1. Circle the correct verbs to complete the sentences.
1 The restaurant charges / costs $3 for water.
2 We saved / saved up a lot of money by booking the flights online.
3 If you buy / spend the cinema tickets, I’ll owe / pay for the drinks and popcorn.
4 Don’t worry – if you can’t afford / spend to buy lunch, I can borrow / lend you some money.
5 He’s always short of money because he loses / wastes about €5 a day on drinks and snacks.
6 I borrow / owe my parents €50 from last summer.
7 If I charge / run out of money, I’ll borrow / lend some from my parents.
8 We can buy / charge three books because they only cost / pay for €4 each.
Answer
1 charges 2 saved 3 buy, pay for 4 afford, lend
5 wastes 6 owe 7 run out of, borrow 8 buy, cost
2. Listen to the true story of a student in Australia. Which is the best title? Tick a, b or c.
a An honest student gets a reward
b Crime doesn’t pay
c How to find a job in TV
Answer
A: An honest student gets a reward.
Transcript
Back in 2011, Chamindu Amarsinghe was a student and, like many students, he was short of money – so he took a part time job. For a few hours a week, he worked as a cleaner at the offices of a TV company in Sydney, Australia.
One day, he was cleaning the ground-floor bathroom at a TV company building when he found lots of $50 and $100 notes inside a bin. There was too much to count. At first, Mr Amarsinghe, who is originally from New Zealand, thought it was a prank. But when he touched the notes he realised it was real money. He was astonished. His first thought was to tell the authorities. He didn’t know why the money was there but he knew that the money didn’t belong to him and he didn’t want to take it away. He called his supervisor and, before long, police officers collected more than $100,000 from the bathroom.
No one came forward to claim the money, which was probably connected with a crime. But three years later, Mr Amarsinghe received a phone call to say most of the money – about $88,000 – was now his. He was astonished – again! The judge decided that the money was a suitable reward for the student’s honesty. And the police agreed, particularly because Mr Amarsinghe was short of money when he found the cash but still did not think about taking it for himself. Mr Amarsinghe was delighted to receive the money. When the newspapers interviewed him, he didn’t know how he was going to spend it all, but he would give some to his family, some to disabled people and some to a Buddhist temple in Australia.
Listening Strategy
Before you listen, carefully read the summary and think about what you need to fill each gap. Think about the part of speech (noun, adjective, verb, etc.) and the kind of information (a time or date, number, age, place, an adjective that describes a feeling, etc.) that should go in each gap.
3. Read the Listening Strategy and the summary below. What kind of information do you need for each answer? Choose from the alternatives below.
an adjective to describe a feeling a country a job
a number a period of time a room
Mr Amarsinghe was short of money so he took a part-time job as 1………………… . He was working in 2………………… on the ground floor of a TV company, when he found some money. At first, Mr Amarsinghe, who was born in 3…………………, thought it was a trick and decided not to take the money. The police arrived and found more than 4………………… dollars. No one claimed the money but the police phoned Amarsinghe after 5………………… and told him that most of the money was now his. A judge decided that he deserved the money for his honesty. Amarsinghe was of course 6………………… when he heard this, but he wasn’t sure how he would spend the money.
1 The information needed is …………………………………
2 The information needed is …………………………………
3 The information needed is …………………………………
4 The information needed is …………………………………
5 The information needed is …………………………………
6 The information needed is …………………………………
Answer
1 a job 2 a room 3 a country 4 a number
5 a period of time 6 an adjective to describe a feeling
4. Listen again and write the correct words to complete the gaps in the summary in exercise 3. Use between 1 and 3 words for each gap.
1 ………………………………………………………
2 ………………………………………………………
3 ………………………………………………………
4 ………………………………………………………
5 ………………………………………………………
6 ………………………………………………………
Answer
1 He worked as a cleaner.
2 In the ground-floor bathroom.
3 He’s originally from New Zealand.
4 He found more than AUS$100,000.
5 He had to wait three years before finding out he could keep the money.
6 he was delighted to receive the money.
Transcript
see exercise 2.
5. Read the questions and think about the kind of information you need for the answers to the questions.
1 Where is the apartment that speaker 1 mentions? ……………………..
2 How much did speaker 2 spend on cosmetics? ……………………..
3 How long has speaker 3 had his job? ……………………..
4 What is speaker 4’s hobby? ……………………..
Answer
your own answers
6. Listen to four different speakers and answer the questions in exercise 5.
1 ………………………………………………………
2 ………………………………………………………
3 ………………………………………………………
4 ………………………………………………………
Answer
1 The apartment is in Spain.
2 She spent nearly one hundred pounds.
3 He’s had his job for three years.
4 She read it in a magazine.
5 His hobby is cycling.
Transcript
see exercise 7.
7. Listen again and match speakers 1-4 with sentences A-E. There is one extra sentence.
This speaker:
A asked for a pay rise at work, but did not get it.
B borrowed money for a holiday, but did not go.
C receives gifts of money, but never spends it.
D tried to raise money for charity, but did not get much.
E tried to get a refund in a shop, but failed.
The extra sentence is …….
Answer
A Speaker 3 B Speaker 4 C Speaker 1
D Speaker 5 F Speaker 2
The extra sentence is E.
Transcript
1
It was one of my friends from school who had the idea. He told us that his uncle owns a big apartment in Spain and we could all stay there for free in June. It would be a great way to celebrate the end of our exams. So asked my parents if I could borrow some money for the flight. They said ‘yes’ and I was really excited. But then it all went wrong. My friend’s uncle didn’t want us there. In the end, we never went.
2
I’ll never go to that department store again. I think the way they treated me is terrible! I spent nearly £100 there on cosmetics but I couldn’t use some of the make-up because it gave me problems with my skin. I took it back and asked for a refund – but the shop assistant said I couldn’t have a refund because they don’t give refunds for make-up. I argued about it and showed her the receipt but it was no good. So in the end I just walked out.
3
I’ve had my job at the radio station for three years now and I really love it – but to be honest, my salary is terrible. It’s just enough for rent and food – but I can’t afford to go on holiday or buy new clothes or anything like that. So I went to see my boss and we had a chat about it. She thinks I’m doing a great job. But when I asked for more money, she said no. She says the radio station is losing money and can’t afford it. Oh well … next year, maybe.
4
I read in a magazine that 15th August is my lucky day. So on 15th August, I bought a hundred lottery tickets. That’s right, a hundred! I choose all the numbers and I was sure I had a good chance of winning. But when I watched the live lottery show on TV, I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t win anything! In fact, I lost £50 – because that’s how much I spent on lottery tickets. So now I’m not sure that 15th August really is my lucky day …
5
I’ve got quite a lot of money in the bank. I don’t know how much exactly – but a few hundred at least. Every birthday, I get presents from my relatives and when they ask me what I want, I always say “money”. So they send me birthday cards with money inside. I don’t spend it – never. I put it all in the bank. One day, I’ll spend it but I’m not sure what I’ll buy. I’m not really saving up for anything. But I might buy new bike one day because I’m really into cycling.
Extra exercises
Strategy
Before you listen, look at the statements carefully and underline they key words. Sometimes the information in the statement is true for one of the speakers, but it is incorrect for the speaker in the statement. Listen carefully to hear which speaker gives the information.
1. Read the Strategy. Then look at the task below and underline the key words in the questions. The first one has been done for you.
Answer
2 prefers, town, country
3 activity holiday
4 offers, teach
5 planning, another holiday
2. Listen to the conversation twice. Decide if the statements are true or false
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True |
False |
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1 Lucy has a relative living in Spain. |
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2 Ben prefers the town to the country. |
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3 Ben prefers to relax when he is on holiday. |
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4 Ben’s uncle can teach Lucy Spanish cooking. |
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5 Lucy tells Ben about a good hotel to stay at. |
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6 Lucy gives Ben some advice about a job. |
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7 Lucy is planning to return to Spain in September. |
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Answer
1 Ben 2 Ben 3 Lucy 4 Ben 5 Lucy
Transcript
Ben Have you had a holiday this year, Lucy?
Lucy Yes, I went to Spain in May with my mum, my dad and my little brother. We stayed in a little village near Malaga.
B Oh yeah, I’ve been to Malaga a few times. My uncle’s got a flat there. He works in a hotel.
L Malaga’s pretty busy.
B Yes, it is, but I like lively places. I’m not so keen on villages.
L Yes, but it isn’t boring in the villages near Malaga. We went camping, hiking and cycling. The countryside is really beautiful.
B I like doing that kind of thing at home. But when I’m on holiday, I prefer lying on the beach and then going to cafes in the evenings.
L There were some lovely cafes in the village we went to, and the people were so friendly.
B Was the food good?
L It was amazing. I love Spanish tapas. I love paella. I really want to do a Spanish cookery course.
B I could teach you.
L Really?
B Yeah. My uncle’s a chef at the hotel too. He taught me everything he knows.
L Lucky you! I’d like to visit your uncle’s hotel.
B Well … next time you go to Malaga, you can go there. I’ll give you the address.
L Thanks. Are you going again soon?
B I don’t think so. I haven’t got any money.
L I’d get a job if I were you. I’m working in my local supermarket in the summer because I want to go to Italy in September.
B Hmm. Maybe I’ll give them a ring and ask about a job then.
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