THCL 2020-2021| Turning point for your better life

Thai Hotel and Cruise Lines Academy

Basic English
THCL 2020-2021| Turning point for your better life
ENGLISH
I’m a bit shy when I have to speak in English. I’m a little
worried about making mistakes. I also still lack confidence.
Many of my friends don’t worry about mistakes. They just talk
and talk. They always get their message across, even if their
grammar is wrong. I think this is the best thing to do. My
teacher always says it’s best to learn by doing. If I don’t try to
speak English, I’ll never be able to use it when I need it. One
thing I started doing recently was talking to myself. I have
short conversations with myself. I think it works. I also make
short stories about people and say them aloud. I do this in my
room, of course. People would think I’m crazy if I did it in class
or on the train.
THCL 2020-2021| Turning point for your better life
CHICKENS
Chickens are so important to many of us because they are a
major part of our diet. Every country has so many chicken dishes,
and eggs are one of the most common foods around. Chickens are
also cute. Well, chickens aren’t, but chicks are - cute, fluffy chicks
that make everyone go ‘aaahh’. It’s strange though that the word
‘chicken’ is used in so many English idioms. When I was at high
school, you couldn’t ‘chicken out’ – to not do something because
of being scared. Things are different today - I’m no spring chicken
(that means I’m no longer young) so no one calls me a chicken any
more. I work now - as a teacher. I get chicken feed (low wages) but
I like my job. I plan to retire before I’m 50, but I’m not going to
count my chickens before they’re hatched. This means I won’t quit
working until I have enough money.
THCL 2020-2021| Turning point for your better life
EATING
Eating is the best thing ever. I love eating. Any time of the
day or night I can eat…. and eat and eat and eat. I have a very
big appetite. I always have. My mother used to complain
about how much I ate. She used to ask me if I had a hole in my
stomach. Eating is very, very satisfying. There are many
different aspects of eating. It fills us up and stops us feeling
hungry. Food tastes so good and eating it makes us feel very
happy. Sometimes I feel like I’m in heaven when I’m eating –
especially chocolate fudge cheesecake. Yum. Eating is also a
great social activity. I love eating with my family, with my
friends or even at work. Eating can also be an international
experience. Eating is great just about anywhere you eat.
THCL 2020-2021| Turning point for your better life

FOOD
Isn’t food one of life’s greatest pleasures? Do you know anyone
who doesn’t like food? I don’t. There is so much delicious food in
the world. You could spend a whole lifetime eating a different dish
every day. What’s the tastiest food in the world? This is a very
difficult question to answer. My taste in food keeps changing.
Sometimes my favourite is a dessert, but then I change my mind
and go for a spicy curry. It’s great that countries have so many
different dishes. Do you think your national dish is best? Nowadays
we have to be careful about what we eat. Fast food is not good for
us. We need to focus more on healthy food. Maybe we have to be
more careful in the future. Make sure the food you eat is good for
you.
THCL 2020-2021| Turning point for your better life
VALENTINE'S DAY - LOVE
Valentine's Day is one of my favourite days of the year. I've
always liked it, even from when I was a kid. I used to get lots of
cards and then wonder who sent them to me. I'm married
today, but Valentine's is still a special day for me. I spend a lot
of money on a giant Valentine's Day card, chocolates, a teddy
bear, and other presents. I also reserve a table at a romantic
Italian or French restaurant. It's also great getting presents and
chocolates back. It seems that the whole world is in love on
February the 14th. I wish it could be Valentine's Day every day.
I really think it should be a national holiday. That way, we can
all get to spend a wonderful, love-filled, romantic day with
that extra-special person in our life.
THCL 2020-2021| Turning point for your better life
EGGS
Eggs are great. Where would we be without them? They
are so useful. I can’t imagine life or cooking without them.
There are many ways of cooking eggs for breakfast – fried
eggs, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, etc. There are even many
ways of “cooking” these. You can have a runny or hard fried
egg or even have it sunny side up. You can have soft or hard-
boiled eggs and fluffy scrambled eggs. There are also many
things to put on top of eggs – mayonnaise, ketchup, salt, soy
sauce. Each country has something different. I like cooking
with eggs. I particularly like breaking them. I can now do it
with one hand, without breaking the yolk. Sometimes it gets
messy and the egg white starts dripping down your arm.
THCL 2020-2021| Turning point for your better life
MEAT
I’m a big meat-eater. I love meat of all kinds. I have eaten all
sorts of meat. Even though I love meat, I could easily stop
eating it, and I don’t think I’d miss it. A long time ago I heard the
vegetarian slogan “Meat is Murder”. If you think about it, that’s
true. I don’t think animals are here today for us to eat,
especially when we don’t need to eat meat. And then there’s
the threat of global warming today. Raising animals needs land.
Many forests are cut down to raise cows for meat. This really
has to stop. Instead of meat, there are other things we could
have. Dairy products would give us the protein we need. I know
a lot of people who could never give up meat. They always say
it would be impossible to go without a big, juicy steak.
THCL 2020-2021| Turning point for your better life
PASTA
I love pasta of all kinds. Anything with pasta is always
delicious, especially if it’s from Italy. For many countries, pasta
is a new addition to the menu. In England just after the war,
there was no pasta. Once, a newspaper tricked people with a
photo of a spaghetti tree. Today, everyone in England knows
about pasta. It’s one of the most popular foods in the world.
Spaghetti Bolognese and lasagna are now international dishes.
What I don’t know is how many different types of pasta there
are. Hundreds, I think; in all different shapes and colours.
What I do know is that they are all delicious. Pasta is very
versatile because it has so many uses. You can also eat it when
it’s hot or when it’s cold.
THCL 2020-2021| Turning point for your better life
HALLOWEEN
I’m English so I don’t know a lot about Halloween. I knew from
when I was a kid that it was an American thing that involved
pumpkins. Then I found out about trick or treat and wearing
costumes. I loved the idea of dressing up in scary costumes and
walking around the streets. Another early memory I have is
watching the horror movie ‘Halloween’ round my friend’s house
on video. I remember being scared to walk back home that night.
The first time I took part in Halloween was at a school party in
Japan. I shaved my head, covered it in white face paint and
wrapped myself from head to toe in toilet paper. Riding a train to
Osaka for the party dressed as a mummy was great fun. I still
need to find out more about the history of Halloween though.
THCL 2020-2021| Turning point for your better life
CHOCOLATE
Anyone who does not absolutely love chocolate is mad. I
don’t think I know anyone who dislikes it. Some of my friends
say they hate white chocolate or dark chocolate, but then they
like some other kind. I think chocolate is one of the best
inventions ever. It is also one of life’s true pleasures. There’s
nothing better than having your whole mouth full of chocolate
and letting it melt. I love pushing the chocolate up against the
roof of my mouth and then moving it all around. Yum. I eat
chocolate every day. I know it’s bad for our teeth and makes
us fat, but I don’t care. I prefer to think about the health
benefits of chocolate. I’ve read many articles that say
chocolate is good for us.
THCL 2020-2021| Turning point for your better life
CHRISTMAS
I think Christmas is one of the happiest times of the year.
Everyone has a smile on their face, especially children. It’s such
an exciting time for kids. They can’t wait to open their presents
and play with all of their new games and toys. It’s a nice time
for adults too. They can catch up with their families and relax.
Traditionally, the mother of the family is busiest at Christmas.
She does most of the Christmas shopping and wraps the
presents. Of course, she also spends hours cooking Christmas
dinner. Let’s not forget the true meaning of Christmas, though.
It is not about shopping and Christmas trees and ‘Frosty the
Snowman’. It’s all about love for each other and peace around
the world. Let’s hope this message stays alive.
THCL 2020-2021| Turning point for your better life
COFFEE
Scientists and doctors can’t make their minds up about
coffee. One study says it’s really bad for us and the next report
says it’s good for us. I’ve even read that 10 cups a day is good
for our brain. I like a cup of coffee at certain times of the day. I
must have a coffee first thing in the morning. I can’t survive
without my morning coffee. I have another cup or two when I
get to work. And that’s it. I never drink coffee after lunchtime.
If I do, I can’t sleep at night. The only time I drink coffee in the
evening is if I go to a nice restaurant. Coffee seems a lot more
complicated these days. When I was younger it was just
coffee. Now it’s latte, frappucino and all kinds of other strange
words.