2. Practise lateral plosion in connected speech.

a) set expressions, proverbs and sayings

a) a white lie

b) (a) vicious circle

c) stumbling block

d) (an) ugly duckling

e) (the) seven deadly sins

f) one sawn flesh and blood

g) at a glance

h) to be on the black list

i) to play a double game

j) to be a gentleman at large

k) to be as fit as a fiddle

l) the pleasure is mine

1. Live and let live.

2. Plenty is no plaque.

3. Every cloud has a silver lining.

4. Cleanliness is next to godliness.

5. All that glitters is not gold.

6. He is lifeless who is faultless.

7. Every medal has its reverse.

8. The pot calls the kettle black.

9. Actions speak louder than words.

10. A good beginning is half the battle.

11. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

12. If the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch.

b) sentences

1. Shall I take your clothes to the dry-cleaner’s?

2. The table was spotlessly clean.

3. I’d like a cup of black coffee, please.

4. The block of flats doesn’t look well-planned.

5. Our maths classes are pretty deadly.

6. Clare and Clyde are a childless couple.

7. What a clever little girl you are, Gloria!

8. This uncomfortable place wants cleaning badly.

9. The meeting on the Middle East problems ended in deadlock.

10. It’ll be absolutely hopeless: the game isn’t worth the candle.

11. The general public was sceptical about those steps of Clinton administration.

12. Dad looks gloomy at times, but in fact he’s quite lucky. He leads a quiet life in Dublin.

13. Who is that glamorous blond in a plain blouse with black lace?

c) conversational contexts

1.

– I’m terribly sorry for losing my temper last night.

– I wish you’d learn to control yourself. You completely ruined my evening.

2.

– I’m having a little party at my place. Would you like to come?

– Thank you. I’d love to. That’ll be very nice.

3.

– The English climate is very changeable, isn’t it?

– Definitely. You never know whether it’ll rain or clear up.

4.

– Would you like a dessert?

– Yes, please. I’d like chocolate mousse and a glass of orange juice. I hope it’ll be absolutely delicious!

5.

– Excuse me, how do I get to the Park Lane, please?

– Left at the traffic lights. You can’t miss it.

6.

– The apple doesn’t look edible.

– It’ll probably taste terrible, too.

7.

– This blue tablecloth wants washing badly.

– Oh, it’ll take me ages to make it spotlessly clean.

8.

– What’ll happen?

– I’m sure inflation will rise and unemployment will continue. We should blame our politicians for the deadlock.

9.

– Your mum complains you are bad at languages. Why so? You are a clever girl, aren’t you?

– No wonder. Our English classes are pretty deadly. And you can’t learn anything if it’s deadly dull, can you?

10.

– Is this model made of metal or plastic?

– It’s a simple sample. It’s made of plastic, although metal is more reliable.

11.

– Will Dr. Black be able to see me tomorrow morning?

– Sorry, I don’t know exactly. He won’t be available till 11.

– And what about this afternoon? Would it suit you?

– Yes, that’ll be all right.

12.

– I know you’ve travelled a lot lately.

– Yes. I was in Scotland last month.

– What was the trip like?

– Very pleasant and enjoyable! Lots and lots of unforgettable experiences!

d) dialogues, texts

1)

– I think I must be off.

– So soon? Can’t you stay a little longer?

– I’d love to, but I have to get up early tomorrow.

– What a shame!

– Thank you for a wonderful meal.

– I’m glad you enjoyed it.

2)

Customer:	Good afternoon. I’d like a room for a few nights.
Clerk:	Single or double?
Customer:	Single, please.
Clerk:	We’ve got a nice single room with bath on the 2nd floor. It’s an inside room facing the park. It’s light and comfortable.
Customer:	What does it cost?
Clerk:	9 pounds a night including service.
Customer:	All right. I’ll take it.

3)

Mrs. Smith:	What a splendid summer we’ve had so far this year!
Mrs. Jones:	Yes, but some people are complaining about the heat and grumbling.
Mrs. Smith:	Some people are never satisfied.
Mrs. Jones:	By the way, have you heard that young Patrick Ellis has had another accident in his car?
Mrs. Smith:	How horrible! Is he badly hurt?
Mrs. Jones:	Well, they took him to hospital but I don’t think it was serious.
Mrs. Smith:	I suppose he was driving madly again.
Mrs. Jones:	Most likely.

4)As usual I chose house wine, as this is often the best way to judge a restaurant’s wine list. It was a French-bottled table wine which was quite satisfactory and reasonably priced. The bill, including coffee and brandy, came to Ј37, which was acceptable for this class of restaurant, although that did not include service.

5)

The restaurant was so brightly-lit that I wished I’d brought my sunglasses. Once I’d got used to the light, I rather liked the green and orange plastic dйcor, which was very futuristic. The place was spotlessly clean – almost antiseptic! Although there was an endless queue, service was incredibly fast. The menu was limited to a variety of hamburgers and prices were very reasonable.

6)

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