British Test

EDITOR’S INTRO

WHY ARE YOU LEARNING ENGLISH? TO GET A BETTER JOB,

Excuses, Excuses!

Typical excuses for not going to work

THE NAME GAME

THIS IS ANOTHER PART IN OUR SERIES OF FAMOUS NAMES WITH MEANING. MORE NEXT MONTH

STORY TIME

Jokes, anecdotes and stories as told by native English speakers

USEFUL VOCABULARY: In the Bathroom

See if your partner can guess the word from the

In the Bathroom

IF THE MIRROR “STEAMS UP”, WATER VAPOUR GOES ON IT

How supermarkets are changing Britain

Where do you buy the following things? The local shop,

LET’S TALK ABOUT: Driving on the Road

NIGEL IS CALLING HIS WIFE BECAUSE HIS CAR HAS BROKEN DOWN ON THE MOTORWAY

FUNCTIONAL LANGUAGE: Making Conversation

IN THIS MONTH’S FUNCTIONAL LANGUAGE SECTION, WE’LL BE LOOKING AT HOW TO START, MAINTAIN AND END A CONVERSATION

DR FINGERS’ ERROR CORRECTION CLINIC

IN THIS SECTION, DR FINGERS IDENTIFIES AND CORRECTS TYPICAL ERRORS

Economy Watch

Radical solutions for the economy

GRAMMAR FUN Must / Should

THIS MONTH, WE’RE LOOKING AT MUST & SHOULD, BOTH OF WHICH CAN BE USED FOR GIVING ADVICE

The world’s most famous castles!

Point to the following countries on the map. Then, compare

Jokes in English!

Jokes are a great way to improve your English. The language is practical as it’s mostly informal spoken English. They’re motivating to read or listen to because they’re funny (hopefully). And you can use them in social situations when you’re chatting to friends. Read and listen to these jokes. Then, do the exercises on the following page

Jokes in English! Exercise page

See if you can complete the jokes. Then, listen again

PHOTO MAGIC

CAN YOU THINK OF ANYTHING TO WRITE IN THE SPEECH BUBBLES? HAVE A COMPETITION IN CLASS OR AT HOME

MATT DAMON

Matt Damon’s film (True Grit) sees him play a Texas Ranger in search of the villainous Tom Chaney. But this is just one of many successes

JEFF BRIDGES

It’s been a good few years for Jeff Bridges. He’s won an Oscar, he’s had some great parts and now he’s landed the role of a lifetime as Rooster Cogburn in True Grit

TRUE CRIT

What’s the best way to guarantee winning an Oscar for your film? Simple! Round up as much talent as you possibly can... which is precisely what they did for the western remake True Grit

LISTENING Bank Bash

The bank manager from hell!

Native Americans

The story of a Native American Indian tribe

Mind Control

Do some people have the power to control our minds?

DR FINGERS’ VOCABULARY CLINIC Expression misconceptions

A LOOK AT SOME COMMON PHRASES WHICH ARE BASED ON FALSE IDEAS

How effective is sponsorship in sport?

Since the early 1980s, sponsorship has become a major part

QUIRKY NEWS &CORNY CRIMINALS quirky news

A man suffered serious burns after an unfortunate incident with

Easy Curry!

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO SPICE UP YOUR LIFE? TRY THIS DELICIOUS AND SIMPLE CHICKPEA AND ONION CURRY RECIPE

LISTENING Diplomacy Dig

The delicate art of diplomacy... or not

DICTIONARY OF SLANG

EXAMPLES OF HOW TO SAY THINGS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS

Work Rules

Keeping a tight rein on the workforce

Accents in films

OUR MONTHLY LOOK AT ENGLISH ACCENTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD IN BOTH ENGLISH-SPEAKING AND NON-ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES. THIS MONTH: ACCENTS IN FILMS

BOAT & SAILINGIDIOMS

THIS MONTH WE’RE LOOKING AT SOME “BOAT” & “SAILING” IDIOMS

The Mini: the story of an icon!

For over fifty years, the Mini has been the world’s

Funniest Jokes

Are these the best jokes of all time?

PHRASALVERB THEMES Health & Sickness

HERE ARE SOME TYPICAL PHRASAL VERBS THAT YOU CAN USE TO TALK ABOUT HEALTH AND SICKNESS. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES (1 TO 8) WITH THE WORDS FROM BELOW

THE WAY BACK

WHAT SACRIFICES WOULD YOU MAKE FOR YOUR JOB? WOULD YOU WORK WEEKENDS? GIVE UP YOUR LUNCH BREAK? HOW ABOUT GETTING HYPOTHERMIA? THAT’S WHAT ACTORS COLIN FARRELL, ED HARRIS AND JIM STURGESS FACED WHILE FILMING THE DRAMA THE WAY BACK