Do you know the English verb “to gabble“? Read the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?
Terry: Did you understand George’s presentation?
David: No. He was so nervous, he was gabbling. I couldn’t understand anything he said!
Does it mean:
a) speak slowly
b) speak clearly
c) speak quickly and not clearly
d) speak quickly and loudly
The answer is below!↓
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Answer: c) speak quickly and not clearly
Do you know the English word “polyglot“? Read the conversation below. Can you guess what it means?
Franz: How many languages can Maria speak?
Kath: I don’t know, but I heard she is a polyglot.
Franz: Wow! I’d love to be a polyglot!
Does it mean:
a) a person who speaks one language
b) a person who speaks two languages
c) a person who speaks several languages
d) a person who doesn’t like languages
The answer is below!↓
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Answer: c) a person who speaks several languages
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Wanda graduated from cooking school and got a job in the kitchen of a new café in her town. She was very happy. She has been working in the café for 6 weeks. She likes her job. The café is new and very small. The café belongs to Gregor. He makes coffee and looks after the customers. Wanda does all the cooking.
Wanda thinks Gregor is very nice, but he is also a tough boss. He wants everything to be perfect.
Today Wanda is having a very bad day. She has been in the kitchen since 6am. Last night, she broke up with her boyfriend. She was very sad so she went to visit her friend Janet. They drank a lot of wine.
Today she feels very ill. Why did I drink so much? I feel terrible, my head hurts and I went to bed so late! I am so tired!
Today Gregor is very excited. “Wanda, we must try very hard today. Look at the man sitting by the window. Do you know who that is?”
Wanda looks at the man. “No. I don’t know him. Who is he?”
“His name is Anton Wesley-Brown. He writes about food and restaurants for the newspaper! If he likes the food here, he will write a good report about this café!”
Wanda understands. Gregor wants the café to be a success.
But why today? Why did this restaurant critic come today?
Gregor goes out of the kitchen to talk to the customers. It is only 11:15 so there are not many people in the café. Most people are drinking coffee and eating muffins and cakes.
Wanda is busy making salads. Today’s special is very simple – a grilled pork chop, with cream and mustard sauce and salad.
I could have cooked something wonderful if I had known that man was coming. No, maybe not. Not today. I am too ill to cook.
Gregor comes back into the kitchen. “Mr Wesley-Brown wants the pork chop!”
“OK,” says Wanda. She takes a pork chop from the refrigerator. She reaches up to the shelf and takes down the seasonings. She sprinkles salt and pepper on the chop and puts it under the grill. She makes the sauce and puts salad on the plate.
When the meal is ready she puts it out near the door of the kitchen. Gregor hurries over and takes the meal to Mr Wesley-Brown.
Wanda turns back to the kitchen. She stares at the counter. Why is there brown sugar on the counter? I used salt, pepper, mustard. I didn’t use brown sugar. There is the pepper and the mustard. Where is the salt? Oh, no! I put brown sugar on the pork chop! Mr Wesley-Brown will hate it! Gregor will be very angry! I will lose my job!
Wanda doesn’t know what to do, so she keeps on working. She finishes all the food preparation. It is almost noon and many customers are coming in for lunch. It will be a busy day.
Gregor comes into the kitchen. “Wanda! Mr Wesley-Brown wants to talk to you.”
The restaurant critic comes into the kitchen. “This is Wanda. She does all the cooking,” says Gregor.
“I know you are very busy,” says Mr Wesley-Brown. “But I just have one question. Did you put brown sugar on my chop?”
Wanda looks at the floor. This is it, she thinks. I am going to lose my job. Gregor will fire me.
“Ur, yes,” she says.
I will have to explain, she thinks. But Mr Wesley-Brown is speaking.
It is a very good idea. The chop was very tasty. I like the way the sugar turned to caramel under the grill. Keep up the good cooking.”
He smiles and goes out. Gregor looks very happy.
Wanda smiles too and goes back to work.
I will have to have a hangover more often, she thinks.
Do you know the English expression “to be famished“? Read the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?
Eri: I’m famished! I haven’t eaten since 6am this morning.
Fiona: Same here. Let’s take a break and get something to eat.
Does it mean:
a) to be full
b) to be tired
c) to feel dizzy
d) to be very hungry
The answer is below! ↓
Answer: d) to be very hungry
Do you know the adjective “intolerable“? Read the conversation. What does Takuma mean?
Ryoko: It was so hot this summer!
Takuma: I agree. The heat was intolerable!
Does he mean:
a) the heat was unbearable
b) the heat wasn’t so bad
c) it was comfortable
d) he likes the heat
The answer is below!↓
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Answer: a) the heat was unbearable
Do you know the verb “to abandon“? Read the conversation below. What does Gerald mean?
Emily: I heard you were driving when the hurricane struck.
Gerald. Yes. It was so bad that we had to abandon the car and take shelter in a building.
Does he mean:
a) stop the car
b) leave the car
c) take the car to a building
d) stay in the car
The answer is below!↓
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Answer: b) leave the car
Do you know the English word “unwise“? Read the conversation below. What does Jenny mean when she says “That’s unwise”?
Jean-Paul: I hate my job. I’m going to quit today!
Jenny: That’s unwise. You should find a new job before you quit.
Does she mean:
a) that’s a good idea
b) that’s clever
c) that’s foolish
d) that’s difficult
The answer is below!↓
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Answer: c) that’s foolish
Do you know the English expression “put forward?” Read the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?
June: What do you think about the plan Sasha put forward at the meeting?
Gill: I thought it was intersting. But Max also put forward a good idea. I think I prefer that.
Does it mean:
a) demand
b) suggest
c) criticize
d) force
The answer is below!↓
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Answer: b) suggest
Do you know the English expression “to put (something) out“? Read the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?
Tom: Have the firefighters put the fire out yet?
Jess: Yes, they have.
Tom: How did the fire start?
Jess: John didn’t put his cigarette out properly.
Does it mean:
a) extinguish
b) ignite
c) burn
d) light up
The answer is below!↓
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Answer: a) extinguish
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Simone’s house is very old. Her grandfather built the house when he was a young man. When the house was finished, Simone’s grandfather asked a girl from his village to marry him.
Simone’s father grew up in this house. Many years later, Simone came to live in this little old house.
Simone has a wonderful tree in her garden. It is a camellia. Her grandfather planted it. So it is more than 60 years old. Every year, at the end of winter, it is covered in beautiful pink flowers.
But one year, the weather is very bad. The wind is very strong. The old tree falls down. It is lying on the ground. Simone is very sad. She feels empty.
The camellia was a memory of my family, and now it is gone.
Simone is in the garden. She is looking at the dead tree. She is crying.
“Excuse me”.
Simone is surprised. There is an old man in her garden. She didn’t see him come into the garden.
“What! Who are you?”
“I was a friend of your father. I remember this house. I came here to play when I was a young boy. Why are you sad?”
Simone shows the old man the tree. “My grandfather planted this tree. And now it is dead.”
The old man laughs. “Dead? Why do you think this tree is dead?”
Simone thinks the old man is crazy. “It fell down! There will be no more flowers. It is only a memory.”
The old man smiles. “I am in this village to visit my grandson. I am tired. Can we sit down? Can you give me a cup of tea?”
“Oh, sorry. Of course. Please come into the house.”
“No. I like to be outside. Can you bring me a cup of tea here?”
Simone points to a table and chairs in the garden.
“Please sit there,” says Simone.
The old man sits down. Simone goes into the house and makes tea. She carries the tea out to the garden.
She gives the old man a cup of tea. Simone has a cup of tea too. They sit in the garden, but Simone is not happy. They can see the dead tree. She is very sad.
The old man drinks his tea. Then he asks, “What will you do with this tree?”
“I don’t know,” says Simone. “Maybe I will pay some men to take the dead tree away.”
“Oh,” says the old man. “What will the men do with the tree?”
“I don’t know,” says Simone.
The old man smiles.
“I think you should pay some men to come and cut the tree up into firewood.”
“But I don’t have a fireplace.”
“That’s OK. I’m sure you can find some people who need firewood. Maybe some people who have no money and are cold this winter. You should cut all the leaves and small branches up very small and put them on your garden. They will stop weeds from growing. In time they will break down and feed the earth. The earth gave you that tree, so you should give something back. And finally.” The old man stops talking.
“Finally?” asks Simone. “What is the last thing I should do?”
“The old man laughs. “Plant another tree of course!”
He stands up. “I must go now,” he says. “But remember. Nature is a circle. Trees grow and die. New trees grow. This is normal. You should be happy because your tree was beautiful, you have good memories. And now this old dead tree will help you do some good in the world.”
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