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Unit 1: Go beyond intermediate with our new video course
Onward and upward

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  1. 1 Go beyond intermediate with our new video course
  2. 2 Reported speech in 90 seconds!
  3. 3 If or whether?
  4. 4 5 ways to use 'would'
  5. 5 Let and allow
  6. 6 Passive voice
  7. 7 Unless
  8. 8 Mixed conditionals
  9. 9 The zero article - in 90 seconds
  10. 10 The indefinite article - in 90 seconds
  11. 11 The. That's right - the! Learn all about it in 90 seconds
  12. 12 The continuous passive
  13. 13 Future perfect
  14. 14 Need + verb-ing
  15. 15 Have something done
  16. 16 Wish
  17. 17 Word stress
  18. 18 Different ways of saying 'if'
  19. 19 Passive reporting structures
  20. 20 The subjunctive
  21. 21 When and if
  22. 22 Inversion
  23. 23 Phrasal verbs
  24. 24 The future
  25. 25 Modals in the past
  26. 26 Narrative tenses
  27. 27 Phrasal verb myths
  28. 28 Conditionals review
  29. 29 Used to - review
  30. 30 Linking words of contrast

Session 5

The White Elephant restaurant has been open for business for exactly one week - but there hasn't been a single customer yet. When one finally arrives, it causes Gordon the chef to get his knickers in a twist. Learn this and other expressions connected to panic!

Sessions in this unit

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Session 5 score

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    Activity 1
  1. Activity 1

Activity 1

Drama: The White Elephant

Episode 1: Panic!

Welcome to The White Elephant - the restaurant with no customers. Gordon the chef thinks he's a genius, Peter the waiter is clueless but eager to please, Ceilia the manager is desperate for success and Mary the dish washer is cool and calm under pressure. How will they cope when someone finally comes for a meal?

Watch the video and complete the activity

Show transcript Hide transcript

Ceilia/Gordon/Mary
5... 4... 3... 2... 1...

Gordon
That's it! It is exactly one week since The White Elephant opened and still not one…   

Peter
...customer!  

Ceilia
What? A customer! Are you sure?

Peter
Yes. He's in there sitting down.

Gordon
Well, what does he want?

Peter
I don't know. I didn't ask him. 

Mary
Chill out! I think it would be a really good idea to go and ask him.

Peter
Right. OK. Wait there. 

Peter
Right, he says he wants the duck eggs and polenta fries but with a small change…

Gordon
Yes?

Peter
He wants a hen's egg instead of a duck's and… potato fries instead of polenta fries.

Gordon
What?! So he wants egg 'n' chips. I have not worked in some of the world's top restaurants to end up cooking egg and chips!.

Ceilia
Gordon, Gordon keep your hair on! Customer's is always right – and thank goodness we've got one. So, let's try to keep him happy and - who knows - he might bring his friends next time.

Gordon
Keep them happy?! It's alright for them to be happy, what about me? Egg and chips… I ask you…

Ceilia
Don't get your knickers in a twist Gordon.

Mary 
Look, why don't I go and speak to him and see if wouldn't rather have Gordon's duck egg and polenta fries.

Ceilia
Thank you Mary.
 
Gordon
Well?

Mary
He's gone. 

 

 

Download

You can download the drama from our Unit 1 downloads page.

Vocabulary

chill out!
relax; don't panic

keep your hair on
stop being angry or upset

don't get your knickers in a twist
don't get angry or upset

To do

See how much you understood from the story by answering these questions...

Don't panic! It's only a quiz.

3 Questions

How much did you understand in The White Elephant: Episode 1?

Congratulations you completed the Quiz
Excellent! Great job! Bad luck! You scored:
x / y

Credits

Gordon Grater: Neil Frost

Ceilia Spatula: Amina Zia

Peter Peppermill: Darren Benedict

Marigold Marcelo (Mary for short): Stacha Hicks

Written, produced and directed by: Rob Carter

More

You can find our other BBC Learning English dramas on our Drama page.

End of Session 5

How long will it be before Gordon gets to cook a meal for a customer? Join us next week for Episode 2 of The White Elephant!

 

 

 

 

Session Vocabulary

  • chill out!
    relax; don't panic

    keep your hair on
    stop being angry or upset

    don't get your knickers in a twist
    don't get angry or upset

View full vocabulary reference

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