One moment your child is digging in the sand, the next he or she is gone. When his parents realize it, they feel a shiver of panic. At the height of the summer season, many kids get lost each day on the beach. What to do if your child is missing? Report it as soon as possible to the lifeguards so that they can contact the lifeguard base to seek help and make an announcement so concerned beachgoers could help find the missing child. If your child is smart (and old) enough he or she can seek help alone, and ask somebody to help him or her finding the way back to his or her family. In this case, you’ll hear an announcement like this:

“Hello everybody. We have a lost boy named Peter, who was found on the playground, and he’s looking for his mom and dad. He’s five years old, and he’s wearing blue trunks and a white baseball cap. You can find him at the check-out counter at the main exit, right next to the ice-cream van.”

The good news is that most kids are reunited with their families in less than half an hour. You don’t have to worry about ocean depth and currents much either as lost kids are almost never swimming or playing in the water. They are usually walking along the shore or go across the street for a snack or just want to explore the line of shops, arcades and restaurants across from the beach.

Lifeguards say children also become disoriented in crowds and when the size of the beach changes as the tides roll in and out. It’s easy to get lost in a big crowd. Parents should point out landmarks for kids. Like, there is the Casino and our blanket is in front of that. Let them know where they can go for help.

REPORTING A MISSING CHILD

Woman: Hello.
Lifeguard: Hello.
Woman: Could you please help me? I can’t find my daughter.
Lifeguard: Don’t panic! When and where did you last see her?
Woman: We were playing in the sand, like 5 minutes ago when her little brother started crying and I turned around to see what his problem was. When I turned back, I couldn’t see her any more.
Lifeguard: How old is she?
Woman: She is 5 years old.
Lifeguard: Could you describe her appearance and what she is wearing?
Woman: She’s got blond hair, blue eyes and she’s wearing a pink, polka-dotted bathing suit.
Lifeguard: What’s her name?
Woman: Her name is Jessica.
Lifeguard: All right. I’m going to make an announcement, and call my colleagues for help. Stay here, please, till I get back.
Woman: Certainly, and thank you very much.

Cashier: Hello. How may I help you?
Customer: I’d like to change some forints into euros, please. Could you tell me the current exchange rate?
Cashier: 299 forints to the euro.
Customer: Do you charge commission?
Cashier: No, we don’t. How much do you want to change?
Customer: 20 000 forints.
Cashier: All right. That’s 64 euros.
Customer: All right.
Cashier: How would you like your money?
Customer: 60 euros in 10-euro notes and the rest as you wish.
Cashier: Here you are. That’s 64 euros.
Customer: Thank you very much.

IMPORTANT PHRASES

I’d like to change … into … .– Szeretnék …-t váltani …-ra/-re.
Could you tell me the current exchange rate? – Meg tudná mondani az aktuális árfolyamot?
Do you charge commission? – Jutalékot felszámolnak?
How much do you want to change? – Mennyit szeretne váltani?
How would you like your money? – Hogyan/Milyen címletekben szeretné a pénzt?
The rest as you wish. – A maradékot, ahogy ön szeretné.
Here you are. – Tessék.

IMPORTANT WORDS

current – aktuális, jelenlegi
exchange rate – váltási árfolyam
to charge – felszámolni valamit
commission – jutalék
(bank)note – bankjegy
coin – pénzérme
rest – valaminek a maradéka

Alapfok – B1

In the picture we can see an elderly man and a cute little girl planting tomatoes in a pot. There are lots of tomato plants around them, some of them are ripe and some of them are still unripe. The man may be the grandfather of the little girl. He’s helping her to fill the pots with the soil to prepare it for the tomato plant. They’re in the garden, but not outside. They’re in a greenhouse. It’s raining outside and it’s probably early spring when the weather is still not warm enough to grow tomatoes out in the garden. In the greenhouse the temperature is warm and the plants can grow well. Most people like doing the gardening. It’s usually cheaper to grow vegetables at home than to buy them at the market, and they are healthier as well. Home-grown vegetables and fruit are delicious and it’s very convenient that you just go out to the garden and pick something fresh when you do the cooking. My favourite vegetables are tomatoes and peas, but I also like beans and I’m happy when the first strawberries appear at the market.

Középfok – B2

This photo must have been taken in spring because we can see tomato plants in a greenhouse. In summer tomatoes don’t need a greenhouse, they can grow very well outside in the garden, too. A little girl and an elderly man are working in the greenhouse. They’re filling a flowerpot with soil and probably they’re going to plant tomato plants in the pot. There are several pots of cherry tomatoes in different stages of ripening around them. It seems the little girl is happy to help the man who’s probably her grandpa. Gardening is good fun and it’s also useful. It’s very economical to grow your own vegetables and fruit in your garden if you have enough ground for it, though it can be hard work. You need good tools to start with. A spade to dig the dirt, a hoe to deal with the weeds, a rake to smooth the soil, secateurs to prune the trees. Gardening needs some expertise, you have to know where to plant what and how to do pest control. But if you invest enough time and effort and take good care of your garden it pays off. You can harvest and enjoy your own crop.

We live in a house with a garden and I also enjoy gardening. We don’t grow any vegetables in the garden we only have a few fruit trees, raspberry bushes and a small strawberry patch in the back garden. We have lots of flowers – snowdrops, tulips, daffodils, roses, hyacinths, lilies of the valley, forget-me-nots, violets – and grass of course. The lawn needs a lot of care if you want it to be green all summer. It needs mowing every second week, you have to water it almost every day and weed it if necessary. But no matter how much you care for it will never be as green as the lawn for example in England. Hungarian summers are too dry for that and the lawn would need more rain. Watering in itself unfortunately can’t make up for that.

Felsőfok – C1

The picture shows an elderly gentleman and a small girl working together on a gardening project inside a greenhouse. The greenhouse can provide the necessary circumstances for vegetables to grow even when the circumstances outside aren’t ideal. A greenhouse can be heated, the humidity and the light can be controlled, so all the conditions are given to grow vegetables no matter which part of the year you’re in. Whether it’s a good thing or not is a controversial issue. Some say that it’s absolutely unnecessary and unwise to eat, for example, tomatoes in the winter months and we should stick to eating only what’s seasonal and grows in the garden and on the fields as their nutrients are better, fresher and they contain more minerals and vitamins than their counterparts grown in greenhouses. Others insist on their right to eat whatever they have a liking for, no matter where it comes from or what kind of environmental issues it poses. It’s a fact that growing vegetables and fruits in greenhouses requires lots of electricity and puts a strain on the environment, but the crop that comes out of them is not only a treat for your eyes, but is also good for your health. The more varied diet you have the healthier it is. Seasonal goods can be rather dull after a while and pose a challenge for cooks and housewives how to use them as ingredients if they don’t want to cook the same dishes always.

Gardening is a very popular pastime activity. Home-grown vegetables and fruit are said to contain more nutrients than those you can purchase in big hypermarkets. Working in the garden is also beneficial for health, it relieves stress, moves your muscles and provides lots of fresh oxygen for your lungs. Children are usually fond of planting seeds and harvesting the products they grow. Gardening with the grandparents or parents is generally more educational than science lessons in school where the kids only learn about things in theory. Experiencing the real shape, smell and texture of a vegetable or fruit is lasting and they definitely will remember what nature has taught them. In my opinion schools should be less theoretical and should teach more practical subjects. Gardening could be introduced as a practical subject where children could experiment with seeds and plants and could acquire first-hand experience about what textbooks try to cram into their heads with little success. Gardening doesn’t require a big plot of land, a small patch of land is usually available even in an urban environment or if all else fails – you can grow plants in window boxes as well. Nothing is impossible, if there is a will there’s a way. 

Hello! My name is Amanda Summers. I’m a licensed nurse. I work at the General Paediatrics Unit of Norfolk General Hospital. We do 12 hour shifts, so sometimes I start work at 7 am and finish at 7 pm. Today I’m doing a night shift, so I start work at 7 pm and finish at 7 am. I’m working with Mr Jones tonight, who is a surgeon, and Mrs King, who is a registered nurse.

Last year I worked for another hospital in another city, but I was not very satisfied with my situation as I had to travel a lot to get to my workplace. So I decided to quit and apply for this position at the Norfolk General Hospital.

At the paediatrics unit we care for ill, injured or disabled children.  I have a lot of tasks at the hospital. I have to clean rooms and make beds. I have to help patients with bathing, moving in bed, or standing and walking. I measure and record patients’ vital signs, such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, and pulse. I also have to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner for patients. I provide basic patient care and treatments, such as taking temperatures or blood pressures or dressing wounds. I also have to record food and fluid intake and output. 

licenced nurse (LN) – nővér (nem szakápoló!)
shift – műszak
surgeon – sebész
registered nurse (RN) – szakápoló
satisfied – elégedett
to decide – elhatározni, eldönteni
to apply for – jelentkezni valamire
paediatrics unit – gyermekgyógyászati részleg
to care for – gondoskodni valakiről
injured – sérült
disabled – mozgássérült
patient – beteg
to measure – megmérni
to record – feljegyezni
vital signs – életfunkciók
height – magasság
weight – súly
temperature – hőmérséklet
blood pressure – vérnyomás
pulse – pulzus
to provide – lehetővé tenni, biztosítani
treatment – ellátás, kezelés
to take somebody’s temperature – megmérni valakinek a hőmérsékletét
to take somebody’s blood pressure – megmérni valakinek a vérnyomását
to dress a wound – bekötni egy sebet
fluid intake – folyadékbevitel

What about you?
Are you satisfied with your job?
Or do you want to change your career?

There are many types of employment possibilities for adults. Finding a career you like is important because you are going to spend most of your life working. Every kind of employment requires training. For some jobs it is enough if you take a course, others require high school, college or university degrees.

What do you do? What are your qualifications?

I work in a fast food restaurant. I don’t have a degree or a certificate. I took a course at the fast food restaurant.	I’m an accountant.  After my GCSE (Br)/school leaving exams (US) I took part in a book-keeping course and got a certificate at the end.	I’m a surgeon. After leaving secondary school (Br)/high school (US) I went to university. I graduated in surgery from Cambridge University.
Egy gyorsétteremben dolgozom. Nincs diplomám és végzettségről szóló bizonyítványom sem. Egy tanfolyamon vettem részt a gyorsétteremben.	Könyvelő vagyok. Az érettségi után egy könyvelő tanfolyamon vettem részt és oklevelet kaptam a végén.	Sebész vagyok. A középiskola után egyetemre mentem. Sebészetből diplomáztam a Cambridge-i egyetemen.
degree – diploma certificate – bizonyítvány, oklevél to take a course – részt venni egy tanfolyamon	GSCE exam – érettségi (Br) school leaving exam – érettségi (US) to take part in – részt venni valamiben book-keeping – könyvelés  course – tanfolyam certificate – oklevél, bizonyítvány	secondary school – középiskola (Br) high school – középiskola (US) to graduate in – diplomázni valamiből to graduate from – diplomázni valahol (egyetem/főiskola)

Other important words and expressions:

to work at/in – dolgozni valahol
to work full time – teljes munkaidőben dolgozni
to work part-time – részmunkaidőben dolgozni
to work 9 to 5 – kilencttől ötig dolgozni (hivatali idő)
to work hard – keményen dolgozni
to work for …  – valakinek dolgozni
to work in shifts – műszakokban dolgozni
to take/have a day off – kivenni egy szabadnapot
to work/do overtime – túlórázni
task – feladat
duty – kötelesség, feladat
responsibility – felelősség
to be responsible for – felelősnek lenni valamiért
to be in charge of – valamivel megbízva lenni
employer – munkaadó
employee – munkavállaló
to employ – munkáltatni
salary – fizetés (havi)
wage – bér, fizetés (heti/kétheti)
to earn money – pénzt keresni

A handyman (or repairman) mainly performs small repair jobs and tasks around the home or yard for a fee. Although handymen are historically male, women are beginning to perform more of these tasks and repairs. Some handymen have licenses to work on particular systems, while others stick to more general tasks which don’t require licensing.

A handyman can often be found by flyers on community bulletin boards and in local stores. Word of mouth is also a good way to find a handyman, since satisfied customers will be happy to recommend someone who did a good job. A handyman can sometimes be more useful than a specialist, because he can perform a wide range of tasks in one visit. However, the quality of service provided by a handyman can also vary widely, so it is a good idea to ask for recommendations before hiring someone.

to perform – elvégez
repair – javítási munkák
task – feladat
to stick to – ragaszkodik valamihez
flyer – szórólap
community bulletin board – közösségi hirdetőtábla
word of mouth – szóbeszéd
satisfied – elégedett
customer – vásárló, vevő
to recommend – ajánl
useful – hasznos
specialist – szakember
a wide range of – széles skálájú …
to vary – változik
recommendations – ajánlatok

PROBLEMS AROUND THE HOUSE

The pipe is BLOCKED. – EL van dugulva a cső.
The window is BROKEN. – Be van törve az ablak.
The carpet is RUINED. – Tönkrement a szőnyeg.
The drain is BLOCKED. – El van dugulva a csatorna.
The radiator is LEAKING. – Csöpög a radiátor.
There is a STAIN on the carpet. – Van egy folt a szőnyegen.
The lock is FIXED. – Beragadt a zár.
The tap is DRIPPING. – Csöpög a csap.
The washing machine is NOT WORKING. – Rossz a mosógép.

Listen to the tour guide on an Edinburgh sightseeing tour. Write short notes (1-5 words). An example is done for you. At the end of the message you will have two minutes to read through and check your answers. You will hear the information twice. You have one minute to look at the notes below. 

Example: Sightseeing tour of Edinburgh

The oldest part of the city is 1 ………………..

Tour lasts 2 ………………..

The Royal Mile links 3 ………………..

Crag and Tail formations were created 4 ………………..

Lawnmarket is the last 5 ………………..

In the 17th century rubbish was 6 ………………..

The map of the city resembles 7 ………………..

The backbone is 8 ………………..

——————————————————————————————————————

Answers:

1 – the Castle

2 – about 2 hours

3 – the Castle and Holyroodhouse Palace

4 – during the Ice Age

5 – building with arcaded front

6 – emptied in the street

7 – the skeleton of a fish 8-the Royal Mile

Full text:

Hello, I’m Jake Bishop. Welcome to the sightseeing tour of Edinburgh. The tour will take you on a journey of the city, around some of its most famous landmarks, streets and sights.

The city of Edinburgh grew up around the Castle. Defensively this was a good place to build as there was only one way up or down. We start the tour on the Royal Mile, at the Lawnmarket. The tour will last about 2 hours and we will finish at Mercat Cross in Canongate. If you have questions, please feel free to ask whenever we stop.

The Royal Mile runs from the Castle down to Holyrood Palace and consists of Castlehill at the top, a narrow street leading to the Castle. Next, is the Lawnmarket where you are standing at the moment. This was once a market street so is much wider than Castlehill. Further downhill we will come to the High Street and then the Canongate which was originally a separate borough with its own market cross for trading and its own civic centre. 

Edinburgh Castle is built on a Crag and Tail formation. This is a geological feature created during the last Ice Age. A sheet of ice moving West to East hit the Castle rock and could not move it, so went over the top pushing down at either side, gorging valleys to the north and south.

In 1450 the Kings Wall was built around the city, as a defensive measure, on the West, South and East sides. On the North side, the valley was flooded to create the Nor Loch or North Lake. Princes Street Gardens are built on the bed of the Nor Loch after it was drained in the mid 1800’s.

Lawnmarket is a six storey tenement that was bought by a prosperous merchant Thomas Gladstone, in 1617. It is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland and is laid out as a 17th Century Merchant’s house. It was built around 1550, and re-modelled in 1617. When the front was pulled forward, the arcading was added along with the Fore Stair (front stair). It is the last building in old Edinburgh to still have an arcaded front.

In the 17^th Century, the church bells would ring each day at 10 o’clock. This was a signal for the citizens of Edinburgh to empty their rubbish into the street. You were supposed to carry the rubbish down to the street and pour it out but most people simply opened their windows and emptied the contents of their chamber pot and all their household rubbish in to the street with a cry of ‘Gardy Loo’ derived from the French gare de l’eau – look out for the water.

To get to grips with the city, imagine the skeleton of a fish. The head is the Castle and the tail is the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The backbone of the fish is the Royal Mile. The Royal Mile is the set of streets that runs from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace. All the bones coming off the backbone are little streets called Closes or Wynds.

It’s long been a question asked by holidaymakers: why does airplane food taste so bad? However, it seems – surprisingly enough – the chef isn’t to blame. It’s not actually the quality of the meals served that’s at fault – it’s passengers’ taste buds, according to research.

‘At 35,000 feet, the first thing that goes is your sense of taste,’ explains Grant Mickels, the executive chef for culinary development of Lufthansa’s LSG Sky Chef. Apparently the ingredients aren’t to blame after all. Regardless of which meal you’re eating – from fish, meat, and even pasta – it will taste ‘so dull in the air’ compared to on the ground.

Mickels’ findings back up research carried out by the Fraunhofer Institute, a German research organisation, trying out dishes at sea level and in a pressurised condition. The tests revealed the cabin atmosphere combined with the dry cabin air ‘makes your taste buds go numb, almost as if you had a cold,’ Mickels told Conde Naste Traveler. And passengers’ perception of saltiness and sweetness drops by around 30 per cent at high altitude. The decreased humidity in the cabin also dries out your nose and dulls the olfactory sensors essential for tasting the flavour of an ingredient or dish.

It comes after separate research revealed the sort of noise we are subjected to inside aircraft cabin affects taste buds, reducing our sense of saltiness and sweetness – and increasing crunchiness.

To test the theory, 48 diners were blindfolded and fed sweet foods such as biscuits or salty ones such as crisps, while listening to silence or noise through headphones at Unilever’s laboratories and the University of Manchester. Each volunteer rated the foods for flavour and said how much they liked them. Background noise led to the foods being rated less salty or sweet. They were also perceived as more crunchy.

source: Daily Mail

to blame – hibáztatni valakit
to be at fault – ő a hibás
taste buds – ízlelőbimbók
regardless of – elketintve valamitől
dull – semmilyen, unalmas
at sea level – tengerszinten
pressurised condition – nyomásszabályzott környezetben
to go numb – elzsibbadni
perception – érzékelés
olfactory sensors – szagreceptorok
to be subjected to – ki van téve valaminek
to be blindfolded – bekötik a szemét
to rate something for – értékelni valamit bizonyos szempontból
background noise – háttérzaj

Find the right ending for the sentences. 

1. Research shows that airplane food tastes bad because

a) people perceive taste differently at high altitude.
b) people in flight are anxious and have no appetite.
c) the chefs can’t cook at high altitude.

2. Things taste different than usual

a) if you’re blindfolded.
b) in a pressurized cabin.
c) at sea level.

3. The flavours used in tests were

a) sour and sweet.
b) sweet and bitter.
c) salty and sweet.

4. The olfactory system is responsible for perceiving

a) flavours.
b) humidity.
c) saltiness.

5. Passengers at high altitude thought that the crunchiness of the food

a) had decreased.
b) was the same.
c) had increased.

answers: 1-a 2-b 3-c 4-a 5-c