10-C -16.05- ENGLISH

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John: Oh, I suppose I get irritated by the usual things – you know, waiting in queues, rude waiters, expensive gas bills, that sort of thing. One thing that makes me really furious though is when I have to phone my phone company or bank or something, to ask for information or make a complaint. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to listen to the endless lists of instructions. You know, press one if you want to pay a bill, press two if you have a problem, press three if you want to check your balance, and so on. It drives me crazy! And you often have to key in your birthday and account number on the phone pad – and inevitably, when you do finally get to speak to a real person, they ask you to repeat all the same information!

What drives John crazy?

• being told to pay a bill online

• being asked when his birthday is

• being asked for the same information twice

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Frank: What really annoys me most is, well, what I suppose you could call ‘bad manners’. The worst thing is on public transport. You know, when you’re on the bus or train, and people talk on their mobile phones – really loudly! I usually like to read on the train on my way to and from work, and it's just so irritating to have to listen to people telling their friends all about what they did the night before, or whatever. It's just so intrusive. And if it's not that, there's someone next to you with an MP3 player, listening to music. It's great for them – they hear the real thing. But all you hear is that tinny, buzzing kind of noise from their earphones! The other thing is, I wish people would switch off their phones in the cinema and the theatre. The other day, I went to see a show, and there was a girl in front of me taking photos with her mobile. I couldn't concentrate on the music – unbelievable!

Why did Frank not enjoy the show he went to?

• because he sat behind someone who was recording it

• because he was distracted by another member of the audience

• because he could only hear a tinny sound

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Rose: Don't laugh, but you know one of the things that really annoys me? People who spit in public – like footballers. You see them spitting all the time when you watch a game on telly. Ugh, disgusting! I mean, why do they have to do it? I bet they wouldn't do it in their own homes. I know I do have a bit of a thing about cleanliness and hygiene. You know, I can't stand seeing piles of dirty washing up in the sink – or my kids throwing their clothes on the floor when they take them off. Another thing that really upsets me is people eating in the streets, especially late at night. They come out of the clubs or pubs, and then go and buy fish and chips or hamburgers, and eat them on the bus, or walking along the road. It’s so ugly – and the smell is awful. I mean, I’m not obsessed about hygiene or anything – I just like everything to be clean and tidy.

What does Rose hate the smell of?

• stacks of dirty plates and dishes

• street food like hamburgers

• dirty clothes left on the floor

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Joyce: I try not to get annoyed with things any more – it’s not worth it. It doesn't change anything, and you just get upset and stressed out. My philosophy now is, if things annoy you so much then try and do something constructive about them. I used to get really furious about all the injustice in the world – the gap between the rich and the poor, the famines and droughts, hunger and poverty, etc. I'd hear about these top executives earning millions in salaries and bonuses, and just wanted to scream. And these premier league footballers, for example, earning more money in a week than most people see in their lifetime! So I decided to do some voluntary work. I’ve been helping out at the local refugee centre, and I also help to cook meals for the homeless and the elderly. At least it channels my energy and makes me feel better about life. I wish I’d started it years ago.

How does Joyce channel her energy?

• She works voluntarily to help others.

• She campaigns against social injustice.

• She donates some of her earnings to charities.

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Graham: I just wish there wasn’t such a terrible waste of paper everywhere. I get so annoyed. The packaging on food and things is bad enough, but that's nothing compared to the amount of junk mail we get all the time. Hardly a day goes by without getting useless letters from banks and catalogues of products you don't want. I have to take at least two black bin bags of paper to be recycled every week. And then there's all the free newspapers they hand out in the streets. You see them left on buses, and tubes and trains – or thrown on the ground, littering the town. It's outrageous. When I think of all the trees that had to be cut down to make the paper, it makes me so angry! No wonder the environment is in such a mess.

What annoys Graham the most?

• the excessive amount of packaging used

• having to return unwanted post

• the amount of waste from free newspapers

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Lexi: Well, I don't usually let things get to me. I’m quite a patient person on the whole. But I do worry about my husband when we're in the car together. He gets really annoyed with other motorists all the time. It could be anything really – for instance, if a car drives too closely behind us, or if somebody takes a bit longer than usual to start driving off when the traffic lights turn green, or if a car overtakes at a hundred miles an hour on a country road. I drive myself and I do realise that all these things are very irritating – and often dangerous. But Dan – that's my husband – goes completely mad. He starts shouting and banging his fists on the steering wheel. And when his face goes all red, I get really scared he might have a heart attack! To be honest, I try to avoid going out with him in the car. I get too stressed out – and extremely irritated!

Why does Lexi get scared in the car?

• because other motorists drive too closely

• because her husband overtakes cars too fast

• because she fears for her husband’s health

When visiting Grandma, we would always ___ spoilt rotten and given lots of treats.

• be

• being

In the holidays, we ___ my cousins in Devon.

• generally visited

• were generally visiting

When Hannah was young, she ___ often climb the trees at the bottom of the garden.

• had

• would

As a teenager, did you ___ to stay in at the weekend or go out with your friends?

• used

• use