EPISODE 97
LEVEL A1.2/ A2.1

 

READING COMPREHENSION 

 

MONEY

I work in a bank an I earn a lot of money (= get money at work). I have a high salary  (money that you get at work every month) – about 50.000$ a month. I like spending money on  travelling. I go on holiday four times a year. I also save some money (= to regularly put money in a bank or invest it for later) every month. Not a lot – about 10.000$. This means that every year I save about 120.000 $. I sometimes lend money to my friends (= give money to them for some time) if they need it. They are real friends so if I give them money they always pay it back (= return the money). But I never borrow money from anybody (=take money from others for some time). I am very rich (= have a lot of money) so I don’t have to do it.

 

More contexts for the new words: 

  • He often wastes money on sweets and cookies (uses more money than he should/ uses it in a way that is not sensible)
  • He invested all his money in a video studio (He gave the money to the business to make a profit.

 

EXERCISE 1 

Complete each sentence with one word:

  1. If you buy that car, you’ll w………….. your money. It’s over 20  years old”.
  2. I e…………… $1000 every month
  3. He is very r………….. He’s got a fantastic car and a beautiful house in the country.
  4. I have i……………… a lot of money in that business.. 
  5. My s…………………… is not very high – about 1000$ a month.
  6. I try to s………………. some money every month because I want to go on holiday to the USA next year.

 

EXERCISE 2 

Match the question halves. Then answer the questions.

  1. Do you sometimes lend money 
  2. Do you sometimes borrow any money
  3. Do you always remember to pay back

a) from your family or friends?
b) to your friends?
c) the money you borrow?

 

ENGLISH IN USE  

 

In this lesson we talked about the actions whose results are always true.
I lend money to my friends if they need it.


This sentence means that whenever my friends need money I lend it to them. It’s a fact.

Notice that we use Present Simple in both parts of the sentence. It doesn’t matter if the word ‘if’ is at the beginning of the sentence or not.


If people don’t eat they get hungry.
People get hungry if they don’t eat.

Remember that these sentences do not describe the future but a fact, a situation which is always true.

 

 

IDIOM CLOSE-UP

 

A/ Don’t throw these clothes away.

B/ Why not?

A/ You could give them to charity or poor people. MONEY DOESN’T GROW ON TREES, you know.

 

If you say that money doesn’t grow on trees you tell someone that they shouldn’t waste money.

 

 

PHRASAL VERBS CLOSE-UP

  1. When you PUT money ASIDE you save money regularly, usually for a particular purpose.

We’re trying to put aside a few hundred every month for our holiday.

 

  1. When you RIP SOMONE OFF you charge someone too much money for something.

They really ripped us off at that hotel.

 

EXERCISE 3 

Decide if the sentences below are true or false. Correct the false ones.

  1. If someone has ripped you off it means you have paid too little for something.
  2. When you put some money aside for some time you will have more money on your bank account.
  3. When someone tells you money doesn’t grow on trees, they mean you should buy a tree.  

NEWS

 

MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL

An old saying says that money is the root of all evil. It seems to be true. Because of the economic crisis and difficult financial situation people are more stressed and they stop taking care of their health. People nowadays are buying cheaper food and sleeping less. Some of them have also started smoking. This, in turn, might have very serious consequences for their health. Their blood pressure starts to increase, and this could lead to heart diseases or even a heart attack.  

 

  

GLOSSARY 

  • root –  the cause of a problem
  • evil – the opposite of good
  • increase – to become larger in number

 

 

download lesson (pdf)

>>Answers

KEY TO EXERCISES  

Ex. 1

  1. waste
  2. earn
  3. rich
  4. invested
  5. salary
  6. save

Ex. 2

  1. b
  2. a
  3. c

Ex. 3 

  1. FALSE
  2. TRUE
  3. FALSE

hide