PART 1 - Fill in: express, mop, do, keep, cut, reduce. I have to …………………….. the floor today. You should …………………….. back on the amount of money you spend on clothes. My sister and I always …………………….. the washing-up after dinner. Lots of teens try to …………………….. themselves through the kinds of fashions they wear. My dad wants to …………………….. expenses by cutting my allowance! I find it hard to …………………….. track of my spending if I don’t have a budget. PART 2 - Complete the dialogue with: • OK, you’re in luck. • It’s a present for my sister. • Please enter your PIN number. • Is it still in stock? A: Good afternoon. May I help you? B: Oh, yes. I like that green jacket that’s in the window. 7) ... A: Yes, it is. But we only have a few left. Is it for you? B: No. 8) ... A: I see. Do you know what size she takes? B: Of course. She’s a size 12. A: 9) ... We still have one left in size 12. B: Great! I’ll take it. I’ll pay by credit card. A: That’ll be £29.99, please. 10) ... B: OK. Here you go. A: Here’s your card and receipt. Thank you for shopping with us. B: Thanks. Goodbye
When was the last time you read a book, or a substantial magazine article? Do your daily reading habits center around tweets, Facebook updates, or the directions on your instant oatmeal packet? If you’re one of countless people who don’t make a habit of reading regularly, you might be missing out: reading has a significant number of benefits, and just a few benefits of reading are listed below.
1. Mental StimulationStudies have shown that staying mentally stimulated can slow the progress of (or possibly even prevent) Alzheimer’s and Dementia, since keeping your brain active and engaged prevents it from losing power. Just like any other muscle in the body, the brain requires exercise to keep it strong and healthy, so the phrase “use it or lose it” is particularly apt when it comes to your mind. Doing puzzles and playing games such as chess have also been found to be helpful with cognitive stimulation.
2. Stress ReductionNo matter how much stress you have at work, in your personal relationships, or countless other issues faced in daily life, it all just slips away when you lose yourself in a great story. A well-written novel can transport you to other realms, while an engaging article will distract you and keep you in the present moment, letting tensions drain away and allowing you to relax.
3. KnowledgeEverything you read fills your head with new bits of information, and you never know when it might come in handy. The more knowledge you have, the better-equipped you are to tackle any challenge you’ll ever face.
Additionally, here’s a bit of food for thought: should you ever find yourself in dire circumstances, remember that although you might lose everything else—your job, your possessions, your money, even your health—knowledge can never be taken from you.
4. Vocabulary ExpansionThis goes with the above topic: the more you read, the more words you gain exposure to, and they’ll inevitably make their way into your everyday vocabulary. Being articulate and well-spoken is of great help in any profession, and knowing that you can speak to higher-ups with self-confidence can be an enormous boost to your self-esteem. It could even aid in your career, as those who are well-read, well-spoken, and knowledgeable on a variety of topics tend to get promotions more quickly (and more often) than those with smaller vocabularies and lack of awareness of literature, scientific breakthroughs, and global events.
Reading books is also vital for learning new languages, as non-native speakers gain exposure to words used in context, which will ameliorate their own speaking and writing fluency.