Speaking in A Flash: Elementary To Advanced

Speaking in a Flash
Elementary to Advanced
41 Topic-based Units
Expressions, Idioms, and Sentences
Grammar digest
Picture description
Vahid Hassani (DS)

-
Vahid Hassani
Speaking in a flash: elementary to advanced/ Vahid Hassani.
/ PE
Speaking in a Flash
- - - -
-
In the Name of God
The omnipresent
The omnipotent
The omniscient
Dedicated to Saied Hassani
To the reader
The present book comprises 41 units. The units are presented in the following fashion. The first section of
every unit which is entitled “New Words and Phrases” deals with some words and phrases which are
probably new to the reader. The second section, which should receive most of the reader’s attention, is in
fact the main part of every unit. In fact, most of the focus is on this part throughout the book. The third
section is called “Related Questions.” Some questions are presented in this part to provide the reader with
a chance to speak for a longer time. Here, the reader is recommended to answer the questions in length.
The fourth section is “Translation.” Here, the reader is supposed to translate the sentences or questions
into their source language. Teachers can ask the learners to translate the sentences from English to Farsi
or vice versa. The fifth section is “Discussion.” This section will enable the learners to discuss the
questions in length and detail.
In “expressions, idioms, and sentences” as its title implies, some expressions, idioms, and nice sentences
are presented. The philosophy behind this part is to show the learners the value, beauty, and importance of
expressions and idioms. It is crystal clear that variety is the spice of life. Here, in this part, expressions,
idioms, and nice sentences are in fact the spices of a language. They are to be used to beautify, polish, and
spice up one’s language.
In appendices, there are some tables dealing with special expressions and categories. Also, there are two
other parts which are “Grammar digest and Picture description” respectively. In “Grammar digest”, some
basic formulas are presented. Tenses, Wish, Conditional Sentences, and Passive Voice are also dealt with.
Finally, the reader will be familiarized with a new technique helping them to improve their speaking skill.
This technique is Picture description by means of which the reader or the learner will gradually learn how
to describe pictures in length, depth, and detail.
Please send your constructive comments to vahid_hassani38@yahoo.com.

Contents
To the reader…………………………………..…………………………………………...
Contents………………………………………………………………………………………
Elementary…..Low-intermediate
How to introduce yourself.............................................................................................................2
What is this? ..................................................................................................................................8
Where are you from?……...……………………………………………...…………………….13
What are you wearing? ..............................................................................................................18
What are you doing? ……………………………………….…………………………………..23
My sister works downtown……………………………………………...……………………..28
Does it have a view?…………………………………………………………………………….33
Do you need any eggs? …………………………………………………………………………38
What sports do you play?……………………………………………………………...……….43
What are you going to do?…………………………………………………………..…………48
What is the matter?.....................................................................................................................53
You can not miss it.......................................................................................................................59
Do you have fun?..........................................................................................................................64
Can I call you later?.....................................................................................................................70
Low-intermediate…..Intermediate
What is your neighborhood like?...............................................................................................76
What does he look like? What is he like?..................................................................................81
May I take your order?...............................................................................................................86
A change for the better…………………………………………………………..……………..91
Caught in the rush…………………………………………………..………………………….96
Times have changed…………………………………………….……………………………..101
What happened?........................................................................................................................106
Good book, terrible movie…………………………………………...………………………..111
No problem…………………………………………………………………………………….116
Let’s celebrate…………………………………………………………………………………122
Upper-intermediate…..Advanced
Could you do me a favor?.........................................................................................................128
Crossing cultures! .....................................................................................................................133
The world we live in………………………………………………….……………………….139
Life-long learning………………………………………………………….…………………..145
Life’s little lessons…………………………………………………………..…………………151
Behind the scenes……………………………………………………………..……………….157
There should be a law……………………………………………………..………………….162
Challenges and accomplishments……………………………………...……………………..168
Miscellaneous………………………………………………………….………………174
Restaurants ………………………………………………………………….………………..175
Hopes, plans, ambitions, and wishes…………………………………………………………178
Shopping, department stores, and salespeople……………………..………………..………181
Influential people you know…………………………………………………………………..184
Gifts……………………………………………………………………….……………………187
Air travel………………………………………………………………...……………………..190
Mishaps…………………………………………………………………..…………………….193
Keeping fit……………………………………………………………………….……………..195
Campus……………………………………………………………………………...…………196
Expressions, idioms, and sentences……………………………………..197
Appendices……………………………………………………………..………………..212
Alphabet………………………………………………………………………………………..213
Months…………………………………………………………………...…………………….213
Countries and nationalities…………………………………………...………………………213
Numerical expressions……………………………………………………….………………..214
Majors………………………………………………………………………………………….215
Food, fruit, and vegetables…………………………………………………..………………..215
Sports……………………………………………………………………………..……………216
Clothes…………………………………………………………………………….……………216
Classroom objects and stationery…………………………………………………………….217
Electrical and electronic equipment………………………………………………...………..217
Weather…………………………………………………………………………...……………217
Jobs…………………………………………………………………………….……………….218
Key verbs………………………………………………………………………………………218
Means of transportation………………………………………………………………………219
Animals…………………………………………………………………..…………………….219
Grammar digest……………………………………………………………………….220
Picture description………………………………………….………………………226
Speaking tips………………………………………………….………………………..234
Elementary…..Low-intermediate
1
How to introduce yourself
New words and phrases
to introduce how? new words

first name family name middle name
to be born a small city England
west kid most shy
to live a happy life old to enter school
after seven years to graduate from primary school
unfortunately to fail grade three
secondary school then to get admitted into university
to get admission to university to get a B.A in TEFL to love
major later to do one’s military service
to enter university to continue one’s education M.A
doctoral student to do one’s Ph.D. to teach at university
to love religion Christianity
Christian in the future to pursue one’s education
free time to go mountain climbing to watch movies
to be in a good mood to read some technical books to write
to live alone to come from a big family father
mother brother sisters
siblings married to have nephews and nieces
to speak English to speak a language I can teach.
to cook to read to write
to teach to translate to feel
job to like marital status
hobbies when/where? degrees and certificates
how/what achievements success
to have life resolutions and plans
nationality family members
to look like likes and dislikes talents
to choose field of study similar to
favorite person translation goals
widowed estranged how many?
to locate whereabouts? address
discussion your favorite teacher/actor your best friend
single divorced engaged
originally nickname e-mail
2
How to introduce yourself
Hello. How are you? I am John Smith. My first name is John, and my family name is Smith. I
do not have a middle name. I was born in a small city, Brighton. It is in England. Brighton is
in the west of England. I was born in 1974. When I was a kid, I was most shy, but I lived a
happy life. When I was seven years old, I entered school. After seven years, I graduated from
primary school. Unfortunately, I failed when I was in grade three. I entered secondary
school in 1987, and I graduated after six years, in 1993. Then, I got admitted into university.
After four years, I got my B.A in TEFL, i.e., Teaching English as a Foreign Language. I loved
my major very much. Later, I did my military service. In 2003, I entered university to continue
my education. I got my M.A in TEFL. Now, I am a doctoral student. I am doing my Ph.D./PhD. I
teach at university, and I love it very much. My religion is Christianity. So, I am Christian. In the
future, I am going to pursue my education. In my free time, I go mountain climbing, and I
watch movies. Sometimes, when I am in a good mood, I read some technical books. I write
books as well. I live alone, but I come from a big family. My family members are my father,
mother, brother, and sisters. My siblings are all married. I have got nephews and nieces, and I
love them all. I can speak English. I can teach it too. I can cook, read, write, teach, and translate.
3
Related Questions
● What is your name?
● What is your first name?
● What is your family name?
● What is your middle name?
● How do you feel today?
● What is your job?
● How do you like your job?
● What is your marital status?
● What are your hobbies?
● What do you do in your free time?
● When were your born?
● Where were your born?
● Where is your city?
● How big is your city?
● How do you like it?
● What degrees and certificates do you have?
● What achievements have you had in your life?
● What resolutions do you have? What plans do you have?
● What is your religion?
4
● What is your nationality?
● How many people are there in your family?
● How do you like your family members?
● What are you like?
● What do you look like?
● What are your likes and dislikes?
● What talents do you have?
● Why did you choose your major? Why did you choose your field of study?
● Who are you similar to?
● Who is your favorite person? Why do you like her? Why do you like him?
5
Translation
● Where were you born?
● What is your nationality?
● How do you spend your free time?
● What goals do you have?
● Why did you choose English as your major?
● What is your marital status?
Are you single, married, divorced, widowed, estranged, or engaged?
● How many siblings do you have?
● How many children do you have? How many kids do you have?
● Where is your city located?
● Where are you from originally?
● Do you have a nickname?
● Whereabouts do you live?
● What is your address?
● What is your E-mail?
● What is your religion?
6
Discussion
● Introduce one of your family members.
● Introduce your favorite teacher.
● Introduce your favorite actor.
● Introduce your best friend.
● Introduce your favorite soccer player.
7
What is this?
class now to learn English

lesson objects to observe
a language class to see a whiteboard
a DVD player a VCD player a video projector
an air-conditioner also some chairs
some course books a dustbin a desk
a magnetic eraser some markers some backpacks
to increase your stock of vocabulary to improve your stock of vocabulary to look at
give it a try where/why/when/who/what/whom? how much/how many?
to do place nearest branch of Melli bank
What is Tehran like? What is Tehran famous for? to go on a trip
to need to travel to go overseas
to go abroad teacher’s desk to use a video
to have a computer a laptop to know
Tehran is situated in Iran. Tehran is located in Iran. your favorite university
to describe to speak differences
between country city
continent your dream class your room
in front of in/at the back of across from
opposite behind under
in at on
above below over there
here to the left/right of on the right/left
among next to near
to try to find equivalent
later to practice perfect
8
What is this?
We are in a class now. We are going to learn English. This lesson is about objects you can
observe in a language class. In this class, you can see a whiteboard, a DVD player, a VCD
player, a video-projector, and an air-conditioner. We can also see some chairs, some course
books, a dustbin, a desk, a magnetic eraser, some markers, some backpacks, and etc. As you
can see, we can increase or improve our stock of vocabulary if we look at the objects around
us and try to find their equivalents in English. Later, we should practice learning them. You
know practice makes perfect. Give it a try.
9
Related Questions
♫ Where are you now?
♫ What are you doing?
♫ Why are you here?
♫ What can you see in this place?
♫ Where is the whiteboard?
♫ What should we have in a language class?
♫ What do you use a whiteboard for?
♫ Where is the nearest branch of Melli bank?
♫ Where is Iran?
♫ Where is Tehran?
♫ What is Tehran like?
♫ What is Tehran famous for?
♫ What do you need when you go on a trip?
♫ What do you need when you travel?
♫ What do you need when you go overseas? What do you need when you go abroad?
♫ What do you need in a language class?
10
Translation
♫ Where are you now?
♫ What are you doing?
♫ What can you see in this place?
♫ Where is your teacher’s desk?
♫ What do you use a video for?
♫ What new objects do you need in your class?
♫ Do you have a computer in your class? Where is it?
♫ Is there a laptop in your class? Where is it?
♫ Can you tell me where Tehran is situated? Can you tell me where Tehran is located?
♫ I do not know where Melli bank is.
♫ Are you a university student? Where is your University?
♫ What is your favorite university? Where is it located?
♫ Why do you like it?
♫ Where is your mother now? What is she doing now?
♫ Do you know where your friend is now?
11
Discussion
♫ Describe your classroom.
♫ Speak to your friend about the objects you can see in your class.
♫ There are many differences between our classes and the ones which you can see in other
countries. What are those differences?
♫ What is your dream class like?
♫ Speak about the objects you can see in your room and tell us where they are.
12
Where are you from?
full name to have a PhD TEFL and TESL

to stand for second Language to be born
very beautiful a New Zealander a kiwi
a professor to teach worldwide
country green clean
religion Christianity Christian
to love famous for tourist attractions millions of people
to visit every year industry
tourism to bring too much money
my favorite country to present lectures Iranian students
My series sells well Iran-wide to know a great civilization
to be located/situated/placed in the Middle East a country of four seasons
land of civilization and variety capital city wide-spread
beautiful polluted handicrafts
hand-woven carpets rich in oil and minerals Persian Gulf
to belong to Caspian Sea lakes
in the north of Iran to speak Farsi neighbor
independent republics former Soviet Union littoral Arab states
to recommend unique a culture-rich country
unique customs and traditions language your dream country
continents to count some islands
rivers monuments to travel extensively
sports good at technologies
a developed country a developing country wish
originally to believe in God Beijing
the Great Wall of China Japanese Sushi
different from culture Louvre
France Vatican the Amazon
Poor countries are in Africa. South America to compare and contrast
Asian countries European countries educational system
13
Where are you from?
Hello, everybody. My full name is Jack. C. Richards. I am 60 years old. I have a PhD/Ph.D. in
TEFL and TESL. TESL stands for Teaching English as a Second Language. I was born in New
Zealand. It is very beautiful. I am a New Zealander. I am a kiwi. I am a professor, and I teach
English worldwide. My country is green, and there is water everywhere. It is clean in my
country. My religion is Christianity. I am Christian. I love all religions. My country is famous
for tourist attractions. Millions of people visit it every year. This industry, tourism, brings
my country too much money.
My favorite country is Iran. Every year, I go there to present lectures. Iranian students love my
books. My series sells well Iran-wide. Iran as we all know is a country with great civilization.
It is located, situated or placed in the Middle East. Iran is a country of four seasons. It is the
land of civilization and variety. Its capital city is Tehran. This city is wide-spread, beautiful,
but polluted. Millions of people live in this city. We have beautiful cities in Iran. Isfahan,
Tabriz, Shiraz, Mashhad are big cities. Iran is famous for handicrafts, hand-woven carpets, and
it is rich in oil and minerals. Persian Gulf belongs to Iran, and Caspian Sea which is one of the
biggest lakes in the world is in the north of Iran. Iranian people speak Farsi. Iran’s neighbors are
Pakistan, Afghanistan, independent republics of former Soviet Union, Turkey, Iraq, and littoral Arab
states. I recommend you visit this unique, beautiful, and culture-rich country.
14
Related Questions
◚ Where do you live? What is your nationality?
◚ Where is your country? What is it like? What are the neighbors of your country?
◚ What is your religion?
◚ What are the unique customs and traditions of your country?
◚ What languages do people speak in your country?
◚ How many people speak those languages?
◚ What is your favorite country? What is it like?
◚ What is your dream country? What is it like?
◚ How many continents are there in our world?
◚ Can you count some islands, lakes, rivers, and monuments?
◚ Do you travel extensively? Why?
◚ Where is Brazil?
◚ What is Brazil famous for?
◚ What sports is your country good at?
◚ What technologies is your country good at?
◚ Is your country a developed or a developing one?
◚ What wishes do you have for the people of your country?
15
Translation
◚ What is your nationality? Where are you from originally?
◚ What city are you living in? What is it like?
◚ Where is your city located?
◚ What is your favorite city like? What is your favorite country like?
◚ Where is America situated? What are its neighbors?
◚ What religions are there in this world?
◚ Do you believe in God?
◚ Iran is in the Middle East. Iran is situated in the Middle East. Iran is located in the Middle
East. Iran is placed in the Middle East.
◚Beijing is the capital city of China.
◚China is famous for the Great Wall of China. China is well-known for the Great Wall of China.
◚Japanese’s favorite food is Sushi.
◚ Countries are different from each other in culture, traditions, and customs.
◚ Louvre is in France. It is situated in France.
◚ The smallest country in this world is called Vatican.
◚ The Amazon is in South America.
◚ The nationality of a person who is from Iran is Iranian.
◚ Countries are either rich or poor.
◚ Poor countries are in Africa.
16
Discussion
◚ What is your country like?
◚ What is your favorite country like?
◚ What is your dream country like?
◚ Compare and contrast two countries: An Asian one with a European one.
◚ Compare and contrast the educational system of an Asian country with a European one.
◚ Compare and contrast the services which are delivered to people in an Asian country with
those of a European one.
17
What are you wearing?
to wear a jacket because

a little cold Winter is approaching. made of cotton
a pair of pants to keep oneself warm a pair of glasses
a pair of shoes socks a nice sweater
formal clothes since to be supposed to
to wear formally on the weekend to prefer
to wear casually items of clothing to put on
to depend on to go to talk to/with
situation therefore should
to pay attention to clothing etiquettes to wear funky clothes
to mean to like comfortable
conclusion to say at least
informal or casual to wear differently due to
a large number of factors as follows prestige
position job class
age clothing styles expensive
to buy clothes to get a refund to change
modeling important a link
respect attention to receive
to spend money on something monthly fashion-conscious
to follow the current fashions perfume to wear perfume
to wear a wig to wear contact lens to wear engagement ring
a blue tie to sell at a discount to get a discount
to go window-shopping to wear make-up to wear cosmetics
to be heavily made-up No credit is given here. to try something on
to be tight to be loose There is a hole in this pair of pants.
Do your buttons. Undo your buttons. Fasten your seat-belt.
obligatory to wear seat-belt mandatory
necessary to describe relationship
color brand fabric
person character similarities
differences clothing industry to play an important role
to establish communication a clothes designer innovations
new trends to think of to design
18
What are you wearing?
Today, I am in my language class, and I am teaching English. I am wearing a jacket because it

is a little cold. You know winter is approaching. My jacket is made of cotton. I am wearing a
pair of pants to keep myself warm. I am wearing a pair of glasses, a pair of shoes, socks, and
a nice sweater. I am wearing formal clothes since I am in my language class, and I am
supposed to wear formally. When I am out on the weekend, I prefer to wear casually. You
know the items of clothing we put on depend on what we are going to do, where we are going
to go, and whom or who we are going to talk to/with. It depends on the situation we are in.
Therefore, we should pay attention to clothing etiquettes. I myself do not wear funky clothes.
I do not mean that I do not like them. I do not feel comfortable when I wear them.
As a conclusion, it is to say that there are at least three clothing styles: formal, informal or
casual, and funky clothes. People wear differently due to a large number of factors. They are
as follows: prestige, position, job, class, situation, and age.
19
Related Questions
■ What are you wearing today?
■ What is your teacher wearing today?
■ What clothing styles are there?
■ What clothing styles do you prefer?
■ How expensive are clothes in your city?
■ What are clothes made of in your country?
■ Where do you go when you are going to buy clothes?
■ Can you get a refund in your country?
■ Can you change the clothes you have bought?
■ Is modeling a job in your country?
■ How important are clothes to people in your country?
■ Is there a link between a person, the items of clothing he is wearing, and the amount of
respect or attention he receives in your country?
■ How much money do people spend on their clothes monthly in your country?
■ Are you fashion-conscious?
■ Do you follow the current fashions?
20
Translation
■ What kind of perfume do you wear?
■ Does your father wear a wig?
■ Do you wear contact lens?
■ Why do not you wear your engagement ring?
■ Are clothes expensive in your country?
■ How much is the blue tie?
■ Do you sell at a discount? Can I get a discount here?
■ Can I get a refund?
■ Do you go window-shopping?
■ How often do you buy clothes?
■ Do you wear make-up? Do you wear cosmetics?
■ That lady is heavily made-up.
■ No credit is given here.
■ Can I try this shirt on?
■ That shirt is too tight. That shirt is too loose.
■ There is a hole in this pair of pants.
■ Do your buttons.
■ Undo your buttons.
■ Fasten your seat-belt.
■ It is obligatory to fasten seat-belt. It is mandatory to fasten seat-belt. It is necessary to fasten seat-belt.
21
Discussion
■ Describe your teacher’s clothes.
■ Describe your favorite actor’s clothes.
■ What is the relationship between one’s clothes, its color, brand and fabric and that person’s character?
■ What are the similarities and differences between clothing industry in Iran and another country?
■ Can “the type of clothes one wears” play an important role in establishing communication
with other people?
■ What would you do if you were a clothes designer? What innovations and new trends would
you think of?
22
What are you doing?
to do at this moment to continue

some time to teach a new point this tense
to call/to be called present continuous present progressive
to mention earlier an activity
to last please to listen to
to ask some questions to answer
What are you doing now? I exactly do not know. to think
She is cooking now. conversation I think it is up/over now.
The class is dismissed. your mom your friend
to watch a movie to play soccer to read a novel
to listen to music Koreans Americans
Australians Africans to enjoy
your classmates Eskimos your parents
to play the Piano to exercise through/by means of
method your reasons to be for a method
to be against a method to express something in order to put something in order
your family members to relate unit five
meaningfully to pick a picture an album
a cartoon a comic strip painting
to do one’s best to
23
What are you doing?
Hello. It is me again. I am in my language class, and I am going to teach again. What am I doing
now? Now, I am teaching English. Now, at this moment, I am doing something which continues
for some time. As you can see, I am teaching a new point. This tense is called present continuous.
This tense is called present progressive as well. As it was mentioned earlier, this tense is about
an activity which lasts for some time.
● Amir, could you please tell me what you are doing now?
Yes, I am listening to you.
Oh, yes. You mean you are listening to your teacher.
● Ok. What about you Reza?
I am learning English now.
Yes, ok. It is ok. You are learning English now.
Thank you. Now, I will ask Jack some questions, and he will answer my questions.
● Jack, what are you doing now?
I am learning English now.
● Ok, what is your teacher doing now?
He is teaching English.
● Thank you. What about your mother? What is she doing now?
My mother, I exactly do not know, but I think she is cooking now.
● Thanks, what is your classmate doing now?
Oh, he is listening to you and me, to our conversation.
Ok. I think it is up/over now, and the class is dismissed. Thank you.
24
Related Questions
► What are you doing now?
► What is your mom doing now?
► What is your father doing now?
► What is your sister doing now?
► What is your brother doing now?
► What is your friend doing now?
► Are you watching TV? Why do you watch it?
► Are you playing soccer? Why do you play it?
► Are you listening to music? Why do you listen to it?
► Are you reading a novel? Why do people read them?
► What are the Koreans doing now?
► What are the Americans doing now?
► What are the Australians doing now?
► What are the Europeans doing now?
► What are the Africans doing now?
25
Translation
► What are you doing now? Do you enjoy doing it?
► What is your teacher doing now? Does he enjoy it?
► What are your classmates doing now?
► What are Eskimos doing now?
► What are your parents doing now?
► Could you please tell me what you are doing now?
► Are you watching TV now? Why?
► Why are you playing the Piano now?
► Why are you exercising now?
► Are you learning English now? Why?
► Has your English improved through this method? If so/If not, what are your reasons?
► Are you for or against this method? Why?
►What are you going to do in the future? Why?
►What is David Beckham’s nationality? Where is he from?
► What do you call this in English?
26
Discussion
► What activities are you doing now? Put express them in order.
► People from different countries are doing different things now. Compare and contrast what
people from two different countries are doing now.
►What activities do you think your family members are doing now? Express them in English.
► Relate to each other everything you have learnt from unit one through unit five meaningfully and
express them in English.
► Pick a picture, a favorite one, from an album, a caricature, a cartoon, a comic strip, or a
painting and do your best to describe it in English.
27
My sister works downtown
to work downtown uptown

How do you feel today? to serve in the army retired
stationery store school-supplies store a home-maker
a house-wife an engineer to be on unemployment
although university degrees to take care of somebody
a teacher rewarding interesting students
co-workers workplace stress-free
to feel relaxed to change one’s job both easy and difficult
by subway most crowded to bother
to tell the truth My ideal, perfect, dream job is teaching. career
occupation profession advantages
disadvantages to elaborate upon something a boring job
a stressful job a tiring job an exhausting job
unique services to deliver a well-paid job
the amount of money you make the atmosphere of your workplace factors
parameters to heed colleagues
priority to be happy with something to be gratified with something
to be satisfied with something to look for a job to consider
to work abroad special services a managerial position
job-satisfaction distance environment
to touch upon something Think of yourself as an … entrepreneur
job creator expectations to employ somebody
employment criteria labor legislations laws
rules regulations partner
28
My sister works downtown
Hello. How do you feel today? I am going to talk about jobs today. Also, I am going to speak
about my family and tell you what jobs they have.
My father served in the army. He loved his job. Now, he is retired, and he is working in a
stationery store or school-supplies store. It is his store. My mother whom/who I love very
much is a home-maker or a house-wife. My brother is an engineer, and now he is on
unemployment. My sisters do not have jobs. They do not work although they have university
degrees. They are home-makers. They take care of their families.
I love my family. I am a teacher. I teach English. I love my job. It is rewarding. I see and teach
interesting students. I teach them, and I enjoy it very much. I love my co-workers and my
workplace because It is stress-free. I feel relaxed in my workplace. I am not going to change
my job since I love it. Teaching is both easy and difficult. Its being easy or difficult depends on
how you look at it.
I go to work everyday. I go there by subway. Unfortunately, it is most crowded in the morning,

and it bothers me a little. To tell you the truth, my ideal, perfect, dream job is teaching.
29
Related Questions
◜ What is your job? What is your career? What is your occupation? What is your profession?
◜ What do you do?
◜ What are you?
◜ What does your father do? What does your mother do?
◜ How do you like your job?
◜ Why do you enjoy your job?
◜ What is your favorite job? Why do you like it?
◜ What is your ideal job?
◜ What are the advantages and disadvantages of your job? Elaborate upon them.
◜ Is your job boring? Why is it boring? Is your job stressful? Why is it stressful? Is your job
tiring? Why is it tiring? Is your job exhausting? Why is it exhausting?
◜ What unique services do you deliver in your job?
◜ Are you going to change your job? If so, why? If not, why?
◜ Is your job well-paid?
◜ How much attention do you pay to the amount of money you make through your job?
◜ What parameters or factors do you heed when you are choosing a job?
◜ How important is the atmosphere of your workplace to you?
◜ How important are your colleagues?
30
Translation
◜ Do you like your job? Why do you like it?
◜ What is your favorite job?
◜ Are you well-paid? Do you have a well-paid job?
◜ How important is money to you?
◜ What is of too much priority to you in your workplace?
◜ Are you happy, gratified, and satisfied with your co-workers?
◜ Is your job relaxing or stressful?
◜ What kind of job do you like? What kind of job are you looking for?
◜ What factors or parameters do you consider when you are choosing a job?
◜ Do you like working abroad?
◜ What special services would you like to deliver?
◜ Do you like having a managerial position?
◜ Are you satisfied with your job? Do you have job-satisfaction?
◜ How important are “money, distance to your workplace, colleagues, and the environment of
your workplace to you?”
◜ What is your dream job? Elaborate upon it.
31
Discussion
◜ Elaborate upon your job.
◜ What jobs are well-paid in your country? Touch upon those jobs.
◜ Think of yourself as an entrepreneur or job creator. What expectations do you have while
you are employing somebody? What “employment criteria” do you have?
◜ Compare and contrast “working in Iran with working in Europe, America, Africa, and Australia.”
◜ Our labor legislations, laws, rules, and regulations are different from those in other
countries. Discuss those differences with your partners.
32
Does it have a view?
view apartment building

furniture place of residence a big, cosmopolitan city
a big, wide-spread city dirty and polluted too much traffic
land area meter small
comfortable and convenient floor noisy
neighbor to get along with somebody good in nature
a living room a bed room a bathroom
a WC a kitchen in fact
well-lit a fridge a refrigerator
a freezer a microwave oven as well
plates spoons forks
knives kitchen utensils a TV set
a bookcase sofa a table
a carpet a computer a bed
to sleep to have a good night and sleep mine
to have study room dining room
neighborhood dream-house dream-city
dream-country What is your city like? easily
logical to provide people with affordable housing
idea capsule hotels object
to put an end to housing problem to translate
skyscraper tower villa
penthouse area home
house to rent to build
jerry-building a pleasant phenomenon apartment-building
business to give somebody permission to give somebody authority
features to have a hand in something industry
accommodation following to make a decision
33
Does it have a view?
Hello. It is me again. Today, we are going to learn about apartments, buildings, and furniture.
We are going to talk about our place of residence, the place where we live.
Ok. I live in a big and cosmopolitan city. This city which is the capital city of my country is
Tehran. Tehran is a big and wide-spread city. It is dirty and polluted. There is too much traffic
in this city. Here, I live in an apartment. It is a small one. Its land area is fifty meters. It is small,
but it is comfortable and convenient. I love my apartment. In our apartment building, there are
four floors, and on every floor there are two apartments. It is not very much noisy. I love my
neighbors, and I get along with them. They are good in nature.
In my apartment, there is a living room, a bed room, a bathroom, a WC, and a kitchen. My
apartment has a good view. It is in fact well-lit. In the kitchen, you can see a fridge, a refrigerator,
and a freezer. There is a microwave oven as well. There are plates, spoons, forks, knives, you
know kitchen utensils. In the living room, there is a TV set, a bookcase, sofa, a table, a carpet, and
my computer. In the bedroom, there is a bed. I go there just to sleep, to have a good night and
sleep. Although mine is small, I do love it very much.
34
Related Questions
♪ Where do you live?
♪ Where is your apartment? How big is it?
♪ Where is your apartment located?
♪ How do you like it?
♪ What do you have in your kitchen?
♪ What do you have in your bedroom?
♪ What do you have in your living room?
♪ What do you have in your study room?
♪ What do you have in your dining room?
♪ How big is your apartment?
♪ What is your neighborhood like?
♪ What is your city like?
♪ What is your dream-house like?
♪ What is your dream-city like?
♪ What is your dream-country like?
♪ Can people in your country buy apartments easily?
♪ Is it logical to have more than one apartment?
♪ How can we provide people with affordable housing?
♪ What is your idea about capsule hotels?
♪ What is the most important object in your apartment?
♪ How can we put an end to housing problem?
35
Translation
♪ Where are you from? Where do you live?
♪ What is your neighborhood like?
♪ Why do you like your neighborhood?
♪ What is your dream-city like?
♪ What is your dream-apartment like?
♪ How do you translate skyscraper, tower, villa, and penthouse into Farsi?
♪ Do you like living in another neighborhood? Why? Why not?
♪ What area of your city do you like to live in?
♪ Do you like to have ten apartments? What would you do if you had ten apartments?
♪ Is it logical to have more than one apartment?
♪ What is the difference between home and house?
♪ What do you pay attention to when you are buying or renting an apartment?
♪ What factors should engineers heed when they are building apartments?
♪ Is “jerry-building” a pleasant phenomenon?
♪ Should we consider apartment-building a business?
36
Discussion
♪ Compare and contrast apartments and places of residence in Iran with those in other countries.
♪ Should all engineers be given the permission and authority to build apartments?
What features should these engineers have?
♪ Describe the best villa or tower you have ever seen. What were they like?
♪ What are your dream-villa, skyscraper, and penthouse like?
♪ What factors would you heed if you had a hand in apartment-building industry?
♪ Compare and contrast apartments downtown and uptown.
♪ What changes would you make to enjoy your accommodation more?
♪ You can live in one of the following places: a villa, an apartment, a small city, a penthouse, a
village, or a tower. Which one would you prefer? Why did you make such a decision?
37
Do you need any eggs?
to need eggs to cook/make

your favorite food a cook our body
to answer this simple question food pyramid to have an exact look
carbohydrate protein fat
fiber minerals dairy products
meat fish chicken
milk yoghurt fruits
vegetables list to continue
by the way how many meals? breakfast
lunch dinner to have
the majority of women can to cook well
while to tolerate an amateur cook
to be capable of moments life
to be alone to dislike like
to eat as a result healthier
vegetarians vegans eating habits
to vary at the time of eating to put hands on laps
to place hands on laps to use chopsticks in the East West of Asia
difficult to share food to eat in the same plate
ethnic foods available special areas
well-known to show too much interest different foods
in other words to fall into different categories healthy food
junk food halal food organic food
fast-food place genetically modified food fast food
home-made food diet food snacks
takeaway takeout your favorite drink
your favorite refreshments to make tea to brew tea
to include to hate to define
omnivorous carnivorous herbivorous
to be on a diet to lose weight to gain weight
a balanced diet salty sweet
bitter sour bland
to go sour I am poisoned. I am food-poisoned.
to try a food Iranians non-Iranians
38
Do you need any eggs?
Hello. Welcome to “How to cook/make your favorite food.” I am a cook. I have been a cook for
ten years. As you know, our body needs food. What foods does our body need? To answer this
simple question, it is good to have a look at “food pyramid.” If you have an exact look at it, you
see that our body needs carbohydrate, protein, fat, fiber, and minerals. Our body needs dairy
products, meat, fish, chicken, milk, yoghurt, fruits, vegetables, etc. This list will continue.
By the way, how many meals do you have in a day? We have three meals. In the morning, we
have breakfast. At noon, we have lunch. In the evening, we have dinner.
Can you cook? As we all know, the majority of women can cook well. Some men can cook
while the others can not tolerate it at all. I myself can cook. I call myself an amateur cook. I
think everybody should be capable of cooking. There are moments in your life when you are
alone, and there is nobody to cook for you. What would you do in such a situation?
People like some foods, and they dislike the other foods. I like all foods, but my favorite food is
fish. In countries like Japan, people eat too much fish. As a result, they are healthier than
people in so many other countries. In some other countries, people prefer vegetable to meat.
They are vegetarians or vegans.
Eating habits vary from country to country. At the time of eating, people in some countries put
or place their hands on their laps. In some other countries, people use their hands when they are
eating. In the East West of Asia, people use chopsticks. It is difficult to use them. In some
other countries, people share food. They eat in the same plates.
Ethnic foods are available in every country. They are the foods which are eaten very much in
special areas of a country. They are well-known in those areas, and the people who are new to
those areas show too much interest in those foods.
We have different foods. In other words, they fall into different categories. We have healthy,
junk, halal, organic, ethnic, genetically modified, fast, home-made, and diet foods. Snacks
and take-away or takeout are available as well.
39
Related Questions
● What is your favorite food?
● What is your favorite drink?
● What is your favorite vegetable?
● What is your favorite fruit?
● What are your favorite refreshments?
● Can you cook your favorite food?
● How do you make it?
● How do you make tea? How do you brew tea?
● How do you cook your favorite food? How do you make your favorite food?
● What does our body need?
● What do dairy products include?
● What is protein in?
● What is fiber in?
● What is mineral in?
● What is ethnic food? What ethnic foods do you have in your country?
● Who are better cooks? Men or women?
● What eating habits do you have?
● Are eating habits different from country to country?
40
Translation
● What is your favorite food? How do you make it?
● Please speak about eating habits.
● What does our body need?
● What foods do not you like? What foods do you hate?
● What foods do you like?
● How many meals do we have in a day?
● What is food-pyramid?
● What foods are included in the food-pyramid?
● What are healthy, halal, junk, and GM (genetically-modified) foods? How do you define them?
● What does GMF stand for?
● What are the differences between GMF and organic foods?
● How do you define organic food?
● People fall into two categories: the omnivorous and the carnivorous ones.
● Some animals are carnivorous.
● Some animals are both herbivorous and omnivorous.
● I am on a diet. I want to lose weight. I want to gain weight.
● I should have a balanced diet.
● This food is salty. That one is sweet. The one on the right is bitter. The one on the left is sour. Mine is bland.
● This milk has gone sour. It went sour.
● I am poisoned. I am food-poisoned.
41
Discussion
● What is your favorite food? How do you make it?
● Compare and contrast the foods of your country with those in other countries.
● What differences do you see between Iranians and non-Iranians in eating-habits?
● Elaborate upon the food-pyramid.
● Have you ever tried Indian, Italian, and Japanese foods? How did you feel while eating them?
Will you try them again? Why?
42
What sports do you play?
What sports do you play? exercise sport

to play sports a fitness freak to be in shape
fighting fit as fit as a fiddle to be fit
how often? to exercise to go to a gym
to have some choices to get up early to warm oneself up
to run to do push-ups and press-ups to be in a good mood
to go bicycling to go mountain-climbing to go cycling
muscles strong to make stronger
to go to a bodybuilding club to make some new friends to enjoy one’s spare-time
for different purposes to have fun to spend one’s free-time
to build self-confidence to be muscular to show off their muscles
nowadays used to to play soccer
to play chess to play ping-pong table-tennis
to be busy to watch sports to watch soccer matches
on TV European league European championship
General Practitioners to recommend to believe
to guarantee people’s health adulthood to reduce
the cost of medical care definitely a life-long investment
a life-long insurance a fan of a team special talents
your favorite athlete advantages benefits
industry to elaborate upon something physical-education
similar attitudes professionalism professional
amateur to show unity
solidarity unity or solidarity of a nation to be interested in something
soccer coach to change to affect one’s mood
to affect one’s behavior main differences to approve drugs
to approve hormones sportsmen enough sporting facilities
appropriate sports equipment relationship national solidarity
national teams in recent years nutrition
nutritionists to play impacts
to build a nation to manage sport to consider
sport industry characteristics great coaches
team-work reasons factors
parameters to heed to employ
international coaches useful international players
to develop to improve to need
psychologists the role of a captain responsibilities
a team’s success tactics techniques
happiness sadness happiness of a nation
43
Hello. How are you? Today, we are going to talk about exercise and sport. Do you exercise? Do
you play sports? What sports do you like? Are you a fitness freak? Are you in shape? Are you
fighting fit? Are you as fit as a fiddle? What do you do to be in shape? What do you do to be
fit? How often do you exercise, play sports, or go to a gym?
To be fit or in shape, you have some choices. You can either exercise or play sports or you can
do both of them.
How often do you exercise? I do exercises everyday. I get up early and go to a park to exercise.
First, I warm myself up. Then, I run for five minutes. I do push-ups and press-ups.
Sometimes, when I am in a good mood, I go bicycling and mountain-climbing. I love cycling.
It makes my muscles stronger. Sometimes, I go to a bodybuilding club. I go there to be in
shape, to be fit, to make some new friends, and to enjoy my spare-time. You know people go to
body-building gyms for different purposes. Some go there to have fun. Some other people
prefer to spend their free-time with others. Some go there to build self-confidence, to be
muscular, and to show off their muscles. Anyway, it is better than being alone home.
Unfortunately, I do not play any sports nowadays. When I was younger, I used to play soccer,
chess, and ping-pong. I loved table-tennis very much. Nowadays, I am terribly busy, and I do
not have any time to play sports, but I love watching sports on TV. I watch soccer matches on
TV, especially European league or championship.
Some GPs, General Practitioners, recommend people do exercise or play sports. They believe
that doing exercise or playing sports can guarantee people’s health in adulthood. They also
believe that doing exercise, playing sports, even watching sports can reduce the cost of medical care.
So, do exercise and play a sport. It will definitely guarantee your health. You know it is a life-
long investment and insurance.
44
Related Questions
◙ How often do you exercise?
◙ Do you play sports? What sports do you play? Why do you play sports?
◙ Are you a fan of any team? What is that team? Why do you love it?
◙ Who is your favorite soccer player? Why do you like him? What special talents does he have?
◙ What is your favorite team? Why do you like it?
◙ What is your favorite league?
◙ Why and when do you exercise?
◙ Who is your favorite athlete? Why do you like him?
◙ What are the advantages or benefits of exercising?
◙ Is sport an industry today? Elaborate upon it.
◙ How is physical-education in Iran/Europe? How different are they?
◙ Do Iranians and non-Iranians have similar attitudes towards sports and exercise?
◙ How important is professionalism?
◙ Is our soccer professional or amateur?
◙ How can sport show the unity or solidarity of a nation?
45
Translation
◙ Are you interested in Iran soccer?
◙ Who is the best Iranian soccer coach? Why do you think he is the best?
◙ What are your favorite sports and exercises?
◙ How often do you exercise?
◙ How can sport change somebody’s life?
◙ Does exercising affect one’s mood and behavior?
◙ Is our sport professional or amateur?
◙ What are the main differences between sport in Iran and sport in other countries?
◙ Why do you go to a body-building club? What are its advantages?
◙ Do you approve drugs and hormones? Is it ok if sportsmen use them?
◙ Do we have enough, appropriate sporting facilities or equipment?
◙ What is the relationship between sport and national solidarity? Can sport show the unity of a nation?
◙ What Iranian national teams have been our best teams in recent years?
◙ What is the relationship between sport and nutrition?
◙ What roles can nutritionists play in sport industry?
◙ What impacts can sports have on building a nation?
◙ Who should manage sport?
◙ Should sport be considered as an industry?
◙ What are the characteristics of great coaches?
◙ What role can teamwork play in sport?
46
Discussion
◙ Why do you go to a gym? Give your own reasons.
◙ There are big differences between sports in Iran and sports overseas. What are those differences?
◙ What factors or parameters do you heed as a soccer coach?
◙ Is “employing international coaches” useful? Elaborate upon it.
◙ Can “employing international players” play an important role in developing and improving
a country’s sport? Touch upon it.
◙ Do sports teams need psychologists? Why do they need them?
◙ What is the role of a captain? What responsibilities does he have?
◙ Do you see teamwork in Iranian teams?
◙ Which factor is the most important one in a team’s success?
teamwork, tactics, techniques, coach, or facilities
◙ What is the role of sport in the happiness or sadness of a nation? Elaborate upon it.
47
What are you going to do?
What are you going to do? to feel ok a university student

a sophomore a language institute teaching
birthday to hold a party to invite
intimate friends sure to play some interesting games
to play cards our old school days to light candles
to blow candles to clap to bring
some parcels to unwrap the parcels to entertain friends
to remember a busy week to feel tired
to get rid of tiredness co-workers an unforgettable weekend
to go out to visit a museum to go swimming
to join a club to put an end to our tiredness to put an end to our boredom
to have fun to make new friends to do one’s B.A
Bachelor of Arts a freshman international language
a means to an end to pursue one’s education to continue one’s education
to get an M.A Master of Arts I would like to
to get one’s PhD Doctor of philosophy If possible
to get one’s post-doctorate to be of great help to people resolution
in a shorter period of time to release some nice papers ambition
internationally-known figures to achieve one’s goals to set goals
When there is a will, there is a way. What does future hold for you? bright future
dark future to build one’s future your past, present, and future
the world of teaching to go on a trip a great, influential figure
to marry to continue one’s studies to be for something
to be against something to get experienced to travel extensively
to attend a language class to move to a new place the world of education
the world of fashion the world of clothing planets
a good parent criteria a happy marriage
to invest a successful professor to experience
48
What are you going to do?
Hi. How do you feel today? Are you feeling ok? What are you doing these days? What are you going to
do in the future?
Hello. My name is Alex. I am twenty years old. I am a university student. I am a sophomore. I love my
major. That is TEFL. TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. I teach English in a
language institute. I love teaching. Next Monday is my birthday, and I am going to hold a party. I am
going to invite my intimate friends home. I am sure that they will definitely come to my party. We are
going to play some interesting games. We will play cards too. We will surely speak about our old school
days.
● What do you do when you hold a party, Alex?
I invite friends home. I will light some candles. Then, I will blow them, and the others clap. They bring
with them some parcels. In my country, we unwrap the parcels to see what is inside. Then, we entertain
our friends. We enjoy it a lot.
Hello. Do you remember me? I am Jack, Jack Ferdinand from Columbia. This week was a busy week. I
went to work every day. So, I am feeling a bit tired. I should get rid of this tiredness. What should I do? I
have something on my mind. I am going to spend my weekend with my friend, George. We are co-
workers. We have been friends for five years. What are we going to do? We both are going to have an
unforgettable weekend. We will go out to visit a museum, go swimming, and join a club. We are
going to join a club to put an end to our tiredness and boredom and to have fun. We terribly need it. We
can also make new friends there.
Hi, how do you do? I am George Ferguson from England. I live in London, a dirty city. I am doing my
B.A. It stands for Bachelor of Arts. I am studying English, and I am a freshman. I am spending my first
year at university. I love English for many reasons. It is an international language. It is a means to an
end. You need to know English to pursue your education. Now, the question is: what am I going to do in
the future? I want to continue my education. First, I want to get my M.A (Master of Arts) in TEFL,
Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Then, I would like to get my Ph.D., Doctor of philosophy. If
possible, I would like to get my Post-doctorate. I want to be of great help to people. It is my resolution
to write some books in English and help the others learn it in a shorter period of time. I want to release
some nice papers as well. One of my great ambitions is to be an internationally-known figure. Can I
achieve my goals? Yes. I think when there is a will, there is a way.
49
Related Questions
◜ What is your resolution?
◜ What ambitions do you have? Touch upon them.
◜ What are you going to do in the future?
◜ What does future hold for you?
◜ Will your future be bright? Will your future be dark?
◜ How can you build your future?
◜ Could you please compare and contrast your past, present, and future?
◜ Are you going to join a club? Why?
◜ Are you going to join a gym? Why?
◜ Are you going to continue your education?
◜ Are you going to travel abroad?
◜ What would “the world of teaching” be like in the future?
◜ Will you go on a trip next week?
◜ Where will you travel to in the future?
◜ Will you be a great, influential figure in the future? Why do you think so?
50
Translation
◜ Compare and contrast your past, present, and future.
◜ Are you going to marry in the near future? Why?
◜ Are you going to continue your studies in the future?
◜ Are you going to travel out next week?
◜ Are you for or against this saying? “You do not know people unless you travel with them.”
◜ Are you for or against this saying? “Nobody gets experienced unless they travel extensively.”
◜ How will teachers teach in the future?
◜ Are you going to write a book in the future?
◜ Are you going to watch the football match between Manchester United and Chelsea?
◜ Are you going to attend a language class in the future?
◜ Are you going to move to a new place in the future?
◜ Will Iran Football National team play well in World Cup?
◜ How are you going to spend your weekend?
◜ What resolutions do you have? What ambitions do you have?
51
Discussion
◜ Will “the world of education” be very much different in the future?
◜ Will “the world of fashion and clothing” be very much different in the future?
◜ Will it be possible to travel to other planets in the near future?
◜ Will you be an influential figure in your society?
◜ Will you be a good parent in the future? How do you know?
◜ Will you marry in the near future? What are your criteria for a happy marriage?
◜ How will you invest in the future? Why?
◜ Are you going to change your child into a successful professor, doctor, actor, or soccer player
in the future? Why?
◜ What changes will our world experience in the future?
◜ How do you see the future of this world? Why?
52
What is the matter?
What is the matter? How can I help you? I have a cold.

a slight fever a terrible sore throat Have you taken any pills?
to breathe deeply Let’s have a look. thermometer
a slight temperature Can I take your pulse? serious
a common cold to stay home to relax
to slurp to bother to get better
You are welcome. all of the sudden pain
a terrible backache to take something seriously at the beginning
family doctor to check to examine
to recommend to undergo check-ups to hurt
severely to suggest for a while
fantastic, athletic body What is wrong with you? a stomachache
sore eyes sore arms sore muscles
a psychologist a psychiatrist to check up
home-remedy folk-remedy logical
physical-therapists radiologists specialists
to cure patients a perfect society
governments mentally sound and sane duties
responsibilities to be in charge of to promote the health of a society
to emphasize sick treatment
insurance companies to deliver good services to deliver appropriate services
to expect to evaluate to take measure
special diseases to deal with to tackle
My stomach aches. a heart specialist to prescribe
to floss to brush to use mouth-wash
an operation to operate on the mends
ampule ampoule prescription
a drugstore medicine to use chemical drugs
to use herbal drugs to support modern medicine
prospective doctors traditional medicine integrative, holistic medicine
53
What is the matter?
A) How can I help you?
B) Hello. I have a cold. I have a slight fever, and I have a terrible sore throat.
A) Have you taken any pills?
B) No.
A) Breathe deeply. Ok. Now, let’s have a look at your eyes. Ok. Put the thermometer in your
mouth. Oh, yes. You have a slight temperature. Can I take your pulse? Ok.
B) Is something the matter with me, doctor?
A) Oh, no. It is not serious. It is just a common cold. Take these pills twice a day.
Take one every twelve hours. Stay home for a day and relax. Have soup, but do not slurp. It
bothers some. If you did not get better, visit me again.
B) Ok. Thank you, doctor.
A) You are welcome. You will be better within two days. Bye.
Hello. I am David Jefferson. I live in Manchester. I am forty-five years old. I used to exercise
everyday. I played soccer as well. Unfortunately, nowadays, I do not exercise, and I do not play
any sports. One day, I was exercising hard. All of the sudden, there was a pain in my back. It
was a terrible backache. I did not take it seriously at the beginning. It did not get better. So, I
decided to see a doctor. I visited my family doctor two weeks ago. He checked/examined my
body. He recommended I undergo some check-ups. Unfortunately, something was wrong with
my back. I had hurt my back severely. Now, I do not feel ok. My doctor suggested I not
exercise and play sports for a while. So, now I just watch sports on TV. I am sure I will be better
in the future. I am sure I will have that fantastic, athletic body again.
54
Related Questions
◛ How do you feel today? Why do you feel so?
◛ What is the matter with you? What is wrong with you?
◛ Do you have a headache, a sore throat, a backache, a stomachache, a fever, a slight

temperature, sore eyes, sore arms, sore muscles?
◛ How often do you see a doctor? A General Practitioner?
◛ How often do you see a psychologist?
◛ How often do you see a psychiatrist?
◛ How often do you check up your body?
◛ How often do you have your eyes checked? How often do you get your ears checked?
◛ How do you see home-remedy? How do you see folk-remedy? Do you believe it?
◛ Is it logical to see a doctor when something is the matter with you?
◛ What roles can physical-therapists, radiologists, specialists play in our society?
◛ What factors should doctors heed when curing patients?
◛ Is it ok to have a family doctor?
◛ What is the relationship between “being healthy and having a perfect society?”
◛ Whose responsibility is it to change the society into a healthy one?
◛ What roles can governments play to have a good, healthy society?
55
Translation
◛Are you physically ok? Are you mentally sound and sane?
◛ How often do you visit a doctor?
◛ What roles can doctors play in a society? What duties/responsibilities do they have?
◛Who is in charge of the health of people and society?
◛How can people promote the health of a society?
◛ Should physical education be emphasized in schools?
◛ What is the relationship between healthy people and a healthy society?
◛ How often do you exercise?
◛ What do you do when you are sick?
◛ Do you believe in folk-remedy? Do you believe in home-remedy?
◛ What is the relationship between money and treatment?
◛ Do insurance companies deliver good/appropriate services in your country? If so, if not, why?
◛ What services should they deliver? What do you expect them to do?
◛How do you evaluate insurance industry in your country? Is it good, bad, or average?
Elaborate upon it.
◛ What measures are to be taken in case of special diseases? How should we deal with
them? How should we tackle them?
◛ I have a headache. What should I do?
◛ I have a stomachache. My stomach aches.
56
◛ There is a pain in my eye. It is sore. What should I do?
◛ I have a fever. What should I do?
◛ I am going to be a heart specialist. I want to be a heart specialist.
◛ The doctor prescribed me Acetaminophen.
◛ Do you floss your teeth?
◛ Do you brush your teeth?
◛ How often do you use mouthwash?
◛ Have you ever had an operation?
◛ A doctor operated my eyes. I had my eyes operated.
◛ I am on the mends.
◛ The doctor prescribed me B.complex ampoule/ampule.
◛ I took the prescription to a drugstore, but they did not have the prescribed drug.
◛ Is treatment expensive in your country?
57
Discussion
◛ What do you do when you are sick? Elaborate upon it.
◛ Compare and contrast medicine in Iran with medicine in other countries.
◛ What is the relationship between money and treatment? Touch upon it.
◛Do you believe in home-remedy or folk-remedy? Why? Why not?
◛ Do you prefer to use chemical drugs or herbal drugs? Why?
◛ What do you expect doctors to do? How should governments support them?
◛ Think of yourself as a doctor. Your class partner is your patient. Make a nice conversation.
◛ Is medicine modern in your country? How do you know it?
◛ What group of people could make good doctors? What characteristics should prospective doctors have?
◛ As a doctor, do you prefer to marry a doctor or somebody else who has not studied medicine?
Give your reasons.
◛Is medicine traditional, integrative, or holistic in your country? Touch upon it.
58
You can not miss it.
accent a tourist twice

on a business trip stress bad and negative publicity
friendly outgoing hospitable
to change one’s mind marvelous cosmopolitan
monuments tower mosques
palaces to my surprise to ask somebody for directions
to be of great help to somebody to be replete with tourist attractions
to miss wonders to turn left or right
to get to to go straight ahead commute buses
on this route to design the Statue of Liberty
Mexico the Great Wall of China place
gas station the museum of contemporary arts suburb
outskirt amusement park a tour leader
a tour guide the symbol of freedom or liberty Egypt
You are lost. exact address to exchange
phrases to direct to imagine
to face to look for group work
59
You can not miss it.
Have you ever been to Tehran? Do you know where Tehran is? Is it in Asia, Africa, or Europe?
What is it famous for? What accent do Tehrani people speak with? What languages do they
speak?
Ok. I am Alex Jackson. As a tourist, I have been to Tehran twice. When I was travelling to
Tehran on a business trip for the first time, I had too much stress. This big amount of stress was
because of bad and negative publicity against Iranian people. When I got there, I found
everything different. It was terribly beautiful, but polluted. The people, Tehranis, were friendly,
outgoing, and hospitable. This trip changed my mind about Iranian people. Tehran is a big,
marvelous, cosmopolitan, and beautiful city. My second trip to Tehran was a better one. I
visited monuments like Azadi and Milad towers, museums, beautiful parks, mosques, and
palaces. To my surprise, when I asked them for directions, a few took me to those places. It
was surprising. They were of great help to me and other tourists. Tehran is replete with tourist
attractions. Do not miss those wonders.
60
Related Questions
◘ Where is Tehran?
◘ What is the capital city of Iran? What is it like?
◘ What is New York famous for?
◘ Have you ever been to Japan?
◘ Have you ever been to Disney Land? What was it like?
◘ Could you please tell me where Adams Street is?
◘ How can I get to Richards street?
◘ Should I turn left or right when I get to Richards street?
◘ How long should I go straight?
◘ Are there commute buses on this route (Lincoln to Adams Street)?
◘ How do you get to your workplace?
◘ How do you prefer to travel: by bus, ship, plane, train? Why?
◘ How can I get to Azadi stadium? Who built it? Who designed it?
◘ Could you please tell me what monuments I should visit in your country?
◘ What do you know about Empire State building?
◘ What do you know about the Statue of Liberty?
◘ How much do you know about Machu Picchu in Mexico?
◘ How much do you know about the Great Wall of China? Who built it? Why was it built?
◘ Where is Hyper Star? How can I get to that place?
61
Translation
◘ Turn left, turn right. Then, go straight ahead.
◘ The gas station is across from or opposite Hilton hotel.
◘ Yazd is situated in the middle or center of Iran.
◘ How can I get to the museum of contemporary arts?
◘ The museum is across from the park.
◘ The museum is on or in Bell Street.
◘ Jurassic park is in the suburb or outskirt of the city.
◘ How can I get to Jurassic park?
◘ Melli bank is behind the museum.
◘ How can I get to Eram amusement park?
◘ I am a tour leader. I am a tour guide.
◘ This museum was built by Napoleon, and it is 250 years old.
◘ Azadi tower is 50 years old, and that is the symbol of freedom or liberty.
◘ Could you please give me more information about tourist attractions of your country?
◘ Have you ever been to Egypt? What was it like?
62
Discussion
◘ You are spending your free-time in another country, and you are lost. What would you do in
such a situation? What would you do if you could not speak their language?
◘ Give your friends the exact address of some places. Tell them how they can get to those places.
◘ Exchange all the phrases you have learnt about how to direct somebody to a place.
◘ Imagine you have faced a tourist in your city, one who is looking for an address, one who can
not speak your language. What would you do in this situation? Make a conversation about this
issue through teamwork.
◘ Group work: You have a group of four, two tourists, and two non-tourists. Exchange whatever
information you have about the country you are in. Try address-giving and taking.
63
Do you have fun?
Do you have fun? England English

memories in my eye well-educated
kind discipline and order to be of discipline and order
middle school diploma hard work
hardship toil from that time on
academically to take part in I made it. I passed it.
to raise good children human beings I hope this dream comes true.
leisure time hobbies and pastimes on the phone
to share ideas to be in contact with spare time
village to graze to ride
to kill lizard childhood
to energize place of birth pre-school
joys of life primary school secondary school
test-preparation prep classes major
lifestyle further education higher education
tertiary education decent job expertise
specialties meritocracy favoritism
nepotism expectations readiness
worries costs cycle
habits to give up a part-time job
to establish to draw life-events
turning-point to build one’s future spouse
first-grade teacher to affect summer vacation
to name tough times to bear and rear your children
to get familiar with somebody to discuss difficulties
64
Do you have fun?
Hello. I am David Bell. I am from England. I am English. I was born in a small city called
Brighton. B-R-I-G-H-T-O-N. I graduated from primary school when I was thirteen. I do not have
great memories about those days. In my eye, my teachers were not professional. They were not
well-educated and kind. Later, I attended secondary school. At that time, our teachers were
serious. They were of too much discipline and order. I entered university when I was eighteen.
After getting my B.A in English, I did my military service. After two years, I decided to pursue
my education. After three years of hard work, hardship, and toil, I got my M.A in TEFL. From
that time on, I have been teaching English academically at university. Then, I made my mind to
take part in PhD exam. I made it. I passed it. Now, I am a doctoral student. I am doing my PhD
now. It is a long time that I am thinking about getting married. Nowadays, it is a bit hard to do it.
I am going to marry and have some children. I am going to have a great family. We both, my
spouse and I, are going to raise good children, the ones who will definitely be of great help to
human beings. I hope this dream comes true. Will it come true? I think it is possible. When
there is a will, there is a way.
By the way, I enjoy my free-time. In my leisure time, I have special hobbies and pastimes. I go
mountain climbing. I watch my favorite movies, and listen to my favorite songs. I talk with my
friends on the phone, and we exchange and share ideas. I love to be in contact with my close
friends. These contacts make me happy.
On the weekends, I go out with my intimate friends. I love to spend my spare time with others.
Sometimes, I watch soccer matches on TV. I love soccer, but I do not play it.
I love fun. I remember my nice childhood. When I was a kid, I used to spend some of my
summer vacation in a small village. We grazed sheep and goats. We rode donkeys. Even, I
killed some lizards. I have fantastic memories about my childhood. When I remember them, I
get happy. Those memories energize me.
65
My life time-line
Place of birth (village, city, environment) →
Pre-school (joys of life, parents, friends, teachers, amusement) →
Primary school (friends, teachers, parents, facilities, entertainment) →
Secondary school (test-preparation, amusements, prep classes) →
University (major, teachers, friends, likes, dislikes, facilities, finding a partner, entertainment,
more freedom) →
Military service (hardship, hard-work, new lifestyle, amusement, money) →
Further education (higher education/tertiary education) →
Decent job (expertise, specialties, meritocracy, favoritism, nepotism) →

Marriage (criteria, money, expectations, love) →
Children (readiness to have one or two, money, worries, facilities) →
Bear and rear of children (the hardest responsibility, costs, education) →
Continuation of the cycle
66
Related Questions
◙ Where were you born? What was it like?
◙ How did you enjoy your childhood?
◙ Could you please elaborate upon one of your childhood memories?
◙ What did you use to do when you were a kid? Do you have those habits now?
◙ Did you have good or bad habits?
◙ How did you give up your bad habits?
◙ What were you doing at the age of sixteen?
◙ Did you have a part-time job when you were a school-goer?
◙ How did you do your military service?
◙ How do you evaluate your family? What kind of family would you like to establish?
◙ Could you please draw a time-line of your life-events and describe it?
◙ What is your most important turning-point in your life?
◙ What are the most important life-events in your life?
◙ How are you going to build your future?
◙ What do you look for in a teacher, a friend, your spouse?
◙ What school experiences and memories do you have?
67
Translation
◙ Can you remember the name of your high school?
◙ What was the name of your first-grade teacher?
◙ Which one of your teacher affected your life the most? Give your reasons.
◙ Did you have a part-time job when you were going to school?
◙ Should students have part-time jobs? Why?
◙ What are the most important life-events in your life?
◙ Speak about one of the turning-points of your life. Touch upon it.
◙ How did you spend your summer vacation?
◙ What entertainments did you have when you were a child? Name a few of them.
◙ Are you going to continue your education? Why?
◙ How did you spend your weekend? Did you have a good time?
◙ Could you please speak about one of the memories you had when you were going to
elementary school?
◙ Describe the city you were born in. what was it like? What is it like now?
◙ How long did your military service last? What memories do you have?
◙ How old were you when you got married? How did you think of marriage?
68
Discussion
◙ Describe your life events from the very beginning up to now.
◙ Speak about the happiest moments of your life.
◙ Speak about and exchange some of your old memories.
◙ What was “your military service” like?
◙ What were “your first days of university” like?
◙ Life is a bit difficult for the newly-married couples. Could you please speak about those tough
times? What were they like?
◙ Do you have any children? How difficult is “bearing and rearing children”? Discuss those
difficulties.
◙ How do you like to bear and rear your children?
◙ Where did you see your spouse for the first time? How did you get familiar with each other?
Discuss it.
◙ Could you please speak about your dream spouse? What kind of person would you like to
marry? What characteristics should s/he have?
69
Can I call you later?
Can I call you later? an operator to make a phone call

Pick up the receiver. Dial a number. to wait for
dial tone to leave a message to have an extension
to connect to have crank calls crank callers
to let….know to inform a busy line
to tap a line to bug to debug
to be out of order a step-by-step fashion to get connected to
far away from to be far away from telecommunications
speedy to drop a pool
to steal cell-phone to hack
a law an obligation to turn off
to ring to punish to happen
to pay a cell-phone bill cell-phone etiquettes
society public places a new product
culture to purchase to matter
quality quantity harmful
disadvantages to get through What make is it?
What brand is it? head phone to allow
What if? to speak loud on phone to react
to invent intention inventor
to pay attention to maker at what price?
step-by-step a means of communication to clarify one’s stance
70
Can I call you later?
Hello. I am an operator. Here is how to make a phone call.
Pick up the receiver.

Dial a number.
Wait for the dial tone.
If somebody picks it up, start talking.
If nobody picks it up, leave a message or a voice mail.
When you need to have an extension, ask the operator to connect you.
If you have crank calls or crank callers, let the operator know.
If the line is busy, wait.
If your line is tapped, inform the police.
If your line is bugged, let the police know.
If your line is out of order, call 17.
If something is wrong with your line, let the operator know.
71
Related Questions
♦ How do you make a phone call in a step-by-step fashion?
♦ What if you have some crank-callers?
♦ What would you do if you had some crank-callers?
♦ Is having a phone cheap in your country? Is having a cell-phone expensive in your country?
♦ How can you get connected to somebody who is miles far away from you?
♦ Is your country developed in telecommunications?
♦ How fast is internet in your country? How speedy is internet in your country?
♦ What if you drop your cell-phone in a pool? What would you do?
♦ What would you do if someone stole your cell-phone?
♦ What would you do if someone hacked your computer?
♦ What would you do if someone called you late at night?
♦ What would you do if someone called you while you are teaching?
♦ Is it a law, an obligation to turn off your cell-phone when you are in a class?
♦ You are in your language class. What if your phone is on and it rings? Will you be punished?
♦ What will happen if you do not pay your cell-phone bill?
♦ Are there cell-phone etiquettes in your class, society, and public places?
72
Translation
♦ Do you have any crank callers?
♦ What would you do if you had crank callers?
♦ You are a teacher in your class, and somebody calls you. What would you do in this situation?
♦ What does “cell-phone etiquette” mean?
♦ There is a new product in your country. Should its culture come along with it?
♦ What factors or parameters do you heed while you are purchasing a cell-phone, a tablet, a Pc?
♦ What does matter the most: quality or quantity?
♦ Which one do you prefer the most: the products of your country or the products of other countries?
♦ Can “using cell-phone” be harmful? What disadvantages can it have?
♦ Pick up the receiver.
♦ The line is busy.
♦ Connect me to Beckham.
♦ Finally, I got through.
♦ Do you know that phones are sometimes tapped?
♦ What make is your cell-phone? What brand is it? Where is it made?
♦ Do you use head phones? When and why do you use them?
♦ Should children be allowed to use cell-phone?
♦ What if somebody speaks loud on his phone in a public place? How would you react?
♦ Who invented cell-phone? What was the intention of the inventor?
♦ What will the future of cell-phone be? What will it be like in the future?
73
Discussion
♦ Discuss in group “the uses of cell-phone and its etiquettes.”
♦ What parameters would you pay more attention to If you were one of the makers of cell-phone?
♦ In what situations, how long, and at what price should we use cell-phones?
♦ Could you please tell us how you make a phone call step-by-step?
♦ Do you look at cell-phone as a means of communication, or as an industry? Elaborate upon

and clarify your stance.
74
Low-intermediate…..Intermediate
75
What is your neighborhood like?
What is your neighborhood like? It is me again. neighborhood

a large number of interesting people hopeful
shops and stores a chain-store every other day
green a cinema bookstores
libraries stationery stores school-supplies stores
wide Every thing is within walking distance. safe
available means of transportation to make changes
to be satisfied with mayor to encourage
to discourage a local council a culture-house
high-ranking officials a well-known hero to improve
76
What is your neighborhood like?
Hello. It is me again. Today, I am going to speak about my neighborhood. As I told you before,
I live in a big city that is called Tehran. I live in area number four. I love my neighborhood
because I feel comfortable there, and the people are kind and friendly. I see a large number of
interesting people there. They are hardworking and hopeful.
In my neighborhood, there are different facilities. There are a large number of shops and stores.
There is a chain-store as well. You can buy everything there. There is a big university in my
neighborhood. You can go there to do exercise, play sports, and swim. I go swimming every
other day, and I love it. There are many stores which sell sofa and furniture. It is green too.
There is a very big park there. It is one of the cleanest areas in Tehran. Unfortunately, there is not
a cinema there. We need one to enjoy our free time. There are some good hospitals, bookstores,
libraries, and stationery or school-supplies stores there. The streets are wide and beautiful.
There are lots of banks in my neighborhood. Everything is within walking distance. It is safe. I
love my neighborhood.
77
Related Questions
■ Where do you live?
■ What is your neighborhood like?
■ What facilities are available there?
■ What are people like?
■ What do people look like?
■ What are your neighbors like?
■ Does it need any improvements? Name them?
■ Are you going to move to another neighborhood? Why? Why not?
■ Do you feel safe there?
■ Where is it located?
■ Why do you like it?
■ Why do not you like it?
■ What changes should be made in your neighborhood?
■ Is it uptown or downtown?
■ What are means of transportation like in your neighborhood?
■ What changes would you like to make in your neighborhood?
78
Translation
■ What is your neighborhood like?
■ Where is it situated?
■ Do you like it?
■ What are people like? What do they look like?
■ How do you see your neighborhood while you compare and contrast it with other neighborhoods?
■ Are you happy, satisfied with living there?
■ What changes would you make if you were the mayor?
■ Is it located uptown?
■ Is it situated downtown?
■ Is it old?
■ Do children play soccer there?
■ Do you encourage or discourage them while they are playing?
■ What have you done to improve your neighborhood?
■ Does it have a local council?
■ Does it have a culture-house?
79
Discussion
■ Are you happy, satisfied with living in your neighborhood? Why? Why not?
■ Could you please compare and contrast your neighborhood with another one? Which one is better? Why?
■ What changes do you like to make in your neighborhood? Why?
■ What would you do if you were the mayor or one of the high-ranking officials?
■ Do you know a well-known hero in your neighborhood? What is his name? What is he like?
What does he look like?
80
What does he look like? What is he like?
What does he look like? What is he like? How do you do?

a graduate employed to earn money
a civil engineer a beige suit to suit
to match to wear a tie leather shoes
well-dressed to be well-dressed blonde
well-built pink fairly tall
formally-dressed to go to a meeting casually-dressed
easy-going to tell jokes funky style
informally-dressed a disk jockey nature
serious sociable math teacher
to follow fashion fashion-conscious business
modeling in fashionable
tight loose to shrink
to get a refund credit at a low price
to overcharge somebody on installments to buy on installments
customary common Tie your shoe-lace.
Wear a wig. the majority of people sort
appearance character monthly
to make money a fashion-designer to design
81
What does he look like? What is he like?
Hello. How do you do? I am George Greg. I am from America, but I live in Germany now. I am
a graduate. I graduated from university two years ago. Now, I am employed, and I earn too
much money. I am a civil engineer.
Today, I am wearing a beige suit. It suits me. It matches my other clothes as well. I am wearing
a tie too. My shirt is great. My leather shoes match my other clothes. I am well-dressed.
I am 185cm, and my hair is blonde. I am well-built because I go to gym every other day. I am
85 kilos. I am in great shape, am not I?
Hello. How do you feel today? These people are my close friends. The person who is wearing a
nice pink shirt is Alex. He is fairly tall. He is well-built, and he is 85 kilos. He is 180 cm. He is
formally-dressed because he is going to go to a meeting. The one who is next to me is George.
He is casually-dressed. He does not wear formally. He is easy-going. He is telling jokes most
of the time. The one who is next to Alex is David. David loves funky style. He does not wear
formally. He is casually or informally-dressed most of the time. He is a DJ, a disk jockey. He
loves music. He is nice in nature. He is not serious at all. He is sociable as well. When I am not
in a good mood, I prefer to spend my free time with him because he makes me happy/laugh.
82
Related Questions
● What is your teacher like?
● What does he look like?
● What is he wearing today?
● Which one of your teachers is better: your language teacher or your math teacher? Why?
● What do people from Europe look like?
● What are people from Europe like?
● What is your favorite actor like?
● What does your favorite actor look like?
● What is the difference between “what is he like? and what does he look like?”
● Do you wear formally or casually?
● What does “funky style” mean?
● Have you ever been well-dressed to kill?
● Do you follow fashion? What sorts of fashion do you follow?
● Are you fashion-conscious? Why?
● Is fashion an “industry” or a “business”? Why do you think so?
83
Translation
● Do you wear formally or casually?
● What are you wearing today?
● Do you follow fashion? Why?
● Do you consider fashion as an “industry” or a “business?’’
● Is “modeling” a job in your country?
● What is your father like?
● What does your father look like?
● Long hair is in again. Long hair is fashionable again.
● My son’s T-shirt is tight.
● My son’s T-shirt is loose.
● Having worn my new shirt for two weeks, it shrank.
● Can I return my shirt back? Can I get a refund?
● No credit is given in this shop.
● I bought this shirt at a low price.
● The salesperson overcharged me.
● I bought it on installments.
● It is not customary or common to wear a tie here.
● Tie your shoe-lace.
● Wear glasses. Wear a tie. Wear contact lens. Wear a wig.
● The majority of people are following fashion today.
84
Discussion
● Describe yourself. What are you like? What do you look like?
● Describe your most favorite person in your life. What is he like? What does he look like?
● Compare and contrast Iranian people with people from America, Europe, and Africa. What are
they like? What do they look like?
● What sort of person would you like to be? What appearance and character would you like to have?
● What sort of person would you like to marry? Speak about their appearances and characters.
● Is it logical to follow fashion? Why?
● How much money do you spend on fashion monthly? Why do you spend such an amount of
money? Give your reasons.
● Is there a relationship between one’s appearance, character, job, and the amount of money he
is making? Elaborate upon your answer.
● What would you heed and do if you were a fashion-designer?
● Compare and contrast “fashion” in two different countries.
85
May I take your order?
May I take your order? a restaurant owner to own

some pieces of advice to behave to greet
at the counter to take a seat menu
to order to leave a tip to tip
to eat out to organize cooks
a sandwich a cola season salad
kinds I would like… a juicy hamburger
bland salty bitter
sweet seafood ethnic food
fast food junk food spice
to spice up to serve a medium-rare hamburger
a well-done hamburger raw food for thought
in detail to attract customers
chef ways to behave towards
86
May I take your order?
Hello. I am David Fleming. I am a restaurant owner. I own a restaurant in New York. Today, I
will give you some pieces of advice about how to behave in a restaurant. I will tell you what one
should do in a step-by-step fashion while he is in a restaurant. Here is how to behave:
Open the door and enter the restaurant.
Greet the person at the counter.
Take a seat.
Wait for the waiter or waitress.
Have or take a look at the menu.
Order your food.
After eating your food, wait for the bill.
Pay the bill and say goodbye.
Leave a tip if the service is good.
Try their food again if it is ok.
87
Related Questions
► How often do you go to a restaurant?
► Is it cheap or expensive to eat out?
► Do you leave a tip? Is it customary to tip waiters in your country?
► How would you react if something was wrong with your food?
► What do you say if you dislike the food?
► How would you behave if everything was ok?
► Do you help them organize their menu in a better way?
► Can you go to a restaurant kitchen to have a look at the ways cooks are cooking foods? Is it
logical and customary to do it in your country?
► How do you say “I need a sandwich, a cola, a season salad, and a yoghurt” in a restaurant?
► What kinds of food are available in your country?
88
Translation
► I would like a glass of water.
► I would like a juicy hamburger.
► I will leave a tip if the service is good. I will tip if the service is good.
► It is not customary or common to tip in my country.
► This food is bland.
► This food is salty.
► This food is bitter.
► This food is too sweet.
► Do you have seafood?
► Do you have ethnic, fast, junk food?
► Have you ever eaten Indian food?
► Do you use spices?
► Do you spice up your foods?
► How do you serve your foods? Hot or cold?
► We have medium-rare, rare, and well-done hamburgers.
► People eat fish raw in Japan.
► Eating habits are different from country to country.
► I need “food for thought.”
► What foods can you cook?
► Are the best cooks ladies or gentlemen?
89
Discussion
► How do you cook your favorite food? Describe it in detail.
► Have you ever eaten Chinese, Japanese, or Indian foods? How did you feel when you were eating them?
► What services would you deliver to attract more customers if you were the chef or owner of
a restaurant? Name a few of them and elaborate upon them.
► Your restaurant is located on a street on which there are four other restaurants. What new
services would you deliver to attract more customers? Name elaborate upon them.
► Compare and contrast the ways the waiters, waiters, cooks, and chefs behave towards their
customers in your country with the ones in other countries. Which one do you prefer?
90
A change for the better
a change for the better wish ambition

dream finally with the passage of time
to get demotivated authorities to dictate
to have the right to to put into practice principles
to be sick and tired of something to wish to have the fortune to
to found an institute to open an institute to establish an institute
my own way to materialize to be out of job
supermarket I ruined everything. to lose
to run my family to be ashamed of to spoil
to ruin to kid to detest
appearance character to change one’s mood
to notice a bunch of flowers to change one’s money
to change one’s eating habits a change in behavior to change color
leaves to camouflage magician
to change train to change one’s family name to change one’s field of study
to change one’s job your current job job satisfaction
job dissatisfaction on your own side on your learners’ side
to achieve goals reply to change one’s class
to join another class to better
91
A change for the better
Hello. Welcome back. I am David York. I am 35 years old, and I live in New York City. I am a
teacher. I teach English. I have been teaching English for ten years.
When I was a kid, I used to teach children who were my age. It was my wish, ambition, and
dream to become a teacher. Finally, that dream came true. At the beginning, I thought I could
make big changes in education. With the passage of time, I got demotivated because my
authorities just dictated me what to do and what not to do. I did not have freedom at the time of
teaching, and I did not have the right to put into practice tons of principles I had learnt during
my education.
Now, I am sick and tired of teaching. I mean the teaching in which somebody else dictates you
what to do and what not to do. I wish I had more freedom. I wish I had the fortune to put into
practice all principles, techniques, tactics, and methods I had learned through my studies. I am
going to open, found, establish an institute and do teach my own way that is logical. Will it
come true? I do not know. God knows. It may materialize a day.
Hello. I am George Deck from California. I am 40 years old. I have a small family, and now I am
out of a good job, somehow unemployed. I had a supermarket in the past. It was a good job,
but I ruined everything. I had so many customers, but I did not know how to behave towards
them logically. So, with the passage of time, I lost all of them. Then, I had to sell my supermarket to run
my family. I lost all my money because I was out of job for some months.
Now, I am working in my friend’s supermarket. Everything is going well, but I do not earn
enough money. I am ashamed of my family because I spoilt their life. Nowadays, I have learnt
how to behave well, but it is too late. Our customers like me, and they all tell me you have
changed too much for the better. Now, everybody is satisfied with me.
I have big ambitions, expectations, and dreams. I hope I would have my own supermarket again.
My friends and customers tell me that is possible; you could have a good one in the near future.
Are they kidding? I do not know. Will my dream come true?
92
Related Questions
◜ Have you changed too much recently? What are those changes?
◜ What changes are you going to make in your life?
◜ What changes do you detest?
◜ Have you changed for the better or worse? Give examples.
◜ What bad habits are you going to change? Give examples.
◜ What good habits and changes are you going to have?
◜ Are you going to change your car? If so, why? If not, why?
◜ Are changes good or bad? Elaborate upon your answer.
◜ Are you going to change your appearance? If so, why? If not, why?
◜ Are you going to change your character? If so, why? If not, why?
93
Translation
◜ Iranians do not like changes.
◜ I am going to change my mood.
◜ Have you recently noticed changes in your friends? Are those changes good or bad?
◜ Are you going to move to another neighborhood?
◜ Can you change a pen into a bunch of flowers?
◜ Can you change my money? Can you change it into dollar?
◜ Are you going to change your eating habits?
◜ Learning means a change in behavior.
◜ In autumn, leaves change color.
◜ Some animals and plants change their colors to camouflage.
◜ The magician changed the pen into a bunch of flowers.
◜ Are you going to change train next station?
◜ Are you going to change your family name?
◜ I am going to change my field of study.
◜ I am going to change my job.
94
Discussion
◜ Are you satisfied, happy with your current job? What are your reasons in case of job
satisfaction or dissatisfaction? If you are dissatisfied, what changes would you like to make?
How are you going to change your job for the better?
◜ You are a language teacher, and you are not satisfied with your job. You are going to have
satisfaction on your own side and on your learners’ side. What changes would you like to
make to achieve those goals? Clarify them.
◜ You like to change your car and get a better one. What matters to you? What parameters or
factors will you heed? Touch upon your reply.
◜ You are a language learner, and you are dissatisfied with your teacher. You are going to
change your class. Tell us why you are going to change your class, and for what reasons you are
going to join another class?
◜ What changes are you going to make to have a better life, to improve and better your life?
Name those changes and explain them.
95
Caught in the rush
caught in the rush to travel through a mega-city

skyscrapers shopping malls public-transportation
BRT lines Bus Rapid Transit lines subway system
taxis, buses, and vans traffic traffic jam
to tolerate at rush hours solutions
approaches to solve to buy a pass
to put tax on to get a driving license driving etiquettes
to enforce traffic rules mono-rail budget deficit
exploitation unthinkable comments
a big issue to put an end to to offer
a global issue to commute to only drivers
to worsen to eradicate car-pooling
parking spaces parking lots to copy
to get rid of traffic regulations air-conditioned buses
cause to cause to bring about
diseases abnormalities carelessness
selfishness unfamiliarity with regulations elements
traffic-cycle on a highway to observe regulations
applicants related-problems to fine people
to write tickets effective to recommend
96
Caught in the rush
Hello. How are you? Do you feel well today? Today, I am going to travel through my own city
and give you a bit more information about this city. I live in Tehran which is the capital city of
Iran. Tehran is a big, huge, and spread-out city. It is cosmopolitan. It is in fact a mega-city, a
city in which millions of people live. It is replete with tourist attractions. Tourists would have an
unforgettable time here. It is full of monuments, museums, skyscrapers, universities, shopping
malls, and lots of other places. Here, the public-transportation system is a good one. There are
BRT lines, Bus Rapid Transit lines, in this city. The subway system is the best in the west of
Asia. There are so many taxis, buses, and vans on the streets.
Unfortunately, it has got a big problem. That is traffic. Traffic jam is driving Tehrani people
crazy. People can not tolerate it any more. At rush hours, there are thousands of cars on the
streets. This has changed Tehran into a much polluted city as well. We should do something to
get rid of this big issue.
Quite a number of solutions and approaches have been offered to solve the problem. One of
them is to buy a pass to go downtown. Everyone should get one. Another solution is to put too
much tax on cars. This idea has not been put into practice yet. Another solution is to make it
harder to get a driving license. Unfortunately, nowadays, everyone can get one easily. We also
should build a better public-transportation system. We also should pay too much attention to
driving etiquettes, and enforce traffic rules or laws. We can use mono-rail in Tehran as well.
Some believe that due to our budget deficit, exploitation of mono-rail is unthinkable.
What other ideas do you have as a citizen of Tehran? Send us your comments. Send messages to
TTPsolution@gmail.com. Visit us at WWW.TTPsolution.com.
97
Related Questions
◚ Is traffic a big issue in your country?
◚ How can we put an end to traffic in our city? What solutions do you offer?
◚ Is traffic congestion a global issue?
◚ How do you travel to your workplace? How do you commute to your workplace?
◚ How can the only drivers worsen traffic?
◚ What is the relationship between “putting too much tax on cars” and “reduction of traffic”?
◚ What would you do if you were in charge of traffic in your city?
◚ What can police do to eradicate this big problem?
◚ What is your idea about “car-pooling”?
◚ What is your opinion about parking spaces and parking lots?
◚ How can “the culture of people” affect the traffic congestion?
◚ What should people do to solve traffic congestion?
◚ What are the other meanings of traffic?
◚ How do you see and analyze the relationship between “drivers and traffic”?
◚ Should we copy what other countries have done to solve the problem?
98
Translation
◚ Traffic is a big issue in our country.
◚ How can we get rid of traffic?
◚ What is the relationship between “the culture of people” and “traffic” in a country? How should it be?
◚ How important are traffic regulations and driving etiquettes to you? How much attention do
you pay to these regulations and etiquettes?
◚ Means of public-transportation are old in my country.
◚ We need more air-conditioned buses.
◚ Do you know different meanings of traffic?
◚ One of the major causes of traffic is the only drivers.
◚ Traffic brings with it too much cost.
◚ Traffic brings about different diseases and abnormalities.
◚ Governments should take great measures to solve the great volume of traffic.
◚ Carelessness, selfishness, and unfamiliarity with regulations can bring about traffic.
◚ What would you do if a driver drove carelessly?
◚ Should every driver be allowed to drive public-transportation means?
◚ Government, regulations, people, and their culture are the basic elements of traffic-cycle.
99
Discussion
◚ You are driving on a highway, and a driver is driving carelessly. He is not observing
regulations. How would you react in this situation?
◚What should be taught to those applicants who are going to get their drivers’ license?
Elaborate upon your reply.
◚What are the big differences between driving in Iran and other countries? Compare and
contrast driving in Iran with driving in other countries.
◚Have or make a group analyze traffic and its related-problems in your city. What approaches
do you suggest to deal with the problem?
◚Can we solve the traffic congestion through fining or writing people tickets? If it is not
effective, what other approaches would you recommend?
100
Times have changed
changing world educational system disciplinary

teaching aids journals at hand
lenient friendlier to assess
by means of present-day teachers then teachers
horses mules donkeys
to afford decision continent
to be poles apart manager outlooks
to change for the better to change for the worse to turn yellow
fall autumn to change the baby
unpleasant moody naturally
to change one’s mannerism a flat tire to have a flat tire
to pull in to develop one’s trade to change one’s direction
to change one’s lifestyle to beautify examples
101
Times have changed
Hello. I am great today. Since last week, I have changed a lot. Those changes are the cause of my
happiness. Have you changed greatly recently? What changes have you made? Can you speak
about those changes?
We are living in a changing world. Everything is changing quickly. Today, I am going to speak
about two of those big changes in our life.
One of those changes is our educational system. Everything is different today. In the past, our
teachers were strict, disciplinary, and more serious. Teaching aids were not available as they
are today. In large classes, there were no teaching aids. Today, they are available in every class.
Nowadays, videos, DVDs, VCDs, video projectors, computers, the internet, magazines, and
journals are at hand everywhere. Teachers are more lenient, and friendlier towards their
students. Teachers are familiar with new methods. They can evaluate and assess their learners by
means of different approaches. It is very difficult to compare and contrast present-day teachers
with then-teachers. By the way, which one do you prefer? Could you please give me your reasons?
Another big change is transportation. It was most difficult to travel from one place to another in
the past. People rode horses, mules, donkeys to get to other places. There were not enough cars,
ships, airplanes in the past, and everybody did not afford the cost. It took people some months to
travel from one place to another, and the trips were not safe.
Today, everybody has a lot of choices. There are so many buses, taxis, cars, trains, ships, and
airplanes. The way you travel depends on your decision and your money. Today, you can travel
from one continent to another in five hours. Means of transportation are more convenient and
cheaper. What a big change! What do you think will happen to means of transportation in the
near future? Will they be poles apart?
102
Related Questions
◙ Have you changed recently? What changes have you made? How have you changed? Have
you changed for the better or for the worse?
◙ What changes are you going to make in the future?
◙ As a manager, what changes will you make in the near future?
◙ As a teacher, what changes will you make in the near future?
◙ As a doctor, what changes will you make in the near future?
◙ As an engineer, what changes will you make in the near future?
◙ As a student, what changes will you make in the near future?
◙ Do you like or dislike changes? Why?
◙ How do people in your country see changes? Are their outlooks logical?
◙ Are you going to change your name? Why?
◙ Are you going to change your job? Why?
◙ Are you going to change your eating-habits? Why?
◙ Are you going to change for the better or the worse? Why?
◙ How do you get along with new changes in your life?
◙ Are you going to change the method through which you are learning English? Why?
103
Translation
◙ Do you like changes? Do you dislike them?
◙ What would you like to change?
◙ I am going to change my eating habits.
◙ The leaves of trees change color and turn yellow in fall.
◙ I ask my spouse to change the baby.
◙ I am going to change my mind and continue English.
◙ Changing one’s side or stance unthoughtfully is unpleasant.
◙ Moody people change their moods continuously.
◙ Learning means a change in behavior.
◙ I asked him to change his mind and continue English.
◙ Some animals change their colors naturally to camouflage themselves.
◙ I am going to change my mannerism and behave politely for ever.
◙ When I realized that we had a flat tire, I pulled in to change the tire.
◙ If we are going to develop our trade, we should change our direction.
◙ When I got to Tajrish station, I changed my train to go home.
104
Discussion
◙ Everybody has got good and bad habits. Name/count some of your bad habits. Talk with your
group members and tell them how you are going to change them.
◙ You are going to change your lifestyle. Tell your partners why you are going to do that. What
are your reasons for that change? Have a discussion.
◙ You are going to change your behavior in your workplace for some reasons. What are those
reasons? Clarify your reasons.
◙ You have decided to change your face to become more beautiful. Tell your partners why you
are going to beautify yourself. Give as many reasons as possible.
◙ What is the role of “change” in everybody’s life? Give examples. Why do you want to have
some changes?
105
What happened?
to happen to narrate a sad story to pass lessons with flying colors

to arrive in strange to be under tons of stress
disappointed blue down
to strike one’s mind(of ideas) to commit suicide to shock
guilty faulty to involve
to be involved in something disaster an assistant professor
to waste one’s time to advise misunderstanding arises
to arise to go crazy to raise one’s voice
occasions seldom assignments
to drive somebody nuts according to sensitive
a bit sensitivity predicament
to be in a predicament to fight to smoke
to disregard to disrespect to appreciate
moral lessons to make a film beneficial
to raise children to lull somebody into sleep to create stories
What genre of stories? to be in a dilemma to be in a maze
to be in a labyrinth dynamic to promise
to break one’s promise to call into question capabilities
106
What happened?
Hello. How are you? Do you feel ok? Today, I am going to narrate a sad story. It happened to a
young boy who was good enough to enter a famous university. The boy was born in a small city
kilometers away from capital. He was a great student during his education. He passed his
lessons with flying colors. In 2011, he got admitted into a well-known university in his country.
When he arrived in that city for the first time, everything was strange to him. People’s lifestyle,
clothing, behavior and manners, the way they spoke, ate, and behaved were totally different from
his. He was under tons of stress. He was wholly disappointed, blue, and down. Strange ideas
struck him mind. He repeatedly decided to commit suicide. Finally, he gave up. He did it. He
shocked all his classmates and professors. They had not understood him at all. Who is guilty or
faulty in this story in your eye? Who is guilty? Who were involved in this disaster? What would
you do if you experienced such a tough time? What were the others supposed to do in this situation?
Hello. I am a teacher. I teach English academically. I am an assistant professor in Asia. I have

taught so many students, and the majority of those students love me. I am kind to my students,
and I try not to waste their time. Sometimes, I advise my students, but a few of them do not like
it. Sometimes, they do not know how to react logically. I love my students, but some do not
understand it well. At times, misunderstanding arises, and both sides go crazy. Sometimes, few
students raise their voice. I do not like such occasions. Seldom do they do their assignments,
and it drives me nuts. According to my colleagues’ ideas, I am a bit sensitive, and I should put
an end to this sensitivity. What would you do if such things happened to you? How would you
manage the situation? How would you react? How would you put an end to those misunderstandings?
107
Related Questions
■ What stories are you interested in? What happenings are you interested in? What occasions are
you interested in? Name a few of them.
■ How would you react if you were in a predicament?
■ How would you react if somebody loved you, but you did not have the same feeling?
■ How would you react if one of your students raised his voice?
■ How would you react if your student did not do his homework?
■ How would you react if you saw two people fighting on the street?
■ How would you react if somebody was smoking in a public place?
■ How would you react if somebody was disregarding sex-etiquettes in public?
■ How would you react if somebody disrespected you?
■ How would you react if your students appreciated your efforts?
■ Could you please tell us a real story in your life? Speak about the moral lessons of that event.
■ Are you interested in writing stories? Are you interested in making a film?
■ How beneficial are stories in raising our children? How useful are stories in raising our
children?
■ Why did our mothers lull us into sleep through telling stories?
■ Should teachers encourage their students to create stories in pairs or in groups? What are the
advantages of this activity?
108
Translation
■ Can you create stories? Can you make stories?
■ What are the advantages of creating and narrating stories?
■ Why did our mothers tell us stories at the time of sleeping? Why did they lull us into sleep by narrating stories?
■ What are the benefits of creating and narrating stories in a language class?
■ What genre of stories do you read? Why do you read stories?
■ What are the advantages of reading stories?
■ What sort of stories would you write if you made your mind to try it? Why?
■ You have decided to marry, but you are in a predicament, dilemma, and maze. What would
you do in such a situation?
■ You are a heart surgeon, and your patient has died. What would you do?
■ Your student raised his voice as he was speaking to you. How would you react?
■ You are a teacher, and you have disrespected a student of yours. What would you do? How
would you react?
■ Did you use to read stories when you were going to school? What kind of stories did you read?
■ You have found story-reading useful. What benefits does it have for you? Count them.
■ Do you believe that life is a dynamic, real story?
■ Who are (the) major characters in your life? Speak more about them.
109
Discussion
■ Think of yourself as a language teacher. You asked a student to show you his homework. He
suddenly raised his voice and disrespected you. What would you do in this situation? How would
you react?
■ A lady who had promised to marry you has broken her promise. What would you do in this
situation? How would you react?
■ Think of yourself as a language teacher. Your behavior towards your students has brought
about misunderstanding. What would you do to get rid of this misunderstanding?
■ Think of yourself as a language teacher. Despite all your efforts in your class, some students
have called all of your capabilities into question. What would you do in this situation? How
would you react?
■ Think of yourself as a language teacher or a professor. You are paid every four months once.
What decision would you make? What would you do in this situation? How would you react?
Why?
110
Good book, terrible movie
to express mechanic to be into books and movies

story books movies the latest book
genius to act The play was well-written.
masterpiece theme authors
directors related to technical aspects
updated well-informed movie director
writer to produce ending
special effects screenplay marvelous
extra playwright costumes
make-up artist climax key events
to keep in mind to relate maze
strengths weaknesses mess
111
Good book, terrible movie
Hello. Welcome back. It is me again. Today, we are going to speak about books and movies. I
will speak to two people. They will express their ideas about books and movies. Speaker number
one is David Cameroon from England. He is an English teacher. Speaker number two is Michael
Becky who is a mechanic. Now, it is time to speak to David Cameroon. Hello, David. How are
you?
Hello. As you said earlier, I am an English teacher. I am into books and movies. I love story
books and movies. I have learnt so much from stories, movies, and books. The latest movie I
watched was “Home alone 2”. It was fantastic. The main character was a genius. I think his
future would be bright. All characters were great. They acted professionally. The play was well-
written. It was a masterpiece. I think the theme was to behave logically when somebody is
experiencing tough times.
Thank you, David. Now, it is time to speak to Michael Becky.
Hello. I am Michael, a mechanic downtown. To me, life is everything. It is all about real stories
and movies. I do not like stories and movies which are made or written by authors and
directors. I think they have no lessons. I am into cars. They are everything to me. I buy the
latest magazines which are related to cars. When I was a kid, I was terribly into cars. My love in
cars is still great. I am also greatly interested in technical aspects of cars. As you know, I am a
mechanic. So, I must keep my information updated and new to serve my customers well. When
I face a new problem, I mean when I do not know what the problem is, I easily ask the others
those questions because I would like to be as well-informed as possible. By the way, if
something is wrong with your car, do not miss me. I will be of great help to you. Bye.
112
Related Questions
● What movies, stories, and books are you into? Why?
● What do you learn from movies and books?
● Have you ever visited the author of your favorite book? What happened?
● Have you ever seen the director of your favorite movie?
● Have you ever seen your favorite actor? What happened?
● Do you like to be a movie director or a writer? Why?
● What is the latest movie you have watched? What did you learn from it?
● What is the latest story you have read? What did you learn from it?
● Why do we write books and produce movies?
● What roles can writers, actors, movie-makers play in our society?
● How long do you think it will take a writer to write a new book? What about a director or a producer?
● Can you take “story-writing and movie-producing” into account as businesses? What kind of
businesses do you think they are?
● Which job do you think is more important than the others?
doctor engineer writer producer director teacher professor
● Do people from other countries buy our movies and books? Why?
● Do we appreciate writers, producers, and directors in our country? How should we respect them?
113
Translation
● I am into books and movies. I love them.
● Is it easy to write stories or make movies?
● What are the roles of writers, producers, and directors in a society?
● How much money should they receive?
● Do our movies and books sell well in other countries?
● Should everybody be allowed to write books, direct or produce movies?
● The actors, actresses, and characters were great.
● The ending was sad.
● The ending was happy.
● Special effects was the best and the most important part.
● The screenplay was well-written. The play was well-written.
● The location was great. The location was marvelous.
● A large number of extra were employed.
● I am a playwright.
● I am in charge of cameras.
● I am in charge of costumes.
● I am a make-up artist.
● I am in charge of special effects.
● The climax of the story is when the actress is in a dilemma, predicament, labyrinth, maze, and mess,
and she does not know whether to commit suicide or not.
● While watching a movie or reading a book, the reader or the watcher should keep the key events in his
mind and relate them to each other when the film or the story ends. This way, the reader and the watcher
will be a professional one.
114
Discussion
● Speak to your partners about the latest story you have read. If possible, analyze it.
● Speak to your partners about the latest movie you have watched. If possible, analyze it.
● What genre of movies would you make if you were a director or producer?
● What sort of stories would you write if you were a writer? Why?
● Would you like to be a producer, director, or a writer in the future? Why? Defend yourself.
● Compare and contrast film industry in Iran with that in other countries in America, Africa,
Europe, and Asia. Talk with your partners about the strengths and weaknesses of every country.
115
No problem
complaints to complain organizations

fine It struck ten. to hear
to suffer to knock at/on the door comprehensive
terrible to bark vet
to concentrate to settle a problem to calm down
repairman to apologize to somebody to do repairs
to fail poor me! unfairly
sensibly to encounter slogan
success to settle a dispute to interpret
a complaint-free world tangible to prevent
to drive somebody mad to drive somebody crazy to drive somebody nuts
to drive somebody insane to drive somebody up the wall to do one’s best to
to break down city services to care
a complaint-free day torn to hold parties
views tap to leak
to damage to stain ceiling
surgeon to play a role patients
116
No problem
Hello. How are you? Is everything ok? Is everything going well? In this unit, we will deal with
some complaints. As you know, nowadays people complain a lot, but they do not try very much
to solve those problems. In this unit, George, David, Betty, Allen, and Cathy will speak about the
problems they have with people around them, systems, organizations, and the like. First, we will
speak to George. Hello, George. How do you feel today?
Hello. I am not fine today. You know my bad neighbor, the one who listens to loud music. Last
night, I was reading my book for my today exam. Unfortunately, when it struck ten, I heard the
loud music again. I left home to let the neighbor know I was suffering a lot. I knocked at/on the
door again and again. He even did not open the door. I did not have a good sleep last night, and I
did not study well. Now, I am not feeling good. I am most worried about my exam. You know, it
is a comprehensive one. What if I do not pass it? What would you do if you were me?
Now, it is time to speak to David. Hello, David. How are you?
Hello. I am feeling terrible. You know, my neighbor has a dog, a big one that is barking all day
and night. I think something is wrong with it. The owner, Mr. Thomson, even does not take it to
a vet. I have a terrible headache. I can not concentrate, too. What should I do? Whom/who shall
I complain to? What would you do if you were me? I am going to call the police to settle it. I
have tolerated them a lot. It is time to do something.
Thank you, David. Calm down and try to settle it peacefully. Betty! How are you? Is something
the matter with you? Oh, fortunately not. I am great. Last night, I slept well. I did not have any
problem with my new fridge. Everything went well. The noisy fridge was not making any noise.
117
Thank God. Yesterday, I took a repairman home. He had a look at my fridge. He did it. It is
good now. I asked him what was wrong. He laughed. He did not tell me anything. Anyway, I am
happy. Everything is good. Thank God. Bye.
Hello, Allen. Are you ok? Yes, I am. I am great. But, you were complaining all the time. Not
now. I am good today. My new neighbor who was bothering me very much met me today. He
apologized to me. He said he was sorry for whatever wrong he had done. You know he was
making too much noise. He told me that he will no longer do repairs home. So, I am happy. I
am happy. Thank you, Allen. I am happy, too.
Now, I will speak to Cathy. As you know, she was complaining about her university. Now, I
shall speak about that issue. Cathy! How is everything? Everything is going wrong. You know,
my math teacher failed me. I spoke to my professor to settle it. She said she would not do
anything. She said “you deserve it. You should learn how to behave well, you know
academically.” She is angry with me for the noise somebody made in her class. She said “it was
you who made it.” She does not believe that I did not make it. Poor me! I failed unfairly. What
would you do if you were me? Bye.
Dear listeners, we listened to some complaints. The lesson to learn from these stories is to
behave logically and sensibly when you encounter tough times. From this moment on, our
slogan would be “the less complaints, the merrier/happier our life.” I wish you all success.
118
Related Questions
◙ What complaints do you have with your parents?
◙ What complaints do your parents have with you?
◙ What complaints do you have with your neighbors?
◙ How do you settle your complaints or disputes?
◙ Is there “complaints department” in your country? What does it do?
◙ How do you interpret this slogan “the less the complaints, the merrier the life?”
◙ Is it possible to have a complaint-free world?
◙ What are the most tangible and important complaints in your country?
◙ What approaches do you suggest to prevent complaints?
◙ Are you satisfied with your teachers? Why?
◙ Are you satisfied with your spouse? Why?
◙ Are you satisfied with public-transportation system in your country? Why?
◙ In case of problems, how do you complain?
◙ Can complaints help you get rid of stress?
◙ How and why do you apologize to somebody?
119
Translation
◙ Please do not complain. Find a solution.
◙ What do you do or how do you react when somebody complains about you?
◙ What are parents’ complaints? What are children’s complaints?
◙ My neighbor’s dog barks. It drives me mad, crazy, nuts, insane, and up the wall.
◙ Our refrigerator makes too much noise that drives me crazy.
◙ When I have problems with my neighbors, I do my best to settle them.
◙ Do not get angry. Calm down and speak it over.
◙ The item of clothing I bought was tight. I took it to the store from which I had bought it, but I
could not get a refund. Who/whom should I speak to?
◙ The refrigerator I bought yesterday broke down. What should I do?
◙ I am not happy, satisfied with city services. This city is polluted and noisy. Public transportation is not
effective either.
◙ I spoke to the driver about air-conditioning. He did not care. He did not heed at all. What should I do?
◙ Our big problem with the neighbor upstairs is that they listen to loud music. When I ask them
to turn it down, they do not care or heed.
◙ The less we complain, the happier our life (would be).
◙ Should a day be called “a complaint-free day” in every country’s calendar?
120
Discussion
◙ You have bought an item of clothing from a famous clothing store. It was torn; there was a
tear in it. You returned it back, but nobody cared or heeded. What would you do? How would
you settle your problem? How would you react? (A person should play the role of the buyer or
customer. Another person should act as the salesperson. The third person is supposed to act as
the manager of that store.)
◙ Your upstairs neighbor holds parties in his small apartment. You have spoken to him
repeatedly, but you have not received a logical reply. What are you going to do? (Play the role of
one of the people involved or recommend your approaches.)
◙ Are you satisfied with the educational system in your country? Why? Discuss it. Express your views.
◙ The tap of your neighbor living upstairs is leaking. It has damaged and stained the ceiling of your
apartment. It has brought about an unpleasant noise as well. Although you have spoken to him, he has not
taken an appropriate measure. What are you going to do? Discuss this issue in group.
◙ A surgeon has operated your nose. In your opinion, he has not done his job well, and it has
brought about some problems. What are you going to do? (You can either discuss it in a group or
play a role, the role of the doctor or that of the patient.)
121
Let’s celebrate
to celebrate New Year is approaching. It is upon us.

holiday for ages It is my pleasure to
guest Iranian festival of fire bonfire night
a new year’s Eve fireworks display last Wednesday eve of the year Wednesday feast
to light a fire to make a fire to build a fire
to jump over to get rid of evil to pour down
sorrows and pains burning fire pallor
to take away ceremony to set off fireworks
a two-week holiday Sevens’ festival to arrange
table-cloth sweet-pudding oleaster
garlic sumac vinegar
coins Russian olive commencement
the traditional festival of nature to leave to be outdoors
to throw grass water stream to bestow
prosperity tranquility customs
traditions purification rite to represent
festival of fire to please generation
the young philosophy purposes
at the turn of a new year to report back to research over
122
Let’s celebrate
Hello. As you know, New Year is approaching. It is upon us. What are you going to do during
your New Year holiday? Today, I shall speak to a person who is originally from Iran, but he has
been living in the U.S for ages. He is going to speak about Norouz holiday.
Hello, Alex. How do you feel now?
Hello. It is my pleasure to be your guest tonight. As you said I am going to speak about Norouz
holiday in Iran. The last Wednesday of a year is called “Iranian festival of fire.” It is also called
“bonfire night, a new year’s Eve fireworks display, last Wednesday eve of the year or
Wednesday feast.” Iranians call it Char shanbeh soori. On that night, people light, make, or
build a fire, and they jump over it. They do it to get rid of evil. They pour down all their
sorrows and pains into the burning fire. They want the fire to take their pallor, sickness, and
problems away, and in turn give them redness, warmth, and energy. It is one of the oldest
ceremonies which is still of too much importance and value to Iranian people. On that night,
they set off fireworks as well.
Eid-Norouz holiday lasts for two weeks in Iran. It is a two-week holiday. On the first day of the
New Year or even a day before it, Iranians have Sevens’ festival. They arrange a nice table-
cloth with apple, sweet-pudding, oleaster, garlic, sumac, vinegar, and some coins. With the
commencement of the New Year, the younger visit the elder. It is customary to visit your close
relatives on those days. Presents and gifts are exchanged, especially the elder would give the
younger some presents/gifts or a coin. On the last day of this two-week holiday which is known
as Sizdah be dar, the traditional festival of nature, people leave their homes, and prefer to be
outdoors. They sing, play, tell jokes, and do enjoy their last day of that holiday. On that day,
they throw grass, Sabzeh, into water stream, and they sing “bestow me your greenness and
take away my pallor.” It means “evil out, prosperity, happiness, and tranquility in.”
123
Related Questions
◜ How do you celebrate special occasions and events in your country?
◜ What activities do you do then?
◜ What special customs and traditions do you have in your country?
◜ Could you please name a purification rite in your country? Touch upon it.
◜ Could you please speak about Haftsin in Iran? What does it represent?
◜ How do you celebrate “Halloween?”
◜ How do you celebrate “Thanks-giving day?”
◜ How do you celebrate “trick or treat?”
◜ How do you celebrate “festival of fire?”
◜ Could you please talk about a holiday that pleases you the most?
◜ Could you please talk about or touch upon “the day of the dead?”
◜ How much attention should we pay to our customs and traditions?
◜ Why should one pay attention to their customs and traditions?
◜ What roles can customs and traditions play in bearing and rearing the new generation in a country?
◜ Do the young heed old customs and traditions? Why?
124
Translation
◜ Do the young heed old customs and traditions?
◜ What is the relationship between the customs and traditions of a country and the bearing and
rearing of the new generation of that country?
◜ Sizdah be dar is a traditional custom or occasion in Iran.
◜ Norouz holiday is one of the most important holidays in Iran.
◜ How do you celebrate events and occasions?
◜ How much do you know about “Thanks-giving day?”
◜ On bonfire night, the youth make a fire and jump over it.
◜ Is there a philosophy behind customs and events or occasions?
◜ Why are they created?
◜ What purposes or intentions are behind customs and traditions?
◜ In case of Haftsin, seven products beginning with “S” are placed on a table-cloth.
◜ Each of these “S” represents something.
◜ What do people do at the turn of a new year?
◜ Is it common or customary to give and receive presents or gifts in your country?
125
Discussion
◜ Discuss one of the customs or traditions in your country.
◜ Imagine you have travelled abroad, and you have faced or encountered some customs and
traditions which are new to you. What would you do in such a situation?
◜ Make a group of students who are each familiar with different customs and traditions. Each of
you is supposed to speak about a tradition or a custom. Exchange your ideas about those customs
and traditions.
◜ Speak to some people who have enough information about customs and traditions of different
nations or countries to get enough information. Report back whatever you have learnt to your class.
◜ Research over different and similar customs and traditions in two countries and report them
back to your class.
126
Upper-intermediate…..Advanced
127
Could you do me a favor?
Could you do me a favor? to do somebody a favor to accept a favor

to refuse a favor to return one’s favors a businessman
to do business to take care of cute
parrot to reject pets
to water good at gardening to have green fingers
to be on business trips building manager desperately
plumber to repair to mend
unbelievable Thanks a million. to construe
proverb lender borrower
neither……nor taboo culture-bound
to abuse consequences to save somebody’s face
in debt to be in debt with no hesitation
to misuse to displease to take part in
international exam like instead of
to make up for great risk consequences
128
Could you do me a favor?
Hello. How are you? Could you please do me a favor? This unit will deal with “doing somebody
a favor, accepting or refusing a favor.” How often do you do people favors? Do they return
your favors? In this regard, there are three stories below.
Hello. I am Greg. I am a businessman. I do business. I travel a lot. So, I am away from home,
and I need somebody to take care of my best friend, Kitty, my little cat. What should I do this
time? I am going to ask Kathy to take care of my cute cat. Will she do me a favor again? What if
she does not do it? What would I do if somebody asked me for such a favor? Shall I accept or
refuse it?
Hello. I am Diana Smith from London. I have got a cute parrot. Two days ago, I called a friend
of mine to do me a favor. She rejected it. I had expected her to take care of my parrot. She said
she could not do me such a favor because she could not tolerate pets. She was also asked to
water my plants. In response, she said “I am not good at gardening. I do not have green
fingers” she did it impolitely, and it drove me nuts, insane, mad, and up the wall. What would I
do if somebody asked me for such a favor? May be, I would do the same thing. So, I should not
take it seriously. I should try to be a bit more easygoing.
Hello. I am Jack London from New York City. I am on business trips most of the time. I have a
close friend in New York whose name is Jack Brown. Once upon a time, I was kilometers/miles
away from home, I was in India. My building manager called to let me know that something
was wrong with my apartment. He said “I guess something is wrong with one of the taps.” He
said “he thinks the tap is leaking, and that leakage has damaged my neighbor’s apartment.” I
decided to call Mr. Brown. I did not expect him to be of help to me. I called him desperately. To
my surprise, he did me a big favor. He took a plumber home to repair/mend the tap. It was
unbelievable. How can such a man in whom I had no hope be of great help to me? He did me a
very big favor, and I decided to return his favor when I got back home. Thank you, Mr. Brown.
Thanks a million.
129
Related Questions
◚ Is it common in your country to take care of somebody’s pets while he is away?
◚ Asking for what favors would drive people crazy in your country?
◚ Is it common in your country to check somebody’s home while she is away?
◚ What favors are unpleasant to ask for in your country?
◚ How do you return somebody’s favor?
◚ Which one is more unpleasant to you? Why?
Taking take of a pet while somebody is away
Watering plants while somebody is away
Taking care of somebody’s apartment while she is away
Taking care of somebody’s children while she is away
◚ What do you expect people to do when you do them a favor?
◚ How do you construe the following proverb?
“Neither a lender nor a borrower be.”
◚ What would you do if somebody asked for a favor that is taboo in your country?
◚ Can we call “everything people ask or expect us to do” favors? Why?
◚ How do you define “favor?” Is it culture-bound? How?
◚ Should we do people favors when we know they are going to abuse us?
◚ What if you do people favors repeatedly? What consequences would it have?
130
Translation
◚ Please do me a favor. Bring me a glass of water.
◚ Do you return people’s favors?
◚ I asked my sister to do me a favor, to buy me a book on Jey Street.
◚ One of my good habits is my doing people favors.
◚ If somebody does me a favor, I will definitely return it.
◚ Do me a favor. Please take care of my cat while I am away.
◚ I asked my closest friend to do me a favor, but he refused it.
◚ Please water my plants and take care of my parrot while I am away.
◚ Neither a borrower nor a lender be.
◚ Do me a favor. Lend me your dictionary for two weeks.
◚ What can I do for you? What favors are you looking for?
◚ He did me a favor and took my child to a hospital.
◚ The biggest favor you did me was the time you saved my face when I was in debt.
◚ Do me a favor. Bring me a T-shirt in smaller size.
◚ He did me a favor. He changed my seat with no hesitation.
131
Discussion
◚ Do you do people favors? Why and in what circumstances do you do them favors? Do you
expect them to return your favors? Discuss it.
◚ You have done somebody some favors, and he thinks it is your duty now. What measures and
approaches would you take in such situations? Why? What are your reasons?
◚ You have done a friend of yours favors repeatedly. He has not appreciated your favors, and
now he is gradually abusing or misusing you. How would you react or behave in such a
situation? What are your reasons? (Here, you are supposed to play the role of one of the
characters, and your partner should play or act the role of another character.)
◚ Which one of the following activities would displease you the most? Why?
Taking care of your friend’s parrot while he is away
Taking care of your friend’s dog or cat while he is away
Watering his flowers or plants while he is away
Taking care of your friend’s children while he is away
◚ One of your friends is fully-satisfied to take part in an international exam like TOEFL instead of
you and pays for all the consequences. What would you do to make up for his great risk? Why?
132
Crossing cultures!
crossing cultures to concern immigrants

studio pleased to be pleased to
subcultures rituals diversity
calamities Farsi-speaking countries culture-shock
to adapt culturally to survive
to get along with mourning ceremony on a mission
to be on a mission in astonishment to my amazement
devastating to devastate soul
spirit stuff to set a table
believe it or not to pay somebody a visit cultural diversity
of benefit to die to hold
immigration to emigrate to immigrate
to migrate to apply for passport to apply for visa
valid credit card to carry in a mess
to be in a mess consulate to surf
emotional intelligence bon voyage unaware of
to be unaware of all-Iranian group tribes
133
Crossing cultures!
Hello. Welcome to “crossing cultures.” This show concerns differences and similarities between
nations. Tonight, I shall speak to three people about the customs and traditions they have in their
countries. These three people are immigrants to the U.S, and they have been living here for ages. Hello,
George. How are you? How do you feel in our studio?
Hello. It is my pleasure to be here. I am pleased to meet you all. I am George. I was born in a
country with a big civilization in the Middle East, Iran. As you know, Iran is big, huge, and
spread-out. In this country, we have lots of cultures, subcultures, traditions, customs, and
rituals. They are different from state to state. It is a country of big diversity in culture. In Iran
we have unique customs and traditions. The last Wednesday of a year is called Char shanbeh
souri. On that night, people build fire and jump over it. They pour down their sorrows and pains
into the burning fire to get rid of all calamities, and take in happiness, prosperity, and tranquility.
It is unique to Farsi-speaking countries. Another important holiday is Norouz holiday. It lasts
for two weeks, and the last day is Sizdah be dar. On that day, people prefer to be in the nature,
and they sing a song that is “evil or devil out, prosperity, tranquility, and happiness in.” Nowhere
else have I seen these two unique customs? When I came here first, I was shocked. Everything
was new and strange to me. I experienced culture-shock. Fortunately, I learned how to tackle it
in a short period of time. I have learnt so much about the customs, ceremonies, occasions, and
traditions in your country. I love them all. I am of this idea that it is quite necessary to adapt
yourself culturally to survive and get along with people. This is the best lesson I have learnt
from living in the U.S.
Thank you, George. Now, it is time to speak to Ajay from India. Ajay, how are you today? Is
everything going well?
Oh, yes. I am ok.
What are you going to tell us about the customs and traditions in your country?
134
I shall give you some information about mourning ceremony in my country. I have found it
quite different from some other nations in Asia. Once I was on a mission in Iran. A colleague of
mine who was Iranian was dead, and we were supposed to attend a mourning ceremony. I found
it totally different. Like Indians, I wore white to respect the family of the dead person. When I
attended that ceremony, everybody was looking at me in astonishment. I did not know why they
were shocked. After a while, to my amazement, I realized that Iranian people wear black on
such ceremonies. What a difference! A devastating one?
Ok. What a big difference! What were the consequences? Nobody knows. Now, I shall speak to
Mexicana, a fantastic engineer from Mexico City.
Hello, Mexicana. Are you ok?
Thank you.
Could you please touch upon a special event in your country?
Yes. We have a special day called “the day of the dead.” It is unique to Mexican people. It is
believed that on that day the soul or spirit of the dead will return home, and they leave behind an
object or stuff. On that day, Mexican people set a table, and they arrange it with fruits, drinks,
and foods. They believe that the soul of the dead will surely pay them a visit. Believe it or not,
every Mexican believes it.
135
Related Questions
◜ Is cultural diversity beneficial or of benefit? How?
◜ What do Indians wear and do when somebody dies in their country?
◜ What do Iranians wear and do when somebody dies in their country?
◜ How do Americans hold “Thanks-giving day?”
◜ What do you know about “Boxing day?”
◜ How is “driving” different in Iran and England?
◜ How do Iranians, Indians, and Mexicans look at “death?” What do they do when somebody dies?
◜ Could you please compare and contrast “marriage or wedding ceremony” in Iran, India, and America?
◜ What did you miss the most when you were miles away from home, in a foreign country?
◜ What consequences would “culture-shock” have?
◜ Have you ever experienced “culture-shock?” Explain it.
◜ What should people do and learn before they make their mind to immigrate? What parameters
or factors should they heed?
◜ How can one keep himself informed of the culture of a foreign land at the time of immigration?
◜ How do you see “immigration?” Why do some people immigrate?
◜ What are the differences between “emigrate, immigrate, and migrate?”
136
Translation
◜ Have you ever been abroad? Have you ever lived overseas?
◜ What did you miss the most?
◜ What does “culture-shock” mean?
◜ You should apply for passport and visa when you are going to go overseas.
◜ You must have a valid credit card with you.
◜ There should not be too much money on you. Do not carry too much money.
◜ Ask for help when you are in a mess. Ask for help when you face some problems. Ask for
help when you encounter some problems.
◜ In case of problems, go to the consulate of your country.
◜ Get as much information as you can about the culture, customs, and traditions of a foreign
country before you go on a trip.
◜ What would you do if somebody stole your purse or wallet?
◜ What is the most logical and sensible approach to take when your passport and visa are stolen?
◜ I do believe that those who are going to go abroad, immigrate or spend some time as tourists in a
foreign country should learn the language, culture, traditions, and customs of that country as much as they
can.
◜ To get information about the traditions, customs, and culture of people from different countries, you
should or can read special books, surf the internet, or speak to those who have the experience of living
overseas.
◜ Those who are going to travel abroad or immigrate should use, apply, and exploit their emotional
intelligence, EQ, to the greatest extent possible.
◜ Bon voyage. Have a good, nice trip.
137
Discussion
◜ You are in a foreign country, and you have attended a mourning ceremony. Unlike your
country, those people wear white instead of black at the time of sorrows and sadness. You were
unaware of this cultural difference, and it has bothered the family of the dead. What would you
do in this situation? Explain your answer.
◜ Compare and contrast “driving, wedding, and mourning ceremony” in your country with those
in India, England, and Canada.
◜ What are the advantages and disadvantages of cultural diversity?
◜ In your all-Iranian group, there are people from different tribes. There is a Lor, a Kurd, a
Baluch, and a person from the north of your country. Exchange your ideas about wedding,
Sizdah be dar, Norouz holiday, and special events and occasions in your area.
◜ You are an English teacher, and you have achieved and accomplished something important. You have
passed CELTA, and DELTA. You are asked to teach English either in Arab littoral states or in countries
in the South East of Asia. How do you prepare yourself for such an important trip? What are you going to
do? Exchange your ideas in your group, with your partners.
138
The world we live in
frankly speaking full of to make progress

cavemen rarely global issues
water-pollution air pollution population explosion
poverty unemployment concerned about
to be concerned about to mention polluted
solutions mankind to walk or go astray
to destroy unknowingly to pass strict laws
to punish to pollute to contaminate
to curb to control to revive forests
to plant trees to create the culture leniency
to accommodate to exploit place of residence
to increase basic needs birth-rate control
to back up to support death-rate
normal Extremes are to be rejected. to be moderate in nature
to be moderate in diplomacy interrelated to come to scene
lack of facilities inability lack of hope
hopelessness to result in to culminate in
to be rich and beautiful in heart to be rich and beautiful in mind corruption
injustice to build a poverty-free nation to promote
public speaker lack of knowledge lack of skills
disorders resourcefulness national insecurity
multi-dimensionality from the scratch maiden responsibility
skill-oriented self-employment oriented to cooperate
to collaborate win-win approach to await
contamination global warming a war-free world
a poverty-free world a corruption-free world a nuclear bomb-free world
an atomic bomb-free world a slum-free city a beggar-free city
a charlatan-free city entrepreneurship ever-lasting
to uproot asthma representative
ministry of health municipality unions
to pool to brainstorm pieces of ice
to melt Antarctica to demonstrate
geologist climatologist catastrophe
visible poverty charity-raiser outer beauty
inner beauty inspirer to interpret
139
The world we live in
Hello. How are you? Frankly speaking, I am not feeling happy today. You know, we are living
in a world full of problems. What should we do to get rid of these problems? I think it was better
not to make any progress. I wish we were cavemen. At least, rarely did they damage the world.
Today, I have four nice guests, and they are going to speak about four major global issues. I
mean air and water-pollution, population explosion, poverty, and unemployment. First, I
shall speak to Alexander who knows so much about air-pollution. Hello, Alexander. How is
everything going today? Are you ok?
Oh, hello. It is nice to see you, but I am concerned about the problems you mentioned earlier.
You know, we are living in a polluted world; our air and water are terribly polluted. What
should/can we do? I think first of all we should do our best to understand the causes of these
pollutions. Later, we can offer our solutions. A large number of factors and parameters are
involved in this issue. I think the most important factor is mankind. We are walking or going
astray. We are destroying our self-made world unknowingly. We should pass strict laws to
punish those who pollute or contaminate our air and water. We should try not to be lenient
towards those guilty people. Factories, cars, jerry-built apartments and builders, machines, and
mostly mankind are polluting the air. It is getting too late. We should do something. We should
try to curb and control the damage first. We must revive forests; I mean we must plant trees.
We must create the culture not to destroy forests any more, and we must be a bit stricter. Who
says we are too strict? The problem is that we are too much lenient. Leniency is not that good.
Thank you, Alexander. Now, we will speak on the second issue, which is population explosion.
What does it mean? Can our planet, the planet earth, accommodate this big number of people?
We are exploiting our big place of residence, I think. Becky, you are welcome to our program.
How are you?
I am great, and at the same time, I am worried too. There are so many people living in this small
space. We are in fact damaging it. Are you on my side? The number of people has recently
increased. Is it something pleasant or unpleasant? To me, it is unpleasant. When the number of
people increases, their needs for water, food, basic needs, and facilities will increase as well.
140
Who is in charge of providing such facilities? We should try to have a birth-rate control, a
logical one. We can not back up or support all these people. So, we might face or encounter a
large number of new problems in the future. Who is to deal with all those problems? You, me, or
the others? Who? Birth and death-rate should be normal. Extremes are to be rejected. We
should be moderate in nature and diplomacy. Hope population explosion will not be a serious
issue in the future?
Thank you, Becky. It was all nice to us. Now, it is the right time to speak for a while with
Mackie on the issue of poverty. I think poverty and population explosion are interrelated. How
come? When the number of people is increasing, their needs will change and increase as well.
Due to the fact that we can not meet, gratify, and satisfy all needs of people or the needs of the
majority of people, poverty may come to scene to show its real nature. The large number of
people living in an area, lack of facilities, inability of state and local governments to satisfy the
basic needs of people, unemployment, demotivation, lack of hope or hopelessness, and a large
number of other factors similar to the ones mentioned earlier may result or culminate in
poverty. The most dangerous form of poverty is our not being rich or beautiful in heart and
mind. Along with poverty come crime, corruption, and injustice. So, we should try to put an
end to poverty as soon as possible. We should try to build a poverty-free nation and try to
promote it in other parts of the world.
Thank you, Mackie. You express your ideas beautifully. To me, you are a great public speaker.
Thank you. Now, we will/shall speak to our last speaker, Jami Oliver. How do you feel now?
Are you happy to be here? Of course, yes. I think I am supposed to speak about unemployment.
Right?
Yes, please. Unemployment is a big global issue nowadays. There are so many people who are
out of job. What are the causes and consequences of unemployment? Lack of knowledge and
skills, demotivation, lack of talent, IQ and EQ disorders, lack of education, and lack of
resourcefulness may result in unemployment. The consequences of unemployment are as
follows: corruption, injustice, demotivation, crime, suicide, national insecurity, and lack of
security. In my idea, we should try to educate and school our children more academically. They
should be taught that nobody will guarantee them a job in the future. This idea is to be kept in
their mind that everything would depend on their talents, skills, specialty, and multi-
dimensionality in the future. So, we should help them understand that they are to be responsible
for themselves from the scratch. I mean our maiden responsibility is to raise responsible,
knowledgeable, skill-oriented, and self-employment oriented people. People should bear in
their mind that they should learn to cooperate and collaborate with each other to build a good
nation in which win-win approach would be of importance and value. In addition, governments
should do their best to create as many jobs as possible. These jobs are to be created for those who
are not talented enough to find or create themselves jobs. Talented ones should have it in their
mind that other people and governments expect them to create jobs for themselves and the
others. I hope my dream would come true in the future. I am awaiting that day.
141
Related Questions
◙ How do you define the following words?
unemployment poverty population explosion pollution
contamination global warming corruption
◙ How has your country solved “poverty?”
◙ How can we all put an end to unemployment?
◙ How can we all eradicate “corruption?”
◙ What are the causes of unemployment, poverty, population explosion, pollution,

contamination, global warming, and corruption?
◙ What are the consequences of unemployment, poverty, population explosion, pollution,

contamination, global warming, and corruption?
◙ How can we have a greener world?
◙ How can we have a war-free world?
◙ How can we have a poverty-free world?
◙ How can we have a corruption-free world?
◙ How can we have a nuclear bomb-free world?
◙ How can we have an atomic bomb-free world?
◙ How can we have a slum-free city?
◙ How can we have a beggar-free city?
◙ How can we have a charlatan-free city?
142
Translation
◙ Air-pollution is a big issue in all countries.
◙ What is its solution?
◙ How can we put an end to poverty?
◙ What are the consequences of poverty? What are its causes?
◙ How can we curb and control population explosion?
◙ It is getting warmer and warmer day after day. What are the consequences of global-warming?
◙ Is there a relationship or link between poverty and corruption?
◙ How can we curb and control poverty and corruption?
◙ What are the causes and the consequences of unemployment?
◙ What approaches or suggestions do you recommend to solve the issue of unemployment?
◙ What other issues will be settled if we solve unemployment?
◙ How can countries put an end to their big problems or issues?
◙ To solve the above-mentioned problems, governments, countries, and people should cooperate
and collaborate with each other.
◙ You should teach your students to learn responsibility, cooperation and collaboration, team
and group work, problem-solving strategies, and entrepreneurship if you are going to put an
ever-lasting end to unemployment.
◙ The issue of unemployment would be uprooted for ever if everybody created one or more than
one job for himself or the others.
143
Discussion
◙ You are living in a city in which there is too much unemployment. Who is responsible? What
approaches are there to solve this problem? How can you solve this devastating problem? Solve
it in a group. Suggest your approaches. Make a final decision through group or teamwork.
◙ Your city is terribly dirty and polluted, and a large number of people are suffering from
asthma. What approaches or suggestions do you recommend to get rid of this problem? Imagine
there is representative from ministry of health, one from municipality, and another one from
unions in your group. Share, pool, and brainstorm ideas to solve the problem.
◙ Big pieces of ice are melting in Antarctica. It demonstrates a big problem or issue. It is
getting warmer and warmer. Solve it in group. There is a geologist, a climatologist, a doctor, a
representative from government, and a person who knows too much about Antarctica in your
group. Brainstorm and pool your ideas to solve this big issue.
◙ Poverty is a disaster, a catastrophe. There is too much visible poverty in your area, your
neighborhood. You as an educated body or figure, a representative from city or neighborhood
council, a body from municipality, and a person as a charity-raiser have decided to solve the
problem. How would you solve it? Touch upon your approach.
◙ Beauty is something of great value. Today, people pay more attention to outer beauty than
inner beauty. In the eye of a great, well-known inspirer “people should be beautiful in mind
and heart.” How do you interpret this saying? Are you for or against it? Express, support your
ideas.
144
Life-long learning
life-long learning ladies and gentlemen developed countries

to block direct critical age hypothesis
as far as I know theory to denote
community college to grow older to regret
to feel pity for to wink at to advertise
to promote a newly-established university to persuade
to register interest interior design
culinary course followers life-long learning movement
to depart to pass to forget
a natural process middle-aged wagon
to pat over the moon to be over the moon
to realize to compensate for laziness
fate shepherd title
inspiring cross-eyed to ridicule
pressure and stress to be under pressure and stress deceased
plains to graze the ladder to success
to climb envious of to be envious of
guys in dire need of to be in dire need of
to come up with a nice idea to reach a conclusion civil engineering
promoter motivated autonomous
skill-oriented peripherally-oriented motivating
non-result oriented in other words meaningful learning
to convey to acquire jealous
peripheral learning autonomous learning rote learning
to accelerate to speed up to enhance
well-equipped group learning priority
learning, teaching, and testing on what bases? to get promoted
to negotiate to regard whole people
cognitive domain affective domain learning opportunities
mistakes educational settings perseverance
interaction to guarantee result-oriented learning
to review to revolutionize undeveloped country
to stand creation of science creation of technology
locally and globally minister of education to defend one’s thesis
145
Life-long learning
Hello ladies and gentlemen. Today, we are going to speak about a very important issue which is
of too much value and importance in developed countries. Do you believe that somebody’s age
can block their learning? Do you believe that there is a direct relationship or link between age
and learning?
Once upon a time, It was believed that there is a direct link between somebody’s age and
learning. The theory was called “critical age hypothesis.” It meant “the younger you are, the
better language learner you are.” As far as I know, this theory was rejected ages ago. Today,
people and systems are experiencing life-long learning all over the world. What is that? It means
that we can learn, attend university, and do research at any age. It is never too late to learn it
denotes. Today, I shall speak to Sharon, Michael, David, and Byron about life-long learning.
Hello, Sharon. Are you continuing or pursuing your education now?
Yes, I am learning German at Community college now. I enjoy it very much. You know when I
was growing older, I regretted a lot. I repeatedly asked myself “why did not I attend university
like the majority of people? I felt pity for myself. This issue was terribly bothering me. I did not
find any solutions for my big problem. Once I was walking down Lincoln Street, luckily I saw a
piece of paper on the wall winking at me. I got closer. Do you know what it was? It was a piece
of paper advertising and promoting a newly-established university. It read you could learn
(at) any age. It persuaded me to make my mind and helped my dreams come true. I decided to
refer to that university to register my name. I did it. When I got to the university, I saw a large
number of men and women my age. We had so many things in common, and the most important
one was our interest in pursuing our education. Thank God. That was a turning point in my life.
I (have) studied interior design and culinary course through that system. Now, I am studying
German. I am feeling good now.
Thank you, Sharon. Now, it is time to talk to Michael. Hello, Michael. How are you?
146
I am great as usual. I am one of the followers of “life-long learning movement.” When I was 16, my
father departed. I was almost about to get my diploma when I had this disaster in my life. Unfortunately,
I did not finish my studies because of that tough time. Years passed, and I had totally forgotten
education. I was growing older and older. It was a natural process. Once upon a time, while I was taking
the subway home, I saw a middle-aged well-dressed person in the same wagon. He got closer and closer
to me. I asked myself “who is that? Why is he getting closer and closer to me?” I thought we did not have
anything in common. All of the sudden, he patted me on the back and said “hello, Michael. How lucky I
am to see you. I am over the moon today.” Later, we spoke about our lives. He was a terribly successful
gentleman. He was George, an old school friend of mine. He told me so much about his life. He was a
professor at Birmingham University. He easily understood that I was not satisfied with my life. He also
realized that I was highly interested in learning. He told me that my dream, studying and maybe teaching
at university, could come true. He saved my whole life that day. When I got back home, I decided to get
my diploma first. Later, I registered for university, and I got admitted into one of the best universities in
England. I was really into books. I compensated for all my laziness, bad luck, and fate. Do you know
what I am doing these days? I am one of the best colleagues of George. I am lucky.
Now, the best part of the story will deal with a fantastic issue. We are going to speak to David “the
shepherd.” Hello, David. How are you? Do you feel comfortable here?
Of course, yes. I am David “the shepherd.” I enjoy this title. I remember the time I was living in a small
village. How great, fantastic, and inspiring life was in that far away village. My family moved to the
nearest city to give us the great chance of pursuing our studies. I was cross-eyed, and people, especially
my uncle, ridiculed me. Due to that, I was under tons of pressure and stress. When I was a high school-
goer, I failed when I was in grade one. I boldly told my dear father-he is deceased now- that I no longer
wanted to pursue my education. I repeatedly repeated the decision I had made. He agreed with me, but I
really did not know what might happen to me in the future? I got back to that village and became a
shepherd. It was too much difficult. I took sheep to plains everyday, and I grazed them. Everybody was
able to do my job. I was growing older, and I saw my friends going up/climbing the ladder to success. I
was not envious of my old friends, but I really knew that I was better than those guys. I was most clever.
I was growing older and older, and there was a question in my mind bothering me all the time. “Oh God.
What should I do? What shall I do? Save me please. I am in dire need of your help. I am 30 now. What
should I do?” One day while I was alone in the plains and I was grazing my then closest friends, my
sheep, I thought for a long time, and I came up with a nice idea that is my life turning point. I reached
this conclusion that this business will take me nowhere. I gave it up and decided to do my best, to study. I
returned back home, I returned to my city. I did my best. After graduating from high school, I passed the
entrance exam. I studied math. Later, I studied civil engineering. Now, I have two M.As in math and civil
engineering. Later on, I married a rich lady. I am a builder now. How lucky I am. I feel great.
Finally, I speak to J.C. Byron from UCLA. He, as a promoter of life-long learning, will tell us what
characteristics life-long learners have. Hello to you all. I will get right down to the business. Life-long
learners are motivated, autonomous, skill-oriented, peripherally-oriented, motivating, and non-result
oriented. They do not pay attention to age. In other words, age is of no importance and value to them.
They also never think it is too late to learn. They heed meaningful learning. They do their best to convey
to the others whatever they have acquired. They are not envious or jealous in the process of learning and
teaching.
147
Related Questions
◙ How do you define life-long learning?
◙ Is it of importance and value in your country?
◙ How do people see it? Are they interested in it? Why?
◙ Do you believe in critical-age hypothesis? Why?
◙ How is peripheral learning seen in your country?
◙ What is the relationship between life-long learning and peripheral learning?
◙ What if a 90 year old man attends university? How would people judge it?
◙ What if a 90 year old woman attends university? How would people judge it?
◙ How do you define autonomous learning and learners?
◙ How do you define meaningful and rote learning?
◙ How do you define learning?
◙ What is the relationship between learning and teaching?
◙ How can we accelerate, speed up, or enhance learning?
◙ How well-equipped should our schools and universities be?
◙ What roles do teachers, students, and facilities play in learning and teaching?
148
Translation
◙ Do authorities heed life-long learning in your country?
◙ Which type of learning do you prefer?
meaningful learning, rote learning, life-long learning, or group learning
◙ What roles do teachers, students, and systems play in learning?
◙ What type of learning is of priority in the eye of the authorities of education in your country?
◙ What is the relationship among learning, teaching, and testing?
◙ What measures are to be taken to promote learning? How can we promote it?
◙ Should everybody be allowed to become a teacher?
◙ What are the characteristics of a good teacher, a good professor?
◙ What are the characteristics of a good learner?
◙ What are the characteristics of a good educational system?
◙ On what bases should teachers get promoted?
◙ A good learner is one who asks good questions and speaks to his teacher about his needs. He is
also responsible and familiar with teamwork.
◙ A good teacher is one who negotiates with his learners, regards them as whole people-the
ones who have cognitive and affective domain-and provides them with learning opportunities,
group work, and teamwork.
◙ Today, mistakes are the signs of development in educational settings.
◙ Interest, perseverance, hard work, discipline, group work, teamwork, and interaction
guarantee one’s success in educational settings.
149
Discussion
◙ Which one of the following approaches will promote learning in a country? Meaningful
learning, rote learning, life-long learning, or result-oriented learning
◙ Review and study the characteristics of a good teacher or professor. Why do you think these
characteristics will revolutionize the educational system of a country? Exchange your ideas
with other members of your group. Discuss it in detail.
◙ What are the characteristics of a good learner? Name and count a few of those characteristics.
Defend your ideas. Discuss the issue with your partners.
◙ Compare and contrast the educational system of your country with that of a developed country
like Japan and with that of an undeveloped country like countries in Africa. Where does your
country stand in this regard? What roles does your country play in “the world of education?”
What roles does it play in the creation of science and technology locally and globally?
◙ What creative things would you do if you were the minister of education of your country?
Defend your thesis?
150
Life’s little lessons
lesson respectively turning points

lives car accident car crash
meticulously to hit violent
windshield to die instantly unconscious
to regain consciousness to recall
to trust to rely on to propose to
a well-planned scenario a virtuous circle to get divorced
overnight rolling in dough to be rolling in dough
bankrupt to be bankrupt to go bankrupt
to help somebody out of a mess blunder new rich
to misbehave bankruptcy out of control
to desert to behave humanely lifetime
A friend in needs is a friend in deeds. fine-weather friends principle
farmer on farm indebted to
to be indebted to They are everything to me. physics professor
influential friends amoral event
demise earthquake flood
tsunami landslides natural disasters
earthquake-stricken areas vulnerable to flood
to sacrifice villain to hide/conceal
alas haphazardly insight
far-sightedness thoughts social-climber
altitude to experience discussion
151
Life’s little lessons
Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Today, I shall/will speak to three guests. They will speak about
turning points in their lives. These three people are Alice, Nancy, and David respectively.
Speaker number one is Alice from Illinois. Hello, Alice. How do you feel today? Hi back. I am
fine, thank you. Today, I am going to speak about a turning point in my life. Ten years ago, when
I was eighteen, I lost my parents in a car accident or crash. We were travelling back home from
Arizona. My father was driving meticulously when a car from behind hit us. The accident was
so violent that my parents were thrown out of the windshield. They died instantly. I was
unconscious for two days. When I regained my consciousness, I could not recall the story. It
took me a month to be healthy again. Just I could remember one thing. There was a boy visiting
me everyday. He is my spouse now. He visited me very often, and he advised me be hopeful. He
did in fact change my life. At the beginning, I did not believe in him. You know, nowadays, you
can not trust people. He was really frank and open to me. It took me ages to rely on him. He did
help me. What if he was not close to me at that time? Thank God. Finally, I recovered from all
those sorrows and sufferings. After a while, he proposed to me, and I decided or made my mind
to marry him. Now, we are married, and we have a happy marriage and life. I do thank God
everyday. The lesson I got or learnt from this story is that “when we lose something, we get
something else in return.” It is a well-planned scenario. I mean, our life, believe it or not, is a
well-planned scenario. To me, it is a virtuous circle.
Now, it is time to speak to Nancy. Hello, Nancy. How are you? Are you feeling ok? Yes, today I
am great. Nancy, could you please tell us something about your life story? Yes, of course. I hope
I will not drive you crazy and sad. I come from a rich family, you know. It is better to say we
were rich in the past. Nowadays, everything is quite different. When I was 18, my parents
decided to get divorced. It was the worst event in my life. That was the year when I was
152
supposed to enter university. Unfortunately, everything changed for the worse overnight. They
got divorced, and that ruined my whole life. My life is ruined. Who can understand it? We were
rolling in dough, but we unfortunately did not know that everything can go wrong overnight.
My father was doing business, and he had relied on his intimate friend. After ages, we all
understood that we were bankrupt. In fact, he abused my poor father. After a while, we did not
have a penny, and nobody helped us out of the mess. In fact, it was our big mistake/blunder.
When we were rich, we were behaving like the new rich; we were misbehaving the majority of
our friends unknowingly. After bankruptcy, everything was out of control. Nobody cared what
we were doing. It was us who were to be found guilty and faulty. The worst thing which
happened to me at that time was my getting married to a boy. He abused me terribly. After a
while, I realized that he had married me to get rich. When he found out that I, along with my
family, was not rich, he decided to desert me. Oh God, I am the poorest child on this planet. I
must not have married that dirty boy. I could have married a better one. Who is guilty? My
family, me, or the people who were in touch, contact with us? What if you were me?
Thank you, Nancy. We are not feeling good now. What lessons can we learn from your story? A
lesson we can learn is to behave humanely during our lifetime. It is not good to be proud all the
time. “A friend in needs is a friend in deeds” was the lesson or issue you missed in your life.
“Fine-weather friends” is another principle you should have heeded in your life. By the way,
what can we all do for you?
Now, let’s speak to David. Hello, I am David. I have a Ph.D. in physics. I was born in a small
village, miles away from a city. My father was a farmer, and he was on farm most of the time.
He was not an educated body, but to me he is my greatest teacher. My mother played such an
important role in my life as well. Although they were not educated, they raised us well. I am
indebted to both of them. They are everything to me. After getting my diploma, I entered a
famous university. Later, I did my M.A and Ph.D. I passed all my credits with flying colors.
Now, I am a physics professor, and I am teaching at a good university. During my education, I
was lucky enough to have influential friends. Today, I am very much concerned about the way I
behave in my classes. It is not academic enough. I am a bit amoral. The principles I learnt from
my parents are not important to me anymore. I do not put them into practice. What should I do?
What would you do if you were me? What if you change that much for the worse?
153
Related Questions
► Could you please speak about some of your turning points?
► What is the most important turning point of your life?
► Could turning points be good or bad?
► What lessons have you learnt from your life up to now?
► What lessons have you learnt from other people’s lives?
► What do you regret the most?
► What are you happy with the most?
► What was the most devastating event in your life?
► Whom/who did you learn the most important lesson from?
► Have you had disasters in your life up until now?
► When I was younger, …………………………..
► When I had an accident 2 years ago, …………...
► When I failed in the most important exam in my life, ………………..
► When my close friend died, ……………………
► When I became a professor at the age of 25, ……
154
Translation
► What was the most important turning point in your life? Touch upon it?
► The worst memory of my life was my close friend’s death or demise.
► I wished I had not married that boy.
► I failed in my exam. I must have studied more.
► I did not pass this unit/credit with flying colors. I could have passed it with flying colors.
► I smoked for 6 months. I wished I had not smoked. I should not have smoked.
► Earthquake, flood, tsunami, and landslides are natural disasters.
► Can we prevent natural disasters?
► Earthquake-stricken areas are vulnerable.
► The river flooded. Some sacrificed their lives to save the others/the rest. A few died to save
the lives of thousands of people.
► Seeing my spouse for the first time was my life turning point.
► Being, staying, remaining in touch or contact with the clever and the educated is my life turning point.
► Seeing that villain was the worst event in my life. He hid or concealed his real character.
After a while, I realized his negative character.
► I regret why I thought my first language teacher was not a good one.
► Alas. We grew older and older. We missed nice opportunities. We did not appreciate the
value of time. We should have lived better, more logically. We could have lived better.
155
Discussion
► You married somebody, but you are not happy with it. What factors or parameters should you
have heeded? If you get the chance of marrying again, what would you look for in a partner?
Touch upon it.
► Have a discussion over your turning points in a group. Do you think they happened haphazardly? Or
do you think your insight, far-sightedness, and thoughts played an important role?
► You are a social-climber. Although you came from a poor family, you have a great altitude
in your society now, but you are abusing it. In fact, you now reject the principles you based your
life on. What would future hold for you? What would your future be like? Have a discussion on
this issue. Do it in a group or in pairs.
► Have a discussion over/on the lives of those who are famous and successful in the eyes of
people. Why do you think their lives deserve a group discussion? Do you like to be as famous
and successful as those people? Why?
► How would you like “your life turning-points” to be? Do you like or have you liked to
experience “disasters” in your life? Why? What should one do at the time of a disaster? Why?
156
Behind the scenes
behind the scenes the production of a movie as easy as ABC

show budget plan
coordination and cooperation the outline of the script to expand
to complete to divide filming details
to hire to pick a location to design costumes
shooting to film shots separately
in sequence to edit to compose music
to add sound effects special qualities features
to attract permanent lucrative business
permanence informed-participation to criticize
attitudes works of arts artistic works
157
Behind the scenes
Hello. How are you? What is the latest movie you have seen or watched? What was it about? As
you know, a large number of people are involved in the production of a movie. Making or
producing a movie is not as easy as ABC. It is too much difficult. Today, Alex is in our studio,
and he is going to speak about making a movie and the people who have a role in movie-
production. Hello, Alex. Welcome to our show.
Hello. It is my pleasure to be with you. As a director, actor, scenario writer or a playwright, I tell
you all that movie-making is a difficult job, and it needs a huge budget, a fantastic plan, and too
much coordination and cooperation. Here is the process of making a movie. First, an outline of
the script has to be written. Then, the outline should be expanded into a script. To complete the
script, it has to be divided into scenes, and the filming details need to be written out. After the
script has been completed, a director must be hired. Next, actors are to be chosen, locations are
to be picked, and costumes are to be designed. Filming can then begin. Once shooting begins,
different shots have to be filmed separately. Scenes may not be shot in sequence. After the
filming is finished, the different shots can then be put together by the editor and director. Soon
after the film has been edited, music has to be composed, and sound effects may be added. The
final film you see on the screen was created by the director and editor out of thousands of shots.
As you see it was not that easy. So, we conclude that everybody can not do this business
professionally.
158
Related Questions
◛ What movie have you watched or seen recently? Touch upon it?
◛ Who is your favorite director? Why do you like his works?
◛ Who are your favorite actors and actresses? Why do you like them? What special qualities do they have?
◛ What features of a movie are important to you? Why are they important?
◛ Do you believe that film-making is an industry? Why do you have such an idea? Defend your ideas?
◛ Have you seen “Home alone 2?” What lessons did it have? What did you learn from it?
◛ Why do we make films? What benefits does it have?
◛ What measures are to be considered while making a movie?
◛Are film-making, acting, producing, and directing well-paid jobs? If so, why? If not, why?
◛ Would you like to be a person involved in film-making? Which one would you like to be?
◛ Some movies do not attract people. What is wrong with them?
◛ Should everybody be given the rights to be a director, a producer, an actor, a gaffer, or a camera man? Why?
◛ What can directors convey to people living in other countries?
◛ What is the relationship between movie-making industry and the culture of a nation?
◛ Can directors bring about big changes through the movies they are making? Give examples?
159
Translation
◛ What was (the title of) the latest movie you watched? What lessons did you get from it?
◛ Who is your favorite actor? Who is your favorite actress? Why do you like him? Why do you
believe in her?
◛ What is the best movie you have recently watched? Why do you think that is the best one you
have watched up to now?
◛ What parameters are to be regarded to produce a permanent movie? Why?
◛ Today, movie-production is a lucrative business.
◛ The unique feature of a movie is its permanence.
◛ What types or genres of movies would you produce if you were a director? Would you heed
money-making or leaving an influential impact on people?
◛ Do you accept every role recommended to you? Why?
◛ A good film is one in which all the people involved act and behave professionally.
◛ Movie-production is the result of a team of professionals some of whom are never seen.
◛ A good actor or actress is one who can play different roles.
◛ A good director is one who is busy learning all the time, one who has informed-
participation in training classes or courses.
◛ What type of movies are you into?
◛ The ending of that film was sad, its special effects were fantastic, and the actors and actresses played naturally.
160
Discussion
◛ Exchange your views with your teammates on the best movie you have watched. Review and criticize
it. In case of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the film, defend you stand with reasons.
◛ Think of yourself as a director. You are not happy, satisfied with movie-production in your
country, and you have decided to make a big change, to revolutionize the industry. What
parameters would you heed to make that big change? Why are these parameters of so much
importance to you?
◛ Compare and contrast your country’s film-industry with the one in an Asian country. What are the
strengths and weaknesses of these two countries? Which one do you prefer? Give logical reasons.
◛ Think of yourself as a director, a producer, or an actor. Is it possible to change the insight and
the attitudes of people inside or outside one’s country through movie-production or works of
art? How come? How is it possible? Put it another way, is it possible to serve people greatly and
humanely through the creation of artistic works?
◛ What is the relationship among art, culture, civilization, technology, entrepreneurship, the
promotion of life, and humanity? Discuss it in a group.
161
There should be a law
to observe law violation of rules traffic rules

to violate passers-by traffic lights
to slow down cross-roads intersection
to enforce law careless to break the rules
inner criteria to object to non-smokers
to forbid menace phenomenon
to jeopardize sociologists media
vital to own on the contrary
inflation to bring to a halt landlords
land ladies to lease to suffice
jerry-builders rule-breakers cultural institutions
limitations to elucidate to disrespect
Islamic attire to ignore to litter
shallow water deep water in captivity
to keep in captivity the tube the subway
the underground the metro escalator
cultural-educational institute cultural-educational institution sessions
occasionally textbooks novice writer
inexperienced writer onset your share of the work
162
There should be a law
Hello. I am happy to be with you again. I am great today, but our today topic is not pleasant to
me. We are going to speak about law, observing law, regulations, rules, and etiquettes. The
topic today is “there should be a law.” We should do our best to put this slogan into practice. I
shall bring into scene or sight three examples where the violation of rules or law is emphasized.
While we are driving, we almost do not pay so much attention to traffic rules. We all have seen
a large number of drivers who violate rules everyday. They do not heed passers-by. They do not
notice traffic lights, and they do not slow down when they get close to cross-roads or
intersection. Who should tell them what to do and what not to do? Is it ok to enforce law or
rules? Should there be a police for every individual? We all know the answers to these questions.
Some drivers are careless at the time of driving. Some others drive while they are under the
control of alcohol. Some others break the rules easily. How should we react at these moments?
Should they be punished? Who should punish them? How should this punishment be done?
Also, we see a large number of passers-by crossing the streets without paying attention to the
cars on the street. Sometimes, while the lights are red, they cross the streets. What if an accident
happens at that moment? Who is guilty? Should we punish passers-by and passengers? How
should this punishment be done? I think there should be a law, and this law is in fact the right
inner criteria we must have built during our lifetime.
Smoking is another big issue in every society. Nowadays, so many people do smoke. They hurt
themselves and the others. When we object to those people, they easily express that “you try not
smoke.” This idea is to be rejected by all. They are in fact hurting all of us. Somebody should
stop this movement. Somebody should stand up to defend the rights of non-smokers. They
should not/must not be allowed to smoke. It will ruin our lives. We all should pay for it. I think
that first of all smoking must be forbidden in public places and offices. Another important issue
which we must deal with seriously is smoking on the part of teenagers. Unfortunately, nowadays
there are so many teenagers smoking, and this smoking will bring about so many problems in the
near future. It is a menace to the health of the majority of people. This phenomenon can
jeopardize our health, our new generation. I think all of us are responsible for all these disasters,
163
yes I call it a disaster. Who should deal with this big issue? Parents, teachers, schools,
sociologists, psychologists, and the media are the major players in this regard. They all can play
a vital role to put an end to this unpleasant phenomenon.
Owning or having an apartment is another issue in my country. You know, there are so many
people who can not afford a decent apartment in my country. They are not rich enough to buy
one. On the contrary, there are some people who have more than an apartment. They are getting
richer and richer day after day. I do not know why some have more than one. It is one of the
causes of inflation in my country. In fact, our government does not know how to tackle this
problem. Measures are to be taken to bring this problem to a halt. I think we should put a higher
tax on apartments. This way, we can curb inflation. I think that landlords and land ladies
should lease their apartments. In fact, it is an investment in our country. We should change
people and their ideas in this regard. We should try and do our best to put into practice our
slogan “one apartment will suffice.” Who is guilty or faulty here? People? Governments? God
knows. Another big issue that is related to apartment owners is the fact that most of them are
jerry-builders. The jerry-built apartments can be a great menace or threat to our lives and
budget at the time of natural disasters. Such apartments must not be built, and those who violate
regulations must be punished severely. Sometimes, punishment can be the best solution to a
problem.
164
Related Questions
● How do you observe rules, regulations, law, and etiquettes?
● Why do some people violate or break rules?
● How should we react to rule-breakers?
● How should we enforce law in our society?
● Should rule-breakers be punished? How should we punish them?
● What roles should families play to promote and bring about order, discipline, and respect?
● What roles should governments and cultural institutions play to build a good nation in which
order and discipline are very much revered and respected?
● What roles can the educational system of a country play to bring about order and discipline?
● Which of the following bodies or organizations can play a more important role to
promote order and discipline?
1. Families 2. Teachers 3. Cultural institutions 4. The media
● How do you enforce law in your family? Touch upon it?
● How well do people in your country observe traffic rules?
● Are there limitations on smoking in public places in your society? Please, elucidate it a bit more.
● What if people do not observe rules? Who will be the big loser if we disrespect rules,
regulations, law, and etiquettes?
● How would you be punished or treated if you broke traffic rules in your country? Is it strict or lenient?
● How can we get rid of rule-breakers? What approaches would you recommend?
165
Translation
● Please, observe the Islamic attire.
● Some people ignore traffic lights when they are on, and they do not heed drivers.
● How should we react to, behave towards, treat, or deal with rule-breakers?
● Should we punish these people, fine them or look for other approaches?
● How would the police react or behave if somebody broke traffic rules?
● How would the police react to or behave if somebody broke the traffic rules in Europe or in America?
● How would you react to somebody who is smoking in a public place?
● Who or what institutions are in charge of behaving towards or punishing rule-breakers?
● What role can people play in this regard?
● Please, do not smoke in public. Do not litter as well.
● Please, do not make too much noise and do not listen to loud music in your place of residence.
● Please, swim in shallow water. Do not swim in deep water/sea/areas.
● Please, do not keep pets in your apartment. Do not keep pets in captivity. It is not good to keep pets home.
● Today, some people do things to their own benefits, and they abuse the others. How should we
react to these people?
166
Discussion
● You are taking the subway/the tube/the underground/the metro. You are now taking the escalator
to go upstairs. There is one putting his shoe against the edge of the escalator and making an unpleasant
noise. Another one is walking on the escalator while it is moving up or down. How would you react to
these two people? Who is in charge of reacting to these people? People? Metro police? Who?
● You travel by subway everyday, and you see people speaking to their friends loud on phones.
It drives you and the others insane, mad. Who/what organization should be in charge of reacting
to these people? What is your role as a citizen?
● Although there are a large number of educated people in our country, they cross the streets without
heeding the traffic lights. They cross the streets while the lights are red. What is the solution in this
regard? Who is in charge of dealing with this problem? What are the roles and duties of citizens?
● Think of yourself as a teacher who is teaching in a cultural-educational institute/institution.

During the first sessions of your teaching, you notice that your students’ cell phones are on. They
occasionally exchange SMS. Some of them do not bring with them their dictionaries and
textbooks. A few do not do their homework. What is your duty here? How would you react to
them? Speak about the approaches you would employ.
● Think of yourself as a novice, inexperienced writer or author. You are due to write a novel
book with a friend of yours. From the onset, you have spoken about everything, and everybody’s
duty is agreed upon. After two months, you have done your share of the work whereas/while
your friend has not done anything. What would you do in such a situation?
167
Challenges and accomplishments
challenge accomplishments lucky

a fire fighter to help somebody out of a mess frustrated
at times useless confidants
to confide in somebody risky to risk
sensible rewarding supple
agile in despair to be in despair
enemy to swallow to quench fire
victorious to be victorious to feel victorious
incapable of to appreciate effort
properties saviors grateful
to be grateful to scientists lawyers
to interact concept conscience
self-study well-equipped rude
cheeky tolerant to reside
under-sea cities farming style to take the place of
teaching materials or aids driving forces to pave one’s way for success
challenging lives to take big risks to succeed
a scientific figure to rank options
on the basis of telegraph electricity
wheel steam engine laser
mobile fire and flint nanotechnology
publication effective efficient
scholars provided that time is ripe to
168
Challenges and accomplishments
Hello. How lucky I am! I can see you again, that is my pleasure. Today, we are going to speak
about “challenges and accomplishments.” To speak on the topic, we have invited three nice
guests. David who is a psychologist is our first guest. He is a professor at the department of
psychology at the University of New York. Our second guest is George who is a fire fighter.
This job is a stressful one. Finally, our third guest is Alex who is a teacher. He is teaching in/at
an institution. Hello, David. Are you ok?
Yes, I am great. As you mentioned earlier, today I am going to speak about the challenges and
accomplishments of my job. As you know, I am a psychologist, and at least 15-20 people refer to
me everyday to get advice and help. Most of the time, I feel happy because I find myself useful
in my life. Sometimes, my advice, help, and suggestion can help people out of a mess. When I
see frustrated people come get advice and help, and they find mine useful, I feel happy. That is
one of the greatest accomplishments of my job. However, I sometimes do not feel happy. At
times, I am frustrated and down. I do my best to help some people, but due to the fact that they
are not looking for good changes, I find my efforts useless. It drives me crazy and mad when I
do my best to help the others, but they directly or indirectly show me that they do not need it. If
they rely on me, I can do my best. I am sure of it. “Trust me” please. This is the key to success.
We, psychologists, are your confidants. Confide in us. Be sure of us.
Thank you, David. We all love need you, dear psychologists. We should learn that at times we must refer
to you to build ourselves a bright future. Now, it is time to speak to George, the great firefighter. George,
why did you choose this risky job? You risk your life everyday! Is it logical, sensible?
Yes, of course. I do love my job. Although it is not a well-paid one, it is rewarding. I do love it.
As you all know, there is too much risk in my job. If you do not care, you will regret for ever.
You should be fast, clever, supple, and agile. How great we are! I love my job since we help
169
people who are desperate or in despair at the time of disasters. Our great enemy swallows
people’s buildings, cars, shops, stores, everything. You, as a firefighter, get to the scene, fully
equipped, and try to do your best to quench the fire. You finally make it. You feel victorious,
and the others who are incapable of doing anything appreciate your efforts. These are some of
our accomplishments. However, you sometimes feel frustrated. At times, although you do your
best to save people and their properties, you can not indeed help them very much. Some times, they lose
everything they have, their family members, or all of their properties. At those times, you feel ashamed
even though you have done your best. But, I am happy with my job. We are in fact saviors.
Thank you, George. We are all grateful to you and your coworkers. As you said you are saviors.
Now, I shall speak to Alex, a great language teacher teaching at an institution in New York.
Hello, Alex. How are you? Is it going well?
Hello. Everything is great. As you said, I am a teacher. I do love my job. We can raise great
people, scientists, doctors, engineers, lawyers, and so many other professionals. In fact, we are
builders. I help my students very often. We interact with each other well. We learn from each
other. We, teachers, teach our students the concept of responsibility, respect, cooperation,
coordination, teamwork, conscience, self-study, etc. This list can be miles long. Based upon
whatever I expressed, we can help our students in different fashions. However, we sometimes
feel demotivated and frustrated. You know we are not well-paid. Our schools are not well-
equipped. It does bother all of us, and a small number of students are terribly rude and cheeky.
But, we should be tolerant of them. We should help them and expect them nothing. Teachers are
in fact givers not takers. This is my belief. Anyway, I do love my job. The only thing I can do
well is teaching. I love “TEACHING.”
170
Related Questions
◙ What are the most important accomplishments and challenges of your life and job?
◙ What are the most important accomplishments and challenges of this age? Elaborate upon it?
◙ What accomplishments and challenges do you think you would have in the near future?
◙ What are the most important challenges of life today?
◙ Did you think you would make a man similar to the one you are now?
◙ In your opinion, what is/was your father’s most important accomplishment?
◙ In your opinion, what is/was your mother’s most important accomplishment?
◙ What challenges would we face in the near future?
◙ Would we reside on the moon? Is it possible in your eye?
◙ Would we have “under-sea cities” in the future?
◙ How would we change our farming style in the future?
◙ What would teachers be like in the future?
◙ Would computer and internet take the place of teachers in the future?
◙ How would “teaching materials or aids” change in the future?
◙ What bases should we establish our relationships on in the future?
171
Translation
◙ What is the most important accomplishment in your life?
◙ What were/are/would be the most important challenges in your life?
◙ The most important accomplishment of my life was my marrying my spouse. Now, we have
two sons, and I am happy, satisfied with all my family members.
◙ The most important challenge of my life in the past was finding or getting a job.
◙ The most important challenge of my life at present is finding or getting a well-paid job. I am
also looking for job and life satisfaction.
◙ The most important accomplishment of my life at present is teaching at university. I hope I get
promoted day after day.
◙ I hope I would face or encounter big challenges in the future. I am of this belief that big
challenges can be driving forces, and they would pave one’s way for success.
◙ Some people prefer not (to) have challenging lives. Such people would not accomplish or
achieve very much in their lives, and they do not take big risks.
◙ If you are going to succeed in the future, you should take risks; learn cooperation,
collaboration, and teamwork. Needless to say, perseverance, hard work, motivation, one’s efforts,
and money are the driving forces to success. They can play a vital role to achieve one’s goals.
◙ What accomplishments can a teacher have? What challenges are there on his way to success?
◙ Although my job is not a well-paid one, it is rewarding.
◙ Although my job is a well-paid one, it is stressful.
◙ What measures are to be taken to achieve or accomplish big goals?
◙ Are all supposed to achieve big accomplishments?
◙ What are the accomplishments or achievements of a great scientific figure whom/who you
respect very much?
172
Discussion
◙ Speak about your past accomplishments with your partners in a group. Why do you think they are of
great value to you? What challenges or problems did you face on the way to your accomplishments?
◙ What accomplishments are you going to achieve in the future? What challenges or problems
would you face? Elaborate upon those challenges.
◙ What has the most important accomplishment been till now? Why do you think so? Rank the
following options on the basis of their importance. Now, put them in order on the basis of your
own opinions and criteria. Why did you put them in such an order? Give your own reasons.
telephone and telegraph electricity wheel steam engine

computer and internet laser mobile fire and flint
nanotechnology book and publication
◙ To have an effective and efficient educational system, we should take great measures and
apply the ideas and thoughts of scholars. Provided that the time is ripe to employ their ideas,
what challenges would they face? What would be the advantages of using their thoughts? Give
your reasons. Defend yours.
◙ Speak about your parents’ accomplishments. What problems or challenges did they have on
their way to success? Have a discussion over or on their achievements and challenges.
173
Miscellaneous
174
Restaurants
Hello, ladies and gentleman. I am Alex, the cook. Today, I will tell you how to behave in a
restaurant. Here are some nice tips.
Open the door and enter the restaurant or hotel.
Greet people at the counter, I mean the receptionists.
Sit at the table and wait for the waiter.
When she or he comes, ask for the menu.
Wait for food.
After eating your food, ask for the bill.
Pay the bill.
Leave a tip/tip if you are happy with the meal.
In other words, tip the waiter/waitress if the service was/is good.
Here are the questions the waiter will ask.
What would you like to eat?
What would you like to drink?
Would you like anything else? Any drinks?
How can I help you?
Your reply should look like this. I would like a ham, a drink, and a piece of apple pie.
175
Related Questions
◙ How can I help you?
◙ What would you like to drink?
◙ What would you like to eat?
◙ Would you like anything else?
◙ What foods do you serve?
◙ Should I leave a tip here?
◙ How do you evaluate our restaurant or hotel?
◙ What food would you like to try?
◙ Would you like to try our specialty?
◙ What makes you come to our restaurant?
◙ How did you get information about our restaurant?
◙ Would you come to our restaurant again? If so, why? If not, why?
◙ Were our waiters/waitresses well-behaved?
◙ How do you compare and contrast our restaurant with another one you have been to recently?
◙ How can we improve our services?
176
Translation
◙ Have you ever tried Indian food? What was it like?
◙ What drink would you like? What food would you like? Would you like anything else?
◙ Indian foods are too spicy.
◙ Italian foods are greasy, bland, but rich.
◙ I went to a Japanese restaurant. Everything was good, but the waiters were slow and rude.
◙ The service of this restaurant is great, but it is far away from my home.
◙ The interior design of this restaurant is not good while its exterior design is great.
◙ There are just five foods in this restaurant. They are delicious and cheap.
◙ This restaurant is most crowded on the weekends. You can see many famous people here.
The people who come to this place are attractive or interesting.
◙ Jam restaurant is located in the north of the city. It takes people too much time to get there.
◙ The waiters of this restaurant are polite. I leave them a big tip whenever I come here.
◙ This is a takeaway or takeout. We do not have enough space and room to entertain our guests or clients.
◙ Today, a large number of foods are served in restaurants and fast food places. These foods
include snack, fast, light, organic, halal, junk, sea, and home-made foods.
◙ I do not like genetically-modified foods.
◙ I like this restaurant for its good price, location, interior design, waiters’ behavior, and services.
177
Hopes, plans, ambitions, and wishes
Hello. Welcome to our program. The name of our program is “what hopes, plans, ambitions, and wishes
do you have?” Our guest is Allen. Allen, you know our topic. Could you please express your ideas?
Hello, everybody. I am Allen, dirty Allen. I am 25 years old now. I am out of a job. I am a drug
dealer, and I am a university dropout. When I was younger, I mean when I was a high school-
goer, I lost my parents in a car crash. At that time, I belonged to a rich family, but everything
changed overnight. I lost my parents, and suddenly I found myself an orphan. From that day on,
a close friend of my father decided to support me. I accepted his nice idea. Unfortunately, I did
not know how dangerous his intentions were. He was a dirty-minded guy. He was a drug dealer.
He changed my life for the worse. After one year and a half, I was totally in a mess. I was a
dealer, a high school dropout, and out of a decent job. I was not satisfied with my job, with
myself. I decided to make a big change in my life. I decided to go back to school, but the school
officials rejected me. I hope they let me get back to school to pursue my education. It is my
ambition to continue my education and to do my best to eradicate trafficking or smuggling. It is
my plan to help all those who are involved in corruption, smuggling, etc. I wish I had not seen
that dirty man. He ruined my whole life. I wish I was helped by another nice person. I wish I had
a savior in my life. I wish I had not lost my parents. Oh God, who should make up for or
compensate whatever wrong I have done in my life? Oh God, is there a way back to my good,
nice, and pleasant past?
178
Related Questions
►What ambitions do you have? Touch upon them?
►What wishes do you have? Can wishes and dreams come true?
►What kind of wishes or dreams can come true?
►What resolutions do you have? What have you planned to do in the future?
►What does future hold for you?
►Why do we have ambitions and wishes?
►Are you satisfied with your past? If so, why? If not, why?
►How do you think of or imagine your future?
►How can one’s past affect their future?
►Can you find a logical or sensible link between whatever you did in the past and whatever you
are doing now?
►Do you believe in fate, destiny? Why?
►Should “having belief in destiny” prevent somebody from making efforts? If so, why?
►What would happen to planet earth in the future?
►Do you believe in “doomsday?” Why? Why not?
►Why are some people hopeless? Why are some others hopeful? What are the big differences
between the hopeless and the hopeful?
179
Translation
►What resolutions do you have for your future?
►What are you going to do in the future?
►Are you hopeless or hopeful? How do you know?
►Do you believe in destiny or fate?
►How can fate and destiny affect one’s future?
►What wishes do you have? Will they come true?
►One of my dreams came true after ten years. I passed the Ph.D. entrance exam.
►We should always be hopeful and avoid giving up hopes.
►The hopeless will get nowhere.
►Break your links with the hopeless. You will lose so much if you do not avoid it.
►Sometimes, it is good to be ambitious. Being ambitious is sometimes good.
►If you have dreams or wishes, you should do your best to materialize them.
►Stay, be, and remain hopeful. It is the key to success.
►Hopelessness represents, demonstrates, and indicates one’s weaknesses.
►Keep your company with the hopeful. Hope, optimism, dreams, and wishes help you achieve your goals.
180
Shopping, department stores, and salespeople
Hello. How are you? Today, I am going to speak about Shopping, department stores, and salespeople. The
first question is: what are the characteristics of good stores? I think good stores have good interior design,
facilities to make children busy while their parents are shopping, small entertainment parks, cash
machines, after-sale services, delivery systems, well-arranged aisles, comment box, and well-behaved
staff members. They also present goods at reasonable prices, and they are available and accessible every
where. Also, you can get a refund and discounts in those stores. To persuade and encourage people to buy
more, they give their clients prizes as well.
Now, we will speak on good salespeople. Good salespeople are articulate, skillful at bargaining, well-
behaved, familiar with personal traits, well-dressed, persuasive, cooperative, responsible, and well-
informed. They also should know enough about psychology, sociology, and communication sciences.
At this time, I will turn my attention to shoppers, those who go shopping. Who goes shopping very often?
Of course, ladies. They spend much more time on buying, shopping stuff. What are the characteristics of
good shoppers?
They spend enough time on shopping.
They do research in advance.
They are good at bargaining.
They heed after-sale services.
They buy from reliable and valid stores.
They look for discount. They try to get a discount.
They sometimes go window-shopping.
They compare and contrast prices at different stores.
At the time of shopping, they are tolerant and patient.
They buy the items they really need or like.
181
Related Questions
◛How often do you go shopping?
◛What is your idea about “window-shopping?”
◛What parameters or factors do you heed when you go shopping?
◛Do you look for “discount?” Is “getting a refund” important to you? Why?
◛Whom/who do you go shopping with? Why?
◛How much time do you spend on shopping?
◛To the majority of men, shopping is a waste of time. Are you for or against it? Why?
◛Do you buy special brands? Why?
◛Where do you prefer to buy from: supermarkets, department stores, mega stores, shops, or
chain stores? Why do you prefer it?
◛What is the philosophy behind building department stores?
◛Is “building megastores” a threat to small stores or shops? How do you support your ideas?
◛How should “mega-stores” be run? By government, private sector, or unions? Why?
◛Some think that some special or talented people or agencies run those stores. What are those
people or agencies like?
◛How would you run a megastore if it was yours?
◛What are the advantages and disadvantages of megastores?
182
Translation
◛What are the owners of big stores like?
◛How would you run a megastore if it was yours?
◛Three big stores have been recently established in our small city, and it has threatened,
menaced, and jeopardized the business of shop owners or keepers. What approaches do you
suggest to resolve this big issue?
◛I bought these pencils at a discount.
◛I bought this refrigerator on installments.
◛The market is in (the) doldrums.
◛The market is flourishing.
◛Can I get a refund here?
◛I bought these pens at a reasonable price.
◛You can buy goods here at a 20% discount.
◛I went bankrupt due to carelessness and lack of information.
◛Nobody can buy me. I am not buyable.
◛To shop, buy, purchase, or make a purchase at this shop, you must have a credit card.
◛The salesman overcharged me.
◛He is a professional salesperson. Everybody who enters his shop will buy something. He is
good at persuading people to buy.
183
Influential people you know
Hello. Today, I am going to speak about influential people in my country. You know there are some of
them everywhere. Even, maybe there are some around us, but unfortunately we do not notice them.
Today, I am going to speak about three of them. First of all, I shall speak about professor doctor Hessabi
from Iran. He was born in a rich family. When he was nine years old, they decided to immigrate to
Lebanon. They moved to Lebanon, and unfortunately they had a tough time. His father unfairly
abandoned or deserted them. They were, at that time, in a mess. They, I mean Hessabi, his brother along
with their mother, did not know how to make the ends meet. At such a tough time, he did his best. He
never gave up hope. Although they were in great pains and sorrow, he pursued his education and got
promoted day after day. He got B.As and M.As in different fields of study. He was one of the students of
the greatest physicists ever seen, Einstein. He was a top student most of the time. After getting his Ph.D.
in physics from a very well-known university, he got back home and founded the department of physics at
the university of Tehran. He taught a great number of Iranian physicists. Nowadays, his building is turned
into a museum in the north of Tehran. We all are proud of his efforts. He is our credit. Today, he is a role
model for a large number of Iranian well-educated bodies.
Now, I will speak about another influential figure who was a wrestler. He is famous world-wide. He is the
greatest wrestler Iranians have seen up until now. He is the symbol of bravery, heroism, and manliness.
He left a huge and big impression on Iranian sportsmen for ever. We will never forget his name and
efforts. His life did not have a happy ending. He was found dead home. His death was a mystery. Even
now, that is a great mystery to a large number of his fans. We, Iranians, will never forget such a great
hero. He was Gholamreza Takhtee.
The third person I shall speak about is a great soccer player who climbed the ladder to success well.
People know him everywhere. He is Ali Daie, a great internationally-known soccer player who opened
new horizons for young soccer players. He was born in a small city in the west of Iran. He entered a big
internationally-renowned university called Sharif of Iran. He received a great education. At the same
time, he followed his dreams. He had decided to become a great and influential person. His dreams came
true after a while. He played for or on world-known teams such as Bayern Munchen of Bundesliga. He is
now internationally-known, and he is coaching one of the best Iranian teams, Persepolis.
184
Related Questions
◛What are the characteristics of influential people?
◛How are men of influence different from the rest? What makes them unique?
◛Can you see or find an influential person around you? Who is that? Elaborate upon him/her?
◛What are influential people like?
◛Is it easy or difficult to get along with influential people?
◛Are the ambitions, plans, and dreams of influential people similar to ours? How different are they?
◛How can influential people impress the others?
◛What are they looking for in their lives? Do they look for the same things we do?
◛How should they be respected and valued? What responsibilities do people, government
agencies, and organizations have for them?
◛How can we have more influential people? What are the uses of them? How can they make
big changes?
185
Translation
◛Are you an influential person?
◛Can you impress the thoughts, conducts, and mentality of the others?
◛Can the others impress your thoughts, conducts, and mentality?
◛What are the characteristics of influential people?
◛What roles can influential people play in societies? How useful are they?
◛What responsibilities do we have for those people? How can we keep them?
◛Do people respect and value them? Are people grateful to them?
◛What do you expect them to do? What are your expectations?
◛Are they similar to or different from the rest? How similar or different are they?
◛How can everybody be an influential person?
◛What are people of influence looking for? Are they looking for their own benefits or the
benefits of the others?
◛How can they create a war, struggle-free, peaceful, and sound society?
◛What jobs should they have or possess? Why?
◛How can one distinguish influential people from ordinary ones?
186
Gifts
How often do you give or take gifts? Is it customary to give or receive gifts in your country?
Where do you buy gifts? What is important to you while you are buying gifts or presents for
somebody? What factors or items do you consider at that time? Are the needs, likes, and dislikes
of the person you are buying a gift for important to you? How important are they? Do countries
have a lot or a little in common about gift-giving or taking?
So, as you can see, today I will speak about giving, receiving, or taking gifts. What do people do at the
time of giving, receiving, or taking gifts? Do they behave similarly or differently? Why do they behave
similarly or differently? What do their reactions reflect? What are these reactions based on?
The majority of people give gifts, and at times they take or receive some. Gift-giving and taking
make the giver and the taker happy. We all have noticed the happiness on the side or part of the
giver and taker repeatedly. Almost everywhere people do it, but if you notice it well, you can see
some differences in this regard. I myself do not like it very much when I give somebody a
present, and he unwraps it instantly. May be, it will not make my friend happy. I prefer to get a
feedback later. Some people prefer to unwrap parcels instantly, and they-the giver and the
receiver- like it when they are shocked. I myself prefer not (to) do it.
To some people, the kind of gift taken or given is of too much importance. I do not agree with
these people. I think its being expensive or inexpensive does not make a big difference. The act
of giving or taking as a symbol of friendliness and love is very important to me. To me, it means
that somebody is thinking about you, and your life does matter to that body. This feeling is good
enough to me. It suffices. On the contrary, some people prefer to get a big, expensive, and chic
gift. I think they can not do it for ever. They should change their mind. To me, the kind of feeling
it brings someone suffices.
187
Related Questions
☼How often do you give gifts?
☼How often do you get gifts?
☼How do you feel when you give or take a gift?
☼Do you consider “gift-taking or giving” as a symbol or as a means to an end? Why?
☼Where do you buy gifts? What about gift shops?
☼What do you wrap the gift in? Why? Is it important?
☼At the time of gift-giving or taking, do you prefer to get a feedback instantly or later? Why?
☼What if the gift-taker did not like the gift?
☼Will one’s reaction or feedback impress you? Why?
☼What if the taker frankly says “I do not like it?” How would you react?
☼Whom or who do you buy gifts with? Why?
☼Do you heed the needs, likes, and dislikes of the gift-taker?
☼What psychological impacts will “gift-giving or taking” have?
☼What if you did not have enough money to buy a gift for your love? How would you make up for it?
188
Translation
☼Do you give gifts? What about taking or receiving them?
☼Somebody has given you a gift or present, and you do not like it. How would you react?
☼What factors or parameters do you heed at the time of buying a gift?
☼Whom/who do you buy a gift with? Why?
☼It is your wedding anniversary, and you would like to buy your spouse a present. You do not
have enough money. What would you do in such a situation?
☼Why do people give each other gifts?
☼ What psychological and social impacts does gift-giving or taking have?
☼What would you do if you think the person who has given you a gift was going to abuse you?
☼What gifts do you give your friends? Should there be a relationship between the type of a gift
and the personality of the receiver?
☼Somebody has given you a present. You do open it. To your surprise, it is a spoon. How would
you react in such a situation?
☼What kinds of gifts shock or surprise you the most?
☼What do you know about the history of gift-giving, taking or receiving? How old is this tradition?
☼Are there any big differences between gifts in the past and at this time? What are the differences?
☼How do you appreciate one for his precious gift?
☼How do you appreciate somebody for his funny or ridiculous gift?
189
Air travel
How often do you travel?
I can not answer this question. It depends on my free time, my mood, and the amount of money I
have.
How do you travel?
I travel by (the) air. You know it is safer than other means of transportation. But, it is more
expensive.
How do you get a ticket?
I get it online to save time and money.
How do you get to the airport?
I get there by airport taxi. They are fast and reliable.
What do you do before you go on a trip?
I reserve or book a ticket.
If I want to go overseas, I get a passport. I renew it if it is not valid. Then, I get my visa.
I plan my trip in advance.
I do not carry too much money on me.
I try to travel light.
I get to airport, sit and wait in departure lounge.
I get my boarding pass.
I go through immigration and customs.
190
I get on board. I board the plane and sit in my seat.
I use the facilities well, the TV screen and the like.
I put my luggage in the compartment over my head.
While on board, in case of turbulence, I keep calm.
I observe the rules and regulations during the flight.
When it lands, I appreciate the staff for their nice service.
I try that airline again if nothing was wrong. Other wise, I will try a new one next time.
Whom/who do you prefer to travel with?
I prefer to travel with a good companion, especially one who has itchy feet.
How do you react when the flight is not smooth, when the service is not good?
I always try to be polite. Even at those tough times, I do my best to behave politely. As a last
resort, I castigate or criticize them in a friendly and non-threatening way.
How do you evaluate an airport, an airline, or a plane?
People’s ideas are different in this regard. To me, a good airport is one which is easy to get to,
and near a city. Its services are good and pleasant. Its staff members are well-behaved, and polite. It
has order everywhere. There is order everywhere.
A good airline should be well-organized and well-managed. It should have no trace of chaos and
lack of order. Its planes should be new, modern, chic, and safe. And of course, the price or fare
should be reasonable.
And a good plane should have an experienced pilot along with helpful and good staff. These all
will guarantee a good and unforgettable trip.
How do you expect the staff to behave towards you and the rest of the passengers?
I myself do not have great and big expectations. I do expect them to do their duties
professionally. Good behavior, professionalism, responsibility, mutual respect, and good service
are all we, passengers, expect.
How do you feel when the plane is taking off or landing?
No special feeling. I rely on the pilot and the staff. There is no need to worry, no need to panic. I
have chosen the airline. So, I must have faith in it.
191
In case of a problem, what do you do? Whom/who do you call?
Flight attendants, of course. I am in direct contact with them. I can not be in contact with
anybody else. So, the answer is flight attendants.
What was your most exciting experience when you were on board?
Once upon a time, when I was traveling by air, I saw a flight attendant who was very kind to me.
I did not know why she was most kind to me. After a long time, I dared to ask her a stupid
question. I asked why she was very kind to me. She told me that she was one of my university
students in the past. She hugged and introduced me to all of her co-workers. They were all kind
to me, too. From that moment on, I was the most important VIP on board. On that day, I realized
how valuable I am to some of my students. I really felt happy and useful.
192
Mishaps
What would you do if a neighbor of yours listened to loud music?
I would bear, stand, and tolerate that neighbor for a while. If he kept on doing that again and
again, I would speak to my neighbor in person. I would ask him to turn it down. If he did not
change his approach, I would call “complaints department” to resolve the problem.
What would you do if a student of yours misbehaved you?
At first, I would pretend that nothing special has taken place. I mean I would ignore him. If he
misbehaved again, I would speak to him and ask him not do it. If he did not heed, I would
deprive him of my classes. I would suspend him.
What would you do if a friend of yours borrowed some money from you, and he did not
pay it back or she did not return it back?
I would try to be patient in such a situation. After a while, when I became sure that he was not
going to pay it back, I would directly speak to him. If the situation got worse, I would never lend
him any money again. You know, ages ago, Shakespeare said “neither a borrower nor a lender be.”
What would you do if you were in a dilemma? You could not make up your mind. You had
two cases to marry, and you did not know which one was better.
In such a tough situation, I would let the time pass. Making such an important decision would
need the passage of time. Meanwhile, I could make a logical or sensible decision. You know
“marry in haste makes waste.” So, do not hurry when you are going to marry somebody. Our
patience and the passage of time would be the best solution.
What would you do if your apartment wall got stained because of the leakage of the pipes
of the apartment above?
I would immediately ask the landlord, land lady, or the tenant to compensate for the damage they
have made. I would ask them to call a plumber to fix or mend it as soon as possible. In case they
193
did not listen to me, or they did not take it seriously, I would sue him to court. This story
happened to me once, and I did not take it seriously. I was the big loser. I do not like to have
such a disastrous happening again. I have had enough of it.
What would you do if you were a manager, and you did not know how to run your
company or firm?
First of all, I would try not (to) have such a post or position if I was not qualified enough. If it
happened to me, I would keep calm and try to be patient. In such a case, I would get advice from those
people I have faith in. I mean my reliable co-workers. I would try to keep myself updated, and I would
take some management lessons. You know I am a life-long learner, and I believe in life-long learning.
You are a part-time teacher, and you are paid every four months once. You are not
satisfied with your life. What would you do if you were such a teacher?
People’s ideas are totally different in this regard. I myself would do my job well. I would try to
keep myself motivated. I would never think of giving my job up. As a teacher, I have signed an
agreement, and I should stick to it. Money is one thing. Satisfaction is something else. So, I
would look for job satisfaction, but I would do my best to change the mind or ideas of policy-
makers. They should pay teachers well and on time. They should know that teachers are great
builders. So, great builders deserve more.
Think of yourself as a student who is doing his job well. Unfortunately, your teacher has
unknowingly, mistakenly or unfairly failed you. What would you do in such a situation?
I would keep calm and try to be patient. At such times, it is not good to run out of patience
easily. I would make my mind to speak to my teacher as professionally and politely as possible. I
would request him to have a look at my paper again. If he ignored me or behaved non-
professionally, I would speak to his superior, the head of the teachers. All the way long, I would
prefer to be polite, patient, and professional.
194
Keeping fit
How often do you go to a gym?
Why do you go to a gym?
What do you do to be or to stay in shape?
Do you play on or for a team?
What exercises do you do? Do you exercise?
How much attention do sports teachers and sports high-ranking officials pay to sports at school?
What is the relationship among exercising, playing sports, and the health of a nation?
What can you do in a sport club?
What advantages will it have?
I remember my childhood well. We were busy playing sports and games everyday. Nobody told us what
to do and what not to do. Nobody spoke to us about the advantages of playing sports or exercising. We
spent our childhood well. It was a happy one.
Later, I entered primary school. There we had a lesson called “physical education.” I do not know why It
did not receive any attention. Our sports teacher gave us a soccer ball and left us alone. We had a few
balls and sports equipment, but we did not know what to do with them.
We all graduated, but we did not understand the philosophy behind that so-called physical-education
lesson. Teachers should or could have done something more beneficial. Nowadays, I go to a gym near my
house because I know the value and importance of physical-education now. I go to the gym to be in
shape, to be healthy, and to build my future. I go there to spend my free time well. I can also make lots of
friends in a gym. It is life. It is everything to me. I think working out in a gym can improve our health. It
also helps us have a happier and livelier society. A happy and lively society can in turn result in fewer
diseases and help us eradicate various diseases. It can guarantee us a sound and better society in the
future.
195
Campus
Where is your university? What is its name?
How famous is it?
How well-run is it?
What facilities does it have?
How many dormitories does it have?
What extracurricular activities does it have?
Does it have a well-equipped resource center?
Does it have B.A, M.A, and Ph.D. students?
How many faculties does it have?
How many faculty members does it have?
How many papers are written at your university annually?
Does it have foreign or overseas students?
What plans, resolutions, or ambitions do the authorities of your university have?
How do you get to your university?
How do you evaluate your university as a student or as a professor?
I go to a famous Iranian university which is called Tehran University. It is internationally well-known. It

has university students at all levels from Associate of Arts to Ph.D. Iranian and non-Iranian students can
study or pursue their education at this university. It is so easy to get to this university since it is in the
center of our capital city, Tehran. This university is one of the best well-equipped ones in Iran. Its
resource center has the best books, periodicals, and data-base. It has different faculties, and so many
professors are teaching at this university. To me, it is one of the best universities in Asia. I love it.
196
Expressions
Idioms
Sentences
197
You get carried away easily. You are carried away easily.
You can not take a joke. You can not take it.
He is taking coal to New Castle.
She is going on a pilgrimage to Mecca. She is making a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Do not set fire to the flag.
Wood catches fire easily.
They set fire to the effigy of the Mafia head on purpose.
They set fire to the effigy of Saddam intentionally.
He is an arsonist.
He is a vandal.
He is accused of vandalism.
He is charged with vandalism.
He is a hooligan.
While Iranians were listening to the national anthem of their country, Iran’s flag was hoisted.
He is our honor. He is our credit. We take pride in him. We are proud of him.
Do not lick my boots.
Do not pull my legs.
When in Rome do as the Romans do.
She is doing her nails.
I had my hair cut. I got my hair cut.
I got a barber to cut my hair. I had a barber cut my hair.
My father is dead. He is not alive.
The market is in the doldrums.
The market is flourishing.
He is over the moon.
198
She fainted. She passed out.
He is unconscious. He is in coma.
He was released from prison.
My new book will be released in the near future.
My new album will be released next week.
She was discharged from hospital.
He was hospitalized.
He was suspended from school.
The police suspended his driving license.
Pull in. pull over.
Hop in.
Dig in.
I am a sugar junkie.
He converted to Islam.
We are the same age.
Toss a coin. Heads or tails?
The rain ruined my afternoon.
He is not my type.
What semester are you in?
My pen is out of ink.
We run out of sugar. We run out of gas.
We do not know how to promote our products.
We should enrich uranium.
We should fortify our food.
I had my teeth filled. I got my teeth filled.
199
You should go on a balanced diet.
He is losing weight.
He is gaining weight.
He is into books.
He crams.
He burns the midnight oil.
He is doing the crossword puzzle.
I am in my early twenties.
I am in my mid twenties.
I am in my late twenties.
I am twenty something.
You should buy a pass to go downtown.
I mistook Ali for Reza.
She gets along with the others.
He spoils our time. He spoils our fun. He is a wet-blanket. He is a spoilsport.
He was assassinated.
Do your buttons. Undo your buttons. Do your zip. Fly your zip.
Tie your shoe-lace. Untie your shoe-lace.
Fasten your seat-belt. Unfasten your seat-belt.
He is wearing a collar. He is wearing a tie, a wig, perfume, a bow-tie, and contact lens.
He is living in ivory tower.
He is secluded. He is alone. He is lonely. He is introverted.
We know everybody by the company he keeps.
He is wearing spikes.
He committed suicide. He committed a foul.
200
He dribbles well.
He tackles well.
He took a dive. He sided with them.
He puts himself on the pedestal.
He has superiority complex.
He has inferiority complex.
Build your self-confidence.
Build your self-esteem.
Build yourself a bright future.
We should build a good nation.
He built a fire. He made a fire. He lit a fire.
My morale is high. My spirit is high.
My morale is low. My spirit is low.
I am on the mends.
We have so much in common.
We are poles apart.
He is down. He is in the doldrums. He is depressed. He is low.
He is new rich.
My car breaks down. It does not start.
You should go on a diet.
My hair is spiky. It is straight. It is curly. It is wavy. It is fair.
Learning is cumulative. It is time-consuming.
We should heed life-long learning.
Love to be loved.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be.
201
Please observe Islamic attire.
Please observe regulations.
Please do not violate rules.
Please do not break the rules.
Please do not breach the rules.
I catch up with the others.
I catch upon my lessons. I catch upon my homework assignment.
Put the car into neutral.
The police fined him. The police wrote him a ticket.
He is exempt from tax. He is exempt from military service.
We shall employ those who are computer literate.
It is worth learning a foreign language. It is worth it.
My mobile is out of range.
Out of sight, out of mind.
I graduated from university with flying colors.
I am a scholar. I won a scholarship. I got a scholarship.
He is a man of letters.
He is a man of means.
He is a man of God. He is a man of piety.
Clock in when you enter. Punch in when you enter.
My watch is slow. It is fast.
Wind your watch. Set your watch.
He can not make both ends meet.
Do not make a mountain out of molehill.
Isfahan is a must-see.
202
Families fall into the following categories: extended, nuclear, and upside down families.
Quarantine them.
Fill in the oval.
Extend my wishes to your family.
We should share our happiness and sorrows with each other.
I am indebted to my family. I ascribe all my success to my family. I attribute all my success to my family.
We are behind with the bills. We are in arrears with the bills.
Let’s go Dutch.
Oil the doors.
Do not grease my palms. Do not bribe me.
I am from Missouri.
He is rolling in dough. He is rolling in it.
I am in debt. I am in the red.
I am in the black.
I am in the pink.
He is sound and sane.
He is clumsy. He has butter fingers.
He has green fingers.
He is green. He is a rookie.
He is sophisticated. He is experienced.
He is dirty. He is dirty-minded.
He jumps the queue.
He jumps the traffic lights.
He is from Philadelphia.
Are you for it? Are you against it?
203
Are you on my side?
It is in stock. It is out of stock.
He is out of a job.
He is out of mind.
You can buy it on installments.
You can buy it at a discount.
I bought it at a low price. I bought it at a high price.
He overcharged me.
He is offside.
He is a man of means. He is a man of wealth.
He was out for two days. He was unconscious.
Long hair is in. long hair is out.
He is a fine-weather friend.
A friend in needs is a friend in deeds.
Easy come, easy go.
Money does not grow on trees.
Money is power.
The best things in life are free.
Money is the root of all evils.
A fool and his money are soon parted.
Money can not buy happiness.
Lend your money and lose a friend.
Too many cooks spoil the broth.
All roads lead to Rome.
We are seeking water in the sea.
204
Do not judge a book by its cover.
Necessity is the mother of all inventions.
When the cat is away, the mice will play.
Rome was not built in a day.
It is wheels within wheels.
It is a dog eat dog world out there.
Do not put a spoke in the wheels.
Do not drive me mad. Do not drive me crazy. Do not drive me nuts. Do not drive me insane.
Do not drive me up the wall.
Do not put the class into disruption. Do not put the class into chaos. Do not put the class into disorder.
I am looking for peace, quiet, and serenity.
Do not wash the linen in public.
Let the cat out of the bag.
I am not familiar with the ABC of teaching.
Tap his phone.
Bug his room. Debug his room.
Have an eye on him. Eye him up.
Everything is under surveillance.
I have an ear for foreign languages.
Do not play a game of cat and mouse with me.
Do not put a cat among pigeons.
Swipe your card to open the door.
I am overdrawn.
I am bankrupt. I went bankrupt last year.
He won the custody of the child.
205
He is in custody.
They have a joint custody.
It is tug of war.
It is tug of love.
We are playing hide and seek.
Curiosity kills the cat.
Observe table manners.
He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
I lost my marble and seized his collar.
You will get nowhere if you do not change your mind.
It is your attitude rather than your aptitude that makes your altitude.
He was at the summit of his career last year. He was at the peak of his career last year. He
was at the top of his career last year. He was at the apex of his career last year
We should uproot illiteracy as soon as possible. We should eradicate illiteracy as soon as

possible. We should eliminate illiteracy as soon as possible. We should put an end to illiteracy
as soon as possible. We should put a stop to illiteracy as soon as possible. We should put a halt
to illiteracy as soon as possible. We should bring illiteracy to a halt as soon as possible. We
should get rid of illiteracy as soon as possible. We should remove illiteracy as soon as possible.
The bus showed up after ten minutes.
Do not show off your muscles.
Do not show off. Are you nouveau riche? Are you new rich?
Do not abuse your power. Do not misuse your power.
Dress the wound. Dress the stone. Dress the salad. Dress the window. Dress the soldiers. Dress
your hair. Dress your child. Dress up. Dress down. Dress to kill.
I am a social climber.
I am a social worker.
I am a vegan. I am herbivorous. I am omnivorous. I am carnivorous.
206
God is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient.
God bless you. Bless you.
God forbid it.
May God accept it.
Peace be upon him.
May his soul rest in peace.
Well done.
More power to your elbow.
Nice job.
I bet you. I betta.
He is camera shy.
He is photogenic.
He has a photographic memory.
He has a memory like a sieve.
He was impeached.
He was accused of theft. They accused him of stealing money.
He was charged with theft. They charged him with stealing money.
Congratulations!
I congratulated him on passing his exams.
I congratulated him on his marriage.
Condolence!
I condole with him on his father’s demise.
He is a quack.
He is an early bird.
Early birds catch the worms.
207
He is a night owl.
He is skeptical.
He is a genius.
He is a child prodigy.
He is somebody.
He is nobody.
He is a phenomenon.
My parents are everything to me.
Do not bullshit a bullshitter.
He is talking nonsense. He is talking drivel. He is talking bullshit. This idea is nonsensical.
He is jack of all trades, master of none.
He is a vagrant. He is a vagabond.
Load the camera with a film. Load the gun.
He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Turn on the tap. Turn off the tap. Turn the tap down. Turn the tap up. Turn on the faucet.
He lives the life of a monk.
He lives life to the full.
He married young. He married late. He married beneath.
Birds of the same feathers flock together.
He is the black sheep of our family.
You are the salt of the earth.
Over my dead body.
He is able-bodied.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Beauty is skin deep.
208
He is a shallow thinker.
She is a profound thinker.
He is a trouble shooter.
He gave me a hand when I was in a mess.
Give me five.
He was given a fifty minute ovation.
They booed our team in Korea.
They cheered our team in Brazil.
He has the carte blanche.
A teacher should be the authority in a class.
He is the bread winner of the family.
He is a henpeck. He is henpecked.
Who rules the roost in your family?
I live in a shoe-box.
I live in the slum.
I live in a shanty-town.
I am a hill-billy.
Police work involves so much paperwork or bureaucracy these days.
I detest favoritism. I do not like nepotism. I do not play favoritism.
He is a teacher’s aid.
He is a teacher’s pet.
He is my accomplice.
We are in the same boat.
Honesty pays.
You are the apple of my eye.
209
I can not separate the chaff from the wheat.
I can not separate the boys from the men.
He is a yes-man.
He is slothful.
She is as busy as a bee.
He hit the nail on the head.
He has a clean slate. He has a clean sheet.
Let’s hit the road.
He is a road hog.
He is two-faced.
Let’s have a spin.
I have butterflies in my stomach.
I have pins and needles in my leg.
My fingers are numb.
I had a nose job.
Do not gild the lily.
Do not ask me dumb questions.
They dethroned the young king.
The young king ascended the throne in 1850.
The young king was sent to the gallows.
They staged a sit-in during the upheaval.
The new president took office six months ago.
The new president took an oath six months ago.
They are going to boycott our country. They are going to sanction our country. They are going
to place an embargo on our country. They are going to impose a sanction on our country.
210
They are going to lift the sanction. They are going to lift the embargo.
That is a white elephant.
Rose is rose.
It is a placebo.
Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
I am all ears.
We are all armed to the teeth.
Our soldiers were fighting tooth and nail.
Iran qualified for World Cup.
He was not qualified enough to get the job.
How do you read 021-33455178? It is oh, two, one…
How do you read 0-1? It is nil one.
How do you read 0.25? It is (naught) point two five
How do you read 0? It is generally read zero.
Do not spoil your children.
My socks are ruined.
There is a cavity in my tooth.
Firefighters could not quench the fire. It swallowed the building.
That amount of water did not quench my thirst.
There is a nice spa there. Spa means hot-water spring.
He is not acting his age.
He is an orator. He is a public speaker.
He had dyed his hair purple.
211
Appendices
212
Alphabet
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn
Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
Months
January July Spring The Roman calendar
February August Summer Islamic calendar
March September Fall Gregorian calendar
April October Autumn Leap year
May November Winter Lunar calendar
June December Seasons Solar calendar
Countries and Nationalities

Iran Iranian America American
England English Canada Canadian
Germany German France French
Denmark Danish Holland Dutch
The Netherlands Dutch Italy Italian
Brazil Brazilian Argentina Argentinean
Japan Japanese China Chinese
Korea Korean Singapore Singaporean
Austria Austrian Australia Australian
Mexico Mexican Peru Peruvian
South Africa South African Kenya Kenyan
New Zealand New Zealander Malaysia Malaysian
Thailand Thai Bhutan Bhutanese
Bulgaria Bulgarian Burma Burmese
India Indian The Philippines Filipino
Turkey Turkish Russia Russian
213
Numerical Expressions
One 1 One trillion 1000000000000
Two 2 One quadrillion 1000000000000000
Three 3 One quintillion 1000,000,000,000,000,000
Four 4 101 One hundred and one
Five 5 334 Three hundred and thirty four
Six 6 542 Five hundred and forty two
Seven 7 1101 One thousand, one hundred and one
Eight 8 1,234,753 One million, two hundred and thirty-four
thousand, seven hundred and fifty-three
Nine 9 First 1st
Ten 10 Second 2nd
Eleven 11 Third 3rd
Twelve 12 Fourth 4th
Thirteen 13 Fifth 5th
Fourteen 14 Sixth 6th
Fifteen 15 Seventh 7th
Sixteen 16 Eighth 8th
Seventeen 17 Ninth 9th
Eighteen 18 Tenth 10th
Nineteen 19 Eleventh 11th
Twenty 20 Twelfth 12th
Twenty one 21 Thirteenth 13th
Twenty two 22 Fourteenth 14th
Twenty three 23 Fifteenth 15th
Thirty 30 Twentieth 20th
Forty 40 Twenty-first 21st
Fifty 50 Twenty-second 22nd
Sixty 60 Twenty-third 23rd
Seventy 70 Twenty-fourth 24th
Eighty 80 Twenty-fifth 25th
Ninety 90 Thirtieth 30th
One hundred 100 Fortieth 40th
Two hundred 200 Fiftieth 50th
One thousand 1000 One hundredth 100th
One million 1000000 Two hundredth 200th
One billion 1000000000 One thousandth 1000th
One millionth 1000,000th (Naught) point two five 0.25
One hundred and first 101st (Naught) point five 0.5
Five hundred and forty-second 542nd Five point five 5.5
A/one third Thirteen point seven five 13.75
A/one half A half dozen 6
Five and a half 5 Half a dozen 6
A/one eighth Two dozen 24
Thirteen and three quarters 13 A/one score 20
A/one quarter A/one gross 144
Three quarters A/one dozen 12
(Naught) point one two five 0.125 Point seven five 0.75
214
Majors
Foreign languages Accounting Accountancy Management
Psychology Psychiatry Sociology Geology
Archeology Geography History Math
Humanities Sciences Calculus Algebra
Geometry Biology Botany Microbiology
Medicine Nursing Mid-wifery Physical-therapy
Physical-education Physiology Nanotechnology Engineering
Civil engineering Pathology Oncology Gynecology
Dentistry Religion Social sciences Logic
Philosophy Literature Education Computer sciences
Information technology Urbanism Urban planning Photography
Calligraphy Graphics Law International law
Professor Assistant professor Associate professor Full professor
Emeritus professor Flying professor Visiting professor Reader
Advisor Judge Freshman Sophomore
Junior Senior College University
Private-run university State-run university Far-distance university Open university
Virtual university Faculty Faculty member UAST-Seminary
Food, Fruit, and Vegetable

Sandwich Banana Shallot Cauliflower
Hamburger Grapes Cabbage Asparagus
Ham A bunch of grapes Mushroom Radishes
Meatball Peach Broccoli Beetroot
Spaghetti Apple Corn Turnip
Macaroni Kiwi fruit Maize Orange
Lasagna Water melon Aubergine Dates
Soup Melon Egg plant Potato
Chicken Avocado Peas Tomato
Kebab Fig Beans Onion
Kebob Strawberry Carrot Cheese burger
Fried chicken Lemon Lettuce Falafel
Sushi Lime Cucumber Roll
Spicy food Mango Pepper Bread
Appetizer Passion fruit Spinach Cheese and butter
Starter Pomegranate Cherry Broth
Main dish Pine apple Sour cherry Stew
Drink Papaya Raspberry Sea food
Refreshments Coconut Black berry Ethnic food
Desserts Garlic Persimmon Organic food
215
Sports
Football Soccer Volleyball Basketball
Handball Tennis Table tennis Lawn tennis
Badminton Squash Ping-pong Swimming
Crawl Back stroke Breast stroke Butterfly
Water polo Diving Snorkeling Scuba diving
Bungee-jumping Hockey Ice hockey The high jump
The discus The pole-vault The hammer The javelin
Shot Polo Show-jumping Hang-gliding
Water skiing Wakeboarding Jet-skiing Body-boarding
Kite surfing Kite boarding Gymnastics Bobsled
Martial arts Taekwondo Judo Karate
Fencing Shooting Archery Para-gliding
Gliding Parachuting Skating Skiing
Roller-blading Skate-boarding Cliff-hanging Mountain-climbing
Boating Canoeing Kayaking Fishing
Sailing Surfing Wind-surfing White-water rafting
Rafting Boxing Kick-boxing Weight-lifting
Power-lifting Rugby American football Baseball
Golf Bowling
Clothes
Formal clothing Informal clothing Casual clothes Funky clothes
Clothes-designer Fashion-designer Items of clothing Fashion
A pair of shoes A pair of pants A pair of trousers A pair of glasses
A pair of gloves A pair of socks Suit Swim suit
Jacket Coat Raincoat Sweater
Blouse Under wear Hat Cap
Collar Cuff Sleeves Shorts
Skirt Miniskirt Kilt Tights
Tie Bowtie Belt Buckle
Button Zip Dress Robe
216
Classroom Objects and Stationery
Whiteboard Blackboard Duster Switch
Lamp Light bulb Desk Seat
Chair Air-conditioner Book Workbook
Exercise book Textbook Pen Pencil
Eraser Pencil-sharpener Pencil-case Back pack
School bag Paper A sheet of paper School supplies
Stationery Colored-pencil Water color Correction fluid
Correction pen Staple Stapler Staple remover
Writing pad Note book Guide book Dictionary
Encyclopedia Projector Poster Locker
Board pen Files Folders Paper clips
Ring binder Bulldog clip Post-it Clip board
Fountain-pen Ball point Push pins Highlighter
Glue stick Envelope Hole punch Tape dispenser
Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Computer Flash drive Flat-bed scanner Web cam
Digital camera Mp3 player Headset PDA
Laptop Note book Tablet Radio
Video VCD DVD TV
LCD: liquid crystal display LED: light-emitting diode Satellite Mobile
Cell phone Telephone Fax Optic pen
Mixer Blender Extractor Fan
Refrigerator Fridge Freezer Microwave oven
Stove Hoover Washing machine Vacuum cleaner
Dish washer Machinery Extension lead Mouse
Case Modem Wire less Speaker
Weather
Clear Windy Cloudy Stormy
Variable Dry Sunny Gray
Hot Warm Cold Cool
Moderate Moist Misty Foggy
Smoggy Freezing Rainy Snowy
Humid Damp Mild winters Cool summers
Blizzard Tornado Whirlwind Frost
Moisture Heat-waves Temperature Snowfall
Rainfall Sleet Shower Drizzle
217
Jobs
Doctor Teacher Engineer Professor
Instructor Coach Trainer Self-employed
Businessman Businesswoman Entrepreneur Job-creator
Lecturer Welder Mechanic Receptionist
Waiter Waitress Cook Chef
Technician Nurse Therapist Writer
Publisher Seller Salesperson Vendor
Physician Chemist Pharmacist Physical therapist
Optometrist Surgeon Firefighter Babysitter
Refuse collector Shopkeeper Shop owner Bellhop
Doorman Driver Chauffer Specialist
Expert Manager Military personnel Accountant
Editor Editor-in-chief General Brigadier
Colonel Major Lieutenant Sergeant
Private Weatherman Reporter Journalist
Key Verbs
To write To read To speak To listen
To act To perform To play To learn
To work To eat To cook To make
To stand up To sit down To open To close
To turn to page 3 To turn right To turn left To spend time
To spend money To spend free time To spend leisure time To spend spare time
To work out To exercise To warm up To build
To ruin To spoil To waste money To waste time
To think To do something To enjoy To relax
To drive To use To use a computer To write something on a CD
To copy To imitate To follow To download
To upload To search for To surf To look for
To look at To wink at To smile at To laugh at
To make money To earn money To make a living To behave well
To act To treat well To rent To borrow
To lend To buy To sell To travel
To go on a trip To journey To paint To draw
To amuse To entertain To go on a picnic To go on a tour
To cut To finish To end To watch
To see To sing a song To dance To do aerobics
To keep fit To be fit To stay fit To remain fit
To lose weight To gain weight To slim down To be on a diet
To go on a diet To apply for a job To find a job To look for a job
To marry To have a child To rely on To believe in God
218
Means of Transportation
Metro Subway Underground Tube
Bus Minibus Van Taxi
BRT Train Airplane Plane
Ship Boat Ferry Monorail
Helicopter Hovercraft Submarine Warship
Donkey Horse Camel Mule
Chariot Car SUV ATV
Animals
Cow Calf Sheep Goat
Lamb Ewe Ram Horse
Donkey Mule Camel Hen
Pig Boar Wolf Peacock
Goose Duck Swallow Cock
Rooster Crow Parrot Elephant
Giraffe Guerrilla Lizard Snake
Crocodile Alligator Turtle Tortoise
Iguana Whale Shark Dolphin
Fish Goldfish Bat Rat
Hedgehog Rabbit Hare Squirrel
Fox Cat Dog Mouse
Hamster Pigeon Pigeon fancier Pigeon breeder
Hound Greyhound Foxhound Pheasant
Monkey Badge Vole Otter
Stray Weasel Whippet Grouse
Beagle Quail Rodent Mammal
Reptile Birds Amphibians Birds of prey
Eagle Owl Vulture Falcon
Hawk Sparrow Wood-pecker Swan
Seagull Skylark Lark Frog
Toad Snail Slug Marsupial
Vertebrate Zebra Buffalo Deer
Elk Dinosaur Porcupine Penguin
Budgerigar Cheetah Jackal Lion
Lioness Tiger Lynx Jaguar
Leopard Panther Hyena Rhinoceros
Hippopotamus Kiwi Mynah bird Insects
Ant Bee Wasp Cockroach
Beetle Butterfly Dragonfly Grasshopper
Locust Fly Mosquito Earwig
Greenfly Worm Moth Millipede
Lady bird Ladybug Ant eater Scorpion
Tarantula Spider Octopus Beaver
Salamander Antelope Kangaroo Bison
Gorilla Baboon Gibbon Cobra
219
Grammar digest
1. Subject + verb + object + adverb
I love my mom very much.
I teach English academically.
I am writing a new book.
I drive carefully.
I teach English professionally at university every other day.
2. Subject + to be verb + adjective
He is tired.
The book is boring.
She is energetic.
They are friendly.
Tehran is beautiful.
3. Subject + seem/look/feel/sound + adjective
He looks tired.
I feel cold.
It sounds delicious.
I feel ok.
The book sounds interesting.
4. Subject + verb + object + adverb ( adverb of manner + adverb of place + adverb of time)
I teach English professionally at university every other day.
That doctor treats his patients kindly at hospital on Mondays.
5. Subject + verb
Birds fly.
The sun rises from the east.
The sun sets in the west.
I think.
Ants move slowly.
6. Subject + verb + object
I teach physics.
I take photos of wild animals.
I drive my car meticulously.
I teach painting.
I rarely cook food.
7. Dummy subject + to be verb + adjective
It is hot today.
It is cheap.
It is well-made.
It is home-made.
It is black.
220
8. Dummy subject + noun + preposition
There is a book on the table.
There are two apples in the refrigerator.
There are 20 students in my class.
It is under the table.
Here comes the waiter.
9. Subject + regular verb + object + adverb
I visited him two days ago.
I washed my car last week.
I watched a nice movie last week.
10. Subject + irregular verb + object + adverb
I rode a camel yesterday.
I bought a new movie last week.
I took him to hospital last week.
◛Dummy subject = it, there is, there are
◛To be verb = am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been
◛Helping verbs = to be verb, have and has, modals (can, could, shall, should, may,
might, will, would, used to, ought to, have to, has to, had to, must, should, you’d better)
◛Base form of a verb = first form of a verb: go

I go to school everyday.
◛Past form of a verb = second form of a verb: went

I visited my friend yesterday.
◛Past participle = third form of a verb: gone (It can function as an adjective.)
I have never been to America.
◛Present participle = verb + ing (as an adjective): interesting

This movie is boring.
◛Gerund = verb + ing (as a noun): playing

Playing soccer is fun.
◛Infinitive = to + base form of a verb: to go

I have decided to continue my education.
221
Present Tense
Present Simple
Subject + Base form of verb + Object + Adverb
1. I am late. I am lazy. I am clever.

2. I work in a bank.
3. I floss my teeth every night.
4. I rest on the weekend.
5. I teach English every other day.
Present continuous/Present Progressive

Subject + am/is/are + [Verb + ing] + Object + Adverb
1. I am teaching English now.

2. She is speaking on the phone at the moment.
3. They are watching TV.
4. They are learning English now.
5. My mom is cooking now.
Present Perfect
Subject + [have/has + past participle] + Object + Adverb
1. I have lived in Tehran for 10 years.

2. She has taught English since 2012.
3. He has been to America.
4. I have tried Chinese food.
5. I have never ridden a camel.
Present Perfect Continuous

Subject + [have/has + been + present participle] + Object + Adverb
1. I have been living in Tehran for 10 years.

2. I have been teaching English for 10 years.
3. I have been studying English for 3 years.
4. I have been writing books for a decade.
5. I have been learning English since 2012.
222
Past Tense
Simple Past
Subject + past form of verb + Object + Adverb
1. I saw my best friend two days ago.

2. I visited my best friend last week.
3. She wrote a book last year.
4. He rode a horse for the first time yesterday.
5. They watched a nice movie last night.
Past Progressive
Subject + was/were + [Verb + ing] + Object + Adverb
1. They were watching TV when I arrived home.

2. I was teaching when he made a strange noise.
3. While they were playing soccer, I joined them.
4. He interrupted me while I was singing.
5. He put too much salt in the food when he was cooking.
Past Perfect
Subject + [had + past participle] + Object + Adverb
1. He had left home before his mother arrived.

2. The patient had died before the doctor arrived.
3. They had eaten food before I got home.
4. The flight had gone when I arrived.
5. His eyesight had gone before he visited the doctor.
Past Perfect Continuous

Subject + [had + been + present participle] + Object + Adverb
1. Chris had been waiting for an hour when she decided to leave.
2. The class had been discussing the final exam when the instructor came in.
3. I did not go to that hospital to see Sue yesterday because I had already been visiting her
twice this week.
4. I had been sleeping for a long time when the package arrived.
223
Future Tense
Simple Future
Subject + will/shall + [Base form of verb] + Object + Adverb
1. I will/shall go overseas in the future.

2. I am going to go abroad in the near future.
3. I will definitely marry john next week.
4. We shall graduate from university next year.
5. He will get his Ph.D. next semester.
Future Progressive
Subject + will/shall be + [verb + ing] + Object + Adverb
1. I will be working tonight.

2. I am going to be working tonight.
3. Do not call my roommate tonight between seven and eleven. She will be studying for a test.
4. This time next semester he will be taking engineering courses.
Future Perfect
Subject + will + [have + past participle] + Object + Adverb
1. The next time we meet I will have completed the courses for my master’s degree.
2. Rita already has her masters, and she will have gotten her Ph.D. before she is 25.
3. We will have finished this review of tenses by the end of this week.
4. Before this course is finished, my classmates and I will have taken 20 quizzes.
5. Our instructor will have gotten his new car in two weeks.
Future Perfect Progressive

Subject + will + [have + been + present participle] + Object + Adverb
1. I will have been studying English for 6 months by the end of this course.
2. I will have been cleaning the apartment by 2:00.
3. By the time you get here, my mother will have been resting for awhile.
4. I will have been studying English for three semesters by the time I take the TOEFL exam.
224
Wish
1. I am thin. I wish I were fat.
2. It is snowy. I wish it were not snowy. I wish it were sunny.
3. I do not earn enough money. I wish I earned very much money.
4. I was late to work. I wish I had not been late to work.
5. It rained yesterday. I wish it had not rained.
Conditional Sentences
1. If you study well, you will pass your exams.
2. If you studied well, you would pass your exams.
3. If you had studied well, you would have passed your exams.
Active/Passive Voice
1. I killed a cat. Subject + verb + object (active) → → →
A cat was killed by me. Object + passive verb + subject
2. I write a letter. → → →
A letter is written by me.
3. I am writing a letter. → → →
A letter is being written by me (I).
4. Farmers have destroyed forests. → → →
Forests have been destroyed by farmers.
5. Farmers are destroying the forests. → → →
The forests are being destroyed by farmers.
6. I will write a letter. → → →
A letter will be written by me (I).
225
Picture description
Please describe the following pictures. The more you speak, the more you will improve your
speaking skill. If possible relate the pictures in each part to each other.
Our neighborhood
226
Leisure-time activities
227
Our world
228
Culture
229
Cycles
230
Sports
231
Food pyramid
Classroom objects
232
Our jobs
Our resolutions
Our plans
233
Speaking Tips
1. Try not to be shy.
2. Be sociable or social.
3. Pay attention to peripheral learning.
4. Do not pay attention to others’ criticisms when you make mistakes.
5. Read as much as possible.
6. Listen to different programs dealing with a variety of topics.
7. Switch into English everything you have read.
8. Switch into English everything you have listened to.
9. Switch into English the latest movies you have watched.
10. Switch into English the latest stories you have read.
11. Build inner criteria.
12. Build self-confidence.
13. Describe your daily activities or routines in English.
14. Speak about your plans, wishes, dreams, and resolutions in English.
15. Speak to yourself about different topics.
16. Describe pictures in English.
17. Bear in mind that your family album can be a great help. Describe the photos in the album.
18. Describe comic-strips, cartoons, and caricatures in English.
19. Speak about the objects you can see in your room.
20. Believe in life-long learning.
234

Speaking in A Flash: Elementary To Advanced

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Speaking in A Flash: Elementary To Advanced

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Speaking in a Flash

Expressions, Idioms, and Sentences

Vahid Hassani (DS)

Please send your constructive comments to vahid_hassani38@yahoo.com.

to introduce how? new words

● What is your name?

● What is your first name?

● What is your family name?

● What is your middle name?

● How do you feel today?

● What is your job?

● How do you like your job?

● What is your marital status?

● What are your hobbies?

● What do you do in your free time?

● When were your born?

● Where were your born?

● Where is your city?

● How big is your city?

● How do you like it?

● What degrees and certificates do you have?

● What achievements have you had in your life?

● What resolutions do you have? What plans do you have?

● What is your religion?

● How many people are there in your family?

● How do you like your family members?

● What are you like?

● What do you look like?

● What are your likes and dislikes?

● What talents do you have?

● Who are you similar to?

● Where were you born?

● What is your nationality?

● How do you spend your free time?

● What goals do you have?

● Why did you choose English as your major?

● What is your marital status?

Are you single, married, divorced, widowed, estranged, or engaged?

● How many siblings do you have?

● Where is your city located?

● Where are you from originally?

● Do you have a nickname?

● Whereabouts do you live?

● What is your address?

● What is your E-mail?

● What is your religion?

● Introduce one of your family members.

● Introduce your favorite teacher.

● Introduce your favorite actor.

● Introduce your best friend.

● Introduce your favorite soccer player.

class now to learn English

♫ Where are you now?

♫ What are you doing?

♫ Why are you here?

♫ What can you see in this place?

♫ Where is the whiteboard?

♫ What should we have in a language class?

♫ What do you use a whiteboard for?

♫ Where is the nearest branch of Melli bank?

♫ What is Tehran like?

♫ What is Tehran famous for?

♫ What do you need when you go on a trip?