Unit ten
Number One
Listen to each conversation.
Put a tick next to the main topic of the conversation.
1. A: So, you're married, uh?
B: Yeah. We got married about six months ago.
A: Really B: Yeah.
A: That's kind of neat.B: Yeah, we moved to Chicago,
which is where my folks live, and got married there.
How about you? Ave you manrried?
A: Yeah, I'm married. We've been marcled about ten years now,
B: Oh, really?
A: Or eleven? I can't remember. Don't tell my wife that. Er, that's really nice.
A: What kind of sports do you like, Anne?
B: Um, I'm not much of a sports potson,
but I kind of like sports where you don't need a lot of equipment.
A: Aha.
B: You know, like, say, swimming, or jogging, er ... things like that?
A: Sports you can do alone?
Ah, not necessarily. I like to do sports with other people, but ...
I get bored if I play sports alone.
I like frisbee, you know,
there's just another person and you're out there.
It's really, it's like communication.
It's a really interesting sport.
B: Mmm. I can understand that.
I also like to play with maybe one other person,
but I don't really care for team sports like baseball, volleyball, basketball.
A: I don't like team sports either, though I like basketball a lot.
B: Oh, Why?
A: Er. I don't know, It's just a sport I've always played.
A: Alice, what do you do?
B: Well, I'm an editor. I do an awful lot of editing of manuscripts, er,
conecting of grammatical errors, correspondence, that sort of thing.
What about you?
A: Oh, I work for a travel agency.
B: Oh, yes?
A: I work with, let's see now, er ... five or six ... five people.
Our office isn't very big,
but what's really great about it, is that there are a lot of people coming in,
and it's a lot of fun.
B: Sounds like fun. Do you travel much in your work?
A: Yes, but not asmuch as I'd like to.
B: Aha.
A: And the discounts aren't that great.
B: Oh, I was just going to ask about the discounts.
A: Yeah.
A: So, what are we going to do this summer?
B: Um, I'm not sure. What do you think?
A: Well, I've been thinking about it, but I don't know.
Part of me wants to go. to the beach,
and part me just couldn't stand the crowds at the beach.
B: Yeah, but it won't be that bad, I mean, once you're there it's OK.
A: Yeah, I know, but we have no reservations, you know, same as last year,
what it's like when you get to the beach and every hotel and motel is full.
I was thinking, let's do something different.
B: Well, I think it's worth it just to lie there and relax for a while.
A: Yeah, know, but ...
B: OK. what do you want to do?
A: I really don't know what I want to do,
but I don't think I want to go to the beach.
I was thinking of going up to that guy's ....
the guy you know with a house in the mountains,
and if he wouldn't mind as visiting, just relaxing and it'll be cool,
we could walk around and go fishing ...
OK. I'll give him a call and see if anybody's going to be up there.
You're coming by car, right?
B: Yes.A: Ah, it's easy. Er, just take 17th Street to Miller, and turn left.
B: 17th Street to Miller?
A: Right. Turn left and go up to the bridge. Ah!
But before you get to the bridge, erm,
there's a small street called Farmer, turn right there.
B: So first left, and then right?
A: Right! Before you get to the bridge, turn right.
6. A: Now the number of taxi medallions I notice,
is about thirty-five thousand,
I used to be a taxi driver, that's why I ...
B: Er, what's a medallion?
A: The medallion is the little thing on the hood of the taxi, you know,
that licenses the car as a taxi.
The number of medallions is fixed,
so that limits the total number of taxis that can be ...
When somebody gives up his taxi business,
he sells his medallion for a tremendous amount of money,
like eighty to a hundred thousand dollars.
B: Really?
A: Yeah, because without one of those, you can't operate a taxi.
7. A: Hey, did you go?
B: Yeah. It was so nice!
A: Oh, you're so lucky!
I wanted to go, but I couldn't get any tickets. How was the concert?
B: Oh, it was fantastic! We had seats, kind of, over to the side,
but they were up on the second balcony and you could see everything and hear everything.
Then later we got to go down on the floor when they weren't checking tickets.
A: Ah, how lucky! I really wanted to go.
8.A: Well, I don't really have many close friends
and I just have one or two friends that I see a lot.
I don't really care to deal with people that much. How about, you?
B: Um, oh yeah. I do too a bit. Well, it depends if you include all the people,
like the people that I come into contact with at work.
A: Ah, in your job you meet a lotof people, right?
B: Yeah, that's true, but I don't really consider them my friends.
They're just acqaintances, I guess.
A: I guess yeah, but when I see people like that, I don't even remember their names.
B: Well, I have to remember them because of my job,
but ... If you consider close friends,
I guess I only have about maybe two or three that I see all the time.
Number Two
Listen to the conversations and write down the topics being discussed,
and the figures,date or amount that you hear.
1 A: Helen. You look great! You're much slimmer than the last time I saw you,
B: Well yes, Actually I've been on a diet and I've been doing a keep-fit class too.
A: Good for you! How much weight have you lost?
B: Have a guess.A: I've no idea.B: 13 pounds.
A: 13! That's amazing. Well done.
A: Um, yes. It's in pretty good condition really.
I only use it to go to work and back.
B: Yes, but the body's rather rusty,
Look at these bits here. It needs a lot of work.
A: Hmm. But it's got a new battery and um, three new tyres.
Oh, and it's just had a service.
The engine's almost perfect.
B: Al1 right I'll give you £650.
A: Oh no. It's worth a lot more.
B: 650 in cash. Take it or leave it.
A: Urn, I'm sorry. I'd rather wait for a better offer.
B: OK. It's up to you.
A: Look. There's a machine over here.
B: Oh good. I'll get some money out and we can have a drink. Er ...
A: What's up?
B: I can never remember my cash-card number.
A: Oh no.
B: Oh yes, Hang on. Let me think.
I should have written it down. I think it's 8976.
A: Fingers crossed!
B: OK. 8.. 9.. 7.. 6. Great ! It worked.
A : Lucky for us.
A: OK: Tony.I'11 see you next month to talk about the new contract.
B: Ah Stuart! Before you go let me give you our new fax number.
A: Oh good. That'll be useful. Just let me find a pen ... Right. Fire away.
B: The, er, code is 440865 for Britain and Oxford.
A: 44..0..8..6..5.
B: And the fax number of the office is 593381. That's it.
5 A: Ah, Julia. Your cheque's ready.
B: Oh, Great. I'm broke as usual.
A: We'll deposit it for you if you like,
B: OK.A: What's your bank account number?
B: 60911718.
A: 6091 ... 1718.
B: That's right.
A: Good morning. I've come to pick up some foreign currency for a holiday.
B: What currency did you order?
A: Mexican pesos. My name's Paul Allen.
B: Ah yes. Mr Allen. Here we are 410000 pesos.
A: Cor! What's the exchange rate?
B:4100 to the pound.
A:Right.Thank you very much.
7.A:More coffee?
B:Please darling,Well,Dace and Jane are in South America now.
A:Lucky things.I bet it's hot.
B:Let's look in the paper.
A:Here we are.Buenos Aires,83 degrees Fahrenheit!
8.A:Ok,It's my turn.Three.One...two...three...
B:History,Here we are.Ready
A:More or less.
B:Right.When was the Battle or Waterloo?1805,1815or 1825?
A:Waterloo.Hmm,1815?
B:Correct.Well done!
Number Three
Listen and write down what they are talking about.
Then circle the statement that summarizes what the speaker says.
1.Since I got my promotion to the head of the sales section,
I've been making a lot more money.
In fact,my salary this year is almost double what I made last year.
]2.A lot of people are moving out of the city,it seems,
because the residents'figures are going down,
but the number of businesses opening up increasing.
So there are more jobs in the city now,
3.The number of traffic accidents at this corner
has really decreased since they put that new traffic signal over there
and repainted the crosswalk markings.
So far there hasn't been a single accident,
and the kids are a lot safer walking to school.
Number Four
Listen and write down the topic being discussed in each of the extracts.
1.A:This is very nice,What a lovely lawn!
B:Yes.We're very lucky.
We're got some good-sized flower beds
but it's a lot of work to keep them free of weeds.
A:I can imagine.Oh,you've got a nice shed too.
That must be useful.
B:Oh,yes.Over here there's a vegetable patch.
I've got potatoes,cabbages and onions.
At the back next to the fence there are blackcurrants and rhubarb.
Here we've got some raspberry hushes.
2.A:Damn.It's done it again!
B:What happened?
A:Oh,I put my 40p in and pressed the button for hot chocolate.B:And?
A:Look!A cup of cold water.This thing is always going wrong.
3.A:Ah!This is new.
B:That's right.Just bought it actually.
A:How good are these things?
B:I think they're great.
You can put some food in and it's cooked in no time at all.
A:It seems to be easy to use.
B:Yes. There's a timer and you use very little electricity so it's cheap too.
4A:Hmm. It looks really complicated to me.
B:Well it isn't. Anyone can use it. Believe me!
A: What do I do then?
B: First you switch it on here, OK. ?
Then you load the disc here,
press, the space bar and the programme is ready to use for word-processing,
or you can load the games disc and just play games on it.A: Great.
5.A: How do I look? B: Not bad. Do they fit all right?
A: Er, they're a bit tight round here.
B: I really like the colour. Suits you.
A: Hmm. The trouble is they'll shrink when they're washed and then I'll never get into them.
B: Pity, as they're reduced in the sale.
A: Oh never mind. Let's try somewhere else.
6.A: I've got one of these.
B: They're good, aren't they? Really compact.
A: And very powerful -- 24 watts per speaker.
B: Yes. I like having the double cassette-player
A: You know what the best thing was?
B: No.
A: Interest-free credit !
7.A: What do you think of this one?
B: It's really not my cup of tea. Too modem and abstract.
A: But look at the colours and forms. Very imaginative.
B: Hmm, maybe. I prefer landscape or portraits myself.
A: Oh, you're so traditional!
8.A: I didn't think much of that.
B: No. It wasn't too hot. Pity, because they're a good group.
A: I couldn't hear the lead singer at all.
B: Me neither. The guitars and' drums were too loud.
A: Still, it got better near the end.
B: I reckon they sound much better on their records.
9.A: How did you get on?
B: Don't ask !
A: You lost. Well, he's a good player.
B: You're telling me. His service is incredible.
A: So is his backhand. What was the score?
B:6-0,6-1.
A:Oh dear.Come on.I'll buy you a drink.
10.A:John.Welcome back!Cor,what a tan!
B:I was really lucky with the weather.
A:Good hotel?
B:Not too bad,The food was average,but we were right on the beach.
A:Hmm,We should have gone abroad too instead of camping in Wales.
B:Do you want to see some photos? A:Oh,yes!