Vocabulary

Sadness

When Susan’s cat was killed by a car, she burst into tears and began to sob so loudly that the
neighbours next door heard her. She was heartbroken by the loss. Her mother tried to comfort
her but Susan’s grief was so great that it was three days (and three nights) before she began to
recover enough to eat normally. Even then she talked to no one and was silent and withdrawn
for weeks. I think she’ll always miss her pet.

Do you have any pets?

Would you like to have one? Which animal? Why?

Success

I’ve never been ambitious in the normal sense. I’ve never wanted to be a manager or director.
I’ve never wanted to reach the top of the ladder or to have power. But I’ve always had a wish
to achieve something, to write a book, climb a mountain, win a prize. This is not because I
want fame or money but just that simple feeling of achievement you get when you’ve done
something difficult. I’m not very sure of myself and it would be good for my confidence to
succeed in something. Some people will lie, be dishonest, do anything in order to succeed.
But I think the people who deserve to succeed are those who are determined and have ability.

Tell me a time when you succeeded in something.

What would you like to achieve now or in the future?

Art

One of the most creative things anyone can do is to make a work of art, whether it’s a sculptor
making a sculpture or a painter painting pictures. Amateur artists do it for their own
satisfaction and pleasure, but professional artists have to make a living from their art. I myself
have three Picassos, a Boticelli and a Van Gogh. They’re reproductions, not originals, but
they’re all I can afford.

Which arts do you like? Do you like painting, for example?

Some pictures of paintings

Spelling exercises:

Scratch, say, try, set, play, do, stop, miss, stay, fry, drive, fix, cry, freeze, teach, pray, crash,
fly, type
Draw, lie, put, drink, run, tie, write, type, throw, die, apply, sit