English Lesson 48
Emails and photographs
Emails and phone calls, your favourite photograph, and how photography is changing.
How to practise
- Listen to an answer two times. Read the text while you listen.
- Shadow it. Set the speed to 0.75×. Play it again and speak at the same time as the voice.
- Turn on practice mode. The answers are hidden. Read each question and answer it out loud.
- Make it yours. Use the same phrases, but say true things about your city, your job and your life.
- Practise with a partner. One person reads the questions. The other answers without looking.
Part 1 · Interview
Emails
Short answers. About 20 to 30 seconds each. Answer, give a reason, add one detail.
Do you like writing emails?
Not really. I find writing emails a bit boring, especially formal ones. I need to be careful about the tone and the grammar. I prefer short messages or talking face to face, because it's quicker.
- Not really.a soft no
- formal onesofficial emails
- the tonethe feeling of the words, e.g. polite or angry
- face to facein person
What types of emails do you receive at work?
Mostly emails from my manager about tasks and deadlines. I also get emails from clients with questions or problems. And every day, there are newsletters and adverts, which I usually delete without reading.
- deadlinesthe times when work must be finished
- newslettersregular emails with news from a company
- delete without readingremove without opening
Is it better to communicate by email or by phone? Why?
It depends on the situation. Email is better for important information, because you have a written record. But for urgent or complicated problems, a phone call is better. You can explain things quickly, and there are fewer misunderstandings.
- It depends on the situationthe answer changes
- a written recorda text you can check later
- urgentneeding quick action
- misunderstandingstimes when people understand wrongly
Do you work or study?
I work as a customer service manager in an online shop. My team answers customers' questions by email, chat and phone. So I spend a large part of my day reading and writing messages.
- customer servicethe team that helps customers
- answers customers' questionsreplies to customers
- a large part of my daymost of my day
Part 2 · Cue card
Your favourite photograph
You get 1 minute to prepare and then speak for 1 to 2 minutes. Follow the four points on the card in order.
Candidate task card
Describe your favourite photograph.
You should say:
- what is in the photograph
- who took it and why
- when it was taken
- and explain why it is your favourite photograph
Start
I'd like to talk about an old black-and-white photo of my parents. It's on the shelf in our living room.
What is in it
In the photo, my parents are very young. They're sitting on a bench in a park, and my mother is laughing at something. My father is looking at her, not at the camera. It's a very natural photo.
Who took it and why
My father's best friend took it. He had a new camera, and he wanted to practise. He didn't tell them he was taking the photo, which is why they look so relaxed.
When it was taken
It was taken about thirty-five years ago, a few months before my parents got married. So they were engaged at the time.
Why it is your favourite
It's my favourite because it shows how much my parents loved each other, even before I was born. They're older now, and life has been difficult sometimes, but when I look at this photo, I see their love story. I hope my own relationship will be like theirs.
- an old black-and-white photoa photo without colour
- It's a very natural photonot posed, real
- he wanted to practisehe wanted to get better
- which is why they look so relaxedexplain the result
- engagedplanning to marry
- their love storythe story of their love
Part 3 · Discussion
Photography
Longer answers. About 30 to 45 seconds. Give your opinion, explain why, and give an example.
Is it better to have a postcard or a photo of a place you have visited? Why?
I prefer my own photo. A postcard is beautiful, but it's the same for everyone. My photo shows my own experience, maybe with my friends in it. When I look at it, I remember the day, the weather and the feeling.
- I prefer my own photoa clear opinion
- it's the same for everyoneit isn't personal
- my own experiencewhat I saw and felt
Is it good to take pictures of historic buildings? Why?
Yes, I think it's very good. Photos help us remember these buildings, and they show other people their beauty. They're also useful for history. If an old building is damaged, photos can help experts repair it correctly.
- show other people their beautylet others see how beautiful they are
- damagedbroken or hurt
- repair it correctlyfix it in the right way
Is it necessary to show photos of places when advertising tourism? Why?
Yes, definitely. People decide where to travel mostly with their eyes. One beautiful photo can make someone want to visit a place more than a long text. But the photos should be honest, not edited too much, or tourists will be disappointed.
- with their eyesby what they see
- more than a long textbetter than many words
- edited too muchchanged too much on a computer
- disappointedsad because it's not as good as expected
Is having a collection of photo albums useful in any way? How?
Yes, it is. Photo albums keep our family history. Children can see what their grandparents looked like and how life was in the past. Also, digital photos can be lost if a phone breaks, but printed albums stay safe for many years.
- keep our family historysave the story of our family
- what their grandparents looked likethe appearance of grandparents
- printed albumsalbums with photos on paper
How has the way we take photos changed? What changes do you predict?
In the past, people used film cameras, and each photo cost money, so they took only a few. Now, we take hundreds of photos with our phones. In the future, I think cameras will be even smarter. Maybe glasses with cameras will become common.
- film camerasold cameras that used film
- each photo cost moneyevery picture was expensive
- even smartermore intelligent than now
- will become commonwill be used by many people
What are the advantages and disadvantages of digital photos?
The main advantage is that they're free and easy to share. You can see the photo immediately and delete bad ones. The disadvantage is that we take too many, so we rarely look at them again. Also, digital photos can be lost if we don't back them up.
- easy to sharesimple to send to others
- delete bad onesremove the bad photos
- we rarely look at them againalmost never look
- back them upsave a copy somewhere safe
Audio: Microsoft neural voices. A British voice reads the examiner's questions, and an American voice reads the model answers.