jobs; work
A: What do you do?
B: I'm 1 of work at the moment, but I'm a 2 at a charity shop while I look for a job. It's not 3-time. It's just a few hours a week and of course I don't get any 4, but I've got some money saved and I enjoy the work.
A: How about you?
B: I'm a financial consultant. I'm 5 for helping people make decisions about their money. I had a 6 as a model for a while, but I decided that I wanted to work with numbers rather than fashion designers! It's a more enjoyable 7 for me. I studied 8-time, while I was a model so I could get the 9 that I needed. Now I 10 my own business from home.
syllable stress
verb patterns
When John M. Sweeney heard about an Italian activity called caffe sospeso, it gave him an idea that soon travelled the world. Caffe sospeso was once popular in Naples. Working class people who had good luck bought two coffees instead of one. They gave the second coffee to someone who didn't have enough money to buy their own coffee that day. This was most popular in the late 1800s and mid-1900s, but a few businesses in Naples started doing it again in 2010. A year later, the local government decided to call 10 December 'Caffe Sospeso Day'.
Sweeney found out about caffe sospeso two years later and believed that more people should know about it. So, in 2013, he started a Facebook page called Suspended Coffees from his home in Ireland. He suggested that people pay for two coffees when they next go into a cafe and give one coffee to someone in need. Within just a few hours, 20,000 people liked his page. At the end of the first year, over a quarter of a million people were following the page, and 1,400 cafes around the world joined in.
The idea has now become popular all over the world. You can find cafes which let people buy coffees for other people in Europe, America, Africa, Asia and Australia. The world's biggest cafe company is doing it, too. So, who exactly can ask for a free coffee? Well, the idea is anyone can. It can be a person who is living on the streets, a businessperson who has just lost their job and is worried about paying their bills, a parent who spends everything they have on their children, or someone who is just having a horrible day and wants to feel better. The idea behind Suspended Coffees is that people are usually honest, so when someone asks for a coffee, they get one. They don't have to explain why, so no one should feel nervous about asking.
So, caffe sospeso isn't just something that was popular in Italy in the past. It's something that is popular around the world, and helps to make people's lives a little better.
conversation topics
Talking to people we've only just met can be enjoyable, but it can also be difficult. One thing that we all have in common is 1, so an easy way to start a conversation is to say what a lovely, warm or cold day it is. Of course, this only works if you live in a country where there are seasons. If not, try talking about something that's happening near you, like a football match or a festival.
You might want to avoid talking about 2 because the stories we read and see every day can often be sad. It's also best not to discuss 3 with someone you've only just met. People have different ideas on how to run the country and it might start an argument.
You could ask if the person can recommend any good restaurants. This can lead to a discussion about 4. I'm sure you'll both have lots to say about that. You could also say you like what someone's wearing, to bring in 5, but that's a topic you should take care with, too.
start and end a conversation; keep a conversation going
rhythm and intonation
A: Excuse me, is 1 sitting here?
B: No, go 2.
A: It's a lovely morning, 3 it?
B: Beautiful! Are you here for the interview?
A: I'm here for the interview too. What time's 4?
B: Ten thirty. I'm early. 5 about yours?
A: Nine at eleven. I'm Matt, by the 6.
B: I'm Carrie. Nice to 7 you.
A: Oh... the person on reception just called your name.
B: Oh yes, thanks. I've 8 to go.
A: Good luck!