Episode 71 B

EPISODE 71
LEVEL B2

 

READING COMPREHENSION

 

AT A RESTAURANT                                                                               

I am always full of beans (very excited) when going out and eating out. However, being a student I often choose a small convenient bar just to grab a bite to eat (=a small meal), but my brother is just opposite he loves lingering over (spending more time over food) food and chooses posh restaurants where settling up (=paying what you owe on a bill) costs a fortune. Well, he can’t expect much at home since his wife is a terrible cook. The last time I visited them for dinner, she left it in the oven for too long and unfortunately it was burnt to a crisp (=cooked too long). Well, my brother without much hesitation, decided to take us all to a new Italian pizzeria. No sooner had we opened the door than we could see beautifully decorated tables, mouth- watering (=looking and smelling good)snacks and lots of happy faces polishing off (=finishing )their delicious dishes. I was so starving I could eat a horse (very hungry), so in no time we were served by a really handsome waiter who gracefully presented the menu. No wonder that restaurant had a reputation for the best service ever and could get all its clients by word of mouth (recommendation).

 

 

EXERCISE 1

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

 

1. When you settle up with somebody you don’t pay the bill.
2. If food makes your mouth water it looks and smells so good you want to eat it.
3. If you polish off a pizza, you leave many leftovers.
4. When you buy a product by word of mouth, it means you got to know about it from your colleagues.

 

ENGLISH IN USE 

 

The text says:

No sooner had we opened the door than we could see beautifully decorated tables…

 

Today I’d like to concentrate on the structure NO SOONER …… THAN

Generally speaking, this is the pattern of inversion in grammar. WE SOMETIMES PUT AN AUXILIARY VERB (in this case) HAD BEFORE THE SUBJECT IN STATEMENTS FOR ADDING EMPHASIS.

NO SOONER shows the first action in the past which we need to express using Past Perfect tense in a form of a question, while THAN introduces the second past action expressed in Past Simple Tense in a form of a statement.

 

EXERCISE 2

Practice:

 

1. No sooner………………………………….(we / set out) than ……………………..(it/start) snowing.
2. No sooner …………………………………(she / start) going to school than ……………………..(she / catch) a cold.
3. No sooner…………………………………(they / take out) a loan than ……………………..(the interest rate / increase).
4. No sooner…………………………………(I / graduate) from my studies than ………………………(I / be offered) a prestigious job.

 

 

VOCABULARY

 

EXERCISE 3

 

Categorise the words into the following groups:

 

MEAT             VEGETABLES          FRUIT             FISH              HERBS                  SEA FOOD

 

trout        aubergines     spare ribs     beans     cauliflower      celery     cod     saffron    mutton    courgettes     watermelon    chives     veal    hake     garlic     lobster    spinach    mussels     peaches    raspberries     prawns     dill      horseradish     radish     redcurrant     herring     venison      parsley     gooseberry     sage     pork    partridge     date    artichoke    poultry    nutmeg     bay leaf    oysters    lime   beef    ginger

 

Discuss:

• Which is your favourite food?
• Which is the food you would serve for an exclusive dinner?
• Which food can you call an acquired taste?
• Which food you wouldn’t know how to prepare and serve?

 

 

IDIOM CLOSE-UP

 

A/ My last job was hard enough but this one is awful – it’s out of the frying pan, into the fire! I’m afraid…

B/ I know. It has never been worse I believe…

 

It’s out of the frying pan, into the fire – we use this idiom to say that somebody was in a bad situation but now he is even in a worse one.

 

 

PHRASAL VERBS CLOSE-UP

 

 

Have a drink of milk to wash down the tablet.  –  to help you swallow it

Let’s raise a glass and drink to a happy couple! –  hold up a glass in order to wish someone success or happiness

Don’t gobble your food down, take your time. –  eat very fast

Eat lots of vegetables, they will fill you up without making you put on weight. – make you feel that you have eaten enough.

Make sure you are aware what foods agree with you and what don’t. –  make you feel good

 

 

 

 

EXERCISE 4

Name a food or drink which:

 

1. Often disagrees with you …
2. Fills you up…
3. You can gobble up…
4. You need to wash down…

 

 

 

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