An email from a friend

Read an email from a friend you haven't heard from for a long time to practise and improve your reading skills.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

Preparation

Reading text

Hi!

I've been meaning to write for ages and finally today I'm actually doing something about it. Not that I'm trying to make excuses for myself, it's been really hard to sit down and write, as I've been moving around so much. Since we last saw each other I've unpacked my bags in four different cities. This job has turned out to be more of a whirlwind than I expected, but it's all good!

I went from London to Prague to set up a new regional office there. You know I'd always wanted to go, but maybe I was imagining Prague in spring when I used to talk about that. Winter was really hard, with minus 15 degrees in the mornings and dark really early in the evening. But at least it was blue skies and white snow and not days on end of grey skies and rain, like at home. It's tough being away from home over Christmas, though, and Skype on Christmas Day wasn't really the same as being with everyone.

From there I was on another three-month mission to oversee the set-up of the office in New York. Loved, loved, loved New York! It's like being in one big TV show, as everywhere looks just a little bit familiar. I did every tourist thing you can think of when I wasn't working, and must have spent most of my salary on eating out. It was really hard to leave for the next job, especially as I kind of met someone (!) More about Michael later ...

So then I was posted to LA, which felt like a whole other country compared with the East Coast. I could definitely get used to that kind of outdoor, beach lifestyle, but I didn't spend as much time getting to know California as I could have because I was flying back to see Michael every other weekend. He came to see me when he could, but his job means he's often working at weekends, so he couldn't make the flight very often. Those three months flew by and then I was off again, to Frankfurt, which is where I am now. And … so is Michael! He got a month off work and we're trying to work out how we can be in the same place at the same time for a while. We figure the first step in that direction is getting married, which is also why I wanted to write – I can't get married without my oldest friend there! The wedding's going to be at home in London in September and I hope you can come!

Anyway, tell me all your news and I promise not to leave it so long this time!

Lots of love,

Kath

Task 1

Matching_MjMyMTk=.xml

Task 2

MultipleChoice_MjMyMjA=.xml

Discussion

What form of communication would you use to tell old friends important news?

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Worksheet110.84 KB

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Language level

B2 Upper intermediate

Topics

family and friends

travel and transport

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When I got engaged which is a decade ago (I feel), I told my friends about it in person as we worked at the same place. For friends who lived abroad, I either texted or emailed.

I use the devices which support the internet and applications that we can use to send text and voice to each other or make an audio and video communication with each other.

When I got engaged, I informed my closest friend via text message to let her know as soon as possible. Later on, we talked on the phone. Thanks to sns nowadays, time difference between us would not separate our bond.

If I will tell my old friend a very important new, I prefer to call her or him, because I think the thelephone is the form of communication "warmer" than an email, considering that I don't write the letters any more, since many years.

that depends if it is something really important I make a call, but I don’t like to make calls, I prefer message apps and I think that is a best option if they are busy they can answer later or call me back if it is necessary to them. or I can message them to set an appointment.

Personally I call and communicate important messages to old friends . If they are not available, I send a text. Normally emails are used for official communication.

Honestly, I prefer met with my fruends face to face. But nowadays, we don't have free time. Unfortunately, we often very busy because we have work, family. Sometimes, we chat with mobile apps.

How I tell important news to my old friends depends on the urgency of this news. Of course, if it's urgent, I prefer calling. It's the fastest way to communicate with others. Not the best way sometimes, though but, definitely, the most straight like an arrow. Well, when the phones were with wires, and we knew nothing about the internet, we hadn't more variants to tell the news (calls or letters, actually). But now, we have to consider where your friends can be right now. Maybe at an important meeting, driving or something. So, sometimes, texting is the better choice. You can announce to your friends you have something important and just wait a bit for their reaction. If they ready to talk - call them. That's how I act nowadays. I think it works pretty well.

I generally use text message and sometimes I call them. I don't like writing e-mail. I thin calling or messaging easier than e-mail.