Your cart is empty.
Practice each question, then open the answer or worked solution.
‘Don’t expect an English cup of tea’ – how does this phrase bring out the contrast between the English and American attitudes?
Britishers are more hospitable and polite to their guests than Americans. The path in which the American people move is different and faster than the people who reside in Britain. The competitive feeling is deep that ‘Everybody feels he must get to the top.’
How did the narrator learn to distinguish between ‘a flask’ and ‘a thermos’?
There was a time when the narrator had to buy a flask and tea bags. This is when he got to know that he was actually looking for a thermos and a flask was something in which people stored wine. The main reason behind the limited knowledge of the narrator is that he had not consumed whisky till then.
It took the narrator quite some time to understand that what he heard as ‘piper’, in fact, meant ‘paper’ and the phrase ‘mind the gap’ in the Tube. What do you think caused the problem?
The narrator mentioned the issues with his language when he moved to the US, as it was a new language for him. He was not able to speak any other language fluently apart from his mother tongue, Bengali. His pronunciation was varied from how it was spoken in London, where he resided before shifting to the US.
Make a list of items that are referred to differently in British and American English, for example, ‘lift’ (BE) ‘elevator’ (AmE).
Some of the words which are used differently in British and American English are –
The cinema (BE) – The movies (AmE)
Holiday (BE) – Vacation (AmE)
Lift (BE) – Elevator (AmE)
Wardrobe (BE) – Dresser (AmE)
Windscreen (BE) – Wind shield (AmE)
Barrister (BE) – Attorney (AmE)
Flat (BE) – Apartment (AmE)
Lavatory (BE) – Bathroom (AmE)
Favour (BE) – Favor (AmE)
Barrister (BE) – Lawyer (AmE)
See if you understand what the following words that are parts of a house mean. Look up the dictionary if you don’t.
| parlour foyer lounge porch
lobby attic portico |
Parlour – A room for guests which is away from the public in a club, inn, etc. In old English, in a house, parlour means the living room which is kept neat for welcoming the visitors.
Foyer – It is an entrance hall or vestibule in an apartment or house. It also refers to the entrance of a hotel, theatre or apartment.
Lounge – A living room or lobby in a house can also be called a lounge. It also means a sofa which is backless for reclining and has a headrest.
Porch – A porch also refers to a verandah. It is an extended space which is enclosed in the front or sides of a house.
Lobby – It is a room for waiting or a hall at the entrance of a building. It is also a vestibule or corridor which serves as a space to enter into a large room.
Attic – It is a part of a building, mainly of a house which is directly under the roof. It is a roof or story which is below the roof of a building.
Portico – A structure which has a roof supported by piers or columns, which is attached to a building as a porch is known as portico.