http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.

org/elementary-podcasts/series-04-episode-01

Elementary Podcasts Tanya Klimova from Russia said A dog

barks gaf-gaf, the sheep bleats beeee, a
Series 4 Episode 1 pig says hru-hru.
Jo: (laughs) Thats a funny one!
Jo and Adam Welcome back!
Adam: Chihirochan89 from Vietnam says
Adam: Hello! Im Adam and Im happy to
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In my country, dogs usually say go go,

say Welcome to Episode 1 of the new goats say be be, cows say muz muz.
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series of LearnEnglish Elementary And in Turkey, according to M Nur, dogs

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Podcasts. Yes, thats right were back! say hav hav, donkeys say ai ai, and
With all your favourites, too Tess and
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sheep say meee meee .

Ravi, Carolina and her friends and, of
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course, more of your comments to share. Jo: So dogs can say woof woof or gaf gaf
But first, let me introduce you to someone. or hav hav theyre all quite similar. But
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This is Jo. then in Vietnam they say go go thats

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completely different. In Spain, where I live,

Jo: Hello everyone! they go guau guau.
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Adam: Jos going to be helping me with this Adam: Guau, guau! And where to go for a
series of Elementary Podcasts. Shes an first date? Most of you said a restaurant or
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English teacher, like me, and together were the cinema. Hassan from Egypt would
going to talk to you about some of the choose a restaurant because you cant talk
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language that you hear in the podcasts. in the cinema, but if you are shy you can
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Jo: Thats right. And Im quite excited about always talk about the food in a restaurant.
Fred09 from Brazil thinks a restaurant is
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it! Ive been reading all your comments from

the last series, and I think Im going to enjoy too fancy for a first date and would choose
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working with you all. the cinema. Yenson from Venezuela went
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to the cinema for his first date with his wife,

Adam: Great to have you here, Jo. Now, if
but unfortunately it was a horror film and
you remember the last episode of Series 3,
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she was so scared that she dropped her

Carolina, Emily and Jamie visited a city
popcorn! But she married you, Yenson, so it
farm and had fun making animal noises.
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wasnt a complete disaster!

And Emily told them that shes going on a
first date with Jamies friend Cameron. So Jo: Thats a good story!
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we asked you what noises animals make in Adam: And a lot of you left comments about
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your country and, also, where you think how much you like the podcasts and how
Emily and Cameron should go for a first much they help you with your English and
date. Lets start with a few animal noises! how much you wanted to hear Series 4. Its
And I hope I get the pronunciation of these important for us to hear that you like what
right! were doing, so thank you very much to
everyone.

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 http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/elementary-podcasts/series-04-episode-01

Now its time to hear from Tess and Ravi. If Ravi: That's nearly 30 million pets cats,
youre new to Elementary Podcasts, let me dogs, rabbits, hamsters, parrots but not
explain that Tess and Ravi always talk including fish! That's a lot of pets. But there
about something that people think is are a lot of other places with as many pets
typically British like the Royal Family or as Britain, or even more ... the USA, New
drinking tea, or even the Loch Ness Zealand, some countries in Europe 62
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Monster. Lets hear what it is this time. million homes in Europe have pets. Britain
isn't that unusual.
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Tess: And it depends what you count as a

Tess and Ravi
pet.
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Tess: Hello again, everyone. My name's

Ravi: Well, yes, that's true.
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Tess.
Tess: Cats and dogs are the most common
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Ravi: And I'm Ravi.

pets in Britain, right?
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Tess: And, as usual, we're here to talk

Ravi: Well, actually, they now think that the
about Britain. The things that you know
most popular pets in Britain are ...?
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about it
Tess: Well, if it isn't dogs or cats um I
Ravi: and the things you think you know.
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don't know. Rabbits?

We've already talked about a lot of different
topics things that you think are typically Ravi: Nope ... Give up? ... Reptiles. Snakes
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British. And today we've got something nice. and lizards and iguanas and things. And
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Tess, how's Oscar? insects spiders are really popular now.

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Tess: He's fine, thanks. Why? Tess: Yeuk. I'm not sure I could love a
spider.
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Ravi: I'm introducing the topic, Tess. Pets.

Ravi: Nor me.
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Tess: Ahh. Very clever.

Tess: Do you want to know something
Ravi: Oscar is Tess's cat.
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interesting?
Tess: And a member of the family.
Ravi: Erm, yes.
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Ravi: Hmm ... A lot of people believe that

Tess: Well, Britain was the first country to
the British are crazy about animals. We're
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have an organisation to look after animals.

often called 'a nation of pet lovers'. But is it
The RSPCA. That's the Royal Society for
true? To begin with do we have more pets
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the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. It was

than anyone else? So I did a bit of research.
started in the nineteenth century when
And yes, a lot of people in Britain have pets
things were bad for animals in Britain for
49 per cent of British homes that's
horses, dogs, all of them. So some people
nearly half have an animal.
started the RSPCA. But and this is the
Tess: Is that a lot? important thing there were no
organisations or charities at that time to
protect children or babies or people at all.
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 http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/elementary-podcasts/series-04-episode-01

And life was really hard in the nineteenth me a bit. I dont think that big cities are good
century. places for dogs to live.
Ravi: Wow. Adam: What about where you live? Are
people kind to animals? Do people keep
Tess: So people started to say that the
pets? Write and tell us. The address
British care about animals more than
is www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish. And
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people.
now its time to talk about some of the
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Ravi: But don't you sometimes think it's language that you heard in the podcast.
true? That the British like animals more than
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Jo: Thats right. Today we're talking about

people? We give more money to animal
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ways of saying how things are the same or

charities, like the RSPCA, than to charities
different. Listen to Ravi. What does he want
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for people. That's a fact. And there are lots

to know?
of programmes about animals on television
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and stories in the newspapers. Ravi: A lot of people believe that the British
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are crazy about animals. Were often called

Tess: I know. It's true. And do you know,
a nation of pet lovers. But is it true? To
people who ask for money on the street,
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begin with do we have more pets than

well, if they have a dog with them, then they
anyone else?
get more money.
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Jo: Hes asking about the number of pets

Ravi: Ha! Is that true? Money for the dog,
the British have compared to other
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but not for the person?

countries. Listen again. Whats the
or

Tess: Yep. question?

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Ravi: So we are crazy about animals. It's Ravi: A lot of people believe that the British
true. You'll have to go home and tell Oscar. are crazy about animals. Were often called
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Tess: I think he already knows. a nation of pet lovers. But is it true? To

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begin with do we have more pets than

anyone else?
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Jo and Adam Jo: He said Do we have more pets than

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Adam: Do you have any pets, Jo? anyone else? More than.
Jo: Weve just got some goldfish. Have you Adam: You can say He's got more money
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got any pets, Adam? than me, or I like London more than New
York.
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Adam: No, I dont. We had dogs when I

was living with my parents, but not any Jo: Now listen to the next comparison.
more. Id like to in the future, but I think its a British people have a lot of pets ...
lot of work to care for a dog properly. Ravi: But there are a lot of other places with
Jo: Yeah, I live in the country now, so its as many pets as Britain.
fine to have some dogs around. But when I Jo: There are other places with as many
lived in a big city, the dogs used to annoy pets as Britain. As many as. Britain has a

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 http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/elementary-podcasts/series-04-episode-01

lot of pets but other countries have the

same number. We use as many as when
the thing were comparing is countable
pets. But we use as much as when were
comparing something uncountable.
Adam: For example I want to have as
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much money as Bill Gates I want the

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same money!
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Jo: Now listen to the last way of comparing

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things.
Tess: Cats and dogs are the most common
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pets in Britain, right?

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Ravi: Well, actually, they now think that the

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most popular pets in Britain are ...?

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Jo: Yes the most common, the most

popular, the most. Cats are popular, dogs
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are popular, but reptiles are more popular

than cats and dogs so reptiles are the
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most popular pets in Britain.

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Adam: There are exercises on the website

to give you practice with this, and other
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things, too. And please send us your

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comments about animals in your country.

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Jo: And about your pets.

Adam: Well read some of them out on the
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next podcast. See you then! Goodbye!

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Jo: Bye!
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