The perfect daily diet

What to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Most 1….. us know the main principles 2…. a healthy diet – 3…. a good balance of the food groups, eating 4…. of fruit and veg, keeping topped up on water. But sometimes 5…. the principles 6….. practice

is a bit of a chore - and coming 7…. with healthy meal ideas 8….breakfast lunch and dinner 9…. a daily basis can zap your healthy eating inspiration.

10… give you some healthy eating motivation, we've put together meals that will 11…. up the perfect daily diet. Choose a brekkie, lunch and dinner 12…. our suggestions 13… and you'll be well 14… your way 15…. the perfect healthy diet.BreakfastBreakfast is the 16…. important meal 17… the day. If you can, take time 18… to really enjoy it - it's a great 19…. to start the day. If you need an incentive to 20… out of bed that bit earlier, remember that people 21… eat breakfast tend to 22… slimmer than 23… who don't. Investing 24…. time for breakfast in the morning will kick-start your metabolism and stop 25… snacking mid-morning. 26… the table the night before and 27… it look appealing if that helps - and most of the ideas 28…. will only take 10 minutes to prepare, so 29… of time is no excuse.Scrambled eggs 30… smoked salmon, chopped tomato and basil Boiled egg and wholemeal toast Wholemeal toast and peanut butter 31…. marmite/vegemite Hot 32… cold fruit with low-fat yoghurt Porridge with stewed fruit (33… example, apple and raisin or rhubarb) Kedgeree (34…. the night before) Cereal 35… skimmed milk Fruit juice, fruit smoothies, herbal 36….black tea, one cup of coffee

LunchLunch is probably 37…. hardest meal to 38… right. 39… often we end 40… grabbing something 41… the go and not 42….the time to really savour 43….. This can lead 44… feelings of dissatisfaction later 45… the day, when you inevitably find 46…. reaching 47… a chocolate bar. 47… you can, take at least 20 minutes to 48…. in a quiet place to really unwind. Have something starchy 49… some protein, and remember 50… add fruit and veg. A good tip is 51… mix hot and cold foods 52….a more satisfying meal.                               

Baked potato 53…. low-fat cream cheese and roasted vegetables, or tuna with salad Salmon or prawns 54… wholemeal bread with salad Vegetable and lentil soup and 55…. bunch of grapes

Avocado, chicken and tomato bagel Rice, pasta 56…. couscous salad

Snacks :Snacking has 57…. unfairly bad reputation. Snacking 58…. is not inherently unhealthy, rather the snack choices we tend to 58….. If you are hungry, then 59…all means eat! Your body is trying to tell you 60….. But make sure you pick 61…. nutritious, and stick 62… smaller portions 63…. that you don't overdo your calorie intake.

Handful unsalted nuts Fruit, for example grapes, apples, satsumas, pears 64…. chopped melon Celery or carrot sticks with tzatziki or hummus Two or three oatcakes 65…. cottage cheese.

Dinner: 66…. is usually the main meal 67…. the day, but it 68…. have to be. There's 69…. rule to say you can't have your largest meal 70…. lunchtime - especially 71… it feels better that way. Again, aim 72…. something starchy with some protein.

Roast chicken 73… broccoli and sweet potato mash Grilled sardines with ratatouille and brown rice Wholemeal pasta with fresh pesto, tomatoes, sugar snap peas and spinach Chickpea curry with yoghurt and cucumber raita

Dessert :Yes, you can have 74…. dessert! Eating healthily does not mean that you 75…. to kiss goodbye 76…the sweet stuff. 77… are some ideas 78… healthy desserts ...

Oatmeal based fruit crumble served 79…. skimmed milk custard Fruit compote with half-fat crème fraîche Fruit sorbet

Hydration throughout the day :Ideally you 80… be drinking around eight glasses of water and try to aim for 81…. more than four cups of tea 82….coffee 83…. the day. 84…. if you want to, have one alcoholic drink for example: a small glass wine 85….a bottle of beer.

PLANNING A HOLIDAY :Many people 1….their main holiday in summer, and 2…. some people choose a last-minute break, 3…. plan their holiday months 4…. advance.

5…. beginning of the year is a good time 6…. people to start looking 7… holiday brochures. Tour operators (companies 8…. organise holidays) as 9… as travel agents (the people that sell holidays) give lots of information 10…. holiday destinations and types of holiday. 11…. from the traditional two-week beach holiday, you can choose 12… a range of holidays: 13….cruise (holiday 14…. a ship), 15…. activity holiday (a holiday that involves walking, cycling, climbing 16…. other sports), 16…. city break (a weekend 17…. a few days 18…. a different city) and 19… on. A lot of people choose 20…. package holiday, 21… flights and accommodation are included 22.… the price. But many people prefer 23… independent holiday, 24… they 25…. their own travel arrangements.

26… you travel independently, you will need to 27…. your flights or train tickets. Unless you have an onward destination, you will probably book a return journey. Then you will need to 28… a reservation 29…. a hotel, or another place 30…. stay, 31…. as a campsite (if you are camping 32…. a tent), or a caravan site (if you are staying 33…. a caravan), or a B&B (a bed and breakfast).

34…. all types of foreign holidays, 35…. is essential that you check you 36…. all your travel documents. 37…. sure your passport hasn't expired, and that you have a visa if 38….. If you 39…. travelling to some countries, you also 40… to make sure that all your vaccinations (protection 41…. illness) are up 42…. date. 43…. some countries you might need a vaccination 44…. hepatitis, or yellow fever, 45…. example.

46…. your departure date 47…. nearer, you can start to plan the details of 48…. journey. Perhaps it will be a good idea 49…. buy a guide book, or a phrase book, if you don't speak 50…. of the local language. Some people like to read 51… on (= get lots of background information) on 52…. they are going, and find 53…. about the places of interest and "must-see" sights. It's also fun to 54…. a packing list, so you don't forget 55…. vital clothes or toiletries.

It's 56…. a good idea to buy local currency in advance, if your flight gets 57…. (= arrives) 58…. the middle of the night, when 59… banks are open. 60… airlines also advise you to 60… out (=get) travel insurance just in 61…. your flight is delayed or cancelled, or if you 62…. ill and need to be repatriated (sent back 63…. your country).

Don't forget to 64…. arrangements 65…. your pets and your house while you're 66…. Put your dog 67…. kennels (a dog hotel), and leave a key 68…. your neighbour 69…. in case! Hopefully your neighbour will 70…. an eye on your house 71…. you're on holiday! Finally, 72…. to the airport with plenty of time 73…. spare. Nowadays it can 74…. much longer to get 75…. security and onto the plane. 76…. a nice trip and send 77…. neighbour a postcard

GOING BACK TO SCHOOL:1…. the long relaxing summer holidays, September means 2…. return to school. Those long summer days are 3….., and instead, school children 4…. to get up early and sit in classrooms 5…. most of the day.

In Britain, pupils wear 6….school uniform. As well as a particular skirt 7…. pair of trousers, 8…. a specific shirt and jumper, they 9…. have a school PE kit (clothes that they wear to 10…sports at school).

11…. children walk to school, and 12…. parents drive their children to school. But 13…. come to school by a school bus – particularly if they live 14…. the town.

15…. children go to state-run primary 16…. secondary schools. Schools are 17…. mixed (girls and boys sit in the same classes), 18…. there are some single-sex schools (schools 19…. girls or boys 20….) and 21…. few schools are private, 22…. parents pay school fees.

Schools try to 23… clear rules 24…. acceptable behaviour. For example, pupils (school children) have to show respect 25…. their teachers. Often they have to stand 26… when their teacher comes 27…. the classroom and say "Good morning". If pupils 28… the rules, they can expect to 29…. sent to the headmaster or headmistress, or to 30…. detention, when they stay behind after 31…. other pupils go home.32…. schools have lessons in the morning and in the afternoon. Pupils can go home 33…. lunch, or have their lunch 34…. school. 35…. have a packed lunch (where they bring lunch 36…. home, 37…. as sandwiches, fruit etc) and 38…. eat what the school prepares. These "school dinners" vary 39…. quality, and 40…. has recently been a lot of media interest 41…. providing healthy school dinners 42…. pupils.

Pupils can expect to 43…. homework 44…. most subjects, and there are regular tests to 45…. progress. 46… the end of each of the three school terms, teachers give 47… pupil a report. Schools also 48… a parents' evening 49… year, when the parents can meet 50…. teachers to discuss 51….. child's progress.

School isn't just lessons and homework 52….. Most schools arrange 53… sports day once a year, as well as school trips 54… places of interest.

The cinema:Many people regularly go to the cinema (or 1…. pictures). 2…. towns have a multiplex (= multi-screen) cinema 3…. shows a 4…. range of films, 5…. feature films 6….family films. Films are classified in Britain, with U suitable for all ages, PG (parental guidance) suitable 7…. everyone over the age of 8, 12 (where 8…. children can watch unless they are with an adult), 15 (where no 9….under the age of 15 can watch) and 18 (only suitable 10…. adults).

The theatre:Large towns as 1…. as the major cities have theatres, 2…. you can see plays, musicals or pantomimes (a comedy play performed 3… Christmas). You can choose to go in the afternoon, 4…. the matinee (pronounced "mat – in – ay") performance, or in the evening.

Generally, the 5… you pay, the 6…. seat you 7….. The stalls are the seats 8…ground level in front of the stage, and 9…. have the best views. Then 10…. are the seats in the Dress Circle (or Royal Circle), which are 11…. the first balcony. They 12… have good views 13…. the stage. Then there are the seats 14…. the Upper Circle, which are 15… the second balcony. 16…. this are cheaper seats 17… the Balcony or the Gallery, which are so high 18… that it's often difficult to see the actors. There are also seats 19… the Boxes, 20… are private rooms built 21…. the side walls of the theatre.

Live music:Large cities can offer you a huge 1…. of musical performances, 2…. opera 3…. classical concerts 4… jazz, folk, rock 5…. pop gigs (= concerts). In summer 6… are often music festivals, 7…Glastonbury Festival being one of the 8…. popular.

Family entertainment:holidays and weekends 1…. favourite times to go 2…. with your family. 3…. things, such as circuses, zoos and water parks can 4…. quite expensive. But 5…. events, 6…. as fun-days, parades and carnivals are 7… cheaper. Children often like to go 8… themselves to funfairs, 9…. they can go 10…the rides and eat candyfloss.

A cheap night out:There are also plenty 11…. cheap activities available in English towns and cities. Bingo 12… popular, and in London, people still go 13… the dogs, to see and bet 14… dog racing. You can often find a leisure centre in towns, 15… offer sport facilities. Many English people go to 16… local (= pub) where they can play darts 17… pool (= a type 18…. snooker), as well as 18…. a drink with friends.

19… the weekend, younger people often 20… clubbing (= night clubs) or to a disco with 21…. friends.

CREDIT CRUNCH:Credit crunch = when borrowing money (1…. banks) becomes harder to 2…. And 3…. expensive.(4…. the present credit crisis, banks stopped lending 5… other banks, then stopped lending to 6…. customers, which 7…. that there is now a shortage of credit and 8…. more cheap credit).

Economic terms:1…. Central Banks and Finance ministers are trying to decide 2…. to inject more money 3…. the financial markets (places where stocks or commodities for example 4…. bought and sold).

Many people now believe that we are now heading 5…. a downturn / recession / depression / financial crisis. 6…. from the credit crunch, there are other signs that our economy might slide 7…. recession, such as rising inflation and an increased cost 8…. living. The government may respond 9…. cutting interest rates (to bring 10… the rate of inflation).

11…compound the misery (=12…. things worse), falling house prices 13…. some home owners face negative equity.

Overall, the forecast 14…. pessimistic or gloomy.

Personal finances:High street banks lend money to customers 14… the form of loans (such as car loans or personal loans) 15… in the form of mortgages to buy houses.Sub prime mortgages, now often referred 16… as toxic mortgages, 17…. sold to people 18…. poor credit ratings. It is a combination 19… this type of risky lending, falling house prices and high interest rates 20…. led to defaults 21…. mortgage payments and foreclosures (=repossession). This 22…. turn triggered the global financial crisis.

23… number of banks have already gone bust or 24…. been nationalised (= bought by the government) who try to reassure customers that 25…. savings accounts are safe. 26… the UK, the government has announced that all savings accounts 27… guaranteed up 28… a threshold of £50,000. However, consumer confidence 29… low.

Unemployment:People worry about 30…their jobs, or being 31… redundant. Some industries 32… cutting their workforce, and laying 33…. staff. These job losses / job cuts / redundancies mean that there will be 34… claimants (for unemployment benefit) – or more people 35… the dole. (dole = unemployment benefit).

Phrases:weather 1… storm = survive bad timesbe 2….good shape (the economy is 3…. good shape) = to be stronglive 4…. your means = not have enough money 5…. your spending (so you need to borrow 6…)pay the price = pay 7…. your mistakesfoot the bill = pay 8… someone elseat rock bottom = to be 9… low you cannot go 10…. further downin free fall = keep falling 11…. anything stopping the fall

Types of accidents: a collision = when two vehicles drive 12… each other.a mid-air collision = when two planes collide 13… the aira head-on collision = when two cars collide front to 14….a car crash = when there's a serious car accident – involving 15…. car or object, or not involving anything 16….a derailment = when a train comes 17…. the railsa (multiple) pile-up = when more 18… one car crashes 19…. another car, especially 20… a busy road or motorway

Describing an accident:An accident occurred / happened 1… two cars travelling 2…. the same / opposite direction. One car was travelling 3…. speed (at X miles per hour)

4…. the driver was rounding the corner, he drove straight 5… another car which was 6… the wrong side of the road. The driver 7…. control of the car and ploughed 8…. the other lane / overturned / drove 9… an oncoming vehicle / 10…. a tree.As the driver 11… overtaking another / went 12…. a red light / he drove straight 13…. oncoming trafficA lorry jackknifed, spilling its load 14…. the road.

A car skidded 15… a wet / oily surface and the driver 16… control.The brakes failed / the car driver misjudged 17… distance.

The car was speeding / 18… 80mph in a 30mph area.The driver was 19… the influence of alcohol / drugs / 20… his mobile phone at the time.

The accident was due 21…. pilot / human error.

The results of an accident: There were 22… fatalities (people killed)Five people were 23… to hospital with major / minor injuries / 24… shock.The driver 24… shaken, but unhurt.The passengers were escorted safely 25…. the train.Firecrews had to cut the passengers 26… of the wreckage.The car was a write-27…. (The damage was 28… bad there was no point 29… claiming insurance)Fortunately, there was only minimal damage / we escaped 30…. only a couple of scratches 31… the bodywork.

BFF (best friends forever):best mate = your best friend.a good friend = someone in your "inner circle" of friends.to be really close to someone = be good friends 1….pal = friend (UK slang)buddy (best buddy) = friend (mainly US English)to go back years = to know someone 2…. a long time: "Steve and I go 3…. years."an old friend = a friend you 4… known for a long time: "He's an old friend 5…. Dave's."a friend 6…. the family / a family friend = someone close 7… your family: "John was an old family friend."a trusted friend = someone you 8… trusta childhood friend = a friend 9… when you were very younga circle of friends = all the friends 10… your group: "She's got a great circle 11…. friends."be just good friends = when you want to say you're only friends 12…. someone of the opposite sex: "We're not going 13….. We're just good friends, 14…. all."

More casual friendships: penpal / epal = someone you know 15…. corresponding / writing: "Find a penpal 16… our Penpals forum!"someone you know 17…. work (or another interest group): "Andy? Oh, he's someone I know from work."someone you know to pass the time of day 18…. = someone you know to say "hello" to.casual acquaintance = someone you don't know very well: "She's just a casual acquaintance 19…. mine."a friend of a friend = someone you only know because they're a friend 20….one of your friends. "Dave's a friend of a friend."a mutual friend = someone that two people know: "Karen's a mutual friend of 21…. me and Rachel."

Mates :classmate = someone 22…. your class at school.workmate = someone you work 23….flatmate (UK English) roommate (US English) = someone you share a flat or house 24….soul mate = someone you're very close 25…. because you share the same opinions and beliefs

Not good friends: on-off relationship = where you're sometimes friendly, and sometimes 26…: "Cath and Liz have an on-off relationship."fair-weather friend = a friend who's never 27… when you need help: "She's only a fair-weather friend."a frenemy = someone who's a friend and an enemy 28…. the same time.

Other expressions :strike up a friendship with = make friends 29…. someonebe no friend of = not like someone / something: "I'm 30…. friend of his!"have friends in high places = know important / influential people: "Be careful what you say. He's got friends 31…. high places."

Your dream home :It's a good idea in the UK to arrange a mortgage 1…. a bank before you start looking. This is when the bank tells you 2…. much money they will lend you 3…. you have a good idea 4… how much you can afford.The next step 5…. to go to an estate agent (= a company

which represents buyers and sellers 6…. properties) to see what sort 7… properties they have available 8…. your budget range and 9….your area. If you see 10……you like, the estate agent will arrange 11…. you to view the property, so that you can see the house or flat 12…. yourself.

If you see something that 13… your eye, you put 14… an offer. The vendor (seller) can accept or 15…. this offer, and if the vendor accepts 16…., you can move 17…. with the sale. However, as you don't pay 18… money 19… this point, the offer isn't legally binding, and 20… theory, you can pull out 21… the offer 22…. any time that you like.

Your next step will probably be to 23…. a structural survey done. A qualified surveyor 24….inspect the house and write a report that illustrates 25…. structural problems, 26…. damp or drainage problems.

If you still want to go 27…. with the sale, you need to appoint a solicitor (a lawyer) to 28…. the conveyancing (= the legal paperwork.) 29…. you already own a house, you might also be busy trying to sell 30….. Many house owners prefer to sell 31…. first time buyers (those people who don't already own a home), as they are 32…. in a chain (=waiting for other people to buy their house 33…. they can buy their next house).

Finally, once the contracts 33…signed and exchanged, you complete 34….your house. You 35…. the keys and you can move in 36…. you want. Then you might want to throw a house-warming party. Congratulations!

THE KITCHEN :Some people have a fitted kitchen, 1…. all the kitchen units 2…. been bought together, and they are assembled according 3…. a plan. Other people have a kitchen 4…. the units are free-standing: 5…. necessarily bought together 6…. one time.

In a kitchen you are 7…. to find cupboards (or cabinets), 8…. at floor level, or 9…. eye level. 10…. the eye level cupboards you will probably find dry goods (11…. as flour, sugar, rice, pasta, spices) and maybe glasses and crockery (plates, bowls etc). 12…. the floor level cupboards you might find pots and pans: saucepans 13…. cooking pasta etc; frying pans 14…. frying food; baking tins and roasting tins 15…. cooking food in the oven; and serving dishes made 16….glass or china. You could also find 17…. kitchen implements such as a blender (= food processor) and kitchen scales (18…. measuring and weighing food). Often the top part of a floor level cupboard has a drawer, where various items are 19…., such as cutlery (knives, forks and spoons); aluminium foil (metal paper), cling film (thin plastic wrap), freezer bags, and 20….kitchen items such as a bread knife, tin opener, corkscrew (to open bottles of wine), potato peeler (to 21…. the skin off potatoes), a rolling pin (to roll 22…. pastry) and so on.

23…. the top of the floor level cupboards you often find a worktop or work surface, where you can prepare food. These surfaces are sometimes made 24…. marble, or hard wood, and they can be easily cleaned. Some people 25…. a toaster or microwave on the work surfaces, 26… with things they need frequently, such as oil, salt, 27…. various sauces.

Most kitchens also contain a cooker 28…. an oven and four rings, (although some modern cookers are split level, where the oven is separate 29… the rings), a fridge-freezer, and perhaps a dishwasher or even a washing machine. You'll probably find a kitchen sink, where you wash the plates and dishes, and larger kitchens also 30…. a kitchen table and chairs, so you can eat in the same room.

THE BEDROOM :English words connected with the bedroom.Bedrooms come 1…. all shapes and sizes. You can find bedrooms which 2…. just a single bed, or those which have a double bed (bed which is big 3….. for two people), or even twin beds (two single beds side 4…. side). Some people choose to sleep 5….a futon (a Japanese bed which is low 6…. the ground) and some people who like luxury

might have a four-poster (a bed which has four posts – one in 7…. corner – and 8…. which you can hang curtains or mosquito nets). When children 9…. a bedroom, they might sleep 10…. bunk beds, where there is one bed 11…. top of the other. 12… upper bunk is reached 13…. a small ladder.

14… your bed, you'll have at 15…. one sheet (normally 16…. cotton, but 17…. a variety of colours or patterns), and you normally lie on top of this sheet. Some people also have a sheet 18…. them, with blankets (made 19…. wool) to 20…. them warm. Alternatively, you can replace the top sheet and blankets 21…. a duvet (a warm, but lightweight quilt). You're likely to sleep 22…. your head on a pillow, which is often filled 23…. feathers. Pillows are normally put 24…. a cotton pillow case, and the duvet is also put 25….. a cotton duvet cover. If it 26… really cold, you can also have a quilt or eiderdown 27…. your blankets. Some people also have 28…. electric blanket that they use to warm 29… the bed. In England, many people use a hot water bottle (a flat rubber bag that you fill 30…. hot water 31…. seal) to put 32….. the bed to warm it 33…..

34…. well as a bed, you're 35…. to have other furniture in your bedroom, such as a chest of drawers (a piece of furniture 36…. several drawers to put clothes 37….); a wardrobe, which is a piece of furniture38…. doors where you can hang shirts, trousers, or skirts and dresses 39…. clothes hangers; and a bedside table, which is a small table 40…. to the bed. On the bedside table, you 41…. have a bedside light and an alarm clock. Some people also have a dressing table, which is a small table that you sit in front of, 42…. a mirror to see your reflection 43…. when you 44…. your hair or make-up, and 45…. couple of drawers. Other people might have their mirror 46…. their chest of drawers, as well a hair brush and47…. a clothes brush (a special brush that you 48…. to clean jackets and shirts).

Your family tree :Your closest relatives 1…. your parents: your mother and father; and your siblings (brothers 2… sisters). If your mother or father 3…. not an only child, you also have aunts and / or uncles. An aunt is 4…. sister of your mother 5…. father, 6…. an uncle is the brother of your mother or father. Your 7…. child is called your daughter, and your 8…. child is your son.

If your aunts or uncles have children, they are 9…. first cousins. (In English, the word cousin is used, 10…. the cousin is female or male.) Your female cousin is your mother (or father's) niece, 11…. a male cousin is the nephew of your mother and father.

In-laws :When you marry, your husband (or wife's) family 12…. your in-laws. The mother of your spouse (husband or wife) is your mother-in-law and his or her father 13…. your father-in-law. The term in-law is also 14…. to describe your relationship 15…. the spouses of your siblings. So the husband of your sister becomes your brother-in-law, 16…. the sister of your husband becomes your sister-in-law. If you are a woman, you 17…. the daughter-in-law of your husband's parents, and if you are a man, you 18…. the son-in-law of your wife's parents. The same 19…. in-law is used for all generations. The husband of your aunt is still your mother's brother-in-law, for example.

Grandparents / grandchildren :The parents of your parents are your grandparents – grandmother and grandfather. You are 20…. grandchildren – 21…. a granddaughter or a grandson. If your grandparent has a sister, she is your great-aunt. If your grandparent has a brother, he is your great-uncle. (And you are either his 22…. her great-niece or great-nephew.)

The mother of your grandmother 23…. grandfather is your great-grandmother. The father is your great-grandfather. If you go back 24…. generation, the grandmother of your grandmother / grandfather is your great-great-grandmother. The grandfather of your grandparent 25….. your great-great-grandfather.

Second families:If your mother or father remarries, you can acquire a new family and set 26…. relatives. For example, if your father marries 27….second wife, she becomes your step-mother. 28… children she already has become your step-sisters 29…. step-brothers.

If your mother 30…. father remarries and has children, they become your half-brothers or half-sisters.You might also hear people talking about 31…. biological brother / sister etc, to mean a brother who is related 32… blood, rather 33…. by marriage.

Types of family :nuclear family = mother, father and children: "The traditional British family unit is a nuclear family."single-parent / one-parent family = a family 34…. only has one parent (25…. the parents are divorced, or 26…. one of the parents 27…. died): "There are 28…. and more single-parent families in 29…. UK."immediate family = your closest relatives: "Only immediate family members attended 30…. funeral."extended family = your entire family: "The wedding invitations 31… sent to the entire extended family."close-knit family = a family where the members have close relationships with 32…. other: "They are a close-knit family."dysfunctional family = a family 33…. the members have serious problems with 34…. other: "He comes 35…. a rather dysfunctional family."blood relative = a relative connected 36…. you by "blood" rather than 37…. marriage: "She's not a blood relative, 38…. we're still very close."

Expressions with family :family gathering = a meeting / celebration of family members: " 39….small family gathering next week."family resemblance = where members of the family 40…. / act similar: "You can see a distinct family resemblance 41…. the father and the son."to start a family = to start having children: "They want to wait 42…. couple of years before starting a family."to run in the family = a characteristic that is common 43…. family members: "Baldness runs in his family."to bring up / raise a family = to have and look 44…. children: "It's difficult to raise a family 45…. one income."a family car = a car big 46…. to transport a family: "47…. Volvo Estate is a popular family car." family-size = large quantity item: "We need to buy family-size packets of biscuits!"family-friendly = 47…. policy that favours families: "This hotel is family-friendly."family doctor = a doctor 48…. looks after general medical needs: "49…. are a number of good family doctors in this area."family man = a man who prefers 50…. spend his time with his family: "John is 51…. family man."family values = traditional ideas about 52…. a family should be: "Some political parties often emphasise family values and the importance 53…. marriage."family name = surname: "What's your family name?"

Describing family relationships :Children often quarrel 1…. each other, and these arguments – 2…. squabbles – are often quickly resolved. In fact, sibling rivalry (the competition between brothers and sisters) is quite common.

3…. seriously, if arguments continue 4…. adulthood, family feuds can develop where both sides can end 5…. hating 6…. other and even trying to hurt or destroy 7…. other.

A person who 8…. longer speaks to a family member is estranged 9…. his / her family. Often estrangement is voluntary. However, if parents decide they 10… longer want anything to do 11… their children, they cut them off (= break 12…. communiation), or even disinherit 13….. (Decide 14…. to leave them anything when they die.)

Most people feel loyalty 15… their family, and will defend family members saying "He / She's family". There's 16…. a saying "Blood's thicker than water" which means that your family ties are stronger than 17….other relationships.

Age :My grandfather is quite old. In fact, 18… he has a pension, he is an old age pensioner, or a senior citizen.

His daughter, my aunt, is 55, and middle-aged. She has three sons. One is 18…young adult, 19…. 24 years of age, and the other two are 20…. teenagers. They are 16 and 17. My sister also has two children – one toddler who is 21… two-year old, and a baby who is 6 months old.

Build :People are built 1…. all shapes and sizes. There are those who are fat and overweight. 2…. people are extremely overweight and are obese. 3…. people are naturally slim, but others look have absolutely 4…. fat 5…. them and are thin, or skinny.

Personally, I am stocky – small, but well-built. My father is tall and lean – 6…. very little fat. My sister is short, but wiry – she is quite thin, but muscular. 7…. my brothers are athletic and well-proportioned. My mother looks 8…. a 1940's film star. She is curvaceous, with an hour-glass figure.

My grandfather is fit 9…. his age and 10…. plenty of exercise. He doesn't want all his muscles to 11…. flabby.

Colouring:My sister is 1…. English rose – she has fair hair and fair skin. She 2…. tan easily and has to be careful 3…. the sun. My mother is blonde, also 4…. a fair complexion. I am a red-head – with red hair. 5….. many other people 6…. a pale complexion, I 7…. freckles 8…. the sun – small brown dots 8…. my face and arms. 9…. contrast, my father has dark-brown hair and he is quite dark-skinned. You are born 10… a colour – white or Caucasian, black or Asian. People 11…. parents are of different ethnic origin are mixed-race. Southern Europeans are sometimes described 12…. Mediterranean.

Face :Faces, like build, vary a 13….. Some people have oval faces – their foreheads are 14…. wider than their chins. Other people have heart-shaped, square or round faces.

Features also vary. My grandfather has bushy eyebrows (he has lots of hair!), a hooked nose and high cheekbones. His eyes are large and set quite 15…. apart. My mother has a broad nose, which she hates, 16…. she prefers narrow noses. 17…. she is lucky to have even or regular teeth. My sister corrected her crooked teeth 18…. wearing a brace which straightened 19…. She has rosy cheeks, small ears and a snub nose, which goes 20…. at the end.

I have long, curly hair, 21…. my sister is the opposite, with short, straight hair. Her hair is fine and doesn't weigh very much, 22…. mine is thick and heavy. My mother's hair is wavy – in between straight and curly. It's cut 23…. a bob and she also has a short fringe, where it is cut horizontally across her forehead. My father is losing his hair – in fact he is 24…. bald, which 25…. him very sad. My brother looks 25…. he is going to lose his hair too – it is receding.

MARRIAGE :It all starts 1…. a proposal. Traditionally the man goes 2…. on one knee to pop 3…. question.If he receives 4…. "yes", the couple 5…. engaged. It is customary 6…. the man to buy his fiancee 7…. engagement ring, 8…. commonly a diamond ring. Engagements can 9…. for years, and if 10…. of the couple breaks 11…. the engagement, the next step is marriage.

Planning the wedding :12… weddings in the UK take the form of 13…. a civil ceremony (conducted 14…. the Registry Office) or a traditional white wedding, 15…. in a church. (There are other ceremonies 16… different religions.) If the couple chooses a church service, the planning can 17…. quite complex. The church must 18… booked, the service 19… to be chosen, flowers

arranged and so on. Other arrangements (20… both traditional and civil) are to draw 21….a guest list, send 22….. invitations, book a reception venue (23…. after the ceremony), choose bridesmaids (the girls 22…. traditionally accompany the bride 23…. the church) and the best man (the bridegroom's friend 24…. accompanies him 25…. the ceremony), buy the wedding dress, arrange a honeymoon (the holiday 26…. the wedding), compile a wedding list (a list of presents 27…. guests can choose to buy the couple) and of course, to select the wedding ring(s).

The big day :The groom and best man arrive 28…. the church first, and then 29… guests arrive. Last to arrive is the bride, normally dressed 30…. a long white wedding dress 31…. a train (material from the dress that covers the floor 32…. her), her face covered 33…. a veil, carrying a bouquet of flowers, and accompanied by a couple of bridesmaids 34…. matching dresses. Usually the bride's father walks her 35…. the aisle until they reach the priest / vicar 36…. the altar. The church organ plays the Wedding March, and the guests rise 37….their feet to watch the procession. Once they reach the altar, the bride stands 38…. the groom, and the service begins. The service 39…. for about half an hour, and contains readings (extracts 40…. the Bible) and a couple of hymns (religious songs). The priest always asks 41…. there are any objections 42….the marriage (someone can speak or forever hold their peace = never have the opportunity again 43….. object), and 44…. the end of the service, the couple exchange rings and 45….. proclaimed "man and wife". 46…. that point, the groom is allowed to kiss 47…. wife. The guests leave and the couple then sign the marriage register. When they come 48…. of the church, the guests often throw confetti(small pieces of coloured paper), and the photographer takes various formal photographs.

49…. in the big day is the reception, which is often a formal lunch in a hotel. 50…. lunch there are various speeches. The bride's father normally 51…. a speech, then the best man 52…. a speech (which is often a funny speech designed to embarrass the groom), and the bridegroom and / or the bride 53….. a short speech to thank their guests.

Some couples 54…. arrange an evening reception, and hire a disco or band to play music 55…. their friends.

56…. the end of the day, the happy couple traditionally leave 57…. honeymoon.

Other wedding vocabulary:pre-wedding nerves = when you are nervous 58…. the wedding

wedding bells = the traditional tune that the church bells play 59…. the couple leave the church

wedding vows = the promises that the bride and groom 60…. to each other during the ceremony. Some of these vows could be to love 61…. other "62….l death do us part" and to love "63… richer or poorer, 64…. better or worse, 65…. sickness and 66…. good health".

wedding cake = a traditional cake 67…. three "tiers" eaten 68…. the end of the wedding meal

CHEMIST VOCABULARY :In England, high-street chemists stock a huge range of toiletries (items 1…. personal hygiene), baby products, cosmetics, perfumes and medicines. Dispensing chemists also fill prescriptions (given to you 2…. your doctor) and some even develop films 3…. you.

Baby care :Many people buy nappies (diapers) 4…. their babies 5…. chemists. Along 6…. the nappies are other products 7…. babies, 8…. as nappy cream, cotton wool buds (lengths of plastic tipped with soft cotton to clean a baby's ears, for example), baby wipes (to help clean a baby) and so on.

Hair care :Chemists also stock9… range of hair products. You can buy shampoo and conditioner (to wash your hair) and products 10…. colour hair. 11…. styling your hair you can buy gel or mousse, 12….act a bit 13…. glue to 14…. your hair in a particular style. You can also buy hair brushes or combs, to 15…. your hair neat, and hair grips and hair slides, which are plastic objects that 16…. your hair in place.

Personal hygiene :There's normally a 17…. selection of personal hygiene products. Many English people 18… to soak in a long, hot bath, and 19…. there's a huge market 20…. bath oils, bath salts or bubble bath – all ways to add nice smells 21…. your bath! You can also buy nail scissors and emery boards (to file your nails) and pumice stone, to rub 22…. dry skin 23…. your feet. 24…. oral hygiene, you can buy toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss, which is 25…. string that you use to clean 26…. your teeth. You can also buy face and body creams, moisturiser (cream to prevent your skin 27…. going dry), soap and deodorant. Other items you can find 28…. this section of the chemist are razors, to shave hair 29…. your body, shaving foam; and feminine hygiene products, such as tampons and sanitary towels.

Make up :30…. you are looking for cosmetics or make-up, you can find eye-liner (or kohl), mascara (31…. your eyelashes) and eye-shadow, 32…. is coloured powder to put 33….your eyelids. You can also buy foundation (a cream to put 34…. your face to 35…. an even surface), blusher (to add colour 36…. your cheeks), lipstick (which adds colour 37…. your lips), and lip-gloss which 38…. shine to your lips. 39…. colour your nails you can use nail polish, also known 40…. nail varnish

THE BEACH :What do you 41…. with you onto the beach?You will probably need to protect 42…. against the sun's rays, so high-factor suncream or sunblock will be useful. Sunglasses and a sun hat are 43…. recommended.Some people sit 44…. parasols, which are 45…. large umbrellas. 46…. English beaches, where the weather is 47…. unpredictable, a wind-break (piece of fabric stretched 48… wooden poles) will 49…. the wind away!

What 50… you wear to sunbathe, or to 51…. a tan? A bikini (or two-piece) 52… women, or a swimming costume. Men will probably wear swimming trunks. Sandals or flip-flops are useful 53…. walking 54…. the sand. If your skin is delicate, you might need to cover 55…. with a sarong – a long piece of cotton you wrap 56…. your waist to cover your legs – a T shirt or a pair of shorts. (Short trousers.)

You can sit 52…. a deckchair, or recline 53…. a sun-lounger. Some people even lie 54…. an inflatable mattress 55…. the sea – a lilo. Or you can lie 56…. on a towel under the sun to catch as 57… rays as possible.

Finally, entertainment. Children like buckets and spades 58…. they can build sandcastles. Personally, I prefer 59…. read a good book 60… the beach. But some people take 61…. beach balls, or frisbees (plastic discs) to throw 62…. each other. The more sporty play volley ball or badminton. My father used to 63…. along the radio to listen to the cricket scores – 64…. English! Nowadays, people take 65…. their walkman or ghetto blaster to listen to music. Perhaps the 66….common sound nowadays, though, is mobile phones. Aaaagh!

THE OFFICE VOCABULARY L :Where you store things

Perhaps you have a tall metal cupboard 1… your office 2…. three or four drawers to put files and correspondence. This is a filing cabinet. Other people have drawers 3…. their desk or portable drawers (drawers on wheels) in 4…. offices.

In your filing cabinets you usually have hanging files, 5….you can put loose correspondence. If you want to put correspondence 6…., you can use folders or plastic wallets. You can also put papers 7…. a folder and put the folder 8…. a bookshelf.

You can also store small things on 9…. desk. For example, perhaps you put pens 10…. a pen holder or 11…. a container. You might 12…. have a desk tidy 13…. different components 14….pens, rubber bands, erasers and so on.

How you attach things :To stick things 15…., you can use one-sided sticky tape, known in England 16…. 'sellotape' but 17…. as 'Scotch', which is a type of whisky! You can use a stronger type of sellotape 17…. cardboard boxes and this is called masking tape. Or you could use glue – a sticky liquid that comes out 18… a bottle to stick things 19…..

You can attach paper 20…. a paperclip, which is made 21…. metal or plastic. A paperclip is the icon you can see 22…. your email program 23…. you want to send an attachment.

If you want to attach paper 24…. permanently, you can use a stapler (which contains staples) to staple the pieces 25….. A staple is a small, sharp metal bar 26…. has two ends that curl 27….. the bottom sheet of paper to 28…. all the pieces together.

How you cut things

You can use a pair of scissors to 29…. paper. If you want to 30…. two holes 31…. the left hand margin of paper 32…. that you can put the paper 33…. a file, you can use a hole-punch. Line 34…. the hole-punch on the paper, push 35…. and you will 36…. two circular holes in the paper.

If you want to cut something thicker 37…. paper, you will probably need a knife. If you want to 38…. many pieces of paper together, you can also use a guillotine. This is a flat piece of metal 39…. a sharp blade 40…. one side. You lift the blade then bring it down 41…. the paper. (It's 42…. after the implement used in 43…. French Revolution.)

Office equipment :You probably have access 44…. a printer (45…. needs ink cartridges), a photocopier (46…. needs toner), a fax machine and maybe 47…. an overhead projector, also known as 48…. OHP. 49…. OHP is useful 50…. you want to present information and project text or images 51…. a screen 52…. the front of a room.

You might 53…. have a whiteboard (to write 54…. using whiteboard markers) or a flipchart. A flipchart is a stand 55…. very large pieces of paper which you can write 56…., then flip over, to 57…. the next piece of blank paper.

You might have a place in the office 58…. you can leave messages and notices 59… other people. This is 60…. a notice board and you need to use drawing pins to attach your notice 61…. the board.

The coast :Often 1…. the edge of the sea 2…. are cliffs (high mountains), which 3…. a great view 4…. the sea. But they can also be dangerous, especially 5….they are eroded, 6…. rocks and earth fall away 7…. the sea. Most people prefer sandy beaches 8…. than pebble beaches (beaches 9…. small stones). The coastline can be straignt, or it can have bays 10…. are often semi-circular 11…. shape.

Mountains :Mountain ranges are spectacular 12…. you can often see snow-capped peaks 13…. the skyline. 14…. the top of a mountain (the summit or the

peak), there are breathtaking views. Not 15…. grows 16…. mountains, as generally the terrain (ground) is rocky, but the air is often pure. However, the valleys (low areas encircled 17…. the mountains) are more fertile.

Inland :18….the foothills of the mountains (the small hills nearest mountains), the scenery inland tends 19…. be less dramatic 20…. rolling hills and open countryside. You can find more farmland, 21…. also forests or woods (smaller forests). The land is generally irrigated 22…. rivers or lakes (areas of water 23…. are enclosed) and streams (narrow paths 24…. water).

In 25…. countries, there are vast areas of open, flat land 26…. plains (or prairies) which 27…. used to grow various crops 28…. as wheat (the grain used to 29…. flour for bread.)

ISTANBUL EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE FOR 2010 :Istanbul, named European Capital 1..... Culture 2.... 2010, celebrated 3..... spectacular fireworks displays, light shows, cultural performances, and concerts, 4.... were arranged 5.... seven locations 6.... the city, symbolising the seven hills 7 ....which ancient Istanbul was built.

8.... European Union chose Istanbul, Turkey's and Europe's largest city, 9…. one of the three European Capitals of Culture 10…. 2010 in 2006, 11….. with Pécs in Hungary, and Essen in Germany. With 12…. rich heritage and urban life, Istanbul is already recognized 13….one of the world's great cultural capitals.

Istanbul beat Kiev, Ukraine's capital, 14…. the title and 15…. the last European Capital of Culture outside 16….. EU; after 2010, non-EU cities can 17…. longer apply.

"Istanbul is 18…. European city. With 19…. heart, 20…. culture and civilisation, 21…. people, 22…. past and future, it has always looked 23…. Europe. Istanbul has shaped European culture and has 24…. shaped by it." said Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, 25….. country's Prime Minister

BETTER YOUR ENGLISH :Improving your English speaking skills will help you communicate 1…. easily and effectively. But how do you become a 2…. confident English speaker?

Practise where you can, when you can. Any practice is good – whether you speak to 3…. who is a native English speaker 4…. not.It's important to build your confidence. If possible, use simple English sentence structure 4…. you know is correct, so that you 5…. concentrate on 6 your…. message across.Try to experiment 7…. the English you know. Use words and phrases you know 7…. new situations. Native English speakers are 8…. likely to correct you if you use 9…. wrong word than if you use 10…. wrong grammar. Experimenting 11…. vocabulary is a really good way of 12…. feedback.Try to respond to 13…. people say to you. You can often 14…. clues to what people think 15…. looking at their body language. Respond 16…. them 17…. a natural way.Try NOT to translate 18…. and 17…. your own language. This 18…. too much time and will 19…. you more hesitant.If you forget a word, 20…. what native English speakers do all 21…. time, and say things that 'fill' 22…. conversation. This is better than 23…. completely silent. Try using um, or er, if you forget the word.Don't speak too fast! 24…. important to use a natural rhythm 25…. speaking English, but if you speak 26…. fast it will be difficult 27…. people to understand you.Try to relax when you speak – you'll find your mouth 28….. most of the pronunciation work 29…. you. When you speak English 30…. normal speed, you'll discover that many of the pronunciation skills, such as linking between words, 31…. happen automatically.

Remember, when speaking English…Try to become 32…. hesitant and more confident.Don't 33…. shy to speak – the 34…. you do it, the 35…. confident you'll become.Remember to be polite – use "please" and "thank you" if you ask 36…. to do something 37…. you.

THE BANK :If you live 1…. any period of time in 2…. UK, you'll probably want to open a bank account. There 3…. two main types of accounts: a current account and a savings account.

You can use a current account 4…. your day-to-day banking needs. Your bank might 5…. you a cheque book, which allows you to write cheques to pay 6…. goods and services. You'll probably also have a bank card which allows you to withdraw cash 7…. cash machines (also known as atm or "hole in the wall" machines) and to pay 8…. goods in shops. You 9…. a secret pin number (personal identification number) that you use 10…. you withdraw cash.

If you receive a cheque, you 11…. pay it in or deposit it 12…. your bank. You can also pay 13…. cash (money). If you want to convert your cheque 14…. cash, you can cash the cheque. Some companies can also pay money 15…. your account 16…. a direct bank transfer.

A savings account 17…. pay you interest. Most banks give you a different rate of interest depending on 18…. much you are saving, and 19…. much notice you give before withdrawing money.

In the UK, people traditionally use banks 20…. a range of services. As 21…. as an overdraft facility (where you 22…. money from the bank), people also 23…. a mortgage (loan to buy a house), personal loan, and insurance 24….. their banks. High street banks (the sort of banks 25…. you can find 26…. any high street) are also good places to change money.

Many banks now offer telephone banking and internet banking. This means that you 27…. manage your finances 28…. going to the local branch (office) of your bank

AT THE AIRPORT :If you 1…. a flight from an airport in an English-speaking country, you're 2…. to hear some of these phrases.

Checking in :Did you pack these bags 3….?4…. you left these bags unattended?5…. the luggage belong to you?Have you been 6…. your bags the whole time?Has 7….. given you anything to take 8…. the flight?How many bags do you have to check 9….Do you have 10…. hand luggage?Are you carrying 11…. restricted items?12…. I see your passport?Would you 13….. an aisle seat or a window seat? (aisle = 14…. to the corridor)Your gate number is … and your flight boards 15….. …. (gate number = the numbered area of the airport where your flight leaves 16…..)

Going 17….. security :You need to put your hand luggage 18….. the x-ray machine. Some items cannot be taken 19…. board as hand luggage (such as knives, aerosol cans etc.) As you pass 20…. security, you may set off the alarm. When this happens, the airport personnel search you.

In the departure lounge :When you pass 21….. security, and 22….. you board your flight, you can wait in the departure lounge. 23…. international airports there is duty free shopping, where you can buy goods 24…..paying taxes.

Airport announcements :Please proceed 25….. gate number… (proceed = go to)In a 26…. moments we will be calling all passengers 27….. priority boarding.Please have your boarding card ready 28…. inspection

SHOPPING IN THE SALES :December 26 (or Boxing Day) is traditionally 1…. start of the winter sales in the UK,2….. items are heavily discounted. In 3….., bargain hunters can find 4…. items reduced 5…. to 50% off their pre-sale price.

Shops advertise unbeatable offers, 6…. prices slashed (= cut) or sold at give-away prices. Many shops 7….. the sales on for a long period of time in 8….. to clear stock ahead of new spring arrivals. You can often see signs saying Clearance Sale and Everything must go!

The best bargains are to 9…. found 10…. the beginning of the sales. Some people queue 11…. overnight before the opening of the sales in order 12…. snap up the best bargains. "Armchair shoppers" start shopping online even 13…. the sales officially start. This year, there have 14…. reports of record numbers of people 15….. the doors, and huge amounts have been rung 16…. on the tills in the first hours of trading. It seems as 17…. the British are spending like there's 18…. tomorrow

LEARN ENGLISH WITH THE INTERNET :When I first started teaching English (way 1…. the days of the internet) students and teachers used coursebooks. 2…. I think that coursebooks are useful – they provide 3…. structure to learn grammar and skills – if you're learning English 4…., there are so 5…. other ways to use and practise English.Here are some excellent ways to use the internet 6…. learning English:

Join a community :It's easier to learn when you've 7…. someone to practise 8….. By chatting and sharing ideas with 9…. people, your focus is 10…. communicating 11…. a different reason than 12…. learning a language. For example, in the longest-running thread 13…. the Penpals forum, people from 14…. the world ask 15…. other questions about culture, life, and 16….other subjects. It's a forum 17…. exchanging ideas and information – not for 18…. your writing corrected. And an interesting thing 19…. happened in the two years the thread 20….. developed: the writing ability of the forum posters 21…. improved 22…. reading each other's posts, and using new vocabulary, phrases and sentence structure. Of course, english-at-home….. isn't the only community 23…. learning English. Livemocha has 24…. two million members learning different languages 25…...- 26….. in touch using social mediaWrite a blog, get 27…. twitter, comment 28…. websites… You can follow me 29…. twitter (send tweets and I'll follow you back!) or become a fan 30…. our facebook page. The 31….you contact people, the 32…. you practise English.

Ask questions :Got a question you need an answer 33…., but no teacher 34…. hand to ask? Lots of language learning sites provide forums 35….you can ask questions 36…. English. Our Help Me! forum is one place, but there are plenty of 37….., such as english forums.

Improve your language skills :There are tons and tons of great sites 38…. helping you improve your English. Here are 39…. some of them – feel free to add 40…. the list!- Watch videos 41…. youtube, and improve your listening skills 42…. vocabulary.For example, watch The Flatmates, 43…. BBC learning soap opera.- Record your own video clips 44…. 12seconds with your webcam or mobile phone and share 45…. your friends, or family.- Improve your pronunciation 46…. listening to English words on forvo.- 47…. your own vocabulary "word clouds" with wordle. It's often easier to remember 48….visual, and wordle 49….. coloured images of the words or text you upload.- Read and listen to the news 50…. 51…. BBC

HOUSE VOCABULARY :1…. you live in a block of flats or a bungalow (one-storey house with or 2…. an attic), British houses normally have two or three floors 3… stories. 4…. the ground floor you're likely to find the living room, kitchen and dining room, 5…. on the

first floor you'll probably find bedrooms and a bathroom.

6…. the second or top floor is the attic, 7…. loft. 8…. the roof of many houses you can still see a chimney and chimney pot – even if the house now benefits 9…. central heating.

The floors of a house are connected 10…. stairs, 11…. a landing (area) on the upper floor which leads 12…. the upstairs rooms.

Most British houses are made 13… brick and cement. 14…. a row of terrace houses (houses joined 15….), the interconnecting walls are cavity walls: they have a space 16….. them to allow air to circulate. 17…. the interiors, the walls are covered 18…. plaster, and then 19….. painted or decorated 20….. wallpaper. The internal walls of a house fall 21…. two categories: load-bearing walls (those that are structural and support the weight 22…. the floors) and partition walls (those walls that divide rooms, but can be knocked 23…..) Floors and roofs are supported by strong>beams, which are long, heavy pieces of wood 24…. metal.

Floors can be covered 25…. a variety of materials, such as parquet (wooden squares), laminate flooring (a type 26… thin wooden plank), or tiles (either ceramic or vinyl). In living rooms and bedrooms, the floors 27…. generally covered 28…. carpets.

Houses are normally connected 28… local utilities, such as mains water, electricity and gas supply. In the countryside, not 29,,,, is connected to mains gas, and some houses have gas tanks in their gardens. 30…. vast majority of people are connected to the local sewage system (for waste water), but some people have their 31…. septic tanks in their gardens to treat waste water. Houses that are connected to utilities 32…. separate meters to show 33…. much they consume. Representatives of these utility companies visit houses regularly to 34…. meter readings – with which they can then bill their customers.

35…. electrical jobs (such as wiring or rewiring = installing the electrical cables) should only be 36…. by professional electricians, although you can still change a plug, or change a socket (the hole in the wall 37…. you put the plug 38…. to connect to the electricity supply). 39….safety reasons, the wiring in the house is on more 40…. one circuit: lighting usually is 41…. one circuit, and the sockets are on another circuit.

Some plumbing (water piping) jobs should also be 42…. by professional plumbers. For example, although you can change taps, you should 43…. a professional to install a gas boiler.

Some building work can be 44…. without supervision. Many people enjoy 45…. DIY, such as putting up shelves, fitting cupboards and doors, assembling furniture and so on. However, 46…. the big jobs, such as loft conversions and building extensions, you need to first apply 47…. and obtain planning and building permission (48…. the local authorities) then employ a firm of builders.

In Britain, damp winter weather causes many problems 49…. houses. For example, some houses can suffer 50…. damp (humidity) or dry rot, caused by water seeping 51…. walls and timber (wood). 52…. this reason, houses have gutters (tubes attached just 53…. the roof that run 54…. the length of the house to catch rain water) and some may need regular damp proof treatment (special chemicals to prevent damp 54…. spreading). Window sills (the piece of the wall – internal or external – in 55…. the window is set) and window frames (the wood that goes 56…. the window) should be 57…. waterproof (so that water cannot get 58….), and most people have central heating 59…. radiators to 60…. the air inside warm and dry. Special thermostats set on the wall help to regulate the temperature in the room. 61…. addition, most people have insulation in the loft to 62…. warm air in, and cold air 63…..

ENGLISH LANGUAGE COURSES :Many people go to the UK in summer 1…. study English. Typically, they enrol 2…. a language school 3…. a fortnight (=two weeks) or 4…. longer, and attend language classes in the morning. In the afternoon, there is often a choice 5….. supplementary (= extra) lessons, or social activities, such as trips 6…. museums or places of local interest, 7…. sport activities. The school will 8….. also book your accommodation.

Maybe you will stay 9…. a local family 10…. a full-board (= accommodation and all meals included) or half-board (= accommodation plus breakfast and dinner) basis, or perhaps you will stay in student accommodation, such as a hall of residence (= specially-built accommodation 11…. students attending English universities).

12…. you start your English course, you'll probably need to 13…. a placement test, which will assess your language level. If you're attending 14…. business English course, you'll probably also 15…. a needs analysis, which pinpoints the areas of business English that you need to work 16…..

Most language schools offer a 17…. of courses. For instance, you might decide to have your lessons 18… a small group, or you might prefer a one-to-one or individual course. Schools also offer exam-preparation courses (19…. the Cambridge or TOEFL exams) as well as YL (young learner = children) courses and ESP (English for Specific Purposes) courses.

Your teacher should be TEFL-qualified, 20…. means that he or she has undergone specific training to teach English 21…. a foreign language. He or she should be sensitive 22… your problems or needs, as well as able to manage the classroom effectively and to provide a range 23….. learning activities.

However, it's also true to say that you "get 24…. what you put in": 25…. harder you study, and 26…. more you 27…. advantage 28…. being in an English-speaking country, 29…. faster you will improve your English

DRIVING VOCABULARY:Regulations:In England, you must drive 1…. the left (unless road signs tell you 2…. or if you are overtaking – passing another car). The driver's seat is 3…. the right hand side of the car, and the passenger's seat is 4…. the left. The gearstick is 5…. the left of the driver.

Drivers and passengers have to 6…. a seatbelt, except if they 7…. certain medical conditions, and seatbelts should also be 8…. in the back seat. If you "drink drive" (drive 9.,…. drinking alcohol), the penalties can be serious. Most people will advise you 10…. to drink alcohol at all 11….. driving.

Be especially careful to respect the speed limits 12…. the roads. A sign tells you 13…. the maximum speed limit is, and if you 14…. the speed limit, you may 15…. a fine or points on your licence. There are many hidden speed cameras 16…. operation, so watch 17….!

Indicators :You should 18…. your indicators to show if you are turning left or right. You should also use your mirrors (wing mirrors 19….the side of the car) and rearview mirror (to see 20…. you) before you set off, 21…. a turning, slow 22…. or overtake. Drivers should also turn round to look 23…. their right shoulder so that they can see 24…. is happening in their blind spot – the place behind you that you cannot see – even 24…. mirrors.

Road junctions : 25….road junctions, check to see that no pedestrians are crossing the road 26…. which you are turning, as they 27…. priority and you will have to wait. If there is a Stop sign 28… the junction, you must stop your car 29…. the white line and wait until there is a gap 30…. the

traffic. If there is a Give Way sign (also shown 31…. a triangle), you must 32…. priority to traffic on the main road. There are also box junctions, 33…. there are yellow lines painted in a box on the road. You can only go 34….. a box if your exit is clear.

Some junctions 35…. controlled by traffic lights, and here the same rules apply 36…. for traffic lights on other roads. A red light means "stop", and you can only start moving 37…. the light changes 38…. green. After green, the light changes 39…. amber (orange) and you can only continue if your car has already crossed the line and 40…. stopping could cause an accident.

Roundabouts :41….roundabouts, you go 42….in a clockwise direction. You have to 43…. priority 44…. traffic coming from the right. You should get in lane according 45….which exit you need. (If you are leaving 46…. the first exit, get 47…. the left hand lane; if you are leaving 48…. the middle exits, 49…. in the middle lane(s); and 50….into the right hand lane if you are leaving at the last exit.) Signal left to leave the roundabout 51…. you have passed the exit previous to yours.

Pedestrian crossings :There 52…. two main types of pedestrian crossings. There are zebra crossings (which 53…. marked by white stripes in the road) and there are pelican crossings, 54…. a red flashing light means you have to stop 55…. pedestrians. You can't park on 56…. type of crossing, and you should 57…. way to pedestrians.

Motorway driving :There are special rules 58…. driving on motorways. 59…. short, learner drivers (those who haven't yet passed their driving tests) cannot drive 60…. motorways. The speed limit is 61…. than on other roads, and there are 62…. least three lanes of traffic. You have to 63…. extra care when overtaking, joining or leaving the motorway. If you break down, you should stay 64…. the hard shoulder (a narrow lane 65…. the left) and wait for assistance.

VISITING THE DOCTOR :The first time you visit 1…. new doctor, you should talk about your medical history – the illnesses you 2… had, any operations you have 3….. and so on. Your doctor might want to 4…. you a check-up.

A check-up 5…. include monitoring your blood pressure, as high blood pressure is serious and can lead 6…. life-threatening conditions. Your doctor will 7…. also 8…. your pulse to check that your heart rate is normal.

A doctor uses a stethoscope to listen to your breathing – particularly if you 9…. a heart or chest infection, or 10…. condition such as asthma.

Of course, you can also visit the doctor 11…. a huge range of other reasons. Children need to 12….their injections and if you are going abroad 13…. holiday, you might also need to have injections 14…. infectious diseases. In winter, you can also 15…. a flu vaccine so that you won't 16…. the flu.

If you 17…. medication, a doctor will write you a prescription. You can 18…. your prescription filled 19…. a chemist.

20…. more serious medical conditions, you can get a referral to a clinic or a hospital. You might need blood tests 21…., or you might need 22…. X-ray, or you might 23…. to see a specialist.

The first time you visit a new doctor, you 24…. talk about your medical history – the illnesses you have 25…., any operations you have 26…. and so on. Your doctor might want to 27….you a check-up.

A check-up will include monitoring your blood pressure, as high blood pressure is

serious and 28… lead to life-threatening conditions. Your doctor will probably also 29… your pulse to check that your heart rate is normal.

A doctor 30… a stethoscope to listen to your breathing – particularly if you 31… a heart or chest infection, or a condition such as asthma.

Of course, you can also visit the doctor for a huge 32… of other reasons. Children need to 33… their injections and if you are going abroad 34… holiday, you might also need to 35…. injections 36… infectious diseases. In winter, you can also 37… a flu vaccine so that you won't 38… the flu.

If you 39… medication, a doctor will write you a prescription. You can 40… your prescription filled 41…. a chemist.

For more serious medical conditions, you can 42…. a referral to a clinic or a hospital. You might need blood tests 43…., or you might need 44…. X-ray, or you might need to see a specialist.

GOING TO THE DENTIST :Dentists recommend that you go 1…. a check-up at least twice 2… year. At the same time as you 3… the dentist, you can also 4…. an appointment 5…. the dental hygienist who will clean and polish your teeth 6…. you.

The dentist 7… that your teeth are in good condition. If you 8… a hole, or a cavity, you may 9… a filling, which is a small amount of porcelain that the dentist uses to fill the hole. Many adults 10… one or more fillings – often 11…. their back teeth or molars.

You may have more serious problems 12… your teeth and occasionally the dentist will need to 13…an X-ray to see the damage to your teeth 14… clearly. For example, a tooth may be 15… rotten that the dentist recommends an extraction (where the tooth is removed) or you may need root canal work, where the dentist repairs damage 16…. the roots of a tooth. In both of these occasions, you will need 17… anaesthetic so that you 18…. feel the pain. (Unfortunately, you will still be able to hear the sound of the dentist's drill, the metal instrument used to open 19…. the tooth.)

Some adults also experience problems 20… their wisdom teeth. There are four of these teeth: two 21… teeth, and two 22…. teeth at the extreme left and right 23…. the mouth. If they don't come down properly, they can 24…. painful and need to 25… removed.

If you fall 26… and knock 27… one of your front teeth, the dentist may be able to 28… a false tooth. The dentist can also repair teeth which 29… disintegrated, by putting a cap 30… the tooth, to stop it disintegrating 31…..

Specialist dentists (called orthadontists) can straighten teeth which 32… crooked. They put braces (wires) on the teeth to 33… this. Many children need to have this work 34…..

Finally, "prevention is better 35…. cure". Dentists recommend that you brush your teeth twice a day, and floss your teeth to remove 36… food 37…. your teeth. An antibacterial mouthwash will help to avoid the build-up of plaque.

Describing the menu :"The dish 1…. the day" / "daily special" = what the restaurant is featuring."What's the dish 2… the day?""It's the chef's omelette.""set menu" = a menu where the starter, main course and dessert are chosen 3… the restaurant."a la carte" = where you choose what you want to eat 4…. the menu.

Asking for a description of the food:"What is 'fisherman's pie' 5…..?""Is this dish vegetarian?""What's in spaghetti vongole?""Does this dish come 6… any vegetables?""Can you tell me how this dish 7….prepared?"

Describing food"It's a meat dish, garnished 8…. parsley."A garnish is something that is served 9…. the food, not mixed in."It's topped 10….cheese."Topped is something that 11…. on top of the food."It's served 12…. a side salad."Side salad is salad served 13…. a bowl or separate plate.Sauces can be cheesy (made 14…. cheese), savoury (not sweet), creamy (smooth), spicy (made 15…chilli peppers) or delicate (a subtle, rather 16…. strong taste).Desserts can be rich (very filling 17….a strong taste, 18…. chocolate gateau), light (not heavy 19…taste or texture, 20… a sorbet), tangy (21….. a sharp taste of lemon or orange, 22…. a lemon pie), or fruity (23…. with fruit, 24….trifle).

Ordering in a restaurant – things waiters say:"Are you ready to order 25….?""Have you decided what you are 26….?""Would you like anything to drink 27…. your meal?""Can I recommend the chef's special?"

Ordering in a restaurant – things customers say:"We'd like a little 28…., please.""Could you give us a 29… more minutes?""We really can't decide. Can you advise 30….?"

TELEPHONING IN ENGLISH:Useful vocabulary for 1…. telephone calls 2…. English.Spelling:If you need to spell your name, or take the name 3…. your caller, the 4…. problem is often saying vowel sounds: 'a' is pronounced as in 'may''e' is pronounced as in 'email' or 'he''i' is pronounced as in 'I' or 'eye''o' is pronounced as in 'no''u' is pronounced as 'you'

Saying consonants'g' is pronounced like the 'j' in 'jeans''j' is pronounced as in 'DJ' or 'Jane''w' is pronounced 'double you''x' is pronounced 'ex''y' is pronounced 'why''z' is pronounced 'zed' (rhymes with 'bed' in British English), or 'zee' (rhymes with 'sea' in American English).

Tip: Keep a note of how you say these letters 5… your telephone.

Giving numbers:6…. a phone number: 0171 222 3344. And 7…. how to say it:"Oh-one-seven-one, triple two, double three, double four."OR :"Zero-one-seven-one, triple two, double three, double four."

Pausing :When you say a seven digit number, separate the number 8…. two blocks of three and four, pausing after 9…. block.10…. digit is spoken separately, unless it's a double or triple. If the second part 11…. the number was '5555', you'll probably find it 12…. to say 'double five – double five'.

Saying email addresses :@ is pronounced 'at'. 13…. instance, caimin@clara.net is "caimin, at, clara, dot, net"./ is "forward slash".- is called a "hyphen" or a "dash"._ is an "underscore".

Example telephone dialogues :14…. are examples of typical telephoning language:

Getting through :You: "Can I speak 15… (Mr Smith), please?" or "Is (Mr Smith) there, please?"Receptionist: "May I ask 16…. calling?" or "Could I have your name, please?"You: "Yes, 17… is Tom McIvor speaking."Many British people don't identify 18…. when they 19… or receive a phone call. 20…. at home, they normally pick 21… the phone and say "Hello". But they won't be offended if you ask for 22…. name. :Leaving or taking a message :Receptionist: "I'm afraid Mr Smith is…… 23….of the office today."… 24…. sick today."… 25…. a meeting."… 26… holiday."or "I'm afraid his line is engaged.""…Would you like to 27… a message?"You: "Could you ask him to call me 28…?" or "Could you ask him to 29… my call?"Receptionist: "30… he have your number?" or "What's your number, please?"The receptionist uses "I'm afraid" or "I'm sorry" if he or she 31…. connect you.If the receptionist doesn't offer to 32… a message, you can ask to leave one.You: "Could I leave a message, please?"Receptionist: "Yes, certainly." or "Yes, of course."

Social talk on the phone :If you know the person, or have spoken 33…., it's normal to chat for a few seconds 34… saying why you are calling.You: "Hello, this is (Tom McIvor) speaking." or "Hello, this is (Tom McIvor)."You might also want to add your company name: "This is (Tom McIvor) from (McIvor Worldwide)."The other person: "Hello, how are you?"You: "Fine, thanks. And you?"The other person: "Very well, thanks."or "Not bad."or "Can't complain."or "A bit busy" etc.You: "Oh good."or "Oh right."or "Glad to hear 35…."

If someone asks you 36…. you are, respond (positively!) and return the question. This social talk can be extended. You could ask about a project you know the person is working 37…, or a mutual friend, or the person's family.You: "Hello, this is (Tom McIvor). How are you?"Other person: "Fine, and yourself?"You: "Fine, thanks. How's the restructuring 38…?"Other person: "Well, we're pretty busy, 39…you can imagine."You: "Yes, I can! Anyway, I'm calling 40….…"To introduce the subject of your call, you can use words such as 'anyway', or 'well', or 'right'.Remember, if you haven't spoken to the person 41…., or don't know them, then social talk is inappropriate – 42…. straight to the reason 43…. your call.

Calling someone you don't know :Perhaps a colleague has asked you to call 44….. You don't know the person, so you 45… introduce 46…. and mention your colleague's name.You: "Hello, this is (Sarah Brown) calling, from (McIvor Worldwide)."Other person: "Hello, what can I do for you?"or "Hello, how can I help you?"You: "I'm calling on behalf 47…(Tom McIvor)…"or "(Tom McIvor) suggested that I call you."or "(Tom McIvor) asked me 48… call you."

Remember…* try to speak clearly and 49… be afraid to speak 49….slowly than normal.* think about what you want to say 50…. calling.* don't be afraid to ask your caller to repeat 51…. if you don't understand. You can say, "I'm sorry, could you repeat 52…. please?" or "Sorry, I didn't quite 53…. that."

What to say when there's a problem :When you can't hear someone"I'm sorry, could you speak 54…., please?""I'm sorry, I can't hear you very well.""I'm sorry, the line's 55…. – could you repeat what you 56…. said?"When you don't understand what someone says:"I'm afraid I don't follow you. Could you repeat it, please?""I'm sorry, I'm not sure I understand. Would you 57… explaining it again, please?"When you want to correct what the other person has said:"Actually, it's 16, not 60." (Stress the two words where there is confusion – in this example the 16 and the 60.)"I'm sorry, but I think there's 58…. a misunderstanding. The payment's due next week, not next month.""I'm sorry, but that's not quite right.." (When you refer back to 59…. someone has just said. You then go on to say what IS right.)

Checking that you understand something :"So if I understand you correctly…""When you say… do you mean…?"

THANK YOU LETTERS AND EMAILS:It's polite to write a "thank you" letter 1… time you receive a present. You can also write emails to thank people, but it's still considered 2…. "personal" to write a short letter 3…. hand.Layout and format :"Thank you" letters can be quite short, and fill one 4….two sides of A5 paper (one side of A5 paper is half the size of a sheet of A4 or office paper). You can write your address 5… the top left hand corner of the paper, but you don't 6…. to write the recipient's address. You 7…. also write the date 8…. your address. You normally start 9…. letter "Dear…" followed 10…. the name of the person you are writing 11….In the first paragraph (which 12… be short), you 13…. thank the person 14…. the gift and say 15…. complimentary about it:"Thank you for the book tokens. I'm looking forward 16…. choosing a book with them.""Thank you for 17… wall calendar. It will be very useful 18…. me this year!""Thank you very much for the beautiful soaps. I'm looking forward to relaxing 19…. a hot bath!""Thank you very much for the lovely photo frame. It will look very nice 20…. my chest of drawers.""Thank you very much for the elegant scarf you sent 21….. It's exactly what I need 22…. special occasions."

In the second paragraph, you 23…. give general news about 23…. you spent the holiday period (or 24…. you spent your birthday if you have received a birthday present). You 25…. also show interest in the other person's holiday.

"We 26…. a very quiet and relaxing Christmas at home. 27…. kids ate too 28…. chocolates as usual, so now we're all 29…. a diet! I hope your Christmas was as good, and that you were 30…. to relax for a few days."

In the third paragraph you can talk about 31…. general family or personal news.

In the final paragraph, you should thank the person again for 32… gift, and 33…. your wishes for the New Year if applicable. (See 34…. for useful phrases for ending the letter.)

Useful phrases:You should start your letter 35…"Dear" and follow it36….the person's first name:"Dear Tom" or "Dear Uncle Bill"You can end your letter with 37…. of these phrases:"With love (38….)", "With much love (39….)", "Lots of love (40….)" or "Love (41….)" followed by your name 42…. the next line. The "from" in these phrases is optional.

You normally end the letter 43…. repeated thanks and wishes 44…. the New Year:"Thank you again for my present.""Thank you again for such a thoughtful gift.""Wishing you 44….happy New Year.""With all my best wishes 45…. a happy New Year.""Wishing you all the best 46…. 2006."

An example thank you letter

7, London RdManchester

30 December, 2005

Dear Uncle Bill

Thank you very much for 1…. French cookery book you gave 2….. The recipes look wonderful, and I'll certainly enjoy using 3…..

I hope you and Auntie Susan 4… a good Christmas. We stayed at home, but 5…. a couple of day trips 6…. nearby. Our local theatre put 7…. a production of "A Christmas Carol", 8…. was fun.

I go 9…. to University next week, and this year I'm going to have to study 10…. for the final exams. I've really enjoyed the course 11…. far, but I'm not sure 12…. to do once I 13…. my degree. The University arranges career interviews, but I don't really 14… a clear idea of 15… I want to do. Hopefully it will all become clearer 16… the course of the year.

Thank you again for the lovely present, and Happy New Year!

With 17…. Love

Anna

LEARN ENGLISH WITH TV:Television is great 1…. learning English. The pictures 2…. it easier to understand 3… radio and because you can see 4…. talking, you 5…. a better idea 6…. what people mean. Just watch their "body language"!Watch programmes that you find enjoyable 7…. entertaining – 8….. you watch will help you to 9…. your English.

Here's the english@home guide to learning as 10…. as possible 11…. watching English television:Only watch programmes you find interesting. Learning English 12…. be fun – not something you have to force 13…. to do. If you have a passion 14…. football, watch matches or the sports news.15…. a notebook near to your television, so that you can jot 16…. any new words or expressions that you hear. 17…. is especially useful 18…. the programme you are watching 19… been subtitled 20…. your language.Try to watch English television regularly. 21…. if you can only watch 15 minutes a day, you'll be amazed 22…. much you learn.Don't worry if you don't understand everything – English television is normally aimed 23…. native English language speakers. Programmes often include difficult words and expressions. If the programme you're watching 24…. full of unknown words, just concentrate 25…. understanding the general meaning.Even cartoons and children's programmes are useful 26…. learning English and quiz shows are useful 27…. learning how to ask and answer questions 28… English.29…. a note of television programmes and presenters that you find easy 30… understand and try to watch 31…. regularly. 32…. this will increase your confidence and 33…. you a sense of achievement.

HOW TO WRITE BETTER ENGLISH:Before you start Ask 34…. "Why am I writing?" 35…. thinking about the purpose of your text (perhaps you want to explain 36…., or ask something etc) you can choose the 37…. appropriate vocabulary and level 38…. formality. Who are you writing 39….? 40…. is your reader, and 41…. is their level of knowledge of English? Choose your language carefully and avoid words and expressions that are 42…. technical or complicated. Plan 43…. you write. Prepare 44…. writing by 45…. a plan, and looking 46…. all the words you need 47…. you start writing.A plan helps you 48…. a clear focus and helps you avoid repetition. Just jot 49… the points you want to 50…. and order them 51…. logical paragraphs. Remember that paragraphs 52…. be too long. In fact, in certain types 53…. writing, such as emails, your paragraphs can be one sentence long.It's quicker to look 54…. all the words you need 55…. you write so you 56…. interrupt your "flow" of writing.

What to write:Say why you are writing 57….the first sentence. Use phrases such as "I am writing to enquire 58….…" so that your reader understands 59…. you are writing. If you're replying 60…. someone, you can write "Thank you for your email." Use standard greetings and endings. Most letters begin 61…. "Dear Mr X" or "Dear Ms X" and should end "Yours sincerely" (or 62…. American English, "Sincerely yours"). If you know your reader quite well, you can be 63…. formal with "Dear (first name)" and end "Best wishes" or "Best regards". If you absolutely have to write "Dear Sir" end 64…. "Yours faithfully" rather 65…. "Yours sincerely".

In emails you can start 66…. the first name "Jane", or precede it 67…. "Hi". If you are writing to a number of people, you can leave 68…. the greeting. 69…. end an email you 70…. write "Best wishes", "Kind regards", "Thanks" or 71…. British English "Cheers".

Use a closing expression in letters such as "Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of 72…. assistance." In emails you can write, for example, "Many thanks for your help."

In letters, write the date 73…. in full: 7 June 2006 or June 7, 2006. Avoid using abbreviated dates such as (7/6/2006) as although British speakers will understand this as 7 June, Americans will understand it 74…. be July 6.

Extra tips :Use linking expressions to connect ideas and sentences. Words such as 'and', 'but', 'therefore', 'however', guide your reader 75…. your ideas and 76…. your writing easier to read. See also Linking Words in our Grammar section.

Be careful of referring words such as 'this' and 'it'. Make sure they refer to the right word or phrase.Write as concisely 77….possible. Don't 78…. your sentences too long, as they might 79…. difficult to read. Avoid more than two ideas in 80…. sentence. Follow this word order principle to 81…. your sentences concise: Subject – Verb – Object – Manner – Place – Time(Who — Does—What— How— Where- When)

"Please could you send us the confirmation as 82…. as possible.""The Managing Director will visit the factory 83….Monday 10 July at 10 am."

Edit what you write. Use your computer spell-check, but check 84…. grammatical mistakes yourself.Edit 85…. unnecessary words and phrases and avoid old-fashioned words such as "hereby", "herewith" and above-mentioned". Rather 86…. writing "We hereby enclose a brochure", 87…. to the point with "We are enclosing a brochure."Read what you have written 88…. aloud. Is it easy to read, or are the sentences 89… long? Have you put 90…. enough punctuation? 91…. someone else to check what you have written. Another person 92….see something that is unclear or a mistake.

BE GOOD AT ENGLISH:Two simple definitions:to hear: to receive sound with the ears ,to listen: to try to hear

You are very good 1…. languages. That's obvious, because you already speak one language very well - your 2….! And if you can learn and speak one language 3…., then you can certainly learn and speak one or more 4…. languages.

But did you 5…. ask yourself: "How did I learn my 6…. language?" In fact, you never really "learned" it 7…. all - you just started speaking 8…. One day, when you were about two or three years 9…., you started speaking your language.10… few words at first, not full sentences. But you spoke. And very soon you 11….progress without 12….thinking about it. It was 13…. magic!

But it wasn't magic. It was the result 14… hearing. For two 15… three years before you spoke, you heard people speaking your language all day, and maybe all night. You heard people speaking your language. Maybe you listened to people, but 16…. importantly you heard. 17…. Then, as if 18… magic, you started to speak. 19…. that hearing was necessary for you to start speaking. 20… two to three years words went 21…. to your head. Then words

came 22…. of your head! That is why hearing (and listening to) English as 23…. as possible is so important 24… you now. The more English you put 25…., the more you'll get 26…!

So how can you hear a lot of English when you're not in 27… English-speaking country or family? Fortunately, there are many 28…of hearing English in almost all countries of the world

Radio:You can receive English language radio in 29… countries. Two of the best international networks are 30… BBC World Service and Voice of America. 31… of them have special programmes 32…. learners of English. You can find information about times and frequencies 33… your country 34…. their web sites. Click here 35… links 36…. radio stations.

Television:TV is 37… excellent resource 38… hearing and listening to English. The pictures help you understand what is 39… said. If you don't have access 40… English-language TV, you may be able to watch TV 41…. Internet.

Internet: It is now a lot easier to hear English 42…Internet. If you're reading this 43… your computer, you can probably listen to some English-language radio news 44…. now, without 45…. moving! To be able to listen to radio 46… the Internet, you'll need to have special software called a "player" installed 47…your computer. Most sites work 48… two players - the RealPlayer 49… RealNetworks and 50… Windows Media Player 51…. Microsoft. Don't worry. 52… these players are free and you 53…. already have them installed 54…. your computer.

Music/songs: Songs in English are 55…., even 56….foreign-language radio and TV stations. Listen to 57…. often. Buy some cassettes or CDs, or 58…. recordings, and try to write the words 59…. an entire song. But choose one that is not 60… difficult. That means it 61… be reasonably slow, and 62… real words sung clearly. Some pop songs are very unclear and are difficult 63…. for native English-speakers to understand fully!

Cinema:Outside the English-speaking world, many large cities have cinemas that show films 64… English, usually 65…sub-titles. 66…. it a habit to go to 67… films. If you need to read the sub-titles, 68…least you'll be hearing English 69… if you don't understand it.

Video

Video has one really great advantage. You can play 70… again . . . and again. You can use video to watch film cassettes that you buy 71…. borrow. If there are sub-titles, you can cover them 72… paper (which you can remove if you really 73… understand after listening several 74…). And you can 75… video to record programmes 76… television and 77… watch them several times to improve 78…. understanding.

Friends

Try to 77… friends with English-speaking people 78… that you can practise your English 79… conversation. Of course, this will practise your speaking as 80…. as your listening. And if you don't 81…. a lot of time to go 82…. and meet people, at least you can chat a little by telephone.Finally, don't worry if you don't understand 83…. you hear. Hearing comes first! Understanding comes 84…..

DEAR ALMIGHTY GOD

1.... the beginning of my story I would like to introduce 2....: my name is Sarah Brown. I want to show you why I am the 3.... candidate for the post of the Chief Executive Officer in your Cloud Factory. Let me start from the very beginning that is from my birth. I was born on 29th September, 1985 in Cracow. Autumn is not a good season for a newborn baby. It is cold and nasty then but I managed to survive. My parents were fantastic. They taught me how to walk, speak so finally I was able to tell them how much I loved them. They played with me and spent a lot of time with me. I was their first child. But everything that is good ends quickly. My mum had to come back to work. They wanted me to go to a nursery school. At first I was delighted but then something terrible happened. It was my first day there and there were three beautiful rocking horses. I wanted to rock on one of them but suddenly three other children appeared and mounted those horses. I started to cry and I said that I would never go there again. Then my great-grandmother took care of me. I don't remember her very well. The only thing connected with her that comes to my mind is a slice of bread with butter sprinkled with sugar.

When I was 3 a stork brought me a little brother. His name was Jacob. At first I was jealous of Jacob because our parents gave their full attention to him. Once I even bit his tummy. However, after some time we were pals. We played tricks and were up to mischief.

Later on I attended primary school in Cracow. I had a lot of good time there but I had to study as well. I was a very diligent schoolgirl and I had the best marks. I met many new friends and I could play with them. I kept in touch with some of them for all my life. When I finished the primary school I decided to go to the secondary school in Warsaw. I passed all the exams and on 1st September, 2000 I was on the bus, ready for the new challenge.

I didn't know almost anybody at my new school. I made some new friends. I sat with Anna at one desk. She was my best friend. We spent much time gossiping about boys. When I was 16 I met a boy who was 15 years older than me. Soon we fell head over hills in love with each other. We spent almost three years together.

At the end of the secondary school I had to take my maturity exam. First we had to take a written exam in Polish. Every student drew a small piece of paper with a number and it was a number of the table where he had to sit. I don't remember my number but I remember that it was a table at the very front, right before the teachers' desk. I had some cribs but I couldn't use them of course. However, I wasn't terrified. I wrote everything without anyone's help. The following day I had to take a written exam in mathematics because I had chosen that subject. That time I had more luck and I sat at the last desk. Later I had to take three oral exams in Polish, mathematics and English but I passed them all.

When I graduated from Secondary School I decided to take my entrance exams at a University in Sosnowiec and I succeeded. I studied English and German. It was very hard to complete those studies. I had to move to a dormitory in Sosnowiec. Although it was not the nicest place to live in I was extremely happy and excited. First time in my life I was far away from my parents! I was free! I could do everything that came to my mind. I didn't hear my mother grumbling. I was really free! At the beginning I lived with two other girls but I didn't like them. After one year I decided to live with Kate and it was just what I wanted. We fooled about together, we gossiped together and had a lot of great time. When we were in the last year we had an access to the Internet. We met many new boys mostly. Some of them we met in person. I even met my future husband in this way. He had a CD with songs which I wanted and he told me that he could give me it only if I met him. After two weeks we were a couple. We tried to spend every single minute together. We fell in love with each other very quickly. Later it turned out that we were both born on 29th September. It was not the end of strange coincidences. His father's second name was the same as my father's first name and his mother's first name was the same as my mother's second name. We got engaged two months after we first had met. The moment when he slipped an engagement ring with a diamond on my finger was unforgettable. I was in the seventh heaven then. We had agreed that our wedding would be on 1 January, 2006 so we had a lot of time to get all things ready. First we booked a place for the wedding reception, chose the menu and hired musicians. Then I looked through a lot of magazines to find my perfect wedding dress. When I found what I lusted for I took that magazine and went to a dressmaker. On the wedding day I looked like a princess and my husband looked like a prince of course. Two years later I gave birth to our twins. Our daughter's name is Victoria and our son is Steven. They are very bright and cheerful. I am proud of them.

When our children were 2 years old I decided that it was high time to find a job. At first I worked as an English teacher but it was a very hard and boring work. The teaching staff and the headmaster were very friendly but children were like small devils. They were terribly lively and undisciplined. I said enough is enough and I quit that job. I took a course in computer graphics and I opened my own firm designing web pages. I took on 10 people and I was the chairman of that firm for 15 years. After that time I decided that it was time to try something else. My children managed the firm and I found another job. I worked as a guinea pig. It was an extremely interesting job. I never knew what would happen. A lot of medicines were tested on me. It that way I could do something useful for those who were suffering from different illnesses. I paid for it with bald head but it was nothing compared with drugs used to treat terminally ill patients.

When my ambitions were fulfilled so I decided that it was time to retire. I and my husband bought a cottage in the south of Poland. We spent our time gardening, riding our bikes, walking with a dog and relaxing. Then I had enough time to make my dream came true. I bought two horses. I could ride them. I loved it. I loved silence and freedom connected with it. It was my escape from everyday life. But one day a tragedy happened. My horse was at full gallop when suddenly a big bear emerged from the forest. The horse reared up and I fell. My head hit a huge rock and I lost my consciousness. I was far away from my home so nobody could help me. I bled to death. After that I landed in Heaven. Now I am applying for a post of the Chief Executive Officer in your Cloud Factory. I dare to say that I am the best soul for that post as I had some experience in designing. I guarantee you that clouds created by my hands will be admirable and fabulous.

Faithfully Yours,

Soul No. 19850929S

THE HAUNTED HOUSE

It was a terribly cold, frosty and extremely silent night. There were no clouds in the sky. All that I could see was the huge silver moon and thousands of microscopic twinkling stars. I stood under a gigantic old oak waiting for my friends. I was very terrified. All of a sudden an enormous bat flew over my head. I decided to wait for them for another while. After few minutes I heard something. The sound was increasingly louder. I did not know what to do so I lurked behind the oak and observed the surroundings. Unexpectedly somebody touched me. I turned and guess who I saw. There were my friends with big grins on their faces. Then we could go to the house which was haunted. At least people claimed that.

When we were near the house a fat black cat rushed in front of us. We panicked but I mumbled, "Everything will be okay". After some time we moved forward. When we approached the house we saw a headstone. We wanted to go back but curiosity won. We came in. When we entered the first room we heard hooting owls, rattling chains and piercing laugh. We felt that somebody or something watched us. We ran out of that house and then we saw a witch on the broomstick who flew behind us. When she was near we dashed to the forest and then she flew away. We all were sweaty.

When we were in our beds we felt safe. Of course nobody believed us when we talked about our adventure. I will never forget that night. It was the most exciting night of my life.

MONA LISA

Leonardo da Vinci painted one of the most famous paintings - "Mona Lisa" - between 1503 and 1506. Her brown eyes have gleam and humidity like live. It is a marvel that wherever you stand it seems to you that she looks at you. You can also see eyebrows which are painted with the highest lightness. She has long black hair. "Gioconda" has a mysterious smile on her face. She is dressed in heavy brown-green dress without glinting jewels. This portrait has mellow colours, for example brown, green and olive. The background of this painting is a rocky landscape. You can see snaking path, blue water and flora on it. Over this scenery there is a grey-blue sky.

MY BEST FRIEND

My friend Justyna is a wonderful person. She is one of the most helpful people I know. If I need something she will not refuse me. I can always count on her. She is also trustworthy so she does not tell anybody our secrets. Justyna is rather frank. She usually says what she has on her mind. She is shy, too. She wants me to ask the way. Justyna is very pedantic. She cannot stand when clothes lie on the armchair or when there is rubbish on the carpet. She is both well-behaved and responsible. She knows how to conduct herself well in every situation and she does everything as best she can.

THE HOUSE I LIKE MOST IN MY NEIGHBOURHOOD

There is a wonderful and grand detached house standing in the middle of a huge garden surrounded from three sides by a high grey wall. The house has big windows and brown wooden door with a knocker. The roof is red in colour. Dark green ivy trails over white walls of this house. The scent of roses, violets, lilacs and jasmines fills the air around the building. You can see green forest in the background and all you can hear is the chirp of birds as well as a hum of the creek. When you come into the garden there is a marvellous fountain. There is also a big orchard at the back of the house with trees full of red cherries, juicy yellow peaches, pink raspberries. This place is an oasis of peace so it is ideal for relaxation. I think I do not have to say that this magic house deserves to be the winner

ARE THE KIDS MOTIVATED TO ACT VIOLENTLY AFTER WATCHING VIOLENT FILMS?

Children believe in everything what they see or hear. Sometimes it has very effects. They are too young to understand all these things which they see on TV.

It happens that kids try to imitate their heroes. They believe that they are immortal. Then children do stupid things. In this way kids can hurt themselves. For instance, my cousin jumped out of the window and he broke his leg.

Children can see other examples of bad behaviour on TV and later on they can try to do the same things. What I mean is that kids try to force their friends to give them money. Next, they buy cigarettes, alcohol or even drugs. Children become addicted and then they want more and more money. Sometimes if they want something badly they steal or they can kill another man.

In my opinion kids shouldn't watch TV. It is very bad for them and for their sanity. They become aggressive and they do not know what is true or what is good.

TRAINING ANIMALS FOR CIRCUS PERFORMANCE SHOULD BE FORBIDDEN.

Who does not like to watch animals? I think almost everyone does. It is a kind of entertainment. Parents with their children go to circus. They have there a great fun. They can see exotic animals like camels, lions, tigers, monkeys, parrots. There are also animals which we have in our country, for example dogs, horses or goats. Circus gives us a nice pastime. But have we ever wondered whether animals like to entertain people? I do not really think so.

We do not care if these animals are happy. They can be hungry, thirsty or sick. But it does not matter. We just want to relax.

In my opinion training animals for circus performance should be forbidden. All these tricks are not natural for them. Animals do not behave in this way when they are free. Trainers force them to do different things. Animals live in bad conditions and they are treated very badly. They should be released.

An animal is not a thing so we should treat animals like people. They have their own feelings. We should look at animals closer beginning with our pets. They show us when they are happy or sad but people do not see it. We also do not have time to play with our pets.

THE TERRIBLE DAY

Long, long time ago, in the Middle Ages, there lived a prince whose name was Llewellyn. He was a tall, well-built man in his mid-twenties. He was very tanned. His face was thin and his eyes were blue like the sea. He had curly dark hair. And he had also funny dimples. Llewellyn wore a suit of armour which shone in the light of the sun.

That handsome young man lived in a valley in Wales. He had a beautiful big house surrounded by a neat lawn. Dark-green ivy trailed over white walls. All you could hear was the chirp of birds and a hum of the torrent. At the back of the house there was an orchard with trees full of juicy peaches, ripe pears and sweet raspberries.

Llewellyn lived in that glorious house with his little baby son and his dog called Gelert. After his wife, princess Daisy, had died, he had to bring up the child. He was completely not prepared for that. He decided to ask his mother to help him.

One day the prince went hunting. It was a sunny day. There were no clouds in the sky. Nothing indicated the approaching misfortune. His mother was ill so that she could not care for the baby. He had to leave the dog to look after his son. Llewellyn was not sure if he made a good decision but he had no option. The long drought in that part of Wales was followed by severe famine so the prince had to get food for his family.

The child was lying in the wooden cradle when the sky was getting cloudy. A wind stopped blowing. The dog felt that something bad was going to happen.

The baby had a natural bubble personality. He had big blue eyes, just like his father. His straight red hair were very unique in Llewellyn's family. He had also chubby cheeks with dimples and freckles.

All of a sudden, Gelert heard a howling of wolves. They came from out of a wood and ran towards the house. They bristled. Those wolves had white long fangs and sharp claws. There was no time to lose. The dog caught Llewellyn's son and hid him. Then Gelert ran outside and fought fiercely with scary wolves. Finally, he killed two of them but he was wounded. He was extremely tired so he laid down to sleep.

After half an hour the prince returned. He saw the dog covered in blood. And then Llewellyn spotted that his son's cot was empty. He was so angry that he took his sword and killed the dog while he was sleeping. Then he heard the baby cry. He realized that his son was safe. Through the window he saw two dead wolves. Immediately the prince understood what had happened. He carried the dog to the top of a hill and buried him. Llewellyn collected a pile of stones to mark the grave. You can still see it today.

SHOULD MURDERERS AND TERRORISTS BE EXECUTED?

Many of us claim that the capital penalty should exist that people who killed other people should be killed, too. But have they ever wondered why the murderers and the terrorists kill people or blow the buildings up? I do not think so.

I am absolutely convinced that murderers and terrorists do not kill people for pleasure. They must have strong reasons for that. Maybe they have not got a job. So they earn money in this way and then, they can buy food for their families.

Another reason is that they may be forced to kill by their bosses because they did not pay back their debts.

I tend to think that these people were beaten by their fathers, brothers or older children when they were young. And now these murderers and terrorists want to show that they are stronger and have more power.

I feel very strongly that murderers and terrorists should not be executed. Sooner or later everyone will die. We must give them another chance. Maybe they want to stop killing people but they have not a possibility to improve.

DO FILM STARS LIVE A MISERABLE KIND OF LIFE?

Many teenagers want to be like their favourite film stars. They would like to have huge houses, many cars and a lot of money. They want to be famous. They think that things would make them happier. But they do not realize that being a popular and well-known person is not so easy. Not everything is so beautiful as it seems to be at the beginning.

First of all film stars have to make interviews and give autographs in order not to be forgotten. At the beginning all these things are very nice but later you are tired of it. Everyone knows you and wants to talk to you. Reporters follow you so you do not have any private life. Finally, all what you want is to get rid of people and spend some time alone or with your family.

Secondly, there are things that you cannot buy, for instance, love, friendship and happiness. You can have "friends" but if you would lose your money they would leave you. There are very little people who are honest, understanding and devoted.

In my opinion film stars lives is not as good, exciting and interesting as it is shown on TV. They have their problems. Their lives are sometimes worse than ordinary people have. I would think a lot if somebody proposed to me to become a famous person.

A VIDEO OR A CINEMA?

In modern world the most important things are job, money, career. People do not have too much free time to go to the cinema with their families or friends. Other people are poor so they also cannot go to the cinema. So what they can do? The only thing that comes to my mind is watching video.

The main difference between a video and a cinema is that loaning videos is much cheaper than tickets to the cinema. More people can see the film and you do not spend too much money.

Another thing is that you can seat comfortably on your sofa or armchair, turn on your TV and watch videos any time you want. If you particularly like this or that film you can

watch it several times. Another advantage is that you can turn off your video if you have something more important to do.

There are also some disadvantages of watching videos. One of the main disadvantages of watching them is that quality of your copy may not be very good. The screen is smaller and the sound is not as good as in the cinema.

All things have their advantages and disadvantages. It depends on you what you choose. In my opinion going to the cinema is more exciting and romantic. There is much more fun and you do not spend your weekends at home.

A FUNNY COMPLIMENT

It happened not so long ago. It was a terribly frosty night and wind was penetrating. It was the coldest night of February, at least I thought so. I did not want to go out but I had to. I was invited to a birthday party. I took a car. There was my brother inside who was also invited. We had to take two friends but it appeared that there were seven people waiting for us. One of them had to travel in a boot. We arrived safely. In the beginning everything was okay but most of the boys drank too much alcohol. They were simply drunk and they started to fight with one another. That birthday party was a complete disaster. I thought that nothing would make me laugh. But I was wrong. While I was talking to my friend he called me Natalia. I thought that I misheard him but later he did the same. I asked him if he had forgotten my name. He denied. When he said that I'm similar to Natalia Oreiro I could not stop laughing. It's a pity that he was also drunk.

-A RECOMMENDATION LETTER

The "Zerwane zaręczyny" was written by Aghata Christie. This excellent detective story is set in London. This exciting book is about the famous detective, Hercules Poirot, who tries to solve the mysterious deaths of Mrs. Welman and Mary Gerrard.

The story is concerned with the legacy. Mrs. Welman is a very rich woman. She is seriously ill and paralysed but Dr Lord says that she will not die soon. She has two nurses who take care of her. There is also twenty year old Mary who visits her. One day Roddy and Elinore arrive to London. They are related with Mrs. Welman. They are going to inherit all what she has. Moreover Roddy and Elinore are engaged. But Roddy falls in love with Mary so Elinore breaks off their engagement. After some time the morphine disappears from the nurse's bag. Suddenly, Mrs. Welman dies. Everybody is surprised and shocked. It appears that Mrs. Welman did not make a will so Elinore inherits everything because she is closely related to her. Elinore gives some money to people who should get them (servants, maids, Mary and other people who are related to Mrs. Welman). All of a sudden Mary dies. She was poisoned with morphine. Elinore is arrested. Dr Lord wasks Hercules Poirot for help.

The book is full of unexpected twists. It is not very long and it is beautifully written.

I thoroughl recommend the "Zerwane zaręczyny". This book keeps in suspense. If you start reading it you will not be able to put it away. You do not know who killed Mary and Mrs. Welman till the very end. This story is unbelievable. The character development is very good. ------------------------------------------------------------

THE EARTHQUAKE

All what you could hear was applause. Everyone was congratulating me. I was very happy. I could not believe in it. I won 1 000 000 $ Suddenly I lost my consciousness. I thought that it was a dream but my mum asked me "What are you going to do with your money?". I didn't answer. When I was alone I thought "It's true" and I grinned. I knew what would be the first thing to do.

I was sitting comfortably in a plane and drinking a champagne. It would be a long flight but worthwhile. I dreamt about the journey to Athens for a long time.

The flight proceeded without any disturbance. There was only a little thunderstorm. When we came down the weather was beautiful. The sun was shining. The leaves were rustling in the breeze. I had a good mood again. My apartment was very luxurious. I was so tired after the flight that I went straight to bed.

Suddenly, just before midnight, I felt slight tremors. With every minute tremors were becoming stronger and stronger. Then I had a confidence that it was an earthquake. I turned on the light but it appeared that there was no electricity. Elevators didn't work, too. The most expensive and the safest hotel became a trap. I heard screaming, groaning and crying of people. After five minutes there was another tremor. The wardrobe fell on me. I lost my consciousness. When I woke up I was in hospital. I felt safe. There was my mother next to me. I came back home after a week with my leg in plaster. I gave the rest of my money to people who lost homes in that disaster.

THEY DECIDED TO BE MORE CAREFUL NEXT TIME

It happened not so long ago. It was a terribly frosty and windy night . There were thousands miniature stars in the sky. It was the coldest night of March. Mark and Andy decided to go to the graveyard. They had planned that expedition for two months. They wanted to see ghosts.

It was 10.30 pm. Mark and Andy snuck out of their houses. They met each other under an enormous oak. Mark saw an owl without one eye on that tree. They got a little bit frightened but finally curiosity won. After an hour they reached the graveyard safely. Both Andy and Mark were extremely excited. They had been waiting for that moment for such a long time. Suddenly, just before midnight, Andy heard something. It was a clang of chains. Mark as well as Andy did not have to wait for ghosts for a long time. They appeared after few minutes. They were glassy and they made a lot of noise. Andy looked at Mark. He realized that his friend was pale. Besides, Andy was also scared. They took some photos and rushed back home. They were in a hurry to come back home so much that they did not notice the ice on the road. Mark slipped on it and he fell down. To make the matters worse he lost his consciousness.

Mark woke up in a hospital. He had a concussion and his leg was broken. Mark stood next to his bed. They were smiling. They had a new plan but they decided to be more careful next time.

--------A PERSONAL PROFILE

When Princess Diana was a little girl she was very shy and humble. With a lapse of time she became more self-confident. The marriage with Prince of Wales gave her everything what she dreamt of. She had a lot of money, fame, happiness. She helped a lot of poor and unhappy people.

She was born on April 22, 1970. She had loving parents and siblings. They were quite rich so she had everything what she wanted. As a teenager she had no friends but she was a very good pupil. She attended to the best schools.

In 1981 and 1983 she gave birth to sons: Whilliam and Harry. She could not be more happier. After some time some trouble with her marriage began. Finally, she divorced Charles. In 1997 she died in a terrible car accident.

She was an extremely good woman. Everyone loved her. She was called "The Queen of the Hearts.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF HAVING SIBLINGS

Many children who do not have siblings want to have a little brother or sister. They think that everything will be fine but having siblings has also bad points. Having siblings is not only fun, it is also a great responsibility.

First of all, if you have brothers or sisters you can spend your free time together and enjoy yourself. You can fool around, dance, sing, laugh and play with one another.

Secondly, if you need some help you can always count on your older siblings because they are wiser. They can help you with maths, biology or any other subjects.

Another thing is that you have someone with whom you can talk to. If you have some problems, difficulties, worries or cares or you simply want to tell how your day was, your siblings will certainly listen to you.

And now some disadvantages. One of the main disadvantages of having siblings is that you have to look after them when parents are not at home. This is extremely tiring and exhausting.

Finally, one more disadvantage. Jealousy between siblings is very common. They want everything what belongs to you and it does not matter if they will use it or not.

All things have their own advantages and disadvantages. I think that still it is better to have siblings because one day problems between them may disappear.

MY DREAM HOLIDAYS

I would like to spend my dream winter holidays in a village in the mountains. I will live in a cottage. It will be a very beautiful cottage made of wood. There will be a lot of snow and trees around it. Inside there will be a fireplace and a big bed. I will listen to good music and have many, many parties. I will meet a lot of new people. I will dance, laugh, drink and eat. At midnight I will go skiing or snowboarding. After very long nights I will sleep up to the noon. I will not forget about my friends and I will send them some postcards.

If my dreams come true it would be the best experience of my live. I would never forget about it.

THE BIRTHDAY PARTY

It was the 15th of January, 1999. Anna was at home. She was extremely sad because everybody forgot about her birthday. Suddenly, just before six o'clock the telephone rang. It was her friend Mary. She told Anna that she needed some help with maths. Mary wanted her to come. Anna really didn't want to go out because it was a terribly frosty night. It was the coldest night of January. Finally, she agreed to go. She took a car. In a halfway Anna's car stopped. It appeared that the car ran out of petrol. She was surprised and angry at the same time. The day before the tank had been almost full. Anna got off her car. She was alone in the forest. She decided to go to Mary because she had promised to help her. Anna wanted to be on time. When she was walking to Mary's house, Mary was organizing the birthday party for her. She gave some mates a ring. After some time they all were at Mary's. They brought with them a lot of presents. They also had a big colourful gateau. Mary decorated her room quickly. Then they were waiting for Anna. After half an hour they heard a door bell. They switched off the light and hid themselves behind the sofa and the armchairs. They were terribly excited. Anna opened the door and came in. There was no one inside. She thought that Mary played a joke on her. Suddenly, the lights went on and a chorus of happy voices yelled: "Surprise".

THE MOST POPULAR CHRISTMAS PRESENTS IN THE UK

The most popular Christmas presents in Great Britain this year are not technological gadgets or sunny holiday tickets but plastic surgery coupons. Husbands are buying them for their wives and daughters are buying them for their mothers. Since the television broadcast series of programmes showing plastic surgeries performed live, the readiness for improving appearance among the female inhabitants of the British Isles has increased rapidly. Due to it, private clinics decided to sell special coupons worth from £50 to £1000 which give you the possibility of undergoing one or a few operations depending on the degree of complexity

SHOPPING

Not all people like to shop. They usually do not have enough time, patience, money or simply they are too lazy. But they have to do shopping because they have to eat something.

In my opinion most people living in big cities do shopping in hypermarkets. It is very practical. You can get there almost everything what you want. You can choose products which you like, which are the cheapest or the most expensive. There is a lot of high-quality products. And what is also very important you can spend there as much time as you want. No one rushes you. The hypermarkets have also disadvantages. Very often you buy there more products that you intended and it takes a lot of time to see all the products on the shelves.

People from smaller cities, towns and villages usually do their shopping in shops and marketplaces which are usually near their place of residence. In these shops there is smaller variety of products and very often you have to queue and it is inconvenient because nowadays people are very busy.

Some people buy products from catalogues and by the Internet. This is very good for people who do not have enough time to queue. But you have to wait for some time for articles which you bought and you have to pay for them more money because of the postage.

According to me people do their shopping in their favourite places where shop assistants are nice and neat. They like shops which are colourful, where prices are low and the products are of the highest quality.

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