Speakout Advanced p 101. A Turning Point. Listening

After my parents had shown me 1_____________  I decided to enter a 2_____________school. I have been lucky because it has 3______________ and my job has to do with that 4___________. 

At the age of fourteen when we were 5____________ house I decided to leave the 6____________ and go to a regular 7______________ where I got qualifications 8____________ . However my sister went 9____________ work. Had I chosen her option, it wouldn't have been such a long 10_________ me, and I'm still very 11____________. Finally, my next 12___________ decision, was to have children. I've got two lovely boys.

KEY

1. brochures 

2. specialised theatrical / theatre 

3 panned out

pan out:

1. Turn out well. E.g. Harold’s idea had been a good one even if it hadn’t panned out

2.  (of events or a situation) to develop in a particular way. Sp. resultar, salir. E.g. I'm happy with the way things have panned out. We must wait and see how it pans out.

4. line of work 

line: a type or area of business, activity or interest. E.g. My line of work pays pretty well. You can't do much in the art line without training. 

5.  moving

6. theatrical world

7. comprehensive

8. behind me

behind: used to say that something is in somebody’s past. E.g. The accident is behind you now, so try to forget it. She has ten years' useful experience behind her.

9. straight into 

10. road for 

11. much on it 

12. major 

 

Transcript

When I was about nine or ten and everybody uh from primary school was moving up to secondary school, my parents gave me the option to go to a specialised theatrical school or a regular comprehensive. And um it was very important, cos I remember being sat down and shown brochures of everything and there was no pressure either way. And at that young age I made the decision to go to a theatre school. And luckily for me I, I, it's panned out and I've had a career in that um, that line of work. 

But I then found myself faced with another decision, because we were moving house and uh we had to leave school, and did we want to continue with theatre school or did we want to go to a normal school? And at that point I was about fourteen, and I decided actually I want to get an education and leave the theatrical world at that point, still very, very young to make those decisions. 

And I did, I left and went to a regular comprehensive and got some uh you know qualifications behind me and everything, and my sister didn't. She carried on at theatre school and she went straight into work, very early, and was really successful. I've always wondered if perhaps I should have chosen the other option, cos it was a longer road for me, and I'm still very much on it. And um, and I suppose that the next major decision, the final decision was whether to have children or not or take this huge job that was offered to me, and I chose my children, in that case. So I'm very grateful I've got two lovely boys um, and I've still got my career but I just um, kind of wonder what would have happened if ...

Speakout Advanced p 101. Keys and Vocabulary

Ex 6A
turning point (in something) the time when an important change takes place, usually with the result that a situation improves. E.g. The promotion marked a turning point in her career.

KEY
1.
a. to go to theatre school



b. to leave theatre school and go to a normal school and get an education



c. to have children



2. Not really, although she wonders what might have happened had she made different decisions.



3. Her sister had a more successful career from an earlier stage.



EX 6B 
KEY 
1 go to a specialised theatrical school



2 no pressure either way....



3 go to a theatre school



4. it's panned out 
pan out: (informal) (of events or a situation) to develop in a particular way. Sp. resultar, salir. E.g. I'm happy with the way things have panned out. We must wait and see how it pans out.

turn out: to happen in a particular way; to develop or end in a particular way. Sp. resultar, salir. E.g. Despite our worries everything turned out well. You never know how your children will turn out. + adj. If the day turns out wet, we may have to change our plans.



5. another decision



6. have children or not



7. what would have happened if... 


Ex 8A
Vocabulary
Forum entry:  something you write to share with a group of people with a common interest on the internet. E.g. I wrote a forum entry about my trip to Thailand.

pivotal: /ˈpɪvətl/ of great importance because other things depend on it. E.g. a pivotal role in European affairs. A pivotal moment.


blood is thicker than water: family relationships are stronger than any others. E.g. I know there are people out there who believe that blood is thicker than water and that family is the most important thing in the world, but I have to say - I just don't feel it. He believes in honour and trust between friends, loyalty between lovers, and that blood is thicker than water between family members, but he discovers all these notions have fallen apart.

guiding principle: an ​idea that ​influences you very much when making a ​decision or ​considering a ​matter. E.g. Equality of ​opportunity has been the government's ​guiding ​principle in ​its ​education ​reforms. I think your guiding principle should be that blood is thicker than water, and it's usually best to put your family first.

Ex 8B
Ideas for a topic to write about:
Relationships
Career
Moving
Education
Travel

Speakout Advanced p 100. Keys and Vocabulary

Ex 1B
KEY
art



science 


Ex 2
KEY
The concept of the arrow of time, which describes how time is characterised by irreversible change.


Ex 3
KEY
1. b



2. d



3. a



4. c

Ex 4B
KEY

1. jumbled up
jumble something (together/up) to mix things together in a confused or untidy way. E.g. Books, shoes and clothes were jumbled together on the floor. She put the raffle tickets into a bag and jumbled them up. The letters in these words have been jumbled up.



2. onto glaciers
bounce: if something bounces or you bounce it, it moves quickly away from a surface it has just hit or you make it do this. E.g. bounce something (against/on/off something) She bounced the ball against the wall.

chunk: a thick solid piece that has been cut or broken off something. E.g. a chunk of cheese.

glacier: /ˈɡlæsiə(r)/ a large mass of ice, formed by snow on mountains, that moves very slowly down a valley


3. future
compel: to force somebody to do something; to make something necessary. E.g. The law can compel fathers to make regular payments for their children.



4. change



5. tragedy



6. irreversibly changing 




Transcript
Why are we here? Where do we come from? These are the most enduring of questions.
And it's an essential part of human nature to want to find the answers.
The glacier is such a massive expanse of ice that, at first sight, just like the cycles of the heavens, it appears fixed and unchanging.
Yet, seen close-up, it's continually on the move, as it has been for tens of thousands of years.
As time passes, snow falls, ice forms, the glacier gradually inches down the valley and huge chunks of ice fall into the lake below.
But even this simple sequence contains a profound idea.
Events always happen in the same order.
They're never jumbled up and they never go backwards.
Now that's something that you would never see in reverse.
But, interestingly, there's nothing about the laws of physics that describe how all those water molecules are moving around, that prevent them from all getting together on the surface of the lake, jumping out of the water, sticking together into a block of ice and then gluing themselves back onto the surface of the glacier again.
But, interestingly, we do understand why the world doesn't run in reverse.
There is a reason.
We have a scientific explanation.
And it's called the arrow of time.
We never see waves travelling across lakes, coming together and bouncing chunks of ice back onto glaciers.
We are compelled to travel into the future.
And that's because the arrow of time dictates that as each moment passes, things change.
And once these changes have happened, they are never undone.
Permanent change is a fundamental part of what it means to be human.
And we all age as the years pass by.
People are born, and they live, and they die.
I suppose it's kind of the joy and tragedy of our lives.
But out there in the universe, those grand and epic cycles appear eternal and unchanging.
But that's an illusion.
You see, in the life of the universe, just as in our lives, everything is irreversibly changing.


Vocabulary
expanse (of something) /ɪkˈspæns/ a wide and open area of something, especially land or water. Sp. extensión. E.g. a wide/vast expanse of blue sky. Flat expanses of open farmland.


inch: (V) to move or make something move slowly and carefully in a particular direction. E.g. She inched cautiously towards the edge of the cliff. The cat inched a little closer. 



chunk: a thick solid piece that has been cut or broken off something. E.g. a chunk of cheese.


jumble something (together/up) to mix things together in a confused or untidy way. E.g. Books, shoes and clothes were jumbled together on the floor. She put the raffle tickets into a bag and jumbled them up. The letters in these words have been jumbled up.


glue: fasten or join with or as if with glue. E.g. the wood is cut into pieces which are then glued together. She glued the label onto the box.

grand: impressive and large or important. E.g. It's not a very grand house. The wedding was a very grand occasion. 

epic: very great and impressive a tragedy of epic proportions


Ex 5
Vocabulary
relish: to get great pleasure from something; to want very much to do or have something. Enjoy. E.g. I don't relish the prospect of getting up early tomorrow. Nobody relishes cleaning the oven.
to relish a fight/challenge/debate  
to relish the idea/thought of something
 

Speakout Advanced p 99. Keys and Vocabulary

Ex 6
KEY
Incorrect:
1 That's true
Mind you a phrase introducing something that should be taken into consideration. Sp. recuerda. He's very well dressed, but mind you, he's got plenty of money to buy clothes. Lisa is unfriendly to me, but mind you, she's never very nice to anyone.



2 But looking at it another way



3 I never thought of that



4 Yes and no.



5 Having said that



6 Alternatively
Alternatively /ɔːlˈtɜːnətɪvli/ used to introduce a suggestion that is a second choice or possibility. E.g. The agency will make travel arrangements for you. Alternatively, you can organize your own transport.


p 143
KEY
1 I never thought of that 



2 I'm with you there 



3 That makes sense 



4 But looking at it another way 



5 I know what you mean 



6 on the other hand
 



7 Having said that


Ex 7
Okay, well anything to add?


Can you think of anything else?



Any other suggestions?

Ex 8B
KEY
1. What else?



2. Can you tell us more?



3. Can you go into more detail? 



4. Is there anything we've missed?



5. Anyone managed to come up with other ideas?

Ex 9 A
KEY
1. b



2. a
 
Ex 10
KEY
1 Can you tell us more?



2 Can you go into more detail?



3 Is there anything we've missed?



4 Can you think of anything else?



5 Anyone managed to come up with other ideas?
come up with something [no passive] to find or produce an answer, a sum of money, etc. E.g. She came up with a new idea for increasing sales. How soon can you come up with the money?

Speakout Advanced p 98. The English We Speak: To Fall at the First Hurdle. Listening

Feifei's hoping to set up her own business making and selling cakes but Rob is doubtful it will be successful. He uses an athletic metaphor that means she will fail at the start. Listen in to find out if the metaphor comes true!

Speakout Advanced p 98. Brainstorming Ways To Save Time. Listening

Since we have massive reading lists, I just 1________ the conclusion, from which I make 2___________ notes.
When I have my hands full I bring my lunch in a 3____________ .
Microwaves are not everybody's cup of tea but they are a real 4______________.
If you make lists, you can 5_____________ particular times to particular tasks. In this way you can make all your phone calls 6___________. You can also 7_________ things off. 8_________ you, if it is a lengthy list, I am bound to 9_______________.
If I have to assemble 10___________ furniture, I just 11___________ at the instructions instead of having read them carefully before I 12_________. In the 13__________ it would have been useful. I have been 14___________ like that more than once.
What I find most 15_______________ is having to 16____________ a computer problem myself.
If you pay a 17__________ you can ring a computer expert 24/7.
To avoid having to go to a place and find it closed we should 18__________.

KEY
1. skip to
skip: to leave out something that would normally be the next thing that you would do, read, etc. E.g.
You can skip the next chapter if you have covered the topic in class. I suggest we skip to the last item on the agenda.



2. bullet point 
bullet point: an item in a list in a document, that is printed with a square, diamond or circle in front of it in order to show that it is important. The square, etc. is also called a bullet point. E.g. use bullet points to remind you what to say.



3. Tupperware
/ˈtʌpəweə(r)/

have your hands full: to be very busy or too busy to do something else. E.g. She certainly has her hands full with four kids in the house. 



4. shortcut
shortcut:: 1. a quicker or shorter way of getting to a place. E.g. You can take a shortcut across the field. 2. a way of doing something that is quicker than the usual way. E.g. There are no shortcuts to economic recovery. There are no shortcuts when it comes to fitness. 

not somebody’s cup of tea

(informal) not what somebody likes or is interested in. E.g. An evening at the opera isn't everyone's cup of tea. He's nice enough but not really my cup of tea. 



5. assign



6. in one go
in one go: all together on one occasion. E.g. I'd rather do the journey in one go, and not stop on the way. They ate the packet of biscuits all in one go.





7. tick
tick something off: to put a mark (✓) beside a name or an item on a list to show that something has been dealt with. E.g. I’ve ticked off the names of all those present. It’s a good idea to tick off the jobs on the list as you do them.



8. Mind
mind (you): used to add something to what you have just said, especially something that makes it less strong. Having said that. E.g. I've heard they're getting divorced. Mind you, I'm not surprised—they were always arguing. The meal was fantastic -- expensive, mind you! He can be very disorganized. Mind you, I'm no better. He's very ​untidy about the ​house; mind you, I'm not much ​better. I ​know I'm ​lazy - I did go ​swimming ​yesterday, mind.



9. procrastinate 
procrastinate:  /prəʊˈkræstɪneɪt/ to delay doing something that you should do, usually because you do not want to do it. E.g. People were dying of starvation while governments procrastinated.

bound to do something: certain to happen. E.g. You've done so much work—you're bound to pass the exam.



10. flat-pack
flat-pack: a piece of furniture that is sold in pieces in a flat box and that you have to build yourself. E.g. You can buy the kitchen as a flat-pack for self-assembly. 



11. glance
glance: to look quickly at something/somebody. E.g. She glanced at her watch. 




12. embarked 
embark on/upon something: (formal) to start to do something new or difficult. E.g. She is about to embark on a diplomatic career. Remember these basic rules before embarking upon major home improvements.



13. long run

in the long run: at a ​time that is ​far away in the ​future. E.g. This measure inevitably means higher taxes in the long run. It ​seems a lot of ​effort but I'm ​sure it's the ​best ​solution in the ​long run.

 

 

 

14. caught out

catch sb. out: 1. to surprise somebody and put them in a difficult position. E.g. Many investors were caught out by the fall in share prices. 2. to show that somebody does not know much or is doing something wrong. E.g. They tried to catch her out with a difficult question.

 

 

 

15. time-consuming

time-consuming: taking or needing a lot of time. E.g. a difficult and time-consuming process. It’s quite time-consuming having to check all the labels individually. 

 

 

 

16. sort out

sort out: to deal with somebody’s/your own problems successfully. E.g. If you can wait a moment, I'll sort it all out for you. You load up the car and I'll sort the kids out. 

 

 

 

17. yearly fee

fee: amount of money. 

 

 

 

18. phone first 

Speakout Advanced p 98. Keys and Vocabulary

Warm up
Do you have enough leisure time?
What things would you like to have more time for in your life?
Do you have less leisure time nowadays than when you were younger? Why (not)?

Ex 1
time-waster: a person or an activity that wastes time. E.g.  Ambulance service managers say that time-wasters are holding up genuine emergency calls. One of the biggest time-wasters I can think of involves trying to remember or find a username and password for a particular website.

Ex 2A
KEY
all the time in the world: an unlimited amount of time. E.g. She made me feel as if she had all the time in the world for me, even though she's very busy.

1 pushed
pushed/pressed for time: needing time; in a hurry. E.g.  If I weren't so pressed for time, I could help you. I can't talk to you. I'm too pushed for time. Can't talk to you now. I'm pressed for time.



3 hands
have time on your hands, have time to kill: (informal) to have nothing to do or not be busy.  E.g. Gina has some time on her ​hands, so she is taking a ​college ​course. We've got some time to ​kill before we ​leave - do you ​want to have some ​coffee.




4 to
time to yourself: E.g. It can be a good thing to have time to yourself. If you have time to yourself, what do you choose to do?


5 the
pass something to spend time, especially when you are bored or waiting for something. E.g. We sang songs to pass the time. How did you pass the evening?


6 
in
in time: punctual. Early enough. E.g. We got to the airport just in time. I got ​home just in time - it's ​starting to ​rain. We got there in plenty of time (= we ​arrived early) for the ​beginning of the ​game.



spare
with time to spare: earlier than necessary. E.g. We got to the airport with time to spare.
spare: to make something such as time or money available.

Ex 3
time-saver: something that reduces the time spent or required to do something. 

tantrum: a sudden short period of angry, unreasonable behaviour, especially in a child. E.g. to have/throw a tantrum. Children often have temper tantrums at the age of two or thereabouts.

traipse: /treɪps/ to walk somewhere slowly when you are tired and unwilling. E.g. We spent the afternoon traipsing around the town. I’m not traipsing all that way just to see your sister.

Ex 4A
shortcut:: 1. a quicker or shorter way of getting to a place. E.g. You can take a shortcut across the field. 2. a way of doing something that is quicker than the usual way. E.g. There are no shortcuts to economic recovery. There are no shortcuts when it comes to fitness.

KEY 
read only the conclusion
phone first
divide up your day
bring in an expert
use the microwave
make lists
read the instructions first

Ex 4B
1 T



2 T



3 T



4 F (but she thinks it would be a good idea)



5 F (she thinks it's a good idea)



6 F (but he does say that making all your phone calls at once saves time)


Ex 5A 
KEY
Acknowledging an idea:

Right, OK.

Sure.

Yeah.

That's a good idea.

Makes sense.

Exactly.

I am with you there.

That's very true.

Absolutely.

Good one.



Introducing an alternative:

Mind you, ... 
mind (you): used to add something to what you have just said, especially something that makes it less strong. Having said that. E.g. I've heard they're getting divorced. Mind you, I'm not surprised—they were always arguing. The meal was fantastic -- expensive, mind you! He can be very disorganized. Mind you, I'm no better. He's very ​untidy about the ​house; mind you, I'm not much ​better. I ​know I'm ​lazy - I did go ​swimming ​yesterday, mind.

Yeah but I mean ...


Ex 5B
KEY
Acknowledging an idea:




Definitely.

I know what you mean.

I never thought of that.

Introducing an alternative:

But looking at it another way, ...

Alternatively, ...

(Although) having said that, ...

On the other hand, ...

Yes and no.