Comprehension Check

Comprehension

Decide whether these statements are TRUE or FALSE

1 If Magda does well in her degree she will get a permanent job

2 Johnny is moving to Shanghai

3 Fadi doesn’t like his cousin

4 Harry has been offered a permanent job

5 Magda suggests that she and Sarah share a flat

6 The café is going to close down

Vocabulary & Grammar

Vocabulary one – Adjective + noun collocations

Match the halves to make common adjective + noun collocations

First	degree
Good	week
Permanent	decision
Master's	day
Big	job
Next	news

 

Vocabulary two - Colloquial expressions

Finish the colloquial expressions with a word from below

crossed / time / worry / up / sorry / shame

1 What a

2 Cheer

3 Fingers

4 Decision

5 Don’t

6 I’m

 

Grammar one - -ed and –ing adjectives

Complete the gaps with the correct adjective

1 Something ...... happened to me today (amazed / amazing)

2 Try not to be too ...... about the exam (worried / worrying)

3 It was an ...... situation (embarrassed / embarrassing)

4 She was ...... to hear the news (surprised / surprising)

5 What an ...... plan! (excited / exciting)

6 We are ...... because there are too many options (confused / confusing)

7 Is the film ...... ? (bored / boring)

8 The book was much more ...... (interested / interesting)

 

Grammar two – articles

Complete the gaps with a, an, the or / (no article)

1 I’ve had .... row with my boyfriend

2 I don’t get on with .... landlord

3 I’m going to be .... architect

4 The job is in .... China

5 That’s .... excellent news

6 I hated .... job so I left

Answers

Comprehension

1 True

2 False (he may move to Chongqing)

3 True

4 False (he has lost his job)

5 True

6 True

Vocabulary one

First day

Good news

Permanent job

Master's degree

Big decision

Next week

Vocabulary two

1 What a shame

2 Cheer up

3 Fingers crossed

4 Decision time

5 Don’t worry

6 I’m sorry

Grammar one

1 amazing

2 worried

3 embarrassing

4 surprised

5 exciting

6 confused

7 boring

8 interesting

Grammar two

1 a, 2 the, 3 an, 4 (/), 5 (/), 6 (the)

Glossary

A row (noun) A verbal argument or disagreement

We had a row about whose turn it was to clean the kitchen

Permanent (adjective) Long lasting, not temporary

After having six temporary jobs she was delighted to get a permanent one

Proper (adjective) Appropriate, conforming, correct

Now I am getting a proper salary instead of just some pocket money

A distinction (noun) marked superiority

She was an excellent student so it wasn’t a surprise to hear that she had got distinction in her exam

To miss (verb) To feel sorry about the absence of somebody or something

She missed her family a lot when she moved away to another town

A decision (noun) The act of deciding or making a judgement

It was a difficult decision to make but she had to choose a winner

Audioscript

Olivia: Hi Magda! How was your first day?

Magda: Fantastic!

Olivia: Really!? I’m amazed...

Sarah: Yeah, you were so worried about your new job...

Magda: Well, I had some good news...

Olivia: Yeah? What?

All: Hi Johnny!

Johnny: Hi! I’ve got some good news...

Sarah: Makes two of you then!

Johnny: At least I think it’s good news...I’m not really sure...

Olivia: Tell us!

Magda: Can’t I tell you my good news first?

Sarah: Wow, this is getting complicated...and I’m afraid I’ve only got some bad news...

Magda: Oh no...what a shame! What’s the problem?

Olivia: Yeah, go on, bad news first, then the good news will cheer us up!

Sarah: OK, well, I had a row with my landlord, finally! And I’m moving out...

Magda: Oh no!

Sarah: Oh yes! So, I need a new flat...

Olivia: Again!!!

Magda: Oh dear...

Olivia: What a shame. I hoped it was going to work out...

Sarah: Yeah, but I didn’t get on with the landlord.

Magda: Have you told Fadi yet?

Sarah: No...I’m worried what he might think. The landlord is his cousin, after all...

Olivia: Well, let’s just wait until he comes in. I was going to tell him you weren’t happy – now I’ll tell him you’re leaving!

Magda: Is it good news time yet?

Sarah: Yes! Go on! What’s your good news?

Magda: I’ve been offered a job!

Johnny: Me too!

Olivia: Hang on! Wait a minute! You’ve already got a job, haven’t you Magda?

Sarah: And you have too, Johnny, haven’t you? You talk about it all the time...

Magda/Johnny: But...

Magda: Go on...!

Johnny: No, you first, please...

Magda: I’ve been offered a permanent job, with the same company! I’ll be a proper architect!

Olivia: Wow! That’s fantastic!

Magda: But...

Olivia: There’s always a ‘but’...

Magda: I have to get a distinction in my master’s degree...

Sarah: Phew...that’s not easy...

Magda: No, but I’m doing well...

Olivia: Fingers crossed then...

Sarah: Let’s hope!

Johnny: That’s amazing – I’ve got the same news!

Olivia: What? You’re going to be an architect?

Johnny: No!

Sarah: You’re doing a master’s degree?

Johnny: No!

Magda: What then?

Johnny: A job...I’ve been offered a new job!

Olivia: Yes, you said...

Johnny: And there’s a ‘but’...

Olivia: I told you there was always a ‘but’...

Johnny: It’s not in London...

Olivia: You’d have to leave...

Johnny: Yeah...

Olivia: Well, where is it? New York?

Johnny: No...

Magda: Paris? Berlin? Where?

Johnny: It’s back in China.

Sarah: Oh...Beijing? Shanghai?

Johnny: No, it’s in Chongqing.

Olivia: Where?

Johnny: Chongqing!

Magda:: Where’s that?

Sarah: Southwest China. It’s a really interesting place...growing really quickly...

Johnny: Yeah, it’s a great opportunity...

Olivia: But?

Johnny: But I love it here so much. I’m not sure I want to go back to China yet – I’d miss all my friends...

Olivia: You’ll have to choose!

Sarah: It’s big decision time! Oh no...here comes Fadi....and Harry.

All: Hi Fadi! Hi Harry!

Fadi: How’s it going everyone?

Olivia: Don’t ask...

Magda: I’ve been offered a new job, a really good job – if I get a good degree!

Johnny: I’ve been offered a new job, a really good job – but I have to go back to China!

Harry: Wow! Busy day everyone’s having...I’ve got some news too...

Olivia: Oh no...

Harry: Oh yes – I’ve been sacked!

Magda: “Sacked”?

Harry: Yes – I’ve lost my job, been made redundant, unemployed, no longer working!

Magda: Oh no!

Harry: Don’t worry – I don’t care. I hated that job anyway. I’ll soon find another job. A man with my skills and abilities is always in demand!

Johnny: Somebody from my company sacked you? Why?

Harry: I told them I wasn’t going to work at the weekend – Saturdays and Sundays. If I worked on Saturday and Sunday, when could I play football!? So I said ‘no’, and they said ‘goodbye’...

Magda:: What will you do now?

Harry: I have absolutely no idea! The future is an open book...

Sarah: Very poetic!

Fadi: Well Sarah, at least you’re ok...with your new flat and everything...

Sarah: Oh...er...well...

Olivia: Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that...cousin

Fadi: You wanted to talk to me?

Olivia: (whispering) Yeah, well, you see, Sarah’s a bit embarrassed...

Fadi: (whispering) What’s up?

Olivia: She wants to leave the new flat...she doesn’t get on well with the landlord...

Fadi: My cousin.

Olivia: Yes, your cousin.

Fadi: I’m not surprised!

Olivia: Eh?

Fadi: I said I’m not surprised! My cousin’s horrible! I can’t stand him!

Olivia: (laughs) Oh that’s a relief...

Fadi: Sarah – I’m sorry if I got you involved with my cousin...I thought you were desperate for a place to live...I know my cousin’s horrible!

Sarah: Oh, never mind Fadi – thanks for trying to help anyway...Now I need a new place to live though...

Magda:: If I get this job, I’ll have more money – we could get a place together...

Sarah: That’d be great...

Johnny: If I take the job in China, I’ll have to leave my flat...

Sarah: And we could move in...

Olivia: What a lot of ‘if’s’...

Sarah: It’s exciting...

Magda:: But also worrying...

Johnny: And confusing...

Harry: And that’s not all...

Fadi: What?

Harry: I’ve just been speaking to the owner of the café...

Olivia: And?

Harry: They’re closing down – next week!

All: What!!?? Oh…that’s terrible…no....what are we all going to do??