Episode 55 B

EPISODE 55
LEVEL B2

READING COMPREHENSION 

 

LOVE

 

Many people I know say that a man and a woman cannot be just friends. There is always a point at which one of them (if not both) wish for something more. An example of my friends from work is just there to prove the point.
Adam joined our team last year and clicked with Lisa straightaway (= they liked each other from the beginning). They weren’t only casual acquaintances (= someone you know, but not a friend) or colleagues (= someone you work with). They became friends. Just friends? This is what they both claimed for a long time. However, one could see that they fancied (= liked very much) each other and were often flirting with each other, even at work. Before anyone realized, they were head over heels in love (= they loved each other very much).
At one party I was at, Adam confessed he had fallen in love with Lisa at first sight (= he started to love her the first time they met), but was not sure if she was also attracted to him (= she was interested in him).
Now they are a couple and we all hope they will never fall out of love (= stop loving each other). And to think it was supposed to be nothing but a friendship.

 

 

More contexts for the new words: 

• Click on this icon and the document will open. (= press a button on a computer mouse) 
• Do you fancy meeting me after work? (= would you like to) 

 

EXERCISE 1 

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

1. If you click with somebody, this means you spend time chatting online.
2. A colleague is a good friend.
3. If you fancy someone, you like them.
4. When you love someone very much, you are head over knees in love.
5. A couple are two people who love each other. 
6. When you fall out of love, your relationship ends.

 

 

ENGLISH IN USE  

 

 

When you want to express future beliefs, opinions, predictions and hopes – like in the sentence from the text given below – you use WILL + verb.

'(…) we all hope they will never fall out of love.’

You can add verbs expressing beliefs, opinions or hopes (e.g. BELIEVE, HOPE, THINK) at the beginning of a sentence, or words such as PERHAPS, DEFINITELY, to show how certain or uncertain you are about your predictions.

Most people will probably communicate with each other by email in 10 years’ time.
I think he will achieve success in his business.
I don’t believe that will happen.

In the previous lesson you learnt that we use GOING TO for predictions, this lesson tells you WILL + VERB is used for this purpose. Which is right, then? The answer is 'both’. On most occasions either is possible, e.g.

I think it’s going to be/it will be a great party.

However, if there is strong evidence in the present situation, GOING TO is preferred, e.g.

We are going to be late. Look at the traffic!

 

 

IDIOM CLOSE-UP

 

 

A/ Susan doesn’t really fancy Philip, does she?

B/ No, not really. There’s NO LOVE LOST BETWEEN the two of them.

 

If there is no love lost between some people, they do not like each other.

 

 

PHRASAL VERBS CLOSE-UP

 

1. When you BLURT something OUT, you say something suddenly and impulsively, especially because you are nervous or excited.

 

He suddenly smiled and blurted out, „I love you! Will you marry me?”

She blurted out the truth, then gasped as she realized what she’d done.

 

2. When you BOTTLE OUT of something, you suddenly decide not to do it because you are afraid.

 

I was going to ask him out but I bottled out.

I was going to enter a dancing contest, but I bottled out at the last minute.

 

EXERCISE 2 

Match the sentence halves.

 

1. For centuries, there has been no love lost
2. He blurted everything out about our plans, 
3. She paid for a parachuting lesson,

a) between the Scots and the English.
b) but she bottled out before actually jumping.
c)though we’d agreed to keep them a secret for a while.

 

 

NEWS

 

DOES HE LOVE YOU? 

 

Loves me, loves me not… This is the question that has been puzzling women around the world since time immemorial. Well, you needn’t worry any more, as we have a simple quiz which will give you a definite answer!

 

1. At the weekend
   a) he gets up earlier and brings you breakfast to bed.
   b) you both stay in bed longer, cuddling
   c) he asks you to make him scrambled eggs because he’s really sleepy

 

2. In the toilet
   a) he always lowers the toilet seat
   b) you haven’t noticed anything irregular
   c) the toilet seat is always up

 

3. At a party
   a) he never leaves you, not even for a split second
   b) he spends most of the time with you, and some with his friends
   c) you hardly ever see him

 

4. At the cinema
   a) he often watches romantic comedies with you
   b) you take turns deciding which movie you’ll see together
   c) he buys tickets only for action movies

 

5. When you buy some new clothes
   a) he is delighted to see you so happy
   b) he doesn’t mind
   c) he tells you off for squandering money

 

AND THE RESULTS…

 

If you chose mostly A answers – he loves you for sure! Go ahead and marry the guy before he runs away!

If you chose mostly B answers – you’re really good friends, and there is a chance something might come out if it!

If you chose mostly C answers – sorry, the guy is not your Mr Right. Try someone else!

 

  

GLOSSARY 

– since time immemorial – for an extremely long time

– cuddling – hugging each other

– a split second –  an extremely small amount of time

– take turns – do sth one after another

– tells you off – criticizes you

– squandering – wasting

 

download lesson (pdf)