Assignment 6 - Dialogue with a pushy shop assistant

Write a dialogue between a shop assistant and a customer.

The shop assistant could be quite pushy and insincere,
and the customer could be annoyed at his/her insincerity.

Assignment 5 - Recording

Sung - An interesting Anecote

I want to talk about my travels
on 2013 I was travel travelled to India and Nepal
in India so many people try to defraud to me
for example I asked to people to how can i go to Pahar ganj
despite the fact that they told me that was destroyed by terror, I went to go there
and there was normal
and many Indians try to defraud me but i ignored them and
one of Korean friends who met in new deli  he was defrauded because one indian guy gaves coffee to him and my friend drank that coffee after he woke up he was near to river without nothing. without bad people it was so such a nice travel holiday/vacation
anyway after india i was go went to Nepal for hiking in the himalayas
although i didnt have much time, I went to poon hill
it was so nice to see sunrise  

Francesca - An interesting Anecote

Francesca Galli19 October 2014 14:02

The best travel journey that I ever done was last year with my cousin in California, exactly in San Diego.
We arrived there on in July and we had to stay all the month.
When we arrived there, after 10 hours by plane, we were very tired and the taxi brought us in to a strange place.
By the way we were happy because our vacations was starting.
At first we saw many bad caravans and I was scarred because I couldn't believe that theese this would be my future "house".
After one kilometer we found our caravan; I wanted cry, I had never seen a place like that!
The caravan was terrible, dirty and too small for me, my cousin and the other people who lived there.
Althrough Throughout the situation, we had to stay there because we had paid and we didn't know another place where we could sleep.
The secondo day of our trip we started to go around the city and meet some people. We spent a lot of the time on the beach during the day and in a club during the night.
The clubs was amazing whereas. However, closures closing time was so early, until 4 a.m.
The first week was so funny such fun and interesting in spite of the house and the strange people who lived there.
Since the first week we went to visit some cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tiguana and every time was amazing.
I had never met some people like in California, everybody was so friendly even though I didn't speak a good english.
The time passed very quickly and after a few days we had to go back to Italy.
I can't forget this vacation because I saw incredible places and I could meet many people from all over the world.
I hope to travel again with my cousin, maybe in another state except Africa because we had a bad experience.
Even thought we don't live in the same city when we have free time we always stay together as a sisters.
Francesca

Benny - An interesting Anecote

I was preparing for one of my last exams at the university of architecture, and I was really nervous. It was three o’clock at the night and I had not already yet finished all my drawings despite the fact that I had been working hard for months. I could not see the end and my mind was in a situation of confusion due to the stressingful semester, so I thought that it would have been better if I had given up.

I was going to sleep when my roommate asked me: “Where are you going? You can not give up now!”. Although I was really tired, I carried on my work and I finished at seven in the morning. The exam should have begun would begin at nine o’clock therefore I run in to a copy shop to print the drawings, which were thought supposed to be in a grey scale colour. When I was hanging up my tables I could not believe in my eyes: all the drawings were purple!! I had did not have time to check them in the copy shop, so I should have taken the exam with them.  All people that watched the exam were disconcerted, indeed I could see their annoyed looks. By the way, the teacher seemed to appreciate my work. To sum up, I managed to pass the exam in spite of my purple drawings.

Luciano - An interesting Anecote

I want to talk about the trip I had this summer in one of the most magnificient places people can visit in China, the Huangshan mountains, it is actually not a really high mountain but contrarily to the apparent normal aspect it hides in its various creeks a heavenly landscape that makes it a place where everyone should go at least once. It looked like a surreal scenario, in fact my cousin, who was skeptical at the beginning, changed her idea mind so fastly that she turned out to be more excited than how I was before going there, anyway it was a great experience that amazed me so much and despite the long walk we had been having for a couple of hours before reaching the edge it was in the end worth at all, also because we slept on top of it surrounded by the clouds.

Assignment 4 - An Interesting Anecdote (informal)

Write a story about you or someone you know. Choose from these ideas or your own:

• an interesting or unusual journey
• a practical joke
• a holiday experience
• a story from school, college, university
• the most enjoyable or frightening day of your life

Use the reason/contrast words (despite, although, due to, etc.) and the connective words that we learned in class (anyway, by the way, etc.). Also, use relative clauses where appropriate.

Flavia - A Terrifying Experience

One day happened to me something that I will never forget. It was afternoon and I came home after school with my best friend to do our homework. I was 14 years old and I had just started the high school.  We were alone at home: my parents were working and my sisters at school.

We were doing our homework in the kitchen when someone opened the main door.  I was sure it was my father coming home after work, so I didn’t pay attention to that and continued doing my homework, sure that he would have come to say hello to us, like every afternoon. After a while, he hadn’t come to the kitchen yet, so I called him. Nobody answered, but I heard that there was somebody near the main door , there was a noise coming from the entrance. So I stopped doing my homework to go to the entrance  and say hello to my dad. I couldn’t imagine that somebody else was in my house. I saw the main door opened and someone that was running away, I still can remember exactly what I saw. I saw the back of a woman, with blond hair and a bob haircut, black trousers and a sky blue windbreakers. And I  saw her getting into a car that was waiting for her.
I was shocked, couldn’t believe that someone had entered into my house and I hadn’t realized it. If I had just locked the door, it would have happened. And if hadn’t called my dad , probably she wouldn’t have run away. Maybe she thought that my father was at home and got scared. I still think that if she had known that there were only two teenagers at home, she wouldn’t have escaped. So I was really lucky, and from that moment I started to lock the door.

Luciano - The Gypsy and the Phone

It was last year, i was back from London for just few days and a really lucky thing happened to me, while i was out with my friends and taking the tube, a gypsy stole my mobile from my pocket, after just few seconds i realized i was robbed so i started to look around and ask my friends if they had seen the fact, suddenly one of them really calmly told me: "yeah, i've seen the gypsy stealing your mobile", and i was like "WTF, you've just watched the scene and haven't told me anything?!". Then, i tried to get off the train and follow her, but unexpectedly when i was about to step out, the gypsy dropped my phone on the ground, infact the overcrowded number of people that were obscructing the exit door trapped her arms inside the vehicle so that she couldn't escape. I wonder what would have happened if i had lost my mobile, fortunately everything went well.

Minkyu - Caught Red Handed

I would like to tell a story happened to me. To say exactly, not to me but to a girl. When I was 18years old I always went to the gym right after school. Normaly, I exercised for about 3hours from 7pm, so It used to be finished 10ish.

Oneday, I finished the exercise and was on the way home. I was riding a bicycle and passing by an elementary school near the gym. I was knackered so I didn't pay my attention to anything. It was dark at that time and there were no people. However, Suddenly there was a strange shout in the school ground. It was amazingly loud and horrifying. I am pretty sure I have never heard like that sound in my life. It was not like a shout in films. It was real and like monster's. I got off my bycicle immediately and ran into the school. 

When I got there. There was a girl and a stranger running out from her. He tried to molest her but he saw me. I tried to catch him. It was too far and I needed to take care of her because she was almost faint. I took her to her home and called the police and told about the situation but I don't know if he was caught or not even until now. I thought on the way back home if I hadn't been there what situation would have been happened.

Luciana - An unlucky event

An unlucky event happened to a friend of mine last year.
It looked like all one evening and he was going to take his girlfriend with his car when police stopped him at a checkpoint and forced him to do the alcohol test. To his surprise, the test is positive and even with a high number. The police decided to confiscate his driving license as punishment.
My friend was absolutely sure he had not drunk anything and can not believe how the test will be positive, but remembers that he used the mouthwash just before going out.He Suggested the hypothesis to the police and then they decide to take him to the hospital for blood tests. Sure enough, the analyzes were negative. Doctors confirmed the theory of the boy: Some mouthwashes have a high level of alcohol and may affect the results of the alcohol test.
His only sentence at the end of this story was, "If I had not thought about the mouthwash, at this time I would not have a driver's license."

Benny - It seemed an average day when..

It was a day of September and the house was completely empty: indeed my parents were at work and my sister Susanna and I were going to the seaside for a weekend.It seemed an average day however suddenly my phone rang and, when my mother said me that some thieves had been in our house, I felt my heart stopped throbbing. Immediately Susanna and I came back home, we went in and saw a dramatic situation: all rooms were upside down, all wardrobes were opened and our books and clothes were wherever in the house. Firstly we tried to understand how they had been able to come in and we began looking around. On the floor we could see some tracks guided in the kitchen, therefore we followed them and we saw a window completely broken. In that moment I realised that before I felt the apartment I hadn’t closed its: it was my fault and I thought “ If I had checked the windows before I came out, thieves wouldn’t have come in my home”. Since this moment I check again and again all the windows before I go out, due to I hope that was the last time I was a victim of a burglary.

Benny

Assignment 3 - Crime and Punishment

Either think of a crime that has happened to you, a friend or relative,
or research an unusual but true crime story.

Write a text about the crime, giving the important details, ie. what the crime was, who committed the crime, whether the criminal was caught and what happened to him/her.

Try to use as much new vocabulary as possible, and include at least one 3rd conditional sentence.

(minimum 150 words)

Paula - Getting used to life in London

When I was a child I used to spent my holidays in a beach village not so far to my town. My cousins and I spent two months of holidays with my grandparents in this village. I remember we always had fun and we made a lot of friends. When setember arrived I used to cried because I didn’t want to return to my house and school.

Last four years I had studied in University at Barcelona and I’m really convinced that this years are the most wonderful in my life. In mornings I’d went to University and took lesons since 3 am. In the afternoons I’d spent my time with my friends did our homeworks or went out in some pub. In this years I lived with two of my bestfriends and we would haved dinner together everday. At the weekends I used to go to my town.

My mother is always getting nervous so quickly with the tasks of the home and we are always arguing. When we live together she is always saying to me thaht i have to clean my room.

Now I live in London and most mornings I’ll having milk ans toasts for breakfast. Later I go to the school and when the lessons are finish I’ll always have lunch out of my home because I have to go to work and I don’t have time for going and having lunch at my home. In London I’ll always go to the bed at 11 pm because I’m tired, in Spain I used to go to bed at 12 or 1 pm.

I think I’ll never getting used to the far distance in London. I’m always annoying about to take the underground or the bus for go to anywhere.  However, I’m getting used to typicall food in London. At the first momento when I arrived I didn’t like so much.

Luciano - Getting used to life in London

1)I used to eat so much savoury and sweet food that i no longer eat now because i became aware of what is healthy and not for my diet.

2)when i was in Italy i was late at for school everyday and most of the times i would skip the first class.

3)I was always switching on my laptop for no reason.

4)The most annoying thing is when my mum is asking me what i'd like to eat until she gets to sleep.

5)Most mornings, when i remember and i'm not too lazy to do it, i'll have breakfast

6)I'll never get used to the weather

7)Actually, i'm slowly slowly getting used to the london accent.

8)I'm completely used to hanging out with friends at anytime and everywhere anyway.

Rodolfo - Getting used to life in London

1.When I was a child I used to play football in the main square of my hometown with my schoolmates. I really enjoyed that period of my life! I wish I could turn back time just to taste again, with more consciousness, the peaceful feeling of childhood.

2. Before I came in London I used to work out three times a week. Since I'm here, I just had time for a quick jogging session in Hyde Park, after which I had to organize my new activities. In Rome I had a band too, but I had to give up trials for a while due to my departure.

3. I'm always putting off to clean up my kitchen, but when I decide to do it, I hear the "London calling" and I go out for a walk.

4. Sometimes it's really annoying when parents do a lot of questions when you're not in the mood to talk so much.

5. Most mornings I won't have breakfast because I'm not used to eat when it's so early, and I'll take the underground to go to work.

6. I'll never get used to drink as so many beers as English people are used to.

7. In Rome, as long as we have an awful bus and underground system, I was used to drive the car to get anywhere. Since I'm in London, I'm getting used to go with the Tube in every moment of the day. And I think that's cheaper and more relaxing too!

8. When I'm abroad I'm used to walking a lot, because I love to discover nice and secret places instead of the usual touristic locations.

Luciana - Getting used to life in London

I had a lot of habits since I was a little now, which are all changed over the time.

When I was child, I mean 5 or 6 years, I spent a lot of time playing with my friends in the common garden.

With my family I used to go on holiday in Italian holiday resorts with beach, swimming pool, miniclub etc, because of my brother and I were too young.

Over the time, the tradition has remained, but the targets have changed.

Every summer, all together, we travel and the destinations are different: Europe, Asia and also USA.

Moreover, I used to play volleyball in a volleyball team in my city.

I was always in late to the training, and my coach always getting angry with me.

Later, I lived with my parents, but now I live in Bologna with two my friends.

I like to live by myself, I have my spaces, my habits and I’ve become more responsible.

Whenever I come home for the holiday, my parents are always asking me what time I would come back and where I was. I hate it.

Before to come to London, I had my routine in Bologna. I’ll wake up at 8:30, I’ll have a shower and I’ll dress.

Later, I’ll have breakfast with toasts and jam and a cup of milk. I’ll go out and before the lesson I’ll drink a coffee in the university’s bar.

After lesson I’ll have lunch with my classmate and then We’ll go to the lesson again.

At the end of the class, I’ll go to the gym or I’ll study in the library.

Then I’ll have dinner and I’ll go out with my friends.

Now in London, I think, I’ll never get used to drink american coffee. I hate it and I miss the expresso before the lesson and after lunch.

But I’m slowly getting used to take the metro at any time. In Bologna I never used to take any public transports and I used to go anywhere on foot.

Being away from my home it’s difficult, but I think it’s the best way to grow up. I mean,  I used to living by my own, doing all housework, changing all my habits.

Sung - Getting used to life in London

    When i was child i used to go out with my friends and played with my friends all the day
    for example i was tried to get dragon fly, frog or tadpole like this
   that time was environmenal life

   Before to came here i'd like to playing computer games like league of legend
   or i went out with my friends then go to pub or night club
   and sometime i went library for studying it was boring but i had to go

    I always checking the time for how long it will take to go place where i did an appointment

     Nothing speacial but one of my friend sometimes break the appointment
     it makes me upset

      I'll try to prepare for going school and try to wake up ealry

     I'll never get used to eating fish&chips

     I'm getting used to take a rest and doing something slowly
  
    I used to spending much money than in my country
    its so bad but i dont have other choice

Flavia - Getting used to life in London

When I was a child I had many habits, but I can remember just few of them. For example, I used to travel a lot with my family, we had a caravan (actually, we still have it but it’s too old and we don’t use it anymore) and we used to travel around Italy and Europe with it. We didn’t use to stay in the same place for more than 2 or 3 days, so my sister and I didn’t have too many chances to make new friends, but we had great fun anyway!  

Before coming to London I had different habits that I can’t have here and this makes me feel a little sad sometimes. When my parents were not at home, I used to have lunch with mi my sisters in the living room and watch TV series. Two afternoons a week, I used to go out with my friends and have a really good ice cream. Every Wednesday night I’d go for roller skating through the streets of Rome, and every sunny and windy weekend I’d go to the beach with my windsurf. I really miss most of these habits, but I’m getting more and more used to London life.

Also, I have different habits that I don’t really like: I’m always fooling around and wasting my time, even if I have something important to do.  Moreover, I’m always arriving late everywhere, and I really don’t like it.

There is something that really annoys me: I hate when people use my things without my permission. For example, my Italian flatmate is always eating my food, especially when I bring something from Italy; my sisters are always wearing my clothes.  This drives me crazy.

Every morning I have my routine, I’ll stay in bed for five minutes checking Whatsapp messages, Facebook  and emails on my phone, then I’ll go to the kitchen, I’ll prepare coffee and have breakfast with cereals and milk, and then I’ll drink coffee with milk. After that I’ll have a shower and I’ll get ready to go out.

I’ve been living here in London for nearly one year ,so I’m getting used to this new life, but there is something that I’ll never get used to, and this is the weather. It may not be very original but I love sunny (and hot) weather, while rain gives me a feeling of sadness and laziness.

On the other hand, I have got used to, or I’m getting used to, almost every aspects of London life. I’m getting used to crowds, crowded streets, crowded tube, crowded pubs; I’m getting used to walking faster than a marathon runner and I’m (slowly!) getting used to the really annoying ambulance and police sirens.

Being away from my home has many pros and cons. I really miss everybody, my family, my friends, my cats, my city, but I’m used to living on my own, using a different language and making friends from every part of the world. So, even if sometimes I feel depressed, I think this is a great challenge for me and will make me  more mature.

Assignment 2 - Getting Used to Life in London

1. What did you used to do as a child, that you no longer do? (past simple or used to + infinitive)
2. Before you came to London, what habits and routines did you have? (past simple or I'd + infinitive)
3. Do you keep doing anything by mistake? (be always -ing)
4. Do your friends and family do anything to annoy you? (present simple or be always -ing)
5. What do you do most mornings? (I'll + infinitive)

The following questions are about your life in London:

6. What do you think you'll never get used to about life in London?
7. Are you slowly getting used to anything about London life?
8. Is there anything that you are completely used to about being away from your home country?