This episode’s vocabulary
Come to mind
idiom — to suddenly be remembered or thought of. → Example: The one cake that immediately comes to my mind is my last birthday cake.
Go round to
phrasal verb — to visit someone in their home. → Example: I went round to my parents with a few of my friends for the party.
Joint
adjective — shared by or belonging to two or more people. → Example: It was a joint birthday party as my aunt's birthday is the day before mine.
Covered in
phrasal verb — to have a lot of something on the surface. → Example: They all covered the cake in candles.
Fire hazard
noun phrase — something that is likely to cause a fire. → Example: With 36 candles, the cake was almost a fire hazard.
A big fan of
idiom — to like something very much. → Example: I'm not a big fan of sugar, but I love birthday cake.
Cut down on
phrasal verb — to reduce the amount of something you eat, drink, or do. → Example: I'm always trying to cut down on sugar.
Seldom
adverb — not often; rarely. → Example: I seldom get to have birthday cake, so this was a special treat for me.
A special treat
noun phrase — a special and enjoyable occasion or item. → Example: It was a special birthday treat for me.
A big deal
idiom — something important. → Example: If I hadn't been given it, I doubt it would have been a big deal.
Filling
noun — a sweet mixture put inside a cake. → Example: The cake had a creamy filling made of jam.
Icing
noun — a sweet, sugary coating for cakes and biscuits. → Example: The icing was white and the candles were red, blue and white.
A piece of cake
idiom — something that is very easy to do. → Example: Organizing this party was a piece of cake.
Flourless
adjective — made without flour. → Example: For a healthier option, you could describe a flourless chocolate cake.
Questions and answers
Describe a special cake you received from others. You should say when it happened, where it happened, who you got the cake from and explain why it's a special cake.
I suppose the one that immediately comes to my mind is my last birthday cake. So speaking about when I got it, this would have been the 24th of August, 2025 actually, since that's when my last birthday was. I went round to my parents with a few of my friends and some relatives from abroad joined us. Just since it was a joint birthday party as well. One of my aunts has a similar birthday to me. I think she's the day before. So because it was happening at the same time, we were all together. And if we consider exactly where this was, I know I said it was my parents, but it was such a nice day, we decided to have the party in the back garden on the decking. And then when I think about who gave it to me, I actually don't remember. But I suspect it was a joint birthday cake from everybody. And they all covered it in candles. Actually almost to the extent it was a fire hazard. There was one for every year and it was my 36th. As for why it was special, well, it was a birthday cake. And who doesn't love that? I think it was also just nice, because of who it was from and what it symbolized as well. Getting older and wiser and being surrounded by people who love and care about you. Or in this case, people who love and care about me. Plus, even though I'm not a big fan of sugar and I've always, well, I'm always trying to cut down, I absolutely love the taste of birthday cake and I seldom get to have it, so this was a special treat for me. It wasn't a particularly special one in terms of the toppings or the icing or anything, but it's just a nice taste to have. If I hadn't been given it, I doubt it would have been a big deal. But it's nice to have these little gestures, isn't it?
And what about your family? Did they enjoy the cake?
I assume so, because there was none of it left by the time the party was over.