Speakout Advanced p 56. Secrets. Listening

1. Had I told anybody how much my father earned, he’d have been absolutely 1_________.  
2. We were 2.1_________ in an atmosphere in which families 2.2_________ themselves to themselves.
3. Now everything is different since we have become more 3.1_____________ about the kind of dangerous secrets that might be held 3.2____________________, and how damaging they could be.
4. They persuaded us to let it all 4______________. 
5. A friend of mine confided in me but I divulged her secret, it just 5___________.
6. She was very irate and I even thought she was actually going to 6.1__________ me. Anyway, we 6.2____________ two hours later. 
7.  My husband took an afternoon off to get me a Christmas present. He didn't want to tell me but he almost let 7.1____________  I really wish he had 7.2_______________.
8. I revealed my biggest secret of a romance with an older man to my husband as I couldn’t 8.1________ this secret and therefore 8.2________ the consequences. However, we’ve 8.3________ closer together as a result.
9. When should you spill 9.1___________ and be honest, and when is it better to stay 9.2_________?
10. Eva Rice's contention is that nowadays we have all been persuaded to say what we feel at the 10_______________. 
11. In her book she intends to 11.1___________ the fact that sometimes guarding a secret can bring a more positive 11.2____________ than always telling everyone how you feel.
12. Eva Rice considers that a secret should be closely guarded if it protects somebody from something in a way that isn’t going to damage them when they do 12.1______________ find out. However, nowadays this is 12.2____________ upon, and it is considered wrong.



KEY and Vocabulary 

1. furious



2.1 raised
 


2.2 kept

keep (yourself) to yourself to avoid meeting people socially or becoming involved in their affairs. E.g. Nobody knows much about him; he keeps himself very much to himself.







3.1 knowledgeable
knowledgeable (about something) /ˈnɒlɪdʒəbl/ knowing a lot. Well informed. E.g. She is very knowledgeable about plants.






3.2 behind closed doors
behind closed doors: without the public being allowed to attend or know what is happening; in private. E.g. The meeting was held behind closed doors.




4. hang out
hang out: (of washing) hang from a clothes line to dry. E.g. the inhabitants fled with such haste that their washing is still hanging out.









5. fell out
fall out: to become loose and drop. E.g. His hair is falling out. My tooth fell out. 



6.1 slap
slap somebody/something (+ adverb/preposition) to hit somebody/something with the flat part of your hand. Smack. E.g. She slapped his face hard. She slapped him hard across the face. ‘Congratulations!’ he said, slapping me on the back. 



6.2 made up
make up (with somebody)  to end a disagreement with somebody and become friends again. E.g. Why don't you two kiss and make up? Has he made it up with her yet? Have they made it up yet?



7.1 it slip
let slip something: to give somebody information that is supposed to be secret. E.g. I happened to let it slip that he had given me £1000 for the car. She tried not to let slip what she knew.



7.2. given it away
give something/somebody away: to make known something that somebody wants to keep secret. E.g. She gave away state secrets to the enemy. It was supposed to be a surprise but the children gave the game away. His voice gave him away (= showed who he really was). 











8.1 live with
live with a secret


8.2. face
face the consequences 



8.3 grown
grow: to begin to have a particular quality or feeling over a period of time. E.g. to grow old/ bored/ calm. As time went on he grew more and more impatient. The skies grew dark and it began to rain. 



9.1 the beans
spill the beans: (informal) to tell somebody something that should be kept secret or private. E.g. In addition to telling us the good, the not-so-good and the surprising news about your relationship with food, you also spilled the beans on your deepest, darkest dieting secrets. Little children will usually spill the beans without meaning to.






9.2 schtum
keep/stay shtum (also schtum) /ʃtʊm/ to not speak. Police have appealed for witnesses, but it seems the locals are keeping shtum.







10. drop of a hat
at the drop of a hat: immediately; without hesitating. E.g. The company can't expect me to move my home and family at the drop of a hat.






11.1 get across
get across (to somebody)/ get something across (to somebody) to be communicated or understood; to succeed in communicating something. E.g. Your meaning didn't really get across. He's not very good at getting his ideas across. The point of my book was to get across the fact that...




 

11.2 outcome
outcome: /ˈaʊtkʌm/ the result or effect of an action or event. E.g. We are waiting to hear the final outcome of the negotiations. These costs are payable whatever the outcome of the case. We are confident of a successful outcome. Four possible outcomes have been identified.




12.1 ultimately
ultimately:  finally; in the end. E.g. the largest firms may ultimately become unstoppable.





12.2. frowned
frown on/upon somebody/something: /fraʊn/ to disapprove of somebody/ something. E.g. In her family, any expression of feeling was frowned upon.