Snowdon Scene 1

Stephen and Ashlie arrive at the hotel in Snowdonia, but they don't have the same idea about how to relax!

Instructions

Do the Preparation task first. Then watch the video. Next go to Task and do the activity. If you need help, you can read the transcript at any time.

Before you watch

Think about the following questions:

What kind of outdoor activities and sports do you like doing?
What kind of sports do you think Ashlie and Stephen enjoy?

Now watch Stephen and Ashlie during their trip to North Wales.

Transcript

Stephen: Right, I think we’ve got everything.

Ashlie: Here, let me help you with that.

Stephen: No, it’s OK, I’ve got it.

Ashlie: We’re here in the beautiful mountains of Snowdonia in North Wales. We’re here for a short relaxing break. We’re going to put our feet up and have a complete rest for a couple of days. That’s right, isn’t it Stephen?

Stephen: Speak for yourself, Ash. Snowdonia is a great place for outdoor activities. You can go climbing, cycling, walking... I can’t wait to get out onto the mountains and get some fresh air. Come on Ash. Let’s check in.

Receptionist: Hi - Can I help you?

Ashlie: Hi, yes. We have a reservation for two nights.

Receptionist: OK, what’s the name, please?

Ashlie: Walker.

Receptionist: Walker. Is that Stephen and Ashlie?

Ashlie: Yes.

Receptionist: Two rooms for two nights?

Ashlie: Yes.

Receptionist: Can I just get you to fill this in, please?

Ashlie: Sure.

Stephen: Hey Ash, have you seen all these leaflets? There’s loads of stuff to do here. I’m going to hire a bike and ride to the top of the mountain. Do you want to come?

Ashlie: What, now? You’re joking, aren’t you?

Stephen: Yeah – take these, can I have my room key, please? Thank you. I’m going to go get changed. I’ll meet you back here in twenty minutes.

Ashlie: OK.

.....

Ashlie: OK, so I think I'll have the manicure, the pedicure...

Assistant: OK.

Ashlie: Oh, and I’ll have that Indian head massage, too. And can you just tell me, what’s the hot stones massage?

Assistant: Well, we use volcanic rock. You know, stones from a volcano; we heat them up and then we massage them over your body. It’s really relaxing.

Ashlie: Yeah, that sounds nice. Maybe I’ll have that, too. Oh, and I see you do treatments for men?

Assistant: Yeah, we do a lot of treatments for men.

Ashlie: Stephen doesn't know what he's missing.

.....

Ashlie: Look at you!

Stephen: It’s great, isn’t it? I’m all set to go. What are you going to do while I’m racing to the top of the mountain?

Ashlie: Well, I thought I might try this… It looks really relaxing and much better than cycling to the top of some old mountain.

Stephen: Yeah, it looks like hard work.

Ashlie: Go on you, get going. Have a good time – and call me later.

Stephen: Bye.

Ashlie: Bye.

.....

Ashlie: This is just so relaxing.

.....

Ashlie: Hello.

Stephen: Hi, Ashlie.

Ashlie: Hi, Stephen. How are you doing?

Stephen: I’m... exhausted. I can hardly speak.

Ashlie: Me too. This is lovely. I’m so relaxed.

Stephen: Ah, this is really tough. I’ve got a long way to go but I'm going to make it to the top.

Ashlie: OK, then – well you just take it easy.

Stephen: Yeah, alright.

Ashlie: OK, see you later.

Stephen: OK, bye!

Ashlie: Snowden Mountain Railway. I think he’ll see me sooner than he thinks!

Task 1

Comprehension Task

What did you learn about Snowdonia?

Choose the best answer to these questions.

Exercise

Task 2

Comprehension Task 2

Read the statements about Stephen and Ashlie and decide if they are true or false.

Exercise

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Language level

B1 - Intermediate

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Hello, everybody! I'm Juliya! I feel sorry for Stephen. As for me, I prefer jogging, because it's good for my health. Besides, jogging is not exhausting.

Poor Stephen... I feel sorry for him. As for me, I prefer walking, because it's good for my health and it isn't exhausting.

Hi, All I don't understand about sentence:"Have a complete rest a couple of days" -A complete rest?what does that mean? What is different between: Get out and go out, When we use relax and relaxing? I'm going to get changed-> changed is noun not Verb, it is right? Thanks

Hi Nguyen thi Hai Huyen,

The phrase in the text is have a complete rest for a couple of days. A complete rest means to do nothing: no strenuous activity, no stress and no work. Stephen says "You speak for yourself" because he does not want a complete rest - he wants to be active and to go up the mountain.

Get out and go out can be used in different ways in different contexts. You can find examples in any good dictionary:

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/get-out

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/go-out

If you have a particular example then we can comment, of course.

Relax is a verb. Relaxing is an -ing form which could be a participle, a gerund or an adjective. They are used as any of these types of words are used, in accordance with the grammar system of the language. There is nothing special about the words relax and relaxing to make them different from any other words of these types.

In the phrase get changed we have get + a past participle, so changed is a verb form. The construction shows a change of some kind and is quite common in English: get married, get changed, get divorced, get fired, get hired, get promoted etc.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

I prefer outdoor activities so probably I would like to climb,to walk or to do samething elese but obviesouly outdoor.So I think I would spend my free time in North Wales just like Stephen do.Some different forms of relax is listening to the music or reading books and I would do it probably every evening.

hello, i usually come across with some types of structures like"a variety of,too great a variety of,a great variety of".sometimes it takes singular verb and sometimes plural verb. is any definite rule about it whether it takes singular of plural veb. i checked it in oxford dictionary .it says when a is preceded before variety,it takes plural verb. please give me suitable advice. thanks.

Hello Baahubali,

Quantifiers such as a lot of can be followed by either singular uncount nouns or plural count nouns. The verb matches the noun:

There is a lot of money on the table. ['money' is singular so the verb 'is' is singular]

There are a lot of apples on the table. ['apples' is plural so the verb 'are' is plural]

The quantifier a great variety of can only be used with plural count nouns and so the verb is always plural. It is similar to other quantifiers such as a great number of.

Best wishes,

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

hello, sir if there is any rule about it whether we change principal clause or we change subordinate clause to correct whole sentence.if i see it written down somewhere then how would i know whether he is talking about future or past. thanks.

Hello Baahubali,

The important thing is that the time references and verbs forms in the clauses are consistent. If they are inconsistent then you can change either to make the sentence grammatical.

The context may make it clear what the speaker/writer intended, but if it does not then you need to ask the speaker/writer directly and find out what it is they wanted to say.

Best wishes,

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

hello is it right to say "one and a half hours" or "one hour and a half". "two mangoes and a half" or "two and a half mangoes". thanks. which is preferable or right?