English learning log

English learning log

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Book Discussion Aug 02 telc preparation - presentation

2016. július 31. - polly graph

 

Az  angol B2 prezentáció során a vizsgázó egy rövid összefoglalást ad vizsgázópárja részére a félkészülés alatt kapott témából. A konkrét
feladat (a prezentáció címe) a vizsgán, a felkészülő teremben derül ki, ahol a vizsgázó
2 témából tud választani.
Lehetséges prezentációs címek:
A book that you have read (topic or plot, author, style, your opinion)
A concert you have attended (type of music, musicians, where, personal preferences)
A traditional public holiday in your country (date, customs, food)
A tourist attraction near your town (how  far, what to see, best time of the year)
A sporting event you have attended (sport, people involved, result)
You can find actual presentstion titles on page 24 of these mock exams:
Please, think about these titles and decide what you would like to speak about. Use these links and short passages (written by other studens and me)
HOW TO TALK ABOUT MOVIES:

 

 

A book that you have read 

My favorite book is the Bohémek és Pillangók. The writer is János Bókay.This book is about Giacomo Puccini’s life. Puccini was an Italian composer. He travelled to Milano with his brother that they tried luck. Puccini was admitted to the Academy of Music. He loved the Academy and his teachers too. Puccini lived a bohemian lifestyle. He visited smoky bars every night and went out with his friends. Puccini has got a lot of friends who were artists, writers and painters. During this time he wrote better and better operas, concertos. For example:

Bohémek és Pillangók, Tosca, …

The title of the book was the same as Puccini’s

opera (Bohémek és pillangók).This book is a biographical Novel. In my opinion, who likes classical music,operas and biographical novels should read this book. I think this is a really interesting book. Bókay wrote the book using original letters, documents and notes.

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I would like to talk about Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third novel in the Harry Potter series. It was written by an English writer, J.K. Rowling. I think the genre of this book is fantasy, it is set in an imaginary 'parallel universe' where wizards and witches live their lives in secret, hidden from ordinary people, called the muggles.

The main character of the book is Harry Potter, a young wizard whose life took an unexpected turn when he was invited to Hogwarts School of Witchraft and Wizardy.

In the third book, Harry is in his third year at Hogwarts. Harry and his best friends, Hermione and Ron investigate Sirius Black, who is believed to have betrayed Harry's parents, which lead to their deaths when Harrry was only one year old. Sirius Black escaped from the Prison of Azkaban at the beginning of the book and is thought to be looking for Harry (with the obvious intention of killing him). The plot is quite complicated, there are quite a few mind bending twists. At the end of the novel we learn that Sirius Black was not the villain, he did not betray the parents and did not intend to kill Harry either.

I was really impressed by this book and the brilliant style of the writer. The characters are very interesting - especially the magical creatures, like Buckbeak, the hippogriff or the dementors. I recommend this book to everybody who likes fantasy.

A film I have seen 

 My favorite film is Marley and me. This is a comedy and a wonderful film.

It’s about a dog Marley and a family who want children but first they take on a dog.They go through many adventures with Marly which I think is very funny in the movie. Then they have got three children who grow up with Marley. Marley go the family life and the film ends he dies. It’s a heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family in the making and the wondrously neurotic day who taught them what really matters in life. The actor is Owen Wilson. The Actress is Jenifer Aniston. Marley is a golden retriever.

 

 PLEASE PRACTISE TALKING ABOUT THESE TOPICS. WRITE DOWN A COUPLE OF KEY PHRASES, IDEAS. MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN TALK ABOUT EVERY TOPIC. DO NOT MAKE IT TOO COMPLICATED, KEEP IT SIMPLE, DO NOT GET LOST IN DETAILS. YOU HAVE ONLY ONE AND A HALF MINUTES FOR EACH TOPIC.

 

TELC PRACTICE - 01 August (Monday)

Hogyan szerezz magas pontszámot a levélírásnál a TELC középfokú nyelvvizsgán?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WP5vzkhtn0

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Go to page 21 where the writing task starts and write one of the letters (page 22 or 23)

You have 30 minutes to complete this task:

 https://telc.hu/documents/10186/47371/telc_english_b2/308b6a08-2d49-407c-9691-969e6ab0fb13

letter of complaint sample:

https://www.consumeraffairs.nt.gov.au/ForConsumers/ComplaintsAndDisputes/Documents/letter_of_complaint_requesting_a_remedy_for_faulty_goods.pdf

Listen to English conversation - B1 / B2 level

TELC PRACTICE - 31 JULY

 

We are going to focus on the LISTENING COMPREHENSION. Please go to this page and MAKE SURE THE LEVEL IS SET TO B2!

 

(You can select level under Vizsgai nformáció, at the TOP of the page!)

https://telc.hu/vizsga-informacio

Scroll down to Mintafeladatsor. 

You can find:

Hanganyag a feladatsorhoz 1, 2, 3. You can play the audio in a media player, you will find the tasks here, pages 18 - 20, key:page 44

https://telc.hu/documents/10186/47371/telc_english_b2/308b6a08-2d49-407c-9691-969e6ab0fb13

Here you can find hundreds of SHORT listening comprehension tasks:

https://www.esl-lab.com/

(easy, medium, difficult)

TELC PRACTICE - 30 July (Saturday)

Make sure you read the exam description here:

(at the top of the page, under the photo you might have to set it to B2!!!!!)

https://telc.hu/vizsga-informacio

Today we are going to focus on the READING/WRITING exam. The link below takes you to a mock exam. Please do the Reading Comprehesion Tasks and Language Element Tasks (pages 10-11 AND 15-16)

https://telc.hu/documents/10186/47371/telc_english_b2/308b6a08-2d49-407c-9691-969e6ab0fb13

Answer Key: page 44

 

HOW DID YOU DO?

 

 

TOEFL iBT Writing: "What are the advantages and disadvantages of owning a car?"

Travelling by train has many advantages. First of all, there are no stressful traffic jams, and trains are fast and comfortable. Also, you can use the time in different ways. You can just sit and read, for example, or watch the world go by. You can work, or you can have a meal or a snack in the buffet car.

 

However, travelling by train also has some disadvantages. Firstly, it is expensive and the trains are sometimes crowded. Secondly, you have to travel at cettain times and trains cannot take you from door to door. You need a bus or a taxi, for example, to take you to the railway station.

Despite the disadvantages, I prefer travelling by train to travelling by car because I feel more relaxed when I reach my destination.

How to give your opinion

Ten Expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing

  1. In my opinion, this one would be better.
  2. To my mind this one's better.
  3. If you ask me, this one's better.
  4. To my way of thinking, this one's fine.
  5. In my view, this one is best.
  6. Know what I think? That one's best.
  7. I'd say that one's better.
  8. What I think is that one's better.
  9. For me, that one's better.
  10. I tell you what I think, that one's best.

Living in the City

Livivng in the city has both advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, it is often easier to find work, and tjere is usually a choice of public transport, so you don't need to own a car. Also, there are a lot of interesting things to do and places to see. For example, you can eat in good restaurants, visit museums, and go to the theatre and concerts. What is more, when you want to relax, you can usually find a park where you can feed the ducks or just sit on a park bench and read a book. All in all, city life is full of bustle and variety and need never feel bored.

 

However, for every plus there is a minus. For one thing, you might have a job, bit unless it is very well paid, you will not be able to afford many of the things that there are to do, because living in a city is often very expensive. It is particularly difficult to find good, cheap accommodation. What is more, public transport is sometimes crowded and dirty, particularly in the rush hour, and even the parks can become very crowded, especially on Sundays when it seems that every city-dweller is looking for some space and green grass. Last of all, despite all the crowds, it is still possible to feel very lonely in a city.

 

In conclusion, I think that city life can be particularly appealing to young people, who like the excitement of the city and don't mind the noise and the pollution. However, many people, when they get older, and particularly when they have young children, often prefer the peace and fresh air of the countryside.

ÉRETTSÉGI TÉMÁK - angol szóbeli, középszint

https://eduline.hu/segedanyagtalalatok/2682-Angol_erettsegi_tetel_13

TASK 1

 

Examiner:      Good morning!  Take a seat, please.

                   How are you feeling at the moment?

                   How did you feel this morning when you woke up?

                   What will you miss most now that you’re leaving school?

                   Would you stay one more year?  Why (not)?

 

Now I’m going to ask you a few questions.  If you can’t understand me, I can repeat the question once.  Let’s get started.

 

A

Describe a perfect date.

So, firstly you buy a nice bunch of flowers and give that to the girl when you pick her up.  I don’t think you need a car to pick a girl up, you can just meet her outside her house, that’s enough.  So then the best thing to do would be to go to the cinema or to a restaurant together, and finally go for a big walk somewhere very nice, and talk about the movie, or the food, or anything.

 

What do you think about blind dates?

My opinion is that it’s for people who feel hopeless to find a partner.  But I think it can be both dangerous and very surprising.  I personally find it a little bit strange to have a date with somebody without having seen her or him.  We can easily run into an embarrassing situation.  I don’t think I would every try this, although I have a friend who has gone on blind date and is now going out with that girl.

 

What would you wear on a first date?

That’s a difficult question.  I mean I’m sure it would take me a lot of time to decide.  Because on the one hand you want to look very beautiful, of course, so that your date goes Oh! when he sees you.  On the other hand, you don’t really want him to see how much effort you have put into looking good, he should think that you just happened to be beautiful.  So it’s not easy…

 

Is it usual for people in your country to ‘go Dutch’ if you go out together?

To my mind, I think that depends on the people.  For instance, if a larger group of people go out together, they will definitely go Dutch.  But if we are talking about a romantic date, I suppose there are still some gentlemen in Hungary who will pay for the girls’ meals too.  If I go out with my friends, we always go Dutch, because for example when we go to the bar we choose different things at different prices, so I think this way it is fair with everybody.

 

         What time should teenagers come home in the evening?

Well, I think parents and teenagers have really different ideas about this.  I think my mum would want me to be home by ten or eleven, but you know if it’s a spring or summer evening, and you can sit outside with your friends, you don’t really feel how fast time goes by.  I think if you have a mobile phone, the situation is a bit better, because you can always call or text and say that you’re going to be late.

 

I see.  Now let’s move on to the next topic, which is different cultures..

 

B

What has surprised you when you’ve met people from other countries?

Sometimes, because of the foreign people’s unique culture, their clothing can be surprising.  Maybe their skin colour too and their basic characteristics.  For example Mediterranean nations have darker hair, usually wavy or curly (such as Greek people), they have bronze skin too and they are temperamental.  Besides their eating habits can be surprising too, like French people love to eat snails but it’s really strange for Hungarian people.

 

What are some birthday traditions you know of from other countries?

It's a tricky question.  I don't really know any traditions even in my country.  Perhaps giving a present is a tradition everywhere, or maybe not and then that can be a cultural difference.  But in all the countries I know, the person who has their birthday gets some present, and throws a party.  Perhaps I haven’t seen enough of the world yet.

 

When people from other countries think about your culture, what do they usually think of?

Actually I have never been in a situation like this, I have never talked about my culture with foreign people, but I think the first thing that they think of is…  I have no idea, maybe the eating habits, the goulash soup and the Gundel pancake.  Oh I know!  They think of Puskás, and then ask what has happened to Hungarian football since then.

 

If you could change one thing about your culture, what would it be?

Let me think, it’s a really difficult question.  Actually the Hungarian people have some bad habits and we should change a lot of things.  We can’t change our past, but if we don’t give up, if we don’t hate each other, if we can solve our problems in a human way, than we can change our future.  But if we do that what we are doing now then I’m afraid it won’t be better.

 

Do you know what culture shock is?  Have you ever had culture shock?

Yes, I do, we learnt about it in school.  It was really funny actually, because someone thought it’s when you do too many cultural things, like three museums a day, but now we know it’s when you meet someone or something from a different culture and it’s very very different from what you know.  No, I don’t think I’ve ever had culture shock, but I’d like to travel a lot, so maybe I will!

 

Well, I see.  Now, let’s change the topic.  We’re going to talk about young and old age.

 

C

What's the best way to teach manners to children?

I think the only way is if you show the right example to them.  Because if it surrounds them then they will have good manners.  And talking to them is also important because when they are doing something bad we should explain why it's bad and what they have to do instead of that.

 

Where do you see yourself when you are 70 years old?

Actually I've never thought of this before but maybe in the cemetery or with my grandchildren.  I mean, I’d love to spend my old age with my family, but I don't really know if it’s possible, because my lifestyle isn't the healthiest and the most peaceful.  I guess only time will tell.

 

Do you think it is easier to learn as a child or as an adult? Why?

I think children can learn easier than adults. The main reason is that children have more free time and they can concentrate solely on learning.  Adults have got lots of things to do: work, family, paying bills, and so on, so they must deal with everything.  I also think you learn faster as a child, but I don’t exactly know why that is.

 

Do we have to answer children's questions even if they are inappropriate ones?
Well yes, children's sometimes have some really strange questions and there are no answers for most of them.  Also I think we should try to say something clever, because if we just say that this is a stupid question, and why s/he asked it then the child won’t ask us about important things.  I believe it’s very important to maintain curiosity in children.

 

        

         What are some advantages of being retired?

My grandma retired last year and she says it’s really great that now she has time for all her hobbies, like reading books, playing bridge with her friends, travelling to nice places in Hungary, and of course be with us!  I guess though not everyone is so fortunate and some people find it really difficult to live on their pension.

 

Thank you, that’s the end of the first part of the test.

 

TASK 2

 

Now look at this situation.  You can study the sheet for half a minute.  When you are ready, start a conversation with me.  I am the salesperson in the car dealership.

 

You are planning to buy a new car.  You’re in the car dealership, trying to decide which model is the best option for you.  Ask the salesperson for help.  Consider the following:

 

Ø       price

Ø       leasing options

Ø       your needs

Ø       the possibility of a test drive


-        Good afternoon.  Could you help me choose a car for myself?

-        Certainly.  Which cars in the saloon do you like?

-        The black one looks very beautiful.  How much does it cost?

-        That car is not the cheapest one, but you would definitely love it.

-        Yeah, it looks comfortable.  Comfort is really important for me, as sometimes I need to give my clients a lift somewhere.  Is it also reliable?

-        Yes, very much.

-        So you said it’s expensive.  Can you tell me something about the leasing conditions?  I can’t afford to pay the whole sum right now.

-        Take a look at this document.  It has all the details.

-        Thank you.  Could I take it for a test drive?  I would like to see what it feels like to drive it.  I need a very fast car.

-        I’m afraid you can only take it tomorrow.

-        Oh, you’re closing soon, aren’t you?

-        That’s right.

-        In that case, tomorrow sounds good to me.  See you tomorrow then.

-        See you!

 

Thank you, that’s the end of the second part of the test.

 

TASK 3

 

In the last part of the test, you will compare and contrast some pictures.  Now you have half a minute to look at these pictures and the prompts below them.  When you are ready, you will have three minutes to talk.

 

The pictures below show primary school students dressed in different ways.  Compare and contrast them, including the following points:

Ø       the advantages of having a school uniform

Ø       the disadvantages of having a school uniform

Ø       what parents’ opinion might be of this matter

Ø       your personal preferences

 

That kid in the first picture seems to be very pleased by his school uniform.  Maybe he actually likes the colours, that bright blue is probably the right choice for a primary school child.  A great thing about uniforms is that they conceal the social differences between the students and make everyone look equal. 

They are also very practical, which is probably why some parents like them so much.  The expensive clothes they buy for their children do no become dirty because they run around in the trousers and sweaters provided by the school.

However, not all parents like uniforms.  I think many feel that their children are sort of deprived of their right to express themselves if they are told what clothes to put on.  Also, as opponents of the school uniform often point out, it is very easy to show which social class you belong to even if you are wearing a uniform – just think of accessories or mobile phones.

I’m not sure I would like my child to wear a uniform to school.  Because although it does give you a sense of belonging to a community, I find that it goes against the freedom of the individual.  People should be able to wear whatever they like.

 

 

 

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