ENGLISH PRONUCIATION

1/

A – I would like a double room for two nights.

B – What kind of room would you like?

A – A quiet room with a good view.

B – All our rooms have good views. They look out over a garden full of rose bushes, the pool, and the woods.

A – And could you provide the refrigerator full of food and two bottles of good wines?

B – That shouldn’t be hard to do. By the way, who’s that woman in the blue wool sweater?

A – That’s my wife! Now would you mind getting back to the booking?

2/

A – Roll up your shirt sleeve. I promise you it won’t hurt.

B – But will it work?

A – Certainly. You heard what the doctor said.

B – Nurse, are you perfectly sure it won’t hurt?

A – I give you my word. You’re awfully worried for a thirty – year old. You’re not a little girl. Show some courage. Now turn around.

B – Ouch! That’s hurt! You got my nerve. That’s the worst shot I’ve ever had.

A – And you’re the worst patient I’ve ever had!

3/

A – How far is it to the airport from here?

B – Well, it’s about forty minutes by car if you go early in the morning.

A – How much does it cost to park there?

B – Thirteen dollars a day for long term parking.

A – I can’t afford it. For a two – week trip, that’s more than my airfare.

B – But it’s worth it for a short journey. The hard part is finding a free space to park near the terminal.

A – I don’t care about that. I walk to work every morning.

4/

- It’s natural for children to love nature.- There was a story about the United Nations on the National news.- She took a bath after sunbathing for two hours.- The metric system measures length in meters.- Many athletes get athletic scholarships to attend college.- Take a deep breath, and then breathe out.- I didn’t know he had so much knowledge about computers.- You could make some beautiful clothes with this cloth.- Do I sign my own name or get someone else’s signature?- Certain types of plants are typically grown indoors.- The producers thought the cost of production was too high.- A person who comes from the South is called a Southerner.

5/

- Birds don’t have beards.- Did you hear what I heard?- She spent her earnings on new earrings.- I see fresh deer tracks in the dirt.- He fears being first.- Where were you last night?- Her hair was a mess.- People suffer many perils diving for pearls.- Warm air covered the earth.- Last term was terrible.- I usually walk to work.- Do you know what the word ward means?- Some wars are worse than others.- The worm wasn’t warm.- The dress she wore wasn’t worth much.

6/

A – This fish is simply delicious.

B – I don’t think so. Fish and chips is greasy.

A – Don’t be silly. It’s tender and crisp. Just eat a little.

B – I’ll be sick if I eat it.

A – You’re kidding. You don’t have to eat a big piece.

B – I don’t have to eat any piece. You’re not children.

A – You should at least try it. This is different.

B – This is ridiculous. I’m leaving.

7/

A – I’d like to reserve a seat on the ten thirty flight to Birmingham, on Thursday. My name is Mark.

B – Thursday May 21st? Certainly, sir. There’s a seat in the third row.

A – That’s fine. And I’m returning on May 23rd.

B – The first flight leaves Birmingham at eight thirty.

A – That’s a bit early.

B – Or there’s twelve thirty, four thirty.

A – Four thirty’s too late. Twelve thirty, please.

B – On the twelve thirty flight on May 23rd, there’s only a seat free in row thirteen.

A – Row thirteen? No, thanks. I’ll go at eight thirty.

8/

Babara spent Saturday looking at a beautiful book about South America. “I want to go to South America,” she said to herself.

The next morning, when Babara woke up it was six o’clock, and her brothers and sisters were still asleep. Babara looked at them, and closed her eyes again. Then she quietly got out of bed and started to pack her suitcase. She took some comfortable clothes out of the cupboard.

She packed a pair of binoculars and her sister’s camera.

She packed a photograph of herself and one of her mother and father.

“I mustn’t forget to have some breakfast,” she said to herself. But then she looked at the clock. It was a quarter to seven.

“I’ll just drink a glass of water,” she said.

“A glass of water,” she said.

“Water,” she said, and opened her eyes.

She was still in her bed, and her brothers and sisters were laughing at her.

“Tell us what you were dreaming about,” they said to her. But Babara didn’t answer. She was thinking about her wonderful journey to South America.

9/

A – Have you been busy this evening?

B – Pretty busy. My first patient was Jim Beaton. He had twisted his knee. He slipped on a banana skin in the street. I think he just needs to rest his knee. He’s very fit.

A – My first patient was Mrs Neale. She keeps being sick, and it’s just because she eats too much.

B – A lot of patients don’t really need treatment. They feel ill because they do silly things. We can give them pills to treat some illnesses, but they need to keep fit and eat sensibly.

10/

Our visitor this evening is the film director, Tim Fitzwilliam, this year’s winner of the “Silver Wings” film prize. His prize-winning film “Dinner at the Ritz” is set in India. Tim lived in India till he was sixteen, and still visits India frequently. The fifth son of an Irish father and an Indian mother, he is an Irish citizen, but lives in England.

11/

A – Alice! Perhaps that passenger is a hijacker!

B – Which passenger, Anne? That sad man with the camera? He’s wearing black slacks and a jacket.

A – No. that fat lady with the big black handbag in her left hand.

B – Is she standing next to the lavatory?

A – Yes. She’s travelling to Amsterdam.

B – You’re mad, Anne, I don’t understand.

A – You see, when she went into the lavatory she didn’t have that handbag in her hand, and now she’s…

C – (clapping her hands) EVERYBODY STAND! I’m a hijacker. And in this handbag I have a…BANG!

12/

A – I’m a reporter from the Hendon Standard. Were you present when the accident happened?

B – Yes. I was standing at the end of Elm Avenue, by the park.

A – What happened?

B – There was a red van travelling west, and several cars and vans behind it.

A – Was the red van going fast?

B – No. the driver kept glancing at the map on his lap. Then a black taxi started to pass the red van.

A – Was that the cause of the accident?

B – It wasn’t the taxi that caused the accident. It was the red van. The van driver suddenly turned, and crashed into the taxi.

A – What happened then?

B – The taxi smashed into a lamppost. The taxi driver wasn’t badly hurt, but he very angry.