Write to Mike Bilbrough to ask a question or give an opinion.

"Scrooge jumped out of bed and rushed over to the window, opened it, and put his head out. There was no fog, no mist; it was a clear, bright, cheerful day...."

This is the last chapter of Charles' Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol adapted to B2 level.

B2 phrases to listen for. What is the context of each word?

1) seasonal - refers to a time of year e.g. seasonal decorations (during the Christmas season)

2) remarkable - a wonderful qualities, for a person, perhaps intelligent, clever.

3) astonished - very surprised

4) absurd - ridiculous, very strange

5) cautious - being very careful because you are suspicious about something

6) arrogant - showing yourself to be superior to others

7) uncertain - not sure about something

8) delightful - wonderful, lovely

9) worthwhile - you do it because you know the results will be positive

10) unbearable - you can't stand something, usually a situation you want to get away from it

11) exceptional - of superior quality than other examples of something

12) priceless - so valuable it has no price at all

To read the answers to the task, go to my webpage: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-219.htm

At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, grammar help and exercises and other English learning pages.
https://www.practisingenglish.com/

My latest novel for learners of B2 English is called The Tudor Conspiracy. You can see it on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/33Axu2N
https://amzn.to/33Axu2N

Be back soon with another podcast!
Mike Bilbrough (Secondary school English teacher and Doctor in English philology)

Write to Mike Bilbrough to ask a question or give an opinion.

Jonathon goes to the bank to claim his prize, but he comes away with something he didn't expect.

B2 phrases to listen for. What is the context of each phrase?

1, get rid of - try to make disappear

2, be taken in - makes you believe something bad

3, live for - be a very important thing in your life

4, fall apart - collapse, disappear so it exists no longer

5, see to something - make something happen

6, let somebody down - not help somebody so they are at a disadvantage

The vowels (a, e, i, o, u) have been taken out (unless the word begins with a vowel). Read the definition and guess the word in bold.

B1-level

1, tk cr of something - do something very carefully

2, shv - cut hair from face or legs

3, accnt - where you keep money in a bank

4, lk up - check sth in a book, computer, etc.

5, b in tch with - keep contact with

B2-level

1, attmpt - trying to do something

2, qlfd - somebody with the training and experience

3, mnnrs - behaving politely

4, stnnngly - very, very much, amazingly

5, blngngs - things that are yours

To see the answers: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-218.htm

At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, grammar help and exercises and other English learning pages.
https://www.practisingenglish.com/

My latest novel for learners of B2 English is called The Tudor Conspiracy. You can see it on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/33Axu2N
https://amzn.to/33Axu2N

Be back soon with another podcast!
Mike Bilbrough (Secondary school English teacher and Doctor in English philology)

Write to Mike Bilbrough to ask a question or give an opinion.

English podcast story for B1, B2 levels (intermediate - upper intermediate) - Jonathon Baxter has spent ten years walking around Britain, playing his harmonica to survive. Then he decides to return to his home, but what will he find?

B2 phrases to listen for. What is the context of each phrase?

1, more or less (finished etc.) = nearly

2, obliged to = you have to

3, not have the slightest intention = (used in the neagative) not want or will not do something

4, neither (inversion = e.g. neither do I like...) / neither... nor... e.g. I don't want to do neither one thing or the other

5, drop in = an informal visit

6) turn up = arrive without an appointment

Vocabulary test

The vowels (a, e, i, o, u) have been taken out (unless the word begins with a vowel). Read the definition and guess the word in bold.

B1-level

1) ow - when you must pay somebody money because it is theirs

2) unbl - you cannot do it

3) brng up - the care and protection that parents give their children until they are adults

4) sgntr - your written name

5) lttry - tickets you buy to try to win a money prize

B2-level

1) dbt - the money you owe to somebody

2) dstrb - by making noise etc. other people get annoyed

3) incm - the money you earn in your job

4) py off - pay the money that you have borrowed

5) shbby - untidy clothes

You can find the answers at https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-217.htm

At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, grammar help and exercises and other English learning pages.
https://www.practisingenglish.com/

My latest novel for learners of B2 English is called The Tudor Conspiracy. You can see it on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/33Axu2N
https://amzn.to/33Axu2N

Be back soon with another podcast!
Mike Bilbrough (Secondary school English teacher and Doctor in English philology)