Practising English M. A. Bilbrough

Send us a Text Message.This is a B1-level short story in two parts.Professor Mathew Pearson, a paleontologist and professor at Oxford University, made an incredible discovery when he found a skull. Tests are done and the results are extremely surprising...Technical vocabulary in the storyPrehistory / A prehistoric scenepaleontologyfossilsThe Jurassic period (finished 145 million years ago)The Eocene period (finished 33m years ago)skullThe prehistoric animal mentioned in the story is a sarkast...

Send us a Text Message.This is the third and final part of the story 'The Harmonica Players'. Here are the B2 phrases I discuss in the podcast.1) This was not the familiar peaceful atmosphere of Oxted.2) He found London rather threatening. 3) An awful lot of unfamiliar people who packed the streets.4) You were swept along by dense, hostile crowds of total strangers.5) A black man in a hat, moving quickly towards Jeffrey in the opposite direction, bumped straight into him. 6) Jeffrey, although...

Send us a Text Message.In Part 2 of my story, The Harmonica Players, I’ll be talking about racial prejudice. That means the irrational distrust and dislike of people from other countries. My motive for bringing up this topic and creating Jeffrey, a man who is very prejudiced against foreigners, has been from the unfortunate policy by the current Conservative party in the UK, who have proposed and are about to carry out flying immigrants, who have arrived illegally into the UK, to the African ...

Send us a Text Message.The Harmonica Players. The story of two people who are very different from each other, yet there is something that unites them.Words and expressions discussed in the podcast:bedsit - accommodation, which is very basic, and is usually just one room.meter - a machine you put money into which controls the amount of electricity is consumed.- Somehow, he couldn’t face starting his day without a hot shower- All of a sudden...

Send us a Text Message.This is a B1 and B2 level podcast with a new story about the ages of Man. (See link to audioscript of story below.)B1 words discussed:sunriselandscapevalleys scenerywaterfallcave the cool shadesetting sun (sunset)B2 words discussedyouthbounced alonglife was a gift, which he would grab for himselfmake the most ofthe lines around his eyesa bald areamaturehis body was curved and bentslow, clumsy and tiredleaned awkwardlyhis old legs struggling to make the final steps...

Send us a Text Message.I'm listing below the phrases I explain in the audio.This is a B1-level story. Below, are the phrases I explain from the story.Vocabulary expressions for the storyToday's story is B1 level. I'm listing below the phrases I explain in the audio.The point of this podcast is to explain that the language you use in your speaking exam must sound authentic.These are the B1 expressions I suggest you use in the speaking:some kind of - when you are describing something, or identi...