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    Marco's Speaking Exam at the Bookshop

    taking an English speaking exama quiet bookshopCEFR A2
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    Marco walks into the bookshop. It is quiet and calm. He looks around. There are books everywhere. The shelves are tall and full. Marco likes the smell of old books. He feels a little today. He has an important English speaking exam. The exam will happen right here, in the bookshop. A small table and two chairs are near the window. Marco takes a deep breath. He sits down in one of the chairs. He puts his bag on the floor. He takes out a pen and a small notebook. He waits for the . The comes in. Her name is Ms. Rios. She smiles at Marco. "Hello, Marco.

    Are you ready to begin?" she asks. Marco nods. "Yes, I think so," he says. His voice is a little . Ms. Rios speaks in a kind and clear voice. She asks Marco to talk about his daily . Marco starts to speak. He talks about his morning. He says, "I wake up early and I eat breakfast at home." He forgets one word. He stops for a moment. Then he says, "Sorry, I mean I drink coffee too." Ms. Rios writes some notes. She nods and smiles. Marco feels a little better. She then asks him to the bookshop. Marco looks around slowly. He says, "It is quiet and the books are very old." He uses his hands to help explain. Ms. Rios listens carefully.

    The exam finishes after about twenty minutes. Ms. Rios closes her notebook. "Thank you, Marco. You did very well," she says. Marco smiles. He feels very happy. "Really? I made some ," he says. "Everyone makes ," Ms. Rios tells him. "What is important is that you keep speaking." Marco picks up his bag. He says, "Thank you for being so kind." He walks out of the bookshop slowly. Outside, he takes a big breath of fresh air. He calls his friend on his cell phone. "I did it!" he says. His friend laughs and says, "I knew you could do it!" Marco feels . He smiles all the way home. He is already excited to more English.

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    Key Vocabulary

    How to use these cards
    1. Read each word and its meaning.
    2. Tap “Cover the meanings”, then tap a card to check yourself.
    3. Tap “Quick quiz” for a short test. Tap “I know this” on cards you have learned.
    examiner
    /ɪɡˈzæm.ɪ.nɚ/
    noun

    a person who gives or watches over a test or exam

    "The examiner asked Marco to speak about his daily life."

    nervous
    /ˈnɝː.vəs/
    adjective

    feeling worried or a little scared before something important

    "Marco felt nervous before his speaking exam."

    routine
    /ruːˈtiːn/
    noun

    the things you do regularly, usually every day

    "The examiner asked him to talk about his daily routine."

    shaky
    /ˈʃeɪ.ki/
    adjective

    trembling or unsteady, often because of nerves or fear

    "His voice was shaky when he started to speak."

    describe
    /dɪˈskraɪb/
    verb

    to say what something looks or feels like using words

    "Ms. Rios asked Marco to describe the bookshop."

    mistake
    /mɪˈsteɪk/
    noun

    something you say or do that is not correct

    "Marco said he made some mistakes during the exam."

    proud
    /praʊd/
    adjective

    feeling very pleased and happy about something you did

    "Marco felt proud after finishing his English speaking exam."

    practice
    /ˈpræk.tɪs/
    verb

    to do something many times so you can get better at it

    "Marco wanted to practice more English after the exam."

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    Useful Phrases

    How to use these cards
    1. Read each phrase and its meaning.
    2. Tap “Cover the meanings”, then tap a card to check yourself.
    3. Tap “Quick quiz” for a short test. Tap “I know this” on cards you have learned.

    take a deep breath

    to breathe in slowly and deeply to help yourself feel calm

    "Marco takes a deep breath before the exam starts."

    Are you ready to begin?

    a question used to ask if someone is prepared to start

    "The examiner says, "Are you ready to begin?""

    I think so

    used to say you are fairly sure about something

    ""Yes, I think so," Marco replies when asked if he is ready."

    keep speaking

    to continue talking without stopping, even if you make mistakes

    "Ms. Rios tells Marco that the most important thing is to keep speaking."

    I made some mistakes

    used to say that you did some things wrong

    "Marco says, "I made some mistakes," after the exam."

    I did it!

    an expression used to show you are happy you finished something difficult

    "Marco calls his friend and says, "I did it!""

    I knew you could do it

    used to say you always believed someone was able to succeed

    "Marco's friend says, "I knew you could do it!""

    You did very well

    used to tell someone they did a good job

    "Ms. Rios tells Marco, "You did very well.""

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