Close menu
1

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

Select a unit

  1. 1Go beyond intermediate with our new video course
  2. 2Reported speech in 90 seconds!
  3. 3If or whether?
  4. 45 ways to use 'would'
  5. 5Let and allow
  6. 6Passive voice
  7. 7Unless
  8. 8Mixed conditionals
  9. 9The zero article - in 90 seconds
  10. 10The indefinite article - in 90 seconds
  11. 11The. That's right - the! Learn all about it in 90 seconds
  12. 12The continuous passive
  13. 13Future perfect
  14. 14Need + verb-ing
  15. 15Have something done
  16. 16Wish
  17. 17Word stress
  18. 18Different ways of saying 'if'
  19. 19Passive reporting structures
  20. 20The subjunctive
  21. 21When and if
  22. 22Inversion
  23. 23Phrasal verbs
  24. 24The future
  25. 25Modals in the past
  26. 26Narrative tenses
  27. 27Phrasal verb myths
  28. 28Conditionals review
  29. 29Used to - review
  30. 30Linking 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!

ክፍለ-ስራሓት ናይዚ ምዕራፍ

12345

ድምር ነጥቢ ናይዚ ክፍለ-ስራሓት 5

0 / 3

  • 0 / 3
    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?

ነቲ ቪድዮ ብምዕዛብ ነቲ ስራሕ ዕመምዎ

ነቲ ቅዳሕ ጽሑፍ ኣርእይዎ ነቲ ቅዳሕ ጽሑፍ ሕብእዎ

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?

ኣገናዕ፡ ፈተናኹም ዛዚምኩም
Excellent!Great job!ሕማቕ ዕድል!ዘመዝገብኩምዎ ነጥቢ ...:
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

ምሉእ መወከስ ማህደረ-ቃላት ተመልከት

መራገፊ ማእከል

ትሕዝቶ ናይ ሓድሽ ትምህርቲ