We suggest you do the vocabulary activity below before you listen. Then listen to the episode and do the first task to check your understanding. Finally, practise some vocabulary and grammar.

　　Match the words and phrases in the boxes to their definitions.

　　1. grumpy

　　2. soap opera

　　3. degree

　　4. demolish

　　5. cheer up

　　6. compensation

　　Definitions:

　　a. Destroy (a building)

　　b. Payment for damages caused

　　c. Miserable and moody

　　d. A TV series with a continuing storyline

　　e. Make oneself – or somebody else – happy

　　f. A university qualification

　　Audio script

　　Olivia:  Hey! Good to see you again!

　　Sarah/Magda:  Hey!  You too!

　　Harry:  Hello Sarah, hi Magda....

　　Sarah:  How are you Olivia?  Harry!  Great to see you too...

　　Olivia:  Fine, fine thanks, all well.  Tony!?  Could we have some coffees over here please?

　　Tony:  Ok, ok...hold on...I’m rushed off my feet here...

　　Harry:  He’s always so miserable, so grumpy that guy....

　　Olivia:  He’s not really, it’s just his way...

　　Harry:  I’ll believe you then...his coffee’s always good!

　　Olivia:  So, how are you two getting on?

　　Magda:  Fine.  It’s great, we’ve got this really nice flat...

　　Sarah:  We moved into Harry’s old place...

　　Olivia:  Yeah, I remember. How’s it going?  No problems?  Still friends?  It’s not always easy sharing a flat...

　　Sarah/Magda:  No, no problems...

　　Sarah: …except she leaves the top off the toothpaste tube…

　　Magda: ...and she spends too much time watching soap operas on TV!

　　Sarah:  No, really, we’re getting along fine.

　　Magda:  The only problem is the rent...

　　Sarah:  It’s really expensive.

　　Magda:  I still need to find that proper job, and that depends on me getting the right degree results...

　　Olivia:  Yeah, I remember you telling me.  When will you find out?

　　Magda:  Next week.

　　Olivia:  Fingers crossed, then!

　　Magda:  Fingers what?

　　Olivia:  Crossed.  It’s what we say when we hope for something good to happen.

　　Magda:  Oh, ok...fingers crossed!

　　Olivia: Has anybody heard from Johnny?  Sarah?

　　Sarah:  Just because we’re both Chinese doesn’t mean we keep in touch all the time, you know!  There are a lot of people in China!  (laughs)

　　Olivia:  Of course...sorry...I just thought...

　　Sarah:  He was more of a friend of yours, wasn’t he Harry?

　　Harry: Yeah, we’re good mates.  I hear from him all the time.

　　Sarah:  How’s he doing?

　　Harry:  He’s still in Chongqing with his new job.  He says it’s really interesting, really exciting, but he misses us – and he wants to come back to London!

　　Magda:  Fingers crossed!

　　Sarah:  And how about you Harry? What are you up to?  Are you still job hunting?

　　Harry:  Yeah, that’s right.  I’m still looking for a new job.

　　Magda:  Any luck?

　　Harry:  I haven’t found anything yet, but I’ve got a few possibilities.  I really liked not working at first, I really enjoyed the free time, but now – well, I need the money, and also – well, I just get bored if I haven’t got something to do all the time.

　　Magda:  Where’s Fadi, Olivia?  I haven’t seen him for ages.

　　Olivia:  Why ask me?

　　Magda:  I thought you’d know...you know, you’re like, good friends, aren’t you?

　　Olivia:  Yes, that’s exactly what we are.  Good friends.  Nothing more.

　　Magda:  I wasn’t suggesting anything! (laughs)

　　Olivia:  I hope not!  Anyway, he’s away at the moment, gone to visit his family.  He’ll be back next week.

　　Tony:  Here you are...four coffees...

　　All:  Thanks Tony!

　　Olivia:  Cheer up Tony.

　　Harry:  Yeah...it can only get worse...!

　　Tony:  It might get worse!  This café might be closing down soon, so then you’ll all have to find somewhere else to go.

　　All:  Oh no....

　　Olivia: What’s this all about, Tony?

　　Tony:  A big property company - they’re building new luxury flats, just behind here.  They want to get rid of these old buildings.

　　Magda:  “Get rid of”?

　　Tony:  Yeah...knock them down.  Demolish them.

　　All:  Oh no, that’s terrible.

　　Tony:  It is terrible!  I’ve worked here for ages.  I mean, they’re offering me compensation, but I want to stay here.

　　Olivia:  Oh no...I’ve just realised...perhaps that means my shop’s affected too...

　　Tony:  It might be.  Your shop’s only next door...

　　Olivia:  They can’t knock my shop down!  We must do something...

　　Comprehension Task

　　Listen to the episode and answer the questions. Which characters are the questions referring to?

　　Magda, Sarah, Harry, Fadi, Johnny or Olivia?

　　1. Who thinks Tony makes good coffee?

　　2. Who is sharing a flat with Magda?

　　3. Who is waiting for exam results?

　　4. Who is in Chongqing?

　　5. Who is visiting their family?

　　6. Who has a shop next door to the café?

　　Grammar Task

　　Choose the correct verb form in each sentence.

　　1. I still need find / to find that proper job.

　　2. He wants come / to come back to London!

　　3. It might get / to get worse!

　　4. They want get rid of / to get rid of these old buildings.

　　5. But I want stay / to stay here.

　　6. It might be / to be.

　　7. They can’t knock / to knock my shop down!

　　8. We must do / to do something...

　　Vocabulary Task

　　Match the phrasal verbs from the listening with the definitions.

　　1. To hold on

　　a. To destroy something or to throw it in the bin

　　2. To keep in touch with somebody

　　b. To stop a business (etc) from functioning

　　3. To hear from somebody.

　　c. To receive news from somebody

　　4. To be up to something

　　d. To maintain contact with somebody

　　5. To look for something

　　e. To wait

　　6. To be away

　　f. To try to find something

　　7. To close (something)  down

　　g. To be doing something that you shouldn’t be doing

　　8. To get rid of (something)

　　h. To be absent from your usual place (e.g. on holiday)

　　Answers

　　Vocabulary Task: 1 – e, 2 – d, 3 – c, 4 – g, 5 – f, 6 – h, 7 – b, 8 – a

　　Comprehension Task: 1 – Harry, 2 – Sarah, 3 – Magda, 4 – Johnny, 5 – Fadi, 6 – Olivia

　　Grammar Task: 1 – to find, 2 – to come, 3 – get, 4 – to get rid of, 5 – to stay, 6 – be, 7 – knock, 8 – do

　　Before you listen: 1 – c, 2 – d, 3 – f, 4 – a, 5 – e, 6 – b