Sandy: I really do understand how hard it’s gotta be to leave your child with another person. I mean, it’s leaving behind a piece of your heart…
Rachel: Sandy, that’s exactly what it is…
Ross: Are you gay?
Rachel: Ross!
Sandy: It’s okay. I get that a lot doing what I do. But I am straight. I’m engaged actually.
Rachel: Oh!
Sandy: Her name is Deliah.
Rachel: Oh, that’s pretty.
Ross: So you’re just like a… guy who’s a nanny?
Sandy: I realize how it’s… a bit unorthodox for some people, but I really believe, the most satisfying thing you can do with your life, is take care of a child.
Ross: Okay.
Sandy: Like in my last job, I met Daniel when he was three weeks old. And I got to watch him grow into this awesome person… When I left, I said: I’ll see you soon… And he said to me: Skdandy… That was his name for me… I’ll see you every day… right in…
Ross: Yeah, kids say all kinds of crap.
Rachel: Oh God, she must need her diaper changed.
Sandy: Oh, oh, I can do it for her, if you want…
Rachel: Oh, that would be great! I love him, I love him, I love him…
Ross: Oh, come on, Rach, he’s a guy!
Rachel: So wh..? He’s smart, he’s qualified. Give me one good reason we shouldn’t try him out.
Ross: Because, it’s weird!
Rachel: Why?
Ross: What kind of job is that for a man? A nanny? It’s like if a woman wanted to be…
Rachel: Yes?
Ross: King?
Sandy: I er… I hope you don’t mind. I used some of my home-made lotion on Emma. It’s a mixture of calendula and honey cream. It’ll dry that rash right up. Plus… It keeps the hands young…
Rachel: Please? Yes! Sandy you’re hired.
Sandy: That’s great! I’m sorry. It’s just… such an emotional thing when you’re welcomed into a new family…
Rachel: Oooh… come here.
Ross: You gotta be at least bi…

to leave behind[tu liːv bɪˈhaɪnd] – maga mögött hagy
exactly[ɪɡˈzæktli] – pontosan
gay [ɡeɪ] – meleg, homoszexuális
straight [streɪt] – heteroszexuális
engaged [ɪnˈɡeɪdʒd] – el van jegyezve
actually [ˈæktʃuəli] – valójában
nanny [ˈnæni] – bébiszitter
unorthodox [ˌʌnˈɔːθədɒks] – liberális szellemű
satisfying [ˈsætɪsfaɪɪŋ] – kielégítő
to take care of somebody [tu teɪk keər əv ˈsʌmbədi] – gondoskodni valakiről
to grow into [tu ɡrəʊ ˈɪntə] – valamivé nő/felnő
awesome [ˈɔːsəm] – csodálatos, lenyűgöző
crap [kræp] – badarság, hülyeség
to change a diaper [tu tʃeɪndʒ ə ˈdaɪəpə] – pelenkát cserélni
smart [smɑːt] – ügyes, derék
qualified [ˈkwɒlɪfaɪd] – szakképzett
to give somebody a reason [tu ɡɪv ˈsʌmbədi ə ˈriːzən] – okot ad valakinek valamire
weird [wɪəd] – furcsa
home-made [ˈhəʊm meɪd] – házi készítésű
calendula [-] – körömvirág
rash [ræʃ] – kiütés
emotional [ɪˈməʊʃn̩əl] – érzelgős, érzelmes
bi [bi] – biszexuális

Television and high-speed internet have become a necessity for many people in the 21^st century. Television is not only a form of entertainment but also a source of information for a significant number of the population, and is especially helpful for the elderly, who often have trouble reading newspapers. In the developed world the internet has taken over the role of television as a source of information for the younger generations, while providing entertainment as well. The main advantage of having an internet connection during your stay abroad is, on the one hand, the possibility to communicate with friends and family at no additional costs, and on the other hand, access to on-line banking and other services.

Cable TV subscription

You can typically order cable television subscription from various providers, after checking their offers and packages. Most cable providers take orders by phone on a toll-free number and send the set-top box via post to your home for self-installation, along with the contract to be signed and returned. If your home has a cable TV socket available, there is no need to send a technician as setting up cable TV is quite simple nowadays and the service is switched on remotely. Make sure you do activate the cable card though, or the set-top box won’t be able to connect to the network. Many shows are subtitled for the hard of hearing, which is also very useful for language learners. You can also improve your English if you pick a service that can record TV shows, so you can replay the parts that are difficult to understand. If you want to cancel your subscription, you can do so by phone, and the set-top box needs to be returned to the provider.

Internet subscription

The two main types of internet are cable internet and DSL (digital subscriber line). Whichever you pick you will need a cable modem or a DSL modem that is plugged into a wall socket. You can either buy one or pick a provider that offers modems for rent or for free, depending on your package. More and more people need wireless internet as well for their tablets or phones, so make sure you discuss the option of getting a Wi-Fi router from your provider. If you would like to use two desktop computers or connect your laptop for a faster connection than through Wi-Fi, an ADSL splitter will sort the problem. Depending on the status of the network, connecting your home to the internet may take days or weeks, which can be frustrating. In such cases the best solution is to buy a USB stick, also called a dongle, which provides broadband internet on a pay-as-you-go basis.

I know that I’m ……………….. 

(I want it all, mmm, mmm)
And I’m wishing they’d stop tryna turn me off
I want it all, mmm, mmm
And I’m ………………..  , trying to go higher
Feels like I’m surrounded by ……………….. 

Even when I get it all the way
(I want it all, mmm, mmm)

We can get ’em running, running, running…
We can get ’em running running, running…

……………….. , burning out the way
If I can light the world up for just one day
Watch this ……………….. 
No one can be just like me any way
Just like magic, I’ll be flying free
I’mma ………………..  when they come for me
I kick that ceiling, what you gonna take?
No one can be just like me any way
Just like fire, uh…

And people like to ……………….. cause they are all the same
(mmm, mmm)
See I ……………….. we just go our different way than play the game
And ………………..  the weather, we can do it better
You and me together forever and ever
We don’t have to worry about a thing about a thing

We can get ’em running, running, running
We can get ’em running, running, running

Just like fire, burning out the way
If I can light the world up for just one day
……………….. , colorful charade
No one can be just like me any way
……………….. , I’ll be flying free
I’mma disappear when they come for me
I kick that ceiling, what you gonna take?
No one can be just like me any way
Just like fire, fire, fire
Running, running, running
We can get ’em running, running, running

So I can get it running
Just cause nobody’s done it
Y’all don’t think I can run it
But look, I’ve been here, I’ve done it
Impossible? Please
Watch, I do it with ease
You just gotta believe
Come on, come on with me
Oh, what you gonna do?
(What, what!?)
Oh, what you gonna do?
(What, what!?)
Oh, what you gonna do?
(What, what!?)
Oh, what you gonna do?

Just like fire, burning out the way
If I can light the world up for just one day
Watch this madness, colourful charade
No one can be just like me any way

Just like fire, burning out the way
If I can light the world up for just one day
Watch this madness, colorful charade
No one can be just like me any way
Just like magic, I’ll be flying free
I’mma disappear when they come for me
I ……………….. , what you gonna take?
No one can be just like me any way
Just like fire, fire!
Running, running, running
Just like fire!

(Running, running, running…)

————————

Pink: Just Like Fire 

I know that I’m running out of time
(I want it all, mmm, mmm)
And I’m wishing they’d stop tryna turn me off
I want it all, mmm, mmm
And I’m walking on a wire, trying to go higher
Feels like I’m surrounded by clowns and liars
Even when I get it all the way
(I want it all, mmm, mmm)

We can get ’em running, running, running…
We can get ’em running running, running…

Just like fire, burning out the way
If I can light the world up for just one day
Watch this madness, colorful charade
No one can be just like me any way
Just like magic, I’ll be flying free
I’mma disappear when they come for me
I kick that ceiling, what you gonna take?
No one can be just like me any way
Just like fire, uh…

And people like to laugh at you cause they are all the same
(mmm, mmm)
See I would rather we just go our different way than play the game
And no matter the weather, we can do it better
You and me together forever and ever
We don’t have to worry about a thing about a thing

We can get ’em running, running, running
We can get ’em running, running, running

Just like fire, burning out the way
If I can light the world up for just one day
Watch this madness, colorful charade
No one can be just like me any way
Just like magic, I’ll be flying free
I’mma disappear when they come for me
I kick that ceiling, what you gonna take?
No one can be just like me any way
Just like fire, fire, fire
Running, running, running
We can get ’em running, running, running

So I can get it running
Just cause nobody’s done it
Y’all don’t think I can run it
But look, I’ve been here, I’ve done it
Impossible? Please
Watch, I do it with ease
You just gotta believe
Come on, come on with me
Oh, what you gonna do?
(What, what!?)
Oh, what you gonna do?
(What, what!?)
Oh, what you gonna do?
(What, what!?)
Oh, what you gonna do?

Just like fire, burning out the way
If I can light the world up for just one day
Watch this madness, colorful charade
No one can be just like me any way

Just like fire, burning out the way
If I can light the world up for just one day
Watch this madness, colorful charade
No one can be just like me any way
Just like magic, I’ll be flying free
I’mma disappear when they come for me
I kick that ceiling, what you gonna take?
No one can be just like me any way
Just like fire, fire!
Running, running, running
Just like fire!

(Running, running, running…)

First of all, let me introduce myself. I’m in my mid-20’s, and I work as a secretary in an office. I usually leave work after 5 pm. I usually have things to do on weekdays but at weekends I tend to be at home. I like cooking and gardening. I don’t have a car; I walk to work as I live in the city centre now.

… and now, about the flats.

Flat 1 is in the suburbs (about 8 kilometres from my place of work). It’s a flat on the ground floor of a four-storey block of flats, in a quiet street. The building has two small courtyards. It’s about 5 minutes’ walk from the nearest bus station. The main street has nice shops and cafes.

Flat 2 is in the centre, right in the business district, in an eight-storey building. It also has a small balcony. It has a lot of public transport options, but as it’s in the business area I don’t think there is much life around there at weekends. This flat is nicer than the first one, it has more beautiful carpets and it’s much lighter, too. It is 10 % more expensive than the one in the suburbs. However, Flat 1 is more spacious, and it has two courtyards, so I could do some gardening in my free time.

How to give advice? – Hogyan adjunk tanácsot?

YOU SHOULD choose Apartment 1, because it’s in a  quieter area.
Az 1-es számú lakást KELLENE választanod, mert egy csendesebb környéken van.

WHY DON’T YOU ask around in the neighbourhood?          
MIÉRT NEM kérdezel körbe a környéken?

TAKE MY ADVICE AND choose Apartment 2, because it’s right in the centre.
FOGADD MEG A TANÁCSOM ÉS választd a 2-es lakást, mert az pont a központban van.

YOU HAD BETTER think it over twice before you decide.    
JOBBAN TENNÉD, HA átgondolnád kétszer, mielőtt döntesz.

YOU OUGHT TO ask your mother’s opinion, too.     
KI KELLENE kérned az anyukád tanácsát is.

IF I WERE YOU, I WOULD choose Apartment 2.       
A HELYEDBEN ÉN az 1-es lakást VÁLASZTANÁM.

FOLLOW MY ADVICE AND have a look at both the apartments once again!
KÖVESD A TANÁCSOM ÉS nézd meg mindkét lakást még egyszer!

Her car and home, a blue Ford Consul, was towed away by the local council in 2002, an act which sparked local opposition, and a replacement car, sourced by neighbours for her, was quickly vandalised.

Ms Naysmith led an active life, attending evensong at St Nicholas Church in Chiswick, watching cricket at Chiswick Cricket Club, and local court cases from the public gallery.

Chiswick councillor John Todd told us: “She was always polite, informed and charming in every sense. Her writing was masterful too. Why she chose to adopt such a harsh life style is unclear – but she never moaned or criticised. She never sought any form of help either.”

source: Independent

Fill in the gaps with words from the table. There is one extra.

1. We want our daughter to go to a ………….. school.

2. The ……….. of the conference has been changed.

3. My father used to drive a big yellow …………

4. Aunt Margaret is always there in the church for …………

5. His landlady has threatened to ………. him if he doesn’t pay the rent soon.

Key: 1-prestigious 2-venue 3-lorry 4-evensong 5-evict

serves: 4
suitable for freezing: NO
calories: 500
fat: 16g
saturated fat: 4g

–          120g pack diced chorizo

–          2 tablespoons olive oil

–          6 small squid, cleaned, halved, quartered and scored

–          1 onion, peeled and chopped

–          1 red and 1 yellow romano pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped

–          1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped

–          1 tablespoon smoked paprika

–          400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

–          150ml hot veg stock

–          250g spaghetti

–          Zest of 1 lemon

–          good handful of fresh chopped parsley

1.     Heat a frying pan, and cook the chorizo over a low heat for 5 minutes, to realise the oil. Tip into a bowl, along with all the oil.

2.     Heat the pan again, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and when hot, add the squid and cook for a few minutes, until browned. Take out and set aside.

3.     Add the rest of the oil, onion, peppers and garlic to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the paprika, cook for a minute, add the chickpeas and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 8-10 minutes.

4.     Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti until just tender. Add the chorizo (keeping back the oil) and squid to the sauce to warm through. Drain pasta and divide between 4 dishes. Spoon the sauce on top. Scatter with lemon zest and parsley and drizzle to chorizo oil over.

Travelling on a ferry can be a pleasant experience for tourists or a just a routine trip made out of necessity but when ferries make headlines in the media it is usually bad news. Just like now, when last Sunday a fire broke out near the Greek island of Corfu on an Italian ferry carrying 478 people from the Greek city of Patras to Ancona in Italy. Most of the passengers were rescued but unfortunately eight people were killed in the accident. One of them died when trying to escape the ship. Strong winds and thick smoke made the rescue operation extremely difficult. Italian and Albanian teams were also taking part in the operation, which was complicated because of poor visibility and difficult weather conditions. People were taken off the ship individually by helicopter. An Italian Air Force helicopter pilot told Italian TV that smoke had filled his helicopter cabin, making the rescue even more challenging. Most of the rescued passengers were transferred to nearby ships, although some were taken directly to hospital. Three children and a pregnant woman were among those being treated in hospital. Many of the passengers spent hours exposed to the cold and stormy elements. Some of them took to lifeboats to escape the burning ship.

Passengers were panicking as the heat on the ferry rose, then freezing as they stood on decks awaiting rescue. Panic set in when the floor caught fire and the paint started bubbling. One of the passengers said that on the lower deck, where the lifeboats were, their shoes were starting to melt from the heat. The wife of one of the cooks told journalists she had had a call from her husband saying: “I cannot breathe, we are all going to burn like rats – God save us.”

Most of those on board were Greek. Others came from Italy, Turkey, Albania, Germany and many other countries.

While in another accident the captain and the crew of a South-Korean ship were the first to leave the ship, now the captain of the ferry was the last to be rescued, more than 36 hours after sending out an emergency signal. It is not clear yet what caused the fire to break out on the car deck of the ferry.

Ferries are an important mode of transport between Greece‘s hundreds of islands as well as neighbouring countries.

Source: BBC

Reading comprehension questions:

1. Where did the accident happen?

2. How many passengers were rescued?

3. Why was it difficult to rescue them?

4. How were the passengers rescued from the ship?

5. Where were they taken?

6. Why were passengers panicking?

7. What nationality were the passengers?

8. How long did the rescue operation take?

9. Who was the last to leave the ship?

10. What caused the fire?

Answers:

1. On an Italian ferry, near the Greek island of Corfu.

2. All of them except eight.

3. The weather was bad, there were strong winds and it was difficult to see because of the smoke.

4. By helicopter but some of them used lifeboats.

5. Most of them to other ships nearby but some of them to hospital.

6. Because it was very hot on the ship and the floor caught fire.

7. Most of them were Greek but there were many other nationalities.

8. 36 hours.

9. The captain.

10. They don’t know yet.

5 PA:You are from Germany, and your mother tongue is German, so I suppose you had to learn English in some way. How and when did you start learning English?

H.P. Baxxter:For me, it was at school, and from the beginning I really liked it, because I always loved English music and bands.

5 PA:Who did you use to listen to when you were a teenager?

H.P. Baxxter:It was more an interest in English bands and music, not a special performer. I liked the language and the songs. And when we started our first lessons at school I was really very curious how to learn it and how to understand it. I liked it a lot. It was one of the very few things at school I really liked. At the end of primary school, when you can decide which subject you want to learn, I took English of course. But the most helpful experience was when, at the age of 16, I travelled the first time to England by bicycle with my friends for a summer holiday. Then, there you were in some situations when you had to talk and speak English. And this helps the most I think. You can have lessons for your whole life, but it’s much better to practice somewhere, where you have to speak English. This was my first training, and later on, when we went on touring, we of course had to speak all the time.

Rick J. Jordan:At the beginning of our career we had a few weeks when we went on a promotion tour to South-East Asia. This was like ten interviews a day, only talking English. After that promo I was really back into English.

5 PA:Have you ever performed in German? Have you ever had German songs?

H.P. Baxxter:Not really. We had one or two songs, but it’s not the same. Those were more trance records with not too many lyrics. Usually it’s only English.

5 PA:How do you create lyrics in English?

H.P. Baxxter:You know, sometimes I just think about some lyrics, write them down. On the other hand I collect ideas, everything that gets into my mind when we are touring. Or when I see something.

5 PA:Do you write these things down in German or in English?

H.P. Baxxter:In English. I record it on my mobile not to forget about it. Then I collect all these stuffs and try to coordinate it when we are producing songs.

5 PA: What do you think the secret of the success of German bands is?

Rick J. Jordan:            I think English language makes it more international. But the sound of the language is very important. Not so harsh, not so edgy, a little more smooth than the German language.

H.P. Baxxter:The only one is Rammstein, who uses the German language, but it really suits their music. And also people who don’t understand German, like it anyway also in America. But this is really an exception. Usually it’s more international in English.