weekends
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Chester talks about his weekends
Vocabulary
| result | flatmates | thank goodness |
| tricky | all my life | the same way |
| crawl | adventure | motorway/freeway |
| outfit | mindless | shop around |
| bored | exploring | competitive |
| bistro | cottage | slow/slower/slowest |
| carve | elderly | shepherd’s pie |
| rent | amateur | along the way |
| parlor | part-time | feel/felt/felt |
| wood | attend | motivated |
| owl | massive | look forward |
| trick | someday | for the moment |
| wish | horn (2) | long/longer/longest |
Fridays
Thank goodness today’s Friday! It’s been a long week at the pet food factory where I work as a chemical engineer.
The only bad thing about Friday afternoons is that the entire city feels the same way. The result: a massive traffic build-up as everyone hurries home or to a country cottage. My bus crawls along the motorway.
At Home
When I get home, I immediately change into my sporting outfit. I get on my armchair and relax.
I turn on the TV, and watch some stupid, mindless show.
Later I’ll order a pizza and watch some action-adventure or comedy film.
Saturdays
On Saturdays, I get up late.
Then I often go with my girlfriend, Violet, to a shopping mall or marketplace and shop around. At lunch or dinnertime, we might dine at a Bangladeshi, Chinese, Turkish or other ethnic restaurant.
Sometimes, we’ll take the train to a nearby town or village and do some exploring. I’ve lived in this country all my life; and yet there are still plenty of unknown and secret places that I have never visited.
Culture
And about once or twice a month, we attend a music concert, dance performance, or circus. I don’t go to football matches anymore because Violet gets bored with competitive sports.
Exploring
Sundays are slower. We usually just walk around our neighbourhood or in a park.
Frequently, we go bicycle riding. Along the way we might stop by a bistro or cafe for tea, plus fish and chips or shepherd’s pie.
Dinner
As evening approaches I return home while Violet goes back to her place (she rents a room in a flat of an elderly lady).
I then cook and eat dinner. This can be tricky with two other flatmates. Luckily, Mark has three jobs, while Linda attends university and works part-time in an ice-cream parlor, so they are rarely at home.
Later in the evening, I surf the internet or read a book. Or if I feel motivated, I continue my wood-carving project: right now it’s a horned owl.
Wood Carver
I hope to become a professional wood-carver someday, just like Leon, my former classmate . . . but for the moment, I had two left hands (I am rather clumsy).
I don’t really look forward to Monday mornings — I wish the weekend was longer.
Questions
1. The writer is an accountant in a software company. True or false? What is the writer’s profession? Where does he work?
2. He is a couch potato. Yes, no, yes and no, both, or sometimes? What does he do on Fridays after work?
3. Does he have a car?
4. How does he spend his weekends?
5. He likes only pizza and shawarma (doner, gyros). Do you agree?
6. The writer dislikes football. Is this right or wrong? Does he still go to football matches?
7. He lives with his parents. Is this correct or incorrect?
8. Is his goal to become the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of his company?
A. What’s your favourite day of the week?
B. What do you normally do during the weekend?
C. Do you attend concerts or other live performances or sporting events?
E. What kind of restaurants or other establishments do you visit?
F. Are you familiar with most of your region or province or country?
