Contents

1" I wouldn't ::. ifl were you (Warnings} ........................... ;.... 2

2 In my view ... (Expressing an opinion) ............................... 3

3 I couldn't agree more (Agreeing) ..................... ;.................. 5

4 . D. on ' t ben'd'tcu1····ous.I (D'·Isagreeing

. ) ....................................
. -.i' . 7

5 It's my intention· ... (Intentions),.~ ...... ~ ................·:: .............. :. 9

6 I'm not sure (Undecided) .................................................... l1

7 I'd like you to ... (Orders) ..................................................... l2

8 You must ... (lnstructions) ................................................... l4

9 Could you possibly ... (Requests 1)..................................... 16

10 Could I have ....? (Requests 2) .............................................. 18

11 . ·Likes and dislikes

' '.
(Likes and dislikes)
.
............ :..;~ .................. 19
.·.
• .. ~ ~ _. .• • 'i- •

12 I'd prefer to ... (Expressing a preference) ..........................21

13 How old are you? (Age) ...................................................... 22

14 What's the weather like? (Talking about the weQther) ....... 24

...
15 . IS
What time . 1t. ~.e zng t he tzme
. ? ('Tll/' .. ) ........................................
. 26··
· ......
'.'·
...
'I ,,.

16 What's the date? (Days and dates) ....... :........................... ~ ..i1

 ·.
'· Unit 1
I: wouldn't .•• if I were .you
.....

Kitchen dangers

Sue : Carefui,·S8:lly! Those plates are very hot. I've just taken them out
· of the oven. · ·
Sally: . Thanks, .sue. . .
Sue : Be car.eful, Meg! Those plates are very.hot.
Meg : ToQ late~:. Sue! l've bumtinyself. ··
Sue : Sorry, Meg.
Meg : It wasn't your fault; Sue. I should have been more careful.
· Sue : Mind that step, Sally. People keep tripping over it. Akitchen's a
dangerous place!
Meg: Watch out, Sue! Someone'sletthedoginandhe'stryingtoreach
that dish of meat.
Sue : Could someone get that dog out of here! It's most unhygienic! We
should really have a sign saying.Beware of the dog!
Sally: It's Amy's dog and it's Amy's kitchen. She tries to keep him out,
but he's detennined to get in.
Sue : . Let's; get on with this me~. Could you stir that sauce, Meg? You
mustn't let it bum. ·
Meg : ···There. Amy's surprise dinner js ready now.

Reading B
Planning a walk

Mum:· I wouldn't set out on your walk just yet. It looks as though the
raiit's getting h~vier.
Dad : We'll be all right'in our waterproofs~ I ptomised the kids a walk
today. I thought we"d park the car at Victoria Bridge and walk
along the river...
Mum: I don't think you should·go there. The river flooded last week
and the area rQ"tm~ the river is very wet and soggy.
Dad : OK! Then we'll park at Hunter's Point and walk along the cliff.
-2-
Mum: OK! but you mustn't let Tom and Amy go too near the edge of
the cliff. They're apt .to. be far too adventurous.
Dad : Don't worry! I'll take good care of them. They've put a fence all
along that bit of the cliff now. And I'll point out the big sign say-
ing Danger! to the kids.

Sally: .Don't come in here! I've just washed the kitchen floor and it's
still wet! ·
Jill : I'll juSt go into the living room, then.
Sally: If you do that you'll disturb Sam. He's studying in there. ·
Jill : I'll just go up to my room, then.
Sally: OK, but you mustn't touch the bathroom door. The paint's wet.
Jill : I think I'll just go round to Sue's house until everything's normal
here!
Sally: Be careful when you go out the front door. The front path's very
muddy.

Unit2
In my view •••

Reading A
Traffic congestion

Mr Brown : I think the council should do something ®out the appall-

ing traffic situation in this town.
Mr Grant : I agree. In fact, in my opinion they have to do something
drastic right away.
,·Mr Hill : Personally I· ~hink they should ban cars from the city
centre. The congestion there keeps getting worse and worse..
Mr Grant : In my view that would be an excellent idea, but I feel that
the council will never do that It wouldn't be a popular move
with the general public and the council members would be
worried about losing votes.
-3-
 Mr·WoQd .- ...:. To _ my ~ind banning cars completely is a bit too drastic..
. : '-;'....... ~'l'~ ~f th~:(ipin.on that th6 C<)~eil ~$howd fptroduce road . .
. ·.' ' tons:' 'If tb:ei'cluirged motorists for
"eomiD.g. into the city,
they would unprove the congeStion and make.some money
as well.
Mr Brown : It seems to me that that would. be just as unpopular with·
the public as bannfng cars from the city centre. ..
Mr Gran : If we can't' agree what should ·be done about the 1raffic,
what chance bas the council of doing so?

Rcadin~ B .~~ .. ,..

Letter of compbiin't

.. . Hill,
Dear=·Ms .

I am writing to complain in the strongest possible terms about the stan-

dard of service currently offered in your sto~e.

In my view the standard of service bas deteriorated rapidly since the take-
over took place earlier this year. Before that, the store was, to my mind,
one of the best in the town and the service was both efficient and friendly.
It is my opinion that itis riow quite the worst, and the service is extremely
poor - and.·t.Ucle. . .. ·. · ·
.
.·,. I bave'-b~n .a cu8tomer of the~ for·many·y~ and, in my opinion, ~e
is
detei:ioratio~· of such a fine firm. riothitig short or' tragic. "I fe~l that-my
views should be made knovm to management. ·

Yours sincerely,

James Bro'Wfi ..· ..

' '"'"'
Mrs Brown : I feel that council should spend more money on recycling
rubbish.
-4-
Mrs Wilson : If you ask me,
. the council always spends money on the
.
wrong things. Look at those ugly statues they've just put
up in the park.
Mrs Jackson: I think that was one of their better ideas. In my opinion
they're quite attractive.
MrS Lewis : ·Personally I think that it is a good thing that the council
is at last spending money on something cultural. It seems
to me that a disproportionate amount of money is spent
on sports facilities.
Mrs Brown : That's true but it is my opinion that we should all be
thinking of the future of the planet and that means think-
ing about recycling waste. We need more recycling· sites
and more kerbside waste collections.
Mrs Jackson: It's my view that many people are rather hard on the
council. If they provide more services then they'll have
to increase the council tax and people will complain about
that. .

· Unit3
I couldn't agre~ more
Reading A
A council meeting

Councillor Lee : I think we should ask the applicants to supply a thor-

. ough survey of the area before we even consider the
·proposal for an out-of~town shopping mall.
Councillor Wood : I quite agree. There's no point in spending time con-
sidering a proposal that ~y not be Viable.
Councillor Blair : I think the proposal is a bit premature, anyway. There's
not nearly enough detail there.
Councillor Jones : I coundn't agree more. The planning committee
spends far too much time considering proposals that
have not been properly researched. Do we all agree
that we should ask for more information and post-
pone any discussion till then.
-5-
Councillor Le'Y.is : l agree.
Councillor Jack' : ~o do .I.
Councillor Wilson:· And I agree wholeheartedly.
Councillor Lee : Then the general consensus of opinion is that we
should request more data from the company present-
ing the proposal. Very well. Let's take an official vote
on it.

Reading B
A new boyfriend

Alice ·· I don't really like Jane's new boyfriend.

Anne Nor do I. There's something about him I don't trust.
Sue I'm with you there. And he seems a bit secretive.
Mary That's true. I much prefer Tom.
Alice So do I. I can't think why Jane dumped him.
Anne Did she dump him?
Alice Yes. She told me so herself. She said he was too boring. I think
that's a bit unfair, actually.
Anne I do, too. I think he's very nice- and quite interesting. I don't
think Jane treated him very well.
Alice I don't either, but she's moved on now.

1¥Uiil.
Amy : I really like the food here.
Beth I do too. It's exceptionally good for hotel food.
Alice I· agree with you there. Last year we stayed in a hotel in Italy
where the food was terrible.
Amy Italian food is usually delicious.
Alice Mm; but it wasn~t proper Italian food that the hotel was serv-
ing. It was a funny mixture of cuisines.
Beth A lot of hotels in tourist resorts seem to do that.
Alice They do, don't they? Yet a lot of people would prefer to eat
local cuisine. I don't understand it.
Beth Nor do I, but let's just get on with eating this wonderful food.
 Unit4
Don't be ridiculous!

Reading A
Who should be captain?

Sam: I think we should ask Tom to be captain of the cricket team.

Paul: I don't agree. Tom's one of the best players but you need more
than that in a captain. You need a good leader. I think Jack would
be much better.
Jim : I disagree with you about Jack. I don't think he's very go·od at
getting on with people.
Paul: That's unfair. He's just a bit reserved.
Jim : Well, the last thing we need is a captain who's reserved. I think
we should choose Ben as captai,n.
Mark: I'm afraid I can't agree with you. Ben's a good player and easy
to get on with, but he's unreliable. My choice would be Fred.
Sam: I disagree totally with you there. Fred's not at all suitable. He's
not even a good player.
Mark: Rubbish! He didn't have a very good season last year, but he
was ill.
Jim : Let's forget about the captainship just now. We're not getting
anywhere.

Reading H
The after-dinner speaker

Sue :· You'll never get Tom to give the after-dinner speech at the staff
dinner. He's far too shy.
Meg: Yes, I wilL He's already said he will.
Sue : I'm amazed. He's so reserved. Don't you agree?
Meg: No, I don't actually. He's quite outgoing when you get to know
him and he was president of his university debating club. He'll
be a good speaker.
Sue : And he's very good-looking too!
Meg: Now there I disagree with you. I think he looks a bit effeminate.
-7-
Sue : Nonsense! He's just not your type. You go for the tough, rugby-
playing type. ·
Meg : Rubbish! I just don't like weak-looking men. ?Anyway, what- .
ever we think of his looks. Tom's our after-dinner speaker this
year. The dinner's usually quite an enjoyable affair.
Sue : I'm afraid I don't agree with you. I always find the staff din-
ners a bit boring. Still, I'll see you there.

1Ki9'9SA
Lucy: It'll take us all day to get to Jack's holiday house.
Peter: Nonsense! It'll take two and a half hours maximum. I think we
should go.
Lucy: I disagree entirely. I don't want to spend my precious day off
driving all the way there and all the way back just to have lunch
with Jack. It's a waste of time.
Peter: It is not. It's a very scenic drive and Jack wants us to meet his
new girlfriend.
Lucy: We can meet her when he gets back to town at the end of the
summer. That will be time enough.
Peter: I'm sorry I don't agree. Jack's my brother and this is the first
girl he's been serious about since his wife died. I would like to
meet her. It's not too much to asky you to come with me.
Lucy: Yes, it is. You know I've been incredibly busy at work. This is
the frrst day I've had off in ages and I've a lot to do. I think you
should go by yourself.
Peter: I disagree. Jack would be very offended if you didn't come with
me.
Lucy: Oh, very well. I'll come.

"·' ~·

_i;t_
 UnitS
It's my intention •••

Rcadinl!,A
Plans for the weekend

Sally : How are you going to spend the weekend, Sue?

Sue : I'm going to go shopping with Meg on Saturday and I'm going
· to visit my parents on Sunday. How about you?
Sally : I'm taking my Mum out to lunch on Saturday. I'll be staying in
on Sunday because I really have to clean my flat.
Sue : I think I'll clean mine tonight It's in a real mess. Meg's been
staying with me and she's very untidy. I don't think I'll let her
stay again.
Sally : I thought of asking her to share my flat once, because I fuld it
difficult to mange to pay the mortgage on my own. But I've
decided to move to a smaller flat and I'll start looking after I get
back from holiday. .
Sue : I'll help you look if you like. .
Sally : Thanks, Sue. Have a· good weeJcend!

Rcadinl!, B
Letter of resignation

. Dear Mr Jackson,

I am writing to tell you that. I have decided to resign from my job with
. your firm. I have made the deci.sion reluctantly because I have been
very happy working in Jackson & sons.

However, my wife and I decided some time ago to move to the country if
we ever had children. Now that our twins have been born, we intend to
move fairly soon. In fact, we have already found a house near Queenstown
and plan to begin living there as soon as possible.

Obviously the employment prospects in the area will not be good. It is,
-9-
therefore my intention to work from home doing computer consultan:
work. I hope very much that Jackon & Sons will consider using my
services. Perhaps we could discuss this.

I have every intention of staying with your company until a replacement

for me can be found.

Yours sincerely,

Ben Wilson

IM§i§d
Dan : Have you any idea wliat you're going to do when you leave uni-
versity, Mark?
Mark: I'm thinking of doing a PhD, but I'm going to wait and see how
I get on in my finals next year. What about you?
Dan : I'm going to join the family firm of wine importers. The job will
involve quite a lot of travel, which I enjoy.
Sue : My parents would love it if I joined the family accountancy firm
but I have no intention of doing that. I don't want to be an ac-
countant even if I am studying maths.
Dan : What do you want to do then?
Sue : I plan to take a year off to go travelling and then I intend to try to
find some kind of job in astronomy. I'm studying it as part of my
degree and I really enjoy it. What are you going to do, Jane?
Jane : I decided long ago that I would go to drama college after univer-
sity. Mum and Dad only agreed that I could go if I did a degree
first because acting's such ari. uncertain profession.
Jack : . I'm going to college as well, but I'm taking a course injourn1U-
ism.
Anne: I'm thinking of doing journalism, but my father says I should try
and get a trainee job on a paper rather than going to college. He's
a journalist. I'll follow his advice, I think.

-10-
 Unit6
I'm not sure

Postponed holidays

Mary When are you going on holiday, Jane?

Jane I don't know. We might not go away this year at all. My sister's
talking of coming to visit us from Canada.
Mary When is she coming? '
Jane I'm not sure. She's suggested a few dates, but I haven't made
up my mind yet which date :suits us best. I'll have to give it
some thought. When are you going away?
Mary I haven't decided yet either. Jhave to go on a training course
some time in the summer and I'm not certain when.
Jane : Do you have a choice of dates?
Mary : Yes I~ choose from a number of dates. I haven't made up
my mind yet, but I'm going to have to do so soon, though..
These training courses are very popular.
Jane ·I hope you get on the course of your choice then.
Mary I do too.

Post-college · plans

Bob : . What are you going to do when you leave college next year, Dan?
Dan : I'm not" sure. Perhaps I'll take a year off and do some travel-
ling. I didn't take a gap year off after school. What are you going
, ... to do?
Bob : I· don't know. I may do a post-graduate course in computers
before looking for a job. I think that would increase the ·possi-
bilities of work. I'm studying design, as you know.
Dan : When would you have to apply for that? I know quite a few people
who're thinking of doing it
Bob .: I'm not certain. In fact, I'm going to make some inquiries about
it today. When were you thinking of going abroad.
-11-
Dan : · I'm not sure. Maybe I'll get some travel brochures today, but
it's all up in the air Wltil I discuss it with my parents first. I'll
need to borrow some money from them if I'm going to travel. I
need their blessing.
Bob : Good luck!
Dan : And good luck with getting on the computer course!

•ssnsa
Sue : What are you doing on SWlday, Lucy?
Lucy: I'm not sure yet. Perhaps I'll go and see my parents. Why do
you ask?
Sue : Mike and I are having a few friends aroWld for SWlday lWlch. I
wondered if you would like to join us.
Lucy: · I'd love to, thanks. Who else is going to be there?
Sue : I don 't.know yet. I haven't even made my mind up about whom
to ask: You're the first one I've asked. Mike's asked a few people,
though.
Lucy: Has he asked Jack?
Sue : I'm not certain. Maybe he will. I forgot to remind him that
Jack's your ex.
Lucy: Actually, we're thinking of getting back together, but it's still up
in the air. I'll see you on SWlday.

Unit7
I'd like you to ..•

Reading A
Illegal parking

Lucy Don't park here, Mum! That sign says No parkiltg!

We'll have to find a car park.
Mum I just need to hand in this parcel. I won't be long. Stay
in the car, dear, won't you? Explain to the traffic war-
den if one comes along!
-12-
 Lucy :. Hurry up, then, Mum! . ,. . .
Mum as
Don't fuss, Lucy! I'll be back 'soon as possible. I'll
just get the parcel from the boot.
Lucy You mustn't waste· any more time! A parking warden
could come along any minute!
Mum : · I'm just off. I'll be as quick as I can.
Parking warden: Move on; please, madam! You can't park here. This is
a no-praking area. Didn't you see the sign?
·Lucy . I won't be long. I'm just waiting for my mother. She's
delivering a parcel to that office.
. Parking warden: Please driVe on now, madam. If you don't, I'll have to· .
give you a parking ticket '
Mum .: Lucy, here I am! Wait. for me! .
Luvy Mum, thank goodness you're here. Get in the car! We're
just about tO get a par~g ticket!

Late for tea

Mum Call Lucy, please, Anne. We're about to have tea and she's
in the garden.
Anne Lucy! Come in now! Tea's ready!
Lucy Tell Mum I'll be there in a ~ute, will you? I'm just finish-
ing ·pruning a rose tree. It w~n't take long.
Anne Get a move on, then!. We're all starving!
Lucy Start without me, then! I'll: be there shortly.
Anne .. Do remember that Gran's here for tea and she hates people
being late.
Lucy I know! .Come ·•d hold this for me, won't you, please,
Anne? I'll get finished faster then.
·Anne : OK! Hang on! I'm just coming. ·
'·~'Pin . . :. ; . You two must come riow! Gran's here!
Lucy : We're just coming, Mum!
~.;: a . ' I ~:

-13-
'8i91U''
Jack : You must hurry up, Sue. We're going to be late. The train
leaves ih half-an-hour.
Sue Can't you keep quiet for a minute, Jack, and let. me finish
getting ready in peace.
Jack Please get a move .on! If we miss this train, there isn't
another one for three hours. ·
Sue Make me some ·co~ee, wlll you? I rieed some caffeine.
Jack There's no time! You'll have to get some at the station. Get
ready faster, can't you?

UnitS
You must •••

Recipe

1. Chop the onions, garlic and ginger.

2. Take a medium-sized saucepan. Pour a little olive oil into it and
heat it over a medium heat.
3. Add the onions, garlic and ginger to the pan and fry them lightly.
4. You should make s~ that the· onions do not brown.
5. · When the onions are soft, add a glass of dry white wine.
6. Stir until the liquid is reduced by half.
7. Open a tin of chopped tomatoes and add them to the mixture. irt the
pan; Also.add a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs.
·8. · Heat the mixture over a low heat.
9. A~d two ounces of butter to a small fiying pan and brown the chops
lightly in it.
10. You should be careful not to bum..the chops.
H. Pour the sauce over the chops and heat gently until cooked.
'12. Keep warm until served.
13. Wash leeks thoroughly and chop them finely, disposing of any tough
·green parts.
-14-
14. · Cook them lightly in a little butter over a low heat, adding a little
salt. Serve with the chops and boiled rice.

Reading R
Route directions

NB You must avoid the centre of B~pton at the motrung and evening ~
rush hours. It is very congested~ · . ·:•.. ! •

Drive along theM 18 and take exit number 12.

,. .·'·

Once you get offthe motorway turn left along R~ord.Road. Drive straight
ahead until you reach a large roundabout. Take the second exit and drive
on for about twenty miles until you reach the village ofFord. Go straight.
through·. the. village until you reach· a crossroads. Take the right fork
(signposted East Drum) and turn left at the next main road on the ·right ·
(sigriposted Blackridge). '
You should make sure that you do not take a minor road (signposted .
Morton).
Drive straight ahead until you past the town of Blackridge on th~ qght.,
Tum left at the traffic lights along Border Road. Keep going straight ahead f
until you come to Dewfield. Go through the town and turn left at Station '
Road. At the top of the hill you should tum sharp right and there is, Hill
Cottage.

'''"'.
Alice

Jatie
Can you tell me how to· make that banana pudding? The kids ~
love it.
Certainly. You take fout large b~anas. Choose ones that are
quite ripe, but not brown~ Th~n you get a fork and you mash
the bananas.up: They should not be too mushy and so don't use .
a food processor. After that add two teaspoonfuls of freshly ·
squeezed lemon juice to the bananas. That's to stop them
going brown. You then add a cup of single cream. You sh,.ould:
- 15- .;
~,tir the mixture gently. Take a bar of plain chocolate. You must use a
good quality one. Grate it over the banana mixture and stir
gently.

Unit9
Could you possibly ...

Car problems

Mrs Brown Could y~u possibly have a look at my car this morning.
The engine's making a funny banging noise.
!.1echanic No, I'm sorry, Mrs Brown. We're very busy today. Could
you bring it back tomorrow?
Mrs Brown Well, I could, but I really need my car this evening. I
have to visit my mother in hospital. I wonder if you could
possibly fit my car in today.
Mechanic We're busy all day, I'm afraid, but I'll try to have a look
at it late afternoon. If the damage isn't very great, I can
fix it for you for this evening. I'm working late. I won-
der if you could bring the car back at four o'clock.
mrs Brown Certainly. I'll do that. It's very kind of you to fit my car in
when your're so busy.
Mechanic That's all right, Mrs Brown. Your're a good customer
and it' 11 be difficult to get to the hospital without your .
.. 1 car. Can you leave the car over there when you:bnng it ,
this afternoon?
Mrs Brown Yes, of course. Will you send me the bill as usual, please?
h1echanic Of course, Mrs Brown.
;·_ ..
,

RcadingB
Redecorating
Sam : You wouldn't redecorate the living room for me, Tom, would
you? I'll pay you, of course. I know you do some painting and
decorating to supplement your student grant.
-16-
Tom : Sure! I'll do that for you.
Sam : Do you thin~ you could possibly start more or less right away.
I promised Beth that I would do it myself, but I just haven'tthe
time.
Tom : I can start toqiorrow morning, ifyou like. It'll take me a couple
of days if I fit it round my classes.
Sam : Can you do' it any faster? Beth really wants it finished by
Wednesday morning.
Tom : Could you get the paint for me today? If you did that! could
start this evehing.
Sam : That would be great, thanks, Tom!
Tom : Will you get some new pai~tbrushes as well? These old qnes
aren't much good.
Sam : Sure! Could I get some idea from you how much paint you'll
need?
Tom : Yes, I'll go and work it out now.

Meg I wonder if you could-possibly collect the children from nurs-

ery for me ~oday, Mum. I've got an important meeting qn at
work. '
Mum : Certainly, Meg. Could you tell the teacher I'll be there instead
ofyou? ~
Meg ,. : . _ _Of course. l)o you think you could be there in plenty of time?
,. . .. , ._ :.. The children get anxious if they have to wait.
Mum..;: .... Yes, of course. You know me! I'm always early. Will you col-
lect the children from my house about six o'clock?
Meg : I'll do that, 'thankS, Mum.
Mum: ·vou wouldn't give me a lift home now, would you?
Meg : Sure, Mum!

.,

. .::: ~ '
r
-17- f
'i
 Unit 10
Could I have ••• ?

Reading A
Juicy fruit

Sue Could I have one of those peaches, Meg. They look delicious!
Meg Certainly. Just help yourselfl
Jane Can I have one, too, please, Meg? They look lovely and ripe. I
can't resist them.
Meg,: Sure! Have one!
Amy;.: Do you tllink I could have one as well? They look so juicy and
I'm thirso/.
Meg:: Of course. I bought a large box of them in the market and they're
i so ripe they won't last long. Would you like one, Alice?
Alice· : No, thanks Meg. I've juSt had lunch. I wonder if I could have
a cold drink, though. It's so hot!
Meg Of course. Have a look in the fridge .. ~re's some home-made
lemonade there and mineral water and organe juice.
Alice I'll have some water, please. Have you! got any ice?
Meg There's some in the freezer, I think. J~t have a look. I'll have
some water with ice, too.

RcadingB
At the ·local shop

Shop owner : . Good morning, Mr Black. What qan I get for you today?
:~rB~ack I' 4 like a packet of those mint sweets, please, and a copy
~ ' ofJhat magazine over there.
JShop owner : There you are, Mrs Black, and that's just the right money,
thank you. Good morning, Mrs Jones. How can I help?
l
Mrs Jones : I'll have a large bar of plain chocolate, please, and a pac~et
'
of these biscuits.
Shop owner: Anything else, Mrs Jones?
Mrs·Jones Yes. Give me a small bottle of~eral water, please.

-18 ..
Shop owner : Certainly. That will be $11.50, please. Good morning, .Mr
Blair. What would you like?
Mr Blair : Have you got any chocolate ice cream? I promised my
son I'd get him some.
Shop owner: I'm sure there's some in the freezer over there, Mr Blair.
What size of carton wo\lld you like?
Mr Blair : I want a large one, please.

'""'''
Ben

Jim :
: Could I have another beer, please, Jim? I don't have the car
with me tonight
Sure, Ben. Take a can from the fridge. What about you, Tom?
Tom : Please, can I have some lemonade? I'd love a beer, but I'm
driving tonight.
Jim : There are some cans oflemonade in the fridge too. Help your-
self and get me one while you're there, please.
Sue : Do you thin.ik I could possibly have some coffee, Jim? It's so
cold outside. A hot drink would be nice.
Jim : I've only got instant coffee, Sue, I'm afraid. There's ajar in the
cupboard over the cooker. Help yourself.
Jane : Do you think I could have some too, Jim?>
Jim : Sure. I'm sure Sue won't mind making another cup, will you, .
Sue?
Sue : No, of course.

Unit 11
Likes and dislikes

Reading A
Choosing a dress

Sue : Meg and I are going to choose my bridesmaid's dress today. I'
know Meg adores pale colours, but I hope I can change her mind.
I'm not very keen on pale colours and I don't suit them: very;
well. I love d~k colours. I really like dark green in partiyular. ~
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;
Mary . : What abo~t the other bridesmaids? Are you all going to wear the
1 same colour?
Sue : I'm the only adult bridesmaid and so, hopefully, I can wear some-
thing that suits me. Meg is mad about pale lemon, but I look
insipid in it and I thoroughly dislike it I can't stand pale blue
either.
Mary : It sound as though you and Meg might ffud it difficult to agree.
Sue : I wouldn't be surprised, but I'm paying tbr my own dress ·and I
don't see why I should have to wear a colour I loa(he. I would
detest the dress and never wear it again. That would be a waste
of money.
Mary· : Pale colours don't appeal to me either, but I suppose it's Meg's
·· big day and she'll want to choose the colour.

!Reading B
1
; Where to eat?

Mum Dad's taking us all out for a meal tonigb.. We'll have to decide
where to go. What do you think?
Jane I adore Chinese food. Let's go to that Chinese place on the High
Street. It's supposed to be very good.
f..my Don't let's go there. I'm not fond of Chinese food.
Sam : I really love Indian foo~ especially if i~~s really spicy. Let's go
to the Indian Palace.
Mum: I'm not very keen on splcy food.
Amy: And I loathe it. I absolutely love Itali~ food, though.
Dad;.: I like Italian food a lot a8 well. Most of you do, too. Let's go to
The Milano.

~'BiiiUii
'
"·Jill · : Are you going out with Jim tonight?
Sue : No, I like Jim a lot, but I'm not interested in getting involved in
a serious relationship and I think he is. I :loathe the idea of hurt-
ing him, but I don't want to lead him on.
Jill ' : That's what happened to Jack and me. I was quite keen on him
at first, but then he started getting seriollS. Eventually I dumped
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 him, although I disliked doing that. The trouble is that he now says that he
detests me.
Sue : I want to avoid that with Jim. I wouldn't like it if he said that he
couldn't stand me. I'd like to stay friends with him and go out
with him occasionally. We're both mad about jazz.
Jill : That would be good. Jack and I both adore ballroom dancing,
but I lost my dabce partner when I gave him up'.

Unit 12
I'd perfer to •••

Reading A
Going on a journey

Mike : What time are you setting out for Sam's place? I'm going as ·
soon as I've filled the car up with petrol. ,
Amy : I'm going by rail. I'd far rather travel by train than car. I get
very stressed sitting in traffic jams.
Mike : I'd much sooner take the train than drive as well, but I said I'd
give Tom and Jane a lift. They live about halfway between here
and the town where Sam lives and their house is not near a:
station.
Amy : You're leaving very early. My train doesn't leave for a couple of
hours yet and I should be there in plenty of time.
Mike : I prefer to leave early than to get stuck in the morning rush hour
getting out of the town. Then I'll take a long break about halfway
there. Anne's ·making a picnic. I'd rather take our own food
than spend time looking for a restaurant and a lot of the high-
way service places aren't very good.
Amy : I'm making a packed lunch too. I like fresh fruit and salad
better than some of the junk food they sometimes serve at the
train buffet.
Mike : I'd better get off now. I'll see you at Sam's place, Amy.

. ,!

.t:
. '. ~-··~;

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 ..
(

A choice of drinks

Jane I'm going to get an orange juice, Alice. Can I get you one?
Alice Could you see if they've got any apple juice? I much prefer it to
;,
organge juice.
Jane I'll do that. What about you, Sue? Do you want some juice?
Sue No, thanks, Jane. I'd prefer to. have a coffee. I feel in need of
some caffeine. I'll have an espresso, please.
Jane Right, Sue. You usually have organe juice, Lucy? Can I get you
one?
Lucy , : At this time of day I'd sooner have a cup of tea.
J,ane ; : <?K,
but I'll need someone to help me carry all that.

liM'iD ~
~eg , : How about going to the c~ema?
Alice : I'd rather go to the theatre; There's a nevy pbty on at The Globe.
~ucy : I like the theatre better than the cinem~ but I have a prefer-
ence for classical plays. The play at The Globe is ultra-modem.
Alice.: I would far sooner see a. classical play, too, but there isn't one
on, is there?
~ucy : There's a Shakespeare play on at the Little Theatre. It's The
Winters Tale.
Meg : Good. Let's try and get some tickets. S~ll we get them in the
stalls or the balcony?
Alice : I prefer sitting upstairs.

., Unit 13
i
-·i' How old are you?

le;uu.w Registering with a doct~r

Lily Good morning. My name is Lily foung. I'd like to regis-

ter myself and my family with a! doctor, .please. We've
just moved into the area.
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Receptionist : Good ~orning, Mrs Young. I'll just get the fonns. W:1at
is your /date of birth?
Lily I'm thitjty-seven next month and so my date of birth is
twenty,three ten nineteen sixty nine.
Receptionist : What ~ge are your children?
Lily I have a three-year old son Paul anci a five-year .old
daughter Amy~ ;;
Receptionist : And th~ir dates of bithr?
Lily Amy's is nineteen te:q two thousand and Paul's is:;five
six twd thousand and three. ~
Receptionist : Is your husband also registering with us?
Lily Yes, h~ is. H~'s thirty~nine and his date of birth is seven
seven $ixty seven.
Receptionist : Here are the forms Could you take them away and fill
them ~ please.
Lily Certaitjuy. I'll bring them back tomorrow.

Rcadin~ B
~eeting an old friend

Jill Hello, Bill. I baven't seen you for ages. Are tl:i.ese your two chil- .
dren? How ~ey've grown! .; .
Bill This is Alice and this is Jack. Alice and Jack, this is Mrs Carter,
an old friend of mine from my university days. 'i
Jill : Hello, Alice. How old are you? '
Allice : I'm ten, Mrs Carter.
Jill : And what aqout you, Jack? What age are you?
Jack : Pm seven ahd a half.
Alice : We've also $ot a baby sister.She's at home with Mum.
Jill : A baby! Tbt's lovely! What age is she?
Allice : . She's eighteen months old and her name is Lucy.
Jill : That's a very nice name!
Bill : Why don't you come back to the house with us and have a cup
of coffee? ~eth would love to see you. .
Jill Thanks, Bill, but I'm just on my way to vi&it my grandmother.r
She's in a lqcal nursing home. She's ninety~years old and a bit
frail. . }' : ':
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IWUi9Mi
[ .

Anne What age is old Mrs Jackson?

Mary She's roughly the same age as my grandmother.
Anne, · How old is your grandmother?
Mary:: She's eighty-five years old.
Anne She doesn't look anything like that.
Mary No, and she's very active. She loves playing with my children.
Anne What age are your children?
Mary I have John who is four years of age and Jenny who is seven
years of age.

Unit 14
,. What's the weather likes?
:,·
'
cadingA
Good sailing weather

Mark': Hi, Mark. I hope it's not too early to phone. Are you still com-
ing down to see me today?
Ben Yes, sure. What's the weather like there? Is there any chance
of going sailing?
Mark It's warm and sunny, but it's a bit breezy. In fact it's perfect
weather for sailing. How's the weather with you?
Ben That's great news about the sailing. It's a dreadful day here.
It's pouring and it's quite misty. I'll be glad to get away from
it. Yesterday it was very stormy and it was chilly too.
Mark : It's been beautiful here all week, although it was a bit change-
able eru;lier in the month.
~en I hope it doesn't change as soon as I get there. I'm looking
forward to some sunny days.
Mark You should be all right. According to the weather forecast it's
going to be fine for some time.
Ben That's good. I'll see you later!

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 .,
· A ruined holiday

Jane Hi, Lucy. I didn't know you· were back from the holiciay. H~w
· was the weather?
Lucy Hi, Jane. The weather was ghastly. We actually came back early. -
It was ·S~owery the first part of the first week, but we could
have put up with that. Then it rained heavily for most of the
rest of the. tithe we were there. And it was blustery and ~.old
too.
Jane I thought the weather was meant to be very pleasant there at
this time of year - not too hot, but certainly Iiot too cold. We
had thought bf of going there ourselves.
Lucy : You had a lucky escape then. It's supposed to be very warm
and sunny. Everyone said that it was very unseasonal. In
deed, they ~d it was the worst weather they could remember
ever having :at this time of year. What was the weather like
here while we were away?
Jane I hate to tell you, but it waS boiling hot for quite a few days.
The rest of the time it was dry and it was pleasantly warm.

1@§1§0 ~
'-?

Dan Have you just

. I
been
.
walking the dog? What's the weather like?
Jane ·Can't you t~llfrom looking at me? It's a shocking day.
0~ You do look a bit.wet, I must say.
Jane ~. I'm soaked through. It's pouring and it's freezing cold.
Dan According to the weather forecast it's misty. Visibility is bad·
on the highway.
Jane I've just hlild Sally on the phone from Spain. She says'it's a
beautiful qay there and it's going to be scorching this ·after~
noon.

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 Unit 15
What time is it?

Everyone's late
'
Bob ' : What time is it, Dan? I've just woken up and my alarm clock's
stopped.
Dan : It's ten past nine.
Bob : What! Why didn't you wake me? I'm late for work and I've
got an important meeting. It starts at mine thirty. What am I
going to do?·
Dan i; Calm down! I was only joking! It's only ten past eight.
Bob' That's bad eno~gh! I m~ant to leave the house at eight o'clock
exactly. I' 11 have to go!
Bill ... Dan, what's the time?
Dan Doesn't anyone have a watch around here? It's twenty past
eight.
Bill No, it can't be! My exam starts at half past ten and I wanted to
do some quick revision; Why didn't you wake me?
Dan I didn't wake you, Bill, because you didn't ask me to- and I
didn't know what time your exam started.
Bill I'd better hurry!
Jack .. Have you got the time? I must oversltrpt. .
Dan It's a quarter to nine. What's wrong with all of you today?

RcadingB
Waiting for the train

Passenger 1 Excuse me, can you tell me the time, please? My watch
ha.S stopped and· there's no cloc~ on this platform. .
?asssenger 2 Certainly. It's ten to twelve. Are; you waiting for a train?
Passenger 1 Yes. I'm waiting for the train td York. It's due to leave
at midday.
Passenger 2 That's the one I'm waiting for. It should arrive here at
five to twelve, but they've just announced that it's run-
ning late.
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P.assenger 1 Oh d~. !fit's very late I'll miss my connection to L,.on-
don ~York. According to the timetable, it leaves York
at fo~rteen fifteen.
Passenger 2 You ~hould be all right. It says here that the train ~e're
waiti~g for is due at York at thirteen fifty. You should
get your connection even if this one·~ a bit late.

' """
Sam
Sally
Sam
:
:
:
Do you have the time, please? My watch is broken.
Yes. It's ten thirty. The train should be here by now.
The one l;m waiting for isn't due in until quarter to eleven.
I'll be glad to get on it and. have a sleep. I've been travelling
since one o'clock this morning when the cross-channel ferry
left. . ·
Sally : I'm going to work and I'~ supposed to start at ten o'clock
exactly. The first train was cancelled and this one's late. It's
too bad!
Sam : What time is it now?
Sally : It's ten frirty-five. Your train should be here by now.

· Unit 16 ·~

What's the date?

Confusion ·over dates

Jill What date is it today, Mum?

Mum It's the fourth today. I know because tomorrow is Uncle Tom's
birthday. That's the fifth. What are you doing?
Jill ... : · I'm writing my English essay and we have to put the date on
our essays. I forgot iast time and I got a row.
1
.·
Alice Morning, !rAum. What day of the week is it? When I'm on
.-:-.,·
holiday I never pay any attention to time. That's because I'll!
so used to having to meet deadlines at work that I have t() look
at the clock all the time. !
'"~
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 l
·. , Mum .: ... .It's Th,~sday. Shouldn'.t you be going back to work today?
, Alice : <·,Jtes,J soouL~· I thougbt.itw.as Monday t~ay. Tune Certainly
· flies whexi':ybu're on holida)d' d t>etter:go and getready or I be
late.
Jill What date is Aunt Liz's birthday? I thought hers was on the
same day as Uncle Tom's.
Mucl No, Aunt Liz's birthday is just after Uncle Tom's. It's on Thurs-
day, the sixth.

Reading B
..·
A confused patient

Pati~nt : Nurse, what day is it?

Nurs'e : Mr Brown, I didn't realize you had come round. It's Thurs-
:1
day. How are you feeling?
Patient : I'm fe~ling distinctly woozy. Actually, I meant what date is it?
. Nurse : It's the sixth of October.
) Patient : What date was it when I came in here?
Nurse I don't know exactly. I've been on holiUay. I'll just check your
notes. Here they are! You were admitted on September the
thirtieth. ·
Patient : That was quite a long time ago. What day of the week was it?
Nurse :. It was a Friday.
P~tient . . ::.-' .I can't seem to remember. very much about the accident or any-
.' fuing. Will my memory come ba,ck? .
·Nurse : The ·doctors expect it to c01ne back gradually.

11 iUii
Harry What ~ay is it? I'm so jet-lagged ~fter my trip home from
Australia that I can't remember;
. Beth It's Sunday.
Harry And what date is it?
Beth It's December the ninth. Would you like to know the year?
Harry No, I think I can remember that all right. It's two thousand and
SlX.

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