Getting the Main Ideas

Choose the right continuation to complete the following statements:

1. The firm Mr Brown works for has business contacts with

a) IBM computers

b) a heavy engineering factory

c) a watch making factory

2. On Friday afternoon Mr Brown came back from

a) his business trip

b) the country

c) the holiday

3. On Monday morning the chief wanted to discuss with Mr Brown

a) the new contracts

b) the sales terms

c) the results of the trip

4. In the afternoon Mr Brown

a) had some visitors

b) had dinner in an Italian restaurant

c) made some telephone calls

5. In the evening Mr Brown

a) went to the cinema

b) watched television

c) wrote a report on his trip

Listening for Details

Choose the correct answer to the following questions:

1. How long did Mr Brown stay in Dublin?

a) two days

b) about a week

c) a fortnight

2. Where did Mr Brown go when he came back?

a) to the office

b) to the factory

c) home

3. What did Mr Brown begin to do on Monday morning?

a) gave answers to the business letters

b) looked trough the letters

c) dictated the answers

4. What did he do after the talk with the chief?

a) had coffee

b) went for lunch

c) continued to work

5. Where did he have lunch?

a) in the office

b) at home

c) in a restaurant

6. What did Mr Brown do at 5 in the afternoon?

a) left the office

b) took part in a meeting

c) had some visitors

7. When did he leave the office?

a) at the usual time

b) later than usual

c) earlier than usual

8. Who did he find at home when he returned?

a) all the family

b) Linda and William

c) the children

9. What did Margaret and Robert do in the evening?

a) visited friends

b) went to the cinema

c) went to the swimming-pool

Reading practice

1. Read the following word combinations. Avoid the glottal stop on the vowels in the word-initial position:

On Friday afternoon; to the office; before eight; he entered the office; the chief asked Mr Brown; to come over to his office; he went out; only at a quarter to eight; switched off the TV-set.

2. Read the following word combinations. Observe the weak form of the preposition of. Don’t replace the consonant [v ] by [f]:

a number of business letters; the voice of his chief; the results of the trip; some of the papers; at one of the offices; one of his kids.