The Visit
The twelfth of March. This time Leo is the host: the airport, the city, the port, and dinner at home.
Speak First · Lesson 15 of 15. ← Lesson 14: The Phone Call
Now — the words for today's conversation
These are the new words for The Visit. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.
Words
- a host
- a guest
- to welcome
- to show
- the port
- a tour
- a toast
- proud
Meanings
- A. to say hello to a person who arrives
- B. a person who visits you
- C. the place where ships come in
- D. a short walk or drive to see a place
- E. the person who invites you and looks after you
- F. happy because of a good thing you did
- G. to let a person see a thing
- H. a drink and a few words for a good moment: "To Leo!"
1 = E (a host) · 2 = B (a guest) · 3 = A (to welcome) · 4 = G (to show)
5 = C (the port) · 6 = D (a tour) · 7 = H (a toast) · 8 = F (proud)
Now talk — out loud
- Which words are people? Which words are things you do for a guest?
- Mr Hill comes to Leo's city. What does Leo show him? Guess three places.
The conversation, in three parts
- Where are they?
- What is the weather like?
- What can you see behind them?
The twelfth of March. Leo is the host. Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and answer the last one about you.
Part 1 — Arrivals
The twelfth of March, half past ten. This time Leo is not the passenger. He is the host. He stands at Arrivals with a coffee — and no umbrella. It's sunny.
Mr Hill: Leo!
Leo: Welcome! How was your flight?
Mr Hill: Early, and no delay. A miracle.
Leo: Do you have a suitcase?
Mr Hill: Only hand luggage. I learn from you.
Leo: The car is outside. It's twenty minutes to the hotel. No traffic.
Mr Hill: No rain, no traffic. Where am I?
1. Who is the host now?
2. How was Mr Hill's flight? What is the weather like?
1. Leo. Mr Hill is the guest.
2. Early, no delay. It is sunny.
- And you? When a guest arrives, what do you say and do first?
Part 2 — The tour
The hotel is small, quiet, near the port. Then the office: forty people, and a cake. Then a tour of the city: the old town, the port, the sea.
Mr Hill: How many ships come here?
Leo: About twenty a day. Big and small.
Mr Hill: And where is your favourite place?
Leo: There. The café on the corner, opposite the old church. I have my coffee there every morning.
Mr Hill: Every morning?
Leo: Every morning at half past six.
Mr Hill: You and your six o'clock!
1. How many ships come to the port?
2. What is Leo's favourite place? When does he go there?
1. About twenty a day.
2. The café on the corner, opposite the old church. Every morning at half past six.
- And you? Where do you take a guest in your city? What is your favourite place?
Part 3 — Dinner at home
Seven o'clock. Carla's fish. Marco in his football shirt, Sofia in her pink T-shirt. Mr Hill brings the wine.
Mr Hill: Carla, this is delicious.
Carla: Thank you. New recipe. From the internet.
Sofia: Do you like London?
Mr Hill: Very much. But your city is warmer.
Marco: Do you like football?
Mr Hill: I love it.
Leo: Marco — after the plates.
Mr Hill: A toast. To Leo. Three days in London, and now I can't stop him talking.
Leo: In English!
Carla: In English.
Leo looks at his family, his guest, his table. Say hello. Smile. Ask questions. It works.
1. What does Mr Hill bring? What does Carla cook?
2. What is the toast?
1. Wine. Carla cooks fish, a new recipe.
2. To Leo: three days in London, and now he can't stop talking — in English.
- And you? Who comes to dinner at your home? What do you say at the end of a good evening?
Grammar: the ten questions of the story
Fifteen chapters, and the same small questions did all the work. Here they are together. Say each one out loud, and answer it about you.
1. Which question word?
Look at the answer. Complete the question with How, What, Where or Do.
1. was your flight? — Early, and no delay.
2. do you do? — I have a company.
3. is your favourite place? — The café on the corner.
4. you like football? — I love it.
1. How
2. What
3. Where
4. Do
2. Make the sentence
Put the words in order. Then say the question out loud — and answer it.
1. flight / was / How / your?
2. you / Do / a suitcase / have?
3. ships / How many / come here?
4. is / your / Where / favourite place?
1. How was your flight?
2. Do you have a suitcase?
3. How many ships come here?
4. Where is your favourite place?
3. Complete the conversation
Fill each gap with one word. Read the conversation out loud when you finish.
" was your journey?" — "Good, no delay." — " you have a suitcase?" — "No, only hand luggage." — " would you like to see?" — "The port. How ships come here?" — "About twenty a day. you like fish? Carla is cooking."
How · Do · What · many · Do
How was…? (past) · Do you…? (now) · How many…? (a number).
Role Play
A guest visits your city. You are the host, from the airport to dinner.
Guest: Hello! Here I am.
You: welcome · how was your flight?
Guest: Good, thank you. No delay.
You: ask: suitcase?
Guest: Only hand luggage.
You: the car · the hotel · how long
Guest: Nice. What can I see here?
You: three places
Guest: What is your favourite place?
You: answer · why
Guest: Thank you for everything.
You: invite to dinner · who cooks
Guest: Hello! Here I am.
You: Welcome! How was your flight?
Guest: Good, thank you. No delay.
You: Do you have a suitcase?
Guest: Only hand luggage.
You: The car is outside. It's twenty minutes to the hotel.
Guest: Nice. What can I see here?
You: The old town, the port and the sea. And the office, of course.
Guest: What is your favourite place?
You: The café on the corner. I have my coffee there every morning.
Guest: Thank you for everything.
You: Come to dinner tonight. My wife is cooking fish.
Quick-fire questions
Answer fast, in full sentences. No time to think. Then check a model answer for the ones that were hard.
1. Where are you from?
2. What do you do?
3. How was your flight?
4. Do you have a suitcase?
5. How long is it to the hotel?
6. How many ships come here?
7. Where is your favourite place?
8. What time do you get up?
9. Would you like a coffee?
10. Did you like London?
1. I'm from Spain.
2. I have a small company.
3. Early, no delay.
4. Only hand luggage.
5. Twenty minutes.
6. About twenty a day.
7. The café opposite the church.
8. At half past six.
9. Yes, please.
10. Very much. But it was wet.
Speak
Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.
Tell the visit in your own words. Steps: the twelfth of March, sunny, no umbrella → Arrivals, no delay → only hand luggage → twenty minutes, no traffic → the hotel, the office, a cake → the port, twenty ships → the café on the corner → Carla's fish, the wine → the toast → in English.
A guest is in your city for one day. Tell me the day: where you meet, where you go, what you show, where you eat. Start the timer and keep talking.
Welcome me at the airport, take me to the hotel, show me three places, and invite me to dinner. Ask me at least five questions on the way.
To finish
- Leo learned English in fifteen chapters. What can you do now that you could not do at Lesson 1? Say three things.
- Say hello, smile, ask questions. Which is the hardest for you? Which is the easiest?
- From memory: ask me the ten questions of the story, one after the other. No looking.