unit 2 Likes and dislikes
Do you like OPera?
No,I HATE it.I find it REALLY BORing.WHY do yiu ASK?
Oh,I'm THINking of GOing to SEE SOMEthing at the Opera House
and I'm TRYing to FIND SOMEone to GO with.
NO,SORry.I just THINK OPeras go ON TOO LONG.
I CAN'T sit still for FOUR hours.
Never MIND.I'll TRY someone else.
Have you asked MIRiam?I think SHE likes THAT kind of MUSic.
Oh,RIGHT.OK.MAYbe I'll ask HER.So what kind of music DO you like?
LOTS of things,really.JAZZ,POP,LAtin music.I LOVE TIto LOpez.
REAlly?I AHTE him.ALL his songs SOUND the SAME.
I like JAZZ,though.Do you like LOUis ARM strong?
YES,he's OK.I QUITE like SOME of his TUNES,but I preFER GAto Barbleri.
Oh,rlght.I've never heard of her.Who is she?
He's a man.He's an Argantinian musician.He's really good.
I'll lend you a CD if you like.
Yes,OK.Thanks.
3 Answering quesgtions
Professor Morris,from the University of Thameside,
has just written a book about friends and relations.
In it,he says that people in Britain today
believe that their friends are more important than their families.
He says,"These days,many people in Britain move away from their family
and home to look for work or the study.
If children and parents live in different cities,
families cannot help each other in the way they did in the past.
Grandparents can't babysit their grandchildren
and children can't look after their parents when they get old.
Brothers and sisters can't go out together or see each other much.
Personally,I don't think this is a bad thing.
We choose our friends in a way we can't choose our families.
With friends,we have a lot of things in common,
which we often don't have with our families.
Not everyone agrees with Professor Morris,
so we decided to ask a few people in the street
who their best friends are and why.
Katy(27)
My mum is a nice woman,but we're very different.
If I have a problem or if I really want to talk to someone,
I ring my friend Marian.
I've known her since I was at school.
We often go shopping together.
We spend the whole day going to different shops,trying things on.
We stop for coffee and lunch,and chat to each other about everything.
We get on really well.
Charlotte(34)
I'm a twin and I think my sister and I will always be best friends.
I see her a lot.We both love cooking-
really hot,spicy food like Indian curries and things like that-
so we often invite each other round for dinner.
Graham(48)
I don't believe what this guy Morris is saying!
I live with my mother and she is still the most important person for me.
We do lots of things together.
We both like the theatre,so we go a lot.
We like similar kinds of music.
We're both big fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber.
I can talk to her about anything.
Damien(22)
My best friend is James.We both really love Star Wars.
We actually met at a Star Wars club and we get on really well.
We watch the films together once or twice a moth
and go to conventions with other Star Wars fans.
We went to America together on holiday last year.
If I had a problem,I might talk to him.
It's never really happened.
Ron(37)
My best friend's my dog.
Dogs don't lie;they don't criticise you and they like going for a walk.
What more do you want from a friend?
Edna(67)
I'm not sure I would call my children my best friends.
professor Morris is probably right.
My best friend is my husband.
We've been married for over 30 years,
so I suppose we must get on quite well!
We met in Nigeria,
where we are both Christians and that's a very important thing we share.
Having said that,our best friends aren't religious at all.
Joyce and Zola used to be our neighbours.
That's how we became friends.
We just found we had a lot of other things in common.
They'd also lived in Africa,fox example.
We all love walking and I suppose we are all active in politics.
John(26)
I actually don't have very much in common with my best friend,Colin.
I've known him since I was six or seven.
When we left university,he joined the army and I became an art teacher.
He plays a lot of sport like football,
and he hates going to art galleries and places like that.
We're still friends because he's really funny,
and maybe just because we've known each other so long.
Also,I think we actually both love arguing about films and things in the news.
2 Pronunciation:stress
3 Listening
Hello,Tina,how's it going?
All right,not too bad.How are you?
Oh,OK.I've just had my speaking test.
Oh right,yes.I forgot about that.How did it go?
Don't ask!I think it went really badly.I didn't know what to say.
What is it you say?My mind went blind.
Ah,yes,you mean your mind went BLANK.
You see!I know nothing.I'm going to fail!
I'm sure it wasn't that bad.
No,it was terrible.I'm sure I failed.
Could I have a look at your paper and see what's on?
I think I'll go out and try to forget it.
Sure,go ahead.It's probably a good idea.
I like going out too much.
You mean you like going out a lot.I've TOLD you this before,Mario.
You only use'too'when you think it's a bad idea.
You mean I REALLY like it.
Yes,I know, but I think I go out too much.
I went clubbing last night.
I got home at four o'clock in the morning.
Yes,that wasn't a very good idea.
I'm not surprised you couldnt think this morning! Who did you go with?
Oh,I went on my own,but I went to a club and I know lots of people there.
I was nervous because of the exam.
I couldn't sleep.
I thought I'd go dancing to relax,but,as I said,I like it too much.
Anyway,what are you doing here?
Oh,I'm going shopping with my boyfriend,Hugh.
He's just gone to the toilet.He'll be back in a minute.
Right.Let me see.What clubs are there tonight?
Why don't you go to see a film or something? Take it easy.
Go to bed early for a change.
I don't really like movies.
You don't like going to the cinema!Why is that? Everybody likes it.
No,I prefer music,dancing.I just love it.
Oh well.Look,here's Hugh,this is Mario,one of my old students.Mario,Hugh.
But you're Dale,no?
Dale?I'm sorry,I think you've mistaken me for someone else.
No,it's Dale.We met before.In the club.
Sorry.Tina,are you ready to go?Yes,but...
Let's go then or the shops will close.Nice to meet you,Mario.
Sorry,I'm not who you think I am.
OK.Bye Mario.
Bye.I probably won't see you again.
I'm going back home on Tuesday.
Bye!...But I'm sure he told me his name was Dale!