Алёна Пашковская - Seven dates with Peter Marker

Hello, my name is Peter Marker. I am twenty seven years old and I am single. I want to get married! I go on dates regularly, but something always goes wrong on the first dates. Please listen to my story.

I treat dates very seriously. I have a book “Successful Dates” and I follow everything it says.

It says that girls like men in good shape and that eating a lot of vegetables help men to be in good shape. Onions are a very good vegetable. They are very important for health and kill viruses. So, I ate a lot of onions and went on a date. I didn’t brush my teeth on purpose, so my date could appreciate my healthy lifestyle.

My date was a pretty girl. She had long blond hair, wore a black dress and had red fingernails. Her name was Mary. We went to a nice cafeteria and ordered a lot of food. We were sitting very close to each other and had an amazing conversation.

But unfortunately, after five minutes of such a nice chat, Mary got a call from home. They said that her cat got really sick and needed urgent help. Mary told me that she was very sorry, but she needed to go. I was sad and I had to eat all the food myself.

When I texted Mary the same evening asking how her cat was, Mary answered that the cat was so sick that only doctors in a special hospital in Switzerland could help it. She also said that she was already on a plane flying there with her poor cat, and that treatment is going to be a very long time so they have to live in Switzerland for many years. She said she is very sorry but she can’t date me anymore.

I was upset, because I really liked her, but what could I do?

A month later I saw a girl who looked like Mary in the city center, but when I called Mary, she said that she was still in Switzerland. I had mistaken her for somebody else and I decided to move on.

Exercises

SPEAKING

Answer the questions

How old is Peter Marker?

Is he married?

What book does Peter Marker read?

According to the book, what kind of men do girls like?

What should men do to be in good shape?

What did Peter’s date look like?

What was her name?

Why did she go home so quickly?

What would you suggest to Peter for his next date?

GRAMMAR

Circle the right word

I want to get/getting married.

Anything/ Something always goes wrong on the first date.

Please listen/hear to my story.

Eating a lot of vegetables helps/help men to be in good shape.

I didn’t brush my teeth on purpose/sense

We were sitting very close to each another/other and had an amazing conversation.

I was upset, because I really liked her, but what could/can I do?

VOCABULARY

Complete the sentences with one word

(health, pretty, somebody, upset, old, men, later)

I am twenty seven years ___ and I am single.

Girls like ___ in good shape.

They are very important for ____ and kill viruses.

My date was a____ girl.

I was____, because I really liked her, but what could I do?

A month____ I saw a girl who looked like Mary in the city center.

I had mistaken her for____ else and I decided to move on.

PRONUNCIATION

Underline the stressed syllable

regularly successful vegetable important appreciate unfortunately hospital

The book ‘Successful Dates’ was given to me by my colleague – Vedrana Korovich. Vedrana is a young girl who came to our office for job practice from Serbia last year and stayed. I always share my dating experiences with her.

Here is my date number two, please listen.

In the book it says that girls like smart guys. I work as an engineer for a ship manufacturing company. I help to construct big boats, so I am pretty smart. I decided not to hide my smartness on the second date.

The plan for the date was to have a ride on a boat on a beautiful lake for about an hour and a half and then go to a restaurant and have dinner together. The plan was excellent and my date was really excited about it.

The name of my date was Angelica. She had red short curly hair, big blue eyes and beautiful white teeth. Please remember her teeth, because they are very important in this story.

We got into a boat. I took the oars and began to row. I decided not to lose precious time and started to impress my date with my extensive knowledge of keels; what shapes and sizes they should be to successfully steer ships of different types and sizes.

Ten minutes into my explanation, my date was looking at me with sincere curiosity, so I kept describing types of ships for the next half an hour, talking about their length and masses. She was saying: “Hmm, I see,” showing her genuine interest in ships. Then as I kept talking she started to nod. That’s when I understood that ships for my date had the same high importance as it had for me, even though she was a hairdresser.

So I kept sharing interesting information about the chronological order of ship development with her for another hour until we finished our boat ride.

We were about to have dinner in the restaurant, as was planned, but Angelica said that she had a bad toothache and she needed to go to a dentist.

I felt very sorry for her and offered to give her a ride to the dentist in my car, but she said that she was able to drive herself.

In the evening when I called her, she said that her teeth are in very bad condition and all her Saturday evenings for the next six months will be busy because she will be visiting her dentist. So unfortunately, she couldn't date me during that time, but she said she would be happy to go on a date in six months and asked me to call her then.

I didn’t bother Angelica for the next six months, I didn’t want her to think that I am too annoying, but I marked everyday on my calendar and waited for those six months to end.

Half a year passed and exactly on that day I called Angelica. She said that she couldn’t date me anymore, because she is already engaged to another man.

I was completely surprised to hear that! When I told this story to my friend Vedrana, complaining about how Angelica could be engaged if all her Saturday evenings had been busy with the dentist, Vedrana said that it was impossible. But then she supposed that Angelica got engaged to her dentist.

I had nothing to do, so I decided to invite another girl on a date.

Exercises

TEXT UNDERSTANDING

True or false

The book ‘Successful Dates’ was given to Peter by his Serbian friend – Milosh Korovich.

In the book it says that girls like smart guys.

Peter works as an accountant for a ship manufacturing company.

The plan for the date was to have a ride on a boat on a beautiful lake for about an hour and a half and then go to a restaurant and have dinner together.

The name of Peter’s date was Hermione.

Peter’s date had red, short, curly hair, big blue eyes and beautiful white teeth.

When they got into a boat, the girl took the oars and began to row.

SPEAKING

Please give your opinion on following questions.

Do you think that girls like smart men?

When you are on a date, how can you show that you are smart, without making your date bored?

If somebody says he or she wants to see you in six months, what should you do?

What would you say if you were a girl who wants to get rid of a boy?

If Peter went to dating course and you were a coach there, what would you tell him?

If you were in Angelica’s shoes, what would you do?

If you were Peter’s psychologist, what would you tell him?

GRAMMAR

Circle the right word

The book ‘Successful Dates’ has given/was given to me by my colleague.

The plan for the date was to have/to has a ride on a boat.

The name of my date has/was Angelica.

I took the oars and was beginning/began to row.

Ten minutes into my explanation, my date was/has looking at me with sincere curiosity, so I kept describing types of ships for the next half an hour, talking about their length and masses.

Then as I kept/was keeping talking she started to nod.

We were about to have dinner in the restaurant, as was planned/planning , but Angelica said that she had a bad toothache and she needed to go to a dentist.

PRONUNCIATION

Underline the stressed syllable

genuine development hairdresser information extensive beautiful experience

“Romance is very important for girls” – that’s what I had read in chapter three of my book. So I decided to make my date number three as romantic as I could.

My date’s name was Nancy. She was dressed very beautifully. She had a nice, but not very long, black fur coat, a black skirt, with black tights and black boots. She also had long black curly hair and amazing make up.

It was a nice winter evening, the 10 thof February, and was minus twenty degrees Celsius, or minus four Fahrenheit. Snowflakes were slowly falling from the sky. I planned the first date to be in the park where there were amazing white trees, white bushes and beautiful benches with street lights. What could be more romantic?

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