp of course, yes, certainly it’s a deal exp “I accept what you are saying”

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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 11), 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.

Bee

2. Chimpanzee 3. Frog 4. Rat 5. Giraffe 6. Beaver

B

7. Shark 8. Badger 9. Coyote

A

10. Squirrel 11. Ant

D

C

H

28

G

F

E

I

K

J

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AUDIO

This is the first part of a mini-series on the fascinating world of animals. Learn incredible facts about these amazing creatures, and impress your friends, relatives and colleagues. Guaranteed results.

Insects shiver when they’re cold.

More people are injured by cats, dogs, and pigs each year than by Great White sharks.

A queen bee lays about 1,500 eggs on an average day.

Badgers and coyotes hunt ground squirrels together. The badger digs into the squirrel’s tunnel, and the coyote catches it when it tries to escape. Now that’s teamwork for you!

Police dogs were first used in 1816 in Scotland.

At birth, a panda is smaller than a mouse and weighs about 120 grams.

It’s been estimated that humans have been riding horses for over 3,000 years.

A recent study found that the dogs responsible for the greatest number of attacks in the US were Rottweilers and Pit Bulls.

A chameleon can move its eyes in two directions at the same time.

Incidentally, a chameleon’s tongue is twice the length of its body.

Hippopotamuses actually sweat blood.

A chimpanzee can learn to recognise itself in a mirror, but monkeys can’t.

The Chow is the only dog that has a black tongue. The rest have pink ones.

A baby frog is a tadpole and a young frog is a polliwog.

A bird requires more food in proportion to its size than a (human) baby or a cat.

There are more sheep in Australia than people.

The most dedicated fathers in the world are male Emperor penguins. They stand in the Antarctic cold for 60 days or more to protect their eggs. During this entire time they don’t eat anything, and as a result most father penguins lose about 10 kilos during this period as they wait for the eggs to hatch. Afterwards, they feed the chicks a special liquid from their throats. When the mother penguins return to care for the young, the fathers go out on the town with their mates, drink a few pints and go for a curry.

A leech is a worm that feeds on blood. It will pierce its victim’s skin and fill itself with three to four times its own body weight in blood. Afterwards, it won’t feed again for months. Leeches were once used by doctors to drain “bad blood” from patients.

An elephant’s trunk can hold up to 8 litres of liquid.

Amazon ants (red ants found in the western US) steal the larvae of other ants and keep these ants as slaves. The Amazon ants spend their day fighting, and use the slave ants to build homes and collect food. The Amazon ants depend completely on their slaves for survival.

All pet hamsters are descended from a single female wild hamster found with a litter of 12 young in Syria in 1930.

GLOSSARY

At birth, a baby kangaroo is just 3 cm long.

In 1872, twenty five percent of the horses in the US died of a virus epidemic.

A rat can go without water for longer than a camel.

A honey bee travels an estimated 60,000 km to get half a kilo of honey.

The giraffe is the only animal born with horns.

to shiver vb when you are very cold, you “shiver” and your body moves with little movements that you cannot control to lay eggs exp if a creature “lays eggs”, eggs come out of its body an average day n a normal day to sweat vb when liquid comes out of your body because you are very hot a trunk n the long nose of an elephant to go without something exp to survive or live without something a horn n the two hard objects on an animal’s head. Bulls, cows and goats have them to dig vb to make a hole in the ground that’s teamwork for you! exp “that is a perfect example of teamwork”.

“Teamwork” is the action of working together in a group

to hatch vb if an egg “hatches”, the egg breaks and an animal comes out to feed vb to give food to someone or something to go out on the town exp to go out at night to have a good time a mate n inform a friend a pint n a glass of liquid (usually beer), which is about half a litre to pierce vb to cut; to make a hole in something larvae n insects that have developed from eggs.

This is the stage before they become adults wild adj a “wild” animal is one that lives in the country and not in a house or a zoo a litter n a group of baby animals with the same mother

A beaver can hold it’s breath for 45 minutes.

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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 Jorge Tarruella

To be the top dog To be most important person in an organisation.

“If you’ve got any questions, just ask her - she’s the top dog around here.”

To go to the dogs To become less successful; to become dirtier, older and uglier: “We never win at football, we never win at rugby and we never win at cricket - this country has really gone to the dogs.”

To let sleeping dogs lie Dog-eared

To leave a situation as it is so you don’t cause problems; not to mention something because you don’t want to make someone angry: “Don’t mention that incident involving the car because he gets really angry about it - it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie.”

If a book is “dog-eared”, it is really old and many of the pages are broken: “I lent her my copy of the book Advanced Karma Sutra and she gave it back to me really dog-eared.

GLOSSARY

Dog eat dog If a situation is “dog eat dog”, it is one in which everyone is trying to become successful, and no one cares about other people: “The world of show business is really dog eat dog - everyone wants to become famous, and they’ll do anything they can to achieve that fame.”

To be like a dog with two tails To be very happy: “She’s been like a dog with two tails since she started going out with John.”

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Please note that some of the words in this glossary box are literal translations of parts of idiomatic expressions. to lend vb to give someone something for a limited period of time a tail n the long object at the back of a dog’s body

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VOCABULARY CLOTHES

VOCABULARY CLOTHES Here is some useful vocabulary related to clothes* Dress - this is an item of clothing worn by women. It covers the body and goes down the legs - usually to the knees.

Jacket - this is the item of clothing that you wear over your shirt to look smart. A rolled-up jacket is ideal as a pillow for those afternoon naps on park benches.

Skirt - this is the short Blouse - this is a loose,

dress that starts at the waist and goes down to the knees… unless it’s a mini-skirt. Every schoolboy’s favourite hobby: looking up the teacher’s skirt.

light shirt worn by women.

Blazer - this is a type of uniform jacket that is worn by groups of people, including people in sports teams and schoolchildren. Convert your ordinary old jacket into a flash new blazer by painting your buttons gold.

Trousers - (“pants” in US English) these are the things you wear to cover your legs.

You know you’re getting old when you get that tight feeling around the waist and you have to replace all your old trousers.

Overalls - this is a pair of trousers and shirt joined to form one piece of material. Overalls are great for people who find it hard to choose what to wear in the morning; they also make you look like an electrician.

Socks - these are the things you wear on your feet and inside your shoes. Place your socks over your head in situations of extreme cold.

Shirt - this is the thing you wear on the top half of your body. The sleeves are multipurpose and can be used for a variety of tasks, including wiping your mouth and cleaning tables.

Pullover - (sweater, jersey, jumper) - this is the object you wear over your shirt to keep you warm. It is often made of wool and it messes up your hair every time you put it on.

Cardigan - this is the type of Suit - this consists of a

jersey with buttons at the front.

Very popular with middle-aged men and schoolchildren.

matching jacket and trousers.

Buy Armani to give yourself the stylish, executive look.

Raincoat - this is the long coat that supposedly keeps you dry when it rains. Excellent for giving you that North Sea fisherman look, although you may feel silly wearing it if it isn’t raining.

Waistcoat - this is the jacket with no arms that men often wear under their suits.

Make your own waistcoat by cutting off the arms of old jackets.

* These words are all in British English.

GLOSSARY

Stockings - these are the nylon objects women wear over their legs. They go up as high as your thighs. A pair of stockings over your face and head is ideal for concealing your identity during bank robberies.

Tights - these are similar to

a waist n the area around your stomach that grows as you get older to replace vb to substitute; to put something in place of another thing a task n a job to wipe vb to clean a matching jacket and trousers n a jacket and trousers that are the same colour and material

stockings although they go up to the stomach area.

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a thigh n the upper part of your leg smart adj formal and elegant rolled-up adj if you “roll up” clothing, you make it into a little ball so you can put your head on it a nap n a short sleep in the afternoon a bench n a long chair in a park where you can sit flash adj impressive and nice

AUDIO

TYPICALDIALOGUES

TYPICAL DIALOGUES

ANSWERS ON PAGE 50

THE CLOTHES SHOP Here’s a typical dialogue with lots of useful vocabulary and expressions to use when you’re buying things in a shop. In this scene Mr Jones is in a shop trying on a few clothes. Listen to the dialogue and answer these questions (answers on page 50): 1. What clothes does the man try on?

2. What does he buy in the end?

3. Who is the customer who rips the shirts?

Mr Jones: Good afternoon. I was looking for a new jacket.

Shop: Were you looking for something formal, or some thing more casual?

Mr Jones: Erm, formal, please.

Shop: OK, how about this jacket?

Mr Jones: Yes, that looks nice.

Shop: And look, sir, this shirt would go really well with it.

Mr Jones: Mmm… OK. Can I try the jacket on?

Shop: Yes, of course, the changing rooms are just over there. (five minutes later) How does it feel, sir?

Mr Jones: Yes, the jacket seems to fit quite well around the shoulders, but it’s a bit short on the arms.

Shop: We can alter it for you. Now how about that shirt? Did you have a chance to try it on?

Mr Jones: No, I’m just going to put it on now. (slow ripping sound) Shop: Hello? Sir? Are you alright? (more ripping) Mr Jones: Yes, I’m fine, it’s just the shirt is a bit tight. (more ripping) Shop: Well, I wouldn’t force it on, sir. May I have a look?

Mr Jones: Sorry, it was a bit small and I tried to get it on.

Shop: Oh yes, you have made a real mess of that one. Here, I’ll get you a bigger one. Try this on. It should fit much better. But please be careful.

Mr Jones: OK, thanks. (more ripping) Shop: Sir, what’s that noise I can hear?

Mr Jones: Oh, nothing. (more ripping) Shop: Sir, is the shirt too small?

Mr Jones: Shop: Mr Jones: Shop:

No. (more ripping) Are you ripping that shirt sir?

No. (more ripping) Yes you are. (Mr Jones comes out) Look at it, it’s all torn. You’ll have to pay for that.

Mr Jones: No I won’t.

Shop: Yes, you will. You ripped that shirt deliberately.

Mr Jones: You told me to put it on. And besides, I don’t like it.

I’m not paying for it.

Manager: Is there a problem here, Jenkins?

Shop: Yes, this man just ripped two of our shirts.

Manager: Very well. Come along, Mr Jones. That’s enough ripping for today, I think.

Mr Jones: OK, bye.

Shop: Who the hell was that?

Manager: He’s Mr Jones, the owner’s son. He’s got this hate-obsession with clothes - something to do with his childhood. In future, just page me when he turns up.

Shop: Very well, madam. Anything you say, madam.

GLOSSARY to try on phr vb to put on clothes to see if they are good for you erm exp this is the noise that people make while they are thinking about what to say next to go well with exp if one item of clothing “goes well” with another item, they look good together a changing room n a room where you can try clothes on to fit vb if clothes “fit” you, they are perfect for your size a shoulder n the joint at the top of your body between your arm and your chest short on the arms exp if a shirt is “short on the arms”, the sleeves of the shirt are too short for your arms to alter vb to change; to make adjustments a chance n an opportunity

a ripping sound exp to “rip” is to break material or paper. In this case, a “ripping sound” is the sound of someone breaking clothes tight adj if clothing is “tight”, it is too small for you to make a real mess of something exp to really destroy something torn adj with holes in the material the hell exp offens this expression is used to show you are angry the owner n the person who controls and possesses the business to page someone exp a “pager” is an electronic device that makes a noise when someone is calling you. It is used to “page” people, and to tell them to telephone you to turn up phr vb to arrive

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33

A look at some cool places from around the world

BERLIN

Amazing World

BERLIN

Berlin is a modern city with lots to offer. Victoria Bitzer is here to tell us all about it.

Getting Around

One of the great things about Berlin is the transport system. They have buses, the U-bahn (an underground train) and the S-bahn (a fast train that runs through the city), and they take you nearly everywhere. You can also go by bicycle; and as Berlin is the German city with the fewest cars per capita, it’s a pleasant way to get around town. There are specific bike paths along the sides of the main street. However, as a pedestrian you should be careful not to walk onto one without looking.

Boat tours are another way of exploring the city. Some of the best are the ones that take you around the magnificent Berlin Dome (one of the largest cathedrals in Berlin), and to the Bundestag (the national parliament).

famous East/West border crossing), and government buildings such as the Reichstag.

There are more than 170 museums in Berlin too. The Berlin National Museum has classical, modern and contemporary art.

The most popular museum is the Pergamon Museum, which has ancient treasures such as the Itshtar Gate and the Pergamon Altar. Other favourites are the Technikmuseum, which has aircraft and automobiles, and the Jewish Museum, designed by Daniel Libeskind and which opened in 2001.

Checkpoint Charlie One of Berlin’s main attractions is its history. There are monuments all over the city, such as the Brandenburger Tor (which is where the Berlin Wall once stood), Checkpoint Charlie (the

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Nightlife

After all these trips to museums, you’re going to need some refreshment. And the best thing to try is some German beer. There are so many beers to choose from that it would be impossible to try them all. Here is some useful advice on what to ask for: 1. “Ein helles, bitte.”

If you ask for this, you’ll get a standard, light beer in a pint glass.

2. “Ein pils, bitte.”

If you want something bitter, try a “pils”, which is also called “pilsener”.

3. “Ein dunkeles, bitte.”

This is a dark beer that, against popular belief, does not have the highest alcohol content.

4. “Ein weissbier, bitte.”

This is a good beer to have on a hot day. It’s a light-coloured, light-tasting beer that is served in a tall half-litre glass. It is actually the strongest beer in terms of alcohol.

5. “Ein bock, bitte.”

This is a strong beer that is made by monks.

If you’ve still got any energy left, you may want to go out at night. Most of the nightlife is concentrated in the mid-northern area, where the bars and pubs can get quite crowded. Good streets to find bars in are: Warshauer Strasse, Oranienburg Strasse and Haackescher Markt. The Strandbar and the Sage Club are among the most popular bars and nightclubs in the summer. One really interesting club is the Burger Café, which is an old East German club that plays 70s music and has carpeted walls; and another good one is the KitKat Bar, which is like something from the 1920s. So now you know what to do on your trip to Berlin.

INFORMATION BOX

Food And just to go with your nice glass of beer, you’re going to need some good old German food. The most typical meal is sauerkraut, sausage, and potatoes. Other dishes mostly consist of vegetables and meats, and there isn’t much fried food. It is common to eat the heaviest meal of the day at lunch; dinner usually consists of cheeses, salamis, wurst (sausage) and bread. Fruit is also popular for dinner. And just to complete your meal, you can have a lovely German dessert. Germans are big supporters of the bread and pastry industry; and chocolate and fruit cakes are among the most popular desserts. Apart from German restaurants there are hundreds of international ones in Berlin too. Chinese and Italian are among the favourites, but there are lots of others.

Lakes

Festivals During the summer, one of the biggest and best-known festivals is the annual Love Parade, the world’s biggest street party. It is a combination of techno music and eccentric costumes, and it gets about 750,000 visitors every year. It usually takes place in late July.

Recycling Don’t be surprised if your bottle of water costs more than a beer. This is because there is a refund system in which you are given change when you return your plastic bottle to the store or café.

GLOSSARY

Now, after all this good food, you are going to need to go for a walk. There are lots of nice places to visit in and around Berlin.

In the summer, you can go to the lakes, such as the Wannsee, Nikolas-see or Schlactensee. Many of these are next to old castles and picturesque forests.

If jumping in a lake isn’t your cup of tea, you can also visit some of the many islands just hours away from the city. A little north of Berlin there are areas with pristine beaches, rich history and the bracing Baltic Sea. And if you don’t feel like travelling too much, there is the Tiergarten, which is right in the centre of Berlin. This is a good place to go if you want to relax in the afternoon.

to get around town phr vb to travel around town a bike path n a special little road just for bicycles a pedestrian n a person who walks a border n the line that divides two countries a pint glass n a glass that can hold one pint of liquid (about half a litre) bitter adj not sweet

a monk n a religious man who dedicates his life to God and who lives, works and makes beer in a monastery a dessert n sweet food that you eat after eating meat or fish isn’t your cup of tea exp isn’t something that you like bracing adj cold crowded adj with many people in it

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35

BERLIN

Drink

ERIC IN BERLIN

Living Abroad

Eric inBERLIN

Every month we interview someone about their experiences of living, travelling or working abroad.

This month we are talking to Eric Gilbert from the United States about his time in Berlin, Germany. interview by Victoria Bitzer

Eric, why did you go to Berlin?

Basically, I met a lovely German girl called Dora in Croatia and she suggested I go back to Germany with her.

site where you can buy and sell things. I was a technical support (IT) agent. The second time I just did some language courses.

How did you get the job?

What did you expect it to be like?

I’d been to Berlin once before. On that occasion I hitchhiked from Munich to meet a friend in Berlin. I ended up getting a ride with this guy whose driving skills consisted of doing 200 kph on a major highway. I think he got us to Berlin in a quarter of the time it would have taken normally.

What were your first impressions?

That Berlin has a lot of character. Of course, it isn’t folkloric like Munich. My first thought was that it was a bit like an enormous museum - a fascinating and dynamic museum.

It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t that hard either. For the first job I simply e-mailed my CV to the company and a week later got a response. Knowing a little of the language helps, of course.

Teaching English is always a possibility for native English speakers.

What were the best things about Berlin?

I think just walking around the city. The contrasts are vivid and fascinating. Other good things about the city are that it isn’t expensive. It’s also what I’d call a spontaneous city, with street festivals just springing up out of nowhere.

Where did you stay?

The first time in Berlin I was passing by and I stayed in a hotel; the second time, I stayed with Dora.

What job did you do?

The first time I found a job at e-bay, which is an online auction

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ERIC IN BERLIN What were the worst things about being there?

Summer is too short; and winter is too cold. It’s not a good place to spend winter if you’re not in love. Oh yeah, and there are too many smokers.

How were the people different?

Overall, they are pretty friendly, especially the East Germans who are very open-minded. Germans are also very environmentallyconscious, and they will tell you off if you don’t recycle your trash. Once, I washed the dishes in a bowl of water. I finished and was about to throw the water down the drain when my girlfriend screamed, “No! Put the water in the bathroom and use it to flush the toilet”. And so I did.

What was the funniest thing that happened to you there?

Everyone thought it was really funny that I was living in a street called “Carionweg”, which literally means “Road of Meat”, and I am a vegetarian.

Did you have any problems with the language?

Yes. In general, Berliners are very patient when speaking with foreigners. Once, I remember being at a restaurant. The waiter came to our table and asked politely what we would like to eat; and I replied by saying “keine Vorspielen, bitte”, which means “no foreplay, please”. Everyone looked at me in horror, and then started laughing. Apparently, I should have said “Vorspeiser”, which means “starter” or “entrée”.

Would you go back?

I would definitely go back because I felt really good in Berlin. It is a comfortable city, and I have lots of fond memories from it.

What advice would you give to somebody who is thinking of going to Berlin?

GLOSSARY to hitchhike vb to stand by the side of the road and to try to convince a driver to stop so you can go somewhere for free to end up phr vb to eventually arrive in a place a highway n US a large road with many lines of traffic.

A “motorway” in British English folkloric adj traditional - as if it were from a fairy story to pass by phr vb to stay in a place for a very short period before continuing on your journey to your final destination an auction site n e-Bay is a place (an auction site) where you can sell your possessions or buy things IT abbr information technology - computing, etc a CV abbr a curriculum vitae - a document with information about your education, profession, etc a street festival n a party in the street with music, dancing, theatre, etc

to spring up out of nowhere exp to suddenly appear pretty friendly exp quite friendly open-minded adj someone who listens to other people’s opinions and comments environmentally- conscious n with an understanding of nature, the air around us, pollution, etc to tell off phr vb to speak angrily to someone trash n US old bits of paper and plastic that you throw away. “Rubbish” in British English to wash the dishes exp to clean the plates after eating the drain n the hole and tube in the kitchen sink where water goes down foreplay n kissing and touching before having sex a starter / entrée n food you eat before the main dish to keep an open mind exp to be ready to accept new ideas or different customs

Keep an open mind! And just enjoy yourself!

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JOAN OF ARC

Weird World

JOAN OF ARC Every country has its heroes. The English have Winston Churchill, Henry V and Mister Bean; and the French have Napoleon, Monsieur Camembert (the original inventor of smelly cheeses) and Joan of Arc, also known as “Jeanne d’Arc”, the “Maid of Orleans”, the “patron saint of France” and “France’s national heroine”. Joan of Arc is a particular favourite of the French: not only did she help unify France, but she also defeated the English, which makes her extra special. Who was this woman?

And what happened to her?

Zut Alors! (“Oh no!” - in French) France was in a mess in the 15th century. No one ruled, and the English were trying to take advantage of the chaos. The English started off well (as they always do), but couldn’t maintain the advantage (as they always do). And this was all thanks to a young French peasant girl called Joan.

Joan was born at Domrémy, France, in 1412. She spent her childhood learning religion, knitting and looking after her father’s cows. In an early interview she claimed her favourite pastimes were “praying” and “listening to church bells”. Then, when she was about 12, strange things started to happen.

Oo iz zat? (“Who is that?” - in French) In the summer of 1424, young Joan began to see and hear things. “I was in my thirteenth year when I heard a voice from God,” Joan told friends. “The first time I was very much afraid,” she added.

She claimed the voices were St Michael, St Catherine and St Margaret, all of whom had been sent to speak to her by God. They told her that it was her “divine mission to free her country from the English”. They also told her to cut her hair, learn to use a sword and dress “like a man”.

Immediately, she went to tell a powerful Frenchman, Charles de Ponthieu (later known as King Charles VII), all about her visions.

He was impressed and gave her command of an army. It wasn’t long before she had her first victory.

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I ate zese Ingliish (“I hate these English” - in French) Her first battle was against the English at Orleans. For months, the town had been under siege. But Joan soon stopped that. She went into battle carrying a white banner, and she was victorious, lifting the siege on 8th May 1429. She also captured the towns of Jargeau, Meung-sur-Loire, and Beaugency in mid-June; and defeated an English army at Patay on 18th June. At this battle, most of the English troops and the commander, Sir John Fastolfe, ran away when they heard the French army was led by Joan. In total, one hundred English aristocrats were captured, and 1,800 soldiers were killed.

Soon afterwards many other towns surrendered, and Charles was crowned king on 17th July 1429. Joan was given the place of honour beside him and it was the highlight of her career. But her glory didn’t last.

Let’s do eeeet again! (“Let’s do it again!” - in French)

By November the English had once again occupied Paris and all of northern France. They were led by Henry VI of England, who was claiming the French throne. Joan decided to go out and fight him, but she was captured at Compiègne on 23rd May 1430. Soon afterwards, the trials against her started.

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JOAN OF ARC

You Witch!

Right from the start, the English were desperate to convict her. They started off accusing her of murder, then prostitution and finally witchcraft. But there were no witnesses. In the end, and just out of desperation, she was convicted of the crime of “wearing masculine dress”. The court condemned her to death, but she said she was sorry, so they changed the sentence to life imprisonment. However, it didn’t end there.

I want to wear these clothes!

Months later Joan was still “dressing like a man”. This really irritated the English priests. So, she was tried again, and this time she was really condemned to death. On 30th May 1431 she was burned at the stake in the marketplace at Rouen.

She was just nineteen years old. Charles VII made no attempt to come to her rescue. Poor Joan had died, but her name lived on.

INFO

English / French Rivalry The English and the French have been in competition for centuries; and over the years they have fought quite a few wars. Here are some of the more important ones: 1194 - 1337 - The English / French War - French Victory 1337 - 1453 - The Hundred Years’ War - French Victory 1754 - 1763 - The Indian Wars - British Victory 1800 - 1814 - The Napoleonic Wars - British Victory As you can see, so far it is a draw: 2-2. And let’s hope it stays that way!

Napoleon shortly after a violent discussion with his wife.

Saint Joan A few years later the English were thrown out of Rouen.

In 1456 the original trial against Joan was declared illegal.

Joan was declared innocent; and centuries later, in 1920, she was canonised by Pope Benedict XV and she became Saint Joan. However, the Catholic Church never officially accepted that her “voices” were from God. These days, there are still divisions of opinion: some claim she was a national heroine; and others say she was a delusional teenager. And there’s even a historian who says Joan never existed. What do you think?

GLOSSARY FOR CARTOON an arranged marriage n a marriage that is organised by your parents. They decide which man/ woman you are going to marry a weapon n an object that is used to kill people such as a gun, sword, knife, etc we’re bound to win exp “we are definitely going to win” to gather round phr vb to form a circle around someone who is about to speak to drive someone from a place exp to attack someone and force them to leave a place

a swine n inform a pig (as an insult) a heretic n someone with beliefs that others consider to be wrong or bad she doesn’t have a hope in hell exp “she has no chance of escaping”; “she will certainly die” good thing too exp people use this expression when they are happy that something has happened to lead by example exp to show people the correct and incorrect way of doing something

GLOSSARY in a mess exp disordered; in chaos knitting n making clothing by using wool (sheep hair) and needles (long pieces of metal you hold in your hand) to pray vb to say words to God a bell n a metal object that makes a loud sound when you hit it. They are often in churches a sword n a big knife that soldiers use to kill their enemies under siege exp if a town is “under siege”, there are soldiers outside the town trying to get in to run away phr vb to escape led by exp directed by to surrender vb if a soldier “surrenders”, he or she stops fighting and becomes a prisoner to crown king exp to make someone king by putting a

“crown” (a king’s hat) on his head a trial n a legal process in which people decide if someone is innocent or guilty witchcraft n the use of magic powers, especially bad ones a witness n a person who sees a crime to burn somebody at the stake exp to tie somebody to a wooden pole (the stake) and to burn that person a marketplace n an area in a town where there is a market to live on phr vb if your name “lives on”, you are still famous many years after your death to throw out phr vb to force someone to leave a place to canonise vb if someone is “canonised”, the church says that person is a saint a delusional teenager n a young person (13 to 19 years old) who has fantasies and believes things that are not true

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(GLOSSARY ON PREVIOUS PAGE)

(glossary on previous page) Illustration by Jorge Tarruella

WEIRD WORLD CARTOON

Weird World Cartoon

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NEW YORK TAXI DRIVERS

AUDIO

NEW YORK TAXI DRIVERS

by Laura Warrell (American English spelling) Even if you’ve never been to New York, you’ve most probably seen or heard of New York’s famous taxi drivers. They’ve appeared in hundreds of films and television series, and they have a reputation for being rude and eccentric. They’re also known as the worst drivers on the planet as they drive too fast, rarely pay attention to traffic laws and they think they own the streets. For passengers, a ride in a New York taxicab can be like watching a car-chase scene from a Bruce Willis movie. So what’s it like to be a New York taxi driver? And what are they really like as people?

Are You Talkin’ to Me? One of the most famous taxicab drivers from the movies is Travis Bickle (played by Robert De Niro). He appeared in the classic 1970s film Taxi Driver (directed by Martin Scorsese). Travis is an ex-Marine and insomniac who drives his cab through a decaying mid-1970s Manhattan. He desperately wants a “real rain” to wash the “scum” off the earth, and he decides that it’s his mission to clean up the city, and to kill two people: a politician, and the pimp of a child prostitute (Jodie Foster). The film won tons of awards, and let everyone see how crazy life in New York can be. It also caused lots of nerds to copy Robert De

42

Niro’s famous scene when he’s standing in front of a mirror saying to himself, “Are you talking to me? I don’t see anyone else here.

You must be talking to me”.

So, is Travis a typical example of a New York taxi driver? Not exactly.

They’re not all Robert De Niro Unlike Travis, only about 10 percent of drivers are American. Most of them are from the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Asia. Only 1 percent of drivers are women. In fact, the average New York City taxi driver is a middle-aged, foreign man.

And what about their personalities? Most New York taxi drivers come across as rude, stubborn and impolite.They also think they know the city better than anyone else (they usually do). And few of them pay attention to taxi driving rules. For example, if a passenger asks a driver to stop smoking, or turn off the radio, most drivers will ignore the passenger and continue to smoke like a chimney, speak to their girlfriends on their mobile phone (illegal) and listen to music at the highest possible volume.

The Cab Many taxi drivers are really fond of their cars. Some of them put photos of their families in their cars. Others decorate their cabs with incense, religious symbols and even shrines (particularly the Indian ones). Most of the rest of the taxi drivers just decorate their cabs with cigarette butts and half-eaten roast beef sandwiches.

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Job Options There are strict rules for those who want to become a taxi driver.

You must be at least 19 years old, and have a driver’s license from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut or Pennsylvania. You also have to pass a driving course, as well as medical and drug tests. The strangest requirement is that drivers with children must demonstrate that they are responsibly paying child support to the mother. It also helps to have a death wish, to enjoy taking the longest route between two points and to have a minimal level of English.

aren’t yellow. There’s nothing wrong with these drivers, it’s just that they aren’t obliged to follow the rules. For example, the drivers can decide the price, and many of them don’t even have a meter.

Most illegal drivers are poor immigrants - mostly Dominicans, Colombians or Haitians. They don’t speak much English and have limited job options. It is illegal for these drivers to pick up passengers from the street, although they do.

They are also more likely to be victims of violence. Since 1994, no yellow cab drivers have been killed. However, between 1992 and 1993, seventy-three illegal cab drivers were killed. This is probably because these cab drivers are the only ones who are willing to go into dangerous neighborhoods.

And now, are you ready for a taxi ride in New York?

Mr Cab Driver Won’t Stop to Let Me In One of the most difficult tasks in New York is stopping a cab.

Ordinary yellow taxi cab drivers often refuse to travel into poor neighborhoods such as Harlem and areas of the Bronx and Brooklyn. For the residents of these areas, mostly AfricanAmericans and Latinos, this causes complications; and many often complain that they spend hours hailing taxicabs and never get a ride. On his first album, Lenny Kravitz wrote a song called “Mr Cab Driver” about “racist” taxi drivers. In the song, he sings: “Mr Cab Driver, won’t you stop to let me in, Mr Cab Driver don’t like my kind of skin.”

This song spoke for a lot of African-American and Latino men who thought they were being neglected by racist drivers. Fortunately for Lenny, he no longer has to wait for taxis. Instead, he rides in stretch limousines where he can drink champagne off the stomachs of supermodels.

Getting a Cab Other people have difficulties stopping cabs too. The recommended way is to stand at the curb, hold your arm out and move it up and down.

But the best methods are less conventional: women should push their chest forward and show some leg; and men should whistle loudly and punch taxicabs that pass without stopping.

Anyone dressed well and who is drunk should have no trouble finding a cab. Taxi drivers love drunk, rich people because they are too drunk to realise that they’ve been to New Jersey and back, instead of driving the two blocks to their flat. This allows taxi drivers to charge an extra fifty dollars.

Illegal Cabs And finally, beware of illegal taxis. There are lots of them around.

The drivers of these cabs aren’t licensed by the city, and the cabs

GLOSSARY a taxicab n a taxi. A “cab” is an informal word for a taxi a car-chase scene n a scene from a film in which one car is trying to catch another car an insomniac n a person who cannot sleep at night to wash off phr vb to eliminate a spot, mark or stain on your clothes by washing it scum n the worst people in society to clean up phr vb to clean completely a pimp n a person who controls and manages prostitutes tons of awards n lots of prizes a nerd n inform a person who studies a lot, and who lacks skill in social situations to come across as… exp to give the impression of… stubborn adj with very fixed ideas about things and how to do things to smoke like a chimney exp to smoke very much tobacco fond of exp if you are “fond of” something, you really like that thing incense n a stick that burns and produces a nice smell a shrine n an object in the taxi that has some religious and symbolic meaning a cigarette butt n the end of a cigarette that has been smoked a meter n the electronic object in a taxi that tells you how much you must pay to run vb if a meter is “running”, it shows the

increasing cost of the journey a flat rate n a standard amount of money a toll n the money you pay for crossing a bridge or going on certain roads a tip n extra money you pay the taxi driver usually 15% of the total child support n money you pay to the mother or father of your child/children if you are divorced a death wish n a desire to die to hail a taxi exp to stop a taxi a stretch limousine n a very long and large car that famous people travel in a curb n the edge of the road and the pavement or sidewalk (the place where pedestrians walk) a chest n the front and upper part of your body to whistle vb to make a noise by blowing air out of your mouth. People often do this to get someone’s attention to punch vb to hit with a closed hand dressed well exp with nice and formal clothes no trouble exp no problem a block n New York City is divided up into “blocks”, which are square areas of land with houses and shops on them beware exp be careful obliged adj forced to do something to pick up passengers exp to stop and take passengers in your taxi

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NEW YORK TAXI DRIVERS

The average salary for a typical New York City taxi driver is about $31,000. Taxi rates start at $2 and the meter starts to run based on distance. It also runs when the taxi isn’t moving, which is quite frequent in Manhattan. The most expensive trips are often to and from the airports. The flat rate is $35, plus bridge and tunnel tolls and a tip (about 15% of the total price), which ends up costing the customer around $45. Passengers who can’t afford the rate have the option of selling their grandmothers to the driver.

NEW YORK TAXIS A SURVIVAL GUIDE

NEW YORK TAXIS A Survival Guide Some useful tips for visitors to New York who want to use a taxicab.

If you ever find yourself in New York, you may need to take a taxi somewhere. The following is a useful guide on how to deal with New York City cab drivers. When travelling in a New York City taxi, you should: • Take your own portable taxi meter so you know how much to pay.

• Take a computerised map to check the route the driver is taking.

• Take a copy of the city ordinance rules with you. This way you can check if the driver tries to charge you too much.

• Always wear a suit or smart clothes - taxi drivers are more likely to stop for you.

• Once in the cab, speak loudly and clearly, it’s difficult to hear through the Plexiglass.

• Watch the meter carefully. It should click approximately every four or five blocks. If it clicks faster than that, something funny is going on.

• Never say any of the following phrases: “Good morning, Mr taxi driver. This is my first day in the city”; or, “Hi, I’m new here and I don’t know my way around New York”; or, “Mr taxi driver, I’ll let you decide which route to take”.

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GLOSSARY city ordinance rules n the rules and regulations a suit n clothes with the trousers and the jacket the same colour and style smart clothes n formal clothes Plexiglass n very thick glass. Taxi drivers use it to protect them from their passengers

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to click vb to make short, mechanical sounds and movements like a clock to go on phr vb to happen military hardware n weapons, guns, tanks, rockets, etc voter turnout n the number of people who vote in an election

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Authentic conversations by native British speakers

BRITISH BAR CHAT

AUDIO

t a h c r a b h Britis The English Breakfast This month two British men, Felix and Damien, are talking about the famous English breakfast. Listen to their conversation and answer these questions. Remember, you don’t have to understand every word in order to answer the questions. Just listen for the key words (the most important words in the conversation): Exercise 1. What arguments are there in favour of the English breakfast?

2. What arguments are there against the English breakfast?

Felix: Damien: Felix:

Damien:

Felix:

Damien:

Felix: Damien: Felix: Damien:

Oh, I feel great! I just had a British brekkie. I’m absolutely stuffed.

But if you think having a breakfast then feeling like that afterwards is good, then I don’t understand you.

Ah, it was brilliant! It was sausages, beans, tomato, bacon, egg, beans, black pudding, potatoes, mushrooms, toast, fried bread, tea, orange - the works. [mumbled speech] It was the business.

You’ve just made a long list of all the types of food that none of us should be eating. It’s just completely unhealthy.

Why, why abuse your body like that?

Unhealthy? It’s got everything, it’s got carbohydrates, it’s got protein, it’s got vitamins in the orange juice. It’s, it’s good. It’s, like, it’s a complete meal and it’s enough to keep you going.

Whatever it’s got in it, whatever it’s got in it, it’s, then you just ruin it. You just pour a load of grease on it and fry it up and it’s, that must kill any nutrient or vitamin it’s got inside it.

Oh, it’s wonderful. Anyway, what do you fancy for lunch today?

Oh, I don’t know. Bit of bacon, a bit of egg, few beans…

What? You mean, er, a British breakfast?

Ah, it’s, that’s not a breakfast. This is lunch. That’s, that’s, that’s different.

GLOSSARY a brekkie n inform a breakfast absolutely stuffed exp inform if you are “absolutely stuffed”, you have eaten too much and you are full the works n inform everything mumbled speech n words that are difficult to hear or understand it was the business exp inform it was really, really good like exp people use this word when they are thinking what to say. It doesn’t mean anything

to keep you going exp if food “keeps you going”, it is very filling and you don’t need to eat again for a long time to pour vb to move liquid from one container to another grease n fat from food to fry up phr vb to cook food with a lot of oil anyway exp people use this expression to change the direction of the conversation er/erm exp this is the noise that people make while they are thinking about what to say next

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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 threaten someone with physical violence:

My dear friend, I am afraid that I will have to commence an assault upon you

I’m going to beat you up

You’ve had it; I’m gonna bash your brains in; I’m gonna do you in; you’re dead meat; I’m gonna smash your face in

You want someone to explain a situation to you:

Please enlighten me vis-à-vis the situation

Tell me about it

Put me in the picture; give me the low-down on it; fill me in; put (get/ bring) me up-to-speed

A friend knows nothing about nuclear physics:

He has a poor understanding of nuclear physics

He knows nothing about nuclear physics

He hasn’t got a clue about nuclear physics; he’s a fuckwit when it comes to nuclear physics; he’s got no idea about nuclear physics

You went to a concert last night:

I went to a performance by a popular musical group last night

I went to a concert last night

I went to a gig last night

An event you organised was not successful:

It was highly unsuccessful

It didn’t go very well

It was a washout; it was a flop; it was shit/shite

A friend wants to buy your car. They promise to pay you next month.

However, you want your friend to prove he/she can pay before you give them the car:

Please be so kind as to exhibit the necessary funds for me to see

Let’s see your money first

Let’s see the colour of your money

A salesperson wants you to buy some life insurance. You explain that you don’t have the necessary money:

I do not have sufficient funds to purchase your life insurance

I don’t have enough money

Things are tight; I’m low on dosh; I’m tight for cash; I’m skint; I haven’t got any readies

GLOSSARY to threaten vb to promise to hurt someone gonna abbr going to to smash in phr vb

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

to destroy something by breaking it into little pieces vis-à-vis exp with regard to

to fill in phr vb to complete, to inform a clue n a piece of information that helps you discover the answer to something

to purchase vb to buy tight adj clothes that are “tight” and too small for you

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AUDIO

IN THE NEWS

In The News...

Lollipop lady Have you ever heard of a lollipop man or woman? They’re a common feature of life in Britain, and they are basically men or women who help school-children cross roads near primary schools. They usually wear yellow jackets and carry large sticks with a circle at the top, which look like giant lollipops.

Most lollipop men or women are responsible adults who perform a useful role in society, helping children get across the road next to schools. However, one such lollipop woman, Linda McLaughlin, 51, managed to lose her job.

It all happened when Michael Roberts, a parent from the local school, noticed something very strange: ”I was standing outside the school, waiting for my daughter to come out,” Roberts explained, “when I saw how Mrs McLaughlin seemed to be walking backwards and forwards across the road.

Then, I saw how she gripped on to a lamp post, and at another moment how she tried to cross the road, but found herself walking sideways, just like a crab. I thought, ‘this is very strange, she seems to be drunk’. And then my suspicions were confirmed when I saw her being sick in a nearby bush.”

Mr Roberts immediately contacted the police. When they arrived, they found Mrs McLaughlin to be under the influence of alcohol and arrested her. She has been indefinitely suspended pending a court case.

GLOSSARY

Kangaroo The hero of a recent accident in Australia was a 4-year-old kangaroo called Lola. She went to get help after a farmer was trapped under a falling tree.

“I was conscious,” said the 49-year-old farmer, James Richards, “and I could see Lola jumping up and down next to me, trying to help. Next thing, she just hopped off to get help.”

Richards was knocked unconscious by the tree as he was sitting under it enjoying a can of beer in the shade.

“I’d be pushing up daisies if it wasn’t for Lola,” Richards added.

Lola has been given a bravery award. So far she has declined to comment.

Elvis Presley A young writer is the new hero of the Scottish Tourist Board. 27-year-old Andrew Brewer claims that Elvis Presley’s ancestors came from Houndon, a small village in northeast Scotland. In his book, The Presley Prophecy, Brewer says he has traced back the “King’s” ancestry to more than 250 years ago. He used local records to help him and discovered that on 27th August 1713 a certain Andrew Presley married Elspeth Leg in Lonmay. Their son, also called Andrew, became a blacksmith and was the first Presley to leave Scotland, emigrating to America in 1745.

Since the announcement, scores of journalists and TV crews have gone to Lonmay, a Scottish village near Aberdeen.

“This could be fantastic for tourism,” said Ian Hainey, a spokesman for the Scottish Tourist Board, who has been rubbing his hands in delight ever since the discovery.

“Elvis’s Graceland mansion in Memphis gets more than 1 million visitors a year. So even if we got half that number we’d be doing very well,” the spokesman added.

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a lollipop n a sweet that consists of a stick with a hard, round sweet at the end to grip on to something exp to hold something in your hands with a lot of force - normally because that thing is difficult to control a crab n an animal that lives in the sea and walks to the side instead of forwards and backwards a bush n a small tree (and a president of the US) indefinitely adv for a period of time that has no limit suspended adj if you are “suspended”, you have to leave an organi-sation temporarily pending a court case exp while she is waiting for a court case (a legal trial) to hop off phr vb to “hop” is to jump. If you “hop off”, you leave a place by jumping knocked unconscious exp if you are “knocked uncon-scious”, something hits you on the head and you lose consciousness to push up daisies exp inform if you are “pushing up the daisies”, you are dead. Literally, “daisies” are flowers a bravery award n a prize because you have been so brave (courageous) to decline to comment exp to say that you are going to give no information the Scottish Tourist Board n the organisation that pro-motes Scotland as a tourist destination to trace back phr vb to discover the origins of something in the past ancestry n your family a blacksmith n a person who repairs the shoes on horses’ feet scores of exp a “score” is 20. In this case it means “lots of” to rub your hands in delight exp to be very pleased because you are about to make lots of money.

Literally, to move your hands against each other to do very well exp in this case, to make lots of money

PHRASALVERBS EAT Eat away at something

Eat out

To eat or destroy something gradually over a period of time.

To have a meal at a restaurant or outside, rather than eating at home.

PHRASALVERBS

The verb “to eat” is generally used in reference to food. For example: “I will eat all the food on the plate”. Now let’s see some phrasal verbs with the verb “to eat”. In future editions of Hot English we’ll be looking at more phrasal verbs with “eat”.

“I’ve been eating away at this piano leg all day and it’s still here.”

“You know, it gets really boring eating out every day of the year.”

Eat in To eat at home instead of going to a restaurant or eating outside:

Eat into If you “eat into” a resource (such as money), you gradually use more and more of that resource:

“Here honey, I thought we could eat in tonight. How about some lovely lamb chops.”

“I hope all these expensive trips abroad aren’t going to eat into my savings.”

V.C.

Eat up To eat all the food available.

Eat up If a feeling (such as envy or jealousy) is “eating you up”, it is really affecting you in a negative way.

“I’m just going to eat all this up, then I’ll be joining you at the restaurant.”

“His glasses are so cool... I’m so jealous it’s eating me up!”

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Hot Staff Directors

ANSWERS

Answers & scripts DR FINGERS’ PRONUNCIATION

2. He teaches in a school.

3. He likes it a lot.

1. She has hidden it somewhere 4. She feels much better. safe = She has hidde nit somewhere safe.

Audio script 2. He has ridden a goat = he has Announcement: This train is the ridde na goat.

14:37 service to Manchester, calling 3. They have shaken us = they at all stations to Manchester. have shake nus.

Petra: Excuse me, is this seat free?

4. We have shown a couple of the Mike: Yes, of course. Help yourself. pictures = we have show na P: Thanks. couple of the pictures.

M:Erm, I think we know each 5. I have spoken about it = I have other. I’m sure we’ve met spoke nabou tit. before. Do you work at the 6. We have stolen a couple = we health centre in Gerrard Street? have stole na couple.

I think you’re my wife’s doctor.

7. Have you taken it out today? = P: Er, no. I’m not a doctor. have you take ni tout today?

M:Oh, right. My mistake. So sorry.

8. We have thrown it away = we Do you own the computer shop have throw ni taway. in Dover Street?

9. They have woken us up = they P: Er, no, I don’t. I’m afraid you’ve have woke nu sup. mistaken me for somebody else.

10.He has given it to her = he has M:Ah ha! You know, I’m really sure give nit to her. we’ve met before. Are you a member of the tennis club in MOBILE PHONE ETIQUETTE! Argyll Street? Surely, that’s it.

1. invention; 2. hotel; 3. humans; P: No, I’m not. I don’t play tennis.

4. microphone; 5. heard; 6. shout; M:Then, what about The Grapes 7. level; 8. loud wine bar? Do you ever go there for a drink?

Video script P: Er, no. I don’t like wine bars.

Megan: Here’s my house key.

I’m a beer drinker.

Paul: Thanks.

M:Of course. That’s it. You drink I’m William Hanson, etiquette in the King’s Head [a pub] in consultant. What I don’t know Wardour Street. I’ve seen you about etiquette, simply is not there hundreds of times. worth knowing. With technology P: No. I’m afraid not. I’ve never developing at an alarming rate, been there. we need to keep up to speed M:Then it must be The Queen’s with the do’s and the don’ts of Head. modern life, so come with me P: No. Sorry. and I’ll help you navigate this M:The Duke’s Head? so-called 21st century. First up, P: No. the mobile phone, probably M:The King’s Arms? the most important invention P: No. I really do think you’re in recent decades, but they mistaking me for someone else. never came with an etiquette M:I’ve got it! You’re married to instruction book, did they?

Tim. Tim Smith.

1. So, where should we use our P: Oh, yes, that’s right. Do you mobile phones? You can go to know Tim? any café, restaurant, hotel and you see people that have come M:Do I know Tim? He works with my ex-wife, Stephanie, at the together to meet, and they bookshop. [fades out] are there using their mobile phones. What’s the point in getting together? Might as well STORY TIME stay at home. Concentrate on 1. Because a pickle is green, and the humans, not the gadgets.

Superman flies. So, a flying 2. Now, volume – both the pickle is logically “Super Pickle”. volume that you speak into the 2. Because a newspaper is black devices and the volume of the and white, and it’s “read” by devices themselves. A mobile people. phone has a microphone built 3. Because watermelons have in, and an amplifier on the “pits”, and something that is caller’s end. You could whisper very bad is “pitiful”. into a mobile phone and you still will be hard as crystal-clear.

CRANK CALLS So there’s no need to shout!

Crank call I: the victim doesn’t 3. And your ringtone – you want to give us the puppies want to have it at an audible because we explain how we are level so you’re going to hear going to use them for a circus act. it, but (if it’s) too loud and Crank call II: we accuse the woman everybody’s going to look of throwing stones at the ducks. round – it’s going to disturb other people in quieter BUSINESS TALK THE BOOK environments. So, like a lot of 1. James’ book is about cooking etiquette, have a compromise. in prisons.

4. And finally, text speak – it’s so 2. Sandra doesn’t want to last decade, darling. produce another book with James because the last one LISTENING: STRANGERS ON A TRAIN! was unsuccessful.

2 Listening I = b 3 Listening II 1. no; 2. no; 3. no; 18 USEFUL EXPRESSIONS 4. no; 5. no; 6. yes WITH THE PREPOSITION AT E PRONUNCIATION Perfection 1 Gap-fill exercise 1. She plays a lot of tennis.

1. moment; 2. time; 3. notice;

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

4. weekend; 5. last; 6. day; 7. night; 8. top; 9. fault 2 Sentence completion 1. latest; 2. glance; 3. once; 4. hand; 5. least; 6. guess; 7. work; 8. costs; 9. random

Finance

CROSSWORD

Classes Department

Financial Director Leigh Dante (00 34 91 549 8523) leigh@learnhotenglish.com (00 34 91 455 0273) classes@learnhotenglish.com Teacher Coordinator teacherinfo@learnhotenglish.com Accounts manager classes@learnhotenglish.com Administration Department

WORDSEARCH

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

MATCHING A5 B10 C11 D1 E14 F13 G2 H9 I6 J4 K12 L7 M8 N3

BUSINESS DIALOGUES OFFICE GOSSIP 1. Judy knows about Michael’s salary and his pay rise.

2. Michael wants Simon’s office.

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

TYPICAL DIALOGUES 1. The man tries on a jacket and a couple of shirts.

2. The man doesn’t buy anything in the end.

3. The customer who rips the shirts is the owner's son.

BRITISH BAR CHAT 1. The arguments in favour of the English breakfast are: it’s got carbohydrates, protein and vitamins. It’s a complete meal and it keeps you going.

2. The arguments against the English breakfast are: it’s unhealthy, it’s greasy, and frying the food kills the all the vitamins, etc.

IN THE NEWS 1. Lollipop men and women help children cross the road.

2. The lollipop woman was walking backwards, forwards and sideways across the road.

3. The woman gripped the lamp post.

4. The woman was drunk.

5. She lost her job as a result.

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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 HEP ISSN 1577-7898 Depósito Legal M.14277.2001 July 2022 Published by Hot English Publishing, S.L. C/Extremadura, 21 - 1ª planta, oficina 1, Madrid 28011, Spain Phone: (00 34) 91 549 8523 Fax: (00 34) 672 317 912 info@learnhotenglish.com www.learnhotenglish.com www.learnhotenglish.com Skype: hotenglishgroup www.facebook.com/LearnHotEnglish www.twitter.com/learnhotenglish French material by Hot English: www.lekiosquenumerique.com Cover/magazine images:

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