| 1 |
certainly not one married candidate. |
| 2 |
a service insider told me that there's an exceptionally high divorce rate in the spy business with a lot of agents marrying their secretaries - the only person they can confide in and trust. |
| 3 |
i had to get right underneath and it was difficult to fix it on securely. |
| 4 |
i'm a location manager for a tv company and we need a place to film. |
| 5 |
i'm going on safari and i'll be back in two months. |
| 6 |
it's just another thing that girls do better than boys. |
| 7 |
i used to work at a men's clothing store in soho - that's how i got this job. |
| 8 |
i decided to do this because i hate it when people forget my name, like at schools the teachers who don't know your name. |
| 9 |
they don't give you so much attention. |
| 10 |
so anyway, i looked on some websites to find out the best way to do it. |
| 11 |
apparently there are two important things: first is that when you're introduced you really pay attention and look at the person and try to find a way to remember the name. |
| 12 |
for example, i recently met a woman called keira and she had curly hair. |
| 13 |
so keira, curly, sounds similar, you see what i mean. that was easy. |
| 14 |
then, secondly, you need to repeat the name as often as possible, say it to yourself several times and use it when you're talking to the person. |
| 15 |
you just have to be careful that you don't sound really strange. |
| 16 |
anyway, the result's been good. |
| 17 |
somehow people seem friendlier and i feel a lot more confident about chatting to people. |
| 18 |
the only problem is someone told me it made people uncomfortable because they couldn't remember my name. |
| 19 |
it was quite difficult at first. |
| 20 |
i mean you actually have to stop people trying to give you one. |
| 21 |
i didn't realise before i started how many are given out all the time. |
| 22 |
i thought this was a good thing to do because apparently it can take up to a thousand years for one to decay and about thirteen billion are given out each year in the uk alone. |
| 23 |
and it's not only the pollution but animals and fish can get caught in them. |
| 24 |
anyway, i invested in two shopping bags and i've been using them for the past three months. |
| 25 |
the only problem is i keep forgetting to take them out of the house or i leave them in the car, which is very annoying. |
| 26 |
my solution has been to get one of those fold-up bags that you can carry in your pocket or bag. |
| 27 |
i've got all my friends to do the same and now our local shops are going to become a plastic-bag-free zone. |
| 28 |
at least that will make me remember to take a bag. |
| 29 |
i thought this was a good one to try because everyone always looks so bored or miserable, especially on public transport. |
| 30 |
so the next time i was sitting on a train and someone sat opposite me i looke up and gave them a big smile. |
| 31 |
they looked a bit surprised but smiled back at me, then buried buried their face in the newspaper. |
| 32 |
i got the impression they were a bit embarrassed. |
| 33 |
anyway, i continued and kept smiling at all sorts of people during the day. |
| 34 |
to be hones, i got a mixed reaction, but the kids and older people seemed the friendliest. |
| 35 |
oh and i found out later that one woman in the office thought i was flirting with her. |
| 36 |
i decided two combine two of the ideas. |
| 37 |
i've always been hopeless at telling jokes. |
| 38 |
i'm sure it's not because i don't have a sense of humor. |
| 39 |
it's sth about the timing. |
| 40 |
and i know that jokes are great for building relationships and good for me personally as i often have to give business presentations. |
| 41 |
and a funny story really helps build rapport with the audience. |
| 42 |
one of the best things about doing this was that i asked all my friends to tell me their favourite jokes. |
| 43 |
and we had lots of laugh-out-loud times together. |
| 44 |
and i'm getting better, though i did have one very embarrassing moment at work when i told my joke to my boss. |
| 45 |
and he just stared at me like i was an idiot. |
| 46 |
you want to hear a joke? sth short? |
| 47 |
what do cows do on saturday night? they rent movies. |
| 48 |
which company is he working for now? do you know which company he's working for now? |
| 49 |
how long did it take you to make their wedding cake? can i ask how long it took you to make their wedding cake? |
| 50 |
have you ever flown in a helicopter before? i was wondering if you'd ever flown in a helicopter before. |
| 51 |
who gave you that beautiful necklace? do you mind me asking who gave you that beautiful neckalce? |
| 52 |
what time does the film start on screen one? could you tell me what time the film starts on screen one? |
| 53 |
how much did you have to pay for your car? i'd be interested to know how much you had to pay for your car. |
| 54 |
i haven't seen any interesting wildlife documentaries on television recently, have you? |
| 55 |
he's studied more so far this fortnight than he's done all year. i wonder what's brought on this sudden change? |
| 56 |
although she's always loved reading, she only started trying to write her first novel last month. |
| 57 |
he worked as a shop assistant for five years before he became a manager. |
| 58 |
can you believe that i've taken my driving test five times so far and still haven't passed it? |
| 59 |
she's never been one for sorting things out around the house and up to now, hasn't even learnt how to change a lightbulb. |
| 60 |
it's better not to talk to eddie when he gets up until he's had at least one cup of coffee. |
| 61 |
you know he's not much of a morning person. |
| 62 |
she's not shy but she likes to keep herself to herself and spends a lot of her free time doing her own thing. |
| 63 |
richard's such a people person that i'm sure he'll make a wonderful teacher and maybe in the future, even a head teacher. |
| 64 |
we always have great fun when we go out with philip and sheila. |
| 65 |
they're both such a good laugh. |
| 66 |
what i love about christopher is that he's so very sensible and down-to-earth. |
| 67 |
no one was surprised when mel said she was going to start her own software company. |
| 68 |
she's always been such a computer geek. |
| 69 |
the pressure of the exams had been really intense and after finishing the final one, i was so relieved that i started crying. |
| 70 |
when the comedian asked me to come up onto the stage, i truly wished the earth would swallow me up. i had never felt so embarrassed in my life. |
| 71 |
when i heard i'd won the writing competition, i was completely over the moon with happiness. |
| 72 |
i decided not to go to the party as i knew it would be awkward seeing jim, my ex-boyfriend. |
| 73 |
although i was scared out of my wits, i knew i had to make it to the top of the mountain. |
| 74 |
although i was really nervous and was shaking like a leaf, my first jump from the diving board into the pool went well. |
| 75 |
i do my homework ~ my homework is done. |
| 76 |
i'm doing my homework ~ my homework is being done. |
| 77 |
i did my homework ~ my homework was done. |
| 78 |
i was doing my homework ~ my homework was being done. |
| 79 |
i have done my homework ~ my homework has been done. |
| 80 |
i had done my homework ~ my homework had been done. |
| 81 |
i will do my homework ~ my homework will be done. |
| 82 |
i'm going to do my homework ~ my homework is going to be done. |
| 83 |
i must do my homework ~ my homework must be done. |
| 84 |
i should have done my homework ~ my homework should have been done. |
| 85 |
all gondolas in venice, italy must be painted black unless they belong to a high official. |
| 86 |
the modern frisbee was invented by the frisbie pie company in 1946 when their pie tins were thrown around by employees during breaks. |
| 87 |
over the centuries, korea has been invaded more time than any other country in the world. |
| 88 |
the white surface of the taj mahal is gradually being damaged by pollution and is turning yellow. |
| 89 |
british guidebooks in the nineteenth century advised women to put pins in their mouths to avoid being kissed in the dark when trains went through tunnels. |
| 90 |
you are more likely to be killed by a champagne cork than a poisonous spider, but most people are more afraid of spiders. |
| 91 |
kangaroos can be found in the wild in only two countries: australia and new zealand. |
| 92 |
when christopher columbus discovered america in 1942, the continent had already been explored by the vikings from norway over three centuries earlier. |
| 93 |
currently hundreds of trainee medical students are being taught through the online virtual world second life. |
| 94 |
once a day students are sent to locations in the online world to treat computer-generated patients. |
| 95 |
when they are there, virtual equipment can be used to check the patients at the scene and then the trainees can decide on the best course of action. |
| 96 |
the training tool has been a great success so far and from next year it will be used at a number of medical schools around the world. |
| 97 |
pollution is an ever-growing problem in our cities, but in the near future a new system will allow traffic managers to identify pollution hotspots. |
| 98 |
it will be possible to alter the movements of cars through the city by changing the traffic light sequencing to direct cars away from problem areas. |
| 99 |
a computer will have also sent commuters warning text alerts on their mobile phones so they can decide how to avoid hotspots. |
| 100 |
the new pollution monitoring system was tested successfully for the first time at a trial last month and could be introduced as soon as next year. |
| 101 |
my cat's being operated on this afternoon. |
| 102 |
he'll be caught sooner or later. |
| 103 |
they don't mind being woken up in the middle of the night. |
| 104 |
is is said that the early bird catches the warm. |
| 105 |
i've been asked to give a speech to the whole school. |
| 106 |
she's expected to be by her desk at 9 a.m. every day. |
| 107 |
employee's emails are sometimes monitored by their supervisor. |
| 108 |
someone could get hurt if you don't take care. |
| 109 |
it is believed that nobody has survived the crash. |
| 110 |
kim was badly burnt in the fire. |
| 111 |
google street view has been used to help find a kidnapped child in rural georgia. |
| 112 |
ten-year-old maria nadal, from atlanta, georgia, was found safely at a motel on tuesday. |
| 113 |
she was discovered by police officer ned beales and deputy fire chief louis thomas. |
| 114 |
they put the coordinates from maria's mobile phone into google street view and were able to identify one of the buildings as a motel. |
| 115 |
a woman has been arrested. |
| 116 |
she's believed to be maria's grandmother, and family friends said that the woman had complained about being separated from the little girl. |
| 117 |
legal experts say she might be given a warning and a fine rather than go to prison because she's a family member. |
| 118 |
in what circumstances would you write a letter of complaint? |
| 119 |
have you ever done this? what happened? |
| 120 |
la grande travel agency| 1422 la grande avenue| hartwood, 03735. |
| 121 |
to whom it may concern. |
| 122 |
i am writing with regard to the misuse of a personal photograph of myself and two of my friends on your website. |
| 123 |
the photograph in question is one i posted on my personal blog several months ago. |
| 124 |
and it involves my friends and i celebrating the end of the examination period at university. |
| 125 |
several days ago, i was shocked to discover that my photo had been used in an online advertisement for your study abroad programme. |
| 126 |
this is both unfair and illegal, as you have been using the photograph without my permission. |
| 127 |
and as you are advertising a product with it, you are in fact using it for personal gain. |
| 128 |
i have taken up this matter with a lawyer, who has advised me to contact you in writing. |
| 129 |
she has also indicated what further steps might be taken should you fail to respond promptly and appropriately. |
| 130 |
to resolve this matter, i request that you remove the photograph without delay. |
| 131 |
in addition, i ask that you issue a statement of your policy regarding use of images that aren't your property. |
| 132 |
please contact me within one week of the date of this letter to confirm that these steps have been taken. |
| 133 |
if you need to reach me by telephone, my number is (0141) 985-001. |
| 134 |
thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. |
| 135 |
yours faithfully| charlene jones| chalrene jones (Ms). |
| 136 |
might be taken, have been taken -- in both cases the passive is used to sound very formal and even legalistic. the tone is more distant and impersonal than using the active (we might take, you have taken these steps). |
| 137 |
has advised, has (also) indicated -- in both cases keeping the focus on the lawyer and what she has done. |
| 138 |
the message is "i've got a lawyer behind me!; should you fail, you remove, you issue, contact me, you need -- the tone is more immediate, less distant and therefore more threatening and personal, keeping the emphasis on you. |
| 139 |
research done at a high school in italy showed that teenagers who played violent video games were not only more aggressive than those who didn't, but also cheated eight times more and ate three times as much chocolate. |
| 140 |
one study showed that nearly 100 percent of those who get cosmetic surgery reported an increase in self-esteem. |
| 141 |
and there was a 30 percent decrease in the use of anti-depressants. |
| 142 |
this is theft and thieves can be punished. |
| 143 |
in 2012, an american man was fined $1.5 million for downloading and sharing films. |
| 144 |
and several people have been fined large amounts for downloading and sharing music. |
| 145 |
which extracts are for and which are against the topics? |
| 146 |
can you think of any other reasons for and against each idea? |
| 147 |
what is your opinion about each idea? |
| 148 |
i'm in favour of the idea of compulsory school uniforms. |
| 149 |
well, personally i think with uniforms everyone's the same, rich or poor. |
| 150 |
i see your point, but they can be very expensive - especially as children get bigger. |
| 151 |
i'm not so sure. kid's clothes are expensive anyway. |
| 152 |
fair enough, but having uniforms stops children expressing their personality. |
| 153 |
i agree to a certain extent, but i do think uniforms provide a sense of belonging. |
| 154 |
i suppose so. but actually i don't think kids really feel any less lonely just because they have a uniform on. |
| 155 |
maybe not, but i'm still not convinced. |
| 156 |
are you? i'm really against it. |
| 157 |
do you think it's a good idea to do homework? |
| 158 |
do you think you get enough homework? |
| 159 |
have you seen this? there's a new law about computer games. |
| 160 |
they want to limit the kind of violent things that can happen in the games so kid's don't see so much. |
| 161 |
really? well, that makes sense. i do think that the violence in those games can make kids more aggressive. |
| 162 |
well, according to one article i read, kids are less aggressive if they play these games. |
| 163 |
how could that be true? |
| 164 |
apparently the games give them a chance to use up some of their energy. |
| 165 |
so they're calmer in real life. |
| 166 |
that's hard to believe. |
| 167 |
in my experience, playing those games makes kids more aggressive. |
| 168 |
so i'm in favour of some kind of control. |
| 169 |
hmmm.. i don't know.. i agree to a certain extent but i think kids can separate real life from computer games. |
| 170 |
i mean, i don't like computer games and i hate violence, but actually i think it's more of a problem to put these limits on. |
| 171 |
i think we'll have to agree to disagree. i suppose so. |
| 172 |
do you ever download music for free? |
| 173 |
you mean illegally? no, i'm probably one of the few people that doesn't do it. |
| 174 |
i've always paid for downloads. |
| 175 |
why? i mean nobody i know pays. |
| 176 |
exactly! and it's just theft, isn't it? i mean.. |
| 177 |
i mean, artists have copyrights on their songs, so you're stealing from them. it's a simple as that. |
| 178 |
but as far as i know musicians these days get very little money from cd sales or downloads anyway. |
| 179 |
so they don't lose out. |
| 180 |
i mean, they want people to hear their music. |
| 181 |
hmm. i'm not so sure about that. |
| 182 |
if people share the music without paying, how can musicians make any money? |
| 183 |
well, the famous ones, they don't need more money and for newer groups, file-sharing is the way they get known. |
| 184 |
so they don't have to spend a fortune. |
| 185 |
you know, on things like record companies and managers and.. |
| 186 |
anyway, nowadays singers and groups make most of their money from concerts. |
| 187 |
hmm. i'm still not convinced. |
| 188 |
aren't you worried about being found out? |
| 189 |
for instance, what about that man in the usa? did you hear about that? |
| 190 |
apparently, he got fined about one and a half million dollars for downloading and sharing films. |
| 191 |
one and a half million dollars? ouch! |
| 192 |
yeah, so maybe you'd better think again. hmm. good point. |
| 193 |
do you think you would ever have cosmetic surgery? |
| 194 |
me? no, i don't think so. i'm really against it actually. |
| 195 |
really? why? |
| 196 |
well, basically i think it can be quite dangerous - some of the implants you can have, um. |
| 197 |
yeah, i see what you mean. |
| 198 |
like, like mike's girlfriend - she actually had some Botox injections in her forehead. |
| 199 |
did she? yeah, and she couldn't, you know, she couldn't. |
| 200 |
couldn't move her fave? |
| 201 |
yeah, she couldn't smile or frown - her face was just frozen solid. |
| 202 |
fair enough, but if someone's very depressed. |
| 203 |
because of the way they look maybe then they should have some kind of surgery, you know, to help their self-esteem. |
| 204 |
i think there are other ways to help. |
| 205 |
and what about if they have a serious health problem? |
| 206 |
such as maybe they're extremely overweight. |
| 207 |
for health reasons maybe, yes, i mean, i see your point, but i still don't like the sound of it. |
| 208 |
personally, i think it's too much of a risk. |
| 209 |
i wouldn't do it myself. |
| 210 |
i might, if it was to do with my health. |
| 211 |
do you think students should be allowed to use their phones in the class? |
| 212 |
yeah, i'm in favour of that. |
| 213 |
the way i see it is students should be more motivated if they could use phones, maybe to make short movies or things like that. |
| 214 |
mm, i'm not so sure, you know how kids are. |
| 215 |
it seems to me that they'd just start texting each other whenever they were bored. |
| 216 |
mm, well, i agree to a certain extent. |
| 217 |
they would certainly need very strict rules, you know, about turning them on and off. |
| 218 |
but phones could be useful for things like practising languages or setting homework reminders. |
| 219 |
yes, i suppose so, but what about bullying, you know, kids sending each other nasty messages? |
| 220 |
or phones could be a target for thieves. |
| 221 |
fair enough, but either of those things could happen after school. |
| 222 |
hmmm, i see your point, but i'm still not convinced. |
| 223 |
i think on balance it's better to keep them out of classes. |
| 224 |
i disagree. i think we should encourage them. |
| 225 |
i'm in favour of banning smoking in public places. |
| 226 |
actually, i think people should be free to choose. |
| 227 |
fair enough, but what about the rights of other people? |
| 228 |
pesonally, i think the freedom to choose is more important. |
| 229 |
i see your point but passive smoking can be very bad for you. |
| 230 |
i suppose so, but banning smoking in all places is too much. |
| 231 |
what do you think about banning cars in the city centre? |
| 232 |
i'm against it. basically, i think it's bad for business. and you? |
| 233 |
i'm not so sure. i agree to a certain extent, but i do think it's better for the environment. |
| 234 |
good point. and people could use public transport more. it makes sense. exactly. |
| 235 |
according to this article, teachers shouldn't give kids homework because kids learn better without it. |
| 236 |
yes, but homework is beneficial in a lot of ways, for instance for memorising content/for memorising content for instance. |
| 237 |
it says here that homework robs kids of the time to do other important things, such as spending time with their families. |
| 238 |
well, apparently homework is essential for developing discipline and time-management skills. |
| 239 |
well, this article says the exact opposite. |
| 240 |
you shouldn't believe everything you read like in magazines like that. |
| 241 |
i suppose not. as far as i know, teachers are given less homework these days, and i like that. |
| 242 |
i find it deeply disturbing that children are forced to work in factories. |
| 243 |
it's completely unethical for a company to profit by paying workers less than a living wage. |
| 244 |
it seems reasonable to steal food if you're poor and hungry. otherwise you would die. |
| 245 |
it is irresponsible when people leave newspapers on the train. |
| 246 |
it's rubbish that someone else has to pick up. |
| 247 |
university education has become too expensive - i think it should be free for all. it's totally outrageous. |
| 248 |
eating or drinking on public transport is illegal and people who get caught have to pay a fine. |
| 249 |
the latest research has found that profiles on social networking sites are accurate descriptions of people's personalities ~ according to the latest research, profiles on social networking sites are accurate descriptions of people's personalities. |
| 250 |
kids still enjoy dolls, electric train sets and lego ~ toys like dolls, electric train sets and lego are still enjoyed by kids. |
| 251 |
japan is one of many countries where fish is an important part of the diet ~ in many countries, for instance japan, fish is an important part of the diet. |
| 252 |
people are said to be attracted to partners who look like them ~ apparently, people are attracted to partners who look like them. |
| 253 |
there is no evidence that coffee increases long-term memory ~ as far as i know, there is no evidence that coffee increases long-term memory. |
| 254 |
media studies, sports studies and dance are examples of "soft" subjects and are no longer being offered in some colleges ~ soft subjects such as media studies, sports studies and dance are no longer being offered in some colleges. |
| 255 |
what are the drink drive laws in your country? |
| 256 |
zero tolerance. it's illegal to drive if you've drunk any alcohol at all. |
| 257 |
it seems like a reasonable law to me. |
| 258 |
models shouldn't wear fur. it's unethical to kill animals just for fashion. |
| 259 |
i'd go along with you there, but what about in really cold places? |
| 260 |
i think it's possible that one day everyone will have a microchip under their skin from birth. |
| 261 |
really? i find the whole idea deeply disturbing. |
| 262 |
jan's gone too far this time. his idea at the meeting was outrageous! |
| 263 |
i agree. i thought it was silly and irresponsible. i entirely agree. |
| 264 |
a husband and wife should have clearly defined roles in terms of who does what. |
| 265 |
i would say i have traditional values regarding these roles. |
| 266 |
i would prefer my partner to take care of the children so that i can develop my career. |
| 267 |
if i were the opposite gender, i would still answer question 3 in the same way. |
| 268 |
what is the "quiet revolution" that is taking place? |
| 269 |
what reasons can you think of for this change? |
| 270 |
list at least three ideas. |
| 271 |
traditionally it has always been women who do part-time jobs when a family needs one parent at home, while the man's career has always come first. |
| 272 |
but more recently it's men, not women, who are scaling down their work time. |
| 273 |
with over a million british men now working part-time, a quiet revolution is taking place. |
| 274 |
bbc reporter emma simpson meets three of these men to find out more about this trend. |
| 275 |
meet three men, with three different personal stories on why they pushed to work part-time. |
| 276 |
rob sinclair is an accountant from Sutton Coldfiled. |
| 277 |
with two young boys he and his wife realised sth had to give. |
| 278 |
just proving to be a big challenge for us to keep both our careers progressing as they had been, whilst also making sure we didn't disrupt the home life, and make sure we actually spend time with they boys. |
| 279 |
sound familiar? but it was Rob who cut his hours. |
| 280 |
it seemed to make sense for me to take the lead in moving down to working part-time. |
| 281 |
more time with the boys, let my wife concentrate on her corporate career, and let me do some more time with my writing as well. |
| 282 |
he has to make do with less money, but for Rob life's now on a more even keel. |
| 283 |
that's what richard steele had in mind when he went part-time. |
| 284 |
i'd been working very hard for ten years. |
| 285 |
there was never a time to stop. |
| 286 |
the emails, with Blackberries, and then tablets and mobile phones meant that there was not sort of barrier to when work finished. |
| 287 |
but this pace of life has changed. |
| 288 |
richard now works for a food business in kent, with Fridays off. |
| 289 |
it's a sort of transition really, from a very busy week to recharging and having time for me. |
| 290 |
and to build up again so that i can spend quality time with the family at the weekend. |
| 291 |
rob and richard are part of what feels like a quiet revolution. |
| 292 |
it's women of course who do the vast majority of part-time work. |
| 293 |
but more and more men are now choosing to do less than a full week. |
| 294 |
there are nearly a million of them, a figure that's almost trebled in the last twenty years. |
| 295 |
but most of this growth is down to older men, like bernard brody. |
| 296 |
he could have retired two years ago and put his feet up, instead he's choosing to stay busy. |
| 297 |
why are you working part-time at the age of 67? |
| 298 |
i can't sit around doing nothing. |
| 299 |
and he doesn't intend stopping any time soon. |
| 300 |
how to find the right-work life balance in today's demanding world. |
| 301 |
it's never easy but these men are breaking the mould. |
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