English Lesson 3

Friends and history

Friends, an interesting historic place, and learning about history.

How to practise
  1. Listen to an answer two times. Read the text while you listen.
  2. Shadow it. Set the speed to 0.75×. Play it again and speak at the same time as the voice.
  3. Turn on practice mode. The answers are hidden. Read each question and answer it out loud.
  4. Make it yours. Use the same phrases, but say true things about your city, your job and your life.
  5. Practise with a partner. One person reads the questions. The other answers without looking.
Speed

Part 1 · Interview

Friends

Short answers. About 20 to 30 seconds each. Answer, give a reason, add one detail.

Are your friends mostly your age or different ages? Why?

Most of my friends are the same age as me. That's because I met most of them at university, so naturally we're in the same age group. But I also have a few friends who are a bit older than me. I met them at work.

  • the same age as mea simple way to compare age
  • That's because…give the reason
  • naturallyhere it means "of course, as you can expect"
  • a few friendsa few = some. ("Few" without "a" means almost none.)

Do you usually see your friends during the week or at weekends? Why?

It depends. During the week, I'm usually busy with work, so I don't have much free time. That's why I mostly see my friends at weekends. We often go out for coffee or dinner on Friday evening.

  • It depends.a natural, short start
  • busy with workbusy with = have a lot to do with
  • That's why…show the result
  • go out for coffeemeans meet at a café

The last time you saw your friends, what did you do together?

A couple of days ago, I went to the cinema with two of my friends. We watched a new action movie. After that, we had dinner at a small restaurant and talked for hours. It was a really fun evening.

  • A couple of days agomeans about two days ago
  • After that, …tell what happened next
  • talked for hoursmeans talked for a long time
  • It was a really fun eveningfinish with how you felt

In what ways are your friends important to you?

They're very important to me. First, we have a lot in common, so I never get bored with them. Second, they always help me when I'm in trouble. And I can share everything with them, so they have a special place in my life.

  • we have a lot in commonmeans we like many of the same things
  • I never get boredbored = not interested, with nothing fun to do
  • when I'm in troublemeans when I have a problem
  • have a special place in my lifemeans are very important to me

Part 2 · Cue card

An interesting historic place

You get 1 minute to prepare and then speak for 1 to 2 minutes. Follow the four points on the card in order. You can change the place to one you know.

Candidate task card

Describe an interesting historic place.

You should say:

  • what it is
  • where it is located
  • what you can see there now
  • and explain why this place is interesting
Ready 1:00

Start

I'd like to talk about Persepolis. It's one of the most famous historic places in Iran, and I visited it a few years ago.

What it is

Persepolis was the capital of the ancient Persian Empire. It was built about two thousand five hundred years ago, by Darius the Great.

Where it is

It's located in the south of Iran, about an hour's drive from the city of Shiraz. It sits at the foot of a mountain.

What you can see now

Today, you can see the ruins of the old palaces. There are tall stone columns and a huge gate. My favourite part was the stone carvings. They show people from many different nations, bringing gifts to the king.

Why it's interesting

I think it's interesting because it shows how advanced people were a long time ago. They built all of this without any modern machines. When I walked there, I felt as if I had travelled back in time. I'd love to go there again one day.

  • one of the most famous…a strong way to introduce a place
  • It was built about … years agotalk about the age of a place
  • It's located in…means it is in…
  • the ruinsthe parts of old buildings that are still standing
  • My favourite part was…give one personal detail
  • I felt as if I had travelled back in timemeans it felt like I was in the past

Part 3 · Discussion

Historic places and learning history

Longer answers. About 30 to 45 seconds. Give your opinion, explain why, and give an example.

How do people in your country feel about protecting historic buildings?

Most people think it's very important. Historic buildings are part of our heritage, and we're proud of them. For example, a few years ago, the city wanted to knock down an old building to build a hospital. But people protested, and in the end, the hospital was built somewhere else.

  • Most people think it's very importantgive the general opinion first
  • our heritagethe history and culture we get from the past
  • knock downmeans destroy a building
  • in the end, …means finally, after some time

Do you think an area can benefit from having an interesting historic place locally? In what way?

Yes, definitely. A famous historic place brings a lot of tourists. This creates jobs for local people, for example in hotels, restaurants and shops. Also, the government often invests more in the area, so roads and services get better. And people feel proud of their hometown.

  • benefit frommeans get something good from
  • This creates jobs for…talk about a result
  • for example in…give examples in a list
  • feel proud ofproud = happy because something is good and it's yours

What do you think will happen to historic places or buildings in the future? Why?

I think the famous ones will be fine. The government will protect them, because they're important for tourism and national pride. However, I'm worried about the less famous buildings. Cities are growing fast, so some of them might be knocked down to make space for new apartments.

  • will be finemeans nothing bad will happen to them
  • However, …show the other side
  • I'm worried about…a simple way to show concern
  • to make space for…means to have room for something new

How were you taught history when you were at school?

We mostly learned history from textbooks. Some of my teachers were really good at telling stories, so their classes were interesting. Sometimes, the school also took us on day trips to museums and historic places. I think those trips were the best way to learn.

  • We mostly learned … from…describe how you studied
  • were really good at telling storiesgood at + -ing form
  • took us on day tripsa day trip = a short trip that ends the same day
  • the best way to learngive your opinion

Are there other ways people can learn about history, apart from at school? How?

Yes, there are many ways. You can read history books, or watch documentaries on TV or YouTube. Travelling is another great way. When you visit an old city or a museum, you can see history with your own eyes. I think that's much more memorable than reading about it.

  • apart frommeans other than
  • documentariesfilms about real facts and events
  • … is another great wayadd one more idea
  • with your own eyesmeans you see it yourself
  • memorableeasy to remember

Do you think history will still be a school subject in the future? Why?

Yes, I'm sure it will. History teaches us about our past and our ancestors. It also helps us understand the world we live in today. As people often say, we can't build a good future if we don't know our past. So I think schools will always teach it.

  • I'm sure it willa short, confident answer
  • our ancestorsthe people in our family who lived long ago
  • the world we live in todaya useful phrase for many topics
  • As people often say, …use it before a well-known idea

Audio: Microsoft neural voices. A British voice reads the examiner's questions, and an American voice reads the model answers.