英语口语实用高级班文本

英语口语实用高级班文本 第一课: A:Do you have a date for the party yet? B:Actually , I don’t. Do you think you could help me find one? A:Hmm, what kind of guys do you like? B: Oh, I like guys who aren’t too serious and who have a good sense of humor. You know , like you. A:Ok, Uh, what else? B:Well, I’d prefer someone I have something in common with-who I can talk to easily. A:I think I know just the guy for you. Bob Branson. Do you know him.? B: No, I don’t think so. A:well, let me arrange for you to meet him, , and you can tell me what you think. Chris: So, what’stheVerdict? What did you think of Bob? Kim: Well, I was worried at first especially when I saw that he wears not one but two earrings, I thought he might turn out to be one of those guys who are into heavy rock music and stuff like that. You know what I mean? Chris:Buthe’sjustlike a regular kind of guy, right? Kim: Yeah, we got along really well! Chris:Ijustknewyou’dlikehim. Kim: Yeah, I do, andhe’sreally funny. He had me laughing hysterically during dinner. I think the people sitting next to us in the restaurant thought we were crazy. Chris: So, are you two going to get together again? Kim: Definitely, in fact, we’regoing to a concert tomorrow night. Chris: That’sgreat. 第二课: 1. Andrea A: So, have you seen Andrea lately? B: Yeah, I see her pretty often. We work together at a café latté. A: How’sshedoing, I’vebeenmeaning to call her. B: Well, to be honest! I’vealways thoughtshe’salittle difficult. But these days, I find her impossible. A: What do you mean? B: Oh, you know how she is. She has strong ideas about everything. And Ifyoudon’tagree with her, she lets you know what she thinks of you. A: Yes, that’strue. Butthat’swhyweloveher, right? B: Yeah, I guess so. Butshe’schanged a lot since she started college. She talked about herself all the time and she always manages to mention how good she is at everything she does. A: Hmm. Maybe Iwon’tcallherafter all. 2. James A: Are you going to James’s party on Saturday? B: Of course, James always gives the best parties. And there are always lots of interesting new people to meet. A:That’strue.Idon’tknowwhere he manages to find them all. B: Well, youknowwhathe’slike. He makes friends really easily. He really likes talking to people, and he loves inviting people over. A: Ur – Ur, he invited me for dinner last Saturday, what a feast! B: Yeah, he’sagreat cook too. A: After dinner I offered to help clean up, but he told me not to worry about it. Hesaidhe’dtakecareofitinthemorning. He was like, it’snothing, no big deal. B: Yup, that sounds like James. 3. Mr. Johnson A: Have you met the new apartment manager? B: Mr. Johnson? Hmm. Yeah, I met him last week. He’s…alittle strange. A:Yeah,heis.I’mnotsureIlikehim.He’shard to predict. Sometimeshe’spretty cheerful and talkative, and the next day he doesn’tevensayhello. I think he must have personal problems or something. B: I think you’reright. And have you noticed that half the time whenhesayshe’sgoing to 3 something, he never actually does it? He told me three times he’d come to fix the light in my kitchen, and he still hasn’tdoneit. 第三课: Dave: Hello? Jim: Hi. Myname’sJimHunt. I’mcalling about the ad for a roommate. Dave: Oh, right. Jim: Are you still looking for someone? Dave: Yes, we are. Jim: Oh, good. I’mreally interested. Dave: Well, there are four of us, andit’safairly small house, so we want someonewho’seasytogetalong with. Jim: I’mpretty easygoing. Dave: Great! So can I ask you a few fairly straightforward questions about yourself? Jim: No problem. I like it when people are direct. D: What do you do, Jim? J: Oh, well, I’vehadalotofdifferent jobs, butI’mnotworking right now. J: Yeah, I got fired from my last job about six months ago, soI’ve been looking for something else. I haven’tbeenverylucky so far. D: Uh-huh. Well, the rent here is $1,200 a month – uh, that’s$300 a month for each person. J:Oh,Uh…. D: Will you have enough money to pay the rent every month? J: Yeah, I probablywill…ifIcanfindajob. D: Yeah. Uh, look, where are you living now? J: Well, I’vebeenstaying with a friend for the past couple of weeks. D: Uh-huh. J: Yeah, buthe’sasked me to leave by Friday, so I really need to find a place to live. I’vehadtomovefourtimes inthepastyearand,well… D: Listen, Jim. I appreciate your telling me about yourself. I like it when people are honest with me. Anyway, I have to talk to my other roommates about this, andI’llgiveyouacalltomorrow to let you know what we decide. Whydon’tyougivemeyournumber? J:Sure,it’s two, two, three … 第四课: Tracy: Good news! I’vefound a summer job! Mark: That’sgreat! Anything interesting? T: Yes, working at an amusement park. Doesn’tthatsound fantastic? M: Sure, it does. T: So, have you found anything? M: Nothingyet,butI’vegotacouple of leads. One is working as an intern for a record company – mostly answering phones. Or I can get a landscaping job again. T: Being an intern sounds more interesting than landscaping. Andit’sprobably not as hard! M: Yeah, but a landscaper earns more money than an intern. And you get a great tan! M: So what will you be doing at the amusement park, exactly? T: Actually,I’llhavetwo jobs. First,I’llbeworking at a place called Children’s World. They have all kinds of interesting games and educational activities for young kids. I have to go to a training program for three days before I start .to find out how everything works. M: Three days? Wow, the equipment must be pretty high-tech! T: Oh, it is – a lot of computers and interesting devices. It’s just the kind of stuff that kids love. M: Well, it sounds like the perfect job for you. I know how much you love kids. Sowhat’syourother job? T:Well.I’llalso be one of the people who .walks around the park greeting people. M: Doyoumeanyou’llhavetodress up in a costume? T: Yes, as a cartoon character! I know, I know. It sounds silly. Andit’s certainly not as rewarding as working in Children’sWorld, but .it’spartofthejob. 第五课: Woman: So where are you working this summer, Carlos? Carlos: I’mworking as a tutor. in a learning center for kids. W: Interesting. What kinds of things do the kids do there? C: They work on subjects they need help in, uh, mainly .math and English. W: Is your job hard? C: No, not at all. The kids work on computers most of the time. We have to help them get started and when they run into problems. W: Do you enjoy it? C: Oh, yes. Working with kids is so much more fun than working with adults. And I get to choose my own hours. As long as I work eight hours a day, I can come in at any time from 8 A.M. TO 9 P.M. W: Lucky you! Woman: Paul, did you find a summer job, yet? Paul: Yeah, I’mworking in a restaurant. W: Oh, how’sitgoing? P: Oh, the money’snotbad. W: What are you doing? Are you waiting tables? P: I wish! No. I’mworking in the kitchen. I cut up stuff for the chef – vegetables and meat and things. I also wash the dishes. W: Oh, yuck. P: Yeah. It’spretty hard work. Ididn’trealize how hot it is in a restaurant kitchen until I took this job. W:Sowhydon’tyouquit? P: I’dloveto, but I need the money. Man: So what kind of job did you find for the summer? Julia: I’mworking for a marketing company. I’mdoing telephone marketing. M: Oh, soyou’reoneofthose people who drives me crazy by calling me up and trying to persuade me to buy something that I have absolutely no need for. J: Exactly. M: Do you like it? J: Believeitornot,Ido.It’s mostly a bunch of students working there, andwehavealotoffunwhenwe’renotmaking calls. It’sreally easy, too, since we just have to read from a script. M: Are you doing this full time? J: Yes, but I work from two in the afternoon until eleven at night, so I get to sleep as late as I want to in the morning. 第六课: Tina: R: hello T:hi, Robert, this is Tina. R: hi, Tina, what’s up? T:well, actually, I was wondering if you’d mind lending me your camera for a few days. I want to take some photos of my new apartment to send to my folks. R: sure, you can borrow it. T:oh, thanks a million. Mike: M: hi, Sandy, this is mike. S:oh, hi, how are things with you? M: pretty good. Listen, I was wondering if I could use your video game system over the weekend. S: you mean my Sony Play Station? M: yeah, my sister’s asked me to take care of my niece and nephew over the weekend—they’re six and eight—and I thought it would be a great way to keep them busy. S: that’s a good idea—kids that age love video games—but, hmm, I have bad news: my machine isn’t working. I’ve been meaning to take it in to get fixed, but I haven’t gotten around to it. M: oh, too bad. S: but you know, you can always rent one. Most video stores have machine to rent. You just have to leave a deposit. M: oh, perfect. I’ll do that. Thanks Sandy. S: no problem. Phil: P: hi, Greg. It’s Phil. G: hi, what’s up? P: not much, but I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor. G: hmm, maybe, try me. P: well, I have to go out of town for a few days next week. G: Uh-huh. P: could I leave Polly with you while I’m gone? G: Polly? Who’s Polly? P: you know, Polly, my bird. G:oh, yeah, I forgot. Your bird. I don’t know, Phil, I really don’t like birds very much. They’re messy, and they make a lot of noise, and.. P: no, not Polly. She’s really a great bird. She’s really clean and very quiet. She won’t bother you—I promise G: oh, all right. I’ll do it. P: thanks. I really appreciate it. I’ll bring her over on Tuesday night. G: ok, but you own me one! 第七课: Amy: Hello? Jeff: Hello. May I speak to Sophia, please? A: I’msorry,she’snot in right now. Would you like to leave a message? J: Yes, please. This is Jeff. Would you tell her that Tony is having a party on Saturday? A: Un-huh. J: And would you askherifshe’dliketo go with me? A: All right, Peter. I’llgiveherthemessage. J: No, this is Jeff, not Peter. A: Oh,I’m.sorry. J: By the way, who’sPeter? Sophia:Hi!I’mhome! A: Oh, hi. S: Did anyone call? A: Uh-huh. Your old friend Peter called a few hours ago. He’sgoing to be in town on Saturday and wants to get together with you Saturday night. He said to call him. S: Oh, super! I haven’tseenPeter in almost a year. Any other calls? A: Uh, yeah. Jeff called. He wants toknowifyouwanttogotoTony’sparty with him. S: Oh. WhenisTony’sparty? A: On Saturday. S: Oh, perfect. That’sthesamenight I’mgoing to get together with Peter, so I have an excuse not to go. Even if I weren’tgoing out with Peter, I wouldn’tgoanywherewithJeff.Oh,he’ssuchapain! A: Oh, hedidn’tsound so bad. He sounded kind of sweet. S: Yeah, yeah, I guess he is. It’sjustthatIdon’twanna go out with him – and he just doesn’tseem to get the message. Do me a favor. Amy: If he calls again, could youjusttellhimI’mnothome? A: Hmm. OK. 第八课: ，1， Jake: What an awful story! A couple was sailing their yacht from Hawaii to Mexico. While they were crossing the Pacific, their boat hit a whale and sank! Anne: Is that true? What happened to the whale? J: It doesn’t say! Oh and here’s another one. A guy in Los Angles was robbing a bank. But as he was escap ing, he got caught in the revolving door. A: I guess it was his first bank robbery! J: Yeah. Oh and listen to this. Some guy got locked out of his house, so he tried to get in through the chimney. A: Don’t tell me! He got stuck in the chimney! J: Exactly. And he was still trying to get out two days later when the police rescued him. 1. A man who considered himself a snake charmer was strangled to death on Sunday by a three-and-a-half-meter boa constrictor in a town in Thailand. It seems that the man rushed to see the giant snake after friends told him the serpent was seen beside one of the town’s main roads. The snake charmer put it around his neck; while he and his friends were walking home, the snake strangled him to death. 2. Two teenage girls who disappeared from a ship were found alive and well. The girls turned up on Friday, near a small town on the northeast coast of Australia. The girls said they were visiting a friend on the ship and fell asleep in their friend’s cabin. When they woke up, the ship was heading for Singapore, so they decided to jump off the ship and swim to shore. They found themselves on a deserted part of the Australian coast, and had to walk over 100 miles to the nearest town. 3. Early Tuesday morning in California, two police officers who were pursuing a car thief down Hollywood Boulevard in a high-speed chase were rescued by the thief. During the chase, the officers’ car overturned and fell into a shallow river. The officers couldn’t get out of the car, which was rapidly filling up with water. The thief went back to the scene of the accident and helped rescue the officers. The Hollywood Police Department has decided to drop charges against the thief for saving the officers’ lives. 第九课: ，1， Brian: Someone stole my wallet last night! Kate: Oh no! What happened? B: Well, I was working out, and I had put my stuff in my locker, just like I always do. When I came back, someone had stolen my wallet. I guess I’d forgotten to lock the locker. K: I’m sorry. That’s terrible! Did you lose much money? B: Only about $20. But I lost my credit card and my driver’s license. What a pain! ，2， K: Hmm. That reminds me of when I had my purse stolen last year. B: Really? What happened? K: Well, it was when I was in Belgium. I was on my way to the airport, so I was standing on the side of the road with my bags, trying to figure out the bus schedule. Anyway, this bunch of guys came by and asked if they could help me. They spoke very broken English, and I couldn’t really understand what they were saying. I really just wanted them to leave me alone. Finally, they left and when I looked down, I realized my purse had disappeared. It had my wallet in it with all my traveler’s checks and my money and my credit card. Well, luckily, I had put my airline ticket and my passport in one of my carry-on bags. B: How awful! So what did you do? K: Well, first I screamed at the top of my lungs and tried to run after the guys – but they were long gone. Then – this sounds really corny – I did just what I had seen people do on TV: I called my credit card company. B: Were they helpful? K: They were lifesavers! In no time at all, they’d given me new traveler’s checks and a new credit card, and sent me on my way. 第10课:特色课 第11次课: 1 Taxi drivers A: It really upsets me when taxi drivers drive so fast. I’m always terrified of having an accident. B: That doesn’t really bother me. I like to get where I’m going quickly. But I can’t stand it when they have their radios turned up all the way full blast. You can’t even hear yourself think! 2 People with dogs A: I hate it when people take their dogs into a park and let them make messes all over the place. It’s so irresponsible! B: You know what bothers me? I hate it when they go out and leave their dog at home, barking all day. 3 TV commercials A: I can’t stand it when they show the same commercial twice in a row. Why do they do that? It drives me crazy! B: The thing that bothers me the most is when they interrupt a ball game at the most exciting moment to show some stupid commercial. 4 Store clerks A: It really upsets me when store clerks pretend they haven’t noticed you and just stand around chatting to each other. It’s so rude. B: Yeah. Or on the other hand, they give you the hard sell, and try to get you to buy something you don’t really want. 第12课: 1Mark When I lived in Spain, I was surprised at how late people eat in the evening. When you’re invited to dinner, you are asked to come around nine o’clock and you usually don’t start dinner until ten. And people stay terribly late – sometimes until two in the morning or even later. I found it difficult. How does one get up and go to work or school the next day after eating and drinking until three in the morning? 2. Susan I lived in the Middle East for a while, and when I went out, I had to obey the local custom of wearing something over my head and wearing a dress that covered my whole body. At first, I found it a real nuisance, but after a while, I got used to it and even started to like it. You feel really secure, and also you don’t have to worry about what to wear all the time. 第13课: ，1， Clerk: Can I help you? Helen: Yes, I’d like to return this jacket. C: Is there something the matter with it? H: Yes. I didn’t notice when I bought it, but there are a few problems. First, it has a tear in the lining. C: Hmm, actually, it’s torn in several places. H: And some of the buttons are very loose, this one came off, in fact. And there’s a stain on the collar. C: I’m really sorry about this. Would you like to exchange it for another one? H: Well, to be honest, I don’t think this jacket is very well made. I’d rather get a refund. C: I understand. Do you have the receipt? ，2， C: Can I help you? M: Yes, I bought this briefcase here last week, but there’s something wrong with the lock. I can’t get it to close properly. C: Let me see. Yes, I see what you mean. The lock seems to be jammed or something. No problem. I’ll get you another one. Sorry about that. 第14课: ，1， W: Hi. C: Yes? W: I wonder if you could take a look at these shoes I bought here. They’re pretty new, but they seem to be falling apart. C: Hmm. Let me see. Yes, this doesn’t look right. The stitching is coming out. How long did you say you’ve had them? W: Only about a month. Here’s the receipt. C: Hmm…yes. Well, let me exchange these for you. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. ，2， M: Excuse me. C: Yes, how can I help you? M: You see this shirt? I bought it here a few weeks ago, but the first time I washed it, the color changed: It went from bright red to light pink. C: How did you wash it? M: Well, I just tossed it into the washing machine with my other clothes. C: What temperature did you use? M: I usually wash my clothes in hot water, so I guess hot. C: Well, did you check the washing instructions? M: Um…maybe not. C: Well, you see here on this label? It says, “Wash in cold water only.” M: Um-hmm. C: So I’m really sorry, but since you didn’t follow the washing instructions, I can’t really do anyth ing for you. 第15课: ，1， Ms. Lock: Hello? Mr. Burr: Hello, Ms. Lock. This is Jack Burr. L: Uh, Mr. Burr… in Apartment 205? B: No, in Apartment 305. L: Oh, yes. What can I do for you? Does your refrigerator need fixing again? B: No, it’s the oven this time. L: Oh, so what’s wrong with it? B: Well, I think the temperature control needs to be checked. Everything I try to cook gets burned. L: Really? OK, I’ll have someone look at it right away. B: Thanks a lot, Ms. Lock. L: Uh, by the way, Mr. Burr, are you sure it’s the oven and not your cooking? ，2， Ms. Lock: Hello? Mrs. Harris: Hello. Is this the manager? L: Yes, this is Ms. Lock. H: This is Mrs. Harris in Apartment 216. L: Yes, how can I help you, Mrs. Harris? H: I’m having a problem. L: What sort of problem? G: With the electricity. L: What sort of problem with the electricity? H: Well, I don’t seem to have any. L: I see. Do you mean for the lights or is it the appliances, too? H: Let me check…No, the refrigerator is OK, so it must be just the lights. L: I guess something must be wrong with the fuse box I’ll come up and have a look at it right away. H: Thanks so much. 第16课: ，1，Andy: Excuse me. Would you like to make a contribution to Greener World? Carla: Sure. What are you working on right now? A: Well, we’re developing educational programs for schools. We want to show children how the ocean s are being polluted by industrial waste. And we want to tell them about how fish supplies have been depleted through overfishing. C: I think what you’re doing is terrific. I wish I could do more to help. A: So, have you ever thought about becoming a member of Greener World? C: No, but tell me a little more about it. ，2， A: We’ve been active in this area for almost five years now. Are you aware of some of our other local projects? C: No, I don’t think I am. A: Well, one of the things we’ve been doing is planting trees. We have a group of volunteers involved in several tree-planting projects in different parts of the city. We’re trying to get as many trees planted as possible to help clean the air and also to help lower the temperature during the summer. C: That sounds smart. A: Uh-huh. We’ve also placed over 50 recycling bins around the city so that people can drop off things for recycling – cans, bottles, plastic bags, and newspapers. Last year we raised over $100,000 through recycling. C: That’s fantastic. I’d love to get involved in Greener World. Where do I sign? 第17课: 1. Jenny: J: You know, I’ve been reading a lot about the problem of landfills – and it really has me worried. M: Why? J: Well, it seems that the easiest way of disposing of trash is by burying it in landfills. The problem is that in many countries the landfills have already been filled up, and it’s hard to find places to start new ones. No one wants a huge landfill anywhere near their neighborhood. M: So what’s the solution? J: Well, there is no easy solution. But many cities are trying to do more recycling so that they can reduce the amount of stuff that goes into the landfills. 2. Adam: W: I can’t believe it’s become dangerous to get a suntan. What is this world coming to? A: Well, the sun has never been good for you, but it’s really dangerous now. You see, the ozonosphere, which helps protect us from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, has been damaged by pollution in the air. When the ozone layer gets too thin, it can cause an increase in skin cancer and other problems. W: But is there anything we can do to solve the problem? A: Sure. One of the biggest threats to the ozone layer is cars – the exhaust gases from cars. The best way to save the ozone layer is to drive less. So in many places, people are being asked to carpool. 3. Kate: K: You know, you always hear about air pollution, but not many people are aware of the problem of water pollution. M: You mean in the oceans? K: No. I mean polluted drinking water. It’s a problem in almost every major city in the world. Almost all our rivers and lakes – where we get our drinking water from – are being polluted in some way by businesses farms, homes, industries, and other sources. And even though the water most of us drink is treated, it’s still not 100 percent pure. M: So what’s the solution? K: Well, it’s a complicated problem to solve, but basically what’s involved is treating all waste products more carefully so that dangerous chemicals and bacteria don’t get into our water supply. 第18课: Andy: You know, there’safactory outsidetownthat’spumping chemicals into the river. Carla: How can they do that? Isn’tthatagainst the law? A: Yes, it is. But a lot of companies ignore those laws. C: That’sterrible! What can Greener World do? A: Well, one thing to do about it is to talk to the management. C: What if that doesn’twork? A: Well, then another way to stop them is to get a TV station to run a story on it. C: Yes! Companies hate bad publicity. By the way, what’sthenameofthiscompany? A: It’scalled Apex Industries. C: Oh no! My uncle is one of their top executives! Carla: Wait a minute, Before Greener World does anything, shouldn’twemakesurethatwe’vegotourfacts straight? Andy: Absolutely. The best thing to do is to monitor the situation over the next several weeks to see what exactly is happening. C: How do we do that? A: Well, we can take pictures of the river and even take water samples to see how bad the situation is. C: OK. And maybe I could talk to my uncle about it. A: Oh, no, Idon’tthink that’sagoodidea. Not yet, anyway. C: Why not? A: Idon’tthink we want to say anything to anyone until we have a clearer picture of what is going on. After we’vemonitored the situation for a while, then we can decide whether we need to have a meeting with a representative of the companytotellthemwhatwe’vediscovered. OK, Carla? C: OK. 第19课: Paula: Do you want to take a class with me at the community college? Jason: Maybe. What are they offering? P: Well, here’sthecourse catalog. Take a look. J: Hmm. They’vegotalotoflanguage classes – Chinese, German, Japanese. Would you rather learn an Asian language or an European one? P: Um, actually, I think I’drather take an art class. They have one on landscape photography and another on making videos. J: That sounds OK. But I think I’dprefer studying video to learning about photography. P: OH, wait. It says here that you need to provide your own video equipment. J: Oh, I’drather not spend a lot of money. Let’sseewhatelsethey’reoffering. P:hey, this sounds kind interesting, the art of bonsai. Jason: What’sbonsai? P: You know, those miniature trees they grow in little tubs. It says here that they have a course on how to grow them, and on how to develop a business selling bonsais. Apparently, you can sell them for up to $500 a piece. J: Really? Wow! That does sound good. We could learn how to grow them and then maybe set up a little business. P: Yeah. We could doitoutatmydad’splace. He has lots of room to grow things in his garden. J: Is the course expensive? Do you have to buy any special equipment? P: It says no special equipment is required except plant containers and some young trees. J: Let’scheck it out, then. 第20课:特色课 第21次课: M: So, Linda, what have you been doing with yourself? L: Not much. Oh, wait! That’snottrue. I took this great dancing course last semester. M: Oh, yeah! What kind of dancing? L: We learned tap dancing and square dancing. M: Wait……whyonearth would you want to learn tap dancing and square dancing? It sounds exhausting. L: Oh, just for fun. You should try taking the course. You’llseethatyoulearn more than just dancing, You also learn how to be more confident and how to interact better with other people. M: Hmm. I think with all that hopping aroundI’dbetooexhausted to interact with anyone. G: I just got my grade in the mail. I got an A! M: Wow! That’sterrific. Congratulations. What kind of course was it? G: Oh, it was one of those business courses. They just taught us how to open a small business. M: Oh, did it help? G: Oh, absolutely. We learned a lot of general principles, and then they taught us about how to run a small retail business. I got a lot of great information that I could use if ever I decidetoopen……oh, let’ssayaplumbing supply store. M: A plumbing supply store? 第22课: A: Hello, Mr. Smith? I was wondering if you could, uh, change the lightbulb out front? It went out again. B: Look, why are you bothering me now? It’sstill light outside and it will be for another five hours. A: Well, I realize that, but it was dark last night, and I was fumbling with my keys, and…I’mheaded out now, and… B: Miss, it just rained. It’sverywet. It’sdangerous to work with electricitywhenit’swetoutside. A: Oh, I…Idon’twanttoendanger you. It’sjustthatI’llbecoming home late tonightandIjustwanttomake… B: I would love to help you miss, but somebody borrowed my ladder. Idon’thavealadder. A: Well, you know, I have a chair! Ifyou’djustgivemealightbulb, I wouldn’tminddoing it myself. OK? B: Oh, oh. Oh! OK. Here. Take a lightbulb from one of my lamps… A:Oh,no,youdon’thavetodothat! B: …soyouknowitworks. No, please. It’smypleasure. A: Oh! Thank you! A: Uh, excuse me. Mr. Smith? B: Yeah? A: Uh, I was wondering if you could do something about my next-door neighbor’sdog? It’sbeen barkingand…andkeeping…keeping… B: Hey! Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, dogs gotta…… A:Dogs… B: That’snature’sway. A: Dogs…yes, buttheydon’thavetobarkallnight! This is three nightsinarow…… B: Oh! Wait! Wait! Have you tried earplugs? A: I’vetried earplugs.Theydon’t…… B: Have you seen the size of that dog? You want me to go in there? That dog could hurt me! A: Well, I need my sleep!Idon’tknowwhattotellyou,Imean…… B:Look,look.Itellyouwhat.I’llcall him on the phone, and ask if he can keep his dog quiet. A: Thank you! A: Mr. Smith. B: Mrs. Taylor. A: I have a bone to pick with you. B: What is it? A: My mail keeps arriving every day later and later. B: Mrs. Taylor,that’sthegovernment’sfault-notmine…… A: Well, I think…… B: Well, complain to the post office. A: Mr. Smith! I think thatit’syourjobtotakecareofthis! B: Mrs. Taylor, why do you need your mail early? Take my advice. Just relax, put your feet up, and watch a little TV, OK? A: I’msorry, Mr. Smith. I think that you should do something about this. Now! B: OK, Mrs. Taylor. I’llgodowntothepostoffice and speak to someone……tomorrow. 第23课: Ken: you know, I’vealways wanted to have my fortune told. Lisa: Really? Do you know where you can get it done? K: I’mnotsure. But maybe there are some fortunetellers listed in the phone book.Let’stakealook. L: Hmm. Here’sone. You could have your palm read by Madame Zara for $70. K: That’sreally expensive. L: What about this one? You can get your fortune told over the phone for only $3.75a minute. K: That’sreasonable. Come on. Try it with me! F: Fortune-Tellers international. This is Madame Ines. Let me tell you what the future will bring.What’syousign? K:I’maLeo. F: Hmm…let’ssee. Well, this is going to be an interesting week for you. K: Why is that? F: It seems thatyou’rewaiting to hear about something important, and you should have good news toward the end of the week. K: Hmm…Iwonderwhatthat’sabout. F: But your situation at work or at school will become more difficult in the coming days. You may find things boring for a while, but you should be patient. K: OK. F: Now, on the personal side, you will have some lively and interesting discussions with someone you know well. Pay attention to this friend’sadvice because it will turn out to be good for you in the long run. K: OK. That doesn’tsound too bad. F: If, you would like to hear more, I’llneedyourcredit card number, please. K: Oh. It’s8997-9670072…… 第24课: Work A: Work? In the future? Well, I think unemployment is going to keep getting worse. B: I agree. As companies get more efficient and more computerized, they’refinding ways of using less staff. A: So I guess people will find it hard to get a good job unless they have excellent qualifications. B: Hmm, yeah. I think that’sprobably true. But I also think that because of computers, more and more people will be working at home instead of going into an office. A: Wow, I’dreally love that. Can you imagine-spending most of your work week in the comfort of your own home? B: Personally, I would get so much more done. And with e-mail, faxes, and conference calls you can still keep in touch with everyone you need to. A: Well, I’dcertainly enjoy it,butIdon’tknowifI’dgetmoredoneornot. I’mafraid I might just turn on the TV and zone out! Transportation 2. A: As far as transportation is concerned, I think there’regoing to be huge changes in the way people use cars. They’llprobably have made laws about what kind of car you can own and when you can use it. B: AndIbetit’llbeimpossible for people to use cars whenever they like. There’lljustbetoomanyofthemontheroads. A: Exactly. People will have to rely on other modes of transportation – especially trains. B: Why do you say that? A: Well, wewon’tbeabletousecars, and airports take up too much space. With the supply of land for airports shrinking around the world, there are going to be fewer airports and fewer plane flights. That leaves trains. B: Huh. So you think there will be more efficient train systems between cities. A: Sure. There may even be trains going under the oceans to connect the major continents. B: Under the oceans? Get out of here! I get nervous enough flying on a plane. Health A: Every day you hear about some new medical breakthrough on the news. B: Yeah. Who knows whatthey’llhavedoneinthenext50 years? A: I hope that in the next 50 years new drugs will have been discovered that will enable people to stop smoking permanently, or to lose weight permanently – without dieting! B: And hopefully they will have found cures for many of the diseases that are around today, so people will live longer. A: how much longer do you think? B: I bet that within the next 50 years, most people will live to be over 100. 第25课: Alan: So what were you like as a kid? Carol: When I was a kid, I was kind of rebellious. A: You? Really? What was the turning point? C: When I graduated from high school. A: What do you mean? C: Until you graduate, youdon’tunderstand that life is just Beginning. After I finished high school, I realized that I still had a lot to learn. A: I know what you mean. I was really immature when I was a kid. C: What changed? A: I think I became more mature after I got my first job. Once you have a job, you learn to be more independent. C: That’strue. Where did you work? A: In my father’sbank. C: Another turning point for me was when I got my dog, Pepper. I know that sounds silly, but it was really important to me. A: Why was that so important? C: Well, I was about 11. I remember that having a dog – you know, he was mine – made me feel really responsible in a funny kind of way. He would follow me everywhere and was always waiting for me when I came home from school. A: Actually, that sounds kind of nice. I never got to have a dog, but I remember when I got my first bicycle. That was a very important day for me. For the first time, I could go out on my own and go as far as I wanted to. I used to polish the bicycle every day and take really good care of it. Of course, that only lasted a few months, and then I lost interest in it! 第26课: Peter: I’mthinking of going back to school to get another degree. It’ssohardtofindajobwithadegree in literature. Kay: Yeah, I know what you mean. P: I should have studied something more practical. IfI’dbeenmoresensible, I would have majored in economics. K: Why did you major in literature? P: Idon’tknow! I should have listened to my mother. She wanted me to major in business. K: Oh? What does she do? P: Mom? She’saliterature professor. K: I guess I could have made better use of my time in college, too. P: How do you mean? K: Oh, I spent too much time studying. I should have taken part in more extracurricular activities – you know, like joining the drama club or the swimming team or something like that. IfI’denjoyed myself more, I would have made a lot more friends. P: Yeah, butdidn’tyougetincredible grades in college? You might nothavedonesowellifyou’dspent your time doing a lot of other things. K: Oh, I know lots of people who studied hard and did well – but played hard too – and left college with four years of terrific memories. I really regretthatIdidn’tdothat. I missed out entirely. 第27课: Kelly: Ihearyou’regoing to open your own restaurant. Joe: Yeah, I’vealways wanted my own place. K: Butisn’titalittle risky? J: Sure, but in order to succeed in business, you need to take a few risks – calculated risks, of course. That’swhattheytaught me in business school, anyway! K: So what do you have to do in order for a restaurant to succeed in this town? I mean, don’tyouneedsomesortofgimmick? J: Well, I’vecomeupwithaconcept that I think will work very well. K:Sowhat’syourplan? J: Well…I’mgoing to have singing waiters. K: Singing…waiters? What do you mean? J: I’mgoing to hire waiters who are also good singers – maybe guys who are going to music school. Then every half hour or so, they’lltakeabreak from waiting or tables and do a little singing. K: Like what? J: Maybe a little opera or some barber shop quartet – type stuff, popular musical theater pieces…thatkindof thing. I went to a restaurant like that once in San Francisco, and it was really neat. So, what do you think? K: It sounds kind of crazy, but who knows? People might love it. Alice: What’s your favorite club, Eric? Eric: The Downtown Club. They have great music, and one nice thing is that it’s never crowded. A: That’s funny. There’s always a long wait outside my favorite club. And I like it because it’s absolutely packed most nights. E: Why do you think it’s so popular? A: Well, it just opened a couple of months ago, everything is brand new and modern, and there are lots of “hip” people who go there. It’s called The Casablanca E: Oh, right. It’s the newest “in” place. I hear the reason people go there is just to be seen. A: Exactly! Do you want to go some night? E: I thought you’d never ask! 第28课: Kurt: So, how long have you been in the Peace Corps? Brenda: For about a year now. K: Do you enjoy it? B: Most of the time. The work can be extremely difficult, but it has its rewards. K: What’sthemostchallenging thing about being in the Peace Corps? B: For me, it’sfinding a way to fit into a communitythat’sverydifferent from my own. It can be frustrating! K: Andwhat’sthemostrewarding thing? B: That’seasy. The most rewarding thing about being in the Peace Corps is learning about another culture. Brenda: YouknowwhatI’vefound to be one of the most difficult things? Learning the local languages. Kurt: Oh, I know exactly what you mean! B: You know, I thought I would only have to learn one language when I came here, but I soon discovered that almost every village has a different language or dialect. K: I have the same trouble myself. It sometimes takes me a while to find someone who can speak English. B: I need an interpreter with me most of the time – that is, if I want anyone to understand anything I say. K: But it is one of the things that makes living here so interesting. B: Oh, absolutely. I think the people here are really wonderful. They’reverysincere – kind of shy at first with foreigners, but once you get through that, they come to accept you. K: Oh, yeah. I’vemadesomewonderful friends here. B: Me, too.