Let's English

Booking travel and holidays A scheduled flight  is a normal, regular flight; a charter flight  is a special flight taking a group of people, usually to the same holiday destination. Apex  fares normally have to be booked a fixed number of days in advance and they offer value for money . Budget  fares are usually cheaper but may have restrictions  (e.g. you can only travel on certain days) and are usually non-refundable  (you can't get your money back) or if you cancel, you may have to pay a cancellation fee . Some tickets allow a stopover  (you may stay somewhere overnight before continuing to your destination). All- in packages  normally include accomodation and transfers (e.g. a bus or coach to and from your hotel). Sea travel is normally on a ferry, and the journey is called a crossing, but you can have a holiday on the sea if you go on a cruise . For some people a luxury cruise is the holiday of a lifetime  (one you will always r...

1. Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it is as similar in meaning as possible to the sentence before it. I've never had to work all through the night before. This is_____________________________________________ Most of us became salesmen when we left university. Most of us have______________________________________  Our current manager started working here ten years ago. Our current manager has_________________________________ I haven't heard from Sarah for a couple of months. The last____________________________________________  I used to find computers difficult before I started taking these lessons. Since________________________________________________ Michael Owen is the best player I've seen so far in this competition. I've yet_______________________________________________ 2. Tick the sentences that are correct. Correct those that are not. Do you think Vicky's always known the truth about us? That...

Homestyles A squat is an empty building where people start living without the owner's permission. A hovel  is a very poor, irty house or flat in a bad condition. A pied à terre  is a small flat or house in a city owned or rented by people in addition to their main home and used when they are visiting the city. A penthouse  is a luxury flat at the top of a building. Council housing  is provided by the state for people who cannot afford to buy their own home. High-rise flats are flats in a tall, modern building with a lot of floors. A granny flat  is a set of rooms for an elderly person, connected to a relative's house. Modern Lifestyle Today many people want to get out of the rat race  and live a less stressful or less conventional lifestyle. Feng Shui: a Chinese philosophy which states that the position of buildings and the arrangement of objects in the home affects the health and well-being of people living there. Minimalism: a style...

Before listening: What do you know about Hugh Hefner? What do you know about Marilyn Monroe? And about their relationship? Let's listen!  Hugh Hefner on Marilyn Monroe    Complete the following text from the video with the correct words: Reporter:  Do you think you would have dated her? Hugh Hefner: I ________ have loved to you know I'm a sucker for bronze and she is the ultimate _________. R: The man behind Playboy Enterprises, Hugh Hefner, ___________ some personal details about his fascination for legendary icon Marilyn Monroe. H.H: My favourite movie _________ question is "Some like it ______".    R: Do you feel like you missed ________ by not being able to have her _________ in your home? H.H: Oh, yes. ___________ yes. R: If you could  have ______ her here in your home, what ________ you have done here? H.H: Well, I certainly would have ________ her how much she mentioned me and means to me too.  

Complete the text with the appropriate form of the verb in brackets. It can be Present Simple, Present Continuous, Present Perfect Simple, Past Simple or Past Continuos. Child Employment in Victorian Britain In Victorian London, mud larks were children who (search of)_______________ valuable bits and pieces on the shores of the River Thames. They (not do)________________ this from boats, but (wait)_______________ until the tide (go)_______________ out, and then (crawl)_______________ ahout in the river mud looking for anything valuable. Henry Mayhew, a Victorian writer, (interview)_______________ 'mud lark' in his book about poor working people in London in the 1850's. 'My family is Irish though I was born in London. My father (work)_______________ at London Docks. He is a strong-bodied mand of 34. I (go)________________ to school with my brothers for about three years and (learn)________________ reading and writing and arithmetic. One of my brothers (be)______...

Before listening. Have you ever read or listened this story? What do you know about it? What do you know about Edgar Allan Poe? Let's Listen: The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe 1. Answer the following questions about the story: The narrator of the poem is sad because his lost love is dead. What is her name and how does he try to escape his sorrow? What fills the narrator's heart with terror? What does the narrator see when he first opens the chamber door? The raven flies into the narrator's chamber. Where does the raven perch? What is the raven's only answer to the narrator's questions? The narrator sits down in front of the raven. What is the narrator thinking as he looks at the bird? As the poem progresses, the narrator becomes more and more furious with the raven.Why does he become so angry? Where is the raven at the end of the poem? What does the raven's presence tell the listener about the narrator's grief?

1. Complete the following text with one suitable word from the box: The Godfather The story begins as "Don" Vito Corleone, the _______________(1) of a New York Mafia "family", oversees his daughter's wedding with his wife Carmela. His _______________ (2) son Michael has just come home from the war, but does not intend to become part of his father's business. Through Michael's life the nature of the family _____________ (3)becomes clear. The business of the family is just like the head of the family, kind and______________ (4) to those who give respect, but given to _______________(5) violence whenever anything stands against the good of the family. Don Vito lives his life in the way of the old country, but times are changing and some don't want to _______________ (6) the old ways and look out for community and "family". An up and ______________ (7) rival of the Corleone family wants to start selling drugs in New York, and needs t...

Part 5 Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence. You must use between three and six words, including the word in capitals, without changing it. I like all the people working as managers in this company (WHO) I like everyone ________________ position in this company. The service was first-class and the rooms were excellent too. (ONLY) Not ___________________ the service was first-class too. You have two possibilities - driving there or going by train. (EITHER) You ___________________ there by train. At the concert I didn't play as well as I expected. (SHOULD) I _________________ at the concert. You'll easily manage to finish the work by Friday. (DIFFICULTIES) You ___________________ the work by Friday. The food at this restaurant is delicious and the prices are very reasonable. (MEALS) This restaurant _____________________ very reasonable prices. I think this type of mobile phone would be the best ch...

George Washington George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia, although he grew up near Fredericksburg.  A ▢.  When he was 16, he went to live with his brother Lawrence in Mount Vernon.  George was scarred with Smallpox before the age of 20, but inherited his brother's land (including Mt. Vernon) when Lawrence died in 1752. Washington's military career began in 1753, when he was sent into Ohio country. In 1754, he battled the French and was forced to surrender Fort Necessity (near present-day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania).  B ▢  . Once again, Washington tasted defeat after their surrender of Fort Duquesne to French forces. Washington helped take Fort Duquesne back in 1758. Washington was married to Martha Custis in 1759.  C ▢  . He was made commander of the Continental Army on June 15, 1775. Washington proved himself an excellent leader, and won several decisive battles during the Revolution. As an advocate ...

First of all, we are going to see the chinese astrology and how it describes each person depends on the year of your birth: 1. Do you know the meaning of all the adjetives? Write down those which you are not sure and try to guess the meaning. 2. When you know all the meanings, let's organize them depending if they are positive or negative POSITIVE NEGATIVE 3. Match the words on the left with their opposites on the right: Unsystematic                     Altruistic Generous                            Diligent Thick-skinned                    Intellectual Unhelpful                           Methodical Flexible               ...

Before you start thinking about the grammar, let's talk a little about Van Gogh.  What do you know about this famous person? Vincent Van Gogh  Vincent Van Gogh spent the 37 years of his life as a more or less unknown artist. He did not start painting seriously until his late twenties, and at one time considered becoming a priest because of his beliefs. His beliefs also involved him living in extreme poverty among the outcasts of society. His brother Theo, who was an art dealer, advised him to tale up painting, and continued to support him financial throughout his life.  Vincent's precarious mental state seems to have been made worse by alcohol and ill health. A stay in Paris from 1886 to 1888 allowed Vincent to study Impressionists such as Manet and Degas, and involved getting to know many artist, including Paul Gauguin. Van Gogh and Gauguin painted together at Arles in the south of France, where Vincent's mental state worsened and he tried to murder Gaugu...

 Heartless by Kanye West 1. Listen the song and fill in the gaps: In the night, I hear 'em talk The __________  story ever told Somewhere far along this road, he lost his soul to a __________ so heartless How __________ you be so heartless? Oh, how __________ you be so heartless? How could you be so, cold as the winter __________ when it breeze, yo Just remember that you _________to me though You know need to watch the way you talkin' to me, yo I mean after all the things that ____________ been through I mean after all the things we got _________ Hey yo, I know of some things that you ain't told me Hey yo, I did some things but _________the old me And now you wanna get me back and you goin' show me So you walk_____________ like you don't know me You got a new friend, well I got homies But in the end ___________ still so lonely In the night, I hear 'em talk The _________ story ever told Somewhere far along this road, he lost his soul to a ___...

1. Change the following active sentences into Passive voice: 1. Many people begin new projects in January 2. You must wash that shirt for tonight’s party. 3. Mum is going to prepare the food. 4. They make shoes in that factory. 5. We will have to examine you again. 6. The delegation will meet the visitors at the airport. 7. We have produced skis since 1964. 8. All workers will read the memo. 9. Nobody can beat Tiger Woods at golf. 10. They also speak German at EU meetings. 11. We must look into the question. 12. The Chinese discovered acupuncture thousands of years ago. 13. The dentist is cleaning the woman’s teeth. 14.The boy is eating the cake.

Pulp Fiction Late one morning in the Hawthorne Grill, a restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, a couple of young Brits called Honey Bunny ( Amanda Plummer ) and Pumpkin ( Tim Roth ) discuss the pros and cons of robbing banks versus liquor stores. Then they add restaurants to the equation, realizing they can make more by taking customers' wallets than they get out of the till. The two kiss, declare they love each other and stand up in their booth, announcing that they're robbing the diner. Earlier in the day, Jules Winnfield ( Samuel L. Jackson ) and Vincent Vega ( John Travolta ) arrive at a San Fernando Valley apartment building. They are hit men in the employ of Marsellus Wallace and have come to retrieve a valuable belonging of Wallace's from a group of would-be crooks led by a young and naive guy named Brett ( Frank Whaley ). They take back the valuable item -- kept in a briefcase, it glows warmly and transfixes whoever looks at it. Jules recites what h...

Serious illnesses Doctor believe smoking is the major cause of lung cancer . He had a heart attack  and died almost immediately. Hepatitis is a liver disease . Asthma  (chest illness causing breathing problems) has become more common. Note: Illness is a more general word. Disease  is used for a serious condition used by an infection. 1. Try to guess the meaning of the words in bold: Other illnesses Chickenpox  can be far more severe if you catch it in adulthood. If you get  mumps  your face swells and you have a fever for a few days. My brother got pneumonia on a trip to Iceland. My aunt suffers from rheumatism  and walks with a cane. The doctor suspected that the patient had an ulcer  on her lung. I must have caught your flu bug . I feel awful! The football player had to pull out the game because of a sprain  on his ankle. John is a hypochondriac ; he's always worrying that he has a seri...

1. Finish each of the sentences in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the sentence before it. This is precisely the sort of coffee-making machine we need in the office. This short of coffee-making machine... We have had very little rain over the past few months and even the bit we did have didn't last long What...  She gave the reasons for her sudden disappearance at the weekend. She explained why... It's up to you to decide the way you want to live your life. How...  Modern traffic and pollution problems are the responsibility of the person who invented the car. Whoever... 2. Rewrite each of the following sentences to include which, who, where  or whose : I met him in May and it was then that I fell in love with him. We met because a friend introduced us. He had the most beautiful smile and that was what attracted me initially. We spent a weekend in Venice and that was the place we decided to get engaged. We ha...

Talking about problems Tom: " What's the matter? Why are you looking so worried?" Robert: " I've got a few problems at work and I don't know what to do about them." Tom: "Well, why don't we talk  them over  together? That might help you to sort  yourself out ." Robert: "Ok, thanks. Well, first of all, Mario was going to give a very important presentation tomorrow, but he says he's ill and isn't going to be able to do it. I think he's just bottled out  as it's for such an important client. Feeling a bit ill was just the perfect let-out  for him. I'd do it myself but I'm busy with meetings all day." Tom: "Well, that calls for  quick action if the presentation is tomorrow. You'd better do it yourself if it's so important. Just cancel your other meetings." Robert: "I guess I'll have to. The next problem is that personal belongings have been going missing from people...

1. Correct the mistakes made by exam candidates with prepositions and explain them: A number of customers complained for the after-sales service. All the work will be done from volunteers. Delegates experienced a number of problems related at the broadband conncetion at the conference centre. Alexandra was able to make good use of her knowledge in foreign languages. Many people took part to the anniversary festivities. I must congratulate you for your excellent work. I hope my letter will be taken in consideration. The inspector drew the management's attention in some problems in the workshop. There is an urgent need of fresh water supplies in the region. Have you seen the new advertisement of Lotus shampoo? 2.  Sometimes the preposition that is missing is part of a phrasal verb. Find the correct preposition to fill the gap in these sentences: The company always takes ______ new staff for the summer period.  Negotiations broke ______...

Clothes and Fashion Karen Hyland, 22, a self-confessed ' scruff ', about to graduate from the University of East Anglia this summer, is among those desperately seeking a speedy transition from the campus uniform of jeans, trainers and sweatshirts to smart suit and shoes, without resorting to the pastel , power outfits  favoured by New Labour's fresh female intake. Short skirts are to be avoided, as are Eighties shoulder pads, but no one wants to look frumpy  and the students budget is inevitably tight. "I have to create a new image for my proposed career in television", explained Karen. "Money aside, choosing the right outfit  for my pending interviews is giving me nearly as much worry as my finals." What Karen needs was The Interview Suit- something smart, young and modern, which would be suitable for most office dress codes , while being individual enough to convince prospective employers that she could bring personality and flair to the job. ...

Stonehenge Monument Stonehenge is an ancient monument situated about ten miles north of Salisbury in England. It was built about 4500 years ago, but by whom and for what purpose remains a mystery. The builders must have known of geometry. They may have been influenced by the Mycenaeans, whose architecture was similar. Some of the stones must have been brought from West Wales, over 135 miles away. These stones weigh more than fifty tons. They may have been brought on rafts and rollers. Experts say that it must have taken 1500 men more than five years to transport them. Stonehenge was probably built in three stages. First, settlers from continental Europe built a temple for sun worship. Later the "Beaker" people added the stone circles. Finally, people of the Wesse Culture transformed Stonehenge into an observatory. They could calculate the exact time of Midsummer and Midwinter and of equinoxes 1. We understand from the passage that the construction of the Stonehen...