The Linguaphone English Course Book One 灵格风英语

ENGLISH COURSE ONE

Preface

An ideal system of

instruction for the learning of

a foreign language should fulfill

the following essential conditions:

?

It should be suitable for private or self-tuition as well as for class-work, and

should conform to the best methods of

modern language instruction.

?

It should impart a practical conversational knowledge of

everyday subjects,

while at the same time it should also convey, in a clear and concise manner, the

essentials of

grammar and syntax.

?

It should enable the learner to think in the foreign language, without any

process of

translation, by training him from the very outset to associate the

foreign words he encounters with the objects or actions they denote. He will

thus acquire the ability to speak the language naturally and instinctively

—

in the

same way as he learned his own language when a child.

?

Finally

, the learner should be taught to speak the foreign language with correct

accent and intonation.

The Linguaphone Method of

teaching languages fulfils all these requirements.

Linguaphone Courses are now published in more than twenty languages and are in

use in practically every country, while leading Universities, Colleges and Schools

throughout the world have incorporated them as a regular feature of

their language

tuition.

The English course

The Linguaphone English Course is equally suitable for children and adults, for

entire beginners and for those who have a theoretical knowledge of

the language

and wish to become proficient in the spoken language.

The Course consists of

descriptive talks and conversations. The text is in

easy- flowing and perfectly natural idiomatic language, which would be used by

educated people under similar circumstances.

Practical grammar is introduced into the text of

each lesson and is absorbed by the

student as he goes along.

The illustrations in the main textbook, which have been specially drawn by the

artists William Stobbs, Jean Graziani and Suzanne Hall, form an integral part of

the

Course and perform an important function in it.

The other books which are included in the Course give the meaning of

the text,

detailed explanations of

grammatical points, idioms and so on.

There is also a special recording of

the Sounds of

the language, spoken by Peter

A.D. MacCarthy, M.A., Head of

the Department of

Phonetics of

Leeds University

and author of

English Pronunciation

.

Advice on how to make the best use of

the Course is given in the booklet of

Instructions which is supplied with it.

Speakers

In order to enable the student to follow the spoken text easily

, the first lessons are

spoken very slowly and distinctly

, the rate of

speech increasing as the Course

progresses, so that in the more advanced lessons a perfectly natural rate of

speech is

heard.

Ten speakers have taken part in the recording of

the English Course, namely:

Sir IFOR EVANS, M.A., ., Provost of

University College, University of

London;

……

……

……

……

The first few lessons are spoken by the same two speakers, so that the student may

concentrate on the new sounds of

the language without being confused by the

introduction of

too many different voices. Once he has become familiar with the

sounds, he will find it pleasing and stimulating to hear new voices.

As no two speakers of

a language speak exactly alike, differences will be found in the

pronunciation of

the speakers, but every one of

them can be accepted as a safe model

for the general student, while for those who make a special study of

phonetics, the

various differences o detail will provide ample scope for study.

Extra reading practice

Supplementary Reading

will be found at the end of

the illustrated textbook. These

passages will show the student how,

without going beyond the scope of

the lessons

, he

can adapt the material he has learned, to form quite different sentences and describe

a wide variety of

events and circumstances. They are also an excellent revision test,

because, if

the student has really mastered the lessons, he should be able to read the

Supplementary Exercises without difficulty and without having to consult the

vocabulary.

The student who masters this Course will have acquired a thoroughly practical

knowledge of

the English language, both written and spoken. Not only will he have

a good grasp of

the grammar, but he will also have at his command a store of

useful

words (The vocabulary has been based primarily on standard word-frequency

counts.), colloquial expressions and idiomatic sentences, which will enable him to

enjoy to the full his contacts with English people. At the same time, he will be able to

understand and appreciate English thought as expressed in the literature of

the

country.

The Spoken Word

Language is primarily Speech, and speech is dependent ultimately upon one and only

one sense organ

—

the Ear. Those parts of

the human mechanism that are so

regularly mis-

termed the “Organs of

Speech” are seldom, in books upon language,

made to include the Ear, which is, in fact, the most import of

all, for without the Ear,

audible speech would have been impossible. Speech is acquired through the Ear and

through the Ear alone, for it is through the Ear that the mind looks out, so to speak,

upon the world of

Sound. Sound is, in fact, nothing more than the feature in the

world around us of

which we become conscious through the Ear. The Eye plays

some part in the acquisition of

Speech, but its special realm is that aspect of

Language which has been designed to approach the mind through the medium of

the Eye alone, i.e. the written or printed word. At the root of

all practical study of

language lies the simple truth that the Ear is in absolute domination, and as a

necessary corollary it follows that at least one very important road towards the

learning of

a foreign language is to hear the language spoken as often as possible,

knowing at the same time the meaning of

what is being said, and realizing the

circumstances that call for it. This means of

approach is better provided by the

intelligent use of

a well constructed course on gramophone records or tape than by

the living teacher.

After many years of

experience in the University of

London in teaching English

pronunciation to foreigners, I advise all students of

our language to pay the utmost

attention to two features of

spoken English that are often imperfectly understood

even by those native English people who attempt without special training to teach

their language to foreigners. These two features are Rhythm and Intonation, two

features of

pronunciation upon which intelligibility largely rests. The surest way to

become unintelligible in a language is to distort its natural rhythm.

And finally I commend as worthy of

special attention the use and function of

emphatic stress in modern English; abundant examples will be found in the

recordings.

A. LLOYD JAMES

Introduction

Let’s speak English

Good morning!

Listen, please.

I am the teacher.

You are the student.

I am English.

You are not English.

An Englishman speaks English.

Englishmen speak English.

I am speaking English now.

This is a table.

This is a gramophone.

This is a record.

The record is on the gramophone.

The gramophone is on the table.

You are sitting at the table.

You are holding a book in you hand.

The book is open.

You are looking at the book.

You are listening to the record.

You are hearing my voice.

You are learning to speak, to understand, to read and to write English.

I am speaking slowly.

When I speak slowly, you understand me.

When I speak quickly, you don’t understand me.

Good afternoon. How are you?

Quite well, thank you.

Now please, answer my questions. Am I the teacher?

Yes, you are.

Are you the student?

Yes, I am.

Am I English?

Yes, you are.

Are you English?

No, I’m not.

Who is the teacher, you or I?

You are.

And who is the student?

I am.

Do I speak English?

Yes, you do.

Am I speaking English now?

Yes, you are.

Do you speak English?

Yes, I do, but only a little.

What is this?

It’s a record.

Where is it?

It’s on the gramophone.

Is this a book?

Yes, it is.

Is this a book?

No, it isn’t, it’s a record.

Where are you sitting?

I’m sitting at the table.

What are you listening to?

I’m listening

to the record.

Whose voice are you hearing?

I’m hearing your voice.

What are you looking at?

I’m looking at my book.

Is the book open or closed?

Open, of

course.

What are you learning?

I’m learning English.

Do you understand me when I speak slowly?

Yes, I do.

And when I speak quickly?

No, I don’t.

Lesson one

My Family

This is my family: my wife, my son, my daughter and I. I am Mr. Black. My wife is

Mrs. Black. I am Mrs. Black’s husband. I am a man. My wife is a woman.

We have two children, a boy and a girl.

The boy’s name is John. He’s twelve years

old. The girl’s name is Mary. She’s still quite young. She’s only eight. She’s four

years younger than John, and John is four years older than she is. Mary is the

youngest in the family and I am the oldest.

John i

s Mary’s brother. Mary is John’s sister. John is my son. I am his father. My wife

is his mother. Mary is my daughter. I am her father. My wife is her mother. John and

Mary are our children. I am their father; my wife is their mother; we are their

parents. We love our children.

My wife is sitting in an armchair, reading a book. I am standing by the window,

smoking a pipe. Mary is writing a letter. John is kneeling on the floor and playing

with his train. The dog and the cat are lying under the table.

Lesson two

Questions and answers

Who am I?

You are Mr. Black.

Whose husband am I?

Mrs. Black

’

s husband.

What

’

s my son

’

s name?

His name is John.

What is your name?

My name is Peter Jones.

Have I got one child or two?

You have two children.

Is Mary my daughter?

Yes, she is.

How old is she?

She

’

s eight.

What is she doing?

She

’

s writing a letter.

Is she standing or sitting?

She

’

s sitting.

What is John playing with?

He

’

s playing with his train.

Has John any brothers?

No, he hasn

’

t.

Have you any brothers?

Yes, I have.

How many?

One.

Who is smoking a pipe?

You are.

Do you smoke?

No, I don

’

t.

Does your father smoke?

Yes, he does.

Does your mother smoke?

No, she doesn

’

t.

Do women smoke?

Some do and some don

’

t.

Lesson three

Our house

Many families in London live in flats, but most people live in their own houses in the

suburbs. We too have a house in a London suburb. I bought it about fifteen years ago,

when I got married. Like most of

London

’

s suburban houses, it consists of

only two

floors, the ground floor and the first floor.

On the ground floor there

’

s the dining-room, the lounge or sitting-room, the kitchen

and the hall. In the hall we see a stand for hats, coats and umbrellas. A staircase leads

from the hall to the landing on the first floor. On this floor there are four bedrooms,

a bathroom and a lavatory. On top of

the roof

there are three chimneys.

In front of

the house we have a small garden, in which we grow flowers: roses, tulips,

and so on. At the back of

the house there

’

s a much larger garden with a lawn and

some fruit-trees. There

’

s also a vegetable garden where we grow all kinds of

vegetables, such as potatoes, cabbages, cauliflowers, onions and tomatoes.

At the side of

the house is a garage, where I keep my car. The garden is enclosed by

a fence, with gate in it.

Lesson four

Conversation

Now, let

’

s have talk about our house.

…

. Can you tell me where we live?

Yes, I can; you live I in a house in the suburbs of

London.

Quite right. Now tell me, is it a large house or a small one?

Well, it

’

s neither very large nor very small.

When did I buy it?

You bought it about fifteen years ago.

Is there a garage?

Yes, there is.

How many rooms are there in the house?

Let me see

…

. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Yes, seven, including the kitchen.

Are the bedrooms upstairs or downstairs?

Upstairs, on the first floor.

Which rooms are on the ground floor?

The dining-room, the lounge and the kitchen.

Have we got a garden?

Yes, you have.

Where do the flowers grow?

In the front garden.

Are there any fruit-trees there?

No, there aren

’

t, they

’

re in the back garden.

Have we got many fruit-trees?

No, not many, just a few.

Do you like fruit?

Yes, I do, very much, especially pears and apples.

Lesson five

Our sitting-room

Let

’

s have a look at this picture of

our sitting-room. As you come into the room, you

notice a piano, with a low music-stool in front of

it. Next to the piano is a tall

bookcase, standing against the wall. On the left is a large window. Under the window

there

’

s a radiator, but you can

’

t see it, because it

’

s behind the settee. On the settee

there are two cushions.

The fireplace is at the other end of

the room. On each side of

the fireplace there

’

s an

armchair. An old lady is sitting in one of

the chairs, but nobody

’

s sitting in the other

one; it

’

s empty. In the centre of

the mantelpiece there

’

s a clock, and above it an oval

mirror. On the right you can see a standard lamp.

Opposite the fireplace you can see a small table with an ash- tray and some

newspapers on it. By the table there

’

s a small chair. On the extreme right, there

’

s a

radiogram. The floor is covered with a beautiful thick carpet. An electric light is

hanging from the middle of

the ceiling. At night, when it gets dark, we switch on

the light and draw the curtains. During the day, the light comes in through the

window.

Lesson six

Conversation between teacher and student

Is there a bookcase in our sitting-room?

Yes, there is.

Are there any books in it?

Yes, quite a lot.

How many are there?

I don

’

t know. I haven

’

t counted them. Where

’

s the window?

On the left of

the piano.

What is there under the window?

A radiator.

Can you see it?

No, I can

’

t. Why not?

Because it

’

s behind the settee.

Is the mirror round or square?

Neither, it

’

s oval.

Is there anything on top of

the radiogram?

No, nothing at all.

There

’

s something on the small table, isn

’

t there?

Yes, there

’

s an ash-tray.

Isn

’

t there anything else on it?

Yes, there are some newspapers.

Are there any armchairs in the room?

Yes, there are two.

You can see somebody sitting in one of

them, can

’

t you?

Yes, an old lady.

Is anybody sitting in the other chair?

No, nobody. There isn

’

t anybody sitting on the settee, either.

Do you like our sitting-room?

Yes, I do, very much.

I

’

m so glad. Everybody does.

Lesson seven

Comparisons

Now let

’

s compare our sitting- room with the Bakers

’

. The Bakers are friends of

ours.

They live next door to us. Our room is a little larger than theirs and it has more

furniture in it. As you see, there

’

s no wireless set in Mr. Baker

’

s room. There isn

’

t a

bookcase either. Mine is in my sitting-room, but his is in his study.

My wife keeps her music in the music-stool, but Mrs. Baker keeps hers in a separate

cabinet near the piano. You can also see that theirs is a grand piano, whereas ours is

an upright. Both my wife and Mrs. Baker are very fond of

music and both play the

piano very well. But my wife doesn

’

t play as well as Mrs. Baker. Mrs. Baker not only

plays much better than my wife does, but she

’

s the best pianist in the district. I don

’

t

play the piano, but I play the violin.

There

’

s no settee in the Bakers

’

sitting-room, and there are no small chairs. However,

they have three easy chairs whereas we have only two. In their room they have an

electric fire, but we, like most English people, have a coal fire. Sometimes we burn

logs of

wood instead of

coal. The Bakers have two vases on their mantelpiece, as

well as a clock, and over the mantelpiece they

’

ve got a beautiful picture, painted by a

famous artist.

Lesson eight

Another talk

Well, you

’

ve learnt quite a lot about our sitting-room and the Bakers

’

, and now I

’

m

going to ask you a few questions about them. Tell me, whose sitting-room do you

like better, the Bakers

’

or ours?

I don

’

t think there

’

s much to choose between the two, but on the whole I prefer

yours.

I

’

m glad to bear that. Of

course, their furniture is more modern than ours. You see,

they haven

’

t been married as long as we have, so they bought their furniture more

recently than we did

…

. Don

’

t you think that

’

s a very fine picture the Bakers have

over their mantelpiece?

Yes, I can

’

t help admiring it whenever I look at it. I should think it must be very

valuable.

And what do you think of

the piano?

I think it

’

s a very fine instrument indeed.

By the way, do you play the piano?

I

’

m sorry to say I don

’

t.

Does your wife?

Oh yes, she does, and very well too.

Lesson nine

Visitors

It

’

s Saturday afternoon. There

’

s a knock at the door. Our neighbours, Mr. and Mrs.

White have arrived. The maid opens the door and lets them in. She shuts the door,

and shows them into the lounge. We greet them, shake hands with them, and ask

them to sit down.

A few minutes later we hear a ring at the door. It

’

s Betty Smith, my wife

’

s niece.

She

’

s just arrived from the country, and she

’

s going to stay with us over the

week-end. She kissed her aunt, who introduces her to the Whites, and we all sit

down.

The ladies talk about the weather and the latest fashions. We men discuss politics,

business and the latest news. Presently the maid brings in the tea on a trolley: a pot

of

tea, cups and saucers, hot water, a jug of

milk, and sugar; also sandwiches, bread

and butter, jam, and cakes. My wife pours out the tea. I hand it round. My niece

passes round the sandwiches and cakes. We all enjoy the tea very much.

Lesson ten

Afternoon tea

Good afternoon, Mrs. White, how are you?

Very well indeed, thank you, and how are you?

Quite well, thank you. Won

’

t you sit down

…

.Excuse me, please. I think that

’

s my

niece at the door

…

. Hallo, Betty dear!

I

’

m so glad to see you. You do look well.

I don

’

t think you

’

ve met each other before. Let me introduce you. This is my niece,

Miss Smith. Mrs. White, Mr. White.

How do you do

…

. How do you do.

And now let

’

s have some tea. How do you like your tea, Mrs. White, strong or weak?

Not too strong, please, and one lump of

sugar, I like my tea rather sweet, but my

husband prefers his without sugar.

Well, what

’

s the news, Mr. White? How

’

s business?

Pretty good, thank you. And how are things with you?

Well, not too good, I

’

m afraid, and going from bad to worse. In fact, it

’

s the worst

year we

’

ve had for a long time.

I

’

m sorry to hear that. I hope things will soon improve.

Yes, let

’

s hope for the best. And how

’

s your nephew Richard getting on?

Oh, he

’

s getting on quite well, thank you. He

’

s staying in the country just now with

his Uncle William and his cousins.

How long is he going to stay there?

I don

’

t know exactly, but he

’

s having a very pleasant time and it

’

s doing him a lot of

good, so the longer he stays the better.

Lesson eleven

The Browns

’

dining-room

In the dining-room we have our meals: breakfast in the morning, lunch in the middle

of

the day, tea in the afternoon, and supper or dinner in the evening. Here you see

Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, who

’

ve just arrived from abroad and are having dinner

with the Browns. The host, Mr. Brown, is sitting at the head of

the table, and the

hostess, Mrs. Brown, is at the other end. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are sitting on

either side, facing each other.

The dining-room table is covered with a white cloth. The maid has laid the table in

the usual way

, and has put the right number of

knives, forks, spoons and glasses for

each person. There

’

s also pepper and salt, oil and vinegar, and mustard. On the left

of

each person is a table- napkin and a plate with a roll on it. In front of

the host

there

’

s a carving-knife and fork.

On the sideboard the Browns usually have a bowl of

fruit: apples, pears, plums,

cherries, grapes, oranges or bananas according to the season. The mistress of

the

house has just served the soup. After this there

’

ll be fish, meat or poultry with

vegetables, then a sweet, and perhaps cheese and biscuits to finish with.

Lesson twelve

Dinner-table talk

Good evening. I

’

m so glad you were able to come

…

. Dinner

’

s ready. Let

’

s go into the

dining-room. Mrs. Thompson, will you sit here on my left, and you, Mr. Thompson,

there

…

.

How long have you been in London?

Oh, only a few days; since last Monday

, to be exact, and I

’

m sorry to say we have to

return tomorrow week.

Is this your first visit?

It

’

s my wife

’

s first visit, but I

’

ve been here several times before, I have to come over

at least once a year on business, and I feel quite at home in London.

And what do you think of

London, Mrs. Thompson?

Er

—

I beg your pardon, I didn

’

t quite catch what you said.

I was asking what you thought of

London.

Oh, I think it

’

s a wonderful place. There always seems to be something interesting to

do.

And how do you like our weather?

Well, it

’

s rather changeable, isn

’

t it?

Yes, it is, but on the whole it

’

s not so bad, once you get used to it

…

. Will you have

some more chicken?

No, thank you.

What about you, Mr. Thompson?

Yes, please, just a little. It

’

s delicious.

I

’

m so glad you like it

…

.

And now what sweet will you have, Mrs. Thompson? There

’

s apple tart and cream,

or chocolate trifle.

Er

—

trifle for me, please.

And you, Mr. Thompson?

Trifle for me, too, please.

Lesson thirteen

My bedroom

At night, when I feel tired and sleepy, I go up to my bedroom and switch on the

electric light. I take off

my shoes, undress and put on my pyjamas, Then I get into

bed and switch off

the light. After a few minutes I fall asleep. I sleep the whole night

through.

Punctually at seven-thirty in the morning, the alarm clock rings and wakes me up. I

get out of

bed, put on my dressing-gown and slippers, and go into the bathroom,

where I turn on the hot and cold taps. While the water

’

s running into the bath, I

wash my face and neck, clean my teeth, and shave. My shaving things are on the

shelf

above the basin. Then I turn off

the taps and have my bath. Sometimes I have

a shower. When I

’

ve dried myself

with a towel, I get dressed.

On the dressing-table, in front of

the looking-glass, you

’

ll see a hair-brush and comb,

a hand mirror, a bottle of

scent and a powder-box. These, of

course, don

’

t belong to

me, but to my wife. In the chest of

drawers I keep clean linen, such as shirts, collars

and handkerchiefs, besides things like socks and ties. The dirty linen is put in linen

basket and sent to the laundry. In the wardrobe I keep my suits and other clothes,

which I hang on coat-hangers.

Lesson fourteen

Morning and evening

What time do you get up as a rule?

Generally about half-past seven.

Why so early?

Because I usually catch an early train up to town.

When do you get to the office?

Normally, about nine o

’

clock.

Do you stay in town all day?

Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don

’

t.

What do you usually do in the evenings?

We generally stay at home. Once or twice a week we go to a theatre or to the

pictures. We went to the pictures last night and saw a very interesting film.

Occasionally we go to a dance.

Do you like dancing?

Yes, very much. Do you dance?

I used to when I was younger, but not very often now. I

’

m getting too old.

Too old! Nonsense, you don

’

t look more than fifty.

As a matter of

fact, I

’

m nearly sixty.

Really! You certainly don

’

t look it.

I

’

m glad to hear it

…

. Are you doing anything special tonight? If

not, what about

coming with me to my club? You

’

d get to know quite a lot of

interesting people

there.

I should love to, but today happens to be our wedding anniversary and we

’

re going

out tonight to celebrate.

Well, my heartiest congratulations.

Thank you very much. I could manage to come along tomorrow night, if

that would

suit you.

Yes, excellent. Let

’

s make it round about eight o

’

clock.

Very well. Thanks.

Lesson fifteen

The hotel

There are plenty of

good hotels in London and you

’

re nearly always sure of

finding

room in one or other of

them. Still, if

you don

’

t want to be disappointed, especially

during the holiday season, it

’

s better to engage a room beforehand. You

’

ll find

London hotels just the same as hotels in all large cities. As a rule, you go into a large

entrance-hall or lounge, where visitors are constantly coming and going.

The porter takes your luggage, and you go to the reception desk to see about your

room and get your key. Then the page takes you up to your room in lift. The people

in the office will always help you if

you don

’

t know your way about the town. They

’

ll

tell you where to go and what to see. They

’

ll book seats for you at the theatre and do

all they can to make your stay a pleasant one.

If

you want a guide to show you round, or an interpreter for a business interview,

they

’

ll get you one. If

you have to write business letters and can type, they

’

ll provide

you with a typewriter. If, on the other hand, you prefer to dictate your letters, they

’

ll

get you a shorthand-typist. If

your wife is going to be with you, she

’

ll find plenty to

amuse her. She

’

ll be able to spend her time looking at the shops while you

’

re busy.

Lesson sixteen

Booking rooms

Here we are! This is our hotel, isn

’

t it?

Yes, there

’

s the name: Prince

’

s Court Hotel. Shall I look after the luggage or will

you?

Well, if

you

’

ll see to the luggage and pay the driver, I

’

ll go in and see about rooms.

All right. Where shall I find you?

I

’

ll wait for you in the ball. Don

’

t be long. I

’

ll come as soon as I can.

Good morning. Can you let me have a double room with a bathroom? Or if

you have

two single rooms, so much the better.

We

’

re practically full up, but I

’

ll see. How long do you intend to stay?

I expect we shall be here for a week at least, perhaps a fortnight.

Yes, you can have two rooms with a bathroom on the first floor.

I hope they

’

re quiet. I hate a noise at night.

I think you

’

ll find they are, sir. They face the courtyard.

How much are they?

Forty-five shillings (45/-) a night, including breakfast.

All right, we

’

ll take those.

Will you fill up this form, please.

Surname. Christian name. Nationality. Permanent address. Place and date of

birth.

Signature. Is that all right?

Yes, that

’

s all, thank you. And here are your keys. The page will show you up to your

rooms and your luggage will be brought up straight away.

Lesson seventeen

At the restaurant

In all large towns there are plenty of

restaurants, cafes, tea-rooms, and inns or

public-houses. All the large hotels have dining-rooms or restaurants, like the one in

the picture. Each little party of

guests have their own table, and every table, as you

see, has its own lamp. Many of

the guests are in evening dress, which is usual at

fashionable restaurants, At some it

’

s compulsory.

In the picture you can see several couples dancing at the far end of

the room, near

the orchestra. One of

the waiters is standing near the buffet, where there are cold

dishes of

various kinds; another

’

s carrying a tray

, with a bottle of

wine and two

wine-glasses on it. He

’

ll put the bottle of

wine into the ice-bucket to keep it cool.

Meals in England are much the same as in other countries, with the exception of

breakfast. I expect you

’

ve heard all about the English breakfast, with its porridge or

cereal, bacon and eggs, toast, marmalade, and tea or coffee. Very few people like

chocolate or cocoa for breakfast. In the afternoon, about four o

’

clock or half-past,

nearly everybody has tea. The two main meals of

the day, lunch and dinner, are both

more or less alike. Most people have lunch about one o

’

clock and dinner at half-past

seven, or later.

Lesson eighteen

Ordering a meal

Is this table free, waiter?

I

’

m sorry, sir, these two tables have just been reserved by telephone, but that one

over there

’

s free.

What a pity! We wanted to be near the dance-floor. Still, it doesn

’

t matter, we

’

ll take

it

…

.The menu, please.

Here you are, sir. Will you dine

à

la carte

or take

the table d’h?te

?

Well, let

’

s see. What do you think, darling?

Oh, I don

’

t want much to eat, I

’

m not very hungry

…

I think I

’

ll have

–

er

—

some

oxtail soup and fried plaice with chips.

Hm, I

’

m rather hungry. I

’

ll start with some hors

d’?uvre

.

And to follow?

A grilled steak with baked potatoes and peas.

Will you have anything to drink, sir?

Well, I am rather thirsty. Bring me half

a pint of

bitter. What about you, darling?

Well, I don

’

t care for beer, but I will have a glass of

sherry.

Very good

…

. What sweet would you like? I

’

ll have fruit salad.

So will I. And we

’

ll have two coffees, please.

Black or white?

White, please. Oh, and two liqueur brandies.

What a lovely waltz they

’

re playing. Shall we dance?

Yes, I

’

d love to

…

.

Waiter! The bill, please.

Very good, sir.

Here you are.

Thank you very much, sir.

Lesson nineteen

Numerals: times and dates

If

I want to know the time I look at my watch. I

’

ve got a gold wrist-watch with a

leather strap. It keeps fairly good time, but occasionally it goes wrong. When it does

that, I take it to a watchmaker, and have it repaired, cleaned and regulated.

I don

’

t think you

’

ll find it very difficult to tell the time in English. First of

all, let

’

s

deal with the hours: we say

, it

’

s one o

’

clock, two o

’

clock, three o

’

clock, and so on.

Twelve o

’

clock may refer to midnight, or to midday. Then for the quarters we say, for

instance, it

’

s a quarter past eight (8:15), half-past eight (8:30), a quarter to nine (8:45).

Sometimes people just say eight-fifteen instead of

a quarter past eight, and

eight-thirty instead of

half-past eight. We say other times as follows: five minutes

past eight (8:05), or simply, five past eight. Similarly, ten past eight (8:10), twenty

past eight (8:20), twenty-five past eight (8:25), twenty-five to nine (8:35), twenty to

nine (8:40), ten to nine (8:50), five to nine (8:55).

Referring to dates, we say

, for instance: Henry VIII (the eighth) was born on the

twenty-eighth of

June, fourteen ninety-one (28

th

June 1491), and died on the

twenty- eighth of

January, fifteen forty-seven (28

th

January 1547). Be careful to

pronounce distinctly thirteen, thirty; fourteen, forty; fifteen, fifty; sixteen, sixty; and

so on. Then learn: a hundred (100), a hundred and one (101), two hundred and

seventy-six (276), a thousand (1,000), three thousand three hundred and

eighty-seven (3,387).

Lesson twenty

Days and months. Asking the time.

Do you know the days of

the week?

Yes, Sunday

, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

Now, let

’

s assume that today is Wednesday. What day will tomorrow be?

Thursday.

And the day after tomorrow?

Friday.

What day was yesterday?

Tuesday.

And the day before yesterday?

Monday.

As it happens, last Monday was my birthday.

Is that so? Well, many happy returns of

the day.

Thank you. And now, let

’

s have the names of

the months.

Certainly. January

, February

, March, April, May, June, July, August, September,

October, November, December.

Good

…

.Oh! Can you tell me the right time, please?

Well, my watch says five past two, but it

’

s no use relying on it, because sometimes

it

’

s fast and sometimes it

’

s slow.

Lesson twenty-one

English money

If

you

’

re going to England you

’

ll naturally want to know something about English

money. I expect you

’

ve been used to the decimal system, so English money will

probably seem very strange to you at first, but you

’

ll soon get used to it.

There are three copper coins, the penny

, the halfpenny

, and the farthing. Then

there

’

s the threepenny bit. The other coins are the sixpence, the shilling, the

two-shilling piece, and the half-crown, which is worth two shillings and sixpence, or

as we say, two and six. Then there

’

s a ten- shilling note and a pound note in common

use, and for larger sums there are five-pound notes, ten-pound notes, and so on.

There

’

s no gold in circulation, so you hardly ever see a sovereign or half-sovereign.

You may often hear the term

“

guinea

”

, which stands for twenty-one shillings,

although there

’

s no actual coin of

this value.

There are four farthings in a penny

, twelve pence in a shilling an twenty shillings in

a pound. If

the price of

a reel of

cotton is fourpence, you hand over four pennies for

it. Similarly, you say twopence, Threepence, and so on. If

a stamp costs

three- halfpence, you hand the clerk a penny and a halfpenny or three halfpennies,

and he gives you a three-halfpenny stamp.

Lesson twenty-two

At the bank

Can you change me some money, please?

Certainly. What is it you wish to change?

Here it is: some French francs, Swiss francs, American dollars and a few Dutch

guilders. You

’

d better count them.

If

you’ll wait a moment I’ll find out the rates of

exchange. Here we are. Let me

see

—

er

—that’ll make ?41.1

2.6. (forty-one pounds, twelve shillings and sixpence)

altogether. How would you like it?

Would you please give me seven five-pound notes, four pound notes and four

ten-shilling notes, and the rest in small change.

Certainly. Here you are. Will that do?

Er

—

would you mind giving me the sixpence in coppers. I want to make a phone-call

and I haven

’

t any change

…

. Thank you

…

. By the way, can I open an account here?

You

’

ll have to see the Manager about that. If

you

’

ll kindly go through that door

marked

“

Private

”

he

’

ll attend to you.

Good afternoon, sir. My name is Anderson. I should like to open an account with

you.

A deposit or current account?

Well, I want to be able to pay for things by cheque.

Then you want a current account. How much money do you want placed to your

credit?

Here

’

s L.200 (two hundred pounds). I think that ought to last me for some time.

I take it you can supply references?

Certainly.

Right. Here

’

s a cheque book. When you send a cheque by post be careful to cross it,

but if

you wish to cash a cheque yourself, you must leave it

“

open

”

< br>.

Lesson twenty-three

Postal services

There are Post Offices in every town and nearly every village in the country. If

you

want to post an ordinary letter, a postcard or a small parcel, you needn

’

t go to the

Post Office, you can drop it into the nearest pillar-box. You can recognize these

easily in England, because they

’

re painted red. If

you want to send a telegram, you

can either take it to the nearest Post Office or dictate it over the telephone.

Pillar-boxes are emptied several times a day. If

you want your letter to arrive more

quickly than by ordinary post, you can send it by Air Mail. Letters are delivered to

your home or office by a postman, and telegrams by a telegraph-boy. Here you can

see what the inside of

a Post Office looks like. On one side of

the counter you see

several customers, on the other side, the clerks.

One of

the people in the picture is buying postage-stamps, another is registering a

letter, the third is writing out a cable. If

you want to buy stamps, you must go to the

right counter; if

you go to the wrong one, you

’

ll only waste your time. Ask for a

halfpenny stamp, a penny stamp, a three-halfpenny stamp, a threepenny stamp and

so on. If

you want to send parcel, you hand it to the assistant, who weighs it on

scales and gives you the necessary stamps. The amount you have to pay depends on

the weight of

the parcel.

In most Post Offices and also in many streets, there are public telephone-boxes from

which you can telephone. All you have to do is lift the receiver, put into the slot the

pennies due for the call, and dial the first three letters of

the exchange you want,

followed by the number.

Lesson twenty-four

At the post office

Excuse me, can you tell me where the nearest Post Office is?

I

’

m sorry, I can

’

t. I

’

m a stranger here myself. Perhaps that gentleman over there will

be able to help you.

Thank you

…

. I

’

m sorry to trouble you, but can you direct me to the nearest Post

Office?

Yes, it

’

s in the High Street. As a matter of

fact, I

’

m going in the same direction

myself

so if

you come with me, I

’

ll show you.

That

’

s very kind of

you.

There it is, that building over there.

Thanks very much.

Don

’

t mention it.

I want to send a telegram. Where can I get a form?

You

’

ll find some over there

…

. Will you put your name and address on the back?

That will be 3/6 (three and six).

Do you mind telling me where I can get stamps and a registered envelope?

At the next counter.

A five-shilling book of

stamps, please, and a large registered envelope.

Will this size do?

Yes, thank you, that

’

s just right

…

Would you mind telling me what the postage on

this letter will be?

Threepence by ordinary post, or sixpence, if

you want to register it.

Lesson Twenty-five

Travelling

Those who wish to travel, either for pleasure or on business, have at their disposal

various means of

transport. There is, for instance, the humble, inexpensive bicycle.

Then there

’

s the motor-cycle, with which you can travel quickly and cheaply, but for

long journeys it

’

s rather tiring. With a motor-car, one can travel comfortably for

long distances without getting too tired.

Luxurious ships cross seas and oceans from one continent to another.

Aeroplanes carry passengers to various parts of

the world in almost as many hours

as it takes days to do the journey by other means. But most of

us still have to use

trains. Look at this picture of

a busy railway station. A train is standing at one of

the platforms ready to leave. Some of

the passengers are looking out of

the windows

watching the late-comers who are hurrying along looking for empty seats.

The engine is ready to draw the train out of

the station. On another platform a train

has just come in; some passengers are getting out, others are getting in. Those

who

’

ve not taken the precaution of

getting their tickets beforehand are waiting in

queues at the booking-office. At the bookstalls people are choosing books, magazines

or newspapers for the journey. At the cloakroom others are depositing or

withdrawing their luggage. Further along there are refreshment rooms crowded

with people snatching a hasty meal, while those with time to spare are sitting in the

waiting rooms.