Dialogue 5
Damian’s short of money – he needs a job that’ll fit in with school.
He calls at the newsagent’s, where they’re advertising for someone to
deliver papers in the mornings.
D
AMIAN
: I’m interested in the delivery job.
N
EWSAGENT
: OK. May I
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ask you a few questions to see if you’re
suitable for the job?
D
AMIAN
: Of course – fire away!
N
EWSAGENT
: Right – first and foremost: are you good at getting
up early?
D
AMIAN
: Oh yes.
N
EWSAGENT
: Good. And are you afraid of the dark?
D
AMIAN
: Not at all.
N
EWSAGENT
will get in before you.
1 May I . . .? (+
BASE
-
FORM
) is a more formal way of asking permission to do some-
thing.
2 as well = ‘also’
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Idioms
• Fire away! means ‘Go ahead and ask the questions’
• First and foremost means ‘first of all’
Language point 40 – adjectives with
prepositions
Some adjectives are used with
PREPOSITION
s – you have to learn
these uses individually. For example, in Dialogue 5 we see:
interested in
the job
and suitable for
the job
Sometimes the same adjective is used with different prepositions
depending on what type of word follows:
good with
animals (noun)
good at
getting up early (
ING
-
worried about
Usually these adjectives + prepositions are followed by a
NOUN
:
I’m disappointed about the result
Gerry’s proud of his work
My sister is worried about money
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Use a dictionary if you need to.
1 Are you ready ___ another question?
2 You look bored ___ all that paperwork.
3 Are you interested ___ coming along with us?
4 This bag is full ___ doughnuts.
5 I’m angry ___ Stuart – he’s throwing chocolates at me.
6 Is Satoko good ___ speaking English?
7 Are the children ready ___ leave yet?
8 You have to be good ___ animals to work in a zoo.
9 We’re rather worried ___ Henry.
10 Gerry’s very keen ___ biscuits, isn’t he?
Exercise 8
Match the first half of the sentences on the left with the second
halves on the right. The first one has been done for you.
1 The team was amazed a with people
2 Rosemary is terribly scared b for the main course yet
3 I’m so fed up c with the exam result
4 We were shocked d by the score last week
5 The room was crowded e with this job
6 We’re not ready f at the terrible news
7 I’m disappointed g in applying for that job
8 I hear Nigel’s interested h of big spiders
Phrasal verbs
fit in (with) – Does this fit in with you? means ‘Does this coincide with
what you’ve already arranged?’.
get back (to) – I’ll get back to you means ‘I’ll contact you again soon’.
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get through (to) – ‘succeed in contacting’; I got through to him in the end
means that I finally managed to speak to him on the phone.
go on (at) – when someone goes on at you, it means that they keep
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: I’m going to try and do some surfing – if the weather’s
OK. And Fiona’s going to visit her sister.
H
ENRY
: Will you be back by Tuesday?
J
AMES
: Fiona will, but I’m taking an extra day off work, so
I’m not driving back till Tuesday.
H
ENRY
: How’s Fiona getting home, then?
J
AMES
: Good question – I’ll ask her.
1 Bank Holiday – a public holiday in the UK when banks, schools and public offices
are closed. See Life and living – holidays at the end of Unit 11 for more informa-
tion about this and other holidays.