FCE Course Lesson 6 – A dialogue taken from a recent exam of the first certificate speaking with examples.
A Dialogue first certificate speaking 5 with examples and exercises. In this lesson we will listen to a dialogue that is part of the first certificate listening exam. The listening consists of 4 parts with 30 questions in total. During the FCE exam you will have 40 minutes to complete this part that equates to 20% of the final grade. Then we will look at tips on how to overcome the problems with practice exercises. Do not forget to turn on the subtitles.
Dialogue 6: Looking around an art gallery
Lottie and Georgie are two friends who are looking around the ‘Tate modern’ art gallery in London. Art is one of Georgie’s passions and she has persuaded Lottie to come with her because she didn’t want to go alone.
GEORGIE: Thanks for coming with me Lottie, I know this isn’t really your thing.
LOTTIE: Don’t worry about it. Besides, I had nothing else to do! Anyway, I’m chuffed that we got in free with our student IDs.
GEORGIE: Yeah I know, that is great. Shall we start in that room over there?
The two girls walk around the corner and walk into the first room on the left
GEORGIE: Oh wow look at that painting called ‘Landscape from a dream’. It’s great.
LOTTIE: What do you like most about it?
GEORGIE: The colours are gorgeous and it’s a perfect portrayal of British nature. Focus on the background. Look at the coast and the waves crashing against the rocks on the shore. What do you think of it?
LOTTIE: Well, you know I’m not really into this kind of thing but it is a nice painting, yes. The landscape looks pretty and as for the foreground, I can see that a hawk is perched on a branch looking at it’s reflection in the mirror. But the colour of the sky is red in the mirror instead of blue. I suppose this has something to do with a symbolic message about the painting but as you know, I haven’t got a clue about art so I don’t know why that is.
GEORGIE: I think I have an idea but I don’t want to bore you with the explanation! Let’s go and have a look at some other paintings.
LOTTIE: This one is impressive.
GEORGIE: Oh yes, ‘Spanish Landscape with mountains’, it’s beautiful. Here we can see the desert with huge sand dunes in the foreground and even bigger mountains in the background.
LOTTIE: And as well as the peaks, there are other aspects of nature. There are some shrubs, trees and the ocean and the sky. Oh my gosh, look closely… can you see the 4 camels trekking over the hills?
GEORGIE: Wow, yes. I think that’s my favourite part of the painting. You can tell how enormous the different mountains are in comparison to the miniscule representation of the camels. It gives it a really epic feel. Right, so we’ve seen some amazing landscapes. Shall we move on to portraits?
LOTTIE: Yeah sure, I think that room is through those doors over there.
GEORGIE: Look, here is the picture I was most looking forward to seeing. It is the ‘Weeping Woman’ by Picasso.
LOTTIE: Ah, I’ve heard of this one. It looks very interesting, do you know what it’s about?
GEORGIE: Well I think it has carried on from his famous painting the ‘guernica’ which was a reflection of the aftermath of bombings during the spanish civil war. One of the figures featured in this incredible creation was a woman holding her dead child. This painting we’re looking at now expands on her grief by focusing on her. We can see her tears and her black eyes which depict complete devastation. Also, the bright colours of the painting are a juxtaposition with the sadness that the painting epitomises.
LOTTIE: Wow, Georgie! You really know what you’re talking about. Shall we go and get a bite to eat?
GEORGIE: Sure!
LOTTIE: You know, I’m surprised you didn’t study history of art at university.
GEORGIE: To be honest, it’s one of my regrets.
LOTTIE: Well, it’s never too late to go back to university and give it a shot.
GEORGIE: You know what? You’re right. I’m going to look into it!
Vocabulary first certificate speaking skills 5
| ENGLISH | SYNONYM or DEFINITION |
| the shore | area of beach, land’s edge |
| the landscape | the rural scenery |
| the foreground | the closest part of scene |
| a hawk | a bird |
| to perch | (for bird) to alight or rest on something |
| to bore | to be uninteresting |
| a shrub | a bush, a woody plant |
| epic | narrating classic heroic tale, long story |
| to weep | to shed tears |
| the aftermath | what followed, the consequences of a significant unpleasant event |
| to feature | to give prominence |
| grief | deep sorrow |
| devastation | emotional desolation, overwhelming grief |
| bright colours | vivid |
| a juxtaposition | placing side by side with contrasting effect |
| to epitomise | to be a perfect example of |
| to give something a shot | to make every effort |
Exam tips First Speaking Skills 5
EXAM TIP FOR FCE LESSON 6
Expressing likes and dislikes. Here are some useful expressions for the speaking section:
| LIKES | What I enjoy most was… If you get a chance…. I was pleasantly surprised by… The thing I like most is… This would appeal to me more if…. I like to I like +ing form I adore to I adore +ing form I love to I love +ing form Enjoy +ing form I am a fan of I am keen on I am fond of I am crazy about I am mad about If you love something “I love eating chocolate.” “I adore listening to music.” “She’s mad about that new rock band.” “He’s crazy about that cuisine.” If you like something a lot “She’s fond of her cat.” “I like running very much.” “He really likes that new video game.” (Do rmember to stress “really” in this sentence.) If you like something “He quite likes riding his bike to work.” “I like cooking and eating.” |
| DISLIKES | What I find disappointing is… I was disappointed by… What I dislike most is…. I don’t like to I don’t like to +ing form I hate to I hate +ing form I detest +ing form I loathe +ing form I disapprove of I object to I can’t bear I can’t stand If you don’t like something “She doesn’t like exercising very much.” “He’s not very fond of taking care of the kids.” “He’s not a great fan of rugby.” “Football isn’t really his thing.” “I dislike wasting food.” If you really dislike something “I don’t like football at all.” “He can’t stand his neighbour.” “She can’t bear working with her.” “I hate traffic jams.” |
Grammar and Vocabulary recommended Videos
Exercises First Speaking skills 5 first certificate speaking
Vocabulary Exercise
Grammar Exercise
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