PONS 10-Minuten-Lektüren Englisch - A Piece of Cake - PONS Langenscheidt GmbH - E-Book

PONS 10-Minuten-Lektüren Englisch - A Piece of Cake E-Book

PONS Langenscheidt GmbH

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Beschreibung

10-Minuten-Lektüren Englisch   - Haben Sie mal 10 Minuten? Dann lesen Sie los!   - Lernen Sie mit 15 kurzen und einfachen Geschichten Großbritannien und seine Bewohner kennen. - Unbekannte Wörter? Kein Problem. Erschließen Sie sich neue Wörter und Wortfamilien mit anschaulichen und liebevoll illustrierten Mind-Maps – einfacher geht's nicht! - Über die Fußnoten können Sie zudem direkt zur Übersetzung am Ende des Kapitels springen und wieder zurück zur Geschichte.

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PONS 10-Minuten-Lektüren ENGLISCHA Piece of Cake ... und viele weitere Kurzgeschichten aus dem englischen Alltag
von Dominic Butler
Alle Personen und Handlungen sind erfunden. Ähnlichkeiten mit lebenden oder verstorbenen Personen und tatsächlichen Begebenheiten wären rein zufällig.
1. Auflage 2020
© PONS Langenscheidt GmbH, Stöckachstraße 11, 70190 Stuttgart, 2020www.pons.deE-Mail: [email protected] Rechte vorbehalten.
eBook © 2022 Intangible Press
Projektleitung: Canan Eulenberger-ÖzdamarRedaktion: Joanne Popp editing etc., Korntal-MünchingenLogoentwurf: Erwin Poell, HeidelbergLogoüberarbeitung: Sabine Redlin, LudwigsburgLayout: Petra Michel, Essen

Die Geschichten

Perfekt für 10 Minuten!In diesem Buch finden Sie 15 kurze englische Geschichten, mit denen Sie wunderbar jede Pause, Wartezeit oder Busfahrt verkürzen können.

Mit locker-leichten Geschichten lernen Sie den englischen Alltag kennen und erweitern mühelos Ihren Englisch-Wortschatz zu grundlegenden Themen.

Lesefreundlich! Über die Fußnoten können Sie direkt zur Übersetzung am Ende des Kapitels springen und wieder zurück zur Geschichte, z.B.: house[1]. Manche Wörter sind farblich markiert. Das sind Wörter, die in den Mind-Maps auftauchen. Dazu mehr auf der nächsten Seite!

Die Mind-Maps

Das wird Ihr Gehirn lieben!Unser Gehirn freut sich über Strukturen. Es sortiert Dinge gerne in Gruppen ein, da es sie sich so leichter merken kann.

Wortfelder statt ListenAuch Wörter lassen sich in thematisch zusammenhängen den Gruppen viel einfacher lernen und merken als in umfangreichen Listen.

Natürlicher GedankengangWenn Sie an einen Begriff denken, dann meistens nicht an diesen allein! In der Regel haben Sie, wie auf einer Gedanken-Landkarte (Mind-Map), verwandte Dinge vor Augen.

INHALT

1 A Piece of Cake

MIND-MAP: dating

2 A Sure Thing

MIND-MAP: predictions

3 The Culture Shock

MIND-MAP: cultural differences

4 Meet Me in the Middle

MIND-MAP: negotiating

5 The Fairy Tale

MIND-MAP: telling an anecdote

6 The Team Leader

MIND-MAP: leadership

7 The End of Mr Bennet

MIND-MAP: annoyances

8 A Grey Area

MIND-MAP: ethics

9 Tell Me about Yourself

MIND-MAP: job interview

10 Going Green

MIND-MAP: environment

11 The Question

MIND-MAP: facts and figures

12 Do it Yourself

MIND-MAP: technology

13 Just Another Day

MIND-MAP: police emergency

14 Change

MIND-MAP: change

15 The Diplomat’s Husband

MIND-MAP: diplomatic language

1 A Piece of Cake

The restaurant bar was slowly getting busier, while outside the warm summer sun was setting over the River Thames. “This,” said Guy, who was holding up his cocktail and looking around the room, “is the perfect hour. It’s not too early and not too late. You see, any earlier than this, and people aren’t relaxed enough. You need to wait until they’ve had a drink or two and he started to sway[1] to the music. Of course, if you are too late, then people are too relaxed. Too many drinks are never a good thing. Too late in the evening, all people want to do is dance with their friends and drink even more. You see, flirting[2] with someone is like a dance; it’s all about timing.” He smiled then, obviously[3] enjoying his own advice.

He was not a very tall man, but maybe just a little taller than average. His hair was straight and gelled[4], with just the slightest hint[5] of grey at his dark temples[6]. His skin was lightly tanned[7], his teeth a little whiter than normal. He was also very fit, and his blue summer shirt seemed to be a size too small for him. “You can write that down, you know. You need all the help you can get,” he laughed loudly, and the man next to him smiled a little. “Only kidding[8], Toby. You stick with me[9]; you’ll be a player[10] one day.”

Toby was a shorter, slightly younger man, with brown hair, an honest, simple face and kind eyes. “Oh, I don’t really want to be a player, Guy. It’d just be nice to meet someone.”

“Sure, sure. No problem at all. All you have to do is watch and learn, my friend.”

Toby wasn’t entirely sure if he was Guy’s friend. They had played golf together a few times. Guy had cheated[11] twice but Toby hadn’t said anything. He’d also made some rather sexist jokes that Toby didn’t like. In fact, after the second game, Toby had decided to avoid[12] Guy when possible, but somehow Guy had got his phone number, called him, and told him they were going out to find some women. Toby had tried to say no, but after ten minutes he’d given up[13] and agreed to meet in this swanky[14] central London bar.

“Now, what’s your best chat-up line[15]?” asked Guy.

“My what?”

“Your chat-up line? You know, what do you say to seduce[16] the ladies?”

“I don’t know. I introduce myself[17]. Sometimes I pay them a [18]compliment[19].”

Guy laughed loudly and slapped[20] Toby on the back with such force that he nearly dropped his beer. “Oh my God! You “introduce” yourself? Toby, Toby, Toby; this isn’t some business conference in Brighton. You’re not networking for new clients. This is the game of love. It’s a dangerous, competitive[21] world. No, you need something special. You need something that’s going to catch their attention[22].”

Toby took a long drink of beer. Maybe he could say he was going to the bathroom and sneak out[23]. He could catch the bus home in time to watch that documentary that was on Channel 4.

“Well, aren’t you going to ask me what I do?” said Guy.

“You ask them out on a date?[24]” said Toby.

Guy laughed again. “It’s not that simple, Toby. A woman wants to be impressed[25]. They want to be chased[26]. Of course, I’ve got a few different moves[27], for a few different situations, but …” Guy looked around the room then. “But I do have one move that never fails.”

“Really?” said Toby, who was thinking about what take-away he should get.

“Yes, remember? I was telling you about it when we were playing golf.” Guy clicked his fingers[28] at a waiter who was walking past.

The waiter’s face became instantly[29] unhappy, but the poor man stopped. “Yes, sir. Can I get you something?”

“Yes. Get me a piece of cake. Something creamy[30]. If you can throw a cherry on top, even better. Quickly now.”

The waiter moved away; his face even unhappier. Toby was about to tell Guy that he shouldn’t speak to people like that, but Guy raised a finger and shushed[31] him before he could speak. “There, do you see her?” he asked. “Straight ahead. What a fine specimen[32].” Guy was looking at an attractive, dark-haired woman who was standing near the bar with a group of friends. “Right, here I go. Watch and learn, Toby.” And without another word Guy was walking across the bar. When he saw the waiter returning with the piece of cake on a nice plate, he took it and sent the poor man away without a single thank you.

“Is your friend always like that?” Toby heard someone say.

He turned around and saw a pretty young lady watching Guy strut[33] across the room. “Oh, he’s not my friend. In fact, I think he’s the worst person I’ve ever met … but yes, he’s always like that.”

“What’s he going to do with the cake?”

Toby thought for a moment. “I don’t exactly remember. He did tell me about it. I think he tells the woman that she is just like a piece of cake; great to look at, delicious[34] and satisfying[35].”

“And the cherry?” asked the young woman, who Toby thought seemed very nice indeed.

“Oh, he says that the cherry on top is that he would like to buy her a drink, so lucky her.”

The woman laughed. “And does it work?”

Toby laughed. “I hope not. Maybe we should go and watch?” And when the young woman smiled, they quickly walked across the bar together and reached Guy and the dark-haired lady just in time to hear her say something.

“I’m just like a piece of cake? What … easy?” she said, and before Guy could reply, the woman took the plate off him and pushed the creamy cake into his face.

Toby and his new friend burst into laughter[36] and quickly moved away. “My name’s Toby, by the way,” he said.

“Sally.”

“What a lovely name. I don’t suppose you like documentaries, do you?”

[1]  sway — hin und her wiegen
[2]  flirting — flirten
[3]  obviously — offenbar
[4]  gelled — gegelt
[5]  slightest hint — (hier:) leichte Spur
[6]  temples — Schläfen
[7]  tanned — gebräunt
[8]  Only kidding — Ich mache nur Spaß
[9]  You stick with me — (hier:) Halte dich an mich
[10]  player — (hier:) Aufreißer, Frauenheld
[11]  cheated — geschummelt
[12]  avoid — (hier:) aus dem Weg gehen
[13]  given up — aufgegeben
[14]  swanky — schick
[15]  chat-up line — Anmachspruch
[16]  seduce — verführen
[17]  I introduce myself — Ich stelle mich vor.
[18]  I pay them a — ich mache ihnen ein
[19]  compliment — Kompliment
[20]  slapped — klopfte
[21]  competitive — konkurrierend
[22]  catch their attention — ihre Aufmerksamkeit erregen
[23]  sneak out — hinausschleichen
[24]  You ask them out on a date? — Du verabredest dich mit ihnen?
[25]  impressed — beeindruckt
[26]  chased — (hier:) umworben
[27]  moves — (hier:) Schachzüge
[28]  clicked his fingers — schnipste mit den Fingern
[29]  instantly — sofort
[30]  creamy — sahnig
[31]  shushed — sagte, dass er still sein soll
[32]  specimen — Exemplar
[33]  strut — stolzieren
[34]  delicious — lecker
[35]  satisfying — befriedigend
[36]  burst into laughter — brachen in Lachen aus

2 A Sure Thing[1]

The rain was starting to slow now, and on the course, the jockeys were moving their horses into position. It would be a few minutes before the next race though[2], so Terry turned back to his newspaper and looked at the crossword[3].

“Here you are,” said Gerry. “That’ll warm you up.”

Terry looked up at Gerry, who was walking back to their seats with two cups of hot tea. Terry and Gerry were not brothers but could easily pretend[4] they were if they wanted to. They were both middle-aged men with grey hair, dark eyes and thick[5] Irish accents. “Cheers, Gerry. Looks like we’ll have a race in a minute or two.”

Gerry nodded and sat down. The viewing area was quiet today, with just a few of the regulars sitting and watching the course[6] without much interest. “Hey, what have we got here?” asked Gerry, who spotted[7] a stranger walking in their direction.

The stranger was a tall man dressed in formal clothes. He had a pair of large binoculars[8] round his neck, a smart[9]flat cap[10], and a slightly confused expression on his face.

“I bet[11] he’s English,” Gerry said.

Terry nodded. “I won’t bet on that; it’s a sure thing.”

The two men laughed quietly, then turned their eyes down when the man got closer, hoping they wouldn’t be seen.

“Excuse me,” said the stranger, in a polite English accent. “I don’t suppose[12] you could help me, could you?”

Gerry and Terry sighed[13]. “What’s the problem?”

The man’s rather simple face lit up[14]. “Well, it’s my first time here, you see[15]. First time at any races, actually. I’d like to put a bet on[16], but I don’t know what to do. Can I bet on this race?” he said, pointing down at the field where the horses were lining up.

Terry shook his head. “Probably not[17]. It’s a about to start. I don’t think you’ll get to the kiosk in time.”

The English man looked disappointed. “That’s a shame. I have all this money, you see,” he said, showing them a thick roll of euros. Terry and Gerry exchanged a quick look[18]. There were two things that they loved most in this life, betting on the horses and winning money from the English.

“Well,” said Terry. “We were thinking of having a little bet on this race, too. Why don’t the three of us make a bet?”

The English man’s smile almost made Gerry laugh. “Really? That’d be smashing[19]. Now, who do you think will win?