The document discusses a British sitcom television series from the 1970s called Fawlty Towers, starring John Cleese. It summarizes that the plot of the sitcom revolves around the tense and rude owner of a small hotel, Basil Fawlty, his bossy wife Sybil, an eccentric chambermaid named Polly, and a disorganized Spanish waiter named Manuel, and their attempts to run the hotel amid improbable circumstances and demanding guests. It asks what kinds of humorous situations could occur in such a setting with those characters.

1. Unit 3 (3) - stories

2. Reading Discussion (from the podcast)
1. Do you read much? What kinds of books
do you read?
2. What’s the last book you read?
3. What’s your favourite book and why?
4. Which fictional character would you most
like to be, or meet? Why?

3. a favourite scene
 What kinds of TV shows did you use to like when you
were younger?
 What about now?
 Do you enjoy watching comedies? Why/why not?
 Have you ever watched any British or American
sitcoms? [A sitcom is a light and amusing television series about a set of
characters.]
 If so, which one(s)?
 What’s it about?
 Have you heard of the British comedy series,
Fawlty Towers, starring John Cleese?
 If so, what do you know about it?

4. Fawlty Towers
Fawlty Towers is a series set in a hotel by the English
seaside. The plot is set around a tense, rude and stressed
hotel owner (Basil Fawlty), his bossy wife (Sybil), a
relatively normal chambermaid (Polly) and a disorganized
Spanish waiter (Manuel), who are attempting to run the
hotel in improbable circumstances with a variety of
demanding and eccentric guests.
 What kinds of humorous situations
do you think could occur?

5. Vocabulary:
a hearing aid – an electronic device worn by hearing-impaired people to amplify
sound
grumpy – bad-tempered and easily annoyed
to mime – to act using gestures but no speaking
to get your own back (on s.o.) – to do something unpleasant to someone because
they have done something unpleasant to you
 p. 41, #3A – Listen and answer the questions
 #3B – check the phrases you hear
 Try to summarize the funny scene
described by the woman.
 Watch the scene that the woman described. Is it as you
imagined?
 #3C & D – think of one of your favourite
scenes from a TV show or movie.
 Tell your partner about it, using the phrases
from 3B.