Episode 96

EPISODE 96
LEVEL A1.2/A2.1

 

READING COMPREHENSION 

MARRIAGE

Dolores has already been married four times, but she says she hasn’t found her Mr Right (= a perfect man) yet. Her first marriage lasted 8 months. After that time she decided to get divorced (= finish her marriage) . Her second husband died just after two years of marriage and so Dolores became a widow (= a woman whose husband has died). Dolores says that she has beautiful memories of her third marriage and especially the wedding day (= the day when you get married). She was a beautiful bride (= a woman on her wedding day) with a long white dress and the bridegroom (= a man on his wedding day) was tall and handsome. Unfortunately her husband cheated on her so they decided to split up. After that experience Dolores decided to be more careful, so when she met John they got engaged (= she said ‘yes’ when he asked her ‘Will you marry me?’) quite fast but she wanted to wait with the wedding. It was enough to be his fiancée (= a woman who is engaged). After two years of engagement they finally decided to get married. Their happiness didn’t last long. Dolores and John got divorced one year later. Now Dolores is dating someone again. 

 

More contexts for the new words: 

• John is Mary’s fiancé (= they are engaged).
• Mary died so John was a widower (= a man whose wife dies).

 

EXERCISE 1 

Decide if the sentences below are true of false. Correct the false ones.

1. If you get engaged it means your plan is to get married.
2. Mr Right is a person who is good and friendly.
3. A fiancée is a man who wants to get married.
4. A bridegroom is a man who is getting married.
5. If you are a widow it means your dog has died. 
6. If you are a widower it means your wife has died.

 

EXERCISE 2 

Match the beginnings of the sentences with the endings. Then answer the questions.

1. What do you think a perfect wedding
2. If people love each other should they always get
3. If people stop loving each other should they always get

a) married?
b) day should look like?
c) divorced or should they stay together? 

 

ENGLISH IN USE  

 

With just, already and yet you use the Present Perfect tense.
Dolores has already been married four times.
She hasn’t found her Mr Right yet.
She has just met Paul.

Remember that you use yet at the end of the sentence but just and already between have/ has and the main verb.
I have just got married.
I have already been married twice.
I haven’t been married yet.

 

Moreover, we use already only in positive sentences and yet in questions and negative sentences.
I have already been married.
Have you been married yet?
I haven’t been married yet.

 

IDIOM CLOSE-UP

I’m sure Peter and Kate will be very happy together. It’s a MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN

If we say that a marriage is made in heaven it will probably be very happy because two people are very well suited to each other.

 

PHRASAL VERBS CLOSE-UP

1. When you FALL OUT with someone, you argue with them and stop being friendly with them.

She fell out with her boyfriend after her boyfriend had borrowed her camera and then lost it.

 

2. When you MAKE UP with someone you become friends with a person again after a fight or an argument.

I fight with my boyfriend all the time, but we always make up soon afterwards.

 

EXERCISE 3 

Complete the sentences with correct prepositions:

1. Peter and Brenda fell ………….. over where to go on holiday.
2. After some time they reached a compromise, they kissed and made ……
3. They love each other so much. It’s a marriage made ………… heaven.

 

NEWS

 

Do you want to buy a husband?

A shop has just opened in New York where a woman can go and buy a husband. On the entrance door there is a description of how the shop operates. You can visit the shop only once. There are six floors and the attributes of men increase with each floor. You can choose any man you want or go up to the next floor but you cannot go back.

So a woman comes to the shop. On the first floor there is a sign Floor 1: ‘These men have good jobs’.  Floor 2: ‘These men have good jobs and love children’. Floor 3: ‘These men have good jobs, love children and are very handsome’. The woman is very excited but she decides to go upstairs. On the fourth floor she finds another sign Floor 4: ‘These men have good jobs, love children, are very handsome and help with the housework’. The woman doesn’t know what to do but in the end she goes one floor up. On the next floor the sign on the door reads Floor 5 ‘These men have good jobs, love children, are very handsome, help with the housework and are extremely romantic’. She can’t believe that such men exist and she wants to stay but she is too tempted….. She goes to the sixth floor and finds another sign Floor 6: These men have good jobs, love children, are very handsome, help with the housework and are extremely romantic but they are no longer available.’

 

GLOSSARY  

• increase – make something bigger in size or number
• extremely – very, really
• tempted – attracted, interested
• available – free, accessible

 

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