1b
Listening & Speaking Skills
Listening 4
Focus ➤ Listening for specific information ñ Direct Ss’ attention to the form. Elicit what it is for (to record a complaint made by a member of the public about a neighbour) and explain what a 24-hour Help line is (a number you can call at any time of day or night to get help with a problem). ñ Play the recording. Ss listen and fill in the gaps. ñ Check Ss’ answers. Answer Key 1 Smythe 2 visitors 3 rubbish
Everyday English 5
Focus ➤ Acting out exchanges ñ Brainstorm with Ss some of the problems people can have with their neighbours. Write them on the board. ñ Read through the language boxes for making a complaint/apologising. Invite a pair of Ss to read the example exchange. ñ Ss practice acting out exchanges in pairs. Monitor the activity. Invite some pairs to reenact their exchanges to the class.
4 3 5 diary 6 the police
TAPESCRIPT Volunteer: Hello. ‘Neighbours From Hell’ help line. Who’s calling, please? Woman: My name is Mary Smythe. Volunteer: Mary Smith? Woman: No, Smythe. It’s S-M-Y-T-H-E. Volunteer: Ok, Mrs. Smythe. How may I help you? Woman: Well, I’ve been having some serious problems with my new neighbours and I just don’t know what to do. Volunteer: What kind of problems? Woman: Well, my main complaint is that they are so noisy. They play their music full blast and always have lots of visitors coming round to their house and making a lot of noise. There is so much noise that I can’t sleep at night, and I can’t work during the day. I can’t even watch TV quietly in my own home! Volunteer: I see. Any other complaints? Woman: Unfortunately, yes. Lots of rubbish has also appeared in my back garden recently. I’m sure they have been throwing it there. It looks so untidy! What can I do? Volunteer: How long as this been going on? Woman: For about three months now. Volunteer: Have you tried talking to them and explaining how you feel? Woman: Yes, I spoke to them the first week they moved in and explained that this was a quiet neighbourhood, but they just laughed. Volunteer: Well then, I suggest you do the following. Write down the dates, times and causes of the noise and
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any other trouble in a diary. If you can’t resolve the problem in a friendly way, you may need to involve the police and the more information you have, the better. Woman: Ok. I’ll start doing that right away. Volunteer: And please call us any time. We are there to support and help in any way we can. Woman: Thank you very much.
Suggested Answer Key S1: Do you think you could do something about the children making so much noise in the early morning? S2: I’m really sorry. We’ll try to do something about it. S2: I was wondering if you could stop your dog from digging up my plants. S1: Oh I do apologise. It won’t happen again. etc
Reading 6
Focus ➤ Reading for specific information ñ Ask Ss to read the questions. ñ Play the recording. Ss listen and follow the text in Ex. 6. ñ Allow a few minutes for Ss to answer the questions individually. ñ Select individual Ss to read out their answers. ñ Ss explain the underlined phrases. Ask Ss to infer meaning from the context first and then check in their dictionaries.