English Recordings

I went to a party with a friend and she knows that I'm a big fan of Chris Turner, the footballer. I just think he's a genius and, anyway, he was going to be there. Now, I knew that I would be really shy, which is stupid because he's exactly the same age as me and, you know, he's just a regular bloke, I'm sure. But when my friend introduced us and he shook my hand, my mouth just went, you know, really dry and I didn't know what to say, honestly, which was awful. I felt so bad about it afterwards, my friend just couldn't understand it.

I used to watch Granny cooking, and right from when I was five years old I was allowed to season the soups, test the potatoes, and so on. One year for my birthday, she bought me a cookbook. It was just like Granny talking; all the recipes were simple, economical and linked with little stories, useful advice and amusing sketches. I treasured it, but gradually it fell to bits from overuse, my tastes changed and, finally, I threw it out.
Now, of course, I wish I'd hung on to it despite its sad taste and despite the fact that all the advice would be out of date.

- Well, I saw this old man, he was kind of holding this briefcase under his arm, like this. He'd just left the bank and I was still queuing up to collect my pension, but I was near that door. Now, this young man came running past him and grabbed him by the arm.

- Yeah, and the young man ran away and the poor old man sat on the pavement, still clutching his briefcase, and we managed to help him up. Now, can I go back in to collect my money?

- It's in the basement. You get there by going down the main staircase from the entrance hall.

- Yes, there was a rebuilding programme last year, which wasn't much fun for those of us trying to study. The main building was altered a lot. And they're building a new sports center. It should be open for the new students in September.

1. Do we have to write this down?
2. Can I go to the board?
3. Can you help me please?
4. Can I come in?
5. Can I open/close the window?
6. Sorry for being late.
7. Can I switch on the lights, please?
8. Can we pack our things now?
9. Can I write the date ?
10. Can I call the register, please?

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--Already recorded, thanks!--

--Already recorded, thanks!--

Launched in Australia in January 2009, the Best Job in the World campaign offered one lucky candidate a dream job : Caretaker for the islands of the Great Barrier Reef in
Queensland.

Many candidates applied from all around the world as the campaign attracted national and international attention.

Michael: Hi, how are you?
Olga: Hi! Good, thanks. How are you?
Michael: I’m great as well. What's your name?
Olga: I’m Olga.
Michael: Sorry, I did not get it.
Olga: It’s Olga, O-L-G-A, Olga.
Michael: Nice to meet you, Olga. I’m Michael.
Olga: Nice to meet you too, Michael.
Michael: Where are you from?
Olga: I’m from Russia. You?
Michael: I’m from the USA.
Olga: Wow! I wanna fly there one day!
Michael: Nice! What do you do for fun, Olga?
Olga: I love to play video games!
Michael: Are you married?
Olga: Ahah, no I am not, Michael, I’m single.
Michael: Lovely, can we hang out some time later?
Olga: Sounds great.
Michael: Are you on Instagram?
Olga: Yes, I am.
Michael: What is your username?

Olga: It’s olga.belova86
Michael: Cool, I will text you later.
Olga: Alright, have fun.
Michael: Thanks, you too.

Joanne was about 12 when I taught her. Her school days weren't very happy. The school was a bit like prison, and then her mum, Anne, got seriously ill. Anne worked as my technician, and Joanne used to come and wait outside the science building for her mum, so that they could walk home together. She was obviously very worried about her mum. She was a very quiet child. I don't remember her ever answering a question. I think she was keeping all her experiences in her head to use later in her stories.
Joanne has said that no characters in Harry Potter are based more than 10% on a real person. So perhaps it's just a coincidence that I used to have long, black hair. But to be honest, I think Professor Snape, especially in the later books, is very like me.

Jude was bullied at his first secondary school so he changed schools when he was 14 and came to us. He didn't know anybody, but that wasn't a problem, for him. He adapted very quickly, which shows his confidence. He quickly started acting in school plays, and he used to get fantastic reviews in the school magazine. He was clever, but some teachers thought he was arrogant. Some of his classmates thought the same and he wasn't very popular with them. Other boys were jealous of him because the girls usually liked him.