This week you will train for Part 2 of the exam. The cue card prompts you to speak about something broken that you then had repaired.
Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below).
| Talk about something in your home that was broken and then repaired. Please say -what it was -when it broke -why it broke -and explain how it was repaired |
| 🧑🎓Target language: cram -completely fill a place “My basement is small, so I have to cram my bicycle in among my other things.” |
Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.
Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson. (If you do not yet have access, click here to sign up for full lessons.)
Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor. (If you have not yet been added to a group, click here to sign up – select ‘Join a Whatsapp group’.)
| Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲 “Earlier this year, at the start of spring, I pulled my bicycle out of my basement. I store it there during the winter. When I went to ride it, I realised the back tyre was completely flat, and I couldn’t seem to reinflate it with my bicycle pump, so I knew it had been punctured either when I was putting it into storage or taking it out.” |
Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝
Transcript
| Talk about something in your home that was broken and then repaired. Please say -what it was -when it broke -why it broke -and explain how it was repaired |
Earlier this year, at the start of spring, I pulled my bicycle out of my basement. I store it there during the winter. When I went to ride it, I realised the back tyre was completely flat, and I couldn’t seem to reinflate it with my bicycle pump, so I knew it had been punctured either when I was putting it into storage or taking it out. My basement is small, so I have to cram my bicycle in among my other things. There are all sorts of random bits and bobs down there, so I’m pretty sure one of these other items caused the hole in the tyre.
To fix it, I took it to a bicycle repair shop. The repairperson removed the flat tyre’s rubber inner tube and submerged it in water to locate the hole. By squeezing this part of the tyre while it is underwater, the punctured area emits bubbles and the repairperson can see precisely where the hole is.
The repairperson fused a rubber patch over the hole using an adhesive and then submerged the tubing again underwater to ensure the leak had been fixed. They then reassembled the tyre, reattached it to my bicycle and I was on my way. Amazingly, the whole process took maybe 15 minutes and was very reasonably priced.