Based on 6 Minute English:

Lesson 1: Keeping in touch

Nowadays, most of us stay in touch with friends
and relatives by writing emails, telephoning or
sending texts. However, until recently we had no
choice but to write letters if we wanted to share
our news and pass on information.

Listen to Kate and Jackie as they discuss the
different methods of communication both
modern and traditional.

Vocabulary from the program
1. Before you listen try to match these words and their definitions. Then listen and check.

1. link up
2. put pen to paper
3. long-standing
4. tactile
5. come through
6. taking the time
7. exclusively







( ) for one person only
( ) nice or pleasant to touch
( ) something we have been doing for
a long time
( ) phrasal verb meaning to connect
with
( ) the action of deliberately writing
something
( ) to spend the time to do something
for another person (usually a good
thing)
( ) a phrasal verb we use when
referring to a letter or parcel which is
posted to us.

Based on 6 Minute English:


1. Listen again and for each question choose the best answer from the list.


1. When we talk about the postal
service as opposed to electronic
means of communication,
we sometimes jokingly call it
________.
a) slug mail
b) woodlouse mail
c) worm mail
d) snail mail

2. If you and someone else regularly
send letters to each other, you two are
__________.
a) pencil mates
b) pencil pals
c) pen pals
d) pen partners

3. Which of these phrasal verbs means
'to arrive' (about a letter or a parcel)?
a) to send in
b) to come in
c) to come through
d) to send through
4. Something that is nice or pleasant to
touch can be described as
___________.
a) tactful
b) tactile
c) tactical
d) tactless

5. Sending letters through the post is a
______________ tradition in many
countries.
a) long-sitting
b) long-standing
c) long-hanging
d) long-continuing

6. 'To _________' is another way of
saying 'to take time and effort to write
something down'.
a) put pen at paper
b) put pen in paper
c) put pen on paper
d) put pen to paper




Based on 6 Minute English:


Get ready to speak!
(Think about the vocabulary youll need to answer the following
questions to your teacher.)

1. In your own words, tell me what the listening was about.
2. Do you have any long distance friends?
3. How do you keep in touch with your long-distance friends?
4. How often do you see your long-distance friends?
5. Have you made any friends over the Internet?
6. Have you ever met them in person?
7. How do you maintain a good friendship?
8. How do you make new friends?