4. Listen to the conversation below. Mark the intonation and be prepared to comment on it. Practise reading the dialogue together with a partner.

“Granny, have I any cousins?”

“Yes, Benny, you have two.”

“Whose children are they? How old are they? Are they boys or girls?”

“Not so many questions at once, please, Benny! Your cousins are: a five-year-old boy, Georgie, and a four-year-old girl, May. They are your Aunt Emily’s children. They are in Canada now with their parents: your Aunt Emily, my daughter, and her husband, Mr. Thomas Brown.”

“In Canada? What’s Canada, Granny? Where is it?”

“Canada is a far away country. It is in the north of America.”

“In the north of America? Where is it? Is it as far as London?”

“Oh, no, Benny! It’s much farther.”

“But, Granny – “

“Come along, my dearest. It’s just the time for your midday milk.”

SECTION 2: SOUND REVISION

Exercise 1

Look at the pictures and listen. Read the sentences together with the tape. Pay attention to the ‘th’ sound.

Exercise 2

Listen to the dialogues. Practise reading them with a partner. Make sure your [ θ ] and [ ð ] sounds are correct.

Dialogue A

: Edith smith is only thirty.

: Is she? I thought she was thirty-three.

: Edith’s birthday was last Thursday.

: Was it? I thought it was last month.

: The Smiths’ house is worth thirty thousand pounds.

: Is it? I thought it was worth three thousand.

: Mr. Smith is the author of a book about moths.

: Is he? I thought he was a mathematician.

: I’m so thirsty.

: I thought you drank something at the Smiths’.

: No. Edith gave me nothing to drink.

: Shall I buy you a drink?

: Thank you.

Dialogue B

: Sally, have you got anything planned for Thursday?

: For Thursday, Simon?

: For Thursday the 13^th. It’s my birthday, you see.

: Simon! Your birthday! Thank heavens you said!

: Yes, I’m going to be thirty-three. I thought I’d throw a party or something to

celebrate.

: What a super idea!

: Do you think you’ll be free?

: For Thursday? Yes, I think so.

: Fine, so I’ll see you soon. It starts at six.

: Yes, thanks… oh, and Simon…

: Yes?

: So I’m so slow.

Exercise 3

Look at the pictures and listen. Practise saying the sentences paying attention to the sound [f].

Exercise 4

Listen and then practise saying the following sentences first very slowly, then faster. Pay attention to the correct articulation of the sounds [b] and [v].

a. Vincent brought Brenda a marvelous souvenir vase he’d bought in Venice.

b. Bob Viney, the village baker’s boy, loves betty Vole, the barmaid at “The Bull’.

c. Vera Bathory, the Viennese vampire, bathes every evening in buckets of blood.

d. A visiting burglar broke victor Barton’s marble bust of Voltaire into various bits.

e. Valentine Barlowe, the TV ventriloquist, lives in “Belleview’ – a vast brick villa built in 1812.

Exercise 5

Listen to the tape and practise saying the following headlines.

British Van Driver Banned from Costa Brava Bar

Bomb Victim Vivienne Gives Birth to Baby Boy

Brighton Vicar Leaves ‘Boring’ Wife for Blond Barmaid

Brave Bob Saves Baby Vicki from Blazing Bedroom