Episode 69

EPISODE 69
LEVEL A1.2/A2.1

 

READING COMPREHENSION

 

HOUSEHOLD DUTIES       

 

'How about you, Zosia? Are you thinking of buying a new flat?’
'Well, I have just bought a two-room flat in a nice district. In fact, I’m throwing a housewarming party today. (= I’m organizing a special party in a new flat which doesn’t have too much furniture) Would you like to come?’
'Yeah, why not?’
'Great! I need to get organized, there isn’t much time left. I’ll have to tidy up (= clean) the whole flat… and I’ll have to change the bulb in the hall (= something which produces light in a lamp).
'Will you have to take care of the food too?’
'No, fortunately not. Kasia is going to prepare something delicious and she will lay the table (= put plates, knives, forks etc. on the table). I will have to clear the table (= take plates etc. from the table) and wash up the dishes (= clean the dishes) afterwards. And, of course, I will have to empty the rubbish bin (= a plastic container where we put things which we don’t need any more).

 

More contexts for the new words:

• I’ll have to do the washing-up. (= another way of saying „I’ll have to clean the dishes”)
• I need to do the washing. (= here you are talking of cleaning your clothes)

 

 

EXERCISE 1

Answer these questions about the text above.

 

1. What is Zosia organizing today?
2. What does she have to change in the hall?
3. What will Kasia do with the table?
4. What will Zosia do after the party with the dishes?
5. What will Zosia have to empty after the party?

 

ENGLISH IN USE 

 

I’m throwing a housewarming party today.

In this sentence we are using Present Continuous. Why? This sentence is not about „now”. It is about the future. Well, it’s not a mistake. In the sentence above we are talking about arrangements (= situations agreed with other people – we know who will come, what time and where). When we talk about such actions we have to use Present Continuous. So if we know the time and the place, we will say:

I’m meeting my mother tonight.
I’m having dinner with my girlfriend tomorrow.
I’m playing tennis with my friends from school on Sunday.

 

 

IDIOM CLOSE-UP

 

 

A/ Your neighbours seem to be really strange…

B/ Well, there are a lot of SKELETONS IN THEIR CLOSET!

 

If you have a skeleton in your closet (or your cupboard), you have an unpleasant secret.

 

 

PHRASAL VERBS CLOSE-UP

 

 

1. If you LIE IN, you stay in bed longer than usual. Then you HAVE A LIE-IN.

I’m throwing a housewarming party today, so I can’t lie in. I have to get up and clean the house.

I usually have a lie-in on Sundays.

 

2. If you WAIT UP, you stay awake because you’re waiting for someone to arrive.

My parents always waited up for me when I went to parties.

I’ll be late from work, so don’t wait up for me.

 

 

 

EXERCISE 2

Match the conversation halves.

 

1. When do you usually lie in?
2. What time will you be back home?
3. Did you know that your husband has a lover?

a) Late. Don’t wait up for me.
b) At the weekend.
c) Well, everyone has a skeleton in their closet.

 

 

NEWS

 

 

THE WORST PARTY EVER

 

Zenon Kielbasa, a 20-year-old student from Cracow, can safely be dubbed the worst party organizer ever. Last night he decided to throw a housewarming party in his new flat. He also invited his girlfriend, so he wanted to create a romantic mood and bought dozens of little scented candles. Before the party started, he arranged them all around the flat, and then lit them. Unfortunately, he put them too close to curtains and carpets, which soon caught fire. By the time the guests arrived, the flat had completely burnt.

 

GLOSSARY

– dubbed – called

– mood – atmosphere

– scented – with a nice smell

– caught fire – started burning

 

 

download lesson (pdf)