Do the Preparation task first. Then watch the video. Next go to the Tasks and do the activities. If you need help, you can read the Transcript at any time.
Preparation
Before you watch
Think about the following questions:
- Do you know anything about York in England?
- Would you rather go shopping, or go to a museum? Why?
Now watch to find out what Stephen and Ashlie do in York.
Transcript
Ashlie: You really were serious, weren’t you?
Stephen: Of course I was!
Ashlie: Stephen and I are going to York in the north of England today. We’re going to do some archaeology, but Stephen wants to take his metal detector.
Stephen: Well, I want to try out my new present. York is famous for its history. I want to find some real treasure! An old sword, an ancient coin...
Ashlie: …an old tin can! Yeah, right. It’ll be the same as every year; you get a new toy and then you get bored of it after five minutes.
Stephen: Oh, stop moaning. It's a long drive to York. And whatever you do, don't forget your wellies. History hunting's dirty work.
.....
Ashlie: Oh, wow Stephen, look. Look at this shop. They sell real pieces of history in here.
Stephen: Come on, let’s go in and have a look.
Ashlie: Excuse me. Are these real?
Shopkeeper: They are. Those are Roman.
Ashlie: Wow, where do they come from?
Shopkeeper: Generally the UK, but also in Europe as well.
Ashlie: Oh, this looks unusual. Is it very valuable?
Shopkeeper: That one, that’s about 75 pounds. That’s a Roman military cloak brooch. It would have been used to fasten a cloak or a toga. Lots of things were lost in those days.
Ashlie: Well, well I wouldn’t want to lose something like this.
Shopkeeper: I'm sure whoever lost that was very upset.
Ashlie: I bet. Wow, Stephen, come and look at this. This is so lovely. I would love to wear a piece of history.
Stephen: How much is it?
Shopkeeper: That one’s 120 pounds.
Stephen: I’ll take it!
Ashlie: No, Stephen. That's too expensive.
Stephen: No, it isn’t. It’s a present, Ashlie.
Ashlie: For who?
Stephen: For you, of course!
Ashlie: Oh, Stephen. That is so lovely of you. Thank you!
.....
Ashlie: Right, what now? More shopping maybe?
Stephen: Well, I thought we could have a look around the Viking museum.
Ashlie: A museum? Can't we do that tomorrow?
Stephen: You are going to love this museum.
Ashlie: Whatever.
.....
Ashlie: This is amazing.
Stephen: Wow, look at that! Imagine walking these streets in Viking times. The sights, the sounds.
Ashlie: The smells! It really stinks in here.
Stephen: Ashlie, it's all part of the experience. This is what a real Viking town would have looked like and smelt like.
Ashlie: Well, it smells pretty bad.
Stephen: Come on, Ash. Let’s do some authentic Viking shopping.
.....
Ashlie: Wow, what a beautiful city!
Stephen: Oh, you can have a look at the architecture later. Over there's the Viking excavation. We need to sign up for tomorrow and I can’t wait to use my metal detector.
Ashlie: Stephen, I’m not even sure they’re going to let you use that thing.
.....
Ashlie: Excuse me. Can you tell me where to go for tomorrow's dig, please?
Man: Yes, the dig is right over there and you'll need to be here for seven o'clock tomorrow to pick up your tools.
Ashlie: What? Seven o’clock?
Man: I’m afraid so.
Stephen: Well, I've got my metal detector. So I guess all I need is a spade to dig up the treasure.
Man: You won't be needing that! This is what we use.
Ashlie: Come on, Stephen. Thanks. See you tomorrow!
Hi lsxcool,
In a phrase like 'whatever you do, don't forget your wellies', 'whatever you do' means something like 'in any situation' or 'no matter what you do'. It is a way of adding emphasis to the phrase 'don't forget your wellies'; it means 'the most important thing to take with you are your wellies'. If you follow the link above, you'll see several more example sentences.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi again lsxcool,
The most basic meaning of 'tin' is the kind of metal that it is (chemical symbol Sn). One of the meanings of the word 'can' is 'container', and sometimes these food containers are called 'tin cans' since they are made of this metal. But in British English, these food containers are often just called 'tins' and drink containers are often called 'cans' (note that Americans say 'can' for both).
Both words can also be used to refer to these containers or even the quantity of food inside them (e.g. 'He ate a tin of beans').
I hope that clears it up for you.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Lisa Bistrova,
The phrase be here for seven o'clock has the same meaning as be here by seven o'clock. It tells the person to arrive no later than seven o'clock. It would be fine to arrive earlier. For is a little more informal than by, I would say.
If we say be here at seven o'clock then we mean exactly at that time and it may (we do not know) be not good to be earlier.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Lisa,
In general, I'd say you could use it, but of course that really depends on many factors such as the kind of text it is, the relationship between the writer and the reader, the writer's intentions, etc. 'by' is rather more common than 'for', so it might be easier to just use 'by' if that's appropriate.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team