Typical Dialogues - The Garden

AUDIO TYPICALDIALOGUESANSWERS ON PAGE 46

THE GARDEN

In this conversation, Mr Verdy comes home to find a strange man in his garden. Listen to the conversation and answer these two questions.

1. What destruction has the strange man caused to

Mr Verdy’s garden? 2. What does the man offer to do at the end of the conversation? Why is this strange? (answers on page 46)

Mr Verdy: What on earth are you doing in my garden? Stranger: Oh, hello… Mr Verdy: This is private property. You can’t be here. Stranger: I was just admiring your lawn, it’s very nice. Mr Verdy: And you are lying on my sun bed… naked. Stranger: Yes, it is very comfortable. Here, my name is… Mr Verdy: No, please don’t stand up. Erm, sorry, but what is my favourite gnome doing with his head stuffed in the ground? Stranger: He was staring at me and making me nervous. I thought I’d teach him a lesson. Mr Verdy: And I see that my collection of expensive garden tools is under the sun bed. May I ask why? Stranger: Moles. Mr Verdy: Moles? Stranger: Yes, moles. I thought I might need the spade if a mole appeared. They’re vermin, you know. You can never be too careful. Mr Verdy: And why is your chest covered with my earth? Stranger: Oh, that’s some of your compost. I hope you don’t mind. It makes an excellent mud bath. Mr Verdy: Oh my God! What have you done to my vegetable patch? Stranger: I was doing a bit of digging. I was hungry. And I must say, those potatoes were delicious. Mr Verdy: And three of my ceramic plant pots have been smashed. I have a good mind to call the police. And… Hey… wait a minute… Aren’t you the new chap from across the street? Stranger: Yes, that’s right. Jones, Harvey Jones. Pleased to meet you. I work in the accounting firm down in the village. Mr Verdy: Pleased to meet you. Verdy, Nigel Verdy. I work in the estate agent’s. Stranger: Well, why don’t you make yourself at home? Mr Verdy: Oh, thank you very much. Stranger: Would you like a cup of tea? Mr Verdy: Yes, that would be nice. Milk with two sugars please. Stranger: Right, I’ll go and make us both one… Oh, erm, sorry, but where’s the kitchen? Mr Verdy: First on the right. The cups are under the kitchen sink, and the tea bags are on the top shelf. Stranger: Thanks. I’ll be right back.

G L O S S A R Y

on earth exp inform people use this expression to show that they are angry a lawn n an area of grass in the garden a sun bed n a bed you can lie on in order to get sun tanned to stuff vb to put in a place in a casual and aggressive manner to stare at someone exp to look continuously at someone to teach someone a lesson exp to do something bad to someone as a way of punishing them a mole n a small animal that lives underground and who likes to dig holes in people’s gardens a spade n an object you use for making holes in the ground vermin n animals or insects that cause problems for humans a chest n the front area of your body below your head and above your legs compost n a mixture of dead plants and other organic material that is added to the earth to make plants grow better a mud bath n “mud” is a mixture of earth and water. If you give yourself a “mud bath”, you put mud on your body to improve the quality of your skin a vegetable patch n an area in the garden where you grow vegetables to dig vb to make a hole in the ground I have a good mind to… exp people use this expression when they are angry and when they are about to do something bad to someone a chap n inform a man an estate agent’s n a shop where you can buy or sell property to make yourself at home exp to make yourself comfortable a shelf n a flat piece of wood/metal/plastic on which you can put books

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