I. Before listening to the podcast, match the words with their definitions:

Column A

Enter the letter from  Column B

Column B. Definitions
1. how to put this a. a business, restaurant, or store that doesn’t look very nice and is not fancy
2. diner b. environment; the way that a place looks and how it feels to be there
3. hole in the wall c. a small restaurant that serves a lot of inexpensive, informal food, such as fried foods
4.mom and pop d. a phrase used when one is uncomfortable because one wants to say something that might hurt another person’s feelings or be awkward
5. it’s the (something) that counts e. very nice, luxurious, and expensive; nicer than normal; nicer than other versions of something
6. ambiance f. snobby; stuck-up; thinking that one is better than other people and not treating those other people very well
7. greasy spoon g. lights that are put in certain positions and turned on to specific levels of brightness to make people feel a certain way
8. fancy h. a restaurant that serves informal, inexpensive meals
9. mood lighting i. a phrase used to show that one particular thing is what really matters or what is really important, and nothing else is as important as that one thing
10. snooty j.referring to a small business owned by a married couple or a small family

 

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II. Now listen to the podcast and do the test on it below

The dialogue only:

1. Why has Nadia put on an evening dress?

a. She is going to a fancy restaurant with Russell

b. She thinks she is going to a fancy restaurant with Russell

c. It is her b-day today

Enter the letter of the answer: 

2. What matters to her?

a. the menu

b. the vibe

c. being with Russell

Enter the letter of the answer:

3. Where are they going to sit in a booth?

a. in a fancy restaurant

b. in a greasy spoon

c. at home

Enter the letter of the answer:

 

 

III. Prepare answers to the questions so as to use the words in [brackets]:

  1. How does Russell inquire about Nadia not eating her food?
  2. What does Nadia say is the reason she's not eating her food?
  3. How does Russell describe the restaurant to Nadia?
  4. What did Nadia expect for her birthday dinner?
  5. Why did Nadia wear a nice new dress for the dinner?
  6. How does Russell try to convince Nadia that the current restaurant is special?
  7. What special thing did Russell plan for Nadia's birthday?
  8. How does Nadia react when she learns that Russell ordered a whole pie for her?
  9. What is Russell's favorite type of restaurant?
  10. Describe the ambiance of the current restaurant according to Russell.

Prompts:

to have higher expectations for...

frustrated

to be taken aback = to be unpleasantly surprised

to feel like bursting out crying 

to fall short of smb's expectations =не оправдать ожидания

no to quite live up to what smb had in mind

to bring smb round to one's choice = to convince smb of the rightness of your choice

to be underwhelmed =to be disappointed [humourous]

tactful-ly

to falter= to speak in a way that shows that you are not confident

a more upscale dining experience

to hint at

to hurt smb's feelings

11. What do you make of Russell? Make inferences about him.

12. What do you make of Nadia?

13. What would you do in such a situation?

The pdf of the podcast