English Refresher

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English Refresher · CEFR B2 · Unit 1

Everyday Conversation

Make natural small talk with question tags. Practice, check your answers, and study the flashcards.

Level B2 No login Free Works on your phone
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Speaking

Make Small Talk

What to do: Work in pairs. Have a short, friendly conversation. There is no score — just speak and listen.
Audio 1Listen to an example
Listen to someone describe a typical day, then describe yours.

Talk about it

  • Walk your partner through your typical weekday, from morning to night.
  • Do you enjoy small talk, or find it awkward? Why?
  • Invite agreement with a question tag: "Mornings are the hardest, aren't they?"
Featured Reading

The Surprising Power of Small Talk

Read the full interactive article and do the comprehension quiz.

Read it →
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Reading

The Liking Gap

What to do: Read this short extract from the unit article. Then answer the questions and tap Check Answers. (Read the full article using the link above!)

After a conversation, we often walk away thinking, "That was a bit awkward — they probably didn't like me." But researchers say this feeling is usually wrong. They call it the liking gap: the difference between how much people actually like us and how much we think they do.

In fact, people almost always underestimate the impression they make. On a famous study of commuter trains, the people who talked to a stranger had a more enjoyable journey than those who sat in silence — even though they had predicted the opposite.

1. What do researchers call the gap between how much people like us and how much we think they do?
2. After a conversation, people usually ______ the impression they make. (verb from the text)
3. On the commuter trains, the people who talked to a stranger had a journey that was…
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Listening

Catching Up

What to do: Listen two times. Then complete the sentences and answer the questions.
Audio 2Mia and Tom run into each other

Mia: Tom! I haven't seen you in ages. You've been really busy, haven't you?

Tom: Hi Mia! Yeah, work's been crazy. I've been burning the midnight oil almost every night.

Mia: That sounds exhausting. You still go running in the mornings, don't you?

Tom: I try to, but honestly I keep hitting the snooze button. What about you? You started a new job, didn't you?

Mia: I did! I love it. I usually wind down with a podcast after work now.

Tom: Nice. We should catch up properly soon, shouldn't we?

Mia: Definitely. Let's grab a coffee on Saturday, shall we?

Tom: Perfect. I'll text you to touch base on Friday.

Mia: Sounds good. It was lovely to see you!

1. Tom has been ______ the midnight oil almost every night. (verb)
2. In the mornings, Tom keeps hitting the ______ button.
3. Mia usually winds ______ with a podcast after work. (particle)
4. What do Mia and Tom plan to do on Saturday?
5. When will Tom contact Mia?
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Grammar

Question Tags

What to do: Add the correct question tag. Remember: positive sentence → negative tag (and the opposite). Match the auxiliary; use do/does/did if there isn't one.
1. You're coming to the party, ______?
2. She doesn't like coffee, ______?
3. They live near the school, ______?
4. We've met somewhere before, ______?
5. Let's get the ball rolling, ______? (special tag for "Let's…")
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Word Order

Build the Question Tag

What to do: Tap the words in the correct order. Tap a word in your answer to put it back. Then tap Check Answers.

1.

2.

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Writing

A Day in Messages

What to do: Write a friendly message (or a short text-chat) to a friend you haven't seen in a while, describing your typical day (about 80–100 words). Use question tags and idioms. There is no automatic score — use the checklist.
Example: "Hey! Long time no see — you've been busy with exams, haven't you? My week's been crazy too. I keep hitting the snooze button and then burning the midnight oil to catch up. I usually wind down with a show in the evening. We should catch up properly soon, shouldn't we? Let's grab a coffee on Saturday, shall we? I'll touch base on Friday. Take care!"
0 words

Did you include…

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Vocabulary

Flashcards

What to do: Tap a card to reveal the meaning and an example. These are the key words for this unit and the reading.
small talknountap to reveal
light, friendly conversation about unimportant things"We made small talk about the weather."
a weak tienountap to reveal
a person you recognize but don't know well"Your barista is a weak tie."
to break the iceidiomtap to reveal
to start a conversation and help people relax"A joke is a good way to break the ice."
to catch upphrasal verbtap to reveal
to share recent news with someone you haven't seen"Let's catch up over coffee soon."
to hit the snooze buttonidiomtap to reveal
to stop the alarm to sleep a little longer"I hit the snooze button three times!"
to burn the midnight oilidiomtap to reveal
to stay up late working or studying"She burned the midnight oil before exams."
to wind downphrasal verbtap to reveal
to relax after a busy time"I wind down with a podcast at night."
to touch baseidiomtap to reveal
to make brief contact to share an update"I'll touch base with you on Friday."
to call it a dayidiomtap to reveal
to stop working for the day"We've done enough — let's call it a day."
to run errandsphrasetap to reveal
to do small jobs like shopping or going to the bank"I spent Saturday running errands."

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Score

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