Episode 29

EPISODE 29
LEVEL A1.2/A2.1

 

 

READING COMPREHENSION

 

LIKES AND DISLIKES

One day Mark talked about John’s hobbies:

„Why does he enjoy ( = like) gardening? It’s so boring! He is a young man and he is fond of (= likes) gardening! I really dislike ( = don’t like) it. And pottery? I can’t stand ( = hate) it! And his new hobby? Bird watching. I don’t understand why he is keen on ( = likes) it. I really loathe it ( = hate it very much). Oh, for God’s sake, a real man needs some adrenaline in his life!”

No wonder Mark and John don’t like each other very much.

 

More contexts for the new words:

• I don’t mind playing tennis.
  ( = I don’t think it is boring, but I don’t think it is interesting, either.)
• How do you like your tea? With lemon, milk, sugar?
  ( = What kind of tea do you drink?)
• He is mad keen on my sister.
  ( = He is really crazy about my sister.)

 

 

EXERCISE 1

Put the expressions into categories.

 

I am fond of

I am keen on

I am mad keen on

I can’t stand

I dislike

I don’t mind

I enjoy

I loathe

 

+	+/-	–

 

 

 

EXERCISE 2

Complete the questions with the words from the text. Then answer the questions yourself.

 

1. What food do you really l _ _ _ h _? Why?

 

2. Which sport are you really keen _ _? Why?

 

3. How do you _ _ _ _ your coffee? With or without milk? With or without sugar?

 

ENGLISH IN USE 

 

In our previous episode, we revised how to make questions with „I, you, we, they.” This time we will concentrate on questions with „he, she, it”. Look at this example: „Why does he enjoy gardening?” To ask this question we used „does„. And now some more examples to look at:

He plays football every day.
Does he play football every day?
How often does he play football?

Don’t forget that we never use „do” with „he, she, it.”

 

 

IDIOM CLOSE-UP

 

A/ Do you like your new boss, Eliza?

B/ It was hard at first but now we GET ON LIKE A HOUSE ON FIRE.

 

If you get on like a house on fire, you like someone a lot and are good friends.

 

 

PHRASAL VERBS CLOSE-UP

 

 

1. If you SHOW UP, you arrive somewhere, especially at a place where people are expecting you.

 

James loves football – he shows up at all the local matches.

 

2. If you OPEN something UP, you start a new shop or business.

 

Sheila loves cooking, so she opened up a Chinese restaurant.

 

 

 

EXERCISE 3

Complete the sentences using words from the idiom/phrasal verbs you have learned in the correct form.

 

1. I was worried that they wouldn’t like each other but in fact they’re getting on like a ___________ on fire.
2. I invited him for eight o’clock, but he didn’t ___________ up until nine-thirty.
3. There are lots of new shops opening ___________ in our street.

 

NEWS

 

POLISH HOBBIES

A recent survey asked one thousand Poles about their favorite pastimes. The results were alarming. Over three quarters of those interviewed mentioned watching TV as their number one free time activity. Why are the Poles so passive? A renowned sociologist, when asked to comment on the results, said that they might be due to the fact that Poles have recently started to economise. The global economic crisis has limited the contents of our wallets, and our ability to have expensive hobbies. Even going to the cinema is not as popular as it was a few years ago.

 

 

GLOSSARY

– a pastime – a free time activity

– alarming – scary

– renowned – famous

– due to – because of

– to economise – to save money

 

 

download lesson (pdf)