The Road to Success

Level: B1

Yesterday afternoon, Frank Hawkins was telling me about his experiences as a young man.  Before he retired, Frank was the head of a very large business company, but as a boy he used to work in a small shop. It was his job to repair bicycles, and at that time he used to work fourteen hours a day. He saved money for years and in 1958 he bought a small workshop of his own.

In his twenties, Frank used to make spare parts for aeroplanes. At that time, he had two helpers. In a few years, the small workshop had become a large factory which employed seven hundred and twenty-eight people. Frank smiled when he remembered his hard early years and the long road to success. He was still smiling when the door opened and his wife came in. She wanted him to repair their grandson’s bicycle!

Glossary

as- when

employ- to pay someone to work for you

experience- something that happens to you or something you do

head- a leader or person in charge of a group or organization

repair- to fix; to mend

retire- to stop working, usually because you have reached a certain age

save- to keep money in a bank so that you can use it later

spare part- a new part for a vehicle or machine, that is used to replace a part that is damaged or broken

used to- if something used to happen, it happened regularly or all the time in the past, but does not happen now

workshop- a room or building where tools and machines are used for making or repairing things

Collocations

tell someone about something

as a young man

as a boy

at that time

work (fourteen) hours

save money

of your own

make spare parts

employ people

long road to success

English Suffixes - Adjective Makers

Level: C1

-ed having: gifted, talented, wretched, learned
-en made of: wooden, golden, woollen, earthen
-ful full of: hopeful, fruitful, joyful
-ish somewhat like: boorish, reddish, girlish
-less free from, without: fearless, shameless, hopeless, senseless, boundless
-ly like: manly, godly, sprightly
-some with the quality of: wholesome, meddlesome, gladsome, quarrelsome
-ward inclining to: forward, wayward
-y with the quality of: wealthy, healthy, windy, slimy, greedy, needy, thirsty, dirty

Camping Disaster

Level: B2

When we had packed all the provisions that we would need for our big camping trip, we got in the car and started off. After driving all day, we found the spot we wanted, a wide strip of wooded land that projected into a lake. Since I had just become a tenderfoot scout, I asked my father if I could erect my own tent. At the conclusion of an hour’s work, I finally had it up. As anyone could see, it wasn’t very stable, and I hoped we wouldn’t have a big wind. My younger brother referred to my efforts as a mess. I was unhappy with the tent myself, but I just didn’t have the patience to start all over. I should have asked for my brother’s help, but I was afraid of losing my dignity. As you might guess, a severe storm came up right after we went to bed. But my parents had mercy and didn’t even smile as I crawled into their tent with them.

Glossary

conclusion n. end or the way something ends: I found the conclusion of the film rather irritating.

dignity n. the quality or state of deserving respect, esp. because of being controlled, serious and calm: He is a man of dignity and calm determination. 

erect v. o put up or raise to a vertical position (a tent, flag or other esp. temporary structure): They erected a marquee to accommodate 500 wedding guests.

mercy n. kindness and forgiveness shown towards someone whom you have the power to treat severely or punish: People who are caught drinking and driving can expect little mercy from the courts.

patience n. the ability to wait, or continue doing something despite difficulties, or suffer without complaining or becoming annoyed: You have to have such a lot of patience when you're dealing with kids.

project v. to stick out over an edge: One of the features of the hotel is that its dining room projects (out) over the sea.

provisions n. supplies of food and other necessary things: All provisions for the camp have to be flown in by helicopter.

refer v. to mention, describe or involve (someone or something): He always refers to his wife as ‘the old woman.’

severe adj. causing very great pain, difficulty, anxiety, damage, etc.; very serious: He's suffering from a severe chest infection.

stable adj. firmly fixed or not likely to move or change: Heavier boats are more stable than lighter boats.

Synonyms

conclusion- the conclusion of the meeting: end; finish; close; halting; cessation; termination; discontinuance; (inf.) wind-up.

dignity- pride; self-esteem; self-conceit; self-regard; self-importance; self-respect; amour propre.

erect- put up; set up; set upright; assemble.

mercy- leniency; clemency; compassion; compassionateness; pity; charity; forgiveness; forbearance; quarter; humanity; humaneness; mildness; soft-heartedness; tender-heartedness; kindness; sympathy; liberality; tolerance; generosity; beneficence; benignancy.

patience- calmness; composure; even temper; even-temperedness; equanimity; equilibrium; serenity; tranquility; restraint; self-restraint; imperturbability; inexcitability; tolerance; long-suffering; indulgence; forbearance; endurance; resignation; stoicism; fortitude; (inf.) unflappability; cool.

project- jut; jut out; protrude; extend; stick out; stand out; hang over; bulge out; beetle; obtrude.

provisions- supplies, catering, accoutrement, stock, preparation, store, procurement, equipment.

refer- mention; make mention of; make reference to; allude to; touch on; speak of; cite; advert to; hint at.

severe- fierce; strong; violent; intense; powerful; forceful; very bad.

stable- firm; solid; steady; secure; fixed; strong; fast; stout; sturdy; moored; anchored; immovable.

Collocations

pack provisions

start off

project into a place

a tenderfoot scout

erect a tent

at the conclusion of an event

have a tent up

refer to something as something

be unhappy with something

have patience to do something

start all over

lose your dignity

a storm comes up

have mercy

crawl into a place

The Evils of Smoking

Level: C2

If you smoke and you still don’t believe that there’s a definite link between smoking and bronchial troubles, heart disease and lung cancer, then you are certainly deceiving yourself. No one will accuse you of hypocrisy. Let us just say that you are suffering from a bad case of wishful thinking. This needn’t make you too uncomfortable because you are in good company. Whenever the subject of smoking and health is raised, the governments of most countries hear no evil, see no evil and smell no evil. Admittedly, a few governments have taken timid measures. In Britain, for instance, cigarette advertising has been banned on television. The conscience of the nation is appeased, while the population continues to puff its way to smoky, cancerous death.

You don’t have to look very far to find out why the official reactions to medical findings have been so lukewarm. The answer is simply money. Tobacco is a wonderful commodity to tax. It’s almost like a tax on our daily bread. In tax revenue alone, the government of Britain collects enough from smokers to pay for its entire educational facilities. So while the authorities point out ever so discreetly that smoking may, conceivably, be harmful, it doesn’t do to shout too loudly about it.

This is surely the most short-sighted policy you could imagine. While money is eagerly collected in vast sums with one hand, it is paid out in increasingly vaster sums with the other.  Enormous amounts are spent on cancer research and on efforts to cure people suffering from the disease. Countless valuable lives are lost. In the long run, there is no doubt that everybody would be much better off if smoking were banned altogether.

Of course, we are not ready for such drastic action. But if the governments of the world were honestly concerned about the welfare of their peoples, you’d think they’d conduct aggressive anti-smoking campaigns. Far from it! The tobacco industry is allowed to spend staggering sums on advertising. Its advertising is as insidious as it is dishonest. We are never shown pictures of real smokers coughing up their lungs early in the morning. That would never do. The advertisements always depict virile, clean-shaven young men. They suggest it is manly to smoke, even positively healthy! Smoking is associated with the great open-air life, with beautiful girls, true love and togetherness. What utter nonsense!

For a start, governments could begin by banning all cigarette and tobacco advertising and should then conduct anti-smoking advertising campaigns of their own. Smoking should be banned in all public places like theatres, cinemas and restaurants. Great efforts should be made to inform young people especially of the dire consequences of taking up the habit. A horrific warning – say, a picture of a death’s head – should be included in every packet of cigarettes that is sold. As individuals we are certainly weak, but if governments acted honestly and courageously, they could protect us from ourselves.

Glossary

accuse- to say that you believe someone is guilty of a crime or of doing something bad

admittedly- used when you are admitting that something is true

aggressive- very determined to succeed or get what you want

alone- only; just

altogether- completely

appease- to make someone less angry or stop them from attacking you by giving them what they want

associate- to make a connection in your mind between one thing or person to another

authorities- the people or organizations that are in charge of a particular country or area

better off- happier, improved, more successful, etc.

bronchial- affecting the bronchial tubes in the lung

campaign- a series of actions intended to achieve a particular result relating to politics or business, or a social improvement

commodity- a product that is bought and sold

conceivably- used to say something is able to be believed or imagined

concerned- worried

conduct- do; perform

conscience- the part of your mind that tells you whether what you are doing is morally right or wrong

consequence- something that happens or exists because of something that happened before

deceive- to make someone believe something that is not true

definite- that will happen in a way that someone has said

depict- to something or someone in writing or speech, or to show them in a painting, picture, etc.

dire- extremely serious or terrible

discreetly- carefully because you do not want to offend, upset, or embarrass people or tell secrets

do- used to say that something will be enough or be acceptable

drastic- extreme and sudden

entire- whole; all of

facilities- rooms, equipment, or services that are provided for a particular purpose

for a start- firstly; to begin with

for instance- for example

horrific- extremely bad, in a way that is frightening or upsetting

hypocrisy- when someone pretends to have certain beliefs or opinions that they do not really have

insidious- spreading gradually without being noticed, and causing serious harm

lukewarm- not showing much interest or excitement

measure- action

revenue- money that the government receives from tax

short-sighted- not considering the possible effects in the future of something that seems good now

shout about something- to speak about someone or something that is remarkable, noteworthy, or important

staggering- extremely great or surprising

take up- to start to do something

tax- to charge a tax on something

timid- not having courage or confidence

togetherness- the pleasant feeling you have when you are part of a group of people who have a close relationship with each other

utter- complete – used especially to emphasize that something is very bad, or that a feeling is very strong

virile- having or showing traditionally male qualities such as strength, courage, etc. – used to show approval

wishful thinking- when you believe that what you want to happen will happen, when in fact it is not possible

Collocations

a definite link between A and B

accuse someone of something

suffer from something

bad case of wishful thinking

be in good company

raise a subject

hear/see no evil

take measures (to do something)

appease someone’s conscience

puff your way to death

look far to see/find out/etc.

lukewarm reactions

reaction to something

to tax a commodity

a tax on something

point something out discreetly

it doesn’t do to shout too loudly about it

short-sighted policy

eagerly collect money

vast sums of money

enormous amounts of money

there’s no doubt that

drastic action

be concerned about

conduct campaigns

staggering sums of money

insidious advertising

cough up your lungs

that would (never) do

associate something with something else

utter nonsense

make efforts

inform someone of something

dire consequences

take up a habit

protect someone from something

Hidden in the Country

Level: B1

A car drew up outside the Swan Hotel and a young man got out. Pausing only for an instant to see that he had come to the right place, he went into the hotel and rang the bell on the counter of the bar.

Mrs Crump, the landlady, who was busy in the kitchen at the time, hurried out, wiping her hands. The young man raised his hat. ‘Excuse me,’  he said. ‘I’m looking for my uncle, Mr  White. I believe he is staying here.’

‘He was staying here,’ Mrs Crump corrected him. ‘But I’m afraid that he went back to London yesterday.’

‘Oh dear,’ said the young man, looking disappointed. I understood that he was going to stay here until the end of the month. At least, that is what his servant told me when I rang up his house.’

‘Quite right,’ said Mrs Crump.  ‘He intended to stay here the whole of July, as he always  does. But yesterday he got a letter to say that one of his relatives was ill. So he caught the train back to London immediately.’

‘I wish he had let me know,’ the young man said. ‘I wrote him a letter saying that I was coming. I’ve had all this trouble for nothing. Well, since he isn’t here, there is no point in waiting.’

He thanked Mrs Crump and went out. Mrs Crump went to the window and watched him drive off. When his car was out of sight, she called out: ‘You can come out now, Mr White. He’s gone.’

Mr White came out of the kitchen, where he had been waiting. ‘Many thanks, Mrs  Crump,’ he said, laughing. ‘You did that very well. These nephews of mine never give me any peace. That young man is the worst of them all. As you see, when he needs money, he even follows me into the country. Well, perhaps next time he won’t warn me by writing me a letter!’

Glossary

at least- used when you are correcting or changing something that you have just said

catch a train- to get on a train etc. in order to travel on it

counter- the place where you pay or are served in a shop, bank, restaurant, etc.

disappointed- unhappy because something you hoped for did not happen, or because someone or something was not as good as you expected

draw up- to arrive somewhere and stop

drive off- to leave in a car

hurry- to do something or go somewhere more quickly than usual

immediately- without delay; at once 

instant- a moment

intend- to have something in your mind as a plan or purpose

landlady- a woman who rents a room, building, or piece of lad to someone

nephew- the son of your brother or sister, or the son of your husband’s or wife’s brother or sister

out of sight- outside the area that you can see

pause- to stop speaking or doing something for a short time before starting again

point- reason

raise- to move or lift something to a higher position, place, or level

relative- a member of your family

ring up- to telephone someone

understand- to believe or think something is true because you have heard it or read it

warn- to tell someone that something bad or dangerous may happen

wipe- to rub a surface with something in order to remove dirt, liquid, etc.

Collocations

ring the bell

hurry out

wipe your hands

raise your hat

I’m afraid that

look disappointed

intend to do something

catch a train back to a place

have trouble

for nothing

not give someone any peace

Greek Prefixes 2

Level: C1

di- twice: dilemma
dia- through: diagonal, diameter
dys- badly: dyspepsia, dysentery
en - (em) in: encyclopaedia, emblem
epi- upon: epilogue, epitaph
eu- well: eulogy, euphony, eugenics
ex- (ec) out of: exodus, eccentric
hemi- half: hemisphere
homo- (hom) like: homogeneous, homonym

The Village Clock Tower

Level: B2

Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another, but he has never managed to get enough money to have the church clock repaired. The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since.

One night, however, our vicar work up with a start: the clock was striking the hours! Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o’clock, but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped. Armed with a torch, the vicar went up into the clock tower to see what was going on. In the torchlight, he caught sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as Bill Wilkins, our local grocer.

‘Whatever are you doing up here Bill?’ asked the vicar in surprise.

‘I’m trying to repair the bell,’ answered Bill. ‘I’ve been coming up here night after night for weeks now. You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.’

‘You certainly did give me a surprise!’ said the vicar. ‘You’ve probably woken up everyone in the village as well. Still, I’m glad the bell is working again.’

That’s the trouble, vicar,’ answered Bill. ‘It’s working all right, but I’m afraid that at one o’clock it will strike thirteen times and there’s nothing I can do about it.’

We’ll get used to that, Bill,’ said the vicar. ‘Thirteen is not as good as one, but it’s better than nothing. Now let’s go downstairs and have a cup of tea.’

Glossary

arm- to provide all the information, skills, or equipment you need to do something

catch sight of- to see someone or something

cause- an aim, belief, or organization that a group of people support or fight for

come up- to come to a particular place

damage- to cause physical harm to something or to part of someone’s body

get used to- to become familiar with something so that it no longer seems surprising, difficult, etc.

go on- to happen

grocer- someone who owns or works in a shop that sells food and other things used in the home

immediately- without delay; at once

local- relating to the particular area you live in, or in the area you are talking about

manage- to succeed in doing something, especially after trying hard

raise- to collect money that you can use to do a particular job or help people

recognize- to know who someone is or something is because you have seen, heard, experienced, or learned about them in the past

repair- to fix

start- a sudden movement of your body, usually caused by fear or surprise

strike- if a clock strikes the hours, its bell makes a sound according to what time it is

torch- a small electric lamp that you carry in your hand

vicar- a priest in the Church of England who is in charge of a church in a particular area

Collocations

raise money for a cause

manage to do something

have something repaired

a clock strides the hours

with a start

wake up with a start

a bell strikes

armed with something

in the torchlight

catch sight of someone or something

in surprise

give someone a surprise

get used to something or doing something