Advanced English Conversations - Robert Allans, Ahmet Mustafaoglu, Metin Emir 2019

Set (7) - She’s a whistleblower

Dialogue

Sam: I can’t believe how Clare goes around with Alice.

Kathy: Why is that? What’s wrong with Alice?

Sam: She’s a whistleblower and she rats on others in her department.

Kathy: Then, we have to warn Clare as soon as possible lest she slips up.

Sam: Yeah, the sooner the better.

Kathy: Actually! I’m afraid Clare is the villain of the piece but not the other way round. Obviously; she is covering up by spreading rumors about Alice.

Sam: You don’t say!

Vocabulary

Go around with: to go places and do things with a particular person.

A whistleblower: a person who tells someone in authority about what is happening.

Rat on: to inform on (someone).

Lest: for fear that.

Slip up: make a careless error.

The sooner the better: right away; the sooner something [referred to] gets done, the better things will be.

You know what: used to indicate that one will say something interesting or surprising.

The villain of the piece: is someone seen as being the cause of trouble.

The other way round: the opposite of what is expected or supposed.

Cover up: to prevent people from discovering mistakes or unpleasant facts.

Spread rumors: to spread unverified information of uncertain origin

You don’t say: used to express amazement or disbelief.

Exercise;

Fill in the gaps with the appropriate expressions;

go around with

whistleblower

rat on

lest

slip up

the sooner the better

you know what

the villain of the piece

you don’t say

the other way round

cover up

spread rumors

a. He tried to .......... his mistakes but in vain.

b. When you oil your beard, don't oil it too much, .......... it soil your clothing.

c. If he is indeed .........., as the police claim he is, he should have been more carefully watched.

d. He .......... some of the local lads.

e. The .......... was fired for exposing the conditions in mental hospitals.

f. Some people even .......... and fabricated stories with ulterior political motives.

g. Wow, it looks like the accountants must have really .......... this time.

h. A; “She ran off with another man." B; "..........!"

i. Sometimes I cook and she does the dishes and sometimes it is ..........

j. The kidnapper is a man we must catch and .........................................

k. ..........! I’ve got a feeling that she won’t show up.

l. The criminal .......... his accomplices to avoid jail time.