Unit 21: Towards Advanced
Grammar, news, vocabulary and pronunciation
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Session 4
Vocabulary: 9 uses of 'keep'
Enjoy our version of the tale The Vampyre - and learn 9 different ways to use the word 'keep'.
Activity 1
The Vampyre part one - 5 uses of 'keep'
Love, death and a blood-sucking vampire
The English word keep has many meanings and uses. In this session, we bring you BBC Learning English's own version of the tale The Vampyre - and we've found many different ways to use the word keep in it.
To do
As you watch part one of the story, listen out for the different uses of the word keep - and decide whether this summary of the story is correct or wrong:
- Aubrey trusts Lord Ruthven and is happy travelling with him.
Watch the video and complete the activity
Darren
Hello I'm Darren. Today's story involves love, death and a blood-sucking vampire. It was written a long time ago but is just as good to hear today.
We start with a young English man called Aubrey who's travelling with an older man called Lord Ruthven to the beautiful city of Rome. However, somebody has told Aubrey to watch out for Ruthven as he's not a very nice person and can't be trusted. What can they mean? In Rome, they meet a woman who Ruthven takes an interest in but Aubrey warns her to keep awayfrom him because he's not to be trusted.
Aubrey isn't happy about Ruthven's behaviour and decides to keep travelling but on his own. He ends up in Greece and it's here he meets and falls in love with the beautiful Ianthe. She keeps him company and tells him tales of local legends about a vampire. Then after a while, Ruthven turns up and shortly after Ianthe is killed by a vampire – hmm, a strange coincidence don't you think? But Ruthven just tells Aubrey to keep his eyes open for anyone acting suspiciously.
The two men continue their travels, but the men are attacked by robbers and Ruthven is killed, but before he dies he makes Aubrey promise to keep his death a secret 'for a year and a day'. His body is left on a rock but it disappears overnight – somebody has stolen it.
What a gruesome story, but it's not over yet. Join me again in part two when I'll tell you what happens next. Bye for now.
To do
How was that? The summary wasn't quite right - Aubrey starts to realise that Lord Ruthven isn't a very nice man and so he decides to stop travelling with him.
Have a go at our quiz to check you know the first set of keep vocabulary.
The Vampyre - the story so far...
5 Questions
Let's check your understanding of the story - and the words and phrases with keep. Decide whether each statement about the story is true or false. Look at the vocabulary box if you need help.
Help
Activity
Let's check your understanding of the story - and the words and phrases with keep. Decide whether each statement about the story is true or false. Look at the vocabulary box if you need help.
Hint
Aubrey warns her to 'keep away from' Lord Ruthven because he's not to be trusted.Question 1 of 5
Help
Activity
Let's check your understanding of the story - and the words and phrases with keep. Decide whether each statement about the story is true or false. Look at the vocabulary box if you need help.
Hint
What's the meaning of 'keep travelling'?Question 2 of 5
Help
Activity
Let's check your understanding of the story - and the words and phrases with keep. Decide whether each statement about the story is true or false. Look at the vocabulary box if you need help.
Hint
Ianthe 'keeps him company'.Question 3 of 5
Help
Activity
Let's check your understanding of the story - and the words and phrases with keep. Decide whether each statement about the story is true or false. Look at the vocabulary box if you need help.
Hint
What does 'keep your eyes open' mean mean?Question 4 of 5
Help
Activity
Let's check your understanding of the story - and the words and phrases with keep. Decide whether each statement about the story is true or false. Look at the vocabulary box if you need help.
Hint
Before he dies, he makes Aubrey promise to 'keep his death a secret' for a year and a day.Question 5 of 5
Excellent!Great job!Bad luck!You scored:
Next
The story isn't over yet... go to the next page to find out if Aubrey keeps Lord Ruthven's secret - and to learn some more uses of keep! See you there.
Session Vocabulary
keep away from (B2)
not go near (a person, place or thing)keep (B1)
continuekeeps him company (B2)
stays with him so he is not alonekeep his eyes open (C2)
be alert and attentivekeep (something) a secret (B1)
not tell anyone about (something)KEY
A1 = Beginner
A2 = Elementary
B1 = Lower Intermediate
B2 = Higher Intermediate
C1 = Towards Advanced
C2 = Advanced
