323. Coming Home (complete version) B1 - B2 Story

This story is the complete version of the B1, B2-level, Coming Home, first published here in 2024. Now you can enjoy the full story with vocabulary exercises below and at my website: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-323.htm Words to explain: **to strengthen** = to make stronger **a property** = a house (usually for sale) **keep clear** = stay away, do not come near B2 phrases to listen for. What is the context of each phrase? 1, **more or less** (finished etc.) = nearly 2, **obliged to** = you have to 3, **not have the slightest intention** = (used in the neagative) not want or will not do something 4, **neither** (inversion = e.g. **neither do I** like...) / **neither... nor...** e.g. I don't want to do neither one thing or the other 5, **drop in** = an informal visit 6\) **turn up** = arrive without an appointment The vowels (a, e, i, o, u) have been taken out (unless the word begins with a vowel). Read the definition and guess the word in **bold**. B1-level 1\) **ow** - when you must pay somebody money because it is theirs 2\) **unbl** - you cannot do it 3\) **brng up** - the care and protection that parents give their children until they are adults 4\) **sgntr** - your written name 5\) **lttry** - tickets you buy to try to win a money prize B2-level 1\) **dbt** - the money you owe to somebody 2\) **dstrb** - by making noise etc. other people get annoyed 3\) **incm** - the money you earn in your job 4\) **py off** - pay the money that you have borrowed 5\) **shbby** - untidy clothes Answers to listening to the context of the B2 phrases: 1, **more or less** (finished etc.) What amazed Jonathon was that his house was more or less standing. For most, it would have proved to be a painful experience. His charming two-storey country house was in ruins.  2, **obliged to** Jonathon had been unable to pay the debts he owed on it in the taxes that he was obliged to pay after the house had been left to him on his mother’s death. 3, **the slightest intention** For some unexplained reason, nobody in his family had had the slightest intention of strengthening the bottom floor, and neither did Jonathon do anything about it after his mother passed away.  4, **a) neither... nor... / b) neither (inversion)** a) However, the fact that it had been abandoned, and had neither been rebuilt nor pulled down completely, gave Jonathon a certain sense of satisfaction. b) For some unexplained reason, nobody in his family had had the slightest intention of strengthening the bottom floor, and neither did Jonathon do anything about it after his mother passed away.  5, **drop in** To claim your prize, please drop in at any local branch of your bank. 6\) **turn up** Jonathon felt he could not turn up at the bank looking like a vagabond.  Answers to vocabulary test. B1-level 1\) **owe** 2\) **unable** 3\) **bring up** 4\) **signature** 5\) **lottery** B2-level 1\) **debt** 2\) **disturb** 3\) **income** 4\) **pay off** 5\) **shabby** Contact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm My NEW book: "**B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam**" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary **to pass any B1** exam (special help for Cambridge exams). To read more about my book, click here (you can access it from any Amazon platform): https://amzn.to/46AVFe9 Learners studying towards **B2 level** will be interested in my B1 to B2 reader: **The Tudor Conspiracy** (includes audio version) https://amzn.to/4gPsj0i For very young learners (from 8-10), I recommend my picture reader book for children learning A1 to A2 English. It comes with a fully dramatised audio version: https://amzn.to/46TCWvv Oxford Bookworm Graded Readers: Read stories at your level to improve your English. I recommend Oxford Bookworms as the best series of books for learners: https://amzn.to/4r7YVHg At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, free grammar help and exercises and other English learning ...