A Brief Encounter

This is the sixth and final part of this pre-intermediate video course suitable for Básico 2 and Intermediate 1 students.

Watch the four sections and answer the corresponding questions.



Section one (up to Matt: Nobody wanted to stop.)
Complete the sentences with the suitable option.

a) Matt is looking anxious or relaxed.
b) Matt is looking at the door or at the table.
c) The others ignore Matt or question Matt.
d) Matt met a girl when he was going shopping or going for lunch.
e) The girl was interviewing people or asking for directions.

Section two (up to Mel: Which kind of holiday do you usually prefer?)
Watch and number the things Mel asks about from 1 to 7.

jobs / newspaper / food / entertainment / Oxford / holidays / clothes

Section three (up to Jane: I'll be back in a minute.)
Complete Matt's story with the correct tense of the verbs in brackets.

I ... (want) to ask lots of questions, but she ... (ask) me so many, I ... really ... (not, get) a chance. After the interview, I ... (go) to buy her a coffee. But when I ... (get) back, she ... (go).

Section four (to the end)
Watch this section without sound and answer these questions. Then watch with sound. Were you right?

1 Why does Jane take Matt outside?
2 Do the others know what is happening?
3 What do you think Jane says to Matt while they are walking along the canal?
4 What do you think Matt says to Jane?

A dog's tale

This is the fifth part out of six of this pre-intermediate video course.

Watch the video without reading the subtitles and answer the questions corresponding to each section.



Section one (up to Julia: That's just what I was going to say. Thank you.)
Watch the section and complete each sentence with the correct option.

a) They are watching a horror film or a science fiction movie.
b) David thinks the film is stupid or interesting.
c) Helen think the film is good or frightening.
d) Matt thinks the film is exciting or boring.
e) Simon thinks the film is enjoyable or scary.

Section two (up to Helen: I don't know anything about it.)
Are these statements true or false?

a) Helen suggests tea.
b) Simon offers to make it.
c) David mentions a ghost in the kitchen.
d) It's the ghost of a woman.
e) Helen knows about the ghost.

Section three (up to Matt: Yeah.)
Complete the story using the correct active or passive verb form. Then watch the section and check your tenses.

Before this house ... (build), there used to be an old cottage here. An old man ... (live) in it, and he ... (have) a large black dog. And everywhere he ... (go), the dog ... (go) with him. It never ... (leave) him. The man ... (kill) in an accident. A new family ... (move) into the cottage, and the dog ... (take) away by the old man's sister. But that very first evening the dog ... (go) back to the house and ... (start) howling. The owners ... (chase) it away. But it ... (keep) coming back. Every night they ... (chase) it away, every night it ... (come) back and howled. Not long after that, the cottage ... (destroy) by fire. And this house ... (build) ten years later. When they ... (build) this house, they ... (find) the skeleton of a large dog in the cellar. And the neighbour says that sometimes, late at night, a dog ... (hear) howling.

Section four (to the end of the episode)
Answer these questions.

a) What does Simon tell Matt?
b) Why does Matt jump when Jane comes in?
c) What is Jane asking Matt?
d) Why does Matt switch the light back on in his bedroom?

Not working out

This is the fourth out of six parts of this video pre-intermediate English course, suitable for Básico 2 and Intermediate 1.

Remember that the video clips are subtitled, so if you wish to check your understanding of the videos, you will have to scroll down the sidebar on your PC up to the point where the subtitles are hidden, although it will stop from you from having a full view of the screen.

Now watch the episode and do the excercises. The episode is divided into four parts.



Section one (up to David weighing himself)
Watch the section and choose the correct option.

a) Matt, Jane and Helen are still hungry or full.
b) David enjoys eating or doesn't like eating.
c) Matt, Jane and Helen are amused by David or annoyed by David.
d) In the bathroom, David is checking his pyjamas or checking his stomach.
e) David is happy with his weight or worried about his weight.

Section two (up to David: Absolutely.)
David is thinking about joining an expensive fitness club.

How much is the club each month?
How much does he have to pay when he joins?
How many days does the club offer a free-trial period?

Section three (up to Tom: Ok, let's start.)
Number the following facilities 1 to 5 as they are mentioned.

a) excercise bike
b) treadmill
c) weight machine
d) rowing machine
e) free weights

Section four (up to the end)
Choose the best option for each of the questions.

a) What is the man in the gym trying to do? Be better than David or be as good as David.
b) Why is he doing this? Because he wants to beat a younger man or because he wants to become fit.
c) How does David feel when the taxi leaves? Pleased or disappointed.

A picture of health

This is the third out of six episodes in the pre-intermediate video course for Básico 2 and Intermediate 1 students.

Today's episode is divided into four sections. Watch each section without reading the subtitles and answer the questions.



Section one (up to Helen: OK.)
How is Helen feeling? Watch the section and tick her symptons.

sneezing - headache - coughing - feeling sick - temperature - sore throat - body aches - shivering

Section two (up to Helen getting back into bed)
Watch the section and tick the things which Helen does after Matt leaves.

sleeps - reads a book - reads a magazine - watches TV - listens to the radio - drinks soft drinks - drinks soup - eats fruit - eats sweets - stays in bed - sits on the bed

Section three (up to Matt: The perfect cold cure.)
Watch the section and choose the correction option to complete the sentences below.

a) Helen's feeling better / worse.
b) Her throat is still sore / better.
c) She's stayed in bed / got up.
d) She's eaten a sandwich / nothing.
e) She's drunk tea / coffee.

Section four (to the end of the episode)
Watch the final section and say whether the statements below are true or false.

a) Helen isn't feeling hungry.
b) Helen wants to go to work tomorrow.
c) Helen doesn't want to see Simon immediately.
d) Simon wants Helen to get ready to go out.
e) Helen feels too ill to go out.
f) Simon agrees to take Jane to see the salsa band.

A perfect day

This is the second part out of six of the pre-intermediate video course we are posting these days, suitable for Básico 2 and Intermediate 1 students.

Today's episode is subtitled in English, so if you really wish to develop your listening skills you will have to scroll down the side bar up to a point where you cannot read the subtitles. You will not get full view of the movie, but you'll be seeing enough of it to follow the story and put your listening ability to the test.



Here are some activities you can do to test your comprehension of the episode.

Section one (up to Helen: Ready.)
Watch the section and choose the correct alternative for each question.

a) Who is Simon? Helen's boyfriend or a neighbour.
b) Why is she talking to him? She likes him or She likes his car.
c) What was the weather like yesterday? Very nice or not very good.
d) How did Helen feel about Simon's invitation? Nervous or pleased.
e) How did Helen feel talking to Jane? Uncomfortable or relaxed.
f) Why didn't she tell Jane about meeting Simon? It was a secret or she was too shy.

Section two (up to Matt: Ok. I'll go and get something.)
What does the following things, Jane, Matt or David?

a) Who suggests a picnic?
b) Who thinks it is a good idea?
c) Who offers to make sandwiches?
d) Who offers to help?
e) Who suggests a video camera?
f) Who offers to get some drinks?

Section three (up to Jane: It's just through here.)
Answer these questions.

How is Helen feeling while she and Simon are on the boat?
Why is Helen looking back?
How is David feeling?

Section four (up to the end of the episode)
Answer these questions.

a) Where were Simon and Helen hiding?
b) How was Helen looking while she was watching the video?
c) Why did Jane look at Helen?

Now you can watch the episode again and read the subtitles to check the answers.

A clean sweep

This is the first episode out of six of this video course for pre-intermediate students. It is suitable for Básico 2 and Intermediate 1 students. Watch the video and do the activities below.



Section one ( up to Helen: That does it!)
Watch the section and choose the correct option.

a) What time is it? Breakfast time or lunchtime.
b) Who is listening to music? Matt or David.
c) Who is reading? Jane or Helen.
d) Who is eating toast? David or Matt.
e) Who is drinking from Helen's cup? Matt or Jane.
f) Where is the milk? On the table or in the fridge.
g) Where is the bread? On the table or in the bread bin.
h) Where are the cups? In the sink or in the cupboard.
i) How is Helen feeling? Annoyed or cheerful.

Section two (up to Helen: Good)
Watch the section and complete the information on the rota.

Rota: 8th-15th September
Jane: - cleaning ....... + ........ at the weekend
David: - doing ...... + ....... on Friday
Matt: - cleaning ....... + ....... Mon-Wed
Helen: - ...... living-room + ....... Thur-Fri

Section three (to the end of the episode)
Watch the section and say whether these statements are true or false.

a) Helen's first rota wasn't a success.
b) Helen used the same rota for the second week.
c) Helen and Jane both went shopping.
d) David and Matt were helping each other to do the cleaning.
e) Helen destroyed the second rota.

You can self-correct the exercises by reading the transcript here.