[book: book a seat at the theatre, book a table at a restaurant; board: board a bus, board a ship; hesitate: you hesitate before you cross a busy road; shy: too shy to speak, too shy to go into the crowded room; celebrate: you celebrate your birthday, you celebrate New Year, you have a drink to celebrate]
Read through the vocabulary, preferably aloud, and give spoken answers to the questions that follow. Lower intermediate.
book
If you want a seat, you must book in advance.
Seats at the cinema are not normally bookable.
board
The stewardess told them to board the plane.
The ship was about to sail. The cry went up, “All aboard!”
You can board the bus at that stop over there.
hesitate
He who hesitates is lost.
Don’t hesitate. Act. Do.
It is better to make the wrong decision than to hesitate.
shy
The young girl was shy: she didn’t speak to anyone, and if anyone spoke to her, she blushed.
Shy people do not like having to meet strangers.
celebrate
They had a cake to celebrate their birthday.
Scotsmen celebrate New Year. They drink a lot of whisky, and go from house to house, singing “Old Lang Syne”.
Answer
1. What must you do if you want a seat?
2. Where can I get on the bus?
3. Is it better to stop and think than to act quickly?
4. Why don’t they like having to meet strangers?
Answer guide
1. You must book in advance. 2. You can board it at that stop over there. 3. No. It is better to act quickly than to hesitate. 4. Because they are shy.
