8

8.1 8.5 Notice /ʊ/ vs /uː/.

Let’s see. We need bananas and chocolate… oil and salt… J In the fridge? Where?
erm… perhaps some spaghetti? Yes, definitely some spaghetti S Here! Look! You put bread and sugar in the fridge! What
and some tea. Oh, and I have to get tomatoes and vinegar. are they doing there?
J Er, I don’t know.
S You don’t know?
8.2 Notice s = /z/ or /s/. J Well, my mother always puts sugar and bread in the fridge,
J We need some milk, fish and chicken… oh, and some but I don’t know why. So I called to ask – but she didn’t
apples and carrots, Sandra loves carrots! Then some eggs answer.
and lettuce. Oh, and butter and onions. Oh, finally, some S Not your mother, not again. We’re married now, remember?
cheese, oranges, potatoes… do we need sugar? Oh, yes, You don’t have to ask your mother.
and some sugar. J Yes, but I love you and I just want everything to be perfect
for you, darling.
S Oh, Jeff, that’s really romantic…
8.3 Notice the silent letters.
J = Jeff S = Sandra
S Jeff! I’m home, darling. 8.7 Notice /əv/ connections and the other /ə/ (schwas).
J Hi, love. S So, today is day one of my new diet. After waking up, I
S Oh my God! have a bottle of mineral water, and that’s all! For breakfast,
J What? What’s the problem? I can have a cup of coffee, a slice of bread and a piece
S What’s all this food on the counter? of fruit! Wow! For lunch, it’s a bowl of rice, one spoon of
J What do you mean, ‘all this?’ beans and just one little can of diet Coke. Booo! In the
S Well, to be precise, one chocolate bar, tomatoes, er, some afternoon I get a snack! Hurrah! A granola bar! Then for
spaghetti… dinner, I get a bowl of salad, half a pound of meat, and a
J Oh, that? glass of juice. And that’s it! But this time it’s going to work!
S I’m not finished! There’s also some salt, some tea, oil and
vinegar here…
J I can explain… 8.8 Notice /fər/ and /əv/.
S And – 8, 9, no, 10 bananas. You know I can’t eat bananas! N = Nelly S = Sandra
J There was a special offer on bananas, darling. N Hi, Sandra. Want some chocolate?
We can always freeze them! S No, thanks. I’m on a diet.
S Freeze bananas? Are you mad? N Oops, sorry. How’s it going?
S Great. I’m keeping a video diary. It really helps.
N So, what do you usually have for lunch?
8.4 Notice the sentence stress.
S I just have some rice and beans for lunch.
S Jeff, we’re travelling tomorrow. Why did you buy all this
N Rice and beans? That’s… unusual.
food?
S Er huh, but I can’t eat any meat for lunch. Only for dinner.
J Just some fruit for your diet: apples and oranges.
N No meat for lunch? Wow! That’s not easy! You really need a
S I don’t like apples.
lot of patience.
J But you like oranges. And I got some onions and potatoes
S I know. But I’ve got to lose weight. I gained fifteen pounds
too. and Jeff is not pleased…
S Potatoes? I can’t eat them. I’m on a diet, hellooo! N Er… Well, perhaps if you stop eating sugar…
J OK, but I also got some chicken and fish. S I never eat any sugar. I don’t like sweets.
S Well, we can freeze those. But what do we do with the milk, N How about pasta? Is there any pasta in your diet?
cheese and butter? S Well, that’s a no-no too. And I love spaghetti with tomato
J Sorry, Sandra…That’s not all… I got some lettuce and sauce and Parmesan cheese.
carrots for your salad, too. N And, of course, you are not allowed any cheese, right?
S Hmm, I guess I can make a salad for dinner. And why all S Right.
those eggs!! N Oh, I’m sorry. Do you want some Coke?
J Well, I can make an omelette! S Is it diet?
S Yeah, right! Your speciality! Jeff, darling, remember. Never S Then yes, please. I can only drink one can a day, but it’s
irritate a woman on a diet! We can be dangerous! But, wait the best part of my day. Cheers!
– what’s that doing in the fridge? N Cheers!
 8.9 Focus on the link after eat and there.
I just have some rice and beans for lunch.
I can’t eat any meat for lunch.
I never have any sugar.
Is there any pasta in your diet?
Do you want some Coke?
8.10 Take notice of the pronunciation of t in these words.
N So, Sandra, what do you have when you get up?
S I only have some water.
N Wow! Don’t you eat any food?
S Yeah, I have some bread and some fruit two hours later,
for breakfast.
N Two hours later? And can you drink any beer or wine?
S Never! I can’t drink any alcohol. Why?
N We’re going out on Saturday night, but you’re not drinking
any beer!
S Well, I can have a break from my diet on special occasions!
8.12 Notice the dark l vs normal l.
J = Jeff S = Sandra
J Hey, Sandra. Ready for lunch?
S Yeah, darling. I’m so hungry!
J Come on! Let’s go to that Mexican restaurant on the corner.
I’m dying for a burrito.
S I don’t think that’s a good idea. My diet, remember?
J Oh, darling, burritos are healthy! Look, I’m googling the
nutritional table.
S Oh, I hate those lists!
J But they’ve got important information! See? A chicken
burrito is probably the best option for you.
S How many calories has it got? I can’t see anything without
my glasses.
J Erm, let’s see. It’s only got three hundred and seventy
calories.
S Aw! That’s a lot.
J Then the vegetarian burrito is the best. It’s only got beans and
cheese and three hundred and fifty calories.
S Ugh! Beans, beans, beans! I’m living on beans now. The
doctor told me to watch my cholesterol, too. How much
cholesterol has the vegetarian burrito got?
J Only five milligrams.
S And the others?
J Thirty-five and twenty-five milligrams.
S That’s a lot, but, have I got to eat the boring, healthy
option?
J Love, this diet was your idea. And you know the vegetarian
burrito is perfect for you.
S I guess you’re right.
J Well, I’m having the chicken burrito.
S And I’m having the beef burrito.
J But… darling.
S I can’t live without meat, Jeff. And we just burned a lot of
calories checking all these numbers, darling, so I think it’s OK!
8.14
Sue Hi, Sandra. I’ve heard you’re on a diet.
Sandra That’s true. Again!
Sue How many calories can you eat a day?
Sandra Only a few: just one thousand, two hundred.
Sue Wow! That sounds hard. Can you eat any spaghetti?
Sandra No, but I can eat a lot of rice.
Sue How about meat? How much meat do you eat a day?
Sandra Only a little bit, but I can eat a lot of vegetables. And
I love carrots!
Sue Well, good luck, then.
8.15 Notice the /h/ sound.
W = woman M = man
W OK, number 1. What do you think?
M Chocolate?
W Yep. Chocolate has got one hundred and forty-five calories
per hundred grams. The healthy option is potato – only
seventy-six calories. Next?
M Tea?… Or coffee?
W No, you don’t know much about food. Tea and coffee can
help hydrate you. Alcohol dehydrates the body, so the
answer is wine. Sorry! Question three?
M Milk?
W Yeah! Wow – you know something! Milk has got a lot of
nutrients, and is a food, a food that you can drink! Now
lettuce – the ultimate diet food.
M Zero?
W Sorry, it actually contains eighteen calories per hundred
grams. Question 5?
M Spinach?
W No!
M But what about Popeye?
W Perhaps Popeye didn’t know anything about food either!
It’s beans. They’ve got a lot more protein than spinach.
OK, do you know anything about vitamin C?
M Er, yeah, it’s good for you!
W Yes, but which fruit hasn’t got a lot of vitamin C?
M Strawberries?
W No. The answer is pears. But the good news is pears
contain no fat and a lot of fibre. So, just one point? Now,
do you want something to eat?
M Er, no, thanks. I’m really not hungry.
8.16 Notice the alliterations.
This is Wonderful Weekend at Top Toppings! Special savings
on our fabulous favourites!
Our special starter is the Chopped Chicken: a nice salad made
with fresh lettuce and tomato. Topped with grilled chicken.
This week we offer you two choices from our marvellous main
courses: Fish Fillet, our delicious grilled salmon in orange
sauce and sautéed potatoes. Or the Special Steak, succulent
½ pound barbecued steak topped with a light cream and
pepper sauce. Finally, there’s nothing like a light, refreshing
dessert: our Seasonal Salad, which includes strawberries,
mango, melon, grapes and kiwi topped with fresh fruit juice.
All for a fixed price! Come to Top Toppings and check it out!
 8.17 Notice the /ɪ/ and /iː/ sounds.
W = waitress J = Jeff Sa = Sandra
W Hi, my name’s Melissa, your waitress today. Are you
ready to order?
J Yes, please.
W What would you like as a starter?
J I’ll have the tomato soup, please.
W OK. With croutons and Parmesan cheese?
J No cheese, please.
W OK. How about you, madam? What would you like?
Sa What is in the chicken salad?
W The Chopped Chicken salad is lettuce, green
peppers, red peppers and tomato. It comes with sliced
chicken.
Sa Can I have only the salad, and no chicken, please?
J You and your diet…
Sa Shush, Jeff!
J Sorry.
W Er, certainly, madam.

8.18
W OK. How are your starters?
Sa Great, thanks.
W Would you like to order the main course now?
Sa Yes, please. I’d like the Pasta Pomodoro, please.
W OK. And you, sir?
J I’ll have the Special Steak, please.
W Sure. Any drinks with your meal?
J We’re fine with water, thanks.
Sa No, I’ll have a fizzy drink, please.
W OK. Just a moment, please.

8.19 Notice the final sound in these words /s/ and the
connecting sounds.
W = waitress J = Jeff Sa = Sandra
J Excuse me, miss?
W Yes, sir?
J Can I have some regular coffee, please?
W OK. And you, madam? What would you like to drink?
Sa I’d like some tea, please. What kind of tea have you got?
W Mint and chamomile.
Sa I’ll have some chamomile tea, then, please.
W Anything else?
J No, that’s all, thanks.
Sa Er, actually, I’d like some dessert.
J Sandra? No!!
Sa Jeff, relax. Can I have a bowl of sugar-free vanilla
ice-cream, please?
J Phew – for a moment there I was afraid, love! Oh,
and excuse me again, miss. Can you bring us the bill,
too, please?