It's time for me to start preparing our Summer holiday. This year,
my family and I will take a trip to Spain for a month. We will
visit my father and sister in Scotland and England first, and then
family and friends in Spain. I can't wait. Our preparations
actually started last Summer, when I discovered that we had
accumulated quite a lot of air miles over the past few years. I
wondered how many return tickets from Seattle to London could be
bought with those air miles. To my surprize(se), most of our
tickets were covered. "I have to organize(se) a substantial trip,"
I said to myself. "Who knows when we will have another
opportunity..." So, I got the tickets over the phone with a
representative from British Airways, got the confirmation number,
and jumped for joy. Now, I need passports for my two youngest
children. So, off to the Court House I go. It is one of the oldest
buildings in town, quite ornate compared to the plain
buildings that are typical of towns in the U.S. I walked up the
marble steps to the third floor, to the passport department. I was
suddenly confronted with two security guards, a metal detector, and
a body search. Gosh, I didn't realize(se) it would be like this. My
bag was searched, my body was checked, and I was given the ok.
Phew! All I needed were two application forms. It was a quick in
and out visit. As I left, I walked past other departments: marriage
license, car license, building permits, and the court house that
serves all of Wenatchee. It was all business and activity. There
was even a jail! It was actually exciting to be in a place where
important contracts and decisions are made on a daily basis, in a
place where it all happens.
Grammar notes.
Practice of the verb 'to be' + past participle as an adjective.
1. The chair was painted the most beautiful blue.
2. The corn fields are harvested by machine nowadays.
3. The words of the prayer are carved into the stone.
4. We were driven to the opera by my cousin.
About the Podcast
Friendly, everyday English to help the anxious language learner. A relaxing mix of daily language spoken by your native English teacher, Anna. Another great podcast by LibSyn.com