English Conversation Learn English Speaking English Course English Subtitle Part 18

hello again and welcome back to english today and this is DVD 18 and the first DVD of your advanced level and in this DVD you'll see another two episodes of our story that's life followed by our special TV programs this time a sports expert will be talking about golf then in our Travel section we'll be looking at the white Knights of st. Petersburg then in the grammar section we will study some of the uses of the passive form in English and then we look at some more useful phrases for you when you're socializing alright so enjoy your viewing hi Sara hi Sandra what are you doing we're making some sandwiches for today's driving the country what drive hasn't Pablo told you about the trip today he wants to take us to visit an old farmhouse in the country it's supposed to be very beautiful a perfect example of rural architecture that's right I remember now Paulo told us it was built by some rich Italian American a really eccentric character a friend of his mother's okay girls is everything ready we've almost finished hmm what a wonderful smell they look and smell great eat your hands to yourself no one's touching these delicacies now you'll be able to taste them later when we have our picnic Paulo about this outing where is the farmhouse in the countryside about 20 kilometers from here it is it true that it's incredibly beautiful and then it belongs to an Italian American oh yes but it was designed by a Dutch rocket and it was built in the style of an 18th century Tuscan farmhouse right oh right Oh believe me it's a jewel I didn't know you were so interested in architecture oh my dear ladies there are so many things that you don't know about me as well as music I have many other passions I'm full of surprises no one doubts that Paolo so tell me more about this house it's fascinating all right and you have to see the garden it's a haven of decent tranquility and what sort of plants are there Oh thousands big old trees er grapevines olive groves and many types of roses and it's huge ah eight gardeners oh really so many it's a lovely spot I'm ever histor take me there a lot I love to lion get onto the oak trees it gave me a sense of peace that's where I get my first kiss Wow who would have thought our Paolo was so romantic are you making fun of me oh definitely not I bet this enchanted house has been the source of most of your musical inspiration how do you know that well considering it doesn't take much to inspire you I can imagine what a paradise can do oh hi hi sorry what made you wait palette was just telling us about the garden Oh okay let's go I can't wait to see this place oh do you know where Mike and Michelle are they should be here by now Oh Michelle went out for her morning jog earlier she should be back by now so she's probably having a shower and Mike's in his room watching a football match what a surprise okay I'll go and give them a shout up Sarah have you got the camera oh no I left it in my room what are you going get it we should be able to take some lovely photos today right you're right I'll go and get it well it's good to see Sarah's back to her old self again isn't it Paolo oh I knew that being all together would be good for her okay let's check we've got everything okay sandwiches got them drinks got them too okay I think we have everything I feel like I've forgotten something oh no we haven't forgotten anything oh no wait a minute just a minute my guitar oh no Paulo not the guitar just for today we said it it'd be a calm and relaxing day what could be more relaxing than sweet melodies of my guitar you hi again and good to see you now in that last episode they were talking about an old farmhouse in the country and describing it and they were using some interesting language which I want to teach you now let me give you some examples of what they said Sandra said that the place was the farmhouse was built by a rich Italian American was built by now that grammatical form is called the passive we're going to study that now but other examples Paolo said yes it was designed by a Dutch architect it was designed he said it's built it is built in the style of an 18th century Tuscan farmhouse a passive that's what I want to look at with you now we'll go to the screen so that you can see how the construction works it is actually quite simple because you need to take the verb to be in the necessary tense whether it's past present or future and then you add the past participle of the main verb ok so that is the grammatical form when do we use the passive we use the passive when it's more important the action which is happening and not the person doing it let me give you example try and make it clearer and look at look at the screen now when we can combine the things this is a magazine now I want to talk about the magazine in the present and there are various things that I can say for example this magazine is published in the United Kingdom is publish the verb to be plus the past participle other things that we can say about it the articles are written are written by top writers now notice that if you want to actually mention the people doing the object the the action you use by so these articles are written by top writers okay top journalists another example it's delivered worldwide it's delivered worldwide there again we don't know by who but it's not important in this case it's the action which is important so that's in the present using the verb to be in the present form is our let's move on to the past tense now and take these shoes we can say about these shoes these shoes were made in Italy okay these shoes were made notice that the verb to be is in the past and it's plural because it's two shoes so not was made but were made these shoes were made in Italy the other examples are they were designed by a top designer and only a limited number were produced all right so the verb to be plus the past participle then if you think about the future you can put the verb to be in the future and let's think about a film that R has some prospective that is going to be made in the future let's look at how we use that in the passive form the film is going to be set in America now that's a bit more complicated a verb to be goes into the future but it's an intentional future so it becomes the film is going to be set means filmed in Russia it's going to be directed by Spike Lee now hear the information Spike Lee is important so we add by it's going to be directed by Spike Lee and it's going to be released next summer released taken to the cinemas next summer so that's the passive form as you can see if you know the verb to be very well in all the different tenses past present and future it's not difficult and it's actually not different in English to many other languages all right so that's the passive see you again next lesson bye so it's time to leave what a shame all right this week has just flown by I've had such a I've had a great time yeah I hope to see everyone again I hope to see you again very soon listen Mike um about that I I want to clear up a few things with you right well a few days after we arrived I happened to hear Paolo song and I knew that it was about us too and well you know what I mean right mm-hmm what well after finding out about this this thing I realized that I needed to talk to you straight away but hmm I didn't have the courage oh we've known each other for a long time I've always thought a lot of you god I don't know how to tell you this Mike come on him obviously it's not easy to say certain things you know what it's like but yourself in my shoes I you need to tell me this for years I've been trying to but Amy as we've come this for real good words no what are you doing become crazy but but I thought I thought that but you - that I what I was I was trying to tell you that I am the but I really like you and that you're a true friend only a true friend nothing more question idiot I am for a moment I thought if I feelings for me I'm sorry Mike I I didn't want to upset you it's just well the truth is is that there's someone else in my heart I know Tory um let's pretend nothing's happened okay okay right friends like before of course no hard feelings okay fine oh I'll just go and finish packing see you in a bit so it's not sure you were only interested in football and nothing up what are you trying to say don't play the fool with me Mike I understand lots of things now like the time I told you I loved you do you remember at that time we were always together and I thought there was more between us than just simple friendship come on Sarah not that old story again I mean there's no point in going over all of that again well I think it's time to put a few things straight once and for all at that time you told me you weren't in love with me and that you didn't want to deceive me I felt rejected and thought that football was to blame I thought that football was the only passion in your life but now no what oh stop it Mike I saw you here just now with Anne wait a minute sir let me explain things oh you don't need to explain I'm not angry in fact you all of you have helped me a lot in the past few days I'm at peace with myself again and this is really important and to be honest I'm glad to have found out the true reason for your refusal another woman and not and not football I think of you more than any sponsor hey guys it's late I'm sorry I was packing so it's time to say goodbye already hey goodbyes how was the sentimental one anyway we'll be meeting up again soon right right okay I have some good news I've decided to open up a new bar and you're all officially invited to the opening party hot hold I think I'm going to call it college in honor of all of you Oh fantastic and as for the music in your new bar Here I am with my guitar of course you know you're always welcome to counter this house and I'd be waiting for you all next year for another wonderful holiday together a memory of the good old days yeah friends before they'd be back soon sänger hi again and said and so it's time to leave what a shame well it's true isn't it it's great to have a reunion with good friends but it's also sad to say goodbye to them and she said what a shame do you know what that means it's like saying what a pity what a pity what a shame are the same meaning and it means that you are expressing sadness about something and with that phrase I want to take you into socializing again and to look at a few more phrases to help you when you're traveling around the world socializing with English language speaking people what a shame is an example it's a useful form of socializing so let's look at some examples imagine that you receive some good news or a friend of yours receives some good news what do you say to your friend when they receive good news in English yeah congratulations or I'm very happy for you I'm very happy for you okay if you receive the opposite if you receive bad news what you say yeah in English we say I'm sorry to hear that I'm sorry to hear that okay sorry to hear that or oh I'm so sorry I'm so sorry receiving bad news now imagine that people come to your house they're visiting you and you want to invite them to be comfortable what can you say yeah we say do take a seat and that's a very polite way do take a seat is a polite and quite formal way of inviting somebody to be comfortable or or a nice one is due make yourself at home do make yourself at home all right and then you could say can I get you something to drink you know in England people often when they meet up they drink together whether it's beer or wine or aperitif so can I get you something to drink good now imagine that you have got a drink and you have the glass in your hand and you want to pass it to your guests now what do we say when you give something to somebody three words we say here you are now when we're speaking fluently that becomes here you are which sounds very strange doesn't anything what sounds Indian here you are here you are I mean it's one of those unusual phrases which if you separate the words has no meaning but we use it when you give something to somebody else so it's very very very very very common here you are thank you not at all here you are all right what about when you're in discussion and you want to agree or disagree in English we say I agree with you we don't say I am agree with you because many languages translate that from their own language and make a mistake with the English construction so I agree with you and the negative is I don't agree not I am NOT agree and the question is do you agree okay it's very important um what if I say well actually I don't agree with you do you remember well actually when do we use well actually those two golden words yes that's right it's when you want to introduce an O but in a soft way you prepare the other person psychologically for know well actually I don't agree with you or you can say I agree with you up to a point which means partially up to a point all right leaving when you have to leave people it's often sad you could say well we really must be going it's late we really must be going alright which displays a fact that you have to do it you don't want to but you have to you have duties and cetera we really must be going or another nice one is we must be on our way we must be on our way okay and then showing that you're sorry as we saw in the episode with our friends what a shame what a pity okay well what a shame and what a pity this lesson has finished but don't worry there will be another one so I will see you again in the next one take care until then I must be on my way bye good afternoon everyone and welcome to Sports special I'm Eric Brown and here beside me is John Forbes our Sports expert today we're going to talk with him about golf hello John hello Eric hello everyone so John tell us where did golf start well the game of golf is believed to have originated in st. Andrews a small town on the east coast of Scotland it's thought that local people started the game by hitting stones around a grassy area next to the sea really that's right Eric today golf's a very popular game in Scotland and many towns and cities have municipal golf courses where everybody can play quite cheaply today the Royal and Ancient Golf Club is located in st. Andrews this is the body that draws up the rules of the game and answers questions golfers around the world have about the rules you know there are six golf courses in st. Andrews one of these is the famous Old Course the world's first golf course right so st. Andrews is the place to go if you like golf about the game first of all what do you need to play golf well to start with you need a set of golf clubs you use these to hit the ball around the course there are lots of different sizes of clubs but basically there are two kinds drivers and putters drivers are used for long shots along the fairways and putters are used for short shots on the greens then you need a golf course there are usually 18 holes on a course and of course you need a golf ball it seems easy to play golf but how exactly do you play the game you start each hole on the tee from here you use a driver to hit the ball as far as you can towards the hole if necessary you hit the ball again to get it onto the once on the green you use a putter to hit the ball into the hole it's as simple as that well almost and be careful not to hit your ball into a bunker an area of sand it can be difficult to hit a good shot out of one of these don't worry I'll be very careful so John how do you keep score in the game well each hole has a par the number of shots required to put the ball into the hole let's say the first hole at the Old Course in st. Andrews is par 3 if you complete the hole with four shots you're 1 over par if you complete it with two shots you're 1 under par the winner is the golfer who completes all 18 holes with the fewer shots or the most shots under par and what happens if the golfer hits the ball into the hole with just one shot this is called a hole-in-one and it is a cause for celebration this is expensive to play golf because it looks like it's a game just for rich people well golf clubs can be expensive and you may have to pay a lot to play on a course but you may be able to hire the clubs and you may be able to find a municipal course that charges very little for you to play 18 holes how popular is golf it's very popular in Scotland as you can imagine as the game started there there are 540 golf courses in Scotland remember the population of Scotland is 5 million but golf's also popular around the world especially in Europe and North America the games really taken off in East Asia the games incredibly popular in Japan Taiwan South Korea and Singapore there are lots of professional golfers who take part in international golf tournaments all over the world well now we certainly know a little bit more about golf thank you John you're welcome Eric goodbye and goodbye to you in see you again next week for another edition of Sports special okay now let's go back to the start so where and how do you play golf the area where you play is called a golf course our golf course has 18 holes the aim of the game is to hit a golf ball into each hole with the few 'its shots possible a shot is when you hit the ball to play golf you need wellyes our golf ball and a set of golf clubs our set is a complete group and a golf club is the thing you use to hit the ball there are two kinds of golf clubs drivers these are clubs for long shots and putters for short precision shots to hit the ball into the hole you take your first shot on the tee this is the starting point on the golf course for the first shot you use a driver to hit the ball along the fairway onto the green the fairway is the area between the tee and the green the green is the area of grass around the hole here the grass is cut very short you must be careful not to hit the ball into a bunker a bunker is an area of sand and how do you keep the score the score is the points of the players notice we say keep the score this means count the points well each hole has a par a par is the number of points required to hit the ball from the tee into the hole we say for example a hole is par 3 this means you have to get the ball into the hole with 3 shots if you need four shots your score is 1 over par if you only need 2 shots your score is 1 under par and if you complete the hole with just one shot it's called a hole-in-one the winner is the golf player with the most under pars well golf really has take around the world we say something has taken off when it becomes very popular ok sports lovers that's all for me see you next week the home of the czars and the revolution and one of the world's greatest museums this is st. Petersburg a magical city that definitely won't fail to impress I'm Lucy Ross and this is the travel programme today we'll learn about Peter as the locals call the city with our travel expert Christine Oh tank hello Lucy and good morning everyone well some Petersburg is beautiful at all times of the year but it's during the white nights when darkness never falls that the city really is at its best would you agree Christine yes definitely as you'd expect these long evenings occur in midsummer particularly during the last ten days of June during this period some Petersburg really is a fun place to be the Sun barely sets it's still light even at midnight and the city overflows with festivities to celebrate the longest days of the year are there any special events of course during these evenings it's possible to watch some of the world's best opera and listen to some of the best classical orchestras mind you it's not all highbrow culture locals often stay out celebrating all night there's also a white night Dance Festival with events ranging from folk through to ballet so it's possible to see the famous Kirov Dance Company sometimes it is yes it doesn't always take part though but it does usually put on student performances and what about the city's monuments is there anything really special that visitors must see well there really is a wealth of sights for the visitor to take in so Petersburg is famous for its many museums and art galleries The Hermitage for example is one of the world's leading museums with a breathtaking collection of all kinds of art and is most definitely not to be missed there are also numerous former impaired real palaces that can be visited both in the city and along the shores of the Gulf of Finland and try not to miss the city's churches the main ones at least actually there are so many that it'd be impossible to visit them all well tell us Christine is it true that the cities called the Venice of the north yes that's right this is due to the river neva that flows through the city and the numerous canals that crisscross the historical center on this subject another special midsummer event is the raising of the bridges over the river neva thousands flock to the river banks that to see the raised bridges silhouetted against the twilight sky well visitors must remember find out when the bridges are lowered or they might not be able to get back to their hotel that's right if that happened they just have to stay out celebrating until dawn well that doesn't sound too bad and the food I've heard the food's not very good is that true well let's say it's not the place to go for a food trip but if you like a drink now and again this is the right place for you Russians love vodka and they love inviting their friends to drink with them and Russians can be disarmingly generous and hospitable but be careful the vodkas easy to drink but don't overdo it or you'll feel it the next morning did you hear that the vodka is good but don't drink too much and do enjoy some Petersburg a truly fascinating City to visit thanks Kristine goodbye see you again soon to discover more interesting places with the travel program so some Petersburg is at its in mid-summer midsummer is the middle of the summer we say something is at its best when it's in its best condition the city is at its best because in midsummer the Sun barely sets when the Sun sets it goes down the moment when the Sun sets is called sunset or dusk the Sun barely sets means it almost doesn't set so it stays light all night so sunset is when the sun goes down when it comes up in the morning it's called sunrise it's the moment that the Sun rises this time of the day is also called dawn so sin Petersburg is a fun place to be in summer it's a fun place to be means it's amusing to be there because there are lots of things to do you can go to the Opera or a classical concert mind you it's not all highbrow culture highbrow culture is classical culture like opera Shakespeare Dante we use the expression mind you to introduce a contrast with something that's just been said the locals stay out celebrating all night to stay out doing something means to spend the night doing something so the locals stay out celebrating means they celebrate all night and don't go home until the morning there's a dance festival to the Kirov dance company doesn't always take part to take part in something means to participate notice we say take part in something so the Kirov dance company doesn't always take part in the festival but it puts on student performances to put on something means to organize something and remember it's not the place to go for a food trip a holiday based around trying the local cuisine but it is the place to go for the vodka and all-night celebrating so bye for now see you next week

Channel: Learn English Conversation

Views: 206,438

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Id: u8iLhl4v2GA

Length: 36min 58sec (2218 seconds)

Published: Mon Jan 13 2014