dull - nudny

anxious - zaniepokojony
lively - pełny życia
ordinary - zwykły
extraordinary - niezwykły
feel homesick - czuć tęsknotę za domem
unpleasant - nieprzyjemny
drinkable - zdatny do picia
poisonous - trujący
helpless - bezradny
attractive - atrakcyjny
complain about - skarżyć się

1 Read the story and answer the questions:

I'm a student, and I live in a small town in the north of England. It's very quiet here - some
people say it's dull. I don't think so! I love it! The people are friendly, the countryside is
beautiful, and I'm happy. But my friend Lisa doesn't like it. She says she feels anxious
because there's nothing to do in the evenings. Lisa comes from London, so for her, this town
is very boring. She thinks that big cities are exciting and lively, but I don't agree. I think
they're noisy and dirty, and I prefer the peace and quiet of a small town.
The place where you live can be ordinary or extraordinary, depending on who you are and
what you're used to. For me, this town is extraordinary. For Lisa, it's just an ordinary little
town.
When you live abroad, even the simplest things can be difficult. I remember when I first
came to live here, I didn't know how to use the washing machine. Every time I wanted to
wash my clothes, I had to go to the launderette and spend half an hour there. Then one day,
my landlady showed me how to use the washing machine. It was so easy! I felt so stupid!
Now I can wash my clothes whenever I want, and I don't have to go to the launderette. It's
great!
Another thing that was difficult at first was buying food. In the supermarket, everything was
different. I didn't know what anything was, and I couldn't read the labels. I remember once, I
bought a bottle of water because I was thirsty. When I got home, I opened it, but the water
was fizzy! It was horrible! I had to throw it away. Now I know which water is drinkable and
which is fizzy, but at first, I didn't know, and I made a lot of mistakes.
Sometimes, when you live abroad, you need help, but you don't know how to ask for it. One
day, I was in a café, and I wanted some sugar for my coffee. I looked everywhere, but I
couldn't find any. Then I saw a bowl of white powder on the table. I thought it was sugar, so I
put some in my coffee. But it wasn't sugar - it was salt! My coffee was horrible! I didn't know
what to do. I felt helpless. In the end, I had to leave the café without drinking my coffee.
Now I can ask for things in cafés and restaurants, but at first, when I couldn't speak the
language very well, it was very difficult for me.

Questions:

1. How does the author feel about living in their small town?
2. Why doesn't Lisa like living in the small town?
3. What are some reasons why the author prefers a small town over a big city?
4. Can living abroad be challenging? If so, give an example.
5. What were some difficulties the author faced when they first came to live in the small
town?
6. How did the author learn how to use the washing machine?
7. Why was buying food difficult for the author at first?
Correct answers:

1. The author loves living in their small town and finds it peaceful and beautiful.
2. Lisa doesn't like living in the small town because she feels anxious due to the lack of
activities in the evenings.
3. The author prefers a small town over a big city because they find big cities noisy and dirty,
while they enjoy the peace and quiet of a small town.
4. Yes, living abroad can be challenging. For example, the author initially struggled with
using the washing machine and buying food.
5. When the author first came to live in the small town, they didn't know how to use the
washing machine and had difficulty understanding labels in the supermarket.
6. The author learned how to use the washing machine when their landlady showed them
how.
7. Buying food was difficult for the author at first because everything in the supermarket was
different, and they couldn't read the labels. They made mistakes, such as buying fizzy water
instead of drinkable water.