Exercise 1B, page 1 - English File Studetn's book, pre-intermediate, Oxford

Please date my dad!

So, how was the date?

You probably think this is a parent asking the question to their child. But many children are now helping their single parents find love, too.

Clint Bouchez, a 52-year-old businessman from Reigate, Surrey, got divorced ten years ago. His daughter, 26-year-old Charlotte, doesn't want her dad to end up alone – her mum remarried five years ago, and Charlotte has a boyfriend.

Charlotte and Clint are very close. They often go out together in the evening, they're planning a trip to India for later in the year, and they're both Bruce Springsteen fans. But Charlotte thinks that Clint needs a new partner, and he agrees.

'My dad is the perfect man,' she says. 'He's warm, he's generous, he knows how to look after a woman, how to treat a woman. He's a gentleman. He's always the one who pays on dates. He's romantic and he's fun. I don't mind spending Friday and Saturday nights with my dad and that says a lot – I'm only 26.'

Dating in the 21st century is very different from when Clint was young. Internet dating has changed everything. 'It's difficult now just to walk over to a woman and ask her "Can I buy you a drink?"' he says. 'Before, when you met people face to face, there was sometimes a "spark", a feeling of romantic destiny – you don't get that from someone's profile picture.'

Charlotte wrote Clint's dating profile for an online dating website. Clint would like to meet a woman who works, preferably a businesswoman. Someone who's independent, but funny and clever. He has had several dates, but none of the women were right for him. He and Charlotte are still looking. 'I'm always hopeful,' he says. 'I really believe that sooner or later I'm going to find "the one".'

Adapted from the British press

1 VOCABULARY & READING
describing people

a 1.11 Listen to three women describing their fathers. Which one is Charlotte, the woman with her father in the two photos?

b 1.12 Listen to Charlotte again. What adjectives does she use to describe her father's height, hair, weight, and smile?

c p.150 Vocabulary Bank Describing people

d Now read the article about Charlotte and her father Clint. Find the information about Clint.

his age his job his marital status
his personality his perfect partner

e Read the article again and answer the questions.

1 Why does Charlotte want to find Clint a partner?
2 How do we know that Charlotte and Clint are close?
3 What was dating like when Clint was young?
4 How does Clint find dates now, and how has Charlotte helped him?

f Look at the two highlighted words in the article. Which word describes...?

1 a person who makes you laugh
2 a person who you can have a good time with

g Do you think Charlotte is the best person to help find her dad a date? Why?

Describing people

1 APPEARANCE
What does he/she look like?

a Match the sentences and photos.

She has curly /kɜːli/ red hair.
She has long straight /streɪt/ hair.
She has big blue eyes /aɪz/.
She has short blonde hair.
He has a beard /bɪəd/ and a moustache /məˈstɑːʃ/.
He's bald /bɔːld/.
He's very tall and thin.
He's medium height /haɪt/ and very slim.
He's quite short and a bit overweight /ˌəʊvərˈweɪt/.

b 1.13 Listen and check.

c Cover the phrases and look at the photos. Test yourself or a partner.

Using two adjectives together
Adjectives go in this order: size → style → colour noun She has long straight blonde hair. He has big brown eyes.

thin or slim? fat or overweight?
Thin and slim are both the opposite of fat, but slim = thin in an attractive way.
Fat is not very polite. It is more polite to say someone is (a bit) overweight.

handsome or beautiful?
Handsome is used for men, beautiful is used for women and good-looking and attractive are used for both men and women.

VOCABULARY BANK

2 PERSONALITY What's he / she like?

a Match the adjectives to the definitions.

clever /'klevə/ friendly /'frendli/ funny /'fʌni/
generous /'dʒenərəs/ kind /kaɪnd/ lazy /'leɪzi/ shy /ʃaɪ/
talkative /'tɔːkətɪv/

b Complete the Opposite column with an adjective from the list.

extrovert /'ekstrəvɜːt/ hard-working /ˌhɑːd ˈwɜːkɪŋ/
mean /miːn/ quiet /'kwaɪət/ serious /'sɪəriəs/ stupid /'stjuːpɪd/
unfriendly /ʌn'frendli/ unkind /ʌn'kaɪnd/

c 1.14 Listen and check.

d Cover the adjectives and look at the definitions. Say the adjective and its opposite.

What does she look like? What is she like?
What does she look like? = Tell me about her appearance.
(Is she tall / short? What colour hair does she have?)
What is she like? = Tell me what kind of person she is.
(Is she friendly? Is she shy?)

ACTIVATION In pairs, ask and answer questions about a member of your family or a good friend.

A What does your sister look like?)
(B She's quite tall and she has short dark hair.

A What's she like?)

1a. Прослушайте, как три женщины описывают своих отцов. Какая из них Шарлотта, женщина со своим отцом на двух фотографиях?

Ответ:

Для ответа на вопрос недостаточно данных.

1b. Прослушайте Шарлотту еще раз. Какие прилагательные она использует, чтобы описать рост, волосы, вес и улыбку своего отца?

Ответ:

Для ответа на вопрос недостаточно данных.

1d. Теперь прочитайте статью о Шарлотте и ее отце Клинте. Найдите информацию о Клинте.

Ответ:

1e. Прочитайте статью еще раз и ответьте на вопросы.

Ответ:

1 Why does Charlotte want to find Clint a partner? - Because she doesn't want her dad to end up alone.
Почему Шарлотта хочет найти Клинту партнера? - Потому что она не хочет, чтобы ее отец остался один.

2 How do we know that Charlotte and Clint are close? - They often go out together in the evening, they're planning a trip to India, and they're both Bruce Springsteen fans.
Откуда мы знаем, что Шарлотта и Клинт близки? - Они часто гуляют вместе по вечерам, планируют поездку в Индию, и оба являются поклонниками Брюса Спрингстина.

3 What was dating like when Clint was young? - People met face to face, and there was sometimes a 'spark', a feeling of romantic destiny.
Какими были свидания, когда Клинт был молод? - Люди встречались лично, и иногда возникала «искра», чувство романтической судьбы.

4 How does Clint find dates now, and how has Charlotte helped him? - He uses online dating. Charlotte helped him by writing his dating profile for an online dating website.
Как Клинт находит свидания сейчас, и как ему помогла Шарлотта? - Он пользуется онлайн-знакомствами. Шарлотта помогла ему, написав его анкету для сайта знакомств.

1f. Посмотрите на два выделенных слова в статье. Какое слово описывает...?

Ответ:

1 a person who makes you laugh - funny
человека, который заставляет вас смеяться - забавный (funny)

2 a person who you can have a good time with - fun
человека, с которым можно хорошо провести время - веселый (fun)

1g. Как вы думаете, Шарлотта - лучший человек, чтобы помочь найти ее отцу пару? Почему?

Ответ:

Yes, I think she is. They are very close, so she knows him very well and knows what kind of partner would make him happy. She clearly loves her dad and wants the best for him.
Да, я думаю, что она подходит. Они очень близки, поэтому она хорошо его знает и понимает, какой партнер сделает его счастливым. Она очевидно любит своего папу и желает ему всего наилучшего.