Episode 50 B

EPISODE 87
LEVEL B2

 

 

READING COMPREHENSION

 

AN INVITATION TO A PARTY

 

Dear Ann and Tom,

It was great to hear from you. Sorry it’s taken me so long to reply (= answer), but I’ve been up to my eyes in work (= very busy) recently. I’m pleased (= happy) to hear that everything is going well with your family and work.
I’m writing to ask you if you have planned anything for next weekend. I was wondering if you’d like to come down here and spend the Saturday with us. We would like you to join us (= come to us) for a small party to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. Please, bring your kids along (= take them with you) too. I’m sorry it’s such short notice (= not much time left), but our old friends, who we’d love to be there with us, cannot make it (= come) later.
I hope you can come. Please, drop us a line (= write) to let us know.

 

Love,
Christina

 

More contexts for the new words:

Pat dropped the plate and it broke.
(= let something fall down)

 

Landlords usually require a month’s notice if you want to move out.
(= the period between the time you tell someone you are going to do something and the time you do it)

 

I’m writing in reply to your letter of 10 September.
(= in response to/answering)

 

 

EXERCISE 1

Match the expression halves.

drop us                             a. notice
cannot make                   b. in work
short                                 c. a line
bring a friend                  d. us
join                                   e. along
be up to your eyes         f. it

 

EXERCISE 2

Complete each gap with one word, then answer the questions.

1. When was the last time you were up to your …………………………. in work? What happened?
2. Is it ok for parents to bring their kids …………………………. when they go to a restaurant? Why/ why not?
3. When did you last …………………………. your best friend a line? What did you write about?

 

 

ENGLISH IN USE

There are two sentences in the letter which include adverbs used for emphasizing a quality, feeling or amount:

 

Sorry it’s taken me so long to reply.
I’m sorry it’s such short notice.

 

The meaning of both 'so’ and 'such’ is very similar, yet they do differ when it comes to usage. You simply have to be careful about the word that follows and depending on that, choose 'so’ or 'such’.

 

’So’ is followed by adjectives or adverbs as well as by quantifiers (many, much, few, little), e.g.

 

She is so clever!
It all happened so quickly!
They earn so much money they don’t know what to do with it.
I have so few friends here in Warsaw.

 

’Such’ is followed by nouns or an adjective + noun combination; there is also one quantifier which uses 'such’ – 'a lot of’. If the noun is singular, you use 'such a’, if the noun is plural or uncountable, only 'such’ is required. Look at the examples:

 

Why do you ask such questions?
I’d love to have such a dress.
Andy is such a kind man.
I hate such hot weather!
There are such a lot of people in shops before Christmas.

 

IDIOM CLOSE-UP

 

A/ This is Henry’s seventh shot of vodka!
B/ He sure DRINKS LIKE A FISH!

 

If somebody drinks like a fish, they drink a lot of alcohol regularly.

 

 

PHRASAL VERBS CLOSE-UP

 

1. When you DRINK TO something, you wish for health, happiness, or success for someone, then lift your glass and drink from it.

 

Let’s drink to the bride and groom.
„Here’s to a happy future then.” „I’ll drink to that!”

 

2. When you DRINK something IN, you experience it with great enjoyment.

 

Sit out on the terrace and drink in the amazing view.
They drank in the words of their leader.

 

 

EXERCISE 3

 

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

 

1. When you drink something in, you drink a whole glass very quickly.
2. When you drink to someone’s health, you wish them well.
3. When you drink like a fish, you drink a lot of water.

 

 

NEWS

 

GUEST LIST

 

With the wedding season upon us, the couples about to get married face the perennial problem: who to invite? Of course, they would like to invite all the friends and relatives, but – more often than not – the wedding budget won’t stretch that far. So, how do you make the selection so that the newly-weds don’t immediately become the black sheep of the family? Well, you definitely have to include your parents, siblings, godparents, and best friends. Add to that the obligatory “plus ones,” and the list grows rather huge. Of course, you mustn’t forget to invite anyone who has invited you to their ceremony! Overwhelmed? Try hiring a wedding planner – she will make all the choices for you. For a fee!

 

GLOSSARY

 

– perennial – permanent, recurring
– the newly-weds – the couple that have just got married
– the black sheep – someone not approved of because they are thought to behave badly
– godparents – the special people during the baptism ceremony
– plus ones – people accompanying the main guests, e.g. boyfriends/ girlfriends
– overwhelmed – shocked

 

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