初级口语(LRC)-英语听力初级口语part5
Oral Workshop: Reproduction Lesson 28-32 ;
Lesson 28 ;
Text A Where to Find a Listener? ;
Mr Adamson enjoys playing the violin in his leisure time. ;
He is often carried away by his music.But it is a terrible time for his neighbours ;
when Mr Adamson plays as he does so badly. ;
One day Mr Adamson sat by a window and began to play the violin as usual. ;
Mr Adamson seems to be making noises instead of music.However,Mr Adamson was absorbed. ;
Just then,some stones were thrown out of the window under which Mr Adamson was sitting, ;
but he did not pay attention to it.The "music"continued.After a little while, ;
an empty bottle and a worn-out shoe were thrown out of the window too. ;
Mr Adamson knew that this was not the place for him. ;
The neighbours did not like his "music". ;
Mr Adamson was very sad.He was badly hurt. ;
"Perhaps no living people can understand my music. ;
I should go to a place where people may appreciate my works. ;
"So he decided to go to a graveyard. ;
He came to a graveyard where there was no other sound except the church toll. ;
The yard was a Heaven where dead people rest. ;
Mr Adamson sat at a grave and thought a lot. ;
"I must do my best to show that my music is outstanding. ;
"He was inspired and began to play his violin. ;
Suddenly a barefoot stretched out from the grave ;
and gave Mr Adamson a kick which sent him flying. ;
His treasured violin also dropped from his hand. ;
Mr Adamson felt very sad because his works was not accepted by anyone, ;
not even the dead. ;
Text B Don't Throw Paper on the Floor ;
Bill Davidson is throwing some paper on the floor. ;
Miss Mead,his teacher, is looking at the paper. ;
MISS MEAD:Don't throw paper on the floor,Bill. ;
BILL:Where shall I put it,miss? ;
MISS MEAD:Put it in the waste-paper basket,please. ;
BILL:But Peter and Tony put all their paper in the basket a few moments ago. ;
Now it's full. ;
MISS MEAD:In that case,take the basket outside and empty it. ;
BILL:Yes,miss. MISS MEAD:Where did you empty the basket,Bill? ;
BILL:In the playground, miss. ;
MISS MEAD:Silly boy! The dustbin is at the back of the school. ;
Now pick up the paper and put it in the dustbin. ;
7.Read the following passage once. ;
Underline the key words while reading and retell the story to your partner. ;
An Englishman, a Scotsman ;
and an Irishman each owed a friend of theirs a pound. The man died. ;
They agreed that their debts were debts of honour and must be paid, ;
and that each one should go to the dead man's house, ;
leave a pound and ask that it should be buried with him,as he had no relatives. ;
The Englishman went and left a pound:so did the Irishman. ;
The Scotsman went to the house,took the two pounds,wrote a cheque for three pounds ;
and asked that it should be buried with the dead man. ;
But the undertaker was a Welshman. ;
He found the cheque, cashed it and kept the money. ;
Lesson 29 ;
Text A Some Sausage Sandwiches ;
One morning last summer Mrs Andrews made some sausage sandwiches ;
for her husband's lunch. ;
There was one sausage left over. ;
Mrs Andrews didn't care for sausages herself ;
and so she gave the last one to Henry, their little dog. ;
Henry ate it up quickly.During the morning the dog got ill. ;
He wouldn't stop shaking his head and he couldn't stand up properly. ;
Mrs Andrews thought, "He has eaten some- thing that didn't agree with him. ;
Maybe that sausage was bad..."She suddenly remembered her husband's lunch. ;
She ran to the telephone and called Jim at the office. ;
"Jim,I hope you haven't eaten any of those sandwiches yet." ;
"Yes,I have..." "You have?Well, listen--don't eat any more. ;
I gave Henry the last sausage and now he's ill. ;
Go to the doctor, Jim.Tell the doctor about the dog. ;
Get some medicine at once."Jim came home at lunchtime and went to bed. ;
"I had a very unpleasant hour with the doctor," he told his wife. ;
"The medicine made me very sick." The next morning Jim was fine. ;
Henry seemed quite well again too. ;
At eleven o'clock the milkman came with the milk. ;
"Good morning, Mrs Andrews,"The milkman said. ;
"How's your dog this morning?I have been thinking about him..." "Have you? ;
Well,he seems alright now,but..." ;
"Yesterday morning he and I had a little accident. ;
He jumped up at me and I dropped a bottle of milk on his head." ;
Text B Which of the Two Is Better? ;
WOMAN:Which of the two do you think is better? ;
I mean,what's the difference between them? ;
SALESMAN:Well...this one costs more,but it has a much better sound. ;
This part of it is made of wood,not plastic. ;
And there's a tone control,too. ;
WOMAN:I only want it for the kitchen. ;
I like to listen to the news at breakfast time. ;
SALESMAN:Hmm ...well the other one is good for the money. It's much cheaper. ;
We sell a lot of them and all our customers are satisfied with them. ;
WOMAN:Hmm ... I'd like the cheaper one,please.Can I pay by cheque? ;
SALESMAN:Certainly. ;
7.Read the following passage once. ;
Underline the key words while reading and retell the story to your partner. ;
"Why Not Stop Her?" ;
The ladies' club always had a meeting every Friday afternoon ;
and someone came to talk to them about important things. ;
After that,they had tea and asked questions. ;
One Friday,a gentleman came and talked to the club about food. ;
"There is not enough food in the world for everybody,"he said. ;
"More than half the people in the world are hungry. ;
And when they get more food,they have more babies, ;
so they never stop being hungry.Somewhere in the world, ;
a woman is having a baby every minute, day and night. ;
What are we going to do about it?" ;
He waited for a few seconds before he continued, ;
but before he began to speak again,one of the ladies said, ;
"Well,why don't we find that woman and stop her?" ;
Lesson 30 ;
Text A The Bloody Thumb ;
I met the old man at a cafe.I was a stranger in the town. ;
"Did you hear the radio news yesterday?" he asked me. ;
"I didn't,"I said "Was there anything exciting?" "Exciting, no! ;
It was important to me--and very,very sad. ;
A pack of hungry dogs killed and ate my best friend." ;
"Oh dear!"I cried. "I am sorry.How did it happen?" ;
"He was working in his olive grove on the hillside. ;
The pack attacked him there.We'll never know all the facts,of course. ;
When he didn't return, I went to the grove and--" ;
"You found the body?" I asked.The old fellow drank half his coffee. "The body?"he repeated ;
"No,no.I said they were hungry dogs, didn't I? ;
The big bones were lying here and there in the grove.But I found this--" ;
He pushed open a match box which he was hold -ing in his hand. ;
The box contained a man's thumb. ;
It was lying on some white,bloody material. ;
There was a cut-- an old cut--on the thumb nail. ;
"See that cut," the man said. "I recognized it. ;
This is my friend's right thumb.The dogs ate the rest of him!" ;
The old man began to cry then. ;
He finished his coffee quickly and left the cafe.I drank mine and called the waiter. ;
"I'll pay the gentleman's bill," I said. ;
"Please don't trouble him with it. ;
His poor friend--how awful!You've heard the news?"The waiter laughed, ;
"Yes.There's a hole in the bottom of the match box. ;
He puts his own thumb through the hole. ;
The "blood" is red ink,I believe.Is the story worth a cup of coffee,sir?" ;
Text B The Party ;
Claire Walton is working at home on a Sunday afternoon. ;
The phone rings. It is an old friend. ;
CLAIRE:Hello. MICK:Hello,Claire. This is Mick. ;
CLAIRE:Mick!Nice to hear from you again.How are you? ;
MICK:Fine,thanks. And you? ;
CLAIRE:Oh,not so bad. I've been very busy, but I'm going away on holiday soon. ;
MICK:Good.Listen.I'm phoning because I want to invite you to a party. ;
At our new house. And... CLAIRE:New house? Really? ;
MICK:Yes.We've moved That's why we're giving the party. Can you come? ;
CLAIRE:Well,that depends.When is it? ;
MICK:This Saturday evening. ;
CLAIRE:Well...I'm going away on Sunday morning. ;
Very early.Will the party go on very late? ;
MICK:Until two in the morning.But you don't have to stay that long. ;
Well?What about it? ;
CLAIRE:All right. I'll come.But I'd like to bring a present. ;
Something for your new house. What would you like? ;
MICK:Nothing.I mean, don't bring anything It isn't necessary. ;
CLAIRE:But I'd still like... ;
MICK:Just bring yourself!I'm looking forward to seeing you again. ;
It's been a long time! ;
CLAIRE:Yes,it has. I'm looking forward to seeing you,too. And your new house. ;
Uh...when does the party start? ;
MICK:Come any time after eight.All right? ;
CLAIRE:Yes.Oh,by the w... MICK:Bye!See you on Saturday evening. ;
CLAIRE:Wait a moment, Mick.You haven't... Mick? ;
Are you still there? You haven't given me your new address. Hello?Mick?Hello? ;
7.Read the following passage once. ;
Underline the key words while reading and retell the story to your partner. ;
There Are Some Things You Can't Get Away Without ;
I have a confession to make, ;
and the sooner it gets out in the open,the better I'll feel about it. ;
I don't drive a car. Americans are broad- -minded people. ;
They'll accept the fact that a person can be an alcoholic, a dope fiend, ;
a wife beater,and even a newspaperman, but if a man doesn't drive, ;
there is something wrong with him. ;
Through the years I've found it very embarras -sing to admit it to anyone. ;
and my best friends tend to view me with suspicion and contempt. ;
But where I really run into trouble is when I go into a store ;
and try to make a purchase with a check. ;
It happened again last week when I went to a discount house ;
at a large shopping center in Maryland. ;
I wanted to buy a portable typewriter, and the salesman was very helpful ;
about showing me the different models. ;
I decided on one,and then I said,"May I write out a personal check?" ;
"Naturally,"he said kindly."Do you have any identification?" ;
"Of course,"I said.I produced an American Express credit card, ;
a Diner's Club credit card,a Bell Telephone credit card, ;
and my pass to the White House. ;
The man inspected them all and then said,"Where's your driver's license?" ;
"I don't have one," I replied."Did you lose it?" ;
"No,I didn't lose it.I don't drive a car." ;
He pushed a button under the cash register, ;
and suddenly a floor manager came rushing over.The salesman had now become surly. ;
"This guy's trying to cash a check,and he doesn't have a driver's license. ;
Should I call the store detective?" ;
"Wait a minute.I'll talk to him,"the manager said. ;
"Did you lose your driver's license for some traffic offense?" ;
"No,I've never driven.I don't like to drive." ;
"Nobody likes to drive,"the floor manager shouted. "That's no excuse. ;
Why are you trying to cash a check if you don't have a driver's license?" ;
"I thought all the other identification was good enough,"I explained. ;
By this time the president of the store had arrived on the scene. ;
Fortunately,he recognized my name and okayed the check. ;
He was very embarrassed by the treatment I had received and said, ;
"Come on,I'll buy you a drink." ;
"I forgot to tell you, "I said."I don't drink either." ;
This was too much,even for him,and he pushed me toward the door. ;
"Get out of here," he said,"and don't come back!" ;
Lesson 31 ;
Text A A Difficult Customer ;
Dolores works in a shop selling gramophone records. ;
One afternoon a middle-aged woman came in, ;
sat on a stool in front of the counter, and smiled at her brightly. ;
"I want a record, dear,"she began. "One I heard on the radio this morning." ;
"What was the record called?" Dolores asked, without much hope. ;
The woman shook her head. ;
"I don't remember. I should know it if I heard it,though. ;
Perhaps if you play me a few records,I shall be able to pick it out." ;
She settled herself more comfortably on her stool. ;
"We have hundreds of records in stock," Dolores pointed out. ;
"It would take a very long time to play you even a little of each. ;
Could you hum it to me?"The woman shook her head again. ;
"I can't even sing the National Anthem in tune. ;
We should only get into a complete muddle if I were to start humming." ;
She looked quite depressed, ;
as if this reminder of her own lack of musical ability were the last straw. ;
Then suddenly her face brightened. ;
"I've just remembered something,"she said "It comes from a play. ;
There's a girl who speaks very badly, if you see what I mean. ;
But after a time she learns to talk well. ;
Something about-- what do you call it?Phonetics." ;
This was enough for Dolores. ;
"If you ask me,it's from 'My Fair Lady', "she said. ;
"That's it,dear. If you'd thought of it sooner, ;
we wouldn't have wasted so much time. I suppose you are new to the job." ;
Text B That Hurts a Lot ;
Malc went to the Casualy Department of the hospital. ;
There he was examined by the doctor. ;
DOCTOR:Right.Just take off your jacket and shirt. ;
And lie down on that bed over there... That's right... ;
Now,just hold up your right arm, will you?... Does this hurt? ;
MALC:No. DOCTOR:And this? MALC:Yes...a bit... ouch! ;
DOCTOR:And do you feel anything when I do this? ;
MALC:Yes,that hurts quite a lot. ;
DOCTOR:And you don't feel any pain anywhere else? ;
In your legs, for example? ;
MALC:No,nothing. ;
DOCTOR:Well,it's probably nothing serious. ;
But I think we'd better have that shoulder X-rayed. ;
We can't do that until the morning, though. ;
So it'd be better if you stayed in hospital for the night... ;
7.Read the following dialogue once. Underline the key words while reading ;
and retell to your partner the dialogue in your own words. ;
At the Doctor's ;
Doctor:Good morning. How are you? Patient:I'm very worried,doctor. ;
Doctor:Oh?What are you worried about? Patient:I'm afraid that I'm very ill. ;
Doctor:I'm sorry to hear that.Why do think so? ;
Patient:Because I feel tired all the time, even when I wake up in the morning. ;
I find it very difficult to do any work.I have no appetite. ;
My wife cooks me delicious meals but I can only eat a little. ;
Doctor:How do you sleep? Patient:Very badly, doctor. ;
Doctor:Do you find it difficult to get to sleep,or do you wake up early? ;
Patient:Both,doctor. ;
I never get to sleep until two o'clock and I always wake up at five. ;
Doctor:Are you worried about anything? ;
Patient:Well,yes,I am. I'm worried about my work.I've just taken a new job. ;
I earn a lot of money but it's difficult work.I'm always afraid of making a mistake. ;
Doctor:I see.Please take off your shirt and lie down on the couch. ;
Patient:Yes,doctor. ;
Doctor:Well,there's nothing very much wrong with you,I'm glad to say. ;
You're working too hard and worrying too much.Do you take much exercise? ;
Patient:No,doctor. I never have enough time for exercise. ;
I start work very early in the morning and finish late in the evening. ;
Then I can't get to sleep.Can you give me some medicine to help me to sleep? ;
Doctor:I can,but I'm not going to.You don't need medicine. ;
You need advice. Don't work so hard. ;
Too much work is bad for you.Don't worry about your work. ;
It's silly to worry. Take regular exercise. ;
Patient:But I may lose my job,doctor!It's hard to get a job like mine. ;
Doctor:Then get an easier one,even if you earn less money. ;
Which would you rather have,health or wealth? ;
Patient:You're right, doctor.It's more important to be healthy than wealthy ;
I'll change my job. I'm grateful for your advice. ;
Doctor:Come and see me again in month's time.I think you'll be a different man!" ;
Lesson 32 ;
Text A A Pocketful of Pigs ;
Once there was no money. ;
If people wanted to get something, they had to give something. ;
This is the way it used to be. ;
"I will give you my cow for your pig," a man would say. ;
"I'll give you my bowl if you give me a shirt "another would say. ;
"Here are seven oranges for one fish." ;
"Will you give me a chicken for a bag of corn?"People had to trade things every day ;
They had to give a thing to get a thing because there wasn't any money. ;
But they had to work out a good trade,one that came out even. ;
What could you get for two chickens? ;
Were three bags of apples a good trade for two bags of grapes? ;
Or one bag of apples for a little butter? ;
What was an even trade?It was hard to know. ;
And it was too hard to carry around all the things for trading. ;
People had to use too much time getting things they needed. ;
So they thought of a new way to trade. They thought of money. ;
Money could "stand for" apples,or bowls,or pigs. ;
And a pocketful of money was better than a pocketful of pigs. ;
With money,it was not so hard to trade. Everyone could use money. ;
The man who needed a pig could buy it with money. ;
The man who sold the pig could keep the money until he needed something. ;
People could work for money, ;
and people buy things with the money they got from work. ;
Text B Let's Play Chess ;
Mr Wilson and Mr Dawson are watching some men playing chess. ;
MR WILSON:Let's play chess. ;
MR DAWSON:I haven't played chess for a long time. ;
MR WILSON:That's all right.I'm a beginner. ;
I've just learnt how to play. ;
MR DAWSON:Look,there's a chessboard.Those two men have already finished playing. ;
MR WILSON(after they have played for a few minutes):You're a very good player. ;
MR DAWSON:Not really,but once I won a prize. ;
MR WILSON:So did I. I won a prize last week but it was a prize for beginners. ;
MR DAWSON:My prize was for the best player in the country. ;
Now let's start Play chess seriously. ;
7.Read the following dialogue once. Underline the key words while reading ;
and retell the dialogue to your partner in your own words. ;
Man:I'm not satisfied with it. ;
Saleswoman:Why not? What's wrong with it? ;
Man:Sometimes it goes fast.And sometimes it goes slow. ;
And the alarm doesn't work, either. ;
Saleswoman:Would you like another one? Man:No.Can I have my money back? ;
Saleswoman:Hmm... have you got a receipt? Man:A receipt? ;
Saleswoman:Yes. I must see your receipt. ;
You can't have your money back without a receipt. ;
Man:Oh,I'm not certain,but I think I've lost it. ;
Lesson 28 ;
Text A Where to Find a Listener? ;
Mr Adamson enjoys playing the violin in his leisure time. ;
He is often carried away by his music.But it is a terrible time for his neighbours ;
when Mr Adamson plays as he does so badly. ;
One day Mr Adamson sat by a window and began to play the violin as usual. ;
Mr Adamson seems to be making noises instead of music.However,Mr Adamson was absorbed. ;
Just then,some stones were thrown out of the window under which Mr Adamson was sitting, ;
but he did not pay attention to it.The "music"continued.After a little while, ;
an empty bottle and a worn-out shoe were thrown out of the window too. ;
Mr Adamson knew that this was not the place for him. ;
The neighbours did not like his "music". ;
Mr Adamson was very sad.He was badly hurt. ;
"Perhaps no living people can understand my music. ;
I should go to a place where people may appreciate my works. ;
"So he decided to go to a graveyard. ;
He came to a graveyard where there was no other sound except the church toll. ;
The yard was a Heaven where dead people rest. ;
Mr Adamson sat at a grave and thought a lot. ;
"I must do my best to show that my music is outstanding. ;
"He was inspired and began to play his violin. ;
Suddenly a barefoot stretched out from the grave ;
and gave Mr Adamson a kick which sent him flying. ;
His treasured violin also dropped from his hand. ;
Mr Adamson felt very sad because his works was not accepted by anyone, ;
not even the dead. ;
Text B Don't Throw Paper on the Floor ;
Bill Davidson is throwing some paper on the floor. ;
Miss Mead,his teacher, is looking at the paper. ;
MISS MEAD:Don't throw paper on the floor,Bill. ;
BILL:Where shall I put it,miss? ;
MISS MEAD:Put it in the waste-paper basket,please. ;
BILL:But Peter and Tony put all their paper in the basket a few moments ago. ;
Now it's full. ;
MISS MEAD:In that case,take the basket outside and empty it. ;
BILL:Yes,miss. MISS MEAD:Where did you empty the basket,Bill? ;
BILL:In the playground, miss. ;
MISS MEAD:Silly boy! The dustbin is at the back of the school. ;
Now pick up the paper and put it in the dustbin. ;
7.Read the following passage once. ;
Underline the key words while reading and retell the story to your partner. ;
An Englishman, a Scotsman ;
and an Irishman each owed a friend of theirs a pound. The man died. ;
They agreed that their debts were debts of honour and must be paid, ;
and that each one should go to the dead man's house, ;
leave a pound and ask that it should be buried with him,as he had no relatives. ;
The Englishman went and left a pound:so did the Irishman. ;
The Scotsman went to the house,took the two pounds,wrote a cheque for three pounds ;
and asked that it should be buried with the dead man. ;
But the undertaker was a Welshman. ;
He found the cheque, cashed it and kept the money. ;
Lesson 29 ;
Text A Some Sausage Sandwiches ;
One morning last summer Mrs Andrews made some sausage sandwiches ;
for her husband's lunch. ;
There was one sausage left over. ;
Mrs Andrews didn't care for sausages herself ;
and so she gave the last one to Henry, their little dog. ;
Henry ate it up quickly.During the morning the dog got ill. ;
He wouldn't stop shaking his head and he couldn't stand up properly. ;
Mrs Andrews thought, "He has eaten some- thing that didn't agree with him. ;
Maybe that sausage was bad..."She suddenly remembered her husband's lunch. ;
She ran to the telephone and called Jim at the office. ;
"Jim,I hope you haven't eaten any of those sandwiches yet." ;
"Yes,I have..." "You have?Well, listen--don't eat any more. ;
I gave Henry the last sausage and now he's ill. ;
Go to the doctor, Jim.Tell the doctor about the dog. ;
Get some medicine at once."Jim came home at lunchtime and went to bed. ;
"I had a very unpleasant hour with the doctor," he told his wife. ;
"The medicine made me very sick." The next morning Jim was fine. ;
Henry seemed quite well again too. ;
At eleven o'clock the milkman came with the milk. ;
"Good morning, Mrs Andrews,"The milkman said. ;
"How's your dog this morning?I have been thinking about him..." "Have you? ;
Well,he seems alright now,but..." ;
"Yesterday morning he and I had a little accident. ;
He jumped up at me and I dropped a bottle of milk on his head." ;
Text B Which of the Two Is Better? ;
WOMAN:Which of the two do you think is better? ;
I mean,what's the difference between them? ;
SALESMAN:Well...this one costs more,but it has a much better sound. ;
This part of it is made of wood,not plastic. ;
And there's a tone control,too. ;
WOMAN:I only want it for the kitchen. ;
I like to listen to the news at breakfast time. ;
SALESMAN:Hmm ...well the other one is good for the money. It's much cheaper. ;
We sell a lot of them and all our customers are satisfied with them. ;
WOMAN:Hmm ... I'd like the cheaper one,please.Can I pay by cheque? ;
SALESMAN:Certainly. ;
7.Read the following passage once. ;
Underline the key words while reading and retell the story to your partner. ;
"Why Not Stop Her?" ;
The ladies' club always had a meeting every Friday afternoon ;
and someone came to talk to them about important things. ;
After that,they had tea and asked questions. ;
One Friday,a gentleman came and talked to the club about food. ;
"There is not enough food in the world for everybody,"he said. ;
"More than half the people in the world are hungry. ;
And when they get more food,they have more babies, ;
so they never stop being hungry.Somewhere in the world, ;
a woman is having a baby every minute, day and night. ;
What are we going to do about it?" ;
He waited for a few seconds before he continued, ;
but before he began to speak again,one of the ladies said, ;
"Well,why don't we find that woman and stop her?" ;
Lesson 30 ;
Text A The Bloody Thumb ;
I met the old man at a cafe.I was a stranger in the town. ;
"Did you hear the radio news yesterday?" he asked me. ;
"I didn't,"I said "Was there anything exciting?" "Exciting, no! ;
It was important to me--and very,very sad. ;
A pack of hungry dogs killed and ate my best friend." ;
"Oh dear!"I cried. "I am sorry.How did it happen?" ;
"He was working in his olive grove on the hillside. ;
The pack attacked him there.We'll never know all the facts,of course. ;
When he didn't return, I went to the grove and--" ;
"You found the body?" I asked.The old fellow drank half his coffee. "The body?"he repeated ;
"No,no.I said they were hungry dogs, didn't I? ;
The big bones were lying here and there in the grove.But I found this--" ;
He pushed open a match box which he was hold -ing in his hand. ;
The box contained a man's thumb. ;
It was lying on some white,bloody material. ;
There was a cut-- an old cut--on the thumb nail. ;
"See that cut," the man said. "I recognized it. ;
This is my friend's right thumb.The dogs ate the rest of him!" ;
The old man began to cry then. ;
He finished his coffee quickly and left the cafe.I drank mine and called the waiter. ;
"I'll pay the gentleman's bill," I said. ;
"Please don't trouble him with it. ;
His poor friend--how awful!You've heard the news?"The waiter laughed, ;
"Yes.There's a hole in the bottom of the match box. ;
He puts his own thumb through the hole. ;
The "blood" is red ink,I believe.Is the story worth a cup of coffee,sir?" ;
Text B The Party ;
Claire Walton is working at home on a Sunday afternoon. ;
The phone rings. It is an old friend. ;
CLAIRE:Hello. MICK:Hello,Claire. This is Mick. ;
CLAIRE:Mick!Nice to hear from you again.How are you? ;
MICK:Fine,thanks. And you? ;
CLAIRE:Oh,not so bad. I've been very busy, but I'm going away on holiday soon. ;
MICK:Good.Listen.I'm phoning because I want to invite you to a party. ;
At our new house. And... CLAIRE:New house? Really? ;
MICK:Yes.We've moved That's why we're giving the party. Can you come? ;
CLAIRE:Well,that depends.When is it? ;
MICK:This Saturday evening. ;
CLAIRE:Well...I'm going away on Sunday morning. ;
Very early.Will the party go on very late? ;
MICK:Until two in the morning.But you don't have to stay that long. ;
Well?What about it? ;
CLAIRE:All right. I'll come.But I'd like to bring a present. ;
Something for your new house. What would you like? ;
MICK:Nothing.I mean, don't bring anything It isn't necessary. ;
CLAIRE:But I'd still like... ;
MICK:Just bring yourself!I'm looking forward to seeing you again. ;
It's been a long time! ;
CLAIRE:Yes,it has. I'm looking forward to seeing you,too. And your new house. ;
Uh...when does the party start? ;
MICK:Come any time after eight.All right? ;
CLAIRE:Yes.Oh,by the w... MICK:Bye!See you on Saturday evening. ;
CLAIRE:Wait a moment, Mick.You haven't... Mick? ;
Are you still there? You haven't given me your new address. Hello?Mick?Hello? ;
7.Read the following passage once. ;
Underline the key words while reading and retell the story to your partner. ;
There Are Some Things You Can't Get Away Without ;
I have a confession to make, ;
and the sooner it gets out in the open,the better I'll feel about it. ;
I don't drive a car. Americans are broad- -minded people. ;
They'll accept the fact that a person can be an alcoholic, a dope fiend, ;
a wife beater,and even a newspaperman, but if a man doesn't drive, ;
there is something wrong with him. ;
Through the years I've found it very embarras -sing to admit it to anyone. ;
and my best friends tend to view me with suspicion and contempt. ;
But where I really run into trouble is when I go into a store ;
and try to make a purchase with a check. ;
It happened again last week when I went to a discount house ;
at a large shopping center in Maryland. ;
I wanted to buy a portable typewriter, and the salesman was very helpful ;
about showing me the different models. ;
I decided on one,and then I said,"May I write out a personal check?" ;
"Naturally,"he said kindly."Do you have any identification?" ;
"Of course,"I said.I produced an American Express credit card, ;
a Diner's Club credit card,a Bell Telephone credit card, ;
and my pass to the White House. ;
The man inspected them all and then said,"Where's your driver's license?" ;
"I don't have one," I replied."Did you lose it?" ;
"No,I didn't lose it.I don't drive a car." ;
He pushed a button under the cash register, ;
and suddenly a floor manager came rushing over.The salesman had now become surly. ;
"This guy's trying to cash a check,and he doesn't have a driver's license. ;
Should I call the store detective?" ;
"Wait a minute.I'll talk to him,"the manager said. ;
"Did you lose your driver's license for some traffic offense?" ;
"No,I've never driven.I don't like to drive." ;
"Nobody likes to drive,"the floor manager shouted. "That's no excuse. ;
Why are you trying to cash a check if you don't have a driver's license?" ;
"I thought all the other identification was good enough,"I explained. ;
By this time the president of the store had arrived on the scene. ;
Fortunately,he recognized my name and okayed the check. ;
He was very embarrassed by the treatment I had received and said, ;
"Come on,I'll buy you a drink." ;
"I forgot to tell you, "I said."I don't drink either." ;
This was too much,even for him,and he pushed me toward the door. ;
"Get out of here," he said,"and don't come back!" ;
Lesson 31 ;
Text A A Difficult Customer ;
Dolores works in a shop selling gramophone records. ;
One afternoon a middle-aged woman came in, ;
sat on a stool in front of the counter, and smiled at her brightly. ;
"I want a record, dear,"she began. "One I heard on the radio this morning." ;
"What was the record called?" Dolores asked, without much hope. ;
The woman shook her head. ;
"I don't remember. I should know it if I heard it,though. ;
Perhaps if you play me a few records,I shall be able to pick it out." ;
She settled herself more comfortably on her stool. ;
"We have hundreds of records in stock," Dolores pointed out. ;
"It would take a very long time to play you even a little of each. ;
Could you hum it to me?"The woman shook her head again. ;
"I can't even sing the National Anthem in tune. ;
We should only get into a complete muddle if I were to start humming." ;
She looked quite depressed, ;
as if this reminder of her own lack of musical ability were the last straw. ;
Then suddenly her face brightened. ;
"I've just remembered something,"she said "It comes from a play. ;
There's a girl who speaks very badly, if you see what I mean. ;
But after a time she learns to talk well. ;
Something about-- what do you call it?Phonetics." ;
This was enough for Dolores. ;
"If you ask me,it's from 'My Fair Lady', "she said. ;
"That's it,dear. If you'd thought of it sooner, ;
we wouldn't have wasted so much time. I suppose you are new to the job." ;
Text B That Hurts a Lot ;
Malc went to the Casualy Department of the hospital. ;
There he was examined by the doctor. ;
DOCTOR:Right.Just take off your jacket and shirt. ;
And lie down on that bed over there... That's right... ;
Now,just hold up your right arm, will you?... Does this hurt? ;
MALC:No. DOCTOR:And this? MALC:Yes...a bit... ouch! ;
DOCTOR:And do you feel anything when I do this? ;
MALC:Yes,that hurts quite a lot. ;
DOCTOR:And you don't feel any pain anywhere else? ;
In your legs, for example? ;
MALC:No,nothing. ;
DOCTOR:Well,it's probably nothing serious. ;
But I think we'd better have that shoulder X-rayed. ;
We can't do that until the morning, though. ;
So it'd be better if you stayed in hospital for the night... ;
7.Read the following dialogue once. Underline the key words while reading ;
and retell to your partner the dialogue in your own words. ;
At the Doctor's ;
Doctor:Good morning. How are you? Patient:I'm very worried,doctor. ;
Doctor:Oh?What are you worried about? Patient:I'm afraid that I'm very ill. ;
Doctor:I'm sorry to hear that.Why do think so? ;
Patient:Because I feel tired all the time, even when I wake up in the morning. ;
I find it very difficult to do any work.I have no appetite. ;
My wife cooks me delicious meals but I can only eat a little. ;
Doctor:How do you sleep? Patient:Very badly, doctor. ;
Doctor:Do you find it difficult to get to sleep,or do you wake up early? ;
Patient:Both,doctor. ;
I never get to sleep until two o'clock and I always wake up at five. ;
Doctor:Are you worried about anything? ;
Patient:Well,yes,I am. I'm worried about my work.I've just taken a new job. ;
I earn a lot of money but it's difficult work.I'm always afraid of making a mistake. ;
Doctor:I see.Please take off your shirt and lie down on the couch. ;
Patient:Yes,doctor. ;
Doctor:Well,there's nothing very much wrong with you,I'm glad to say. ;
You're working too hard and worrying too much.Do you take much exercise? ;
Patient:No,doctor. I never have enough time for exercise. ;
I start work very early in the morning and finish late in the evening. ;
Then I can't get to sleep.Can you give me some medicine to help me to sleep? ;
Doctor:I can,but I'm not going to.You don't need medicine. ;
You need advice. Don't work so hard. ;
Too much work is bad for you.Don't worry about your work. ;
It's silly to worry. Take regular exercise. ;
Patient:But I may lose my job,doctor!It's hard to get a job like mine. ;
Doctor:Then get an easier one,even if you earn less money. ;
Which would you rather have,health or wealth? ;
Patient:You're right, doctor.It's more important to be healthy than wealthy ;
I'll change my job. I'm grateful for your advice. ;
Doctor:Come and see me again in month's time.I think you'll be a different man!" ;
Lesson 32 ;
Text A A Pocketful of Pigs ;
Once there was no money. ;
If people wanted to get something, they had to give something. ;
This is the way it used to be. ;
"I will give you my cow for your pig," a man would say. ;
"I'll give you my bowl if you give me a shirt "another would say. ;
"Here are seven oranges for one fish." ;
"Will you give me a chicken for a bag of corn?"People had to trade things every day ;
They had to give a thing to get a thing because there wasn't any money. ;
But they had to work out a good trade,one that came out even. ;
What could you get for two chickens? ;
Were three bags of apples a good trade for two bags of grapes? ;
Or one bag of apples for a little butter? ;
What was an even trade?It was hard to know. ;
And it was too hard to carry around all the things for trading. ;
People had to use too much time getting things they needed. ;
So they thought of a new way to trade. They thought of money. ;
Money could "stand for" apples,or bowls,or pigs. ;
And a pocketful of money was better than a pocketful of pigs. ;
With money,it was not so hard to trade. Everyone could use money. ;
The man who needed a pig could buy it with money. ;
The man who sold the pig could keep the money until he needed something. ;
People could work for money, ;
and people buy things with the money they got from work. ;
Text B Let's Play Chess ;
Mr Wilson and Mr Dawson are watching some men playing chess. ;
MR WILSON:Let's play chess. ;
MR DAWSON:I haven't played chess for a long time. ;
MR WILSON:That's all right.I'm a beginner. ;
I've just learnt how to play. ;
MR DAWSON:Look,there's a chessboard.Those two men have already finished playing. ;
MR WILSON(after they have played for a few minutes):You're a very good player. ;
MR DAWSON:Not really,but once I won a prize. ;
MR WILSON:So did I. I won a prize last week but it was a prize for beginners. ;
MR DAWSON:My prize was for the best player in the country. ;
Now let's start Play chess seriously. ;
7.Read the following dialogue once. Underline the key words while reading ;
and retell the dialogue to your partner in your own words. ;
Man:I'm not satisfied with it. ;
Saleswoman:Why not? What's wrong with it? ;
Man:Sometimes it goes fast.And sometimes it goes slow. ;
And the alarm doesn't work, either. ;
Saleswoman:Would you like another one? Man:No.Can I have my money back? ;
Saleswoman:Hmm... have you got a receipt? Man:A receipt? ;
Saleswoman:Yes. I must see your receipt. ;
You can't have your money back without a receipt. ;
Man:Oh,I'm not certain,but I think I've lost it. ;
