Episode 21 B

EPISODE 21
LEVEL B2

 

READING COMPREHENSION

CHILDREN’S CLOTHES

„Let’s buy some clothes for baby Doreen before we visit my folks, ok?” asks Julia.
„Sure”, agrees Timothy, and soon they are in a huge shop, browsing tons of kids clothes.
„What are these?” asks Timothy, holding out a pair of tiny little trousers with braces (= a pair of narrow straps which stretch from the front of the trousers over the shoulders to the back to hold them up; US: suspenders).
„These are dungarees„, explains Julia, „but baby Doreen is too young to wear them. She needs a romper suit (= rompers – a single piece of clothing consisting of a top part and trousers worn by very young children). Or a bodysuit, maybe… (= a piece of clothing that covers the top half of the body and fastens between the legs). Or just a nice bib (= a cover made of cloth or plastic which is worn by young children when eating to protect their clothes)? Or maybe we should get her a toweling robe?”
Timothy gives Julia a blank look.
„A loose-fitting sort of coat that is made of soft thick material, which you put on the baby after it has had its bath?”
„Oh. OK, why not. Or what about this cute hat?”
„Well, maybe we should rather get her a bonnet – you know, the kind of hat that covers the ears and is tied under the chin? I mean, seeing that she is a girl?”
„I wish you wouldn’t make such conventional choices, Julia. So she is a girl – so what? She can’t have a cute little baseball cap?”
„You’re right”, agrees Julia. „A baseball cap it is. And let’s get her a pair of these knitted bootees that she can wear while she is still too young to have proper shoes.”

 

 

More contexts for the new words:

• I knew that the news wouldn’t be good, so I braced myself for a shock.
  (= to prepare yourself, physically or mentally, for something difficult)
• The children romped happily in the garden.
  (= to play in a rough, excited and noisy way)

 

 

EXERCISE 1

True or false?

1. A bonnet is a type of hat.
2. Knitted bootees can be worn by teenagers.
3. A bodysuit is perfect for cold weather.
4. Braces prevent trousers from falling down.
5. Dungarees are a type of socks.
6. A toweling robe is used before a bath.
7. Rompers are perfect for the summer.

 

 

EXERCISE 2

Complete the questions and then answer them.

1. Do you agree that a b………………….. is more suitable for a girl than a baseball c…………………?
2. Do you think men look sexy wearing b………………………., or do you prefer the more conventional belt?
3. Do women look sexy wearing d…………………… while gardening?

 

ENGLISH IN USE 

 

I wish you wouldn’t make such conventional choices.

This sentence is another example of a structure with the verb „wish”. We use „wish” + would (not) + basic verb form to express either annoyance, or our feeling of hopelessness. Look at the following examples:

I wish you would stop playing computer games all the time! (Your habit of playing computer games annoys or upsets me / I don’t have much hope of you actually changing this habit.)

 

I wish the politicians wouldn’t always think of their own interest first. (It annoys me that they do / I don’t think this is likely to change.)

Again, it is perfectly possible to replace „I wish” with „If only” in any of the sentences above. Also, the same rules apply to negations as in the case of Past Simple or Past Perfect sentences with „wish”.

 

IDIOM CLOSE-UP

 

A/ Have you heard that Jill is going to New Zealand next month?

B/ Yeah, I have. She never stops talking about this trip – she’s got a real BEE IN HER BONNET about it.

 

If you have a bee in your bonnet about something, you keep talking about it again and again because you think it is very important

 

 

PHRASAL VERBS CLOSE-UP

 

 

1. If you HANG UP clothes, you put them on a hook or a hanger.

She was a really neat child. She hung her clothes up every night.

 

2. If you HANG OUT clothes, you dry them outside after washing.

The weather was great, so she hung out the washing.

 

 

 

EXERCISE 3

Match the two columns to make meaningful sentences with the idiom and phrasal verbs you have learned.

 

1. The women hung up                                    a) because the wind might blow them away.
2. Susan’s got a real bee in her bonnet         b) about dieting.
3. I never hang out children’s clothes           c) their coats and sat down.

 

 

NEWS

 

SCHOOL UNIFORMS

Last year the number of schools making it compulsory to wear school uniforms increased by 50% in comparison with the year before. This huge rise – and big comeback of the uniform -is attributed to three factors. First of all, a special suit worn by all children is seen as a sign of prestige. Especially in Poland, it is mostly the expensive private schools that feature uniforms. Secondly, a uniform makes life much easier for the parents, as they don’t have to think how to dress their kids every morning. Last but not least, the uniforms eradicate the unhealthy fashion competitions occurring informally in every traditional classroom. Especially teenage girls have come to treat school as a catwalk or a beauty pageant, so curbing the practice of excessive dressing up helps the kids concentrate on learning. As a result of all this, more and more parents appreciate the idea of similar clothes, even though their kids might be against it.

 

GLOSSARY

– compulsory – obligatory

– eradicate – eliminate

– catwalk – a special long ‘stage’ for models on fashion shows

– beauty pageant – beauty contest

– to curb – to limit

 

 

 

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