B1.1. How to choose a birthday gift?
Vocabulary:
Answer the questions:
1. Coming to a birthday party without a gift
a) is becoming a tradition
b) isn’t kind
c) bring a smile to a birthday person’s face
2. When you don’t know the birthday person well
a) you can try to buy something adjusted to their lifestyle
b) you can buy a practical gift
c) you should buy a cookbook
3. A practical gift
a) seems to be a safe option
b) is usually useless
c) Helps to keep daily habits
4. When you feel that your taste is better than the birthday person’s
a) you should buy something that is nice according to your preferences
b) you shouldn’t insist on your preferences
c) you shouldn’t buy any gift at all
5. People organize birthday parties
a) to get material gifts
b) to have a nice time
c) to see how well their friends know them basing on what gifts they chose
TEXT:
Listen carefully and answer the questions below.
Buying a birthday present has become a tradition. Appearing at the party empty-handed can even be considered rude. While receiving gifts can be fun, purchasing them can be very difficult and may even turn out to be a real struggle – especially when you are not sure what exactly could bring a smile to a birthday person’s face.
If you know this person very well, the chances are that you know their dreams and lifestyle as well. A good idea might therefore be to buy a gift related to a hobby or something that would be helpful in keeping daily habits and activities.
If the birthday person is not your close friend, try to choose something practical. Practical gifts have one advantage – they are always useful. A good example would be a cookbook or an advanced bilingual dictionary of a language that this person learns.
Remember that the gift you buy should please the recipient, and not necessarily you. If the person to whom you give a present likes a specific colour, which you actually hate, do not force your taste over the preferences of your friend. The person who organizes their birthday party does it in order to have a good time and even though material things are not the most important, it is always nice to get something that corresponds to one’s taste and preferences rather than something unnecessary that won’t be used even once.
