Phyllis: And, er, secondly, it’s ... very relaxed. Interviewer: Oh? In what way?
Phyllis: Well, you know, the wave of life, nobody hurries.
Interviewer: Uhm. Is that at work as well as socially? Phyllis: That’s right, everything
Part 3 Passage Welcome to London!
Exercise A: Listen to the passage and choose the best answer to each of the following questions.
1. How many tourists pour into London in the summer? 2. What will happen to Oxford Street? 3. How about the food and weather in London?
4. Which of the following is not one of the many obvious tourist attractions mentioned in London?
5. Where can travelers find a good introduction to the historical London? 6. What does “democratic” refer to?
7. What does the speaker say about shopping? 8. What does the speaker say about eating? 1. A
2. A
3. D
4. D
5. B
6. C
7. A
8. B
Exercise B: Complete the following sentence with what you have remembered.
You can spend a lot of money, in shops from aristocratic Knightsbridge to democratic Marks and Spencer. Tapescript:
Welcome to London! You and seven million other tourists will fill Britain’s capital city this season, jostling* each other along Oxford Street, getting lost on the Underground, staring at Buckingham Palace, and complaining about the food and the weather.
What can you do when you’re here? There are the obvious tourist attractions of royal London, the London of pageantry* and soldiers in fancy uniforms. There is historical London, with the ancient buildings and magnificent churches. A good introduction to all this can be found in the London Museum in the Barbican*.
You can spend a lot of money, in shops from aristocratic* Knightsbridge* to democratic Marks and Spencer*, all of them anxious to receive travellers’ cheques in almost any currency. There are many hotels at your service, and your chambermaid may well be able to talk to you in your own language — though probably not in English, Restaurants are here by the hundred. You can eat your way round the world
in London, from China to Argentina*, though you may have a bit of a job finding good English food.
Section 3 Oral Work Part 1 Questions and Answers
Exercise: Listen to the dialogue and then answer some questions about it. You will hear the dialogue and the questions only once. Answer each question with a complete sentence after you have heard it. 1. What did the woman order? (She ordered the roast beef.) 2. What would the woman like to have as a starter’- (She would like to have the garlic mushrooms.) 3. What vegetables does the restaurant offer? (It offers cauliflower and carrots.) 4. What vegetable did the woman order? (She ordered carrots.) 5. What sort of drink did she order? (She ordered a glass of water.) 6. She ordered a dessert, didn’t she? (No, she did not order any dessert.) 7. Did the woman like the bread served? (No, she didn’t like it.) 8. Why didn’t she like the bread? (Because it was stale / not fresh.)
Tapescript:
Man: Are you ready to order?
Woman: Er, yes, please. I’ll have the roast beef. Man: Uhm, Would you like a starter?
Woman: No thanks, oh, why not? I’ll have the garlic mushrooms please. Man: And would you like salad or vegetables with your roast beef Woman: Er, what vegetables have you got? Man: Cauliflower and carrots.
Woman: Er, have you got any cabbage? Man: No, I’m afraid not.
Woman: Oh, well, never mind, I’I1 have the carrots. Man: Carrots. Can I get you anything to drink? Woman: Er, just a glass of water.
Man: And would you like anything for dessert? Woman: No thanks. …
Woman: Excuse me? Man: Yes?
Woman: I’m afraid this bread is stale.
Man: Oh, I’m terribly sorry, I’ll get you some fresh, madam.
Part 2 Retelling
It was Monday morning. Betty left home early that day because she was going to start work at an office. She was only sixteen and this was her first job. Unfortunately, the traffic was so dense that she was a few minutes late When she arrived at the office. When she entered the office, she saw Mr. Crump, her boss, speaking to the people in an angry voice. She was very afraid and didn’t dare to say anything.
Later that day, she found out what had happened, As a rule, Mr. Crump came to the office at about 9:30, because he lived a long way out in the country and came up by train every day. That morning, however, he happened to catch an earlier train, and when he arrived at the office, he was greatly annoyed to see that no one was working. All the clerks were standing around, smoking, laughing and telling jokes.
Section 4 Supplementary Exercises
Part 1 Listening Comprehension Entertainments in London
Exercise: Listen to the passage and choose the best answer to each of the following questions.
1. When was London known as “Swinging London”? 2. Why are so many people attracted to visit London? 3. Why is the British Theatre world-famous?
4. Where are the films shown in a large number of cinemas from?
5. What does “take your choice” mean here when the concert is mentioned? 6. Which are the best places to go when it rains? 7. How can a traveler get to Greenwich?
8. What does the speaker think of making a trip to London?
1.C
2. A 3. D 4. B 5. D 6. C 7. B 8. D
Tapescript:
You come, of course, from all over the world, attracted by the comparative cheapness of London and its relatively new reputation as a good place to have fun — a reputation which really only dates from the mid 1960’s, that era* of “Swinging London,”* of pop stars and fashion photographers and dress designers.
There’s certainly no lack of entertainment. The British Theatre is world famous, and offers everything from Shakespeare to West End comedy*. There’s a large number of cinemas presenting films from all over the world. Every night of the week there are concerts. Classical or pop, take your choice. And of course night clubs will be happy to take large quantifies of cash from you in return for the illusion* of being sophisticated* and perhaps slightly wicked*. When it rains (and it will rain) there are museums and art galleries to give you shelter— and they’re free! When it’s fine, take a boat trip along the River Thames, downstream to Greenwich* or upstream to Hampton Court*.
You may be exhausted by London; you may be cheated in London; you may not be able to get a drink when you want one, thanks to the ridiculous licensing laws; you may get wet and catch a cold; but you’re not likely to be bored.
Part 3 Video British Pub Tradition Under Threat Exercise:
1. Why are pubs important for British people?
For hundreds of years, British pubs have been at the center of social life. They are the places where people can go for a pint of beer and lively conversation. 2. Why is pub culture changing recently?
According to Bridget Walsh, people tend to go restaurants instead of pubs and they buy cheap booze in supermarkets and drink it at home. 3. What makes British pub business go downward?
They are the poor economy, a ban on smoking inside and high taxes on beer consumed at pubs. 4. How does Stuart Mills, an entrepreneur, view the rapidly deteriorating economic conditions?
He sees the economic downturn as an opportunity and runs an Internet service to get more people into pubs by allowing them to have their mail delivered to