Advanced English Conversations (2) - Robert Allans, Matt Edie, A. Mustafaoglu 2020

Set 50 - She looked so composed and surefooted

John: Do you fancy a drink?

Jessie: I wouldn’t say no to a nice cup of tea.

John: With pleasure! So. Have you made acquaintance with my niece, Julie? She was dying to see you as I always spoke very highly of you.

Jessie: Sure; we’ve got to know each other over lunch after the conference. At first sight I though she was the head honcho. She looked so composed and surefooted.

John: Come on! She has a good sense of humor. She appears to be talking nonsense but after a while you realize she’s actually talking a lot of sense. Doesn’t she?

Jessie: Kind of! I was speechless when she gave an account of your trip to the Andes. It sounded like she was your fiance not your niece.

Anyway, I think it’s time we talked business.

John: Don’t be silly!

Vocabulary;

make acquaintance: to meet them for the first time and get to know them a little.

die to do something: to be ager and excited to do something.

speak highly of: to say good things about someone or something.

at first sight: from an initial impression.

head honcho: an important influential person.

composed: calm and in control of your emotions:

surefooted: confident and competent.

talk nonsense: to say things that are not reasonable or have no meaning.

speechless: unable to speak because you are so angry, shocked, surprised, etc.

give an account of: to tell a narrative about someone or something to someone.

Exercise;

Fill in the gaps with the appropriate phrases or words;

1. The challenges of the 1990s demand a responsible and .......... government.

2. You are going to have to .......... of yourself to your parole officer.

3. Go and ask the .......... for a leave. I’m not authorized to take such a step.

4. .........., the exam paper looked fairly difficult, but once I got started I found it quite easy.

5. The minister’s remarks left us .......... He was declaring war literally.

6. Is it just me or was she talking .......... in the meeting?

7. Despite her mother’s death, she looked remarkably .......... throughout the funeral.

8. Everyone .......... of this movie, but it didn’t live up to my expectations.

9. The kids were .......... go on another roller coaster.

10. She .......... of a man from the city. And after a while they started to date regularly.

1. sure-footed 2. give an account 3. head honcho 4. At first sight 5. speechless 6. nonsense 7. composed 8. spoke highly 9. dying to 10. made acquaintance