EPISODE 208

LEVEL A1.2/A2.1

 

READING COMPREHENSION

 

IN THE MOUNTAINS

 

These two weeks we spent in the mountains were really nice. We stayed at a B&B (= a small hotel which offers a room and a breakfast)– it was comfortable  and the food was delicious (=very very good). But we didn’t spend much time at the hotel. There weren’t many people, so we went hiking a lot (=we went for long walks) and took lots of photos, because the views there were extraordinary (=special, not standard). Beautiful mountain streams (=small rivers) and waterfalls (=places where water falls from a higher to a lower point), and strange kinds of trees and flowers… And when we climbed (=went up) a mountain top (=the highest area of a mountain)… the views were breathtaking (=extremely exciting and beautiful). It all looked magical. Would you like to see the photos?

 

More contexts for the new words:

The word ‘mountain’ can go together with many nouns to form phrases:

 

  • There were some beautiful mountain streams / mountain waterfalls / mountain lakes.
  • We climbed a few mountain tops and saw some beautiful mountain huts.

 

 

EXERCISE 1

Decide if the sentences are correct or incorrect. Correct the sentences which are wrong.

 

  1. At a B&B you can get three meals a day.
  2. When you go hiking a lot, your legs may hurt.
  3. Niagara is an example of a stream.
  4. If you have a camera on holiday, you can make a lot of photos.
  5. ‘Extraordinary’ and ‘breathtaking’ can both be used to describe views.

 

 

EXERCISE 2

Use the pictures to complete the questions with key phrases from the text. Be careful about the form. Then answer the questions.

 

  1. Do you like spending holidays ?
  2. Have you ever ?
  3. Do you usually when you’re on holiday?

 

ENGLISH IN USE 

We use the Past Simple tense to talk about finished actions which happened at a specific time in the past.

 

It was comfortable.

There weren’t many people.

 

We stayed at a B&B.

We climbed (=went up) a mountain top.

It all looked magical.

We went hiking a lot.

But we didn’t spend much time at the hotel.

 

 

IDIOM CLOSE-UP

 

A/ If we don’t do this on time, we’re all going to lose our jobs! You’ll see!

B/ Oh, come on, don’t MAKE A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL. 

 

If someone makes a mountain out of a molehill, they treat something too seriously and make a major problem out of something not very important. In other words, they exaggerate.

 

 

 

PHRASAL VERBS CLOSE-UP

 

There are many phrasal verbs which use the preposition ‘up’. Very often, the meaning of the phrasal verb is connected to the appearance of something. Here are a few examples:

1. If someone TURNS UP, it means that they come / arrive.

 

More than 30 people turned up at the party.

Why do you never turn up on time?

 

2. When you BRING UP a subject, you mention it / start talking about.

 

She brought up the subject of budget cuts at the meeting.

Did you really have to bring this up? I don’t want to talk about this.

 

3. When a subject COMES UP, it appears in the conversation. It is very similar to BRING UP, but in this case you don’t talk about the person who started the subject.

 

The subject of budget cuts came up at the meeting.

 

 

EXERCISE 3

Rewrite the sentences keeping the same meaning and using the word in capitals. Use the idiom and phrasal verbs you have learned in this lesson.

 

  1. I don’t understand why you are even mentioning this.

UP …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

  1. Stop exaggerating, will you?

MAKING …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

  1. Jim arrived late, as usual, of course.

UP …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

 

NEWS

 

 

THE MOST DANGEROUS MOUNTAIN IN THE WOLD

 

Annapurna I, a mountain located in the Himalayas, is the 10th highest mountain in the world. It is also the most statistically dangerous of the 8,000 meter peaks. Since its summit was first reached in 1950, Annapurna has been climbed by more than 130 people, but 53 have died trying. Many of these lost their lives because of the avalanches, frequent and dangerous on the slopes of the mountain.

 

 

GLOSSARY

– a peak – the pointed top of a mountain, or the mountain itself

– a summit – the highest point of a mountain

– an avalanche – a large amount of ice, snow and rock falling quickly down the side of a mountain

– a slope – the side of a hill or mountain

 

 

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>>Answers

Ex.1

 

  1. INCORRECT: At a B&B you can get one meal a day.
  2. CORRECT
  3. INCORRECT: Niagara is an example of a waterfall.
  4. INCORRECT: If you have a camera on holiday, you can take a lot of photos.
  5. CORRECT

 

Ex.2

  1. Do you like spending holidays in the mountains?
  2. Have you ever climbed a mountain top?
  3. Do you usually take photos when you’re on holiday?

 

Ex.3

  1. I don’t understand why you are even bringing this up.
  2. Stop making a mountain out of a molehill, will you?
  3. Jim turned up late, as usual, of course.

 

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