 we can take a bus there  .  
 does this bus go there  ?  
 i think so  .  
 let 's step in  dad  .  
 no  it 's too crowded  .  
 dad  .  here comes another bus  .  
 fine  .  let 's get on  .  oh  no  judy  !  get off the bus quickly  !  
 why  ?  dad  ?  
 we got on the wrong bus  .  
 robert is not available at the moment  .  
 what time should i call back  ?  
 around 330  .  
 where did you see then last  ?  
 mrs  .  smith has not checked in yet  .  
 can you leave a message for her to call her office  ?  
 yes  i 'll see that she get the message when she checks in  .  
 he 's with someone right now  would you hold  ?  
 let me see  .  it depends  .  
 depends  ?  depends on what  ?  
 if you are in a hurry  you should take a taxi  .  
 is that expensive  ?  
 yes  very  .  believe it or not  it will cost you more than one hundred dollars  .  
 i am in no particular hurry  .  
 take a bus then  .  it will only cost you 5 dollars  .  
 that 's not so bad  .  
 i see  .  
 i 'm sorry marry is out right now  .  
 when will she be back  ?  
 why do n't you call back later this afternoon  ?  
 where to  ?  
 he stepped out of the office for a little while  .  
 when is a good time to catch him  ?  
 in about twenty minutes  .  
 help yourself  .  
 he is out  .  
 wow  !  that car almost hit me  .  
 no  thanks  .  i 'm on a diet  .  
 what 's the rush  ?  
 thank you for your compliment  .  but you are exaggerating  .  i think you are destined to be a singer  .  you have the best voice  !  
 thank you  .  maybe we can sing a song together  .  would you like to sing with me  ?  
 yes  i 'd like to  .  it 's my honor  .  let 's pick a song  .  
 how about this one  ?  
 sorry  i ca n't sing the song  .  
 er  .  .  .  how about this one  ?  
 ok  .  but i 'm not familiar  .  i do n't know the beginning part  .  
 never mind  .  you can follow me  .  i 'll sing the first part  .  
 ok  .  
 wait a moment  mom  .  
 i 'm mad  !  i said now  !  turn off the tv  and do it now  .  
 mom  just ten more minutes  .  the show is going to be over soon  .  
 peter  if you do n't do it soon  i will throw your toys in the trash can  .  
 it does n't matter  .  
 it runs every 15 minutes  .  you must have missed it  .  
 it seems you got here at good time  .  do you have a bus schedule  ?  
 yes  i do  .  you can buy a bus schedule in a news stand  .  
 i see  thank you  .  by the way  is this the right bus for the museum  ?  
 yes  it is  .  
 do i have to change  ?  
 no  .  the museum is the terminal of this bus  .  
 thanks a lot  .  
 you are welcome  .  
 what for  ?  
 i want to buy more books  .  
 oh  yeah  ?  are you joking  ?  
 of course not  !  i 'm telling the truth  .  
 honey  it 's good if you spend money to buy more books  .  but  100 dollars a week is enough for you already  .  
 let me see  .  
 let 's see  .  from here  you have to take the 278 bus  .  
 oh ok  where do i get off  ?  
 you should get off at the first shi da stop  .  
 ok  thanks  .  .  .  
 you 're new at this  huh  ?  
 no  is it difficult  ?  
 no  it 's quite simple  .  when you get on  just ask the bus driver when to pay the fare and where you want to get off  .  
 how much does it cost  ?  
 only 15 nt per section  .  oh look  that is your bus  .  
 wow  i ca n't thank you enough  .  
 do n't mention it  .  
 i would like to have a roll developed  .  
 when do you need them  sir  ?  
 how about tomorrow morning  ?  
 no problem  .  do you want 3 x 5 or 4 x 6  ?  
 the 4 x6 will be ok  .  thanks  .  
 and do you want the glossy or matted finish  ?  
 i prefer glossy  .  how much  ?  
 you pay when you pick them up  .  i do n't need a deposit for just one roll of film  .  
 thanks  !  
 yes  we shall  .  what size do you like  ?  
 well  the 4 x 6 is fine  .  
 which do you prefer  color or black and white  ?  
 the last one is black and white  all the rest should need color  .  
 ok  .  
 i hope they will come out well  .  when should i pick them up  ?  
 they will be ready at noon tomorrow  .  each negative develops one print  right  ?  
 yes  it is  .  and develop them as glossy as possible  .  
 no problem  .  do you need another film  ?  
 yes  a roll of kodak film please  .  
 it is totally  20 including the deposit for films  .  
 yes  where 's the meat counter  ?  
 follow me  please  .  here it is  .  what do you want  ?  
 i need to buy some pork for the party  .  give me about one kilogram  .  
 ok  .  wait a second  please  .  
 i wonder if the chops are fresh  .  
 yes  of course  .  
 one kilogram  too  .  
 anything else  ?  
 no  thanks  .  
 i 'd like to buy some milk powder  .  what would you recommend  ?  
 we have many kinds of different purpose  .  i wonder whom you are buying for  ?  
 my son  .  he is two years old  .  
 i see  sir  .  this one is very good  .  
 is it  ?  
 you may rest assured  .  it sells well  .  
 may i have a look at the introduction  ?  
 certainly  .  here it is  .  
 oh  dad  .  do i have to get up right now  ?  
 yes  or you 'll be late  .  
 why did n't my alarm go off today  ?  
 it went off 30 minutes ago  .  
 i must have slept right through it  .  
 rise and shine  .  
 ok  .  i know  .  
 oh  that hurts  .  
 i think it 's bleeding  .  
 i am  as a matter of fact  .  do you have any special requests  ?  
 yes  please get some white bread  thick cut  some ham  not the processed stuff  some gouda cheese  some galla apples and  .   .   .  
 wait  .  this is sounding like a major list  .  why do n't you just come with me  ?  
 i know what you mean  .  i fit into my clothes  but i 'm not always comfortable  .  
 would you like to get in shape together  ?  
 what do you have in mind  ?  
 how about going to the gym  ?  there 's one really close to work  .  
 i know the one you mean  .  do you know how much the memberships are  ?  
 as a matter of fact  they are having a promotion right now  .  
 let 's go after work and take a tour of the facilities  .  
 it 's none of your business  .  
 mom said you could n't go out  .  
 i 'm going out anyway  .  get out of my way  .  
 no  not yet  .  i 'd like to buy a teapot  .  
 which do you like best  ?  
 that colored one is very beautiful  .  it may suit my furniture  .  how much do you ask for it  ?  
 360 yuan  .  
 show it to me  please  .  can you get me another  ?  it 's scratched a little bit here  .  
 sorry  sir  .  this is the last one we have in stock  .  
 i do like it  .  can you come down a bit  ?  
 i can give you a 10  discount  .  
 that 's still too much  .  can you lower the price further  ?  
 i 'm afraid that 's the best we can do  .  
 if so  i 'd better try another store  .  
 it is about 10 minutes walk  .  
 finish your hot chocolate and we will go  .  
 are we going to come back here for lunch  ?  
 no  we will have lunch at the museum cafeteria  .  
 i have finished  .  we can go now  .  
 let 's go then  .  on the way we have to turn right and right again at the next junction  .  
 let 's stop at the newsagent  i would like to buy a newspaper  .  we can also buy postcards for your friends  .  
 can you see a post office somewhere around here  ?  
 yes it is down there  at the end of the road  next to the supermarket  .  
 oh good we are almost there  .  the museum is round the corner from the post office  .  
 no problem  .  would you like some artificial carnations  ?  
 oh  no  .  carnations are not very elegant  .  artificial flowers have no passion  .  
 how much did you want to spend  ?  
 money is no object  .  
 our most elegant flower is golden lily  .  
 i will take ten  .  
 do you want to add some baby 's breath for that  ?  they are equally popular now  .  
 of course  .  can i have it delivered to my girlfriend 's house this afternoon  ?  
 yes  but there is a five dollars delivery charge  .  
 that 's ok  .  here is the address  .  
 can i have a look at your handworks  ?  
 all right  .  this way  please  .  
 you have quite a range  have n't you  ?  
 yes  sir  .  
 they are all produced in china  are n't they  ?  
 yes  they are all distinctive chinese  .  
 could you please select me one  ?  
 how do you like this one  ?  it 's very beautiful  .  
 oh  i like it very much  .  how much does it cost  ?  
 350 yuan  .  
 ok  .  i 'll take it  .  
 i think she is in her room putting a little something together for you to take to school with you  .  
 she 'd better not start crying like she usually does  .  
 i know  but she is going to miss you something awful  .  have i told you how proud i am of you  ?  
 dad  now do n't you go getting mush on me  .  
 i mean it  .  you have really shown us that you are prepared to take on the adult world  .  
 that means a lot to me dad  .  thanks  .  
 we have great confidence in you  .  
 that is a blast from the past  .  
 remember when i used to beg you to break it so i could go buy ice cream  ?  
 yes  .  you sure have come a long way in valuing your hard earned dollars  .  
 thanks for not giving in to my childhood tantrums  mom  .  
 but what are you going to do with that pig  ?  
 i think i 'm going to keep it as a monument to what i 've learned about money  .  
 who knows  maybe one day he will sit on the desk of a top ceo in a major corporation  !  
 it still feels really strange to me  .  
 i know  .  i miss him terribly  .  
 how does it feel to be in charge of so much money  ?  
 i thought i would feel like i was in the lap of luxury  .  
 i guess you could choose that if you wanted  .  
 no  i think i will run things much the same way that dad did  .  
 dad really knew what he was doing when he chose you to take over for him when he was gone  !  
 no  you do not have to  .  the handbag can be taken with you  .  there is the cart at the entrance  .  
 thank you  .  i 'd tike to buy some milk powder for my baby  .  is there anything that you can recommend for me  ?  
 well  how old is your baby  ?  
 no more than three  .  
 the milk powder on the second level of the shelf is for the kids from 2 ages to 4 ages  .  i advice that you should buy the wyeth brand  the source of milk is imported from new zealand  .  
 how about its quality  ?  
 you can be assured of it  .  there are various nutritions which are beneficial for the growth of babies bone and cerebrum  .  
 ok  what is this  ?  
 it is feedingbottle as the free gift  .  
 it is thoughtful  .  i will take it  .  
 yes  we can have a picnic on the top of the hill  .  
 what should we buy  ?  
 let me see  .  we should go to buy some fruit first  .  
 it is heavy and not convenient to take them to the top  .  
 how about taking a cantaloupe  ?  it is light and sweet  .  children love it  .  
 good idea  .  we can buy some candy and nuts for children  .  
 yes  .  look  cashew  peanuts  assorted biscuits  chocolate  canned goods  anything else  ?  
 that 's enough for the kids  .  get some drinks  .  
 definitely beer  .  two bottles  .  
 right  .  we should buy some yoghurt for kids  .  
 yes  .  shall we buy some saucers  ?  it will be used during our picnic  .  
 ok  .  four saucers  .  we can buy some custard tarts tomorrow morning  .  
 let 's go to queue up  .  there are so many people in the lines  .  
 not much  .  i started exercising  .  
 trying to get in shape  ?  
 yeah  and i need to start improving my health  .  
 me too  .  what are you doing besides exercising  ?  
 that 's about all  .  
 i think if you eat better  it will help tremendously  .  
 sleep is good too  .  i heard people who sleep an average of eight hours a day have less health problems  .  
 looks like there are a lot of things to do to stay healthy  .  
 true  .  but i think it is worth it  .  when you get old  you want to be healthy and active  .  
 what 's the matter  ?  
 when i tried to back it  i found it was out of order  .  i ca n't see where the trouble is  .  
 let me see  .  
 is it serious  ?  
 no  the damage is minor  .  
 and when will it be ok  ?  
 400 p  .  m  .  .  
 ok  .  thank you  .  
 not back home for dinner again  ?  that 's the third time this week  !  
 i 'm sorry  .  our company has just opened  .  there are always too many things to handle  .  you know that  .  
 you do n't have to explain  .  suit yourself  .  
 please forgive me  .  you have my word  .  i 'll spend some time with you on the weekend  .  i promise  .  
 we 'll see  .  
 thank you for understanding  .  i promise i 'll make it up to you  .  
 yes  i 'd like to get some gas  .  
 regular or unleaded  ?  
 unleaded  .  my car is new  .  
 how many gallons do you want  ?  
 fill it up  .  i will have a tour tomorrow  .  
 all right  .  shall i check the oil  ?  
 yes  please  .  
 you 're a quart low  .  
 give me a quart of light oil  .  
 yes  sir  .  
 yeah  i 've been working out a lot  .  
 how long have you been lifting weights  ?  
 for a year and a half  .  
 yeah  .  last time i saw you  it was like 2 years ago  .  
 has it been that long  ?  
 how often do you go to the gym  ?  
 i usually go every other day for about 3 hours  .  
 that 's a lot  .  
 yeah  i used to work out for an hour a day 4 times a week  and i saw no results  .  this is what you have to do to get noticeable results  .  
 i do n't think i have the discipline for that  .  
 just think of it as a hobby  .  then it 's actually fun  .  
 when i have some time  i like to exercise  .  
 do you go jogging or do you go to a health club  ?  
 i joined samsung health club a couple of months ago  .  
 how do you exercise  ?  
 i usually spend 30 minutes on the bicycle for the carpio  and then i lift weight for about 45 minutes  .  
 how often do you go  ?  
 i want to go four times a week  but i 'm too lazy  .  last week  i only went to workout once  .  
 i want to get my car washed  .  
 would you like regular car wash package  ?  
 i do n't know what you mean  .  
 well  we will wash the exterior form top to bottom  .  we use a special shampoo  which gives the body that extra shine  .  
 do you wash windows  ?  
 of course  .  we wash the windows inside and out  .  
 what about the interior  ?  
 we use a vacuum cleaner that removes all the dirt  and we throw away all of the trash that we can find  .  
 sounds good  regular car wash package will be ok  .  
 ok  .  i see  .  
 yes  it 's very nice  .  all our foreign visitors enjoy it  .  the food is wonderfully wellprepared  .  let me know if you need any help with the menu  .  
 thank you  .  mmm  .  can you tell me about the terrine  ?  
 yes  .  a terrine is a kind of meat pate  .  it 's meat turned into a paste  .  it sounds horrible but it 's actually really good  .  
 mmm  .  maybe another time  .  
 you could try the ravioli  .  they are rather like your chinese dumplings  and the sauce is delicious  .  
 sounds good  .  i think i 'll have the lamb for my main course  .  what does it come with  ?  
 well  you can have friesfrench friesor simple boiled potatoes  .  
 i 'll have the potatoes  .  what are you having  ?  
 i 'm having my usual  .  i like the fish here  .  would you like some wine  ?  
 oh  yes  .  that would be lovely  .  
 well  i go jogging every morning  eat a healthful diet and work out in a gymnasium twice a week  .  
 wow  it sounds like a lot of work  .  i guess i 'm too lazy to do all that  .  
 hi  .  i 'm shopping for my boyfriend 's birthday  .  do you have any suggestions  ?  
 let 's see  .  how about a nice shirt and tie  ?  you ca n't go wrong there  .  
 well  .  he does n't wear ties that often  .  
 we have some nice pants  .  you can also get him a belt with it  .  
 that sounds good  .  which one do you recommend  ?  
 these slacks are very popular  .  he can wear them to dress up a little or on a normal casual day  .  
 i like them  .  do you have matching belts  ?  
 yes  .  right over here  .  
 how much are they  ?  
 the pants are on sale for  40  and the belt is  25  .  
 what is your return policy just in case he does n't like them  ?  
 just save the receipt and we will gladly return or exchange them for you  .  
 that sounds great  .  i 'll take them  .  
 i think it 's beautiful  .  i want to hang it in the living room  .  
 it looks like some kind of mistake  .  
 that 's the beauty of it  the imperfection  .  
 oh  .  who is the artist  ?  
 your daughter  .  she sold it at the school auction  .  
 oh  !  how about we hang it over here where everyone can see it  ?  
 i guess you see the value in it  too  .  
 brad  it 's her birthday  .  let 's get her something really special  .  
 do you mean girly  ?  
 i mean beautiful and heartfeltsomething that will make her cry  .  
 are you for real  ?  
 women like that kind of thing  beautiful thoughts that are touching  .  
 i think we should each get our own card  .  
 okay  you get your funny one and i 'll get my beautiful one  .  
 i want to try on this suit  .  
 certainly  .  here 's a mirror  .  
 i 'm afraid it 's too narrow across the shoulders  .  do you have a larger one  ?  
 yes  .  this one must fit you  .  
 it 's a bit loose  .  do you have a middle size  ?  
 i 'm afraid not  sir  .  
 what a pity  !  
 certainly  .  it 's right over there  .  
 thanks  .  
 really  ?  you 've done a good job  .  
 thank you  .  may i suggest you to trim your eyebrows  ?  
 i have never heard that men would trim their eyebrows  .  are you kidding  ?  
 no  sir  i am serious  .  have n't you heard that today men are becoming increasingly interested in having their eyebrows professionally groomed  ?  
 do you mean that it is a trend for men to trim their eyebrows  ?  
 absolutely  .  several men have tried it in my a shop  .  do you want to try  ?  
 yeah  let me have a try  .  
 just go to the end of the store  .  and it will be on your right  .  we have all the ice creams and frozen foods back there in the freezers  .  
 this is my first time here  .  
 please notice all of our aisles are numbered and classified by signs on the ceiling  .  that might help you  .  
 i 'm glad i asked you  .  so this is aisle 6 where i can find all the canned fruits and vegetables  .  
 that  s correct  .  
 i 'm allergic to these things  you know  .  
 sorry  i forgot  .  i don  t like seafood  neither  .  
 let  s go over there and get some milk  a couple dozen eggs and some orange juice  .  
 let 's get frozen juice  .  it is really good  .  we  ve got enough food  .  let  s go over to the checkout stand  .  
 ok  .  but just let me pick up a bottle of cooking wine and oil as we go by  .  
 yes  i 'd like to buy a color tv  .  
 we carry products from three large manufacturers and some imported ones  too  .  do you have a specific model in mind  ?  
 no  .  which one do you recommend  ?  
 this one from sony gives a very sharp picture  .  
 thank you  but i 'd prefer to buy a chinamade set  .  
 which brand do you prefer  ?  
 sky worth  .  
 ok  .  come with me  please  .  
 i 'm sorry  .  these batteries are not on sale  .  
 but that 's what the ad said  .  
 i 'm sorry  .  if you look at the ad again  you 'll see that the other brand is on sale  .  
 oh  .  you 're right  .  i misread the ad  .  
 yes  many people make that mistake  .  
 well  you ca n't blame them  .  it 's a confusing ad  .  
 you 're right  .  many ads are like that  .  
 well  as long as i 'm here  .  
 just one second  and i 'll give you the batteries that are on sale  .  
 the dress was on sale yesterday  .  
 are you sure  ?  i 'd be happy to pay the sale price today  .  
 i 'm so sorry  but rules are rules  .  
 ok  i 'll just check out a few other stores  .  
 i 'm sorry i could n't help you  .  
 yes  please  .  what 's special today  ?  any special recommendations  ?  
 certainly  .  i would recommend songshuguiyu  .  
 the name sounds fascinating  .  what is it exactly  ?  
 well  it is sweet and sour fried mandarin fish  .  
 sorry  i 'm not interested in vinegar  .  
 then  how about this one  ?  
 ok  .  i 'll have that  .  
 very good  .  could i serve you anything else  ?  
 thank you  .  that 's enough  .  
 my pleasure  .  just a little while  your order will be ready very soon  .  please enjoy your lunch  .  
 thanks  .  
 i had the soup and bruschetta which all together is  4 . 50 and my trout for the main course was  12  .  
 so that 's  14 . 15 for me and  16 . 50 for you  .  
 yes and shall we go fiftyfifty for the wine  ?  
 yes  so that 's an extra  6 for both of us  .  
 so now your bill comes to  20 . 15 and i need to pay  22 . 50  .  
 and i had a dessert  that 's another  3 . 50  .  and you had coffee which is  2  .  
 and is that all  ?  
 yes  this is everything on the list  .  
 so now my bill is  24 . 50 and yours come to  23 . 65  .  is that correct  ?  
 yes  that 's exactly it  .  how much tip shall we give the waiter  ?  
 i think  5 would be good  .  
 good evening  .  we 've a reservation for a table for four  .  my name is tim  .  
 let me check the list  .  yes  we do have a reservation under mr  .  tim  .  
 but there is a change in the number of people  .  there are seven of us  .  three of my friends are coming soon  .  
 it does n't matter  .  follow me  please  .  what do you think of the table in the center of the dining room  ?  
 well  it 's a window table that we 've booked  .  
 i 'm sorry  but you see  all the tables by the window are small  with up to 4 seats  .  
 oh  i see  .  we 'll have to make up with the center one  .  
 thank you for your understanding  mr  .  tim  .  
 if a mr  .  wu comes to look for me  just take him here  .  
 yes  i will  .  
 we should plan to move out of here before july  .  i 'm tired of living in apartments  .  
 i know  dear  .  i am too  .  but we 've just been too busy to look for a house  .  
 we need to find a good realtor  .  
 not necessary  .  if we use a realtor to find a house  it will be more expensive  .  
 what do you mean  ?  
 realtors always get a commission  .  if the realtor helps us find something  we have to pay him  .  
 but does n't a realtor help with the contract  ?  i thought they take care of all the legal troubles  .  
 yes  that 's often true  .  but you have to pay them  .  
 i still think we should have a realtor  .  we 're new in this country  .  we do n't know all the laws of buying a house  .  and also  the realtor will inspect the house  .  he can tell us if the house has any problems  .  
 of course we need a house inspector  .  but we can hire an inspector on our own  .  as for the legal problems  i have friends  .  they can help us  .  
 so how can we find a house if we do n't have a realtor  ?  
 it takes a little more time  .  we have to check the ads in the paper  .  probably also there are special real estate magazines with ads  .  then we have to drive to the homes and look at them  .  
 and does n't the person selling the house have a realtor  ?  
 sometimes they do  sometimes they do n't  .  it 's best to find someone who is selling by themselves  .  
 why  ?  
 that is because if the seller has a realtor  their price will be higher  .  he will have to pay a commission to the realtor  .  
 hmm  .  it all sounds very complicated  .  
 it is  .  but buying a house is very important  .  so it takes time  .  that 's why we have n't done it yet  .  it 's very troublesome  .  
 i want to look in the papers today  .  maybe we can see something we like  .  
 all right  .  i 'll buy a newspaper when i go to the drugstore  .  
 grand central station  please  .  i want to catch a 6 p  .  m  .  train  .  
 i think you 'll make it if we do n't get stuck in a traffic jam  .  
 here is the grand central station  .  
 thank you  .  how much is the fare  ?  
 the meter reads 9 . 15 dollars  .  
 here you are  .  keep the change  .  
 thank you  .  
 thank you  .  
 do you have a reservation  ?  
 yes  i do  .  
 may i have your name  please  ?  
 yes  it 's mr  .  brown  .  
 mr  .  brown  .  we were expecting you  .  this way  please  .  will this table be fine  ?  
 oh  this is just fine  .  
 please take a seat  .  
 thank you  .  
 here is the menu  .  
 no  thank you  .  i 'm on a diet  .  
 why  ?  you 're not fat  .  
 i 'm considering entering for the beauty contest this summer  so i must have a slender figure  .  
 women of all shapes would be beautiful if they are selfconfident  .  
 i 'm afraid the judges do not think so  .  all the beauty contests are for slim girls only  .  
 well  .  there 's a beauty contest in thailand just for fat beauties  .  
 how much do they weigh  ?  
 all the beauties who entered the contest were over 80kg  .  
 but i 'm not fat enough to enter that contest  .  
 yes  .  go down the main road  .  you ca n't miss it  .  
 how long will it take me to get there  ?  
 it 's only about a fiveminute walk  .  
 thank you very much  .  
 you 're welcome  .  
 to this place  please  .  
 star hotel  .  ok  .  
 how long does it take to get to the hotel  ?  
 about 20 minutes  .  
 here 's the hotel  .  
 how much is the fare  ?  
 that 's 10 dollars  .  
 do you know in which area  ?  
 no  i am sorry i have no idea  .  i am a stranger here  .  
 i see  .  well  do you know anything near the hotel  ?  
 oh  yes  .  my friend told me the hotel was near the central railway station  .  
 then you 'll have to take a bus and get off at the central railway station  .  
 can you show me where the central railway station is on this map  ?  
 ok  .  
 ok  here you are  .  
 well  could i have coffee instead of orange juice  ?  
 of course  you can  .  wait a moment  .  
 sure  here you are  .  
 could you recommend some dessert  ?  
 we have fruit cake  cream cake and chestnut cake  .  
 do n't you have cheese  ?  
 of course  we do  .  
 yes  sir  .  it 's the specialty of our restaurant  .  
 i want an order of that  .  by the way  i want it hot  .  i like chili  .  
 ok  sir  .  do n't you want to have some drinks  ?  
 bring me a bottle of beer  .  
 let me have a look  .  well  how many kinds of steaks do you have  ?  
 we have sirloin steaks  pepper steak  and filet steak  .  
 is there something go with the filet steak  ?  
 yes  we have various sauces  .  what about the gravy  ?  
 we 'd like to have western food today  .  could you tell us something about it  ?  
 sure  .  the first food you have is appetizer  followed by a soup  .  then you will have the main course  .  the last dishes are desserts  .  
 well  it 's quite different from the chinese food  .  
 it 's all right  .  kids are like that  .  
 but if he does n't listen to the teacher carefully  he wo n't learn anything  .  
 do n't worry  .  his teacher will tell him to be good  .  
 i hope so  .  
 sorry  sir  here you are  .  
 well  do you have a menu in chinese  ?  
 please wait a moment  i will bring you one  .  
 yes  what kinds of wine do you have  ?  
 we have various kinds of wine  .  as for an appetizer  i advise you to order white wine or dry white wine  .  
 thank you  .  please bring us a bottle of dry white wine  .  
 yes  it does  .  
 at which stop should i get off  ?  
 there is a stop at tiananmen square  .  the stops will be announced on the bus both in english and chinese  .  when the stop is coming  you just push the red button near the rear door if you want to get off  .  
 okay  thanks very much  .  
 well  you know  the traffic in beijing is sometimes dangerous  .  therefore  i have to remind you of something  .  first  you should obey the traffic rules  do n't break in the red light  .  second  do n't play a joke with your friends when riding on the bike  .  third  do not hurry up when riding  or would make an accident  .  finally  remember come on the left and go on the right  !  
 oh  my dear sister  i am no longer a baby  !  
 i am sorry  sir  it 's for 4 persons to have  .  i think it 's too large for you  .  
 would you please make it for a single person  ?  
 sorry  sir  .  we have never done that before  .  
 here is the coffee  toast and bacon  .  do you like fried eggs or poached ones  ?  
 neither  can i have them scrambled  ?  
 of course  .  they will be ready in a few minutes  .  
 yes  sir  the specialty of our restaurant is the seafood  .  
 what do you recommend  ?  
 perhaps you would like some sole  .  many guests like it very much  .  
 ok  we will try it  .  
 any drinks  ?  
 two bottles of white wine  please  .  
 it looks delicious  .  can you tell me how to enjoy it  ?  it 's my first time to eat it  .  
 mix a little soya sauce  vinegar and sliced ginger on this plate and dip the meat in it before eating  .  
 thanks a lot  .  
 coming  .  what do you want today  ?  
 quite a lot  .  i need one pound of potatoes  three pints of milk  a dozen eggs and one pound of tomatoes  .  
 our fruit is very fresh today  .  do you want some  ?  
 how much are the lemons  ?  
 three for ten cents  .  
 give me a dozen lemons  .  
 anything else  ?  
 no  thanks  .  how much in total  ?  
 twenty eight dollars  .  
 i 'd like to buy a tapestry to decorate my new room  .  
 artistic tapestry is the highest expression form of the rug weaving art  .  how about these ones  ?  
 these are beautiful  !  is this the marvelous landscape in guiling  ?  
 yes  sir  .  
 how fine the needlework is  !  what 's the price  ?  
 ninety dollars  .  
 it 's too expensive  .  
 but considering the fine craftsmanship it is worth much more  .  
 you 're right  .  would you please show me some embroidery  ?  i also want to buy some embroidered tablecloths to match the tapestry  .  
 please wait a minute  sir  .  
 sure  .  what do you want to have today  ?  
 cream soup and steak  please  .  
 how do you like your steak  ?  
 excuse me  what does that mean  ?  
 well  there are several kinds of steaks  .  for example  you can have your steaks mediumrare  mediumwell or welldone  .  
 thanks for your explanation  i would like it welldone  .  
 you are not going to believe this  .  do you remember the dress we saw at mayors that was so beautiful and expensive  ?  i got it today at half price  .  
 so they have started the year end sale earlier this year  .  
 how can you stay so calm  ?  are n't you going to take a look to see if there is anything for you  ?  
 i guess i 'll wait a few more days  .  there maybe even bigger discount then  .  
 but there wo n't be anything good left  .  
 yes  this is a very popular car  .  
 i want to buy it  .  how much does this car cost  ?  
 the car is beautiful  is n't it  ?  come on inside and we 'll discuss the price  .  
 you can tell me here  .  i just want to know the price  .  
 50000 yuan what a deal  !  that will  of course  include tax  licence  and registration fee  .  
 i appreciate your help  but i think i 'll look around a bit  .  
 then what price would be fair to you  ?  
 i think that 30000 yuan would be fair for this car  .  
 i can see that you are a smart buyer  .  forty thousand is my best price  .  
 ca n't you make it cheaper  ?  i still ca n't afford the car  .  
 38000yuan is my final offer  .  
 hum  .  .  .  ok  .  i will take it  .  
 may i have a look at that china tea set  ?  it is extremely beautiful  .  
 you 've made a good choice  .  this china tea set is unusual  .  it was made in jingdezhen  .  
 jingdezhen  ?  oh  i know it  .  is n't it called the capital of porcelain  ?  
 yes  sir  .  
 oh  it must be very precious  .  is it breakable  ?  
 no  if you take some care when you use them  .  
 how much is it  ?  
 two thousand  .  
 oh  it is beyond my purse  .  
 yes  .  but i am afraid it is too thick to wear in summer  .  
 that 's no problem  .  it is made of linen  so you wo n't feel hot in it  .  i can assure you it is of superior quality  .  what is more  it is very popular with young women  .  
 how much is it  ?  
 88 yuan  .  
 ok  that is reasonable  .  i will take it  .  
 where was it from  ?  
 it was made in jingdezhen  .  
 jingdezhen  ?  is n't it called the capital of porcelain  ?  
 you are right  .  
 this is the very thing i 've been dreaming of  .  
 it is the best quality porcelainthe famous eggshell china  .  
 it must be most precious  .  
 but it is really worth the price  .  
 you 've come to the right place  .  we 've got various styles and sizes recently  .  how much do you measure around your waist  ?  
 i have no idea  .  measure me  please  .  
 ok  !  2 chi round  .  try this one  .  maybe it 's of your size  .  
  after trying  i 'm afraid it 's still too fight around the stomach  .  
 let me check the stock  .  how about this one  ?  
  after trying  mm  a perfect fit  .  how much  ?  
 150 yuan  .  
 a little expensive  .  but i 'll buy it anyway  .  it 's hard for me to get a perfect one  .  here is 200 yuan  .  
 here 's your change  50 yuan  .  welcome back again  .  
 certainly  do you have your school schedule  ?  the books are arranged by course number and instructor  .  
 oh  i see  .  thank you  .  
 mmmm  .  .  .   it 's hard to say  .  i like golf a lotbut i guess like skating better  .  
 do you know how to skate  like a skater  ?  
 no  i 'm strictly a spectator  .  i just like watching skating  .  it 's so beautiful  .  
 then you must know a lot about skating  .  
 oh  thank you very much  .  
 you 're welcome  .  by the way  is there a pay phone near here  ?  
 yes  there 's one just on the other side of this building  .  do you have any small change  ?  
 yes  i do  .  thank you  .  
 i think we can have a try  .  
 artistic tapestry is the highest form of expression of the rug weaving art  an exquisite handicraft of superb artistry in typical chinese style  .  
 i see  .  is this the marvelous landscape in guiling  ?  
 i think it is  .  
 which do you prefer  the linen one  the figured dacron or the brocade  ?  
 i prefer the linen one  .  
 they are made a town nearby  .  the flower vases are made of porcelain and covered with tiny bamboo sticks  .  
 are they breakable  ?  
 no  .  they are not only ornamental  but also useful  .  
 no wonder it 's so expensive  .  
 you have so many antiques and chinese paintings here  .  may i have a look first  ?  
 of course  .  
 are they genuine  ?  
 some are genuine  .  but all our reproductions are clearly marked and priced  .  
 yes  .  fill it up  please  .  
 premium or regular  ?  
 regular  please  .  
 anything else  sir  ?  should i check the water and the oil  ?  
 yes  please  .  
 sure  .  at what time  ?  
 945  please  .  we want a table next to the window  .  
 i am sorry  sir  .  we are booked until 910  .  
 in that case  please help us reserve a table for 4 at 900  .  
 okay  .  everyone else 's parents let them stay out until two or three in the morning  .  
 well  .  i 'm not everyone else 's father  .  i think you need to be in the house by ten o 'clock  .  
 that 's absurd  .  
 i know some junior high kids who can stay out later than that  .  
 i 'll be worried if you stay out late  .  
 okay  how about a midnight curfew  ?  and i 'll let you know where i am  .  
 i would like to book a table for five at 700 tonight  .  
 may i have your name  please  ?  
 michael  .  
 ok  sir  .  we will arrange it for you  .  
 i 'll have to check  .  can i help you with anything else  ?  
 i 'd like a 20  cent stamp  please  .  
 here you are  .  
 yes  .  when do you start severing dinner  ?  
 we open at 600 and take last orders at 10  30  .  
 well  that 's fine  .  so i do n't think it necessary for us to make a reservation  .  we will be there at 930  .  
 yes  sir  .  we are looking forward to your coming  .  
 just a second  .  i 'll have to check that  .  anything else i can do for you  ?  
 yes  .  i 'd like to send a  20 money order  .  
 there you go  .  
 i am sorry  you have the wrong number  .  
 oh  i am really sorry  .  
 sure  if i can 
 i want to send this small parcel to canada  .  
 by airmail or seamail  ?  
 how different are these rates  ?  
 your parcel weights 420 grams  .  so it is 21 . 3 dollars by air  or 6 . 9 dollars by sea  .  
 how long it will take by sea  ?  
 about a month  .  
 then  by sea  please  .  
 please fill out this form  and then take your parcel to the counter on my lefthand side  .  
 all right  .  thank you very much  .  
 not at all  .  
 sorry  mr  .  wood is not here right now  .  do you have any message for him  ?  
 i will call again in twenty minutes  .  thanks  .  
 not at all  .  
 ok  mr  .  smith  .  when will you arrive  ?  
 around 1200  .  
 party of two  ?  
 no  we have five persons  .  
 all right  mr  .  smith  .  i will arrange a table for 5 at 1200 for you  .  
 thank you  .  
 is this naomi  ?  
 no  this is her sister  nancy  .  
 you sure sound like naomi  .  
 oh  .  can i take a message  ?  
 sure  .  please tell her that andy called  .  
 okay  .  i 'll give her the message  .  
 thanks  .  
 bye  .  
 have you chosen the material  ?  
 yes  i want it to made of tweed  .  
 fine  .  and the charge is  100  .  
 when will it be available  ?  
 next wednesday  .  
 thank you  .  do i have to pay in advance  ?  
 yes  you should pay half of the cost in advance  .  
 here you are  .  
 yes  .  my eyes are small so i want to buy false eyelashes  .  
 that will make your eyes seem bigger  .  
 can you recommend me one  ?  
 sure  .  it 's the latest  .  
 sure  .  what about the cloth over there  ?  it 's in fashion  .  
 that 's fine  .  
 come here and i will measure you  .  
 ok  .  
 oh  .  i am sorry  .  i was busy looking for some whisky . can you tell me the exactly place where i can find any  ?  
 yes  it 's on the third floor  .  
 two rows up on the right  .  we have various kinds of chocolates  .  
 thank you  .  how much is this kind of chocolate  ?  
  10 a kilo  .  
 i 'd like a hamburger with lettuce and tomato  .  
 how about something to drink  ?  
 a coke  please  .  
 ok  .  i 'll see if i can get waited on  .  
 sure  .  can we use it in today supermarket  ?  
 let me check  .  yes  we can  .  
 i really do n't know what to buy  .  
 i think i have a piece of apple pie  .  
 do you want something to drink  ?  
 coffee would be fine  .  
 ok  .  sit down and i 'll get it  .  
 you don  t need to carry the furniture home because we have delivery service  .  
 do you charge for delivery  ?  
 wo will deliver the goods to you for free  .  
 very good  .  could you deliver it to this address  ?  
 sure  .  please write down your name and your phone number  .  
 ok  .  can you tell me the delivery time  ?  
 no later than tomorrow  .  
 thanks  .  
 hi  good evening  .  which kind of beer would you like  ?  
 i 'd like to try a local beer  .  what would you suggest  ?  
 how about yanking beer  ?  it 's very popular here  .  
 sounds good  .  i 'll take that  .  
 good evening  .  i 'll have a scotch  .  
 yes  sir  .  straight or on the rocks  ?  
 on the rocks  please  .  
 yes  please  .  i 'd like a gin and tonic  .  
 sure  ma 'am  .  here you are  .  
 thank you  .  how much is it  ?  
 25 yuan  .  
 here 's 30  .  keep the change  .  
 thank you very much  ma 'am  but we do n't take tips in china  .  
 boy  you are lost  .  it 's across town  .  
 oh  !  what bad luck  !  how can i get to the theater  ?  
 you can take a no  .  12 bus here and then transfer to a no  .  23 bus to get there  .  
 i do n't think dieting is good for you  .  it 's much better to eat a balanced diet and to never get overweight to begin with  !  
 but what do you think about people who are obese  ?  what should they do to lose weight  ?  
 they need to eat healthy foods  but they also have to increase the amount of exercise they do every day  .  they do n't have to cut out fattening foods altogether  though  .  
 so you think it 's ok for people who are dieting to eat chocolate  ?  
 sure  they can eat some chocolate  .  as long as they are exercising and eating mostly healthy foods  there 's nothing wrong with having a small dessert  .  
 how about drinking soda  ?  
 many people gain weight by drinking far too much soda  .  soda should be a treat  there 's simply no nutritional value in it whatsoever  .  if you want to lose weight and you ca n't stop drinking soda  try some diet coke  .  
 that 's good advice  .  have you ever tried taking vitamins  ?  
 my mother used to make me take vitamins every day  but i do n't take them anymore  .  vitamins are good as a supplement  but they do n't do much good if you do n't have a wellbalanced diet to start  .  
 how do you know so much about food and dieting  ?  
 you might not believe this  but i used to be twice the size than i am now  !  
 i said   do you want me to help you  ?   
 if you 're sure you 're not in a hurry  i can use a little help  .  
 ok  .  would you like me to get you a cab  ?  
 hi  bill  .  i  d like to take the apartment i looked at yesterday  .  
 all right  .  
 so  what do we do now  ?  
 this is the lease  .  you should read the lease very carefully before you sign it because it describes your legal rights and responsibilities as a tenant  .  the lease also describes our rights and responsibilities as landlords  .  
 okay  .   reads the lease  so  according to the lease  i  ll deposit one month  s rent as a security deposit  and i have to pay the first month  s rent in advance  .  i understand that i  ll get the security deposit back when i move out if the apartment does not need any costly repairs  .  
 yes  .  if you do not damage the apartment  you will get your security deposit back when you move out  .  
 can i pay you by check  ?  
 sure  .  a check will be fine  .  
 is there a laundry room in the basement  ?  
 yes  .  
 can i sign the lease right now  ?  
 i am wondering if you do facial care  ?  
 yes  we do  .  
 how much would it be  ?  
 from 200 to 800  .  
 i 'm afraid 800 is too expensive for me  .  could you recommend something around 300  ?  
 no problem  .  
 i said  do you want me to help you  ?  
 i 'm trying to find a post office  .  
 go three blocks and turn right  .  it 's right there  .  
 should i take the bus  ?  
 no  .  it 'll only take about five minutes to walk  .  
 thank you very much  .  
 anytime  .  
 ok  what style do you want  ?  
 i have no idea  .  could you recommend me one  ?  
 what about this one  ?  it fits you  .  
 well  the style is quite good  but i think it 's too showy  .  i would like to try on the lighter one  .  
 i want to buy one to match my shirt . can you give me some advice  ?  
 what about this one  ?  
 yes  they seem to be my size and go with my shirt quite well  .  i will take it  .  
 yes  what style do you prefer  ?  
 show me the black one  my size  .  
 ok  here you are  .  
 well  i do n't think it matches my jeans . can you give me some advice  ?  
 here you are  .  
 i think this suit fits perfectly  .  
 yes  i think so  .  the suit matches the trousers  .  
 it 's fine  .  please wrap it  .  
 yes  i want to buy a suit  .  
 what about the red one  ?  it 's the best seller  .  
 yeah  it 's quite cute  .  i do n't think it will fit me  .  i would prefer a darker color  .  have you a black one  ?  
 yes  we have  .  
 i think the style is a little oldfashioned  .  it 's not what i want  .  
 i think this one fits you  .  it 's the new fashion style  .  
 oh  yes  .  that 's just the one i want  .  i will take it  .  
 how is this one  ?  it 's the latest  made of cashmere  .  
 can i try it on  ?  
 sure  .  
 this is much better  .  how much is it  ?  
 you need to make posters  ?  
 absolutely  .  every time when we do the reports  we love making some beautiful posters to emphasize our theme ideas  .  
 i see  .  then let 's make a shoppingliist first before we go there . othe rise  it may take us a whole day to search for the things you need  .  
 no problem  .  i need some markers  some color pencils  a pair of scissors  some highlighter  rulers  .  .  
 wow  it is like a maze  i think i might get lost soon  .  
 do n't worry . in fact  it is very easy to find what you want  .  can you see the sign on top of every shelf  .  it clearly tells you what things are displayed on every shelf  .  
 oh  yes  .  you are so smart  .  i see them  .  so i have to go to shelf number 3 first to get my markers  color pencils and highlighters and somebrushes  .  
 i also need some thumbtacks  whiteout and paper clips  .  which shelf are they on  ?  i ca n't find the number  .  
 it 's at the back  .  i think you are nearsighted  .  you had better get yourself a pair of nice glasses  .  
 i am looking for a pair of trousers  .  do you have any good ideas  ?  
 what about jeans  ?  it 's the fashion now  .  
 i do n't like it  .  actually i am looking slacks  .  
 then  how about this  ?  
 it seems all right  .  do you have pantaloons  ?  
 it must come from the bakery on the corner . they are baking cookies  .  their cookies are very popular in town  .  
 how come i never knew that  ?  do they have a new baker or something  ?  
 i think so  .  the bakery invited a famous baker from the usa  .  he is good at making cookies  .  
 let 's go and get some cookies  .  i am hungry now  .  
 look at the swiss roll over there  they look delicious  too  i am thinking about buying one  .  
 you can taste some before you buy it  .  they have food tasting at the counter  .  
 i am starting loving this bakery now  .  
 it 's one of my favorite bakeries  .  
 you should have told me earlier  .  i am a cookie lover  .  
 we usually eat chicken  pork and beef  .  you eat these meats a lot in your country too  do n't you  ?  
 yes  we do  .  we also eat mutton  .  
 i 've heard that people in your country like mutton chops  .  
 that 's right  .  mutton chops taste so good  .  we eat them with sauce  .  have you ever tried  ?  
 yes  i have  .  i tried once when i visited your country last year  .  i think they were very tasty  .  can you cook them  ?  
 certainly i can  .  i 'll buy some from the butcher 's and cook for you next sunday  .  
 that sounds great  .  i 'll bring a bottle of wine then  .  
 yeah  i think i 'll get this onepiece  .  
 why do n't you get a bikini  ?  
 i 'm too fat for a bikini  .  
 you are n't fat  .  i 'll bet you 'd look great in a bikini  .  how about this thong bikini  ?  
 i 'll wear that if you 'll wear these speedos  .  
 i guess that onepiece is n't too bad  either  .   to be continued  
 does it come with a modem  ?  
 yes  it has a builtin modem  .  you just plug a phone line into the back of the computer  .  
 how about the monitor  ?  
 a 15  inch monitor is included in the deal  .  if you want  you can switch it for a 17  inch monitor  for a little more money  .  
 that 's okay  .  a 15  inch is good enough  .  all right  i 'll take it  .  
 ready for what  ?  
 ready for the big switch  .  
 what are you talking about  ?  
 the nation is switching to digital tv  .  
 oh  .  of course i 'm ready  .  
 did you buy the converter  ?  
 no  i do n't need a converter because i bought a digital tv  .  
 how much was that  ?  
 it was only about  120 for a 13  inch screen  .  
 does it pick up any digital channels  ?  
 oh  yes  .  i get six korean channels but nothing in english  !  
 yeah  i do  .  i guess i 'm a real fitness freak  .  
 so  how often do you work out  ?  
 well  i do aerobics every day after work  .  and then i play racquetball  .  
 say  i like racquetball  too  .  
 oh  do you want to play sometime  ?  
 uh  .  .  .  how well do you play  ?  
 pretty well  i guess  .  
 well  all right  .  but i 'm not very good  .  
 no problem  rod  .  i wo n't play too hard  .  
 no  there  s no need  .  we can change it within two days if it  s not damaged  .  
 but it would save a lot of trouble if you had taken it for a test ride  .  
 i know  .  i will pay attention to such a thing next time  .  
 excuse me  .  i will go to wangfujing  where should i get off  ?  
 there are another six stops  .  
 we are arriving at tiananmen  .  please get ready for your arrival  .  
 is it wangfujing  ?  
 no  sir  .  the next stop is wangfujing  .  
 ok  .  
 please get ready  .  
 thank you  .  
 we are arriving at wangfujing  .  please get ready  .  
 is this where i get off  ?  
 yes  .  
 yes  .  i 'd like a hamburger and a large order of french fries  please  .  
 all right  .  and would you like a salad  ?  
 yes  .  i 'll have a mixed green salad  .  
 ok  .  what kind of dressing would you like  ?  we have vinaigrette  italian  and french  .  
 italian  please  .  
 and would you like anything to drink  ?  
 yes  i 'd like a large soda  please  .  
 he 's a bright boy  is n't he  ?  
 but he always wimps out of difficulty  .  
 do n't worry  he 'll make good progress step by step  .  
 oh  no  .  i forgot  .  
 well  you 'd better take it out front  .  
 what time does the recycle truck come by  ?  
 it usually gets here at noon on tuesday  which is tomorrow  .  
 i 'll just take it out to the street tomorrow morning  .  
 oh  no  you do n't  .  
 what do you mean  ?  
 every morning you get up late and rush off to work late  .  
 do you think i 'll forget to do it  ?  
 you 'll remember to do it  but you wo n't have time to do it  .  
 okay  i 'll take it out front right now  .  
 turn left at the second light  .  you ca n't miss it  .  
 will it take me long to get there  ?  
 no  .  it 's not far at all  .  
 thank you very much  .  
 that 's all right  .  have a good day  .  
 we  re glad that you  re here  .  would you like a tour of the house  ?  
 that  d be great  but could i have a cup of tea first  ?  
 sure  i  ll just go put the kettle on  .  why don  t you have a seat on the sofa and i  ll go take care of things in the kitchen  .  
 that would be lovely  thanks  .  
 do you take milk or sugar with your tea  ?  
 i  ll take a little milk  but no sugar  please  .  make sure you let the tea steep a few minutes before you take the tea bag out of the cup  .  
 ok  .  what do you think about our living room  ?  
 well  i do like the mantelpiece and the coffee table  but i don  t really care for curtains  .  did you get them at a yard sale  ?  they look ancient  .  
 my parents gave them to us as a house warming gift  .  
 oh dear  .  well  i suppose they will do for now  .  do you ever dust in here  ?  it seems a bit dusty in here  .  
 your daughter usually does the dusting  and i do the vacuuming  .  
 i see  .  well  i can help with the chores while i  m here  .  you two could probably use my help  .  
 that  s very nice of you to offer  .  here  s your tea  .  be careful  it  s still quite hot  .  
 of course  .  go straight ahead  .  turn right at the next street  .  you 'll see a tall  yellow building . the post office is on the first floor  .  
 do you mean that i go that way for one block  then turn right  ?  
 yes  you are right  .  
 is it far  ?  
 no  it 's only about five minutes walk  .  
 thank you very much  .  
 it 's my pleasure  .  
 sorry  i 'm not really that interested in those things  .  
 they are very nice  you know  .  
 really  ?  
 and not expensive either  .  
 oh  .  i do n't care about that  .  
 everybody 's buying them  .  
 are they  ?  
 yes  they are very fashionable  you see  .  
 i 'm afraid i 'm not interested in fashion  .  there are so many other really important things in the world  .  
 the nearest one is about ten minutes walk from here  .  
 how can i get there  ?  
 just walk down this road and you 'll find it  .  it 's on the right side  .  
 sure  turn left at the next crossing  .  
 is it on xinhua street  ?  
 yes  .  you ca n't miss it  .  
 do n't you think it  s a bit bright  ?  
 yeah  maybe you  re right  .  how about this outfit  ?  
 this dress looks lovely on you  but it  s not very practical  is it  ?  
 no  i do n't have any plans to go to a formal dance any time soon  but i love the way it looks  .  i just had to try it on  !  what do you think about this  ?  it  s casual  yet sophisticated  .  
 i like the jeans  but you need something to go with the top  .  it  s too plain on its own  .  
 how about this scarf  these earrings  amd an anklet  ?  
 that might be going overboard a bit  .  how about just that scarf with a bracelet  ?  
 that  s a good idea  .  you have a lot of good fashion sense  .  
 thanks  .  you  d be ok on your own  .  there are loads of fashion victims out there  and you are not one of them  .  have you tried it on yet  ?  
 yep  .  here it is  .  what do you think  ?  
 that looks great  .  just one more thingyou need some high heels with those jeans  .  do you want a pair with a plain pattern or ones with a leopard print on them  ?  
 the leopard print sounds fabulous  .  are they a name brand  ?  
 no  they  re a prada knockoff for 110 of the price of the real thing  .  
 that  s even better than the real thing  .  
 if i were you  i  d buy that now while it  s on sale  .  if you spend  100  you get a  50 voucher for more clothes  .  
 it  s too bad i did all that shopping yesterday  !  
 yes  of course . the dressing room is over there  .  
 no  thanks  .  i 'm just looking  .  
 speaking  .  
 yeah  .  i need to get some stuff  .  
 let 's all go together then  .  
 where 's lisa  ?  
 she 's getting coupons from her desk  .  
 what are coupons  ?  
 they give you discounts on some stuff that you want to buy  .  
 really  ?  
 because there is a coupon for almost every product  we always bring coupons on our shopping trips  .  
 well you have to try peking duck  .  
 mm  i don  t really like duck to be honest with you  .  i fancy something light  .  
 ok  you could try the peking wonton then  .  
 that sounds like a good idea  .  where should i go to eat that  ?  
 actually  i know a great restaurant in dongcheng  .  
 ok then  i  ll follow you  .  
 i want a special king size and some chips  .  
 anything else  sir  ?  
 green salad please  .  
 what do you want for your drink  ?  
 cola  please  .  
 your address  please  .  
  .  .  .  
 ok  .  got it . that ll be  6 . 50  .  thank you for your order . it will be there in 20 minutes  .  
 thank you  .  
 hi  this is susan smith  .  i  m calling about my appointment with doctor brown today at 3 
 what happened  ?  
 i got the flu  .  i have a fever and a headache  .  can i cancel my appointment  ?  
 sure  you can  but you  ll be charged for  10  .  
 oh  there  s a charge  ?  why  ?  
 this is for the delayed cancellation  .  because this time is reserved for you  .  if you are unable to keep an appointment  you should notify us 48 hours in advance  .  otherwise  the charge will be made  .  
 i see  .  that  s ok  .  i  ll pay  .  
 thanks for your understanding  .  do you want to make another appointment  ?  
 no  .  not right now  .  when i feel better i  ll call you again  .  
 ok  .  take care  .  
 thank you  .  
 let 's get the table wares we need first  and then stand in the line  .  
 i 've got all i need  .  
 let 's stand in the line now  .  
 it smells good  .  look at these  .  they make my mouth watering  .  
 me too  .  
 it will be our turn soon  .  
 tell the waiter what you want when it 's your turn  .  
 ok  .  i 'll have many cream cakes today  .  
 i do n't like them  .  i think they are too icky  .  
 speaking  .  may i help you  ?  
 what kind of food do you serve  ?  
 we serve a great variety of popular japanese dishes in set courses  and also many meat dishes  .  
 i see  .  that sounds fine  .  until what time are you open  ?  
 we are open until 10 but our last order for dinner is at 930 pm  .  
 fine  .  well be there before then  .  
 thank you  sir  .  we look forward to welcoming you  .  
 l love it  .  there is always something fascinating to discover  .  
 the antiques market here in paris is very famous  .  it 's called le marche aux puces de saintouen  .  
 that 's not very easy to say  .  
 it 's also known as les puces  which means  the fleas  .  
 can you find many bargains there  ?  
 well  it really depends  .  because you are a tourist  it might be harder for you to get really good prices  .  
 yes  they are the latest designs  .  would you like to try them on  ?  
 i want to try on this pair  .  
 the oval shape one  ?  
 that 's right  .  
 i think it suits you well  .  
 i agree  but i like wire frames  .  
 how about this  ?  they 're the same shape  .  
 sure  but i do n't drink much  .  so i do n't know what to order  .  
 so how about an aperitif  ?  
 it sounds good  .  i 'd like to start with a compare  .  
 stirred or shaken  ?  
 stirred will be fine  .  
 here you are  .  
 thanks  .  does the bar have a signature drink  ?  
 sure  .  all of our mixed drinks are excellent  .  you can also try a delicious nonalcoholic cocktail  .  
 can you recommend one  ?  
 try a stinger  .  it has lime juice and grenadine over ice  .  
 it sounds interesting  .  i 'll take one  .  
 here we go  .  
 it tastes great  .  
 enjoy yourself  .  
 yeah  .  
 no let 's go to an ice cream parlor  !  they have way more flavors to choose from there  .  i feel like having something special like neapolitan ice cream  .  
 what 's that  ?  
 it 's three different flavors mixed together  .  chocolate  strawberry and something green with candied fruit  .  
 do they have ice cream bars  .  frozen yogurt or frozen chocolate mousse  ?  
 absolutely  !  they also have real italian galatian and french sorbets  .  they do a great baked alaska  .  
 maybe a vanilla ice cream milkshake would be good  .  what 's your favorite flavor  ?  
 well  .  .  .  l like the traditional flavors like rum raisin  butter pecan  .  maple walnut  strawberry  chocolate and vanilla  .  but now there are some new flavors from asia like green tea and durian  .  
 god  !  even talking about it makes me feel like l 'm gaining weight  !  
 that 's ok  .  we can go jogging  after we eat  !  
 what would you like to have  ?  
 well  i quit breakfast  so i had a rich brunch  .  i feel like having something mild for dinner 
 in that case  what about having some noodles  ?  
 noodles are fine  .  or maybe i 'll have some porridge  .  
 all right  .  i 'll cook for you  .  
 there  s a possibility  .  i  ll check it  .  
 thank you  .  
 that  s all right  .  i  ll be right back  .  
 i do n't like it very much . but everybody likes their own food best  .  
 there are many things i miss  .  you ca n't get the ingredients here  .  
 are you sure  ?  all the big cities have specialty shops  which sell all sorts of ethnic foods  .  
 perhaps  .  i just have n't had time to find them yet  .  
 look at this one  .  it has a radio and cassette player and built in speakers  .  
 i 'd rather get one with separated speakers . they give a clear sound  .  
 yes  but we should n't get any thing too big  .  remember it has to fit in with our living room furniture  .  
 that 's right  .  now this one looks alright  ?  it 's a detached or do you prefer this one  ?  it 's sony  .  
 let 's ask the salesmen for a demonstration  .  
 no  i haven  t  .  
 i  ve looked everywhere for it  .  i must have left it somewhere  .  i hope i haven  t lost it  .  
 perhaps you left that at school  .  
 no  i had it when i left school this afternoon  .  
 well  .  didn  t you go around to the smith after school  ?  you might have left it there  .  
 yes  i  d better give her a call now  .  
 but she can  t be home now  .  she might have gone to the library  .  
 perhaps i should call her later  .  
 yes  i  m the manager here  .  what can i do for you  madam  ?  
 did you have the room checked before we move in  ?  
 which room are you in  ?  
 1808  .  the toilet doesn  t work properly  the water doesn  t run in the shower  .  
 i  m awfully sorry to hear that  .  i  ll turn to it right away  .  
 yes  sir  .  can i help you  ?  
 um  this steak  i asked for to be medium rare  .  
 medium rare  that  s right  sir  .  i remember your order  .  
 well  i  m afraid it isn  t  .  it  s a bit too well done and rather tough  .  would you mind changing  ?  
 if it is not to your satisfaction  i  ll certainly bring you another  .  but i  m afraid you may have to wait for a few minutes  .  
 yes  that  s all right  .  thank you very much  .  
 be relaxed  .  she is familiar with the area  .  
 after all  she is a fiveyearold kid  .  
 ok  i 'll go out and look for her  .  
 well done  .  
 and i 've filed the letters  .  
 excellent job  .  
 and i 've checked the orders  .  
 i 'm very impressed  .  
 and i 've ordered the supplies  .  
 congratulations  .  you should be very proud of yourself  .  
 good  .  
 then i can buy my own car  .  
 splendid  .  
 and pay for my own clothes  .  
 that 's an excellent idea  .  
 what is it  ?  
 when you go out with friends  i do n't want you to stay out too late  .  
 okay  .  
 we maintain a curfew for cindy because she 's just 16  .  
 how late can we stay out  ?  
 you can stay out till 10 p  .  m  .  
 but if we 're going to be late  ?  
 then you call me or tom first  .  
 well  i would n't call them rules  but there are some things that i expect my daughter to do  .  
 like what  ?  
 setting the table and doing the dishes  .  
 is there anything else  ?  
 i also expect cindy to tidy up her own room  .  
 her room is very neat and clean  .  
 yeah  .  she 's a very responsible person  .  
 i will keep my room clean  too  .  that 's a promise  .  
 the railway station  ?  just go down this street and turn left at the second corner  .  the station is at the end of that street  .  
 how long will it take me to get there  ?  
 it 's about a tenminute walk  .  
 that 's very clear  .  i think i can find my way now  .  thank you  .  
 not at all  .  
 you know that is tempting but is really not good for our fitness  .  
 what do you mean  ?  it will help us to relax  .  
 do you really think so  ?  i do n't  .  it will just make us fat and act silly  .  remember last time  ?  
 i guess you are right  .  but what shall we do  ?  i do n't feel like sitting at home  .  
 i suggest a walk over to the gym where we can play singsong and meet some of our friends  .  
 that 's a good idea  .  i hear mary and sally often go there to play singsong  .  perhaps we can make a foursome with them  .  
 sounds great to me  !  if they are willing  we could ask them to go dancing with us  .  that is excellent exercise and fun  too  .  
 good  .  let 's go now  .  
 all right  .  
 yes  .  my home freezer is not working properly  .  
 what  s the problem  ?  
 it keeps running all the time  never stopping  .  and it makes a strange sound  .  all the ice cream inside it melted  .  
 maybe the compressor is going bad  .  
 can you send the technician to check it out  ?  
 sure  .  but there is a minimum charge of  60 for a service visit  .  if your freezer needs parts  there will be an additional charge  .  
 okay  .  i  ll pay the charges  .  
 all right  .  let me check our technician  s schedules  .  i  ll call you back and let you know what time we can send a service technician to your house  .  what is your phone number  ?  
 my number is 6275551234  .  
 okay  .  i  ll call you right back  .  
 thank you  .  good bye  .  
 bye  .  
 why  ?  
 i 'm going to take you to your school to register for classes  .  
 that 's right  .  i have n't done that yet  .  
 you can choose classes that you like at the school office  .  
 really  ?  
 well  there are core courses and electives  .  
 what do they mean  ?  
 core courses are ones that you must take  .  elective courses are ones that you get to choose for yourself  .  
 all right  bill . here s your daily exercise schedule  .  you are to jog before breakfast  .  
 jog  ?  
 then  you are to walk to work  .  
 walk  ?  
 thirty minutes in gym at lunch time  .  
 oh no  .  
 use the stairs  never the elevator  .  
 oh  dear  .  
 and three times a week  you can either swim  play racketball  or hand ball  .  
 oh no  .  
 ok  you can stop now . it s time for the dance class  .  
 dance class  !  i do n't know how  .  
 you will  .  
 oh  .  .  .  
 oh where was that  ?  
 i was running around the track at my college and there she was walking around the same track  .  
 grannie always tries to stay fit and healthy  .  she is always making us kids eat the proper foods  .  
 well  it pays off for her  .  how old is she anyway  ?  
 she will be 86 next month  .  
 that is truly amazing  !  
 how about taking a walk in the park  ?  
 ok . it s delightful to have a walk in the park with the air so fresh  .  
  after they enter the park  oh  it 's so quiet here . we have the park to ourselves  only you and me  !  
 do n't you see many people over there  ?  just on your left  .  
 oh  i see them . some are doing taijiquan  some are performing swordplay  some are practising the chinese wushu  .  
 a growing keepfit fever is sweeping over china  .  
 all right  .  but i do n't want to play tennis  .  we played tennis last weekend  .  
 okay  .  what do you want to do  ?  
 i want to go jogging  .  
 all right  .  that sounds like fun  .  
 i want to find a book called gone with the wind . but i ca n't find it  .  
 let me give you a hand . the author is  .  .  .  
 margaret mitchell  .  
 oh  yes . here it is  .  
 thank you very much  .  i have been looking for it for a long time . is this the latest edition  ?  
 yes  we have both the paperback and hardcover . which would you want to buy  ?  
 how about the price of the hardcover  ?  
 it 's  25  .  
 a little bit expensive  but i will buy one . this is  25  here you are  .  
 oh  yes  if you like . the large one goes to washington . the other one i will take with me  .  all right  ?  
 flight 36 to washington . it ll be on the plane for you  .  
 oh  thank you  .  thank you very much  .  
 yes  .  i 'm looking for an apartment  .  i 'd like two bedrooms  .  
 all right  .  have a seat  please . let me ask you a few questions . first of all  may i have your name  please  ?  
 my name 's donald eakins  .  
 how do you spell your last name  mr . eakins  .  
 it 's eakins  .  
 eakins . first name  donald . and what 's your present address  mr . eakins  ?  
 it 's 1446 pine street  .  
 1446 pine . that s in san francisco  is n't it  ?  
 yes  it is  .  
 no  i 'm not  .  
 what are you going to do  ?  are you going to work late  ?  
 no  i 'm not  .  i 'm going to look for an apartment  .  
 an apartment  ?  why  ?  
 i 'm going to try to find a place near the office  .  
 where are you living now  ?  
 out in the suburbs . it s a long trip to work every day  .  
 how are you going to find an apartment  ?  
 i 'm going to buy a newspaper and check the classified ads  .  
 apartments in the city are expensive  .  
 i know  but i 'm going to enroll in a night school to take a course in business management  .  
 yes  i 'm looking for a house  .  
 to buy or to rent  ?  
 oh  to rent  .  
 how much do you want to pay  ?  
 about 300 a month  .  
 well  i 've got one here  .  it 's 260 a month  .  
 how big is it  ?  
 it 's got a kitchen  a bathroom  and one bedroom  .  
 well  actually i prefer something a bit bigger if that 's possible  .  
 yes  i think so  .  there is also an interesting one . it s opposite the park  .  
 how much is it  ?  
 it 's 325 a month  .  it 's the biggest we 've got in this area  .  
 what 's it like  ?  
 well  there 're two bedrooms  a sitting room  a kitchen and a bathroom  .  
 it sounds interesting  .  can i go and see it  ?  
 of course  sir  .  
 i 'm looking for books on wto . could you show me where they are  ?  
 come this way please . we ve got plenty of them and they 're all on the shelf near the cashier 's desk  .  
 thanks a lot  .  
 you 're welcome  .  
 let me see  .  i am sorry we just have sold it out  .  
 will you have it later  ?  
 i think so . could i have you name  telephone number  ?  if we get one  i will call you  .  
 that 's terrific . thank you  .  
 who is the author  ?  
 charles dickens  .  
 sorry  we re sold out right now . please come back next week  .  
 ok  thanks  .  
 i 'm not sure if we 've got any now . books of that kind are on this shelf . well  i 'm afraid we 've sold out  .  
 what a pity  !  i should have come earlier  .  
 come some time next week if you like  .  i think we 'll have got some by them  .  
 ok  i will  .  
 the railway station  ?  just go down this street and turn left at the second corner . the station is at the end of that street  .  
 how long will it take me to get there  ?  
 it 's about a tenminute walk  .  
 that 's very clear  .  i think i can find my way now . thank you  .  
 not at all  .  
 we 're redecorating our living room  .  
 what are you going to do to it  ?  
 first  we 're going to change the curtains  then we 're going to paint the walls  .  
 what colour are you going to paint them  ?  
 pale yellow  .  
 what else are you going to do  ?  
 we 're going to put in some new furniture  .  
 daddy  what seasonings are you going to cook the meat with  ?  
 er  i am gonna go with salt and sauce  !  
 what  ?  are you kidding  ?  
 is there anything wrong  ?  
 i remember mom going with a lot of pepper for the meat  .  
 you peel the onions and wash them  then chop them  .  
 ok  !  then what can i do after i finish it  ?  
 let me see  .  wash the cabbage over there  .  
 ok  got it  .  
 what is your father doing now  ?  
 reading newspaper on the couch  .  
 how about daniel  ?  
 staying with ultraman  of course  .  you know he likes it very much  .  
 be careful of the peeler  .  do n't cut your fingers  .  
 i will  .  
 ok  we 've finished  .  can you get your father and brother  ?  
 ok  !  
 about 50 miles  .  
 the traffic is not very heavy on this high way  is it  ?  so i  m sure we  ll make it  .  
 no  but we  ve got a hurry  .  it will be the rush hour soon  .  
 don  t worry  .  there  s plenty of time yet  .  
 but it  s friday today  .  this road is always jam packed during the weekend  isn  t it  ?  
 right  .  
 it can  t be time to get up yet  .  
 it is  .  hurry up  !  you  ll be late for school  .  
 what  s the time  ?  
 it  s nearly half past seven  .  
 my watch says ten past  .  
 it  s slow  .  hurry up  !  the bus goes at twenty to eight  .  
 are you sure half past seven  ?  
 positive  .  i  ll put the radio on  .  
 it  s only seven o  clock  .  your watch is fast  .  
 no  it isn  t  .  it  s stopped  .  i forgot to wind it up last night  .  
 i could have stayed in bed for another half hour  .  
 yes  on monday  .  
 what 're you going to do  ?  
 i 'm probably going to spend the day looking at cars  .  
 at cars  !  you are n't thinking about buying a car  are you  ?  
 yes  i am  .  i 'd like to be able to get around a little more  .  
 but it will be expensive to have a car in the city  wo n't it  ?  
 oh  i do n't know  .  of course  gasoline costs a lot these days  .  
 but what about parking  ?  you ca n't park on the street  can you  ?  
 a lot of people do  .  i 'll try it for a while anyway  but i certainly do n't want to pay a lot of parking tickets  .  
 it 's hard to say  but i do love foxtrot and waltz  .  
 how about rock and roll  
 to tell the truth  .  i do n't like it  it 's too noisy  .  
 and can you dance tango  ?  
 oh  it 's really beautiful  .  but i just ca n't dance it well  .  
 do n't be so modest  .  i am sure you can dance it very well  .  then i 'll see you at six  .  is that all right  ?  
 ok  .  
 great  .  i am your lucky fellow then  .  
 where to  sir  ?  
 i  d like to go to the railway station please  .  
 please hop in  .  
 is it a long run to the station  ?  
 it  ll take about 20 minutes  .  
 the streets are heavy with traffic at this time of a day  are they  ?  
 yes  they are  .  
 is it the rush hour now  ?  
 yes  it is  .  are you in a hurry sir  ?  
 no  i  m not  .  would you please drive slowly and carefully  ?  
 yes  sir  .  
 yeah  .  there 's an express that leaves in twenty minutes  .  
 may i buy a ticket here at the station  ?  
 sure  .  
 where  ?  
 go to window number eleven  .  
 thanks  .  
 your car is rather old  .  why not change a new one  ?  
 i want to change a new car  .  i like honda best  especially the red one  .  but it is too expensive  .  
 oh  there is a car exhibition tomorrow afternoon  .  i have two tickets  .  would you like to go there with me  ?  
 yeah  .  maybe i can find my favorite car in addition to honda  .  
 and the bank will offer you loans for twenty years  !  
 he asked me if i 'd like to be a newspaper salesperson  ?  
 you are still student so i do n't think you should have time for that  .  
 do n't worry about that  .  he said i can do that at spare time  .  anyway  it 's just a parttime job  .  
 okay  then  .  what kind of newspaper he wants you to sell  ?  
 it 's a weekly newspaper named olympic english  .  so i need to be here only on sunday  .  
 sounds interesting  .  especially that we are olympic volunteers  .  
 that 's exactly what i am thinking about  and also it 's a good way to get social experiences  .  
 and a good way to get some pocket money  .  
 let 's do it together  .  
 i 'll say yes  .  wait a minute  .  i need an ic card  .  
 for what  ?  you have a telephone at home  do n't you  ?  
 yes  but i do n't want my mom to tap my phone when i call clive  .  
 do n't rush  behave yourself please  !  let the people get off first  .  
 oh  we should  .  there are so many people  .  what if the train got full before we could get in  ?  
 but  if we all pushed our way in  nobody could get off  and nobody could get in either  .  
 how many stops are there to the aidan station  ?  
 there are four more stops  .  
 oh  my god  !  
 what 's wrong  ?  you are like a little monkey  on pins and needles  !  
 because i need to use the restroom  .  is there a restroom on the train  ?  
 no  not on the train  but in the station  .  
 why not  ?  you told me that subway is a kind of train  .  if it had no restroom  .  what kind of train would that be  ?  
 well  that is a question  .  you want to offer a suggestion  ?  
 oh  yeah  but not today  .  i am busy with praying the subway may get there as fast as possible  .  
 i guess you 'll never forget today  .  
 it 's my pleasure  what can i do for you  ?  
 i 'm from england and i 'm trying to make a travel plan for today  .  
 what brings you here  ?  
 i 'm a flight attendant and i 'm here on vacation  .  
 where are you staying  ?  
 i live in the holiday inn lido hotel  .  
 oh  it 's not very far  .  and as far as i know it is a fancy place  .  
 yes  it is  .  do you know where i can get a town map  ?  
 we sell them  right here  .  
 great  do you have any for foreigners  ?  i mean english version  ?  
 ok  it 's my pleasure  .  how many tickets  ?  
 oh  like a gentleman  .  two tickets for two people  .  
 but i am only half a person as you and they charge both of us the same price tickets  .  
 they may unless we get a halfprice ticket for you  .  
 dad  it makes no sense  .  
 you may ask if you can take a halfprice ticket  .  
 yeah  i make certain  .  a halfprice ticket cuts us one point five yuan  .  
 thanks a lot for calling us  .  could you tell me more about what you need us to do  ?  
 oh  you see  we are on the 8th floor  and moving into the 6th floor in another building  .  it is about 15 kilometers to get there  .  
 ok  the cost depends on the floor to move to  the distance between two places and the amount of the furniture to move  .  
 how much will it cost in that case  ?  
 oh  let me see  .  it fits the second standard rates  .  have a look at the contract  please  .  
 your charge is divided into two parts  the payment in advance and the rest  .  i thought that i should pay all of it before moving  .  
 no  firstly we sign the contract  you pay 50  of what it costs  and the rest when we finish moving  .  
 the damage and compensation item confuses me  .  could you give some explanation  ?  
 ok  .  if any of the articles was damaged during moving  you may make a claim for compensation with our department  .  
 honey  what 's up  ?  
 i was stuck between 15th and 16th floors in the elevator  .  
 oh  really  ?  i know that telephone signal must have been shielded in the elevator shaft  so what did you do then  ?  
 i pressed the emergency button  !  and then i stayed in the elevator waiting for the rescue  .  
 did you panic at the time  ?  
 a little bit  but i know that the elevator is n't enclosed  .  at least i would n't be smothered there  .  
 was there anyone else with you  ?  
 of course  there are 6 other people in the elevator  they were so scared that someone even started crying  .  
 so you mean that you were the only brave one there  ?  
 yes  .  i have to call the property management  .  
 for what  ?  complaining about what happened in the elevator  ?  
 yes  .  they should check the elevator regularly  .  i have to give them something to remember about  and they should also equip fire extinguishers in the building  .  
 that was just an accident  .  you are worried too much about it  .  i think the property management will check the elevator and improve their service from now on  .  
 i know what you mean  but i 'd better remind them again  and also remind them to repair the button in the elevator for the disabled people  .  that has brought the disabled people lots of inconvenience  .  
 what  ?  
 i said  i 'm ted  who are you  ?  
 huh  ?  oh  my name is laura  .  
 do you come here often  laura  ?  
 huh  ?  i ca n't hear you  the music 's too loud  .  
 let 's go outside and talk  .  so laura  do you come here often  ?  
 hold on  my ears are still ringing from the music  .  .  .  what was it you asked me  ?  
 i asked if you come here often  .  
 sometimes  usually once every few weeks  .  do you  ?  
 no  this is my first time here  .  
 i usually come with a group of friends  .  we dance a little  have a few drinks  and just have a good time  .  
 yeah  that 's why i 'm here  .  my friends dragged me here  because they think i spend too much time studying  .  
 that 's good  .  it 's good to hit the books  but you need to get out once in a while  .  
 i guess so  .  but the music is too loud  .  i do n't mind getting out and meeting people  but next time i 'll do it in a park  .  
 i 'm looking for a bookcase  but i do n't want to buy a new one  .  
 are you having any luck  ?  
 not really  .  there are n't any used bookcases listed  .  but there are a few rummage sales on saturday  .  i think i 'll go to them  .  
 do you mind if i go with you  ?  
 not at all  .  these private sales are great places to bargain  .  and sometimes you can find terrific things among all the junk  .  
 i learned to negotiate from my mother  .  i thought i was pretty good at bargaining  but i had a problem the other day at kimble 's department store  .  
 what happened  ?  
 i wanted to buy a beautiful wool sweater for my girlfriend  .  it was priced at forty dollars  so i started by offering the salesclerk thirty  .  
 i think it 's great  !  i really like the color  and it goes really well with your eyes  .  i 've actually been eyeing that dress at maxine 's for a while now  but i was n't sure i could afford ninetyfive dollars for a dress at the moment  .  
 um  ninetyfive dollars  ?  
 yes  that 's the price they were advertising it at  .  i was hoping it might go on sale soon  .  why  how much did you pay for it  ?  
 i bought it for one hundred and fortyfive dollars at helen's boutique  .  i did n't know i could get it cheaper somewhere else  .  
 of course  !  everything at helen's is overpriced  and they sell things that you can find at almost every other clothing store  !  why did n't you shop around  ?  
 i do n't know  i just saw the dress and thought about how pretty it looks and how much i wanted it  .  i guess i was too impulsive  .  
 i saw a lot of teenagers when alan and i were there yesterday  .  
 they spend hours there  especially on weekends  .  
 speaking of that trip  alan bought a shirt at a department store  but the sleeves are too long  .  do you know a seamstress or tailor who can shorten them  ?  
 i know several  .  but would n't it be easier to take the shirt back and exchange it for the right size  ?  
 is n't that complicated  ?  
 no  it 's easy  .  we 'll just take the shirt back to the men  s department and show them the sales slip  .  they 'll exchange it for the correct size or give you a refund  .  
 we  ?  do you want to go with me  ?  
 sure  .  i love going to the mall  .  
 what do you do there  .  .  .  hang around  like the kids  ?  
 oh no  i wo n't  .  but we will have an accident if you do n't stop shouting  .  
 you see  .  i told you you 'd hit him if you were n't careful  .  
 oh  shut up  will you  ?  it was all your fault  .  if you 'd kept quite this would never have happened  .  
 oh  so it was my fault  was it  ?  if i had n't warned you in time it would have been much worse  .  
 what a good idea  !  
 what kind shall we get  ?  
 we could go to more places this time  if you liked  .  
 yes  fine  .  
 when shall we go and look  ?  
 why not sometime next week  ?  
 no  let 's go on saturday  .  
 ok  .  
 where shall we go  ?  
 there 's a car dealer down the road  .  how about going there  ?  
 no  i do n't like that place  .  why do n't we try the garage martin recommended  ?  
 fine  we 'll do that  .  
 hi  rich  .  is jim here  ?  
 he  s not in at the moment  .  can i take a message  ?  
 sure  .  this is claire  .  
 does have your telephone number  ?  
 no  it  s 3725019281  .  
 3725015281  ?  
 no  it  s 3725019281  it  s a 9  not a 5  .  
 right  .  i  ll have him call you back  .  
 can you tell him that it  s urgent  ?  
 sure can  .  
 thanks a lot  .  
 no problem  .  
 bye  .  
 goodbye  .  
 if only we 'd remember to close it  .  
 i am afraid your diamond bracelet has gone  darling  !  
 i wish i 'd put it in the bank  .  
 look  !  they 've taken your fur coat too  .  
 i know  i am sorry i ever bought it  .  
 i noticed they 've taken our radio and left the television  .  
 it 's a pity they did n't take the tele  .  we need a new one  .  anyway we can claim for all this from the insurance company  .  
 i wish we could  but we ca n't  you see  we are not insured  .  
 all right  .  i 'm nearly ready  .  what time does the bus leave  ?  
 half past six  .  .  .  and it 's half past six already  .  
 oh  we 've got plenty of time  .  
 we have n't  .  hurry up  !  
 all right  .  let 's go  .  
 and about time too  !  
 wait a minute  !  just hold your horses  !  what 's your hurry  anyway  ?  
 well  i 've got to stop and get gas in the car  first  .  
 that wo n't take long  .  
 well  it wo n't if there no line at the pump  .  
 well  i 'm not quite ready  .  
 i 'll give you five more minutes  then i 'm going on without you  !  
 you would n't do a thing like that  !  
 oh  yes  i would  !  
 i 'll do it later  dad  .  i must prepare the concert on saturday  .  
 oh  is it  ?  you 'll be making records next  will you  ?  
 we hope so  .  
 you 'd better get on with your homework  !  you can practice on sunday  .  
 oh dad  .  you do n't understand at all  .  
 i certainly could  .  you 'll get exams next month  .  
 i do n't need it to play the guitar  .  
 oh  do n't you  ?  god save me  !  
 i 'm sorry  .  
 please  where do i catch the plane for new york  ?  
 first you must check in at counter no  .  4  .  
 that one there  ?  
 that 's right  .  then you will follow the signs to gate 85  .  
 thank you  .  you ve been very helpful  .  
 do you  ?  dad is in the study  .  
 i wo n't make any noise  .  mom  please  .  
 behave yourself  !  do n't make any noise  .  have you finished your homework  ?  
 yes  i ve finished  .  
 then let me see  .  
 er  .  .  .   mom  i promise  .  i wo n't make a single noise  .  
 all right  .  just five minutes  .  be sure not to touch anything  .  
 ok  .  i wo n't get into trouble  .  
 be careful  !  
 thanks for the warning  mom  .  
 oh  i see  .  you  ve already decided  have you  ?  now  you listen to me  you  re only 19  .  
 i didn  t say i  d already decided  dad  .  i said it was for me to decide  .  there is a difference  .  
 oh  .  so you think you can just do whatever you want  do you  ?  
 i didn  t say that either  .  i was hoping we could discuss the matter together  .  i want your advice but i don  t want you to tell me what to do  .  i  ve got to make decisions for myself  dad  .  
 let me feel your forehead  .  i 'm so glad it was n't strep throat  .  
 i do n't have a fever  and i 'm ready for my test  .  
 but i 'm not sure you 're strong enough yet  .  here 's some seafood rice soup i made  .  it 's delicious  .  
 i 'm fine  mom  .  i feel so much better  .  i want to go to school  .  i 'm missing out on all the fun  .  
 but the last two days were a weekend  .  
 let me go to school  please  !  i 'm sick of medicine  sick of soup  and sick of being sick  !  
 i am returning something that i bought yesterday  .  
 what would you like to return  ?  
 i 'm returning a cellphone  .  
 was there something wrong with it  ?  
 it 's defective  .  
 what is n't working on it  ?  
 it keeps turning off on it 's own  .  
 alright  do you have the receipt  ?  
 i have it right here  .  
 i 'm going to take care of this and refund your money  .  
 thanks for your help  .  
 that 's a lot of money  !  what did you do  ?  break the piggy bank  ?  
 yeah  i 'm gonna go to the bank and change it for bills  but first i have to separate them into little piles  .  
 ok  i 'll find all the quarters and dimes while you sort the nickels and pennies  .  
 great  then we can add everything up and take it to the bank  .  
 i found some coins that are not from here  .  
 oh yeah  those are from my trip to london  .  i have a couple of different pence  but in all it wo n't add up to one pound  .  
 are you sure the bank will change these coins for you  ?  
 hopefully  !  
 no  !  
 come on  !  i 'll pay you back on tuesday  .  
 last time i lent you money  you never paid me back  .  
 i promise if you lend me five dollars today  i will repay you in full next week  .  
 ok  but i 'm taking your skateboard as collateral  .  
 fine  !  i ca n't believe you do n't trust me  .  
 it 's nothing personal  just business  .  
 true  .  i always see him drinking instant  .  
 let 's take him some of kitty 's best and make the pitch again  .  
 do you think that will be enough to make him have a change of heart  ?  
 it 's worth a shot  .  
 what do you mean  mom  ?  for breaking your best china  ?  
 oh  johnny  that stuff was dollar store junk  .  no  i want to thank you for keeping grandma busy  .  
 well  it 's more like she kept me busy  .  .  .  
 i know  and normally she 's trying to tell me how to clean my house  .  so  thank you  .  
 am i back in your good books  ?  
 not only that  but i 'm going to buy you that video game after all  !  
 no  but you can let them know that yours is the cream of the cropthe purest motor oil in the world  .  careful  hold it by the java jacket  .  this coffee drink has half and halfwhat do you think  ?  
 it tastes funny  .  why ca n't people just stick to plain and simple coffee  ?  
 that 's just the point  !  purity is the essence of good coffee  right  ?  
 here 's some water  .  take these multivitamins and tylenol  .  
 uh  !  i ca n't swallow them  mom  !  
 your throat must be swollen  .  
 do i have to take them  ?  
 here  i 'll break them up  so they 're smaller  .  and here 's some cough syrup  .  
 yuck  !  
 i know  it tastes horrible  .  but it 'll make you feel better  .  try holding your nose  .  it wo n't taste as bad  .  
 it 's a small  .  
 how is the condition  ?  how old is it  ?  
 it has never been worn  .  it was too small for me so i 'm selling it  .  
 why did n't you return the shirt or exchange it  ?  
 i got it as a gift so i could n't take it back  .  good luck  !  i hope it will fit you  !  
 what are you doing  ?  
 i 'm playing with my new jump rope  !  watch this  !  
 you are sick  young lady  .  get back in bed  !  i called you in sick today  so you 're going to lie down and fight that flu  !  
 but i feel better  .  
 then maybe you should go to school  .  if you 're feeling so much better  you 'll ace that english test  right  ?  
 ok  .  i get it  .  i 'm getting back into bed  .  .  .  
 you might want to try the mangoes  .  
 can you describe a mango to me  ?  
 it 's a fruit a little smaller than a grapefruit  .  it has a big seed in it  .  
 do i eat the seed  ?  
 maybe some animals eat the seed  but humans do n't  .  you 'd have to soak it for 10 years  .  
 what 's the price of these mangoes  ?  
 today you get a 50  percent discount  .  they 're only  1 each  .  
 tell me what they taste like  .  
 their flesh is soft and juicy  .  it has a citrus taste  .  it 's sweet  .  
 do i need to buy them ripe  or will they ripen at home  ?  
 just press into it gently with your thumb  .  if it feels soft  it 's ready to eat  .  
 where do mangoes come from  ?  
 these are from guatemala  but we 're going to start getting mangoes from india  .  
 no  thank you  .  
 would you like us to deliver the mattress for you  sir  ?  
 that would be great  .  
 when do you want it delivered  ?  
 i need it delivered tomorrow  .  will that be possible  ?  
 what time exactly  ?  
 i need it delivered at 12 o 'clock  .  
 we can have it to you at that time  .  
 that 's not a problem  ?  
 we will deliver your mattress tomorrow at 12 o 'clock  .  
 that 's great  !  thank you very much  .  
 well  i think you 'll like the mangoes  .  
 i 've never had a mango  .  
 it 's a fruit  .  it has a big stone in it  .  
 can you eat the stone  ?  
 no  .  you would break all your teeth on it  .  
 how much are these mangoes  ?  
 the sale price today is  1 each  .  
 can you describe their taste  ?  
 they usually taste sweet  but they remind me of an orange  .  
 how can i tell if they 're ripe  ?  
 do n't cut into them until you can feel that they 're soft on the outside  .  
 what country produces them  ?  
 they come from tropical countries  .  
 no problem at all  !  i am taking a long road trip and i want to make sure my car is in good mechanical condition  .  
 very wise decision  .  when was the last time you had a tune up  ?  
 not that long ago  i think it was four months ago  .  
 we usually recommend that you bring your car in every five thousand kilometers  .  
 why  ?  i mean  what exactly do you do to a car that you need to check it so often  ?  
 first of all  we change the motor oil and oil filter  .  if you don  t do this  it can cause your engine to wear faster and that means you would probably have to change the pistons and intake valves  .  
 i see  .  what else  ?  
 we also check your spark plugs  fuel filter  and other oil levels such as hydraulic fluid  .  we also check the clutch and brakes to determine when you will need new ones  .  
 ok  well  when you put it that way  it doesn  t seem like a waste of time and money  .  
 trust me  regular tune ups will keep your car running smoothly and avoid break downs  .  
 the mangoes are on sale today  .  
 what exactly are mangoes  ?  
 they have yellowish red skin  .  it 's a fruit with one big seed  .  
 is the seed edible  ?  
 maybe if you were a parrot  .  i would n't recommend it  .  
 how much does a mango cost  ?  
 normally  they 're  2 each  .  today  they 're only  1 each  .  
 maybe i wo n't like the taste  .  
 it 's hard to describe  .  they 're sweet  but also sort of acidity  .  
 how do i tell the difference between a ripe one and an unripe one  ?  
 they 're similar to an avocado  .  when the outside feels soft  they 're ripe  .  
 where do most of them come from  ?  
 these are from mexico  .  
 well  we just got in some mangoes  .  
 mangoes  .  what are they  ?  
 well  it 's a fruit with a big nut in it  .  
 can you eat the nut  ?  
 no  you peel off the skin and throw out the nut  .  
 how much are they  ?  
 well  the sale price is  1 each  .  
 what does a mango taste like  ?  
 they 're like a citrus fruit  .  
 how do i know if it 's ripe  ?  
 you can buy them hard  .  wait a few days for them to develop a soft feel  .  
 where do they come from  ?  
 most of them in this store are from mexico  .  
 well  we 've got some great mangoes on sale  .  
 mangoes  ?  what are mangoes  ?  
 well  it 's a fruit with a big seed in it  .  
 can you eat the seed  ?  
 no  .  peel the skin with a sharp knife  and throw out the seed  .  
 well  how much are they  ?  
 well  they 're on sale today for only  1 each  .  
 can you describe their taste  ?  
 they usually taste sweet  but they remind me of an orange  .  
 how can i tell if they 're ripe  ?  
 you can buy them either ripe or unripe  .  unripe ones are hard  .  
 where do they grow mangoes  ?  
 the ones that are on sale are from central america  .  
 what size pan were you thinking of  ?  
 i 've already got a small pan  .  i need a big one  .  
 well  this one might work for you  .  
 oh  no  that 's way too heavy a pan for me  .  
 here  lift this aluminum pan  .  it 's the same size  .  
 yes  it 's very lightweight  .  but i do n't want this aluminum handle  .  
 here 's a similar aluminum pan  .  but it has a heatresistant handle  .  
 oh  this feels very nice  .  it 's perfect  .  i 'll take it  .  
 i knew we 'd find the right pan sooner or later  .  how would you like to pay  ?  
 cash  .  but first  i need a lid for this pan  .  
 oh  no problem  .  here 's the lid that comes with the pan  .  
 i see  .  you are in luck this month because all of our models are on sale  !  it is a perfect time to buy a new car since it  s the end of the year  .  
 perfect  !  i like this one  .  
 that is the ford focus  .  a very light but powerful vehicle  .  it comes with dual side airbags  power steering and power windows  tinted windows and your choice of either automatic or manual transmission  .  
 sounds like a good car  !  how many miles to the gallon  ?  
 it is a very fuel efficient vehicle giving you about 34 miles in the city and 40 on the highway  .  
 that is really convenient  .  especially now that fuel prices are so high  !  what  s under the hood  ?  
 a very powerful 2 . 5 liter turbocharged engine  trust me  this car is fast  !  
 now for the most difficult question  .  what is the price tag for this lovely vehicle  ?  
 very affordable mam  .  you can take it out of this lot today with 0  down payment and no interest for the first year  !  you can test drive it now and we can sign the papers when we get back  .  
 great  !  let  s do it  !  
 what are you getting  ?  
 well  the first thing on my list is a new blender  .  i decided to also get a juicer and a new coffee maker  .  
 don  t forget to also get a new mixer  .  i lent the old one to my brother and he broke it  .  
 yeah i know  .  i also decided to throw away the old toaster and get a new one  .  i am also getting a rice cooker and steamer to make some nice steamed fish or veggies  .  
 i  m actually thinking of completely refurnishing the kitchen and getting a new stove  oven  dishwasher and trash compacter  .  
 that  s a good idea  !  the kitchen will look amazing  !  
 ok  .  
 may i try it on  ?  
 go ahead  .  
 it sounds nice  but do n't forget this is a seedy  rundown neighborhood  .  
 what about the one on the yellow river road  ?  it 's a twobedroom one  and renovated building with an eatin kitchen  .  
 it 's a bit small but looks nice . what s more  it 's only ten minutes walk to the company  .  
 all right  sir . when are we supposed to be there  ?  
 i 'd like to go around the city  if you do n't mind  .  
 here you are . which size do you wear  ?  
 medium . may i try it on  ?  
 of course . you look terrific in it  !  
 how about these famous brands  ?  such as pierre cardin  .  .  .  
 i 'm afraid that 's a bit beyond my means  .  
 then you can try some local products . they re also of good quality  .  
 pierre cardin  .  
 how about this one  ?  
 it look fine . can i try it on  ?  
  135  .  
 wow  that 's sheer robbery . shall i make an offer  ?  
 i 'm sorry  sir . the price is fixed  .  
 that 's all right . we ll get used to it . besides  it is quiet up there . we re little further away from the street and traffic noise and there 's no one living over us  .  
 is the place wellfurnished  ?  
 yes  it 's pretty bright in there and big enough for our children to play  .  
 what about the kitchen  ?  
 the stove and refrigerator are in good working order  and i do n't see any loose electric wiring that could cause fires  .  
 are the plumbing all right  ?  
 the plumbing seems ok  too . the toilet flushes and the shower has hot and cold water  and the sinks do n't seem to leak  .  
 the place is ok . let s go there and have a look at it again  .  
 here are some . they re on special sale these days  .  
 that 's more reasonable  .  i 'll take this one  .  
 well  that 's an hour 's ride . why not just post your mail here  .  
 oh  i 'm visiting a friend there  .  
 i see  .  
 uh  .  .  .  andrew  .  hello  .  i ca n't quite remember you  .  
 it 's me  .  the dman  !  i sat behind you in english  .  are you and taylor still dating  ?  
 um  .  .  .  we never were  .  we 're just friends  .  
 well  if you 're not seeing anyone  maybe we could  .  .  .  
  .  .  .  i am seeing someone  .  this is yijun  my  .  .  .  
 seven dollars  !   !   !  incredible  !  but i saw that the seller has kind of a bad rating  .  
 was it a delivery problem or a problem with the products  ?  
 i read that someone called him a cheat and a liar  !  and i noticed that he wo n't ship abroad  .  
 some people get nasty on those comments  .  maybe you should write him and ask nicely  .  
 ok  .  wish me luck  !  
 yeah  i really wanted that chanel bag  too  .  but just in case you should bid low  .  
 but there are only two more days until the bidding closes  !  
 i bid on a chanel watch at the last minute  and got it sixty percent off  !  
 oh  .  .  .  i 'm such a newbie  .  but at least i 'm sure i 'll get that tennis racket  .  
 do n't count on it  babe  .  ebay is always full of surprises  .  
 well  .  .  .  guess how low the bidding starts on the tennis racket  ?  
 well  since we 're collecting gifts instead of red envelopes  i made a  for guests only  gift chat room  .  
 but we registered at macy 's  .  people can just buy gifts there  .  
 the taiwanese wo n't have time to buy gifts in america  .  the chat room is more convenient  .  
 you 're right  .  they can discuss what to get and avoid buying the same things  .  
 or discuss what gifts they could buy together  .  
 any other ideas  ?  
 we can also put a guest book on the website for people to sign and write comments  .  
 and we were going to make a collage for each of us using our baby pictures  .  .  .  
 yeah  that will be the best part  .  jack has n't seen yours yet  right  ?  
 no  .  he has no idea what a fat little pig i was  !  
 good for you  .  what items did you bid on  ?  
 a deny shirt and one of serena williams used tennis rackets  !  
 your idol  !  wow  !  you 're even better at finding stuff than me  !  
 yep  .  i placed a bid for the shirt  .  the minimum was ten so i bet fifty  !  
 that 's not how this game works  .  
 well  there was a sign that said  buy now for seventy  .   
 how many bids had been placed before you  ?  
 then it was n't meant to be  .  some people have put up a hard fight for some items i bid on  .  but i was the sole bidder for this bag and got it dirtcheap  .  
 it seems that you can email the seller and ask questions  .  
 sure  .  i 've even emailed some people who had bought from the person who sold this bag  .  
 and people are honest  ?  
 they said he was an honest and professional businessman  .  but that 's the exciting part  .  it 's kind of like gambling  .  .  .  
 i 'm sorry we do n't ship overseas  .  it 's too much trouble  .  
 i understand you do n't have a history of shipping overseas  but i am willing to pay extra for shipping  .  
 maybe we could make an exception for you if you win the bid  .  
 thanks so much  !  by the way  is the racket really serena williams   ?  
 yes  .  you 'll get a picture of serena playing with the racket and a document from her  .  
 what  !  
 i called the airlines to reconfirm the reservations today  .  
 do n't you dare tell me that  .  .  .  
 i 'm sorry  .  i did n't reconfirm in time and they gave away half of the seats  .  
 well  they should have called you  !  
 they said that they did  .  i 've been so busy  .  .  .  
 and you did n't think to leave them my cell phone  ?  
 i did n't think there would be a problem  .  
 it 's the holidays  !  everybody knows how hard it is to get tickets  !  
 i 'm sorry  .  we 're still going  .  i got reservations for all of us on the 31st  .  it will be ok  .  trust me  .  
 trust you  !  you ca n't even handle simple plane reservations  !  
 brooke  !  
 most of it is  .  you should sign up  .  
 i 'm not sure i 'd want to give these people my credit card number  .  
 did n't you read about paypal and bidpai  ?  they are very safe  .  
 sure  but it 's so complicated  .  they asked for my credit card authorization number  .  
 that 's the last three or four numbers on the back of your credit card where your signature is  .  
 i have trouble understanding all these forms  .  .  .  but i 'm sure i 'll get it  .  
 ryan says he wants to stay  .  i think he 's in love with some girl who designs fruit platters  .  .  .  
 no  !  christmas without him is bad enough  .  so  honey  do you have cold feet yet  ?  
 yeah  especially since jack did n't take care of the plane reservations  .  
 you 're not coming  ?  
 not until the 31st  .  so can you change the church reservations  ?  
 i 'm afraid not  .  the church is booked until the year 2001  .  
 then where will we have the ceremony  ?  at home  ?  
 we 'll have to  .  we 'll rehearse on the 1st and have the wedding on the 2nd  .  
 i 'm sorry  mom  .  
 do n't worry  dear  .  i 'm a great host  .  now get some rest  .  merry christmas  .  
 merry christmas  mom  .  i love you  .  
 i love you  too  .  and forgive jack  .  he 's doing his best  .  
 i know  .  goodnight  .  
 yes  i want to buy some grapes  .  
 what kind of grapes do you want  ?  
 people say grapes from xinjiang are much sweeter than other kinds  .  please give me a kilo of that  .  
 ok  wait a moment please  .  
 make sure they are fresh  .  
 trust me  .  
 i strongly recommend it  .  as an international enterprise  it produces high quality household appliances  .  
 is there a warranty  ?  
 yes  all their products have warranties  .  
 how long is it  ?  
 the fridges is covered by a oneyear warranty  .  
 which model is the best seller of this year  ?  
 this one  .  how do you like it  ?  
 it 's too big for me  .  could you recommend something else  ?  
 sure  this way please  .  
 i want to buy a bottle of perfume for myself  .  
 well  here is a perfume kind for women  .  
 i do n't like strong perfumes  .  
 how about this isawell 's flowery perfume  ?  
 i do n't think it smells nice  .  
 do you have green tea perfume  ?  
 yes  here you are  .  
 may i have a look at this  ?  
 sure  .  the bittersweet perfume has a calming effect on the nerves  .  
 i like this fragrance  .  
 how much is it  ?  
 150 yuan  .  
 i 'll take it  .  
 please forgive me just being frankly  madam  .  you do n't need whitening products because you look pretty white  .  but you have freckles on your face  .  
 then what kind of product can fade freckles  ?  
 i recommend nisei products  .  this brand has a face cream which is effective on fading freckles  .  
 how much is it  ?  
 419 yuan  .  
 it is too expensive for me  .  do you have something cheaper  ?  
 i 'm afraid there is n't  .  
 good morning  .  i want to buy a lipstick for my wife because it is her birthday today  .  
 do you know what color your wife often wears  ?  
 light pink  .  
 would you like this color or other colors  ?  
 i 'd like her to have a change  .  
 then how do you like this plum red one  ?  
 it is nice  .  is it water proof  ?  
 yes  sir  .  
 okay  i 'll take it  .  could you help me gift wrap it  ?  
 of course  .  
 it  s too loud  .  
 we  ve been looking around for many hours . what on earth are you looking for  ?  
 well  you know  those styles or colors don  t suit me  .  
 what style do you want  ?  
 i want to buy a vneck checked sweater  and it should be tight  .  
 oh  i see . how about the color  ?  
 quiet color  .  
 i know a shop selling this kind of sweaters  .  
 really  ?  let  s go there  .  
 may i take your size  ?  
 ok  .  i want it a bit close around the waist  .  
 no problem  .  
 how long will it take  ?  
 about a week  .  
 what  s the charge for the tailoring  ?  
 20 yuan for a skirt  .  
 certainly . how do you like to have it made  ?  
 make it after the present fashion  please . what if it does not fit  ?  
 you may rest assured  .  
 when can i expect to have it  ?  
 by the end of next week  .  
 ok then  .  see you next weekend  .  
 yes  sir  .  may i have your laundry ticket please  ?  
 here you are  .  
 yes  they 're ready to go  .  
 can you sew on these buttons  ?  
 no problem  .  
 how much for the shirts  ?  
 10 dollars  .  
 here 's the money  keep the change  .  
 thank you  bye  !  
 ok  do you want us to use starch  ?  
 yes  heavy starch in the collar please  .  
 yeah  sir  .  your shirt will be ready by thursday morning  .  anything else  ?  
 i also have a suit to be drycleaned  .  can i fetch it the day after tomorrow  ?  it 's urgent  .  
 no problem  sir  .  
 could you please tell me when your laundry opens and closes  ?  
 we 'll remain open from 9 a  .  m  .  till 8 p  .  m  .  
 i see  .  
 here 's your laundry ticket  sir  .  
 thank you  .  
 do you have a hotel card or something  ?  
 let 's see . yes  i have the address and telephone number here  .  
 oh  you 're staying at the downtown hilton . then  you go down two blocks this way and turn left . you ll find it on the right  .  
 well  i do n't understand it very well . will you draw me a map  ?  
 what do we get this morning  ?  
 fruit juice  cake and refreshments and everything  .  
 i  d like to a glass of tomato juice please  .  
 any serial  sir  ?  
 yes  .  a dish of cornmeal weight  .  
 and eggs  ?  
 yes  .  baked eggs and buttered toast  .  i like my baker very crazy  .  
 how do you want to your eggs  ?  
 fried  please  .  
 anything more  sir  ?  
 no  that  s enough  thank you  .  
 no  .  it doesn  t  .  there  s no through bus to the national history museum madam  .  .  
 i see  .  where do i have to change them  ?  
 you can transfer at cuchan men  .  
 how far is it  ?  
 well  it  s only three stops from here  .  
 i see  .  thanks a lot  .  
 you  re welcome  .  
 yes . may i have some more beer  ?  
 oh  sure  .  i 'll be back in a minute . thank you for waiting  .  here it is . did you enjoy your meal  ?  
 yes  the meal was very delicious and i enjoyed very much  .  i 'm full  .  
 is that so  ?  i 'm glad you enjoyed it  .  
 by the way  miss . where is the toilet  ?  
 toilets are in the rear  .  i 'm afraid all the toilets are fully occupied at the moment  .  
 what  ?  
 yes  this way please  .  
 can we see the menu please  .  
 here you are  .  
 what  s good today  ?  
 i recommend crisp beef and fried duck  .  
 we don  t want that  .  well  .  perhaps will be begin with mushroom soap and follow by some seafood and chips  .  
 do you want any dissert  ?  
 no dissert  thanks  just coffee . can i have the check please  ?  
 i want to american breakfast with fried eggs sunny side up  .  
 what kind of juice do you prefer  sir  ?  
 breakfast juice and please make my coffee very strong  .  
 yes  sir  .  american breakfast with fried eggs sunny side up  .  breakfast juice and black coffee  .  and my correct  sir  ?  
 yes  that  s right  .  
 is there anything else  sir  ?  
 no  that  s all  .  
 good morning  sir  .  i  ve got breakfast your ordered  .  
 just put it on the table please  .  
 do you need anything else  sir  ?  
 no  thanks  .  oh  yes  could i have some juice for the mini bar  ?  
 what kind of juice do you like sir  ?  
 tomato or orange juice  please  .  
 yes  sir  .  i  ll get them for you right away  .  would you please sign this bill first  ?  thank you  sir  .  
 well  depends  .  you see  there are eight famous chinese food cuisines  for instance  sichuan cuisine and hunan cuisine  .  
 there 're all spicy or hot of heard  .  
 that  s right  .  if you have hot dishes  you can try some  .  
 it might be too hot for me  .  
 and there are cantonese cuisine and kiangsu cuisine  .  .  most people like them  .  
 what about any special beijing dishes  ?  
 there  re beijing roast duck  .  
 oh  yes  .  i heard of a lot of about it  .  i like very much to try it  .  where can i find it  ?  
 you can find it in most restaurant  .  the best place certainly is quanjude restaurant  .  
 is it near here  ?  
 not too near but not too far either  .  a taxi will take you there in fifteen minutes  .  the traffic is not too bad  i mean  .  
 well  thank you for your information  .  what  s the name of that restaurant again  ?  
 let me write it down on a piece of paper for you  .  you can show to the taxi driver  .  
 that  s very kind of you  .  thanks a lot  .  
 how can there be a traffic jam on a 16  lane highway every day  ?  
 there are just too many people  and too many cars  .  
 i wonder if there was an accident  .  
 no  they just said it too many people were trying to get off at the capitol exits  .  
 well  let  s put on some music  .  we  re going to be stuck in this for a while  .  
 all right  what do you want to listen to  ?  
 how about some beatles  ?  
 yeah  all right  .  
 yeah  should we get out and help  ?  
 no  there  s a police car behind us  .  he  ll stop  .  
 looks like the one guy lost control in all this rain  and the other one hit him  .  
 yeah  .  it  s pretty bad  that car looks like a coke can  .  
 these accidents always cause traffic jams on rainy days  .  
 yeah  it looks like we  re in for a long drive  .  
 ah  well  .  put on the news  .  i got up late and missed it  .  
 all right  .  
 yeah  ?  why  ?  don  t you like living with me  ?  
 oh  it  s not you  .  i just want my own place  .  
 well  check the newspaper  .  
 jeez  .  .  .  i didn  t realize a single bedroom apartment went for so much these days  .  
 yeah  prices have really gone up the past couple of years  .  
 oh  here  s one  .  it  s looks like its in this neighborhood   600 a month  .  that  s not to bad  .  
 no  it  s pretty good  .  why not give the landlord a call  ?  
 hello  .  i  m calling about the one bedroom in lincoln park  .  could i take a look at it  ?  yes  .  tonight at six is fine  .  thanks  .  
 yes  sir  .  where to  ?  
 the city square  please  .  
 are you in a hurry  ?  
 yes  i have to be there to meet a friend at 5 thirty pm  .  so we 're sure we can get there on time  ?  
 i 'm afraid not  sir  .  generally we can  but you know how it is in the rush hour now  .  
 i see  .  here 's the extra 5  for you if you can get me there on time  .  
 all right  .  i 'll do my best  .  
 oh . we made it  .  thank you  .  how much do i own you  ?  
 the reading on the kilometer is 12   .  
 here 's the money  keep the changes  please  .  
 do you need a receipt  ?  
 no  thank you  .  
 get in  please  .  where to  madam  ?  
 the international airport  please  .  i have to be there by 8 
 i ca n't promise anything  but i 'll try my best  .  
 oh  that 's my stop  .  how much do i need to pay  ?  
 that 'll be 10 dollars  please  .  
 thanks a lot . here  .  
 i 'm going to the golden hotel  .  
 get in  please  .  
 thank you  .  i have an appointment with an important client at 10 
 do n't worry  you 'll be there plenty of time  .  that is it  .  7 . 15   please  .  
 thank you . here s 10   just give me 1  back  please  .  
 this is soft  may i speak to lamely  ?  
 this is lamely  .  
 hello  lamley . are you free tomorrow  ?  
 yes  .  
 would you like to go to an activation with me  ?  
 i 'd like to . see you tomorrow  .  
 see you  .  
 yes  we 've got great apartments with charming environment and nice scenery . and they are all newly renovated  .  
 that sounds fantastic  !  but i am looking for something closer to downtown  as i spend most of my time at the office  .  
 no problem  .  we have a nice apartment located near the oriental square  .  it 's perfect for people busy with office work  .  it is fully furnished with a service staff taking care of the trivial details  .  
 i 'm sure they are wonderful  but i need an unfurnished apartment with relatively lower cost  .  
 ah  !  i get your point  .  we have just what you need  .  our jinyuan apartments have several floor plans  .  the one bedroom apartments are very economical  but their layout makes great use of a small amount of space  .  i think you can find a very apartment there  .  
 great  !  i 'll arrange a viewing after work tomorrow afternoon  .  could you tell me the detailed dress  ?  
 of course  .  it 's just at 19 lingual road  .  you can phone me again if you ca n't find the right place  .  
 ok  .  thank you  .  
 yes  .  i 'll have a room free next week  .  
 what do you charge  ?  
 12000 yuan a year  but you ca n't have visitors live in it  .  
 ok  .  would it be all right to look at the room first  ?  
 could you come back later  ?  we 're right in the middle of dinner  .  
 mr green  please  .  
 sorry  he 's out  .  
 what time you suspect back them  ?  
 sorry  i am not sure  can i take a message  ?  
 no  thanks  .  i 'll call back later  .  
 that 's fine . please call again later  .  
 ok  thank you . goodbye  .  
 could you tell me the advantages of it  ?  
 no problem  .  first  it 's comfortable and cozy  .  second  it has a lovely view of the city  .  third  it has all kinds of electric appliances that we need  such as refrigerator  electric stove  heating apparatus  washing machine and dishwasher  .  forth is the most important  the electricity is free of charge  .  finally  it 's located in the center of the city and the transportation is convenient  .  
 there is something in what you said  but what is the rent  ?  
 200 dollars per week  .  
 in my opinion  the rent is far more expensive than that in other areas  .  
 it certainly is  .  but to tell you the truth  the room is so large that i can share it with someone else  and that will decrease the total amount of the rent  .  
 your intention is good  but i still ca n't agree with you  .  if no one would like to share it with you  you have to pay it all by yourself  .  
 do n't you think i can save some bus fares since it  s easy to go anywhere from here and it  s near the place where i work  ?  
 i agree with you in this way  .  but how often do you go to work or shopping per week  ?  
 twice a week for work and once for shopping  .  
 in my opinion  you have to go to the university every day  and the fare would cost you most of your living expenses if you live here far away from the university  .  
 that 's true  .  ok  i will think about it  .  
 where did he go  ?  
 i 've asked him  but he wo n't tell me  .  what should we do about this  ?  he is like you  .  i remember when we were at the college  you always skipped classes  .  
 like me  ?  but you see i am so successful now  .  and if he is really like me  he will be more successful than me in the future  .  
 stop  stop  .  .  .  we are talking about our son's attendance for classes and his study  .  maybe we could give him a little bit money to pay to go to school  .  
 pay him  ?  but he studies for himself  not for you or for me or for anybody else  .  i got an idea  .  you should send him to class every morning and after the class begins  you can go to work  .  
 in that way  i 'll be late every day  .  how about letting him go to school on school bus  ?  
 that 's a good idea  .  why have i never thought of that  ?  
 that 's because i went to school for each class when i was at school  .  so now i am much more clever than you  .  
 hey  anna  this is jason  .  
 jason  where have you been hiding lately  ?  you know it 's been a long time since your last call  .  have you been good  ?  
 yes  .  how are you  anna  ?  
 i am fine  .  what have you been doing  ?  
 working  .  i 've been really busy these days  .  i got a promotion  .  
 that 's great  congratulations  !  
 thanks  .  i am feeling pretty good about myself too  .  you know  bigger office  a raise and even an assistant  .  
 that 's good  .  so i guess i 'll have to make an appointment to see you  .  
 you are kidding  .  
 how long have you been working there  ?  
 a bit over two years  .  this is a fastmoving company  and seniority isn  t the only factor in deciding promotions  .  
 how do you like your new boss  ?  
 she is very nice and openminded  .  
 much better than the last one  huh  ?  
 yeah  .  he was a real slave driver  .  he probably would have loved it if we were robots  .  
 forget about him  .  come over to my house tonight  .  let 's get drunk  .  
 good  .  tonight 8 o 'clock  .  
 8 it is  .  see you then  .  
 bye  .  
 i was wondering if you guys also tailor clothes  ?  
 sure we do  !  we have the best tailors in the country  !  what is it that you need exactly  ?  
 well  i  m looking to get a custommade suit  .  
 excellent  !  we have the finest cashmeres at affordable prices . how about we get you measured  ?  let  s start off by measuring the width of your shoulders  .  now  let  s measure the length of your arms and this bit around your neck here  .  
 can you make sure you leave a little extra space in the collar  ?  my neck gets easily irritated  .  
 no problem  !  now for your pants  let me just measure your waist and the inseam  .  
 you might also want to leave a little extra room in the waist area  .  i tend to gain a few pounds over the holidays  .  
 ok . now you can pick your fabric and pattern design  .  please follow me  .  
 hold on there  fittipaldi  first let  s go over things one more time  .  now before you even think of starting the car  make sure your seat is at a comfortable position and you can grip the steering wheel firmly  .  next check your rear view mirrors to make sure you can see properly  .  
 we have been through this a million times  !  let  s get going already  !  i  m ready  !  
 fine  start the car  .  now gently step on the clutch and shift to 1st gear  .  good  now accelerate gently and let go of the clutch as you do it  .  there we go  good  !  
 i  m doing it  !  i  m driving  !  this is awesome  !  let  s turn some music on  !  
 keep your eyes on the road  !  no music  !  we are coming up to a red light  step on the brakes  .  what are you doing  ?  i said the brakes  !  look out for those people  !  get off the sidewalk  !  
 get out of my way  !  this is just like playing video games  !  
 it  s the police  !  pull over  !  
 they  ll never take me alive  !  
 yes  actually i  m looking to buy a camera  .  
 we  ve got a wide selection do you know if you  d like a pointandshoot  or something a little fancier  ?  are you shopping for yourself or for someone else  ?  
 actually i  m buying a camera for my husband  .  
 ah  well then i  d recommend a nice entrylevel digital slr  .  
 yeah  ?  can i take a look at the sirs you carry  ?  
 sure thing  follow me  .  this here is the  .  
 the canon eos  .  yeah it  s ok  but i  m looking for something that performs better in low light  has a better display panel  and longer battery life  .  
 oh  ah  um the nikon d60 is a nice option  .  
 yeah  but what kit lens does this camera come with  ?  i don  t want some bulky telephoto lens  .  
 oh  well this one has the  uh  .  
 looks to me like an 1855 mm lens  .  pretty standard  that will do  .  not like my husband will be stalking celebrities or anything  !  
 so  ahem  can i interest you in any acc  .  .  .  
 accessories  ?  do you carry polarizing filters  ?  
 polarizing filter um we should  !  i  m sorry  ma  am  .  it looks like we  re sold out  .  
 no you  re not  !  there are some right here  !  
 oh  well  would you look at that  !  polarizing filters  .  
 thanks for your help  ralph  !  
 no problem  ma  am  .  
 i  d like a half a pound of ground beef  please  .  
 good choice  !  our ground beef is extra lean  if you know what i mean  .  
 could i also have half a dozen pork chops and two pounds of boneless chicken breasts  ?  
 no  no no no chicken breasts at the moment  but we have some nice chicken thighs  .  
 no  that won  t do  .  i  ll take this smoked ham you have here  .  
 okay  is there anything else  ?  
 is this salami and bologna you have here  ?  
 yes  !  it  s very fine meat  !  made it myself  .  .  .  
 sounds good  .  okay  that  s it  .  
 wait  !  we have tbone  rib eye  and sirloin steaks  .  they are very fresh  !  just came from the slaughter house  .  .  .  
 mmm  .  .  .  no that  s okay  really  .  i think that  s all for today  .  
 okay  .  that will be thirtyfour dollars and fifty cents  .  
 i would like to buy some flowers  please  .  something really nice  .  
 i see  may i ask what the occasion is  ?  
 it  s not really an occasion  it  s more like i  m sorry  .  
 very well . this arrangement here is very popular among regretful husbands and boyfriends  .  it has a dozen long stem red roses with a couple of sunflowers and a single orchid that stands out  .  it includes a small teddy bear to achieve the effect of immediate forgiveness  .  
 i think i  m gonna need more than just a dozen red roses and a bear  .  what else do you recommend  ?  
 mmm  well this is our i  m sorry i cheated on you package  .  two dozen red roses lined with tulips  carnations and lilies  .  the fragrance and beauty of this flower arrangement is sure to make her forgive you  .  
 i don  t think that  s gonna cut it  .  i need something bigger and better  !  
 i  m sorry sir but  what exactly did you do  ?  
 well  i may have accidentally insinuated that she is getting chubbier  .  
 get out of my store  you jerk  !  
 i  m sorry sir  .  this computer is not broken or damaged  .  it  s simply just too old  !  that  s why your programs and applications are running slow  .  there really isn  t much i can do  .  
 what do you mean  ?  i bought this computer just three years ago  !  
 yes  but technology is ever changing and technology is becoming obsolete faster and faster  !  
 ok  i know where this is going  .  how much will it cost me to get a new computer  ?  
 well  this desktop over here is our latest model  .  it has a four gigahertz processor with sixteen gigabytes in ram and a hard disk with one terabyte  .  of course  it includes a mouse  keyboard and desk speakers  .  
 i have no idea what you are talking about  .  i just want to know if it  s good and if i will be able to play solitaire without the computer crashing or freezing all the time  !  
 this pc is top of the line and i guarantee it will never freeze  !  if it does  we  ll give you your money back  !  
 i know  i know  .  ok  so i have to separate the colors from the whites and put them in this strange looking contraption so called washing machine  .  
 right  .  you have to turn it on and program it depending on what type of clothes you are washing  .  for example for delicates  you should set a shorter washing cycle  .  also  be sure to use fabric softener and this detergent when washing  .  
 so complicated  !  ok  what about this red wine stain  ?  how do i get it out  ?  
 since this is a white tshirt  you can just pour a little bit of bleach on it and it will do the trick  .  
 cool  .  then i can just throw everything in the dryer for an hour and it  s all set right  ?  
 no  !  since you are washing delicates and cotton  you should set the dryer to medium heat and for twenty minutes  .  
 you know what  ?  i  ll just have everything dry cleaned  .  
 it 's a blackout  .  now i ca n't see seinfeld  .  
 so what  ?  i just lost one hour 's worth of work  .  
 really  ?  how could you do that  ?  do n't you save every couple minutes  ?  
 no  i did n't save this time . damn it  !  and i 'm sick of writing this paper  .  now i have to write it all over again too  .  
 i 've had that problem too many times  .  so i learned to save . when i 'm writing something  i save every three sentences or so  .  i do n't want to lose anything  .  
 i hate computers  .  sometimes i think they cause more trouble than they 're worth  .  
 what are we going to do now  ?  
 i do n't know  .  i feel like going out  .  
 i wonder how much of the city is down  .  
 it does n't matter  .  i still can go out and buy a beer  .  
 maybe  .  but if there 's a blackout  probably the pubs are closed . and besides  i know you have a political science exam tomorrow  .  i thought you had a lot of reading to do  .  
 yes  that 's true  .  damn  !  i just lost half my paper  and now i ca n't even do my homework . this is a bad time for this to happen  .  
 i have a flashlight in my closet  .  if you want to use that to read  you can  .  
 thanks  .  i think i will try  .  where are you going  ?  
 i like your idea of getting a beer  .  i think i 'll go out myself  .  
 maybe we can trade . why do n't you stay here and read for my exam  and i 'll go drink beer  ?  
 no  it just wo n't work . if i read for your exam  you wo n't know the answers tomorrow  .  i will  .  
 so  ?  you can go to the class for me . just write my name on the exam book and take the exam  .  why not  ?  
 how many students are in the class  ?  
 about fourteen  .  
 so it wo n't work  old buddy  .  they 'll see that i 'm not you  .  sorry  .  
 damn  !  
 hi  .  i would like to get an internet plan for my house  .  
 of course  .  we have three different plans with different prices you can choose from  .  the first one is the cheapest but most basic plan which is thirty dollars a month  .  this is for broadband internet with a download speed of five hundred and twelve kbps  .  
 i have no idea what kbps means  .  i just want to be able to get online  play games and chat with my friends  .  oh  and watch movies online as well  .  
 well  this connection might be a bit too slow for your needs  .  i suggest you get the premium package for fifty dollars a month which includes a connection speed of two megabytes  .  that way you can play games online without any lag  .  this package also includes a wireless router and a personal firewall absolutely free  !  
 do i have to pay an installation fee  ?  
 lucky for you  this month we aren  t charging our normal installation fee  .  you are saving yourself 100 bucks right there  !  and we  ll throw in this pen drive  !  
 awesome  !  
 yes  yes i did  .  please come in  !  i  m so glad you came  !  this old house is falling apart  !  come on into the bathroom  .  see  here  there  s water leaking everywhere  !  
 i see  .  let me have a look  .  it seems that your toilet is clogged  and that  s why it won  t flush  .  let me just get my plunger  .  no  that  s not working either  .  i suspect that there  s some sort of foreign object in the pipes that  s causing a blockage  .  that  s what  s making your toilet overflow  .  
 oh  that must be because of my fouryearold daughter  .  she is always flushing things down the toilet  .  you know how kids are  .  
 yeah  i have a little one myself  .  anyway  these water pipes are really rusty  so they also should be changed  .  thatcould be causing water to not drain completely  that might lead to more problems in the future  .  i would also suggest fixing this faucet that isn  t shutting off properly  .  i could have it all finished by today if it  s urgent  .  
 that would be great  !  is it expensive  ?  
 let  s see  .  .  .  i would say about eight hundred dollars  .  
 sure  .  why don  t you try it on  ?  the fitting room is over there  .  
 it  s just the right sizea perfect fit  !  have you seen anything you like  ?  
 i  m thinking about buying this sweater  .  i know it  s june now  but it will be perfect for autumn and winter  .  
 it looks too big for you  but i like the color and the material is good quality  .  is it on sale  ?  
 yes  it  s half price  .  it  s supposed to be too largethat  s the fashion  .  
 i might get one too  but in a different color  .  i prefer light blue to white  
 there . it looks great  don  t you think  ?  i  m going to get these jeans as well  .  i need a new pair  .  i  m also going to buy this scarf ready for winter  .  
 i  m getting this beret  ?  doesn  t it look cool  ?  i  d like to get some jeans too  but i don  t have enough cash on me  .  
 don  t worry  .  i  ve got my credit card  .  you can pay me back later  .  
 thanks  !  now i don  t need to come back to the shop a second time  .  
 it 's not really all that good . the bedroom is a little small for us  .  
 small  ?  but it should be enough for our needs  i think  .  
 but there 's no hot water after 10 at night . sometimes i like to have a hot shower before bed  especially in the winter  it feels good  .  
 that 's true  but i love the living room  it 's huge and filled with sunshine  .  
 true  and i like the kitchen . it s new and well equipped  .  
 it has a great balcony with an incredible view of the park  .  
 you are right . the view is spectacular . but that bedroom is so small . we d never be able to fit all of our stuff in there  .  
 may be we could get some new furniture  better stuff  .  
 i have n't thought of that  .  
 i  m glad you like it  .  
 how much would i have to pay for rent  ?  
 the rent is  1050 each month  .  
 that  s way too much money  .  
 it isn  t too much  .  
 how about if i pay  850  ?  
 i can  t take that  .  
 i can  t go any higher than  850  .  
 i honestly don  t know what else to tell you  .  
 you can  t go any lower than that  ?  
 if you can  t afford  1050  then we have no deal  .  
 i love it  .  i really enjoy creating a meal from various ingredients and watching my friends enjoy it . it gives me a real sense of satisfaction . do you enjoy cooking  ?  
 i don  t like it . it takes up too much time and i really hate having it clean up after the meal  .  i can  t stand doing the washing up  drying up and putting all the dishes and cutlery away  .  
 you can ask the guests for help  .  my guests usually insist on doing the washing up  .  i just have to remind them where everything goes  .  
 so what kinds of dishes do you usually make  ?  i know you like italian food  .  
 italian  indian and chinese  .  i  ve only recently started cooking chinese meals and i need some more practice  .  
 do you find it hard to get ingredients for chinese food  ?  
 not at all . you can find most of them in supermarkets . the ingredients are usually the same as in western food . the way that the food is prepared is the big difference  not the ingredients  .  
 how long does it take you to cook a meal for 5 or 6 people  ?  
 obviously  it depends on what i  m cooking . but i  d say it generally takes about one and a half hours  .  
 certainly  .  have you decided which material you would like the suit to be made from  ?  we have a selection of materials over here  .  
 well  i thought that i would choose either this one or that one  .  i really want a dark blue suit  .  which do you recommend  .  
 this material is a little more expensive  but is of much higher quality  .  
 yes  .  i can feel the difference in material  .  there  s not much difference in price  .  ok  i  ll take the more expensive one  .  
 fine  .  i  ll measure you for the suit  .  .  .  shoulder  .  .  .  waist  .  .  .  inside leg  .  .  .  forearm  .  .  .  upper arm  .  .  .  thank you  .  i  ll prepare the suit for you tomorrow  .  could you come again the day after tomorrow just to check that the su 
 that  s fine  .  i would also like a few shirts and a jacket  .  i don  t need them specially made  .  those shirts over there look very nice  .  are they made of cotton  ?  
 yes  they are  .  how many would you like and of which color  ?  
 i  ll take three light blue ones  please  .  
 are you looking for a casual jacket or something formal  ?  
 just a casual one  a sport jacket  .  this one looks nice  .  i  ll just try it on  .  .  .  yes  that  s fine  .  i  ll take it  .  here  s my credit card  .  
 thank you very much  sir  .  i  ll put the shirts and jacket into a bag for you  .  
 thank you very much  .  i  ll see you the day after tomorrow  .  
 i 'm the manager  .  how can i help you  ?  
 i was hoping that the apartment on main street was still available  .  
 why  yes  it is  .  would you like to get a look inside the apartment  ?  
 yes  it would be nice to see the apartment  .  
 how about today at 6 o 'clock  ?  
 yes  i can be there at 6  .  
 sounds good  .  i 'll see you at 6  .  do you want directions  ?  
 i 'm okay  thank you  .  i already checked out the address on mapquest  .  
 if you like the place  you can fill out an application form  .  i 'll bring one with me  .  
 is there anything that i need to bring with me  ?  
 no  .  i wo n't need to see anything except your driver 's license  .  
 certainly  .  as you can see  we have several threepiece suites on sale  .  feel free to sit down and test how comfortable they are  .  
 i came to your store yesterday and have come back today to make a final decision  .  i think i like the black leather suite  .  it 's on sale  is n't it  .  
 yes  .  the price has been reduced by 50   .  it  s a real bargain  .  
 i  ll take it  .  i also need to improve the lighting in my living room  .  do you have any suggestions  ?  
 those floor lamps are very nice and you can vary the brightness according to whether you  re reading or watching tv  .  how big is your living room  ?  
 it  s quite large  .  it  s about 40 square meters  .  
 i  d suggest you buy two  .  that allows you to change the brightness of the room better  .  
 ok  .  i like the design of this lamps  .  i also need some cushion covers  .  i  ll just browse through those ones over there  .  
 you can  t really tell everything about a house from the outside  .  let  s go inside  .  
 i don  t think that it is looking any better inside here  .  
 i think that fresh paint and cleaning would help it look a little better  .  
 it is just too dark in here with so few windows  .  
 i hear that the kitchen is quite large  .  let  s go check it out  .  
 the kitchen may be large  but it doesn  t have any storage space  .  
 the master suite is supposed to be quite elegant  .  maybe it will be a little better  .  
 how many dogs live in this house  ?  
 i think that we have seen all that we need to see here  .  let  s go look at another house  .  
 it is a bit of a fixerupper  .  let  s take a look inside  .  
 it doesn  t look much better inside this place  .  
 you know  with a little elbow grease and paint  you could spruce it up a bit  .  
 there are hardly any windows in here  and that makes it really gloomy  .  
 let  s go check out the kitchen  .  the printout says that it is quite large  .  
 look at those broken tile countertops and the peeling wallpaper  .  
 maybe the master suite has some redeeming qualities  .  follow me  please  .  
 what  s that smell  ?  
 perhaps we should move on to the next listing  .  
 hello  this is the apartment manager speaking  .  
 i 'm calling about the apartment for rent on main street  .  
 would you be interested in seeing the apartment  ?  
 i would love to see it  .  
 are you free today at around 6 p  .  m  .   ?  
 yes  i will be able to make it then  .  
 well  i 'll see you at 6 p  .  m  .  do you know how to get there  ?  
 i used to live in that area  .  
 i 'll give you an application form when i see you  .  
 that sounds good  .  do i need to bring anything  ?  
 no  .  just bring yourself  .  
 yes  i need to buy a computer for this semester  .  i was told it is cheaper to buy computers here  .  
 well  you heard right . you can get an excellent deal on a new computer here . we have great discounts for students  .  
 i do n't know much about computers . but i know i want a desktop computer with a lot of memory  .  and i need a printer  .  
 well  first let 's consider your computer . here  for example  is a system i highly recommendthe power macintosh g3 . it comes with 64 megabytes of total memory  .  
 is that a lot  ?  sixtyfour  ?  
 yes  it is  .  it should be enough for any student needs you might have . what department are you in  ?  
 history  .  
 well  so you will mostly be using word processing  for writing papers  .  i recommend the corel word perfect program for word processing . we can talk about software later  .  let 's talk about your 
 thirty percent  ?  
 yes  .  
 wow  .  that 's really good . and you think this is really a good system for a graduate student  ?  
 yes  .  it 's an excellent system  .  
 hmm  .  hey  wait  .  this has an apple on it  .  is this an apple computer  ?  
 yes  it 's a macintosh  .  it 's apple  .  macintosh and apple are the same thing  .  
 i do n't want macintosh  .  i want pc  .  
 i 'm sorry  but our university computer center only sells macintosh equipment  .  
 what  ?  are you serious  ?  
 yes  .  
 but nobody uses macintosh  !  
 that 's not true . most of the students and professors in the university here use macintosh . they find it is better for writing and wordprocessing  and that is what students mostly do  .  ma 
 yes  i 'm from taiwan  .  
 well  i know that in most asian countries apple is not very popular . but here in america  especially in universities and publishing companies  apple is very commonly used  .  
 but i need a computer that can handle writing in chinese  .  
 there are several chinese writing programs you can use with macintosh . chinese is no problem for apple  .  
 hmm  .  i think i should ask some of my friends for advice before i make a decision  .  i 'm sorry  .  
 no  do n't be sorry  .  it 's reasonable to ask your friends . but believe me  most of the students here in the universityasian students includedmost of them use apple  .  
 well  thanks for your advice  .  i will probably come back later  .  
 you 're very welcome  .  here is my card  if you need any help  .  
 do you have an appointment  ?  
 no  i do n't  .  you look pretty busy today  .  do you have an opening for me  ?  
 yes  we do  .  i can cut your hair right now if you like . do you need a shampoo too  or just a haircut  ?  
 just a haircut  .  i washed my hair this morning  .  
 alright  .  i will have an assistant wet your hair  .  then i can cut it . please step over there . how would you like your hair cut today  ?  
 well  i last had a haircut eight weeks ago  .  so my hair is pretty long . but i want the same style  .  
 i recommend you leave it a little long on top . but we should take in the back and sides a bit more  .  that 's more fashionable now  .  
 alright  .  you are the expert  .  i 'm happy to have your recommendation  .  
 so i will cut the sides just above the ear  .  is that good  ?  
 fine  .  
 and do you usually part your hair along here  ?  
 yes  .  
 alright  i know just what to do . your hair seems quite dry  you know  .  and i see some split ends  .  
 yes  i know my hair is quite thin . it runs in my family  .  everybody has very thin hair  .  
 the problem is the split ends  .  they make your hair look even more frizzy  .  
 i do n't know what to do about it  .  
 well  there are two things you can do . first  do n't blowdry your hair for so long after you shower  .  let it dry naturally . that is easier on the hair  so you wo n't get split ends . second  buy a g 
 do you sell conditioner here  ?  
 of course  .  i have one i can suggest  .  
 great  .  i would be happy to try it  .  i know my hair does n't look good now  .  it 's too weak  .  
 the problem is the split ends  .  
 we should plan to move out of here before july  .  i 'm tired of living in apartments  .  
 i know  dear  .  i am too  .  but we 've just been too busy to look for a house  .  
 we need to find a good realtor  .  
 not necessarily  .  if we use a realtor to find a house  it will be more expensive  .  
 what do you mean  ?  
 realtors always get a commission . if the realtor helps us find something  we have to pay him  .  
 but does n't a realtor help with the contract  ?  i thought they take care of all the legal troubles  .  
 yes  that 's often true  .  but you have to pay them  .  
 i still think we should have a realtor . we re new in this country  .  we do n't know all the laws of buying a house . and also  the realtor will inspect the house . he can tell us if the house has 
 of course we need a home inspector . but we can hire an inspector on our own . and as for the legal problems  i have friends  .  they can help us  .  
 so how can we find a house if we do n't have a realtor  ?  
 it takes a little more time  .  we have to check the ads in the paper . probably also there are special real estate magazines with ads . then we have to drive to the homes and look at them  .  
 and does n't the person selling the house have a realtor  ?  
 sometimes they do  sometimes they do n't  .  it 's best to find someone who is selling by themselves  .  
 why  ?  
 because if the seller has a realtor  their price will be higher . he will have to pay a commission to the realtor  .  
 hmm  .  it all sounds very complicated  .  
 it is  .  but buying a house is very important  .  so it takes time . that s why we have n't done it yet  .  it 's very troublesome  .  
 i want to look in the papers today  .  maybe we can see something we like  .  
 alright  .  i 'll buy a newspaper when i go to the drug store  .  
 no  but i 'm pretty good at eating  !  
 do you prefer chinese food or western food  ?  
 well  to be honest with you  chinese food is really different from western food  .  
 are you used to the food here  ?  
 i 'm not really used to it yet  .  
 what 's your favorite chinese dish  ?  
 like most foreigners  i really like sweet and sour pork and kung pao chicken  .  i eat them almost every day  .  
 have you tried traditional chinese dumplings yet  ?  
 i tried once  but they are quite difficult to eat with chopsticks  .  
 you know  foreigners are not expected to use chopsticks proficiently  .  if you do  you 'll give your chinese friends quite an impression  .  
 that 's good to know  .  i 'd like to try more chinese food  but since i ca n't read any of the menus in the restaurants near my home  it 's difficult to try new food  .  
 if you want  i can introduce you to some typical chinese dishes  .  
 that would be great  .  i really only want to taste real chinese food  not just the food that foreigners like to eat  !  
 if you have n't tried beijing duck yet  i 'd like to treat you to a meal at a famous duck restaurant near qianmen  .  it would be a pity if you left without tasting it  !  
 sure  carolyn  .  i 'm happy to help you . what kinds of things do you need right now  ?  
 well  we have most of the furniture already . we mostly need kitchen utensils  bathroom accessories  cleaning and laundry accessoriesthings like that . and albert wants to set up a little off 
 well  as for albert  he should go to an office supply store . there s a very good one called office depot  .  they have everything he will need . and their prices are good too  .  it 's very convey 
 can i write that down  ?  
 sure  it 's spelled office and then d  e  p  o  t . it s in the yellow pages  .  
 thanks  .  
 and as for the kitchen things  do you want very high quality  ?  
 what do you mean  ?  
 i mean  do you want the best quality  or do you want good prices  ?  
 probably good prices  .  you know we will only be in america for about a year  .  
 then i suggest you go to kmart or walmart  .  
 what are those stores  ?  
 they are very large  discount department stores . that means their prices are very good . and you can find everything you need for the kitchen or bathroom  .  
 even silverware  ?  
 yes  everything . they do n't have the most expensive brands  but their quality is usually decent . the main thing is  they have good prices  and they are very convenient  .  
 i have a friend that said something about a place called price club . do you know about that  ?  
 i have never shopped there  but i think price club is a kind of membership store  .  
 what does that mean  ?  
 that means you have to pay a membership fee to shop there  .  i have heard they have very good prices on electronics  .  
 electronics  ?  
 yes  .  like stereos and televisions  .  
 how much is the membership fee  ?  
 i 'm not sure . but if you are only going to stay a year  i do n't think price club is good to join . they have great deals occasionally . they are very good for people who like to buy new things all 
 i see  .  thanks for these tips  .  we really need to buy a lot of little things  .  
 i know how it is  .  moving is very troublesome  .  
 yes  i would like to return these slacks  .  
 alright  .  do you have your receipt  ?  
 yes  .  here it is  .  i bought them last week  .  
 and why are you returning them  ?  
 i bought them to go with a blouse of mine  .  but they do n't really match  .  
 i see  .  oh  wait  .  ma 'am  i 'm sorry  .  these slacks were on sale  .  
 yes  they were thirty percent off  .  
 i 'm sorry  but we do n't allow returns on sale items  .  
 i know many stores have that policy  .  but i have returned sale items here before  .  
 i 'm sorry  but we usually do n't do it  .  it is our policy  .  
 i just bought these slacks a week ago  .  and i am a regular customer here . can you make an exception this time  ?  
 well  .  let me talk to the manager for a moment . ma am  the manager says i can do it this time  .  
 good  .  i 'm a regular customer here  .  i am glad you can make an exception for me  .  
 please show me your receipt again  .  
 here it is  .  
 i will have to give you store credit  ma 'am  .  if you find something else you like in the store  you can use the credit  .  
 store credit is okay with me  .  i 'm sure i will find something i like  .  i shop here a lot  .  
 we appreciate your business  ma 'am  .  
 sure  what is it  ?  
 i was just wondering if many chinese people take their leftover food home from a restaurant  .  
 in most cities in china  doggie bags are quite uncommon  .  
 what happen to all the leftover food  ?  
 it usually goes to the dump  .  
 that seems like an awful waste  !  why do n't people order fewer dishes so that they do n't have to throw so much away at the end of the meal  ?  
 ordering a lot of food at restaurants is just a tradition in china  .  you know  in the past  people could not afford to eat out like they can today  .  
 i guess that makes sense  .  i just think it would make more sense to take the leftovers home  .  
 well  if you want  you can take the leftovers home  .  
 no  that 's ok  .  you know what they say when in rome  .  .  .  
 i was impressed that you tried the pig 's feet  .  i heard that many foreigners do n't like to eat them  .  
 many people in my generation do n't eat pig 's feet  but my parents grew up eating them  so i think they are ok  .  
 did you like them  ?  you could take the last one home with you  .  
 that 's ok  .  i 'll try anything once  but sometimes  once is enough  !  
 i really enjoy it  especially when it ends up tasting good  !  
 how often do you usually cook  ?  
 i usually make a few salads for lunch throughout the week and i make dinner about 6 times a week  .  
 that 's a lot of cooking  .  you must save a lot of money by eating at home so much  .  
 i do  .  if you cook at home  you can eat healthy food cheaply  .  
 what kind of dishes do you usually make  ?  
 i almost always make either a beef roast or a chicken roast with asparagus  parsnips  peas  carrots and potatoes on sundays  .  
 do you make a lot of traditional british food  ?  
 aside from the sunday roast  we usually eat dangers and mash  toadinthehole  or fish 'n chips once a week  .  
 how about spicy food  ?  
 my family loves spicy food  .  we often eat chinese  thai  indian  or mexican food when we 're in the mood for spice  .  
 what 's your favorite dish to make  ?  
 i absolutely love making mousaka  which is a greek dish with eggplant  .  but it takes a lot of time  so i don  t often make it  .  
 the professor is a bit boring today  .  you need something to perk yourself up  .  how about a coffee  ?  
 i do n't really like coffee  to be honest  .  it 's too bitter for me  .  
 well  you need something to wake you up  .  how about a soda  ?  
 most some drinks have too much sugar in them  .  
 the diet sodas do n't have any caffeic in them  which one would you like  ?  
 i like diet sprite  .  does that have any caffeine in it  ?  
 unfortunately  it does n't  .  how about some diet coke  ?  
 i do n't care for coke  .  i heard that coke was first used as a medicine and i do n't like medicine  .  what else has caffeine  ?  
 maybe you should try a cappuccino or a latte  they taste much better than plain brewed coffee  .  
 maybe  .  how about a mochaccino  ?  are they any good  ?  
 you 'll love that  .  it 's just a shot of espresso beans mixed with steam milk and some chocolate syrup  .  
 that 's perfect  !  would you like one  too  ?  my treat  .  
 thanks  but i 'll stick with some jasmine tea  .  i 'm trying to watch my diet  .  
 no  i was thinking of putting a frozen pizza in the oven or something  .  how about you  ?  
 i was thinking maybe we could make dinner together tonight  .  what do you think  ?  
 i 'm absolutely useless at cooking  !  
 i could teach you how to cook something healthy  .  frozen pizza are so bad for you  !  
 i know they are n't good for me  but they are cheap  convenient  and fairly tasty  .  
 i recently saw a piece for spicy chicken curry in a magadize  .  maybe we could try that  ?  
 yeah  why not  .  do you have all the ingredients  ?  
 i bought all the ingredients this morning  so let 's start  !  
 what do we do first  ?  
 first  you need to wash the vegetables and then chop them into little pieces  .  
 ok  .  should i heat the wok  ?  
 yes  .  once it gets hot  put a little oil in it  add the vegetables and stirfry them for a few minutes  .  
 what about the chicken  ?  
 that needs to be cut into thin strips about 3 cm long and then it can be stirfried on its own until its cooked through  .  
 how about the rice  ?  
 i 'll prepare it  .  do you prefer white rice or brown rice  ?  
 white rice  please  .  none of that healthy brown stuff for me  !  
 what are you planning on making  ?  
 i 'm not cooking dinner  .  
 the only way you 're eating tonight is if you cook  .  
 i 'm not sure what to cook for dinner  .  
 i do n't know  .  what do you want to eat  ?  
 i have a taste for some chicken and potatoes  .  
 that sounds delicious  .  
 so are you planning on cooking it  ?  
 i already told you that i 'm not cooking tonight  .  
 i 'll cook dinner  .  
 i already know  .  start cooking  .  
 let 's go get something to drink  .  
 that 's a good idea  .  
 do you know what you want to drink  ?  
 i kind of want a soda  .  
 you should n't drink soda when you 're really thirsty  .  
 what do you mean  ?  
 when you 're thirsty  you 're not supposed to drink soda  .  
 what are you supposed to drink  ?  
 water is what 's best for you  .  
 i guess i will get water  .  
 it 's better for you  .  
 i think i 'm going to eat a piece of fruit  .  
 what kind do you like  ?  
 i really like apples and grapes  .  
 what kind of apples do you like  ?  
 i love green apples  .  
 i do n't like green apples  .  
 really  ?  why not  ?  
 green apples are too sour for me  .  
 so  you like red apples better  ?  
 yeah  i love red apples  .  
 i think green apples are a lot better  .  
 how about we go and get something to drink  ?  
 let 's do that  .  
 do you know what you want to get  ?  
 a soda sounds good  .  
 soda is n't the best thing to drink when you 're thirsty  .  
 why is that  ?  
 soda is n't good for you  .  
 what should i drink then  ?  
 you should really drink water  .  
 that sounds good  .  
 it 's a lot better than soda  .  
 do you want to go get something to drink  ?  
 yes  i 'm parched  .  
 what did you want to drink  ?  
 i was thinking about getting a soda  .  
 do you know that soda does n't quench your thirst  ?  
 why not  ?  
 soda is really bad for you  .  
 i do n't know what else to drink  .  
 you 're supposed to drink water when you 're dehydrated  .  
 i would like some water  .  
 that 's what will keep you from being thirsty  .  
 i may get some fruit  .  
 oh really  what kind of fruit do you like  ?  
 i tend to only eat grapes and apples  .  
 what kind of apples do you prefer  ?  
 i 've always liked green apples  .  
 i do n't really like green apples that much  .  
 why do you say that  ?  
 i think they are too sour  .  
 you 'd rather eat a red apple  ?  
 do n't you like red apples  ?  
 they 're okay  i guess  .  
 what kind are you going to make  ?  
 i 'm really not sure  .  
 i really like caesar salads  .  
 caesar salads are pretty good  .  
 what kind of salad do you want to make  ?  
 i want a salad with some chicken  .  
 i love chicken salads  .  
 i like my salads to have croutons  almonds  and shredded cheese  .  
 that sounds really tasty  .  
 you should make a salad like that  .  
 i think that i will  .  
 do you know what kind of salad that you want  ?  
 i 'm not sure what kind that i want  .  
 i usually make a caesar salad  .  
 those taste really good  .  
 which kind of salad are you going to make  ?  
 i want a chicken salad  .  
 i enjoy chicken salads  .  
 i like salads with croutons  almonds  and shredded cheese  .  
 i really like how that sounds  .  
 why do n't you make a salad like that  ?  
 i 'm going to do that then  .  
 i think that we have a pretty good idea of what we would like to order  .  
 let me tell you about the specials of the day  which are chicken in a wine sauce with capers  and grilled garlic shrimp  .  
 i was wondering if the chef could leave off the sauce  .  
 the chef would be happy to accommodate your special requests  .  
 i am a vegetarian  .  do you have any vegetarian selections  ?  
 you could choose the roasted vegetable and garlic pizza or the goat cheese and candied walnut salad  .  
 i think that we will split the roasted vegetable and garlic pizza  .  
 that is a good selection  and i can bring your salads now or serve them with your entree  .  
 you can bring us our salads when you bring us our entree  .  
 yes  we are almost ready to order  .  
 let me remind you of the specials of the day  which are posted on the board  .  
 oh  that all sounds so good  !  can we get the sauce on the side  ?  
 yes  we would be happy to prepare the food to meet your special needs  .  
 i was wondering if you have any vegetarian choices  .  
 yes  the roasted vegetable salad is good  and the portabella mushroom burger is also a good choice  .  
 i think that i would like to order the broccoli noodles  please  .  
 that is an excellent choice  and i could bring you your salads now or bring them with your dinner  .  
 please bring our salads to us now  .  we are hungry  !  
 i 've gotten a few  .  
 how many is a few  ?  
 i 've gotten about six  .  
 have you paid all your tickets off  ?  
 yes  i 've paid all of them off  .  
 how much is the fine  ?  
 it 's like  130 each ticket  .  
 that 's not cheap at all  .  
 i got a parking ticket the other day  .  
 pay it off  and they 'll clear your record  .  
 i 'm going to do that as soon as possible  .  
 no  have you  ?  
 yeah  i just got one the other day  .  
 how 'd you get a ticket  ?  
 the ticket was for parking in the red zone  .  
 i do n't understand why you would do that  .  
 there was nowhere to park  and i needed to run in and get something  .  
 where 'd you get the ticket at  ?  
 i parked in front of my apartment building  .  
 what about your parking spot  ?  
 but i really needed to be quick  .  
 i bet that you wish you had n't done that  .  
 do you have the ticket with you  ?  
 yes  i have my ticket with me  .  
 let me see your id  .  
 i forgot to bring that with me  .  
 you need it to pay your fine  .  
 why ca n't i just give you the money for the fine  ?  
 because  i need to see a photo id in order to verify who you are  .  
 okay  i think i understand  .  
 all right  come back and bring your id  .  
 so once i pay this off  my record will be cleared  ?  
 once you pay it  your record will be cleared  .  
 i 've gotten a few parking tickets before  .  
 how many  ?  
 only about five or six  .  
 have you paid off your parking tickets  ?  
 yes  i paid my fines  .  
 how much do you have to pay for the ticket  ?  
 if i remember correctly  it 's about  130  .  
 that 's a lot of money  .  
 i got one the other day  .  
 well  you better make sure you pay it off  .  
 i may just go to the dmv today  so i can pay the fine  .  
 only a few  .  
 what 's a few  ?  
 i 've gotten six  i think  .  
 did you pay your fines  ?  
 of course i have  .  
 how much are the parking tickets  ?  
 i think they 're  130  .  
 that 's expensive  .  
 i just got a parking ticket  .  
 you should probably pay the fine soon  .  
 i 'm going to pay it today  .  
 i 've never gotten one  .  have you  ?  
 i got a ticket yesterday  .  
 really  ?  what did you get one for  ?  
 i parked in the red zone  .  
 why did you do that  ?  
 i needed to get something really quick  .  
 where did you park at  ?  
 at my apartment building  .  
 do n't you have your own parking spot  ?  
 i needed to be fast  .  
 that was very lazy of you  .  
 no  i have n't  .  what about you  ?  
 i got a ticket a couple of days ago  .  
 what did you do  ?  
 i got it for parking in the red zone  .  
 why would you park in the red zone  ?  
 i had to run in and get something quickly  .  
 where were you at  ?  
 i got the ticket in front of my apartment  .  
 i thought that you had your own parking spot  ?  
 i had to make it quick  .  
 hope it was worth it  .  
 you 'll find the cereal by the breakfast foods  .  
 what breakfast foods  ?  
 they 're over by the oatmeal and the breakfast bars  .  
 oh  i think i know what you 're talking about  .  
 can i help you with anything else  ?  
 could you tell me where the dishwashing detergent is  ?  
 you 'll find that by the paper towels  .  
 oh  i did n't think of that  .  
 that 's where it 'll be  .  
 well  thank you very much  .  
 if you need anything else  please feel free to ask me 
 what kind do you want  ?  
 i need to get ground beef  .  
 how many pounds would you like me to get you  ?  
 i need about four pounds  .  
 exactly what type of ground beef do you want  ?  
 extra lean  .  
 i 'll get that for you right now  .  
 i appreciate that  .  
 do n't mention it  i 'll just wrap this up for you  .  
 thanks for your help  .  
 what kind of bus pass would you like to buy  ?  
 what are the different kinds  ?  
 you can get a day  weekly  monthly  or student pass  .  
 could i get a student pass  please  ?  
 sure  can i see your student id  ?  
 sure  here it is  .  
 very good  .  
 how much for the pass  ?  
 it 's free  but the monthly sticker is  24  .  
 okay  i 'll take it  .  
 thank you for your purchase  .  
 you are welcome  .  
 what  s going on  ?  
 there is a leaking pipe in my wall  .  
 is there any water damage  ?  
 there is mildew  .  
 i  ll go to your apartment tomorrow to fix the pipe  .  
 why can  t i call someone to fix it today  ?  
 i  ll just do it myself  .  
 i need it done today  .  
 you  re right about that  .  
 are you okay with me calling a plumber  ?  
 that  s fine  .  
 what  s the problem  ?  
 a pipe burst in my wall  .  
 is the pipe causing any water damage  ?  
 the water is causing mildew  .  
 i can come fix the pipe sometime tomorrow  .  
 can i just call someone myself to fix it  ?  
 i don  t think that would be a good idea  .  
 you won  t do it until tomorrow  .  
 i guess you have a point  .  
 so  i can call someone to fix it  ?  
 go right ahead  .  
 i am kind of busy right now  but maybe later next week i could stop by  .  
 we sent you an email the first week we moved in  it listed the problems we found  .  
 what problems did you find  ?  
 the roof leaks when it rains  there is mold on the bedroom walls  and the dishwasher doesn  t work  .  
 i don  t really consider any of that to be my responsibility  .  you can fix those things yourself  .  
 maintaining basic health and safety standards is your responsibility  .  
 i am maintaining the building  .  you are way too picky  !  
 unfortunately  you won  t be getting a rent check unless these problems are fixed by friday  .  
 you wouldn  t dare do that  !  
 it should take us all the way up to altadena  .  
 do n't you know  ?  
 i 'm not positive if it does or not  .  
 is this the right bus  or not  ?  
 i have never been on this bus  but i 'm sure it 's the right one  .  
 where are we  ?  this is not altadena  .  
 i know  and we 've been on the bus forever  .  
 tell me what the street signs say  .  
 oh my gosh  that one says temple city  .  
 next time  i 'll look for the bus myself  .  
 well  now i know the bus that 'll take us back  .  
 i like the apartment  but i see something wrong with it  .  
 what  s wrong  ?  
 there  s a leaking faucet in the sink  .  
 that isn  t a problem  .  
 that leak is going to raise my water bill  .  
 what can i do  ?  
 you need to fix it  .  
 i can  t right now  .  
 i won  t rent it if the faucet isn  t fixed  .  
 i will fix it for you  .  
 i  m glad you finally agree  .  
 i see a problem  .  
 what  s the problem  ?  
 i noticed that the faucet in the kitchen is leaking  .  
 that  s no big deal  .  
 it  s going to be a problem when my water bill comes  .  
 what do you want me to do about it  ?  
 i would like you to fix the problem  .  
 i won  t be able to do that right now  .  
 well  i won  t be able to rent the apartment until the problem is fixed  .  
 fine  i  ll have it fixed for you  .  
 i  m happy that we  ve come to an agreement  .  
 that apartment never had any problems before  .  are you sure the problem isn  t you  ?  
 we spoke with you the first week we moved in about things that you promised to fix  .  
 where do you think you have problems  ?  
 there is no hot water  the bedroom has a broken window  and there are rats in the kitchen  .  
 you know  no one else who has been in that apartment has had a problem before  .  
 you are obligated to maintain your building and my apartment  .  
 i will fix these problems when i get around to it  .  
 i will be withholding my rent check this friday unless these problems are addressed immediately  .  
 you can  t do that  !  it  s illegal  !  
 it should go to altadena  .  
 what do you mean it should  ?  
 i 'm not completely sure if it really does  .  
 dude  are we on the right bus  ?  
 i 'm almost positive that this is the right one  .  
 it does n't look like we 're on our way to altadena  .  
 we have been riding this bus for a long time  .  
 what does that sign say  ?  
 i think it says temple city  .  
 yup  i 'm never trusting you with the bus schedules again  .  
 i 'm sorry  .  but at least we know which bus to catch to get back where we started  .  
 yeah  at least  .  
 good  .  how about you  ?  
 not bad  thanks for asking  .  
 have you been on the bus for a while  ?  
 only about fifteen minutes  .  
 do you ride this bus often  ?  
 not really  i usually drive  .  
 you have a car  ?  
 yes  i do  .  
 so why are n't you driving it  ?  
 once our president lowers gas prices  i 'll be driving again  .  
 that 's smart thinking  .  
 i think we have a little ways to go  .  
 this bus ride is taking forever  .  
 i know  .  
 did we miss our stop  ?  
 i 'm not sure  .  
 did n't you say you knew where to get off the bus  ?  
 i do n't know  .  we may have missed our stop  .  
 are you serious  ?  
 yeah  we did miss it  .  
 i ca n't catch the bus with you anymore  .  
 sorry  .  
 hi  .  you look excited  .  what 's happening  ?  
 i just heard that our school will hold a singing contest in 5 days  .  
 and you 're planning to enter  ?  
 of course  .  this is a great chance for me to show off my beautiful voice  .  
 is there a prize  ?  
 i heard that the winner gets a panda radio  .  
 do you think you have a chance  ?  
 a chance  ?  not just a chance  i 'm a hundred percent certain . everyone says my voice is beautiful  .  
 but you have n't practised all that much  .  
 i still have 5 days to practise  .  it 's in the bag  !  
 do n't be too sure  .  you 're still going to need some help  .  
 yeah  maybe  .  
 there will be a parents meeting in our class this saturday and i am worried about it  .  
 why  ?  we can leave school earlier that day  .  
 i did n't do well in last exams  .  if my father knows it  he will beat me up  .  
 i ca n't believe it  .  my parents never beat me  .  
 you know that my father is irritable  .  
 you can ask the teacher for help  .  
 good idea  .  
 i asked you if you wanted some help  .  
 i am new to this school and not familiar with this library  .  can you help me  ?  
 certainly  .  what 's your topic  ?  
 i 'm looking for information on tropical fish  .  
 all right  .  you can use the computer over there  enter tropical fish 'under subject  .  if you know the title of the book  enter it under title 
 great  thank you  .  
 you are welcome  .  
 oh  steven  i made a big mistake  .  
 what happened  ?  
 i really wish i hadn  t done it  .  
 what on earth are you talking about  ?  
 i got caught cheating  .  i feel so ashamed  .  the teacher saw me and told me i failed  .  
 what were you thinking  ?  
 you know my father  .  if i fail  he 'll kill me  .  i have to do well  .  
 but what you should do is study hard  .  
 i know  .  .  .  i know  .  .  .  it 's all my fault  .  i feel awful that i didn  t study  and i cheated  and i got caught  .  
 so long as you learn from your mistakes  .  
 yes  .  
 when will school start  ?  
 it 'll start on lst september  .  
 english is my favorite  .  
 no wonder your english is so good  .  
 thank you  .  
 i usually ride my bike  .  which form of transport do you prefer to use  ?  
 i feel that i can see more when i pedal a bicycle  but when i feel lazy  i drive my car  .  
 i think we should discourage people from using their private cars  .  they produce too much pollution  !  
 i agree  but i would find it difficult to stop using my car  .  it 's just so convenient  .  
 cars might be convenient  but they 're so bad for the environment  .  
 do you have a car  ?  
 no  .  i used to have one though  .  once i started using my bicycle to get around  i found that i did n't really need it  .  
 maybe if i sold my car now  i would n't be so tempted to use it  .  
 you could try  .  it would save you a lot of money  .  
 that 's true  .  every month  i spend hundreds of dollars on gas  insurance  and repairs  .  
 if you got to class by riding a bicycle every day instead of driving  you will get lots of exercise  too  !  
 i could stand to lose a few pounds  .  having a car has made me lazy  .  i never end up walking anywhere  !  
 let 's go to a car dealership  .  i 'll help you try to sell your car for a good price  .  
 sounds good  !  let 's go  !  
 oh yes i am  .  i have always wanted to go to the states  .  i love meeting new people and making new friends  .  
 well  i am sure you will  .  
 well  there is one thing  .  
 what is the matter  ?  
 i am a little worried about my host family  .  you know  in the agreement  i have to do some cooking for them  .  
 yes  ?  
 well  i am just afraid they wo n't like my chinese way of cooking  .  
 oh  listen  you 'll soon learn  and i am sure they will explain to you how they like to get prepared  .  
 oh  let 's hope so  .  
 good  thanks  .  how about you  ?  
 pretty good  .  say  where are you living this semester  ?  
 in no  .  4 dorm  .  i like dorm life  .  you will meet a lot of people and you do n't have to cook  .  what about you  ?  
 oh  i am looking for an apartment  .  i prefer living off campus  .  i can study better  .  
 i hope you will find a place  .  listen  i 'd better go  .  i am going to be late for class  .  
 okay  see you around  .  
 take care  .  
 what is it  ?  
 you have to take the math and english evaluation tests  .  
 why  ?  
 because you 're from a foreign country  .  the school needs to find out how good you are at both basic skills  .  
 it 's so that i can be put into the right math and english classes  right  ?  
 you are a smart girl  !  
 this is going to take more time than i thought  .  
 it 's ok  .  what do you want to ask  ?  
 where should i go after i arrived at the university  ?  
 the first place you should go is the international center  .  
 why  ?  
 you can get help there in dealing with the united states immigration and naturalization service  you can find foreign student advisers  .  
 what kind of role do foreign student advisers play  ?  
 they 'll discuss personal concerns  housing  adjustment  finances and other matters with you  .  
 can we get any more help at the international center  ?  
 yes  a lot more  .  if you go there just before the beginning of the fall 's semester  you can get your student id and social security number there  .  they will keep your documents uptodate  .  they will offer an orientation program for new comers  .  they will also help you contact your department and registration office  .  
 i see  .  it must be worth going to  .  
 besides these  the center staff also works with community organizations which provide tours  home hospitality  speaking engagements and assistance for wives of foreign students  .  in cooperation with nationality clubs  student associations and other organizations  the international center provides a varied program of cultural and social events throughout the year  .  
 wonderful  .  it is a home for foreign students  .  
 it sure is  .  they also serve tea  coffee and refreshments  .  the center staff members are also friendly and helpful  .  everyone loves them  .  
 study  study  study  .  i want to learn a lot  .  
 you are going to take courses  ?  
 yes  .  i am going to take some university courses there  .  
 sounds hard  .  
 yes  but i think it 's probably for the best  .  
 wo n't you get lonely  ?  
 hey  i am a pretty cool guy  .  i will make friends  and i 'll have a lot of extracurricular activities too  .  you know  like fencing  or theater or something  .  
 he 's very strict with us  .  
 and i hear he gives very good lectures  .  
 indeed  .  he 's strict with himself too  .  we can see every lecture of his is wellprepared  .  
 sure  .  all you need is your student id card or admission card to check out books and read journals or magazines in the library  .  
 how many books am i allowed to check out at a time  ?  
 two books at a time  .  except magazines or journals  they have to be read within library  .  
 how long can i keep the books  ?  
 for one month  .  if you can  t return the books in time  you 'll be fined  .  but if you renew them  you can keep them longer  .  
 i see  .  now i want to check out two books on spoken english  .  can you show me where i can find them  ?  
 yes  just over there to your right  .  
 thank you very much  .  
 you  re welcome  .  
 my name is jung min  .  what 's your name  ?  
 my name is jessica  .  it 's nice to meet you  .  
 yes  .  it 's nice to meet you too  .  are you a new student too  ?  
 no  .  i 'm a sophomore  .  i take it you are a new student  ?  
 yeah  .  it 's pretty exciting to be here  .  
 have fun while it lasts  .  the excitement wears off real quick  .  especially after you see how much homework you get  .  where are you from  ?  
 i 'm from korea  .  my parents wanted me to go to an american university  so i came here  .  
 i have never been to korea  .  i 've been to japan before  but never korea  .  
 why were you in japan  ?  
 my father thought it would be a good experience to take a vacation to a different country  .  he 's so into learning about different cultures  .  
 that 's pretty cool  .  
 i thought it would have been more fun if i went without my parents  .  
 well  if you ever want to visit korea  i would be happy to show you around  .  
 thanks for the offer  .  i 'll keep that in mind  .  oh  the professor is coming  .  we 'll talk more after class  .  
 ok  .  
 i register this friday  .  
 what classes do you plan on taking  ?  
 i really want to take the communication class  but i do n't know if it will be available  .  
 is that class really that popular  ?  
 yeah  .  i tried to get in last semester  but it was full by the time i registered  .  
 what other classes are you going to take  ?  
 i still need to take english 201  but i really do n't like writing  .  
 i took that class already  .  there is a lot of writing  but it 's not that bad  .  
 oh really  ?  who was the instructor  ?  there are like 4 different instructors to choose from  .  
 i had professor mahoney  .  
 is he an easy grader  ?  
 i 'm not sure if he is or not  but i thought he was definitely fair  .  
 do you mind if i ask you what you got  ?  
 not at all  .  i got a 3 . 8  .  
 well  what did you get in english 101 last year  ?  
 i got a 4 . 0 in that class  .  
 well  i ca n't compare to you  .  i got a 3 . 1 in english 101  .  that means if you got a lower grade in english 201  it must be harder  .  
 it 's not what it appears  .  i actually tried harder in the 101 class  .  if i put as much effort into the 201 class  i would have received the same grade  .  
 oh  .  that helps  .  thanks  .  
 yeah  .  my whole gpa is screwed up now  .  
 why  ?  what happened  ?  
 well  i bombed my econ final and ended up with a 1 . 7  .  
 ouch  .  you must be very disappointed  .  
 well  it 's my fault because i did n't study as much as i should have  .  
 why do n't you retake the class next year  ?  
 that 's what i plan on doing unless i keep screwing up  .  how did you do this semester  ?  
 i did n't do that well either  .  i ended up with a 3 . 2 this semester  .  that drops my total gpa to 3 . 45  .  
 my gpa is pretty similar to yours  .  i have a 3 . 1 now because of the stupid econ class  .  
 what was your gpa before this semester  ?  
 i was sitting happy with a 3 . 4  .  
 why did it go down so much  ?  
 let 's just say i screwed up more than my econ class  .  
 what happened to you  ?  
 i started playing starcraft and ended up wasting a lot of time  .  
 you better stop slacking off  .  
 you 're right  .  i 'm not going to play games during school anymore  .  
 oh  hi stacy  .  
 how was your summer vacation  ?  
 i worked over the summer at a restaurant  .  have to make tuition money  right  ?  what did you do  ?  
 i took summer school  .  i withdrew from two of my classes last year so i wanted to make them up  .  
 so are you officially a junior now  ?  
 yeah  .  and i have 5 credits to spare  .  i only needed to take 10 credits over the summer  but i took 15 because the price was the same  .  
 that makes sense  .  so where is nicole  ?  
 she dropped out of school completely  .  
 really  ?  why  ?  
 she worked at a startup company as an intern and since the business did well  they asked her if she wanted to work full time  .  
 wow  .  she 's so lucky  .  she does n't have a degree and she already has a job  .  
 it sounds good now  but i 'm traditional  .  i want the degree  so i would n't have accepted the offer  .  
 do you know how much they are paying her  ?  
 i do n't know  .  but i bet it must have been a good offer  or she would n't have accepted it  .  
 you 're screwed  .  you ca n't do anything about that  .  you have to hope that you get some classes that will be useful  .  
 do you think going to the registration building will help at all  ?  
 no  .  they will tell you the same thing in a worse way  .  
 did you register yet  ?  
 of course  .  registering for classes is not something you want to miss  .  
 what classes do you think are still open  ?  
 well  i know psychology 101 is a big class  so there will always be seats in that class  .  you can also get into sociology  .  
 that 's helpful  .  thanks  .  but what do you think about philosophy  .  i wanted to take that class this semester  .  
 i took that class last year  .  the professor is really cool  so if you go to his office  you can have him sign a card that will let you in even if the class is full  .  
 he does that  ?  
 i guess that 's because so many people drop out of that class  .  
 that makes sense  .  i think i 'll do that  .  thanks for all the help  .  
 no problem  man  .  
 yeah  .  it was hard  .  when do you take it  ?  
 i take it tomorrow morning  .  there is so much material that i dont know what to emphasize on  .  what types of questions did you get  ?  
 mostly on the civil war  .  you should also study the impact martin luther king jr  .  had on american society  .  
 what about abraham lincoln  ?  did you get any questions about him  ?  
 i only had 1 question about him  .  but you might get more  .  i dont know if he will have the same exam or not  .  
 hopefully he will use the same exam  cause im going to spend most of my time studying the civil war  .  it is a huge section and that is what he lectured the most on in class  .  
 if you cant study everything  then that is probably the best way to go  .  
 aright  .  thanks for the info  .  i gotta go to the library now  .  
 good luck  .  
 thanks  .  see ya  .  
 study  study  study  .  i want to learn a lot  .  
 you are going to take courses  ?  
 yes  .  i am going to take some university courses there  .  
 sounds hard  .  
 yes  but i think it 's probably for the best  .  
 won  t you get lonely  ?  
 hey  i am a pretty cool guy  .  i will make friends  and i 'll have a lot of extracurricular activities too  .  you know  like fencing  or theater or something  .  
 yes  i 'd like a book about law  .  
 would you tell me the name of the book and the author  ?  
 uh  the origin of law  .  and it 's written by professor felix of harvard  .  
 i 'm sorry  .  it 's out of stock now  .  could you come by again next week  ?  
 next week  ?  it is too late  .  i need it urgently  .  
 well  then  is it convenient to leave your phone number so that i can inform you as soon as we restock it  ?  
 no  thanks any way  .  
 you 're welcome  .  
 oh  hey  no kidding  !  i have n't seen you since orientation three months ago  !  so how 've you been  ?  settling into college life ok  ?  
 yeah  i think so  !  i pledged phi iota alpha  so i 'm living at the frat house now  .  
 oh  so you 're a frat boy now  huh  ?  
 yeah  yeah  i know  it 's totally cliche  but really  i think it 's been a good decision  .  i 've got a lot of support and good suggestions from the guys  .  what about you  ?  what have you been up to  ?  
 not much  .  i 'm still living at home and commuting to school  .  i ended up dropping that metalworking class i was so excited about  .  it just was n't as interesting as i 'd hoped  .  the guidance counselor suggested that i focus on my prerequisite courses so that i can make sure the credits count  .  
 that sounds smart  .  .  .  but kind of boring  .  
 yeah  it is  a little bit  .  i joined the great outdoors club  though  which has been a lot of fun  .  we 've gone on two camping trips already  and i 've made some good friends  .  
 that 's cool  .  hey  so have you decided on your major yet  ?  
 definitely premed  .  what about you  ?  
 i still have no clue  .  .  .  but we do n't have to declare a major till our sophomore year  so i 've got time  !  oops  i 'm late for class  .  gotta run  !  
 ok  take care  !  hey  nice running into you  !  
 yeah  you too  !  
 what happened  ?  
 i keep on meeting with difficulties in the experiment  .  i can hardly go on  .  
 where there are difficulties  there are ways to get over them  .  hold on  !  
 shih  !   !  please keep your voice down  .  there are people reading and studying here  .  
 ok  i 'm sorry  .  are you the librarian  ?  maybe you can help me  i am looking for a book  .  
 yes i am  .  you can check our online catalog to search the book you want based on the genre  title or if you know the author  i can point you towards the right direction  .  
 i am looking for a book that has nursery rhymes  .  
 that would be in our children's section  .  that book shelf there on the right  .  
 ok  i would like to check out these books  .  
 do you have a library card  ?  
 no  .  how do i get one  ?  
 i just need to see your drivers license or utility bill to prove that you a resident of this state  .  
 here you go  .  
 so you are all set  .  you can have these books for two weeks  .  if you need to have them longer  you can bring them here to renew them  .  if you do n't  you get charged ten cents a day for each book  .  
 ok  thanks  !  
 thanks for inviting me  .  actually  i 've never been anywhere with so many black people before  .  it 's different  .  
 howard is eighty percent black  .  but there are whites  and even asians here  .  thankfully  it 's also coed  .  
 great  !  is your  too  ?  
 sorry  nope  .  but the alpha phi alpha 's are throwing a party tonight  .  
 that 's a black fraternity  right  ?  so we should see some dancing  !  
 yes  of course  .  i need your student id please  .  
 here you are  .  
 okay  susan  .  it says here that you are a business major and you are in your second year  .  is this information correct  ?  
 yes  .  i do want to take some additional credits this year to get a minor in psychology  .  
 sure  .  that  s not a problem  .  do you have the list of courses you want to take this semester  ?  
 yeah  .  here  s my list  .  i  m not sure if the class schedule will allow me to take all of them though  .  
 yeah  that  s perfect  .  what about the subjects for your minor  ?  
 oh yeah  !  almost forgot  !  i need to take fundamental linguistics  consumer psychology and neuroanatomy  .  
 wow  you are going to be busy this semester  !  okay  here you go  .  you are registered now  you  ll have to make your first tuition payment before classes start  .  
 we should certainly hold a big party for the professors and students  .  we could have a firework display  .  
 do you think that we should invite alumni and former professors  ?  
 if we do  too many people might attend  .  perhaps we should invited all of them  but make a small charge to attend  .  
 good idea  .  we should also hold a series of presentations  .  we could have presentations on the history of the university  the courses we offer  and our links with other universities  .  
 good idea  !  i think we could also have presentations by former students on how their experience here helped them in their lives  .  
 we could have another on the successes of graduates from here  .  
 i think that we could also produce some merchandise for the centenaryyou know  tshirts  mugs  plates  pens  and things like that  .  
 that  s an excellent idea  .  hopefully  we would be able to make a profit  !  a few professors and students are writing a book on the history of the university  .  
 i  m looking forward to reading that  .  we could have book signings by famous professors an alumni  .  
 a group of students from the art and music faculty are producing a short film  .  
 i  m sure that will be very popular  .  .  ok  let  s think about how we can put these ideas into practice  .  
 i  m fine  celia  .  and you  ?  
 i  m ok  .  i  m so busy  !  
 do you have a lot of homework  ?  
 yes  .  don  t you  ?  
 of course i do  !  
 which class are you working on right now  ?  
 i  m studying for my chemistry exam tomorrow  .  
 are you in mrs green  s class  ?  
 yes  .  are you  ?  
 yes  .  we must have the same exam tomorrow  !  
 do you want to study together  ?  
 sure  .  this library is too quiet though  .  
 do you want to go to and empty classroom  ?  
 that sounds good  .  
 ok  .  let  s go  !  
 oh  we never speak spanish in class  !  miss . parker speaks to us only in english  .  
 i suppose she 's right  .  does she speak english very slowly  ?  
 not always  .  sometimes we do n't understand her  .  then she has to repeat what she said  .  
 it must be interesting to study english  .  
 mario and i are the best students in the class  .  miss . parker says that my pronunciation is very good  .  
 is english pronunciation easy or difficult  ?  
 sometimes it 's difficult  .  some words look different from the way one pronounces them  .  
 on the contrary  i think he 's very serious  .  
 no  not at all . his examples are really interesting  .  
 so they 're easy to remember  .  
 yeah  how about your maths teacher  ?  
 he 's an old antique  very serious  .  
 bad luck  anne  .  
 hey  !  how about your history teacher  ?  
 she 's another antique  .  
 i 'm sorry to hear that  .  
 he 's very strict with us  .  
 and i hear he gives very good lectures  .  
 indeed . he s strict with himself  too . we can see every lecture of his is wellprepared  .  
 oh  over there in pacific pavilion  .  
 is that the large  white building  ?  
 yeah  that 's it  .  
 thanks  .  
 hum  me too  .  this winter holiday was especially long  .  what have you done  ?  
 nothing special  .  i had a gettogether with some schoolmates at the high school  visited the internet and read a couple of books which i had been longing for  .  how about yours  ?  
 you know  i like traveling  .  i made good use of this long vacation and enjoyed myself  .  
 i am worried  .  
 what about  ?  
 my exam  .  
 oh  is that all  ?  
 i feel very nervous about it  .  
 do n't worry about it  .  try to look on the bright sight of things  .  
 i  d like to go into management  .  i  ve applied for several jobs already and i  m hopeful that i  ll get some job offers  .  how about you  ?  
 after i graduate  i have to do some more studies to pass exams to become a lawyer  .  i think i  ve got a good chance of passing  .  there  s a possibility of getting a job with a law firm in london  provide 
 we both have to overcome several obstacles if we are to achieve our ambitions  .  
 if life were easy  then we  d achieve our ambition quickly and then get bored  .  
 unfortunately  it  s inevitable that some people are going to work hard yet not succeed  .  
 that  s why ambition need to be realistic  .  you can  t achieve something that  s totally unrealistic  .  
 as long as you plan carefully  most thing are possible  .  it  s always good to have a backup plan in case things go wrong  .  
 i think it  s important to be successful in a field you are truly interested in  not something that other people force you to be interested it  .  
 my father wanted me to become a doctor  but i knew it would be impossible for me to be successful in that field  .  
 i hope my parents don  t try to interfere in my choice of career  .  
 good  .  thanks for asking  .  
 what may i do for you  ?  
 i need help with something  .  
 what do you need help with  ?  
 i am looking for a newspaper article  .  
 have you looked in the periodicals  ?  
 i didn  t even think about that  .  
 i can show you where they are  .  
 that would be a lot of help  .  
 follow me  please  .  
 thank you so much  .  
 it is  .  it  s got pictures of interesting building from all over the world  with brief descriptions of how they were build  their purpose  and so on  .  
 there are the pyramids  .  it  s easy to see how they got that name  !  they don  t have smooth sides though  .  
 they don  t now  but most of them did originally  .  there  s picture of the pentagon in the united states  .  it  s very distinctive with its five sides  .  
 look at that cylindrical office building  .  i  ve never been seen one that shape before  .  
 yes  .  usually only tv towers are cylindrical in shape  .  
 tv towers are usually thicker at the bottom than at the top  .  they  re not perfectly cylindrical  .  
 this is the world  s largest sports stadium  .  it  s a massive oval  .  
 what sports do they play there  ?  
 it says here that it  s m mainly used for big football matches and athletics meetings  .  
 is that building a perfect cube  ?  
 according to the book  it is  .  i  ve never seen a building that is a perfect cube  .  look at the building  .  from the air  it looks like a square with a semicircle attached to each of its four sides  .  what 
 is says here that it  s a war memorial  .  now  there  s a distinctive structurethe stomium in brussels  .  see  ?  it consists of several connected by cylinders  .  i believe you can go up and down inside it  .  
 i just bought a new atlas  .  i  m looking this map of the world  .  look at russia  !  that  s a vast country  .  
 canada  china  and the use are huge too  .  
 there are several tiny countries in the world too  .  countries like monaco are smaller than many cities  .  
 those small countries are microscopic compared to russia  .  european countries are relatively small  .  france looks quite big in europe  but compared to many countries in other continents  it  s not very l 
 britain is half the size of france  but great britain is still one of the largest islands in the world  .  
 the thing with large countries is that often they have vast areas of land that are useless or hardly used  .  russia and canada have enormous areas of ice and forest  .  
 i want to check out these books  .  
 i need your library card  .  
 i have it right here  .  
 it seems you have late fees  .  
 are you sure  ?  
 yes  i  m sure  .  
 how much  ?  
 your late fees come to  24 . 50  .  
 i don  t have that right now  .  
 you have to pay it off before you can check out more books  .  
 i  ll do that soon  .  
 what can i do for you today  ?  
 i have an issue with my schedule  .  
 tell me the problem  .  
 i have two classes on here that are at the same time  .  
 oh  i see  .  
 can you change that for me  ?  
 do you still want both classes  ?  
 yes  i would like to keep both classes  .  
 i 'll try to change one to a different day  .  
 i would greatly appreciate that  .  
 i schedule my appointments from two to four on saturday  what works best for you  ?  
 three would be a good time  .  
 great  do you need directions to my office  ?  
 i 'm not sure  .  
 well  just make sure to go through the double doors  and i 'll be on the right  .  
 ok  i 'll find it  .  
 it 's very easy to find  .  
 see you then  .  
 i will enjoy seeing you  have a good week  !  
 yes  i see  .  what did you need to see me about  ?  
 there 's a problem with my schedule  .  
 what 's the problem  ?  
 two of my classes occur at the same time  .  
 well  i can see that 's a problem  .  
 is it at all possible for you to fix that error  ?  
 yes  i can  .  would you still like to have both of these classes  ?  
 i want to keep both of them  if that 's possible  .  
 well  let me find you one of these classes on a different day  .  
 thanks a lot  .  
 sure  .  do you think that the total is wrong or that you got something marked wrong that should have been marked right  ?  
 i think that the percentage is incorrect  .  
 let 's just go over all of it to doublecheck  .  
 sure  let 's do it  .  
 here is the answer sheet  .  do you see a place where i marked something wrong that should have been right  ?  
 i do n't see any mistakes  .  
 ok  now that we 've gotten those straightened out  let 's total the score  .  
 yes  let 's total it  .  
 well  if i total that like this and divide by this number  i get this total  .  do you agree  ?  
 yes  you 're right  .  
 well then  we are all straight  .  have a good day and thanks for bringing that to my attention  .  
 is the math wrong or the way the answer was marked  ?  
 i think an answer got marked wrong that should have been marked right  .  
 these things can happen  let 's doublecheck the answers first to be sure  all right  ?  
 that would be great  !  
 look at the answer sheet and compare it to your answers  .  do you see any place where i made a mistake in grading  ?  
 this one right here should be right  .  
 yeah  i see the same thing  now we can do the math and check that  right  ?  
 yeah  let 's do the math  .  
 i count all of the correct answers  total them  and divide by the total  .  does this look right to you  ?  
 looks pretty good  .  
 thank you for caring enough to check on your scores  keep studying  !  
 what do you think is wrong  the math or the way your answer was scored  ?  
 both  .  
 i am willing to take a second look because teachers make mistakes  too  .  will that work for you  ?  
 yeah  i 'm ready  .  
 check your answers against the ones on the answer sheet and let me know where you see the mistake  .  
 these look strange  .  
 yes  i agree  let 's move on to the calculating of the score  .  would that be ok  ?  
 ok  let 's do the calculation  .  
 we add all of these up and divide by this and that gives us this percentage  .  
 i see  .  
 anytime you have a question  please feel free to ask  !  
 grades are based on many things 
 what counts the most  ?  
 actually i look at all of it and let 's not forget class participation  .  
 do you grade on a curve or use percentages  ?  
 homework  attendance  and quizzes are sixty percent  the midterm and final are worth twenty percent each  .  
 what if we miss something  ?  
 i will allow one unexcused absence  after that you need to contact me ahead of time  .  
 will you tell us if we are failing during the year  ?  
 you will be able to track your progress during the year  .  
 all of your coursework is important  including everything from attendance and homework to all of your test results for the semester  .  
 does the final count the most  ?  
 all of it is important  please just do your best at all times  .  
 how do you total our scores  ?  
 the final and midterm are twenty percent each  homework  attendance  and quizzes are the rest  .  
 what if we are out sick  ?  
 make sure you contact me as i only allow one unexcused absence  .  
 how can we know if we are doing ok during the year  ?  
 your grade will not be a surprise  you will know what you need to work on  .  
 sure  !  what exactly do you have questions about  ?  
 i am worried that i messed up on a test  .  
 well  let me take a look at my grade book  .  how do you think you are doing  ?  
 i think i am doing great  except for that one test  !  
 well  your scores show that you could do a little better  .  what do you think you could improve on  ?  
 i think that i could study a little harder for tests  .  
 fine  !  please remember that regular attendance is the most important way to begin  .  
 yes  i know  .  
 i 'm sure you 'll do fine  .  
 i need to check out this book  .  
 do you have your library card  ?  
 i don  t have one  .  
 would you like to apply for one right now  ?  
 that  s fine  .  
 i  m going to need you to fill out the application  .  
 all right  .  all done  .  
 all right  now please sign the back of the card  .  
 okay  .  i  ve signed it  .  
 that  s all there is to it  .  
 great  .  now can i check out this book  ?  
 i 'm sorry to have made you disappointed  .  
 that 's all right  .  but why were you so rude to me at lunch  .  
 was i  ?  sorry  i didn  t mean to be  .  i do apologize  .  
 and why are you yarning now  ?  are you bored  ?  
 forgive me darling  .  i 'm very tired  .  
 that 's a great relief  .  i was worried about him  .  
 the operation was very successful  .  
 his parents must feel very happy  .  
 i really want to take him over my knee  .  
 no hard feelings  .  after all  he is a child  .  
 if you say so  !  
 but i like its color  .  
 anyway  it 's my ideal coat  .  i 'll take it  .  
 i 'll take one  too  .  
 i feel eggplants are more nutritious  .  
 but as a matter of fact  potatoes taste better  .  
 oh  that 's how you see it  .  
 yes  it 's to my liking  too  .  
 say  how would you like to be a dress designer  ?  
 it 's my dream  .  
 why  this is the most interesting film  !  
 i hate the hero . he s too cruel  .  
 but it 's only a film  .  
 what  ?  how happy you life is  !  i do envy you  .  
 you don  t know that i have been overprotected by my mother these years  .  i am really about to leave the family and spread my wings  .  
 maybe you are right  .  
 no  i  ve been waiting for ages  .  
 it  s so unreliable  .  i  ve been late for my meetings all this week  .  
 yes  me too  .  i think i  ve lost some important clients recently because of this train  !  
 yes  my customers have started to complain too  !  
 oh look  !  here it comes now  !  
 why do you say that  ?  
 because her children have been the age when they seem to quarrel all day long  .  
 oh  i see  .  she told me that she had learned very quickly how to pour oil on troubled waters  but not to pour oil on the flame  .  
 she is a clever mother  .  
 sorry  i thought you knew  .  
 but you should tell me you were in love with her  .  
 did n't i  ?  
 you know you did n't  .  
 well  i am telling you now  .  
 yes  but you might have told me before  .  
 i did n't think you would be interested  .  
 you ca n't be serious  .  how dare you not tell me you are going to marry her  ?  
 sorry  i did n't think it mattered  .  
 oh  you men  !  you are all the same  .  
 come on  !  you 're pulling my leg  .  
 really  !  here 's my trophy  .  
 wow  !  congratulations  !  
 i accidentally knocked it off the table and it broke  .  i 'm really sorry  .  
 do n't worry about it  .  i 've got another one i can use  .  
 i 'm with you  jane  .  
 what did i just say  ?  
 well  uh  .  .  .  i did n't catch the last part  .  
 just what i thought  !  
 i bought it when i was on vacation in nepal  .  
 uhoh  .  it 'll probably cost a lot to fix it  .  
 i 'll make it up to you  .  let me know how much it costs and i 'll give you the money  .  
 does it really look ok  ?  
 yes  and i like the color too  .  it matches your eyes  .  
 and i got it on sale  .  
 that 's incredible  !  
 yeah  .  i get sick of her  .  she always bends my ear about what she thinks  .  
 she is a barking dog  .  but she means well  .  
 but i don  t like anyone who would drive me crazy by telling me what to do  .  
 you are unfair to her  .  she is a very nice girl  .  
 i am  .  
 what has made you so happy  ?  
 i think i 'm in love  .  
 are you  ?  who 's the lucky girl  ?  
 her name is jenny  .  
 how did you meet her  ?  
 we are in the same math class  .  our teacher sat us next to each other  .  
 what do you like best about her  ?  
 she 's very funny  .  she makes me laugh all the time  .  
 i guess it was fate working to bring you together  .  
 whatever brought us together  i 'm happy  .  
 don  t you know that she was the only one who had received the invitation in the office  ?  
 what of it  ?  
 sure  .  
 just one moment  .  i 'll check with the cancer ward desk  .  
 the cancer ward  !   ?  oh  my  .  it 's worse than we thought  .  
 ma 'am  i 'm sorry  .  the cancer ward said mr  .  smith passed away two days ago  .  
 that 's impossible  !  i 'm talking about mister taylor smith  .  
 yes  ma 'am  .  he died from complications of stomach cancer  .  i 'm very sorry  .  
 i 'm really sick  !  
 ashes to ashes and dust to dust  .  .  .  
 this has been the worst and best day of my life  taylor  .  they kept you in the hospital  and  .  .  .  
 i 'll tell you all about it another day  .  
 but you 're ok  ?  it was nothing serious  was it  ?  
 you ladies look very elegant in black  .  but i do n't want you to wear black in my honor for a long time yet to come  .  .  .  
 why am i always the last to know these things  ?  
 i sent out a notice  .  you 've stopped checking your email  ?  
 no  but bean did send me like a hundred forwards today  .  my mailbox must have been overflowing  .  
 how obnoxious  !  i heard he was sending you dirty jokes  .  
 he not only sent me nasty email  but he 's so bored  he even asked me to search the net for even more forwards for him  !  
 and i 'm the one who put him there with my football moves  .  
 but you 're not to blame for them keeping him there  .  
 yeah  what was all that stuff about running tests about anyway  ?  
 i 'm not sure  but we can find out  .  i bought some crosswords to keep him busy  .  
 great  then let 's go visit him  .  i want to give him some flowers  too  to say sorry  .  
 taylor  ?  taylor  !  is this a joke  ?  is it really you  ?  but  .  .  .  but  .  .  .  everyone said you were dead  !  
 that 's ok  .  just let it out  .  i 'm ok  !  i was out of town with  .  .  .  femi  .  
 oh  taylor  !  i 'm so  .  .  .  so happy  .  but then  .  .  .  who 's that  ?  
 taylor smith  .  but not me  .  the pallbearers are carrying out the casket  .  it would be rude to just leave  .  let 's follow  .  
 it 's really there  ?  this all seems so surreallike it 's all one big nightmare  .  
 but it explains why taylor is n't answering and femi took time off from work  .  
 poor femi  .  taylor 's death must have made her realize that she still cared for him  .  
 this says the viewing is at myers funeral home today until five  .  
 it 's already half past four  .  we should go and pay our respects  .  taylor 's family will be there  .  
 yes  .  the videographer has already started filming my parents trying to speak english with the flight attendants  .  
 speaking of flight attendants  they keep smiling at me  .  i wonder why  .  .  .  
 it 'll be the year 2000  !  the flight attendants are coming over here  .  they 're carrying bottles of champagne  !  
 that 's because it 's time  .  
 time for what  ?  
 it 's time to make our wedding wish come true  .  .  .  
 you mean get married now  ?  on the plane  ?  
 why not  ?  i 've got the rings ready  .  
 i do n't know what to say  jack  !  
 hopefully  you 'll say  yes   .  .  .  
 yeah  .  dig my new pants  ?  
 copycat  !  
 what do you mean  ?  
 you went out and bought khakis  too  !  
 no  .  mine are a soft brown  .  yours are khaki  .  
 whatever  .  
 no  .  .  .  mom said that we 'll have the wedding at home on the 2nd  .  so let 's hope your mom is right about that being a lucky day  .  .  .  
 it will be  .  and today is  too  .  i just talked to the airlines  .  .  .  
 they 're going to give us back the seats  ?  
 no  they 're giving us discount tickets on a honeymoon package in  .  .  .  
 hawaii  ?  my dream honeymoon destination  ?  
 you got it  !  we 'll fly there directly from texas  .  
 oh  jack  !  that 's wonderful  !  
 you have much patience  .  
 wow  !  your calligraphy is very beautiful  .  it was worth the wait  !  
 thank you  .  today i 'm writing a kind of poem called a chinese couplet  .  
 what does it say  ?  
 this is an especially famous one  .  it says  may the passing days bring you health and longevity  .  may this season of renewal find you basked in riches  .   
 that 's very nice  .  is it for sale  ?  
 no  .  i never sell my artwork  .  
 really  ?  then what do you do with it  ?  
 i give it away  .  here  this one is for you  .  
 wow  !  really  ?  are you sure  ?  now i 'll have a lucky year  !  
 remember  real luck must be created  by  yourself  and then it cannot be given or taken away  .  .  .  
 yes  please  .  that is very kind of you  .  
 shall i make more sandwiches  ?  
 no  thanks  .  i  ve had plenty  .  
 good morning  mr  .  smith  .  
 i would like to compliment you on your diligence  .  
 well  thank you  mr  .  smith  .  but i was just doing my job  .  
 yes  .  and we 're proud of you  loans  .  
 it 's nice of you to say so  .  
 is she really  ?  i can  t believe it  !  
 yes  .  yesterday  .  
 good gracious  .  that  s incredible  !  
 she married jerrod  .  
 you  re kidding  .  
 she  s going to live in paris  .  
 really  ?  i  m surprised  .  
 no  .  i  m serious  .  i  m going to quit my job  .  
 that  s amazing  !  you got a good pay here  didn  t you  ?  
 it  s true  .  but i can  t show my abilities  .  
 come on  !  don  t be silly  !  
 your present job is something better  .  why do you change  ?  
 well  .  how do you know  ?  
 what a shame  !  
 i fell down and hurt my arm  .  
 that 's too bad  .  
 then my son drove into a tree  .  
 i 'm sorry to hear that  .  
 the dog bit the delivery boy  .  
 what a pity  !  
 and a storm blew our roof away  .  
 ho  no  !  
 it 's still early  .  
 gosh  it 's already 10 . stay here if you like  .  
 since we 're late  let 's go to see a film  .  
 ok . hurry up  .  
 i 'm glad you like it . the bell is on the bedside . just ring if you want anything . the room attendant speaks a little english . so i do n't think you 'll have any trouble  .  
 no  i should n't think so . by the way  is there a socket for my razor  ?  
 i think so . here it is . it s by the basin  .  
 is it a twopin socket  ?  
 yes  it is  .  
 good  i ve get a twopin plug  .  
 it 's an excellent one  .  i like it very much  .  
 why  ?  
 it includes a lot of useful words and phrases  .  
 i agree with you  .  
 what 's her figure  ?  
 perfect  .  and i like her charming eyes  too  .  
 what 's the color of her eyes  ?  
 dark blue  .  
 how old is she  ?  
 twenty  .  
 you know that is tempting but is really not good for our fitness  .  
 what do you mean  ?  it will help us to relax  .  
 do you really think so  ?  i do n't  .  it will just make us fat and act silly  .  remember last time  ?  
 i guess you are right . but what shall we do  ?  i do n't feel like sitting at home  .  
 i suggest a walk over to the gym where we can play singsong and meet some of our friends  .  
 that 's a good idea  .  i hear mary and sally often go there to play pingpong . perhaps we can make a foursome with them  .  
 sounds great to me  !  if they are willing  we could ask them to go dancing with us . that is excellent exercise and fun  too  .  
 good . let s go now  .  
 all right  .  
 it was me  .  i am so sorry  .  
 what did you think you were doing  ?  
 i had to move it  so that i can get my bike through  .  
 how dare you be so inconsiderate  ?  that 's wrong  .  
 i am awfully sorry  .  i did n't think you would mind so much  .  
 never do that again  .  
 i promise  .  
 i do n't want to  .  
 well  come over and talk to me then  .  
 certainly not  .  
 may i turn on the tv then  ?  
 turn on the tv for what  ?  
 so that we can sit down together and listen to some music  .  
 listen to the music  ?  and who will cook dinner  will you  ?  
 i will  but let 's go to the disco after dinner  .  
 to a disco  ?  oh  no  .  you know i hate it  .  
 oh  how annoying  !  
 the time of departure will be announced as soon as possible  .  
 it  s infuriating  .  i have to be in rome by five  .  
 what happened to you last night  ?  you didn  t show up  .  
 my mother was ill  .  i had to look after her  .  
 i  m so sorry to hear that  .  
 of course  what can i do for you  ?  
 well  i hate to have to say this  but i 'm not happy with my room  .  
 oh  what exactly is problem  ?  
 well  the traffic is very loud  .  i got no sleep last night  .  
 oh  i 'm so sorry  sir  .  i 'll see what i can do about that  .  
 yes  it 's my steak  .  
 what 's wrong with it  sir  ?  
 it 's too raw  .  i wanted mine well done  but this one here is almost medium  .  
 i am sorry you did n't enjoy it  sir  .  i will return it to the kitchen and bring you one that is well cooked  .  how is your steak this time  sir  ?  
 very good  .  it 's done just right this time  thank you  .  
 i am glad you enjoy it  .  i will tell this to the chef  .  would you like some more beer  ?  
 yes  please give me another calsberg  .  
 can i bring you some dessert  ?  
 no  thank you  .  i 've had enough  .  
 how about some coffee or tea then  ?  
 yes  i will have a cup of coffee  .  
 do you have the receipt with you  ?  
 yes  here you are  .  
 thank you  .  do you want your money back  ?  
 no  can i exchange it for a bigger one  ?  
 i am afraid this is the biggest size we have  .  
 oh  that 's too bad  .  
 maybe you would like to try this one with the willow pattern  .  the price is the same and it 's bigger  .  
 yeas  it is . sewen jes speaking . how can i help  ?  
 actually  i 'm calling to complain about your service  .  the computer i bought last week is faulty  .  
 oh  i 'm sorry to hear that  sir . what exactly is problem  ?  
 well  easily  it does n't work  .  it does n't even start probably  .  
 oh  dear  !  i 'll do well i can  .  
 no  that  s not all your fault  .  
 but you will miss your good chance  .  i  m so sorry 
 there  s no need to apologize . forget about it  .  
 yeah  this one closes at ten  .  we could drive to the 24  hour store on sixth  .  
 alright  .  we are out of everything  .  
 i wish the store close to us was open 24  house a day  .  
 i know  our schedules are so weird  .  sometimes  the little corner store is the only thing within walking distance that  s open when we get home  .  
 yeah  and the prices there are very high  .  
 i know  .  three dollars for milk  .  
 i don  t know  !  this stupid old car started spewing white smoke and it just died on me  .  luckily  i managed to start it up and drive it here  .  what do you think it is  ?  
 not sure yet . how about you pop the hood and we can take a look  .  mmmm  it doesn  t look good  .  
 what do you mean  ?  my daddy gave me this car for my birthday last month  .  it  s brand new  !  
 well missy  the white smoke that you saw is steam from the radiator  .  you overheated your engine so now the pistons are busted and so is your transmission  .  you should have called us and we could have towed you over here when your car died  .  
 ugh  .  .  .  so how long is this going to take  ?  an hour  ?  
 i  m afraid a bit more than that  .  we need to order the spare parts  take apart your electrical system  fuel pump and engine and then put it back together again  .  you are going to have to leave it here for at least two weeks  .  
 what  !  how am i supposed to get to school or go shopping  ?  this is not happening  !  
 a man stepped on my feet when i was waiting for the taxi  .  
 sorry  i was delayed by something and stuck in traffic  .  
 oh  !  i heard that he loves to boss people around  .  
 thank you very much  .  i will devote all my efforts to my work  .  
 thank you  .  i just consider working as part of my life  .  
 hold on  .  we will be successful right away  .  
 you think  ?  
 yeah  .  it  s a lot better than mine  .  
 but i still get stuck on the different tones . it drives me crazy  .  
 hang in there  .  it  ll all come together one of these days  .  
 you  re kidding  .  we  ll never make it across in one piece  !  let  s cross at the light  .  
 now we have to walk all the way down to the end of the street  .  
 if you want to cross here  be my guest  .  i don  t feel like dodging cars and scooters  !  
 yeah  .  i think so . you have to be patient and careful  .  
 so i 'd rather walk or run to work  .  
 you must be joking  !  
 so what are you gonna do  ?  just quit  ?  
 that  s exactly what i am going to do  !  i  ve decided to create my own company  !  i  m going to write up a business plan  get some investors and start working for myself  !  
 have you ever written up a business plan before  ?  
 well  no . it can  t be that hard  !  i mean  all you have to do is explain your business  how you are going to do things and that  s it  right  ?  
 you couldn  t be more wrong  !  a well written business plan will include an executive summary which highlights the idea of the business in two pages or less  .  then you need to describe your company with information such as what type of legal structure it has  history  etc  .  
 well  that seems easy enough  .  
 wait  there  s more  !  then you need to introduce and describe your goods or services  .  what they are and how they are different from competitors   ?  then comes the hard part  a market analysis  .  you need to investigate and analyze hundreds of variables  !  you need to take into consideration socioeconomic factors from gdp per capita to how many children on average the population has  !  all this information is useful so that you can move on to your strategy and implementation stage  where you will describe in detail how you will actually execute your idea  .  
 geez  .  is that all  ?  
 almost  the most important piece of information for your investors will be the financial analysis  .  here you will calculate and estimate sales  cash flow and profits  .  after all  people will want to know when they will begin to see a return on their investment  !  
 umm  .  i think i  ll just stick to my old job and save myself all the hassle of trying to start up a business  !  
 um  okay  .  well  i just want a trim  .  nothing too fancy  .  
 oh my gosh  !  your hair is amazing  !  so silky  so shiny  !  i am going to work my magic on your hair  !  you hear me  ?  you are going to look like a million bucks  !  
 okay  .  um  .  .  .  can you make sure my sideburns are even and you just take a little off the top  .  
 don  t you worry  i  ll take care of everything  !  oh my god  !  i just love your curly hair  !  it  s so fluffy and cute  !  you should totally let it grow out  .  an afro would look great on you  !  
 um  .  .  .  no  .  
 okay  but you are going to be my masterpiece  !  
 eh  so so  .  
 and this one  ?  too flashy  ?  
 nah  not too flashy  .  
 hug  !  and this sweater from my aunt  ?  isn  t it hideous  ?  
 i guess  .  
 are you even listening  ?  i  m trying to have a conversation with you  .  
 and i  m trying to watch the game  but you  re yapping on about your new clothes  !  
 well i have to decide which gifts to keep and which to exchange for better ones when i go to the boxing day sales this afternoon  !  
 well could you do me the favor of making this quick  ?  it  s the third quarter and you  ve been blabbering on since the first  !  
 oh  your precious game  .  you watch the same game every year  and each year your beloved hometown team loses by at least three goals  !  
 oh no you didn  t  .  you didn  t just insult the salsbury seals  did you  ?  why don  t you just  .  just go and return all of those stupid clothes and not come back until the sales are over  ?  
 i might just  !  enjoy your stupid game  !  
 and merry christmas  !  
 merry christmas  !  
 cut what out i  m not doing anything  .  
 the tapping of your pen on your desk  .  it  s driving me crazy  .  
 fine  !  by the way would you mind not slurping your coffee every time you have a cup  !  
 i don  t slurp my coffee  .  and plus  how can you hear it when you  re shouting into your phone all the time  ?  
 you  ve got to be kidding me  !  you  re complaining about me talking on the phone when you go out for a cigarette break ten times a day to shoot the breeze  ?  
 look  we have a lot of accumulated anger from working in these conditions  and it  s probably okay to let off steam once in a while  .  but  it  s probably not a good idea to keep it up i  m willing to forgive and forget and if you are  .  
 fine  .  let 's call a truce  .  i 'll try to more considerate and to keep the noise down  .  
 yeah  i  ll try to do the same . so  i was wondering you wanna go out to dinner friday night  ?  
 me  too  i can  t stop scratching  .  they are everywhere  !  sneaky little jerks  .  
 do you have any bug spray  ?  
 no  i forgot to buy some  .  
 then we  ll have to put up with it  .  
 we can cover ourselves with beer  !  that way if they bite us  they  ll get drunk and fall asleep  .  
 that  s without a doubt  the best idea you  ve had  !  let  s do it  !  
 run  !  they are thirsty for more  !  
 look at me  .  i look so old  !  i look as if i were thirty  .  
 come on  !  stop being so vain  .  you look great  !  you are beautiful  !  
 yes  i am  but i think it  s time for some plastic surgery i  m tired of these wrinkles and sagging skin  .  see  ?  
 i don  t see any wrinkles or sagging skin  !  you are stop beings ridiculous  .  besides  i think that people who get boto  have facelifts  or tummy tucks look weird . it doesn  t look natural  .  
 whatever  i think i  m gonna get liposuction and a nose job and some breast implants as well  .  
 i think you need to get brain surgery  .  i honestly don  t think you need cosmetic surgery . you look amazing  .  
 i thought you were my friend and would support me on this  !  i just want to feel better about myself and feel more attractive  .  
 you don  t need plastic surgery to do that  .  you are fine the way you are and you have guys drooling all over you  !  plus  plastic surgery hurts  !  
 really  ?  
 yeah  !  when i got my nose job i was black and blue for a week  !  
 i was drying my hair and ironing my shirt  !  can you come here for a sec  ?  i need your help  .  
 what is it  ?  why are all these clothes on the bed  ?  
 i don  t know what to wear  !  ok  give me your opinion  .  do you like the way this looks  ?  the striped short sleeved shirt with this checkered sweater and my lucky sandals  .  i like the cut and hemline of these shorts so i think i  ll wear these as well  .  
 are you joking  ?  what am i going to do with you  ?  we are going to a dinner party not the beach  !  wear the shirt with the silk tie i bought you and these corduroy pants  .  it  s chilly outside so you can wear this coat  .  
 thanks honey  !  you have such great fashion sense . now  what am i going to do with my hair  ?  
 well you should have picked  in the end you always complain about everything  .  
 not everything  just this film  .  even the title is ridiculous  .  and it  s so long  those are the two and a half most wasted hours of my life  so much so that i  m thinking about asking them to give me my money back  .  
 i  m thinking of taking you back home  .  i thought we could have a nice evening  but you  re always so negative  .  
 i  m only complaining about a movie that i could have rented or bought and then thrown in the garbage  .  
 you see  that  s what i  m talking about  i can  t stand your sarcastic jokes anymore 
 next time  go with your gay friend who is more in touch with his feelings  .  
 well he  s more of a man than you are  at least he appreciates love stories  .  
 love stories  ?  more like onenightstands  .  
 don  t criticize mario or else i  ll start on those fat  drunk friends of yours  they  re no saints  .  
 my friends  ?  fat  ?  what about those whales you call friends  ?  
 you  re unbearable  you can walk home  i  m leaving  .  
 where are you going  ?  
 i told you already  !  i  m going to get my nails done  .  
 again  ?  you just went last week  !  you spend more time at the nail salon than you do here at home  !  honestly  why do you need a manicure every week  ?  
 well  first of all  i like to pamper myself  and my nails look great  .  you should come with me  !  
 why  ?  i don  t want to have nail polish or anything like that  !  
 they don  t only paint my nails  !  the manicurist will remove my cuticles  file my nails  and apply at least nails coats of nail polish  !  
 yeah  sounds like something i should definitely do  .  
 have n't been sleeping well recently  .  
 what 's the problem  ?  
 every night my roommates watch the korean soap operas till midnight  .  i am not a big fan of korean shows and i do n't know how to tell them to stop without hurting their feelings  .  
 well  you can simply tell them you want to sleep  or make an arrangement for a time when the room should quiet down  .  
 yeah  i know  but i find these sorts of things hard to say  .  they wo n't like it if i tell them to turn off the tv  .  now i just hope the show will end soon  .  
 i understand  .  i used to live in a dorm with four people  .  i was great in some aspects  .  we always went out and and had fun together  .  but on the other hand  when i wanted some quiet time  and people kept 
 yeah  i crave my own space  .  i just so tired of having people around me all time  .  
 what is it  ?  
 have n't you heard that your novel has won the nobel prize  ?  
 really  ?  i ca n't believe it  .  it 's like a dream come true  .  i never expected that i would win the nobel prize  !  
 you did a good job  .  i 'm extremely proud of you  .  
 thanks for the compliment  .  
 you certainly deserve it  .  let 's celebrate  !  
 after you  .  
 you 're welcome  .  
 when do you leave  ?  
 i 'm catching the 1100 train  .  
 take care of yourself and do n't forget to keep in touch  .  
 goodbye  .  hope to see you again next year  .  
 nothing much  .  what 's new with you  ?  
 not too much  .  i 've been pretty busy  .  
 me too  .  seems like all i do is eat and sleep  .  
 gotta go  .  call me tonight  .  
 okay  .  check you later  .  
 it was just a misunderstanding  .  
 what  ?  
 i 'm fine  thanks  .  and you  ?  
 very well  thanks  .  nice to see you again  .  i have n't seen you for a long time  .  what have you been doing lately  ?  
 oh  nothing much really  .  and how is everything with you  ?  
 fine  thanks  .  i 've been busy lately  .  
 what have you been doing  ?  
 i 've been studying for my exams  .  my school exams will begin next month  .  
 really  ?  good luck for them  .  
 thanks  .  and how are your parents  ?  
 they 're both very well  thanks  .  
 where are you going now  ?  
 i 'm going to do some shopping  .  why do n't you come with me  ?  
 i ca n't  .  i have to meet someone  .  
 it 's been nice talking to you  .  
 goodbye  .  see you again sometime  .  
 i 've got a date  .  
 it 's as plain as the nose on your face  .  they 're dating each other  .  
 you 're pulling my leg  !  she must be thirty years younger than leo  .  talk about robbing the cradle  !  
 well  you can bet this relationship 's going to be a flash in the pan  .  
 it must have been love at first sight because i know he did n't have a girlfriend last week  .  
 i think you are absolutely right  .  actually  my father proposed to my mother after knowing her only two weeks  .  they got married a month later  .  
 i  m afraid that  s not my cup of tea  .  i just find skindiving attracting  .  
 so have you ever been to the stamp display of the town  ?  
 not so bad  but kevin does have problems with his wife  .  
 what  ?  
 his wife always complained that kevin's salary was too low and got no promotion  .  
 poor kevin  we should do something for him  .  he is a nice guy and does his job well  .  
 yeah  i agree with you  .  but you know  it 's just one of those things  .  
 you do  ?  
 yeah  those classics from the great writers  .  
 but i find japanese ones better  .  
 rock n'roll  i guess  .  
 you mean the kind of stuff like nirvana  ?  
 not really  .  that  s pretty heavy metal  .  
 i 'm nervous as can be  .  
 thanks  .  
 yeah  it  s been ages  !  so how have you been  ?  
 couldn  t be better  .  and you  ?  
 just as usual  you know  .  
 is n't it time for dinner  ?  
 yes  let 's get something to eat  .  
 how about mac donald 's  ?  
 that 's disgusting  .  
 it feels like there 's going to be rain later  .  
 maybe you 're right  .  
 we 'll go tomorrow  .  
 chicken  !  
 i love you  too  .  
 i want to take care of you forever  .  will you marry me  ?  
 oh  .  my god  !  are you serious  ?  
 am i too abrupt  ?  did i scare you  ?  or you do n't want  .  .  .  
 no  !  i have been expecting this moment for a long time  .  i mean my answer is yes  .  
 oh  i 'm so happy  .  i will try my best to love you and protect you  .  i promise  .  
 i trust you  .  we 'll be happy  .  
 let me wear you this diamond ring  .  
 it 's so beautiful  .  
 what is it  ?  
 you are going to be a father  .  
 what  ?  do you mean that you are pregnant  ?  is it true  ?  
 yes  .  we 'll have our baby soon  .  
 oh  dear  i 'm so happy  .  
 me  too  .  
 just having a chat  .  
 i 'm not feeling well  .  i 'm very nervous  .  
 take it easy  .  we are going to have our own baby  .  you should be happy  .  
 yeah  i know  .  
 the doctors and the nurses will help you  .  and i will be waiting for you right here  praying for you and our baby  .  
 thank you  dear  .  i feel better now  .  
 okay  .  take your time  .  
 the same as usual  .  
 all right  .  
 here is your ticket  .  
 thank you  .  
 the park will close soon  .  we should better go in right now  .  
 really  ?  
 yes  let 's go in  .  
 it is a new park  is n't it  ?  
 yes  how do you know  ?  
 i guessed it  .  
 well  generally speaking  the park is a window on the world history  a window on the world civilization and a window on the world 's tourist attractions as well  .  
 oh  how wonderful  !  
 yes and no  .  
 ok  .  see you  .  
 she 's gone to a flower shop  .  today is her husband 's birthday  .  
 that reminds me  .  my wedding anniversary is tomorrow  .  
 no  what  ?  
 i hear that he 's quitting  .  
 you 're kidding  !  
 i 'm afraid not  !  now this is just between you and me  .  
 i think women excel in every sport except the ones that are taboo for us to join in  like football  .  
 i mean which ones are they better at than men  ?  
 why do you care  ?  women and men are different all around  .  i do n't think they can be compared  .  
 that 's a good point  .  let me change my question  .  what sports do women like best  ?  
 well  i know some women who love golf and i know others who love contact sports  .  
 are you saying that women ca n't be generally categorized  ?  
 are you suggesting that anyone can be  ?  
 no  .  how about you  ?  
 not yet  .  let 's go to that restaurant on the corner  .  
 i like the freedom of summer with no school  .  
 yeah  and all those fun summer sports and activities  .  
 and i like the festivities of winter with thanksgiving  christmas and new year  .  
 oh  me too  !  all the family getting together  .  .  .  
 and i really like the smells and colors of spring  .  
 i like the feeling then that school is almost over  !  
 but i must say  if it were only for the weather  i like autumn most  !  
 i wo n't do it again  .  please forgive me  .  
 no way  .  i 've given you too many chances already  .  
 i had no idea how seriously that country takes soccer  !  
 tell me about it  .  
 okay  .  in the middle of their streets there are parks  big soccer fields as far as you can see  .  
 really  ?  
 that 's not all  .  they use them  !  every night men  women  children all out there till 3 and 4 a  .  m  .  
 are you serious  ?  
 i do n't know how they function the next day  !  it 's like they eat and breathe soccer  !  
 two  i hope and i hope that by telling me about them you are planning on taking me  !  
 of course  !  and here 's the best part  they are court side seats  !  
 how in the world  !  who came up with seats like that from your company  ?  
 some guy in the accounting department has a brother on the team  !  
 ca n't beat that  !  thank you accounting guy  !  
 the game starts at seven so we 'd better hustle  it 's already five  .  
 what are we waiting for  ?  let 's go  !  
 oh  through a lot of hard work  of course  .  
 i suppose that in a foreign country it was difficult at first  was n't it  ?  
 surely it was  especially when you only knew few people and little english  .  
 you mean you did n't know much english then  ?  
 right  .  i only knew a few english sentences  .  
 that 's incredible  .  could you tell me what you did to make a start  ?  
 first  i worked as a servant  .  
 really  ?  i wish you could tell me more about your experience  .  
 i 'd like to  but i must run to a meeting  .  
 this book is so good  .  i just ca n't put it down  !  it 's called the power of one  .  
 i have n't read a book like that for as long as i can remember  .  
 me either  .  from the very first page  this author just pulled me right in  !  
 can i read it when you 're finished  ?  
 yes  .  i 'm in the last chapter now and it is just gripping  .  
 do n't tell me anything about it  .  i want to read it for myself  .  
 okay  .  but be prepared for an allnighter  !  i doubt you will want to put it down either  .  
 he 's the nicest boss i 've had  .  
 yes  i think he 's the most relaxing person in management  .  
 what 's more  he said i was the hardest working person in the office  !  
 that 's good  .  maybe you 'll get promoted  .  
 i hope so  .  
 merry christmas  .  steven  !  
 what do you want to do to celebrate christmas  ?  
 i 'll have supper with my girlfriend and go shopping  .  what about you  ?  
 i 'll go to church first and then go to a christmas party  .  would you like to come  ?  
 i 'd love to  .  but i am going to meet my girlfriend right now  .  see you later  .  
 see you  .  
 who  ?  
 julia roberts  .  
 yeah  she is so charming  .  i like her  too  .  
 it 's said that her new movie is going to come out  .  
 what 's the movie about  ?  
 i 'm not sure  .  
 is n't it silly to see a movie that you know nothing about  ?  
 i already told you  because julia roberts is in it  .  i like her because she is not only a great actor but also is very generous to give a lot to many kinds of charities  .  
 yeah  she is great  .  i also admire her for her concern about society  .  
 the same to you  joey  .  
 this is your first christmas in the us  .  here is the gift for you  .  
 it 's very thoughtful of you  .  wow  it is so beautiful  .  could you tell me how american people celebrate christmas  ?  
 ok  .  people decorate their houses  place a christmas tree in the room and maybe sing a christmas carol together  .  
 i read everything i can get my hands on but i like love stories best  .  what do you think about the love stories  ?  
 i hate to tell you this  but they are nothing but sob stories  .  
 i do n't think so  .  i like them  .  then what 's your favorite book  ?  
 i 'm fond of history books  .  
 oh  the history books are dull to me  .  
 yes  it 's one of the main air pollutants  .  factories do n't emit it directly into the air  .  it 's actually formed when nitrogen oxides and voc emissions come into contact with heat and sunlight  .  
 sorry  ?  what does voc stand for  ?  
 oh  vous are volatile organic compounds  .  that 's a technical term for solvents or other chemicals found in things like paint  .  
 so  what damage does ozone do to the environment  ?  
 well  it can cause smog  which can affect people 's health  especially people with breathing difficulties  .  
 i think the campaign is a blockbuster  .  
 how many people have flung their hats into the ring  ?  
 finally 100 candidates ran for one seat  .  
 who do you think will be elected  ?  
 it 's hard to say  .  they all had an active campaign to round up the votes  .  
 i think mr  .  white would be elected  you know he has spent millions in this campaign and he blasted the opposition in his campaign speech  .  
 maybe  .  who knows  ?  
 well  i would n't swim in it  but the water is much cleaner than it was a few years ago  .  
 are local factories allowed to discharge waste water into the lake  ?  
 yes  but it must be treated in an effluent treatment plant first  .  
 i did n't hear that  .  but i can deduce the reason  .  
 really  ?  say it  !  
 tom is a kind guy  but addicted to gambling  .  he spends all his time gambling in the casino  .  and his wife ca n't put up with his incessant gambling any longer  so she divorced him  .  is that right  ?  
 yeah  quite right  .  gambling broke up a happy family  .  
 yeah  !  gambling is often a curse  .  by gambling we lose time and treasure  two things most precious to a man  .  
 besides that  many people took to gambling and got in over their heads  and gradually ruined themselves  .  
 in a word  gambling is a vice  .  we should be away from it  .  
 you gossip  !  what 's the basis of your opinion  ?  
 someone declared that he saw it  .  
 i do n't believe it  .  jean is such a kind lady  .  how could she do this  ?  
 who knows  ?  you ca n't judge a book by its cover  .  
 maybe  !  
 hard to say  .  now the score is in our favor  .  
 yes  .  our guest team is really tough  .  
 they 're still fighting hard  .  let 's wait and see  .  
 yeah  .  i 'll miss all of you  too  .  but i 'll keep in touch  .  
 hello  !  
 hi  what 's your name  ?  
 yeah  my name is nandu  .  
 nandu  .  nandu  how do you spell you name  ?  
 yeah  my name is like nanju  .  
 oh  ok  .  that 's a nice name  nandu  .  and where are you from  ?  
 i 'm from madras  .  
 the ukraine team took the lead by 3 to 1 at the end of the first half  .  
 the russian team needs to tie the ukraine to get the pass for the final  .  
 it does n't seem to be so easy  .  
 no  it 's the japanese team  .  
 japanese teams always play a dark horse  .  
 well  their team work is well worth learning  .  
 they 're absolutely right to get a replacement for 21  .  
 if the phoenix beats the rocket  it will enter the final  .  
 no way  if it still has 21  .  
 well  i 've been practising for 5 weeks  .  
 is this your best score  ?  
 no  once i did 32  .  
 did you see his last dive  .  
 yes  it 's perfect  !  
 he 's diving for the gold  .  
 nothing much  .  what are you up to  ?  
 i was just concerned about sam  .  he has n't been himself lately  .  
 he took the civil service exam and failed  .  
 that sucks  .  he must feel depressed  .  
 yeah  .  he 's been sitting in his room everyday for the last 4 days  .  
 why do n't we take him out  ?  we can try to take his mind off of it  .  in the least show him that we 're there for him  .  
 that 's a great idea  .  why do n't you call him  .  i already talked to him a couple of times and it might be good for him to hear from somebody else  .  
 ok  .  i 'll call you back after i 'm done  .  
 sounds good  .  
 the spur  .  
 what was the score  ?  
 they managed a 9980 victory  .  
 i have no idea  .  to be honest  i could n't care less  .  
 come on  brenda  !  never say die  .  
 i do n't know about that  .  
 i 'm on your side  .  it needs to be done over  .  
 are you sure  ?  he does n't look that old  .  
 he told me so himself  .  
 on this occasion  most people do  .  
 oh  they are playing the wedding march  .  here they come  .  
 she is a beautiful bride  .  
 i am so happy for them  .  
 are you crying  ?  
 yes  i always cry at weddings  .  
 harris and anne are perfect for each other  .  
 yes  they are  .  
 you and tom also make a great couple  .  
 in fact  we are beginning to make preparations  .  
 for the wedding  ?  
 no  no  for the engagement  .  
 try to catch this bouquet then  .  
 certainly  .  you are more welcome to do  .  what is it  ?  
 tomorrow is my wife 's birthday  .  we both love spicy chinese dishes  .  i am wondering if you could recommend a good local restaurant where i can find some good spicy dishes  .  
 well  if spicy local dishes are what you are looking for  in hua restaurant is the best place to go  .  the restaurant serves very good and spicy local dishes  .  you might want to try there  .  
 how far is it from here  ?  
 it is near the university  .  five minutes walk from your flat  i think  .  
 great  .  we 'll go and have a try  .  thank you very much  .  
 you 're welcome  .  may you have a good time  .  please give my regards to your wife  .  i wish her a happy birthday tomorrow  .  
 thank you  .  the same to you  .  
 nothing special  .  
 would you like to have dinner with me at king hotel at 7pm  ?  
 i 'd like to  .  see you then  .  
 yes  i did  i thought it was a failure  .  
 do you really think so  ?  i do n't think so  .  it was n't that bad film at all  .  did n't you hear the applause of the audience  ?  
 well  maybe so  .  but i still think everyone has their rights of their own opinion  .  
 well  i do n't see the point of arguing this  .  
 hey  anna  this is jason  .  
 jason  where have you been hiding lately  ?  you know it 's been a long time since your last call  .  have you been good  ?  
 yes  .  how are you  anna  ?  
 i am fine  .  what have you been doing  ?  
 working  .  i 've been really busy these days  .  i got a promotion  .  
 that 's great  congratulations  !  
 thanks  .  i am feeling pretty good about myself too  .  you know  bigger office  a raise and even an assistant  .  
 that 's good  .  so i guess i 'll have to make an appointment to see you  .  
 you are kidding  .  
 how long have you been working there  ?  
 a bit over two years  .  this is a fastmoving company  and seniority isn  t the only factor in deciding promotions  .  
 how do you like your new boss  ?  
 she is very nice and openminded  .  
 much better than the last one  huh  ?  
 yeah  .  he was a real slave driver  .  he probably would have loved it if we were robots  .  
 forget about him  .  come over to my house tonight  .  let 's get drunk  .  
 good  .  tonight 8 o 'clock  .  
 8 it is  .  see you then  .  
 bye  .  
 i listen to a lot of hip hop  .  what about you  ?  
 i mostly listen to pop music  but i like a lot of different stuff  .  
 yes  me too  .  i mostly listen to hip hop  but there are many genres of music i like  .  
 oh  there are so many good ones  !  i loved the spice girls  .  they were so cool  !  
 i agree  !  i cried for a week when they broke up  .  
 i was really sad too  but at least i can still listen to their cds  .  
 well i always hear it on the radio  so i started to get into it  .  
 yeah  if something is on the radio it must be really good  .  
 i totally agree  !  
 i met amanda through a friend  .  
 that 's great  .  did you start dating right after you met  or did you become friends first  ?  
 we started dating right away  .  
 yes  .  
 have you heard what happened to him  ?  
 no  what  ?  
 he had his car stolen  .  actually he was kidnapped while he was in the car  .  
 what do you mean  ?  
 well  apparently  he was just getting into his carhe 'd parked it in one of those underground multistory thingshe was just getting in and suddenly three guys with guns opened the back doors of the car and got in  .  
 crikey  .  where did this happen  ?  
 in taichung  i think  .  
 oh  right  i hear they have a lot of this kind of problem down there  .  
 really  ?  well  anyway  they pointed their guns at him and said  you know  keep calm and drive out  .   .  .  .  we do n't want to hurt you  .  .  .  we just want your car  .  
 so what happened  ?  
 well  he drove out  and when he got to the booth to pay the attendant  he pretended to have an epileptic fit  you know  to scare the thieves away  .  the attendant was no help at all  even though the guys were holding guns in plain view  he did nothing  .  
 that 's terrible  .  
 yes  makes you think  does n't it  ?  
 so what happened next  ?  
 well  he kept on pretending to have a fit  so they freaked out and just ran away  .  
 well  he sure was lucky  .  
 i 'll say  .  
 i know  !  it 's gonna be great  .  but what kind of music do you think we should play  ?  
 that 's a good question  .  you know i love hip hop  so maybe we can play some vanilla ice songs  .  
 hmm  .  .  .  vanilla ice  ?  i know his most famous song   ice ice baby   but i do n't know his other songs  .  
 that 's ok  .  you can buy his songs on itunes and listen to them  .  
 not if you pay for it  .  for example  if you download from itunes and pay with your credit card  it 's legal  .  
 ok  i 'm going to get itunes and download some vanilla ice songs  .  
 awesome  .  you 'll see that they are really catchy  .  
 my roommate invited both of us to dinner  .  
 was it love at first sight  ?  did you fall in love with her the first time you met her  ?  
 yes  !  the first time i saw her i knew we would fall in love  .  
 i met her about one year ago  .  
 so you met her right after you got to school  ?  
 that 's right  .  we 've been dating since last september  .  
 well  my roommate was friends with amanda  so he introduced us  .  
 did he tell you what she was like first  ?  
 yes  he described her to me  and she sounded like my type  .  
 thanks  mr  .  white  .  that 's very kind of you  .  
 i hope it will be of some use to you  .  
 i am sure it will  .  it 'll be of great help in carrying on the work i have done so far  .  
 that will be great  .  
 that is awesome  .  congratulations  !  i know you can make it  .  
 thanks  .  let 's go for a celebration this evening  .  are you free  ?  
 yes  .  wait for me at the cafe down my office building  .  say 5 pm  ok  ?  
 no problem  .  see you  !  
 see you  !  
 ok  .  it falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month  .  it is said that there is a beautiful goddess chang 'e on the moon who had eaten some sort of elixir and had to depart her husband  .  she is always expecting to see her husband again  .  so  later we have the traditional idea that when there is the full moon  it is time for the family members to come together  .  
 so  i understand why people eat moon cakes on that day  .  
 you are right  .  in china  round is an auspicious word  .  the moon cakes are in round shape  .  
 is it official  ?  
 it was not in the past  .  but from 2008  we can enjoy a threeday holiday for this festival  .  
 okay  !  what do you suggest  ?  
 how about seeing a play  ?  i hear hamlet is on at the national theater  .  
 is that so  ?  why not  ?  
  looking at a newspaper  oh  dear me  !  there 's no performance at the national theater this weekend  .  so we have to go to cinema instead  .  
 what 's on  ?  
 let me see  .  .  um  .  gone with the wind  .  it is on at six cinemas on saturday night  .  
 that sounds interesting  .  which is the nearest  ?  
 ah  .  the royal  i think  .  
 what time does it start  ?  
 why do n't we go to the 730 show  ?  it is convenient to us  i think  .  
 but we wo n't have enough time for dinner  .  
 do you want to go to the earlier or the later show  ?  
 ah  .  .  .  i fancy going to the later show  .  
 then  there 's a 930 show  .  
 that 's okay  i think  .  
 all right  .  
 oh  you are so nice  .  what a lovely scarf  .  
 i hope you will like it  .  
 of course  i like it very much  .  thank you  .  
 can you tell me something about the spring festival  ?  
 just like you celebrate christmas  we celebrate our lunar new year 's day  the spring festival  .  it is a time for the family members and relatives to have a gettogether  .  
 christmas is also a special time for us to have the family reunion and to express our best wishes to those we love and those who love us in the coming new year  .  
 christmas has more religious nature  while our spring festival is a more traditional holiday  .  on the new year 's eve  we have a big dinner called family reunion dinner  .  one of the traditional food to eat at the dinner is dumplings  .  after that  the adults usually sit chatting  watching tv  or playing cards  .  
 what are the children doing  ?  
 they usually go outside to play firecrackers and fireworks  .  
 i heard one of the purposes to do it is to frighten the devils so they will not come to do any harm to people in the next year  .  
 perhaps it is like what people told you  .  at 24 hours midnight  the time when the new year really comes  we exchange happy new year to each other  and parents and grandparents will take out small packages wrapped with red paper  in them are some what we call lucky money  .  
 who will get the money  ?  
 of course the children  .  
 that 's great  .  
 now let 's get things ready  .  
 do n't worry  .  there are all kinds of things in the center  .  
 that 's much more convenient  .  we do n't even have to bring the flavorings  .  
 nope  !  it 's the latest generation of pad  !  you wo n't believe what it can do  .  
 for instance  ?  
 it has a builtin camera unit that takes digital color stills  .  it also plays mp3 files  which i can save on media cards and then transfer to the hard drive of my computer  .  
 wow  !  anything else  ?  
 this one comes with its own folding keyboard  .  it has a preinstalled handwriting recognition program  .  i can use the stylus to write on the screen  .  
 what if i want to use cdroms or floppies  ?  
 just plug in a peripheral cd or floppy drive and you 're ready to go  !  
 the ceremony will begin at 9 0 clock  .  after the ceremony  there 's a reception  .  by the way  do you know why they have chosen september 9th for their wedding ceremony  ?  
 no idea  .  
 as in english  chinese also has some lucky numbers  .  the number 9 stands for perpetuity in chinese  .  
 how can i forget my old friend  ?  
 my best wishes to you and the bride  !  
 thank you very much  .  
 how much is it for each square meter  ?  how large is the apartment  ?  
 it 's 7500 yuan per square meter  and i really like the one with three bedrooms and a large living room  .  its total area is about 80 square meters  .  
 that surely will cost you a lot of money  .  are you going to make a full payment  ?  
 do you think i am rich enough to make it  ?  i am thinking about buying the apartment by installments  .  the real estate agency says if i pay a 25  down payment  i can move in at once  .  
 if sounds so tempting  .  why not go applying for a loan from the bank  ?  they charge very low interest  so you can choose whether to pay up the balance in 10 or 20 years  .  
 sure  .  it 's probably a skiing show  .  adam told me there are many skiing clubs whose members put on shows to attract more visitors  .  
 look at that  .  it 's so dangerous  .  my mom would never allow me to do that  .  
 stop all this fuss and enjoy the show  .  
 you are right  .  but what if an avalanche happened  ?  
 they are all great skiers and very experienced  .  so i suppose the chance for them to be buried by an avalanche is slim  .  
 anyway  the show is breathtaking  .  by the way  where did they get so much snow here  ?  
 well  they have the most advanced snowmaking machine  .  
 do you think the snowmaking may cause pollution  ?  
 it 's possible  .  
 thank you  .  i am very excited  .  
 we are all very proud of you  .  
 i am very happy  too  .  it was a big game and i won  .  
 i watched the race with my children  .  we saw you run to the finish line  .  we all screamed with excitement  .  
 it was really an exciting moment  .  
 why  ?  
 people are very kind down your way  .  you  re lucky  .  
 yes  do you always gather to welcome new comers  ?  
 never  .  
 really  ?  
 yeah  .  people down our way hardly speak to each other  .  
 thank you  .  you are cooking up a storm  .  
 would n't you like some more chicken  ?  
 no  thank you  .  i 'm afraid i ca n't take in anymore  .  
 no  thanks  .  i have had enough  .  
 what about some drink  ?  
 please bring me a cup of coffee  .  
 maybe you ca n't be so sure  .  
 why not  ?  the whole idea is superstitious  .  
 but some people use this occasion to create trouble  .  have you heard of the black friday virus on the computer  ?  it is designed to break out on every friday the thirteenth  .  
 i know that  .  but that has nothing to do with being unlucky  .  those who created the virus are deliberately making fun of people  .  
 i went to croydon  .  
 did you go shopping  ?  
 no  i went for an interview  .  
 oh  did you get a job  ?  
 yes  i got a job as a management trainee  .  
 fantastic  .  
 thanks  tim  .  nice meeting you  too  .  
 i guess we 'll see each other around  .  
 yeah  i hope so  .  well  take it easy  .  
 you too  .  
 er  .  .  .  no  go ahead  .  
 you work upstair  right  ?  i think i have seen you before  .  i 'm karren  karren brown  .  
 nice to meet you  karren  .  i 'm tim wang  .  
 happy to know you  tim  .  
 i like the old styles of dance  .  such as foxtrot  waltz  rumba  tango and so on  .  they 're all graceful  .  
 why do you like old styles of dance  ?  
 why not  ?  do you think i should like modern dance  ?  
 i think so  because most young people like modern dances  such as rock and roll  .  
 oh  sorry  .  i do n't like them  .  why not ask lily  .  she likes modern dance  .  
 ok  i will . thank you  .  
 and a typical example has been the chinese athletes at the beijing olympics  right  ?  
 yes  in all these four sports  .  the chinese olympic dream teams led the way  .  they swept the floor against their opponents in table tennis and diving  .  
 then what are the westerners fit for  ?  
 i think they are in a better position in those sports that demand a high degree of intensity  speed and explosive force like swimming  field games  etc  .  
 where do you think the edge is for black athletes  ?  
 it 's common sense that african athletes always make a clean sweep in track events  middle or long distance races  relays  hurdles  barriers  and marathon  .  
 i got you  .  their competitive edge lies mainly in endurance and stamina  .  they are creatures from the savannah  and take to running like antelopes  .  
 very interesting  !  
 what do you suggest then  ?  
 how about going to dance  ?  there is a very good nightclub nearby  .  
 that 's a great idea  .  let 's go  .  .  .  oh  the dance hall looks very nice and the music is wonderful  .  
 i 'm glad you like it . the band is called  four and one   .  they are especially good at playing rock and roll  .  
 that 's great  !  i love to dance to fast music  .  
 then you must be interested in disco dancing  are n't you  ?  
 yes  disco dancing is my favorite . it s great fun and good exercise as well  .  
 ok  .  let 's disco  .  
 now the band is playing a slow dance  .  
 that 's a waltz  .  would you like to try it  ?  
 sorry  i think i 'il sit out the next dance  .  
 all right  .  let me get you something to drink  .  
 with pleasure  .  
 you dance well  .  do you breakdance  ?  
 me  what brought that on  ?  
 there 's a story about breakdancing in the paper  .  
 what does it say  ?  
 according to the story  it 's some sort of modern dance style  .  
 like disco  ?  
 well  breakdancing is more a physical exercise than a dance  .  
 and disco a kind of nightclub  .  
 right  a disco is a place where people dance according to nonstop recorded music  .  .  .  
 so  .  .  .  disco is what the music is called and a disco is a place where people go to dance to it . and breakdancing is a different sort of thing altogether  .  
 you are witty  .  
 it 's very nice  i like it very much  .  
 well  then  may i invite you for the first dance  ?  
 my pleasure  .  but i 'm afraid i 'm not much of a dancer  and i suppose you dance often  .  
 me  ?  oh  no  .  in fact  i took up dancing quite recently  .  
 oh  really  ?  but you 're doing the waltz wonderfully well  .  
 i 'm glad you say so  you dance beautifully too  .  it 's lucky that i got a partner  .  
 thank you for your compliments . it s just that you are a good leader  .  do you like the foxtrot and tango  ?  
 yes  .  and what dances do you do best  ?  
 disco is my favorite  .  i like it better than any other dances because it can release one 's pentup feelings  and is a healthy exercise  .  but i do n't do the rock and roll and the break dance  .  
 oh  well  the music has stopped  .  thank you for the dance  .  
 my pleasure  .  let 's go and have a drink  .  
 fine  .  
 it 's hard to say  .  perhaps swimming is my favorite  .  i like swimming because it helps improve my lung capacity  .  in the scorching summer days  there 's nothing like a cool swim  .  currently  i go to the pool twice every week  .  
 is the entrance charge expensive  ?  
 well  it costs an arm and a leg  30 yuan per person  .  what a costly sport  !  that is why i have to refrain from even thinking about it  .  and i find jogging a very agreeable substitute  .  
 haha  jogging  ?  perhaps it might be a bit too boring  ?  
 you know what  ?  you wo n't get a rush from it until you fully understand it  .  it is a simple sport and does n't require skills of any sort  .  this leaves room for me to enjoy the beautiful suburban scenery while jogging  .  fresh air caresses my face and blows into my chest  which translates into inspirations  .  inspirations are really good stuff for a writer like me  .  sometimes  i even come up with a verse or two  .  
 you are really a man who knows how to enjoy being alone  .  
 oh  yes  it is  .  
 shall i light the stove  ?  
 that 's a good idea  .  
 well  what 's the climate like in your country  ?  
 it 's mild  but it 's not always pleasant  .  
 which season do you like best  ?  
 i like spring  .  the days are long and the night are short  .  the flowers are in bloom . we go on picnics  .  
 you can say that again . the sun is shining and there is a pleasant breeze . it s so lovely  .  
 i 've heard the weather here is ideal  just like spring most of the year  .  
 that 's correct  .  we have four seasons of spring  .  
 autumn is the best season in beijing  you know  .  
 yes  i can see  .  the summer heat is over  and the winter cold is still far away  .  
 what is the weather like in washington at this time of this year  ?  
 autumn is also very nice in washington  .  
 is it very cold in winter there  ?  
 no  it is n't  .  but sometimes it snows a lot in winter  .  
 does it rain a lot in summer there  ?  
 oh yes  !  sometimes it rains very heavily . how about here in beijing  ?  
 there 's a lot of rain in summer  but it seldom rains in autumn  .  
 i feel it 's rather dry here  .  
 that 's true  .  many people from the south do n't like the weather here  .  
 are you from the south  ?  
 no  i 'm from the north  .  i was born in beijing  actually  .  
 i see . so this is your hometown  ?  
 i 'm glad you like it  .  
 and thank you very much for letting me keep it so long  .  
 not at all  .  
 i 'm most grateful  .  everyone in our class enjoyed it  .  
 i 'm glad  .  
 would you mind my keeping it for another week  ?  
 certainly  .  
 when will you be free  ?  
 come by any time  .  
 shall i say around ten o 'clock  ?  
 yes  i 'll be waiting for you in my home by 1000  .  
 oh  it seems there is nothing that evening  .  
 would you like to go to the concert with me  ?  
 i 'd like to  where  ?  
 at our club  .  
 when  ?  
 at 730 p  .  m  .  
 i 'll go in time  thank you  .  
 i 'm so pleased that you can go  .  
 yes  do you like it  ?  
 i love it  !  i used to always want to drive a green jaguar  .  is it in good condition  ?  
 yt looks good on the outside  but the inside is a different story  .  it needs a lot of servicing before it can go out on the roads again  .  
 what 's wrong with it  ?  
 well  first of all  it needs a new engine  which is extremely expensive  .  
 when's the last time you had it serviced  ?  
 it must have been a few years ago now  .  
 i thought all cars needed regular servicing on a yearly basis  .  
 they do  .  once my son was born  there was no reason to drive this car anymore  .  it 's only a twoseater  you know  !  
 what else is wrong with it  ?  
 the heating controls do n't work anymore  so it always feels like it 's about 100 degrees in the car  even in the summer  !  
 anything else  ?  
 the brakes do n't really work that well anymore either  .  
 why do n't you get it all fixed  ?  
 it costs more than you think to run a carespecially when there are so many things wrong with it  !  
 well  let me know when you can get it fixed  .  i  d love to go for a ride in it  !  
 i had to look after my son at home  .  
 what 's wrong with him  ?  
 he has a fever  .  
 is he getting better now  ?  
 i think so . thank you  .  
 and i must thank you again for your generous help  .  
 the help is mutual  .  i must thank you to see me off  .  my wife and i will be looking forward to seeing you  .  you will come to see us  wo n't you  ?  
 i promise i will take the first chance to call on you  .  please send your wife with my best regards  .  
 a man is pursuing me  .  he was my schoolmate in college  and he has been carrying a torch for me for three years  .  
 do you like him  ?  
 yes  i do like him  .  
 then why are you hesitating  ?  
 you know that i have had a series of miserable relationships  .  last summer  i fell in love with john  .  but the romance blossomed for six or seven weeks  and then wilted  .  
 one love drives out another  .  you should n't be afraid to start a new relationship  .  
 maybe you are right  .  
 much to my regret  i 'll have to meet my girlfriend at the airport then  .  
 we 'd like to invite you for our dress party tomorrow evening  are you free  ?  
 much as we 'd like to  but we 've booked up already for that time  .  
 what a pity  !  you ca n't join us  .  
 so sorry  .  next time we 'll go  thanks anyway  .  
 they 're my family 
 so you have two brothers  ?  
 yes  i 'm the third child  .  
 hello  .  thank you for seeing me off  .  you actually do n't need to bother  .  
 it is my pleasure to see you off  .  
 thanks a lot  .  i hope to see you again  .  
 i hope so  too  .  
 thanks again for everything you have done for me  .  
 you 're welcome  .  have a nice trip  !  
 don  t say things like this  .  please be confident  .  i think you still have the chance to win her love  unless you don  t love her anymore  .  
 don  t you think she is a bit out of my way  ?  
 in some way  she is more modern  .  
 if i do try to do anything  i  d only be sent off with a flea in my ear  .  
 if you really think so  in my opinion you should give up this feeling completely  .  
 i 'd like to  but i 've got to write a term paper  .  it will be due by this thursday  .  
 you always work too hard  jim  .  as the saying goes  all work and no play makes jack a dull boy  .  you should spare some time for a rest  .  
 i know it is no good for my health if i am staying in the classroom all day  .  but how about my paper  ?  
 just take it easy  .  come on with me  .  
 i 'm terribly sorry i ca n't go with you  .  shall we find some other time  ?  
 yes  i agree  .  the air here is much more polluted than in my country  .  
 that 's because your country is more agricultural and has much less industry  .  
 yeah  you are right  .  
 we have reduced emission of air pollutants in recent years  but cars are still a major source of them  .  factories have become cleaner as stricter environment pollution laws have been introduced  .  
 the problem is now on a truly global scale  .  i do n't believe that any single country can do anything about it  .  
 i think you 're right  .  an international response to this problem is needed  .  
 i sat through about half of it but they lost me after that  .  
 not interested  ?  
 not really  to be honest  .  some of what they call fashion looks terrible to me  .  
 but they are showing what will be all the rage next year  .  
 all the rage with whom  ?  i never see anyone wearing these designs on the street  .  
 did you know that fashion is cyclical  ?  
 what  it keeps coming back  ?  
 precisely  !  for example  flares were popular for a while  then went out of fashion  .  now we can start to see them coming back in again  .  
 flares  ?  
 they 're also known as bellbottoms  .  they are a type of trousers  .  
 it 's too complicated  .  i 'll just stick to the plain clothes  .  
 that 's fine  but then you 'll always look plain  .  
 yes  i also felt that  .  i 'm always busy  and have no time for rest  .  i don  t know how to make use of time  .  
 maybe we should make a plan and list what we should do next  and follow it  .  
 that 's a good idea  .  and in this way we will know how we spend our time and spare a lot of time to do other things  .  
 you are right  .  let  s stop idling around and do something  .  
 yeah  time is money  .  we really need to make good use of it  .  
 yes  you 're right  .  
 why do n't you try to give it up  ?  
 i 've tried to give up smoking several times  but it 's no good  .  smoking relaxes me  .  
 have you ever thought of just cutting down  ?  you could do it gradually  .  
 yes  maybe i should have another try  .  
 no  i only know four great beauties of china  .  
 there were some famous ugly women in history  .  
 yeah  ?  were they famous because of the ugliness  ?  
 though they were ugly  they had great virtue  .  
 then who were they  ?  
 mo mu  thong lichen  meng gang and ran nv  .  they were well respected  .  
 it seems that the inner beauty is also important  .  
 sometimes the inner beauty is more beautiful  .  
 i think the supermarket is closed now  .  
 oh  when does it close  ?  
 it closes at 700 on sundays  .  
 that 's too bad  .  
 do n't worry  we can go tomorrow morning  .  it opens at 8 00  .  
 alright  .  what do you want to do now  ?  
 let 's take a walk for a half an hour  .  my sister will get here at about 8 30pm and then we can all go out to dinner  .  
 where does she live  ?  
 she lives in san francisco  .  
 how long has she lived there  ?  
 i think she 's lived there for about 10 years  .  
 that 's a long time  .  where did she live before that  ?  
 san diego  .  
 i stayed up all night writing a report  .  
 go easy  .  overwork is bad for your health  .  
 yes  .  
 how many children do you have  ?  
 i have two kids  .  a boy and a girl  .  
 what are their names  ?  
 jack and stephanie  .  
 how old are they  ?  
 stephanie is 18 and jack is 24  .  
 are they in school  ?  
 stephanie is  .  she goes to college in washington and jack works in florida  .  
 what does stephanie study  ?  
 she studies english  .  
 is she here now  ?  
 no  she 's at school  .  
 i 'm not  .  
 step up onto the rail  .  hold on  .  keep your eyes closed  .  trust me  ?  
 i trust you  .  
 all right  open your eyes  .   rose opens her eyes  .  she stretches her arms  and jack stands behind her  arms around her  .   
 i 'm fling  jack  .   singing  come  josephine  in my flying machine  .  up she goes  and up she goes  .  .  .  
 he looks strong . what does he do  ?  
 he 's a captain  .  
 he must be very brave  .  
 exactly  !  
 that 's my cousin hubert  .  he likes smiling  .  
 he must be very easygoing  .  
 sure  he 's ready to be friendly with anyone  .  
 he was 20 years old then  .  
 how old is he now  ?  
 he 's over sixty  .  
 oh  you may call him uncle  or henry  .  
 what 's he doing  ?  
 he 's checking bags . he s an official in the customs  .  
 he 's a hero in our town  .  
 what does he look like  ?  is he handsome  ?  
 yes  indeed  people say he 's the smartest young man  .  
 certainly . go ahead  .  
 no  after you  .  ladies first  .  
 that 's very kind of you  .  
 i 'd love to  but my mother asks me to go home before 1100 every night  .  she will worry if i get home late  .  
 what a pity  !  the party is very interesting  .  
 i have no choice  .  my mother is always very strict with me  .  
 don  t complain about it  .  she is concerned about your safety  .  
 you 're right  .  mother 's love is the greatest love in the world  .  
 yes . let s hold a birthday party for him  shall we  ?  
 good idea  !  let 's make ready  then  .  
 yes  my old friend hanson lives there 
 are you close  ?  
 yes  .  he 's one of my best friends  .  our friendship formed at college  .  why did you ask that  ?  
 i 'm going to london on business next week  .  but i know nothing about it  .  
 i get it  .  you want to find a guide  don  t you  ?  
 yes  steven  .  you always know what i want  .  
 don  t worry  .  i will call hanson  and ask him to help you  .  
 thank you  !  
 yeah  i 'm very worried about his health  .  
 he looks tired all the time  .  
 he 's working too hard  .  
 no  i did n't  .  and you  ?  was it good  ?  
 yes  .  i did  .  i enjoyed it a lot . there was a folk singer  a violinist and a pianist  .  
 how much was the ticket  ?  
 i only paid two dollars for mine  .  
 why tell me  ?  she has nothing to do with me  !  
 i thought you wanted to know more about her  .  
 no  i could n't care less  !  
 i 'd like to very much  .  
 all right  then . there is one at the new concert hall  .  
 who 's playing  ?  
 it 's the powell orchestra  .  
 do you know what they are playing  ?  
 they 're doing a seventeenthcentury program  .  
 and who is directing  ?  
 well  i 'm not sure of his name  but i know it 's going to be his farewell performance  .  
 no  i listen to background music  .  
 what is the difference  ?  
 the radio has too many comerials  .  
 that 's true  but then you have to buy a record player  .  
 what 's he like  ?  
 oh  he 's a very serious person  .  
 you must feel very uneasy at his home  .  
 there is nothing good at the moment . let s do something different . would you like to go to a concert  ?  
 yes  i 'd love to . here is a good one  mozart and beethoven . it s on the festival hall . shall we go there  ?  
 fine  !  do you want anything to eat now  ?  
 no  i 'm not hungry  .  
 well  let 's go and have something to drink instead  .  i know a good place  .  it 's a little expensive  but it 's fun  .  
 oh  what does he look like  ?  is he tall  ?  
 he 's tall and strong  .  
 i can tell it from your build  .  
 oh  it has nothing to do with me  .  
 it 's a pity  but why  ?  
 i came here only a month ago  .  
 em  it 's delicious  !  
 thank you  !  my wife likes cooking very much  .  
 you 're lucky  .  
 i am not sure  .  what are you doing  ?  
 i was thinking of maybe taking a drive to the beach  .  
 that sounds like a great idea  !  
 would you be interested in joining me  ?  
 sure  i would love to go with you  .  when would you be leaving  ?  
 i thought that we could leave around 8 
 that would give us plenty of time to explore  .  did you know that there is a music festival on the beach in santa barbara  ?  
 that was part of my plan  .  
 well then  i 'll see you on saturday  .  thanks for asking me to go with you  .  
 yes  i think we might be free  .  what did you have in mind  ?  
 i 've mailed a formal written invitation to your home inviting you to a dinner party at my home  .  
 that sounds great  .  is it casual  ?  
 actually  we thought it would be fun to have a formal sitdown dinner for the holidays  .  
 that sounds good  .  it will give my wife a chance to dress up  .  
 yes  we 've invited four other couples  so it should be a good mix of people  .  
 that sounds wonderful  .  will there be anyone there that i know  ?  
 oh yes  everyone we are inviting is from our company  .  
 great  !  i 'll look forward to it  .  we 'll make sure and check the mail for our invitation  .  
 pretty good  .  mary  i was wondering if you would like to come to a party on friday night  ?  
 i am free that night  and a party sounds good  .  
 fine  .  it will be at my house  .  do you know how to get there  ?  
 i kind of know where you live  but could you email me your address  ?  
 i can do that  .  do you have anyone that you would like to bring with you to the party  ?  
 i would really like to bring my friend jake  if that would be ok  .  
 oh yeah  i remember jake  .  that would be fine  .  
 would you like some help with the food  ?  
 just bring along whatever it is that you and jake would like to drink  .  
 it 's very hot  the temperature is often over 40  c  .  
 do you like the weather in seattle  ?  
 not really . but i like it in spring and fall  .  i do n't like it in winter  .  
 why  ?  
 the winter is very rainy  i do n't like the rainy day  .  
 what about the weather in boston  ?  
 i lived there for three years  .  i like summer but i do n't like winter  .  
 is it very cold in winter  ?  
 yes  it is . but it 's nice in spring and fall  .  
 hi  malia  !  what a nice home  !  
 we enjoy it too  !  
 how long have you lived here  ?  
 about four years now  .  
 well  it is very beautiful  .  
 ron  have a seat and i 'll get us something to drink  .  
 good  !  i am really thirsty  .  you know it really is hot outside  !  
 i have lemonade  iced tea  and mango juice  .  
 mango juice would be perfect  .  thank you  !  
 yes  it has been a long time  !  
 how long has it been since we last saw each other  ?  
 i think that we last saw each other two years ago  .  
 what have you been doing for the past two years  ?  
 i have been going to graduate school at usc  .  
 what are you majoring in  ?  
 i am studying international communications  .  
 you should easily be able to find a job with that major  .  
 i am counting on being able to get a good job  .  
 yes  .  i miss you very much  .  
 so do i  .  
 have you graduated from college  ?  
 yes  .  i graduated last year and got a job in a press  .  
 how is everything going on  ?  
 fine  .  
 you look prettier than before  .  
 really  ?  thank you  .  
 yeah . the autumn is marvelous here  .  
 how about winter  ?  
 that 's a hard time . the air is cold and damp  and the road is often icy  .  
 it 's boring  right  ?  
 sure  .  
 do you get much rain during the summer  ?  
 plenty . we never worry about lack of rainwater in our area  .  
 so you should bring an umbrella often  .  
 that 's right  .  
 yes  the weather sure is nice today  .  
 i love it when the weather is like this . why do n't we sit down outside and have our lunch  ?  
 that sounds like a good idea . the sky is clear  the sun is shining and there 's a nice cool breeze  so it is not too hot  .  
 i really miss the change of seasons like we have in colorado  but i must admit  this sure is a nice spring day  .  
 hey  this spot in the shade looks really comfortable  .  
 okay . hey  is that a dark cloud over there  ?  do you think it will rain after all  ?  
 i do n't think so  .  i say the weather report last night  and it said the weather should be fine all day  .  
 if the weather stays nice perhaps we can go to the beach this weekend . it s been a while since i 've not really gotten some sun  .  
 i  m worrying about the children  .  after all this is the first time they have been out without us  .  
 don  t worry  .  they are grownups  .  
 i know  .  but i couldn  t help  .  
 she is going to get married  .  
 no wonder  !  who is the bridegroom  ?  
 i don  t know  .  
 he has lost his job  and his wife died from cancer not long before  .  
 poor guy  !  it will take him a long time to get back on his feet  .  
 it  s still touch and go  .  we don  t see how she can make it  .  
 i  m sorry to hear about that  .  
 his girlfriend dumped him  and he is tearing his heart out over her  .  
 how foolish he is  .  the girl is inviting  .  she often makes a pass at boys  .  
 love is blind  you know  .  
 well  it does n't seem like it . he must have forgotten  .  
 i suppose you 're right . he ca n't have remembered  .  
 i  ve never seem such a scene either except in films  .  
 it  s really unimaginable  .  the police officer screamed at the driver and used bad language  but the driver took it on the chin  .  
 she must be a good wife  .  
 not necessarily  .  this is only what she says  not what she does  .  
 i see  .  
 i would n't do it if i were you  .  
 it 's sounds like fun  .  
 it 's very dangerous  you know  .  
 i want to try something exciting  .  
 it 's an easy way to get hurt  let me tell you  .  
 i 'll tell you all about it next monday  .  
 well  take care of yourself  and do n't say i did n't warn you  .  
 what was wrong  ?  
 you carried it too far  .  you obviously offended someone  .  
 i didn  t mean to hurt anyone  .  
 i know  i know  .  but someone took offence  .  
 a really dreadful accident and many people were killed  .  
 is that true  ?  
 yeah  well  i fill you in one the details later  .  
 thanks  .  
 because it was her husband who beat her  .  
 it is incredible  .  
 she said that she didn  t want to foul her own nest  .  
 he must be courageous enough to fly in the face of established authorities  .  
 galileo is one of them  .  
 so are copernicus and many others  .  
 i went bankrupt and i 'm flat broke now  .  
 if i can do anything for you  do n't hesitate to let me know  .  
 thank you  .  
 yes  he does  .  he often has had one to many  .  but i advised him not to drink too much  he just boasted that he had hollow legs and nobody had ever drunk him under the table  .  
 that 's a problem  .  he has sort of dutch courage and that will egg him on in doing anything  .  
 i am swapped with work after 10  day holiday  .  
 where did you spend your holiday  ?  
 i went to paris  .  
 he asked me to beef up in the work  .  
 yeah  .  you look so unhappy recently  .  what  s the matter  .  
 nothing  thanks  .  i am just not in the mood these days  .  
 what does his dad say  ?  
 john is a peacemaker . he simply doesn  t bother . he says he should give him a free hand  .  
 the cat has eaten my fish  i 'll kill it  .  
 but supposing your son killed like the fish  what do you think then  ?  
 i 'll beat him  .  
 so beat the cat  but do n't kill it  .  
 he said he would tell us the secret of becoming a successful man  .  
 it  s too good to be true  !  if i were there  i would ask him if he himself was a successful man  .  
 nobody would drive him up a wall by asking him such a question  you know  .  
 i feel confident of his ability to cure my daughter 's disease  .  
 how can you be so sure  ?  
 i can tell from the way he spoke to us  .  
 never believe his words  .  
 yeah  you can count on it  .  
 i think so  .  yes  they get along so well  .  
 i like him  .  he 's good for her  .  
 you 're right  .  he sure is  .  
 i was the only one who got a strait a in my class  .  
 congratulations on your success  .  
 thank you  .  
 why  ?  did tom pop the question  ?  
 not yet  .  but i wonder if i can get my parents  consent  .  
 let me guess  your parents want you to marry a chinese man  right  ?  
 you are right  .  it is giving me a real headache  .  i feel like i  m between a rock and a hard place  .  
 i used to have the same problem when i was with my ex  .  
 oh  how did you deal with it  ?  
 i just let it go and continued dating with my korean boyfriend  .  but finally we broke up  .  
 oh  it  s a pity  .  what was the matter  ?  
 simple  .  we had personality clashes and there were too many cultural differences  .  
 like what  ?  
 he hoped to live in the korean way and asked me to give up working and stay at home to take care of the family  .  
 oh  i see  .  in their culture women should put family first  .  
 yes  he said it would be better for me and for the whole family  .  but i simply can not quit working  .  
 so that 's why it  s hard to have a happy marriage with a foreigner  .  
 not really  .  there are many successful mixed marriage around us  .  
 sorry  i thought you knew  .  
 but you should have told me you were in love with her  .  
 did n't i  ?  
 you know you did n't  .  
 well  i 'm telling you now  .  
 yes  but you might have told me before  .  
 i did n't think you 'd be interested  .  
 you ca n't be serious  .  how dare you not tell me you were going to marry her  ?  
 sorry  i did n't think it mattered  .  
 oh  you men  !  you 're all the same  .  
 so does my father  .  i 'm already used to it  .  
 but i ca n't bear it  john  .  
 how dare you say that  ?  what they do is just for our good  .  
 yeah  but he really puts blame on me  .  
 maybe it was dick  .  
 i do n't think so  .  dick has been on the ball and he never does things like that  .  
 then it must be a naughty boy who did it  .  
 not particularly  .  i like fat girls  .  
 and i like a girl with good skin  do you  ?  
 i can  t say i do  .  what i like a girl with good manners  .  
 well  yes  .  but surely you like a girl with a nice figure  .  
 yes  .  but i like a girl with a nice personality  .  
 but you like a girl to be rich  surely  ?  
 not particularly  .  i like a girl to be good  .  
 bob  !  i hear your team won the match  .  
 yeah  .  all of us tried our best  .  
 congratulations  !  
 thanks  .  
 great  .  my family came to visit me  .  
 oh  you must be very happy  .  how many people are there in your family  ?  
 my immediate family is very large  .  it 's my mother  my father  my two older brothers  my younger sister and me  .  
 i have a small family  .  they are my parents  my younger brother and me  .  
 i thought you were the only child in the family  .  did n't china practice the onlychild policy in the early 1980s  ?  
 yes  it did  .  but my parents are ethnic minority people  .  it 's a preferential policy for an ethnic minority family to have two children  .  
 interesting  .  what do you think about families with only one child  ?  
 the child must feel very longly  .  my younger brother is 10 years younger than me  .  before he was born  i used to be the only child and always dreamed that i would have a younger sister or brother one day  .  
 do you get along well with each other  ?  
 yes  we are very close  .  he is 12 years old now and very smart  .  he always makes us laugh a lot  .  
 you are very lucky to have such a nice family  .  
 thank you  .  
 a friend and i are planing to go out  why  ?  what 's up  ?  
 there is a special exhibition of french sculptures at the museum  i was hoping you d like to come with me  .  
 i am afraid i ca n't i am going to be out all day  .  
 what about sunday  ?  
 i wish i could  but it 's my mums birthday  .  
 maybe next week  .  
 much as i d like to  i am afraid i wont be free next week  i have a lot of work  .  
 sorry to hear that  i was really looking forward to spending some more time with you  i really enjoyed our last chat  .  
 i am really sorry too  maybe i can give you a call sometime  .  
 nothing really  why  what s up  ?  
 if you are free  maybe you can get having for my birthday party  it should be fun  .  
 sounds great  i d very much like having something thanks  when  ?  
 around six pm  .  
 do you need help setting up or anything  ?  i do n't mind  .  i like to do that kind of thing  .  it 's fun and i have a good eye for decorating  .  
 no  .  thank you  .  i can handle it  but thanks for the offer  .  
 ok  i will see you again  .  
 great  .  i have a good day  thanks again for the offer  .  
 out of sight  out of mind  .  
 who do you mean  ?  
 don  t you know they have had little affection for each other  ?  
 so i heard  .  
 what  s wrong with her  ?  
 she went over the edge after her son was killed in an accident  .  
 it  s a typical of them to do so  .  
 what can we do  ?  
 we must keep developing our economy and unite with other developing countries to fight against it  .  
 you did  ?  that is great  !  
 yeah  i am having a party this saturday night  a sort of house warming  and i want to invite you  .  are you busy  ?  
 no i am free  i will be there  what time the thing starting  ?  
 around seven  .  
 ok  great  should i bring anything  ?  
 no  but thanks for offering  actually could you bring some foldup chairs for people if you have any  ?  i am afraid not everyone 's going to have a seat  do you have any  ?  
 sure  i will be happy to bring a few  what is the address  ?  
 do n't worry  i will come to pick you up at about six thirty  .  
 got it  .  
 i know that  .  i met her last week  and she looked as pale as death  .  
 she suffers from cancer  .  
 that  s too bad  .  she  s been so kind to us all  .  
 a gang of bastards are wildly shooting on the next street  .  we must leave this place the soonest  .  
 that it easy . they get caught before they come here  .  
 stop your nonsense  !  quick  .  let  s leave the place  !  
 yes  .  in fact there are quite a large number of people who have no food to eat and no place to live in  .  
 you can say that again  .  the government must open it  s eyes to the fact  .  
 he is a teacher  but he makes a little money on the side by repairing cars in his free time  .  
 he can repair cares  ?  i cannot believe it  .  
 believe me  he is the firstclass  .  
 sorry  mr  .  black  .  i  m trying to make them quiet  .  
 i  m afraid if the noise goes on  i shall have no alternative but to leave  .  
 sorry  sir  .  believe me  everything will be all right  .  
 why do you say that  ?  
 i  ve ever seen a living being looked so thin  .  
 really  ?  in my eyes it  s normal  as an old man  to be thin is better than to be fat  .  
 maybe you are right  .  
 oh  why not  ?  
 it  s just i  m not feeling well  .  i think i  m coming down with a cold or something  .  
 oh  i  m sorry to hear that  .  hey  don  t worry about the dinner  .  we  ll do it some other time  .  but you take care of yourself  .  
 thanks  .  i will  .  
 yes  we are  .  
 when are you getting married  ?  
 in the spring  .  
 oh  lovely . where s the wedding going to be  ?  
 well  .  .  we 're not sure yet  probably in st . albans  .  
 oh  yes  your parents live there  do n't they  ?  
 yes  that 's right  .  
 where are you going to live after you 're married  ?  
 we 're going to buy a flat or a small house somewhere in south london  .  
 are you going to give up your job  ?  
 yes  probably but i may look for another one when we 're settled in  .  
 hi  sterling  !  
 what do you think of our new teacher  ?  
 professor wood  ?  i think he 's a brilliant scientist  .  
 you 're got a point there . but do you think he 's a little absentminded  ?  
 i guess so  .  
 yes  i packed it myself  .  
 wow  that looks beautiful  .  
 it 's my healthconscious lunch  good for my health and beauty  .  
 i might try it myself  .  
 fine  !  how are you  ?  
 i 'm fine too  thank you  .  
 i 've come to tell you i 'm going to the concert this evening . will you come with me  ?  i 've two complimentary tickets  .  
 with the greatest pleasure . where is the concert this evening  ?  
 it will be held at the music hall  .  
 what 's on the program  ?  
 it 's a piano recital  .  i 'm fond of piano  you know  .  
 no  i did n't  .  and you  ?  was it good  ?  
 yes  i did  .  i enjoyed it a lot . there was a folk singer  a violinist and a pianist  .  
 how much was the ticket  ?  
 i only paid two dollars for mine  .  
 yes  .  may i help you  ?  
 may i introduce myself  ?  
 yes  .  
 i  m a new student in the school  .  my name  s john  .  
 nice to meet you  john  .  
 it  s a pleasure to meet you  miss green  .  
 well  jim  .  it is a combination of how much you eat  the type of food you eat  and when you eat your meals  .  
 i never eat breakfast though  .  
 that 's a big mistake  you should always have a good breakfast  .  you will not run your car without fuel  and as well you wo n't expect your body to work without food  .  
 i never thought about it that way  .  
 i bet you eat a large evening meal  then sit and watch tv or read a book  .  then instead of burning off your energy  your body stores it as fat  .  
 oh doctor  i feel so foolish  .  
 well control is really using common sense when you plan your eating habits  .  
 i know doctor  thank you so much  .  
 perfect . couldn t be better  !  
 you made a good choice  then  ?  
 it 's just what i wanted  .  
 no regrets  ?  
 i 'm really pleased with it . thanks  .  
 i 'm glad you 're so happy  .  
 it 's super  .  
 how about the cinema  ?  
 that 's a good idea . we have n't been there for ages  .  
 what would you suggest to see  ?  
 oh  i do n't know . it depends  .  
 well  let 's see . why do n't we go dancing for a change  ?  we have n't done that for a long time  .  
 well  to tell the truth  i do n't really feel like it tonight  .  i had a pretty hard day and i 'm sort of tired  .  
 hmm . well  in that case  we could go to the movies  .  
 oh  we always go to the movies . can t we do something different  ?  
 well  do you have any suggestions  ?  
 let 's see . how do you feel about playing bridge  ?  
 it 's ok with me  but we do n't have any beer and things  .  
 well  shall i call janet and ask her and tom to come over  and i 'll go to the store and buy some stuff  .  
 ok  .  
 hello  janet . it s me  .  .  .  oh  fine . just fine . say  janet  i was wondering if you and tom were doing anything tonight  .  .  .  no  ?  well . would you like to come by our place and play a few hands of bridge  ?  
 i 'm not sure . let me have a look  .  .  .  it could be a coffee grinder  .  
 a coffee grinder  ?  
 yes  it must be used for grinding coffee beans  .  
 oh  that would be very useful  .  
 oh  nothing special  .  i 'm just a bit tired  .  
 with the job  ?  
 with everything  with everybody  with all this  !  
 a good suggestion for you . you need a holiday  .  
 it was n't always like this  you know  .  
 what do you mean  ?  
 well  i mean . we always do the same thing . there s no variety in our lives  .  
 you need a holiday . that s what 's the matter  .  
 certainly  perhaps  .  
 i do n't really feel like a walk  .  
 well  shall we go to the cinema  ?  
 all right . that sounds more interesting  .  
 it was the pilot putting the wheels down . we must be coming into land . are you frightened  ?  
 frightened  ?  you must be joking  !  
 speaking  .  
 jack  !  it  s rose here  .  
 hi  rose  .  how  s everything  ?  
 fine  thanks  .  i  m having several friends over for dinner this saturday  .  and i was wondering if you have the time to join us  .  
 sounds good  .  what time do you want me to come  ?  
 is six o  clock okay  ?  
 good evening  mr  .  smith  .  
 have you met my wife  mary  ?  
 no  .  i haven  t had the pleasure  .  
 mary  this is mr  .  wu  my new chinese friend  .  
 how do you do  mr  .  wu  ?  welcome  .  
 how do you do  ?  
 have a glass of wine  mr  .  wu  ?  and let me introduce you to some of my guests  .  
 hello  helen  .  this is john  .  how are you  ?  
 fine  thank you  .  and you  ?  
 fine  thanks  .  i  ll have a party next sunday at home  .  i  m calling to ask whether you can come or not  .  
 oh  how wonderful  .  i  ll be glad to  .  
 okay  now you are a famous star  .  
 hum  don  t say that  .  maybe you can do something useful for me  .  
 what  s wrong with you  ?  
 i  ll tell you at the party  .  
 okay  .  
 umm  .  .  .  i think so  .  what 's up  ?  
 i 've never really paid attention to the fine print of our insurance policies  .  .  .  but it looks like i 'm going to need to make a claim  .  
 really  ?  are you ok  ?  
 i have a slipped disc in my lower back and the doctor says surgery is probably the best option  .  does our worker insurance cover this kind of thing  ?  
 if the injury is workplace related i 'm sure it 's completely covered  .  
 hummum  .  .  .  i think i 'll have to talk to the doctor again about that . anyway  .  .  .  now that i 'm going to have to make some claims  i think i 'd better try and understand how the system works  .  would you mind breaking it down for me  ?  
 sure  .  basically we have two insurance policies for employees  .  .  .  workman's compensation and medical insurance  .  the company pays the premiums for workman's compensation  and for a significant part of the medical coverage  but you pay part of that premium  too  .  
 that 's the charge for insurance i see on my pay slip each month  right  ?  
 yep  .  every country in the world has a different system  but here we buy insurance from a private provider  .  
 so workman's compensation is if i slip and break my arm while working in the office or on the job  right  ?  
 that 's right  .  the company pays for all your medical bills and there is also some financial compensation if you have to take days off to see doctors or spend time recuperating  .  
 well  i 've already got a job waiting for me back in my hometown  .  
 that 's cool  .  have you already found an apartment to live in  ?  
 i  m planning on living with my parents  .  wo n't you  ?  
 i could n't even if i wanted to  .  my parents told me that if i went home  then i 'd have to find my own place  .  
 you mean they 're kicking you out  ?  
 not really  they just do n't want me living at home  .  my older sister did that  and she lived at home for seven years  .  once she started living at home  it got harder and harder for her to move out  .  
 well  it 's not like my parents want me to live at home the rest of my life  .  they said that it 's ok if i move back home to begin with  but they want me to find a place of my own after a year or so  .  
 my parents just did n't handle my older sister very well  and because of that  they want me to be more independent  .  they think that it 's important that i should learn how to live on my own  .  
 i know i need to learn that myself  but i just do n't have the money for it at the moment  .  living at home allows me to save up some money before i started finding a place  .  
 nine total  .  seven children and my parents  .  
 seven children  ?  that 's a lot  .  why did your parents have so many  ?  
 well  my mother came from a big family  and wanted to have one of her own  .  my father was an only child  and did n't really care about having a large family  but my mother talked him into it  .  
 jeez  seven children  .  that must have a lot of problems  .  we have four children in my family and my grandparents can never get our names right  .  
 it can be hard  and there are certain sacrifices you have to make  .  
 like what  ?  i assume that there 's no privacy  .  
 that 's one  .  another is the lack of personal property  .  everything you have  from toys to clothes  is used by your brothers and sisters  .  especially clothes  .  three quarters of my wardrobe are handmedowns  .  
 and the age gap is also annoying  .  there 's a tenyear difference between my younger brother and me  .  we have nothing in common  .  
 same problem here  .  there 's an 18  year gap between the oldest and youngest child in my family  .  the last child was born just as the oldest was going to college  .  
 well  at least going to college wo n't be too bad  .  since both of your parents are college professors  they must give you reduced tuition at the college  .  
 they do  but it does n't help too much  .  having seven children means that the money situation in my home is always pretty tight  .  
 really  ?  i thought his wife couldn  t have a baby  .  
 actually they  re expecting the baby to come on my birthday  .  
 oh  what a coincidence  !  i bet bobby must be very happy about it  .  he likes children and always wants a child of his own  .  
 in fact  they  re both very excited about the coming baby  .  evelyn imagines what their baby would be look like  since one parent is american and the other one is chinese  .  
 oh  right  .  now i know why they would want to see our boy  .  it  s hard to imagine the wonder  !  are they expecting a boy or a girl  ?  
 it  s still a mystery  .  because evelyn is only threemonth pregnant  .  but she begins to take her maternity leave now  .  
 oh  !  you mean she doesn  t have to work now  ?  it  s hard for young parents not to overreact  isn  t it  ?  
 yes  .  i have three sons  .  actually i also have a grandson  .  
 to tell you the truth  sometimes i regret having a baby so early  .  i have been making so many sacrifices just because my husband insisted on keeping the baby  .  
 i understand  .  i was in your position before  .  at that time i couldn  t depend on anyone taking care of the children for me  .  my husband seldom stayed at home  .  
 what about your mother  ?  did she help you  ?  
 yes  she did a little  .  but you see  americans are different from chinese  .  you can  t depend on your own mother to be a fulltime babysitter  .  she could babysit only once or twice a week  .  that  s it  .  i had to care for them most of the time  .  
 i see  .  so if my little family goes to america  i would end up taking care of my child all the time  .  my husband would have to make the bread for us  .  i just don  t know how i would get some education and be able to get a job some day  .  
 don  t worry  .  you can take night classes  .  i did that when i had kids  .  and soon your child will be old enough to attend kindergarten  .  then you could find a job and work  .  
 sounds not so easy to me  .  when that happens  i will be too old to learn  .  
 no  .  you see  i went back to school to get my master  s degree when i was in my thirties  .  you won  t be older than that  .  
 i  ve been away on holidays for sometime  .  
 no wonder i haven  t seen you recently  .  where did you spend your holidays  ?  
 i went with my husband  .  our first stop was bangkok  .  we stayed there for 5 days  .  then we flew to hong kong  stopover for 3 days  .  our last stop was china  .  we visited the great wall  .  
 you must have a wonderful time  .  
 yes  .  we enjoyed ourselves very much  .  have you traveled much  luke  ?  
 no  my wife doesn  t like traveling  .  we haven  t been traveling for more than ten years  .  the first time we traveled together was in 1978 when we just got married  .  we spent our honeymoon in the alps  .  
 oh  i see  .  yeah  .  some people like traveling  some don  t  .  my husband didn  t like traveling at first  either  .  he said what  s the use of traveling  ?  a waste of money and a waste of time . at last i got him on the move  .  after all  he loved me  .  we went to bali  indonesia  one of the most beautiful places in the world  .  that trip left a very deep impression on him  .  since then whenever we have holidays and money  we  d like to patronize the travel agency  .  isn  t it a bit dull to shut yourself at one place all your life  ?  
 are you kidding  ?  i  m terrible  !  but i love to watch sports  .  i go to football or baseball games a lot  .  and i read sports magazines every week  .  
 wow  !  
 do you like sports  janice  ?  
 oh  yes  .  i like to exercise  .  but i don  t watch sports or buy sports magazines  .  i don  t have much time to do those things  .  
 oh  i see  .  you know  we spend time doing different sports  .  how much time do you spend exercising  ?  
 well  i guess i exercise about two hours a day  .  i do aerobics three times a week  and the other days i play badminton with my husband  .  i always feel good afterward  .  
 that  s great  !  i  ve heard people say that before  .  
 well  why don  t you try to get some exercise  ?  it  s difficult  but very rewarding  .  
 oh  i  m too lazy to play sports  and i  m not good at anything either  .  it hardly excites me  .  
 and then what  ?  
 and then i  m moving to florida where i can play golf all day  every day  !  
 that sounds boring to me  .  
 what do you plan on doing after you retire  ?  
 yes  i think i will do something new  .  i  ve always wanted to be a teacher  .  
 i admire your energy  ruth  .  you are young at heart  .  
 uh  .  .  .  what game  ?  
 baltimore defeated texas by 17 points  !  
 um  .  .  .  and what sport are we talking about here  ?  
 football of course  !  
 oh  .  .  .  football  .  football is cool  .  i usually try to catch the world cup finals  .  
 no  i 'm talking about american football  .  the world cup is soccer  .  
 oh  i understand  .  i ca n't say i 'm a big fan  .  i 'm from china  and football does n't have a really big following over there  .  
 so chinese people prefer soccer or basketball  ?  
 yes  i think so  .  but to be perfectly honest  i 'm not really a sports nut . when i was in high school i played on the school volleyball team  .  are you a diehard football fan  ?  
 oh  certainly  .  i would n't miss a game for the world  .  my girlfriend says i have an addiction  .  and actually  if i had to choose between her and my games  .  .  .  i 'd probably pick football  .  
 it seems americans are very passionate about sports  .  is this just a part of your culture  ?  
 oh  yeah  !  i think the love of sports starts when kids are very young  .  americans come from many different backgrounds so i guess sports are something we can all enjoy together  .  
 really  ?  do i look happy all the time  ?  
 all i know is you look quite differently from other teachers  .  
 oh  do you know why  ?  actually  it  s easy  .  because i always exercise  .  my exercise  i think  is very hard  .  i often feel very good after conquering these difficulties  .  i feel alive  !  
 oh  i know  .  i saw you doing pullups one time on the campus and some students trying to imitate you  .  
 yeah  they are doing it for fun  .  seldom would people like my exercise  .  it  s difficult and boring  .  
 it  s true  .  many students do the exercise when they have to  .  we have p  .  e  .  once a week  .  
 but i think chinese students need to exercise more  .  besides exercise will help them learn new things better  .  don  t students want to have a good memory  ?  
 of course  .  i didn  t know that  .  i only know exercise makes bodies stronger  .  i should take some exercise then  .  do you have any suggestions  ?  
 well  do what you like to do  .  it can be anything  .  jogging  doing aerobics  going bicycling  and playing pingpong  .  absolutely anything  .  doing three or more workouts a week is good for you  .  but remember to do some stretches first  .  
 oh  i know  .  thank you  .  
 way to go  mary  .  a lot has happened during the last few months  has n't it  ?  
 you can say that again  !  
 what 's up with vince and elvin  ?  
 they work for zina now  .  
 and they 're happy with that  ?  
 they 're in awe of her  .  after they saw how she crushed webtracker  .  .  .  but i guess you know all about that  .  
 you do  ?  
 look  maybe i should n't tell you this  but i 'v going over to webtracker  too  .  
 no way  !  that 's great  !  then we 'll still be together  !  
 actually  i 'm already working for webtracker  .  vince never wanted to give me what i was worth  so i figured  what the heck  .  
 no kidding  !  i ca n't believe this  .  you devil  !  
 it 's kind of cool  is n't it  ?  i 'm sort of like a secret agent  .  
 yeah  yeah  yeah  .  hi  mary  .  how are you  ?  
 i 'm filthy rich  !  have n't you heard about the micropower deal  ?  
 yeah  i guess i did  .  they 're going to buy invoking  ?  
 that 's right  .  for seventyfive million  .  so how are you  ?  
 i 'm getting by ok  .  i heard micropower was going to make zina president of their new invoking internet division  .  
 i don  t know  .  
 please think it over  .  
 oh  i see  .  
 come on  dear  .  i know you mustn  t forget it  .  
 it  s saturday  a great weekend  .  
 ur  you really let me down  .  
 don  t be angry with me  .  i have a bad memory  .  
 no  you haven  t  .  you just don  t care about me  .  you  re an indifferent husband  .  
 what day is it on earth  ?  
 it  s an anniversary of our weeding  .  
 he has no sense  .  
 if i were him  i would n't brazen it out by asking my parents for money  .  
 but joe wo n't you  .  
 i 'm looking for it  but you see  the market shard for jobs  too  .  
 you liar  i saw you again in the inn  .  i bet you do n't want to work at all  .  
 i think he has realized that  .  but he is still whistling in the dark by putting up an act  .  
 he might be driven up a wall  .  you should not handle your relation with him with kid gloves  .  
 but when i noticed that he was left in the cold  i could not help wanting to help him to get out of the situation  .  
 it was a real red letter day for you  .  
 yeah  .  we rolled out the red carpet to welcome him home  .  
 how do you know that  ?  
 she told me that peter and she has a quarrel last nigh  and she left this morning  bag and baggage  .  
 oh  i see  .  but i think you are making a fuss  .  they will make it up  .  bet it  .  
 oh  i forgot to tell you this  .  the show is to collect money for children in need  .  and all the money from ticket selling will go to the red cross  .  
 that 's really a good thing  .  let 's do our part  .  
 good idea  .  
 who will sing in the show  ?  
 a lot of stars  including andy  justin  mendy  .  .  .  
 mendy  ?  are you sure  ?  i love her songs  !  
 me too  .  she is so young and talented  .  she is not only a singer but also a great composer herself  .  
 yeah  .  though she was so popular  i heard she managed to maintain a low profile  .  
 she is a real star  .  not a onetime thing  .  
 but i also heard some people did n't like her music  .  i do n't understand why  .  she is so amazing  !  
 well  i suppose people have different tastes on music  .  moreover  here stuff is really strong and creative  .  it takes time for people to accept new things  .  
 you are right  .  anyway  things will be different as the days go on  .  she can get it  .  i have faith in her  .  
 sure  .  that makes a good fan  .  do you know what songs she is gonna sing tonight  ?  
 here is the programme  .  check it out yourself  !  
 ok  .  
 hey  daddy  today i had really a fantastic history class  .  
 wow  it 's so strange for you to say things like that  .  what had happened  ?  
 we 've learnt the story of zheg he sailing to west ocean  .  he is a real great navigator  .  
 did your teacher tell you the route he took  ?  
 yeah  he  with his fleet  came across the indian ocean  and arrived at the east coast of africa  .  
 great  do you still remember when he started his voyage  ?  
 of course  that is from 1405 to 1433  which is in ming dynasty  .  
 good  by the way  do you finish reading the book robinson crusoe i 've bought for you  ?  
 not yet  you know i have a lot of homework to do  .  
 you should speed up  because the story of robinson can give you a better understanding about what you learned today  .  
 ok  great daddy  after supper  i 'll embark on it  .  
 that 's my boy  !  wait  daniel  when is pirates of the caribbean on  ?  
 is it about captain jack sparrow  who wants to find the treasure on the sea  ?  
 exactly  now  tell me the time  .  
 i wo n't tell you  unless you promise to let me watch it with you  .  
 i 'm sorry  .  every customer coming here must do the warmup exercise before getting down to swimming  .  that 's out regulation  .  
 yeah  i see  .  you are just doing your job  .  but i wanna know what the advantages it has  .  
 ok  lovely boy  .  try to be patient  .  do you know the danger of swimming without warmup  ?  
 as far as i know  people will be weak if they swim too long  .  
 that 's right  .  but the most dangerous thing is that their legs may spasm out of control when swimming  .  
 is it very dangerous  ?  i 'm a little scared  .  do you offer the lifebuoy for us  ?  
 yes  besides that  we also provide our customers with goggles  swimming suit and something like that  .  
 do you have the workers to save me if anything should happen  ?  
 of course  all the workers here are able to swim  and they will come to your aid quickly  .  
 i 've said you will enjoy your life here  !  
 i surely will  .  by the way  is the party like this held every weekend in our neighborhood  ?  
 oh  i 've forgotten to tell you  .  the party is held every other week  .  and every family gives their own performance each time  .  
 my children would like that  they like dancing very much  .  
 that 's good  !  
 look  !  who is that guy on the stage  ?  
 oh  my god  !  that 's my husband  benjamin  .  
 really  ?  
 he likes american idol very much  and he always imitates the contestant at home  .  i ca n't believe he got on the stage himself  .  
 he performs very well  .  he is so funny  !  
 ok  just ignore him  .  i 've noticed there are lots of exercise facilities in our community  .  after dinner you can go there for a walk with your family  !  
 ok  that 's perfect  !  by the way  is there any playground in our neighborhood  ?  
 yes  there is one behind our building  .  and you can play tennis there  .  but if you want to play tennis there  they will change you 30 yuan per hour  .  
 ok  got it  !  thank you so much  .  you have helped me a lot  !  
 you are welcome  !  we are neighbors  !  
 hi  shirley  .  i 'm sophie  .  it 's nice to meet you  .  
 nice to meet you  too  .  
 please come in  .  
 here is a little gift for your family  .  it 's a calendar with all the community events on it  .  i hope it can be helpful  .  
 i really appreciate it  .  
 since we are neighbors  if you need any help or anything  please come to me  .  
 i will  .  actually  i am worried so much about the security of this community because my house has been burgled twice before  .  
 oh  do n't worry about that here  .  there are security guards on duty 24 hours a day and they patrol all over the neighborhood  .  you know  they are all very strong  .  
 really  ?  that 's good  .  is there any supermarket in our neighborhood  ?  
 of course  .  there is a carrefour near the neighborhood  .  i 'll show you there if you want to  .  
 that 's terrific  !  
 by the way  a party will be held for new neighbors the day after tomorrow  .  i hope i can see you there  .  
 yeah  and we can get to know each other at the party  .  
 yeah  they all received very strict training  .  a minute on the stage takes tenyear practice  .  
 and all their movements are so elegant  .  it seems like dancing in the water  .  
 exactly  you know  water ballet puts dancing  music and swimming together  .  
 there you go  !  daddy has told me that water ballet is also called synchronized swimming  .  
 that 's my boy  !  katherine curtis created this activity in 1920  .  and in 1984  it was authorized as one activity in olympic games  .  
 wow  mom is more knowledgeable than dad  .  i must learn from you  .  
 my little boy  you should learn more from me  .  i 'm almost thirty years older than you  .  
 ok  you 're the boss  .  look  mom  one guy has just jumped into the swimming pool  .  
 oh  my god  .  it 's so dangerous  .  and he might break his leg  .  you must n't do anything like that  .  
 he 's out of john's hands  .  nothing he can do about such a black sheep  .  
 if i were him  i would give him a good talkingto  .  i would insist on his stopping fooling around like that  .  
 thank you  .  nice to meet you too  .  i 'm john  .  is this your first time to take a longdistance trip on plane  .  
 no  this is the second time  .  but i also feel bad because of the lower pressure and the jet lag  .  
 oh  i am sorry to hear that  .  take it easy  .  it will be ok soon  .  you see  i take this longhour plane frequently  but the jet lag still makes me uneasy  .  
 oh  that 's too bad  .  do you get a good knowledge of china  ?  
 yes  whenever i think about china  i 'd see the tian'an men square  .  china is a very beautiful country  .  and i 've seen many landmarks in china but i like the great wall most  .  
 all of the chinese are proud of the great wall  .  and it was built before the in dynasty near shan haiguanthe first pass in the world  .  
 was it built before the in dynasty  ?  i thought it was in the ming dynasty  .  
 no  before the in dynasty  .  
 oh  yeah  .  thought i am an american  i know quite a lot about china and i like chinese tea very well  .  
 both the green tea and the black tea are good for our health  .  and i usually refresh myself with a cup of tea  .  
 of course  .  it 's the tradition game in winter  and with good reason  .  do n't you like watching it  ?  
 of course i do  .  i love it  .  all the games are exciting and the competitors are respectable  .  
 that 's true  .  for various reasons  it takes more to hold a fierce game for winter olympics than it does for summer olympics  .  you know  the low temperature may cause many problems  .  
 yeah  .  what 's the difference between the winter olympics and the summer olympics  ?  
 when the olympic games started in modern times  only summer events were included  .  when it grew popular  there came the winter olympic games  which includes a variety of winter sports  .  
 i see  .  then  what 's your favorite winter sport  ?  
 figure skating  .  in my eye  nothing beats it  .  
 then you must know shen due and hao hongbo  .  
 oh  i did n't expect you to know them  .  but yes  i love them not only because of many medals they 've won  but also because of many medals they 've won  but also because of their spirits  .  
 you should go to talk with may  .  she is a big fan of them too  .  
 it 's a portable tv  .  it 's a popular thing now  .  
 oh  that 's new to me  .  so what 's on everyday  ?  
 news about current affairs  documentaries  music  movies  noncommercial ads and so on  .  
 is there anything interesting  ?  
 yes  there are something good and informative  .  i think that many people underestimate the value of tv in education  .  
 i agree  .  are there any commercials on the tv  ?  
 of course  .  because the tv stations need to make money from commercials between the programs  .  
 that makes a lot of sense  .  does the tv work well  ?  
 not always  .  it depends on the transmission of the satellite signals  .  
 i got it  .  do you pay for the programs  ?  
 yes  50 yuan per month  .  
 this must be his 21st birthday  .  no doubt about it  .  
 why  ?  do you know that guy  ?  
 no  .  well  in america  21 is the age when you 're allowed to drink  .  so  many guys celebrate it in bars  .  
 that 's interesting  .  but it would be really expensive  i suppose  .  just think about all the drinks  .  
 no  .  if it 's your birthday  then you do n't need to pay a cent  .  just blow out the candles and open the gifts  .  that makes the birthday a special day  .  your friends will take care of everything  .  
 wow  .  that 's wonderful  .  
 what about in china  ?  what 'd you do to celebrate your birthday  ?  
 nowadays  it 's no difference from america  .  but in old times  we have traditional ways to celebrate it  .  
 those tow games are quite different  .  first  there  s the size of the teams  .  in football  a team has 11 players  .  in rugby there are 15 players on each team  .  the biggest difference is that in football  only the goalkeeper can use his hands  .  in rugby  the ball is usually carried forward by players  though kicking is permitted  .  
 in rugby  players pass the ball by throwing it to team mates  don  t they  ?  
 that  s right  .  however  players can only pass the ball backwards  .  they cannot pass the ball forwards to their team mates  .  that  s a foul  .  
 i know how goals are scored in football  but how about in rugby  ?  
 if a team carries the ball over the goal line  they score points  .  a team can also score points by kicking the ball between two tall posts at each end of the pitch  .  
 there  s a lot more physical contact in rugby  isn  t there  ?  
 yes  .  players usually need to bring a player down to stop him from moving forward with the ball  .  this is called  tackling   as in football  .  
 the ball is a different shape in rugby  isn  t it  ?  
 yes  .  it  s not perfectly round like a football  .  a rugby ball is oval in shape  .  there  s a match on tv this afternoon  .  why don  t you watch it with me  ?  i  ll try to explain the rules and tactics while we  re watching  .  
 ok  .  
 yes  fine  .  i had something wrong with my stomach  .  i won  t go into detail  but it wasn  t serious  .  
 i really dislike going to a doctor or to a hospital  .  
 i think most people are a little nervous about it  .  i was really very  very nervous just before i had the operation  but the anaesthetist gave me an anaesthetic and the next thing i remember was waking up after the operation  .  
 it must have really hurt afterwards  .  
 well  the nurse game me plenty of painkillers  but it did feel uncomfortable  .  i wasn  t permitted to eat anything for 48 hours  .  that was the worse thing  .  
 i bet you were ready for a thick juicy steak when you got out of hospital  .  
 i certainly was  !  however  the doctor gave me a list of food i couldn  t eat for another 72 hours  and steak was on the list  !  
 is there any pain now  ?  
 no  not at all  .  i stopped taking painkillers after a couple of days  .  
 did they take good care of you in the hospital  ?  
 oh  yes  .  the nurse were very kind  though they were strict about what i could drink  .  in the end  i just drank water and nothing else  .  everyone was very professional and i actually enjoyed some aspects of my stay  .  
 i think that the public transport system could be made simpler  .  i never know where the bus routes actually go  .  the routes seem to twist and turn rather than going roughly in a straight line  .  
 i think we just need to build more roads  .  then there would be more space for cars to drive and we  d have fewer traffic jams  .  
 if we built more roads  people would just fill them with cars again  .  i think we should discourage people from using their cars  .  
 how would you do that  ?  
 i think we should do a few things at once  .  improving public transport would encourage people to use that  .  if we also charge people to use their cars in the city centre  they won  t use their cars as much  .  
 i don  t know  .  i think it  s unfair to make drivers pay more money  .  they already pay a lot of taxpetrol tax  for example  .  
 i think that they should pay more tax  .  look at the damage they cause to the environment and people  s health by discharging all those exhaust fumes  .  
 the air would certainly be cleaner if there were fewer cars being used in the city  .  the problem is that people will see it as reducing their freedom  .  it well be unpopular  .  
 that  s a good point  .  car owners will probably be against it  but people who use public transport will be in favor of it  .  
 yes  i did  .  i heard that they took both drivers to hospital  .  one needed surgery  .  
 yes  .  i heard he had a few broken bones too  but that the doctors have set the fractures without any problems  .  
 the second driver was luckier  .  he had a concussion and needed some stitches for his head wound  .  
 yes  .  he was released from hospital yesterday evening  .  the other man could be there for weeks  .  
 i understand that he  s connected to a heart monitor and breathing apparatus  .  his condition can  t be very good  .  
 the hospital announced this morning that his condition is poor but stable  .  what does that mean  ?  
 it means he  s really badly injured  but he will almost certainly survive  .  
 his family will be pleased to hear that  .  they must have been so worried  .  
 not rally  .  200 years ago  it was just a small insignificant village  .  
 how did it grow into such a large place  ?  
 large deposits of coal were found nearly and so many industries located themselves here  .  the village quickly grew into a key industrial centre  .  
 as the city grew  it must have absorbed many village nearby  .  
 yes  it did  .  the names of those village survive as the names of parts of the city  .  
 i see  .  are there any building more than 200 years old in your city  ?  
 oh  yes  .  several of the buildings from the villages still survive  .  many of them were inns for travelers and today survive as pubs  .  there was a castle near one village  so our city has a castle too  .  
 really  ?  so your city does have some old history after all  .  
 i like basketball  .  i really enjoy watching the nba games on tv  .  
 who  s your favourite player  ?  
 i don  t really have one but i support huston  .  
 do they have a good team  ?  
 i think they do  but i  m biased  .  they have a good manager and a great coach  .  
 i can  t keep up with the game  .  the players play so quickly that i can hardly see what they are doing  .  
 i have the same problem  .  the players are really very skilful  .  i wish i could play that well  .  
 you play for an amateur team  don  t you  ?  
 yes  i do  .  we  re doing pretty well this season  .  we  ve won most of our games  but we  re not top of the league table  .  
 how many more games are there this season  ?  
 we  ve got four more games  .  i hope we can win all of them  .  
 not too well  !  i  m just to the doctor  .  i haven  t been feeling too well over the last few days  .  
 what have you got  ?  a cough  ?  a cold  ?  
 that  s the funny thing  .  i don  t what  s wrong with me  .  i just feel exhausted  .  
 perhaps you  ve been working too hard  .  you do have a highpressure job  .  
 maybe  .  i haven  t been able to keep my food down either  .  that  s unusual  .  
 well  .  i  m sure the doctor will be able to prescribe something to make you well again  .  dr  .  jameson is very good  .  
 yes  he is  .  i  ve make an appointment for 10 o  clock  so i  d better move along  .  
 ok  .  hope you feel better soon  .  you should take it easy  .  i  m sure the doctor will prescribe rest  you know  .  
 yes  i 'd love to  .  it  s interesting to see who is considered the best in their field and which film are thought to be particularly good  .  
 i like watching it for the fashion  .  i like to see what the ladies are wearing  .  of course  the men nearly always just wear the traditional tuxedo  .  
 sometimes the men wear flamboyant colours  .  which films do you think will win awards this year  ?  
 i 'm really not sure  .  usually just one or two films look set to sweep the awards ceremony  but this year there are several contenders  .  
 you  re right  .  this year should be much more exciting than usual  .  what  s you favourite award category  ?  
 you might think this strange  but i like the category for  best foreign language film   .  
 it  s nice to see foreign language films making a little impact on hollywood  .  i like the  best actor and actress   .  
 yes  i  ve been got all his albums and most of his films on dvd  .  i adore him  .  he  s my idol  .  
 how come you don  t have all of his films on dvd  ?  
 some of his early films are hard to find nowadays  especially the ones where he only played a bit part  .  
 i see  .  i  m sure you  ll find them one day  .  i see you also have several poster of him  .  
 yes  .  these posters are new  .  i bought them last week and put them up on my bedroom walls yesterday  .  
 are you a member of his fan club  ?  
 i was  but then i discovered you can find out everything for free on the internet  so i  m not a member now  .  
 did you see the interview with andy lau in cosmopolitan magazine last month  ?  
 of course  !  i bought two copies  .  
 two copies  ?  one to keep and one to cut the pictures out of  right  ?  
 i think they must have horrible lives  .  all the paparazzi take photos of them wherever they go and whatever they do  .  they must get sick of it  .  
 i bet they love it really  .  sure  they complain about it  but that just gets them more publicity  doesn  t it  ?  
 i think that few of the show biz stars want any publicity for themselves  .  they only want it for their films  .  
 no way  !  they want publicity for themselves  so that they get invited to make more films  go to lots of cocktail parties  and even make albums  !  they have such an easy life  .  they don  t even pay for drinks when they go to a cocktail party  .  
 show biz stars have plenty of expenses  .  that  s why they need so much money  .  they need million of dollars to buy big  seclude houses and wonderful dresses  .  i bet most show biz stars would prefer to wear jeans and a tshirt  but they can  t because their managers force them to wear clothes they don  t like  .  
 i don  t understand how you can have any sympathy for show biz stars  .  they  re overpaid  overambitious  and overadored  .  
 i think you should give them some credit  .  they  re very talented people and they deserve all the money they earn  .  they even donate money to charity to help people who are less fortunate than themselves  .  
 come on  !  they only do that to get even more publicity for their films and themselves  
 thanks  .  
 where did you have it done  ?  
 my sister did it  .  when did you get yours cut  ?  
 just yesterday  .  i 'm still getting used to it  .  
 well  it looks very nice  .  
 thanks  .  
 i think we would be able to make it  .  what time shall we come  ?  
 about 7 o 'clock  .  
 shall we bring any thing  ?  some wine  ?  
 no  not really  .  just bring yourselves  .  we would like to your presence  .  
 really  ?  there are n't many left now  .  
 no  they 've all been cut down and now all the soil is washing away  .  
 were there any animals in the forest  ?  
 yes  i can remember it very well that there used to be all sorts of animals and birds  .  but nowadays you just do n't see the birds that you used to see around here  .  
 johnson  ?  i ca n't place them  .  
 we met them in bermuda last may  .  
 they 've completely slipped my mind  .  
 the couple with the dogsthink back  .  
 no  i do n't recall a thing about them  .  
 well  i 've invited them for brunch  .  
 hmm  i must be getting absentminded  .  
 it 's us  .  
 what do you mean by  us   ?  
 well  we used to talk to each other before we were married  .  remember  ?  
 what do you mean  ?  we re talking now  are n't we  ?  
 oh  yes  but we used to do so much together  .  
 yes  .  i remember  .  but we never used to argue  .  you used to think i was wonderful  .  where are you going  ?  
 back to live with my parents  .  that 's something else i used to do before we were married  .  remember  ?  
 i beg your pardon  ?  
 i said i had been to the doctor the day before  .  
 what did he say  ?  
 he said i d got the flu  .  
 oh dear  !  what did he tell you to do  ?  
 he told me to stay in bed for ten days  .  
 ten days  ?  would you please repeat it again  ?  
 yes  ten days  .  
 yeah  really  .  
 is it ok if i sit here  ?  
 of course  .  suit yourself  .  
 thanks  .  my name 's bill peters  by the way  .  
 hi  i 'm susan jackson  .  
 nice to meet you  .  and what do you do  susan  ?  
 i 'm a student at ucla  .  
 oh  are you  ?  and what are you studying  ?  
 medicine  .  
 really  ?  
 yes  i want to be a doctor one of these days  .  what about you  ?  
 i 'm an engineer  i work for boeing  .  say  would you like a drink  ?  
 sure  .  thanks  .  
 pardon  ?  
 what university would you enter  ?  
 university  ?  why  ?  you asked me last year  .  
 oh  i forget  .  sorry  .  
 i went to harvard university  .  
 did you  ?  and what course did you take there  ?  
 god save me  !  is there anything wrong with you  ?  did n't i tell you  ?  
 i 've not known  .  perhaps  i 've got a bad memory  .  
 i did a b  .  a  .  in economics  .  remember  ?  
 terrific  !  b  .  a  .   again and againb  .  a  .  
 french dressing  please  .  
 i beg your pardon  ?  
 oh  french dressing  .  
 sorry  it 's not available now  .  anything else  ?  
 we still prefer french dressing  .  
 will you say it again  ?  
 who 's your manager  ?  tell me  !  would you  ?  
 not at all  .  but i 've found satisfaction in it  !  
 do you put your feet on your own table  ?  
 no  i never do that  .  
 why not  ?  
 i do n't want to mark my table  of course  .  
 well  will you please put them down  ?  
 i 'm sorry  .  i thought you would n't come back so early  .  
 i forgot something on the table  .  
 oh  you 've got a good memory  .  
 you knowsweeping  scrubbing  washing  drying  waxing  polishing  .  .  .  
 wow  your grandma 's really having a field day with you  huh  ?  
 you got that right  .  .  .  and my mom 's still mad about what we did with the dishes  .  
 you have all the fun  do n't you  ?  
 listen  i 'd better get back to the grindstone  .  
 sure thing  johnny  .  watch out for dishpan hands there  kid  !  
 yes  it sure is  .  i had to run here from work  !  i need to rush as i 'm on my lunch break  .  
 well please  why do n't you go ahead of me in line  ?  i 'm in no hurry  .  
 oh  that 's so nice of you  !  thank you very much  .  
 my pleasure miss  .  actually  could you recommend what to eat here  ?  i 've never been here before  .  
 sure  .  well  the avocado sandwich is delicious  and it 's the healthiest thing on the menu  .  personally  i think the beef salad is the tastiest choice  .  i usually get that  .  also  the milkshakes are the best milkshakes in town  !  
 well  thanks for the suggestions  .  
 oh  do n't mention it  .  
 well  have you thought of getting an mba  ?  i heard it does wonders in getting you to the top  .  
 an mba  hey  .   .   .  well my degree was n't in business  the business schools wo n't be interested in me  .  
 nonsense  !  the business schools measure your ability through a test called gmat  .  
 gmat  ?  what does that stand for and what will the test contain  ?  
 graduate management admission test  it contains three parts 
 okay  this sounds a little tough  how am i supposed to practice for this  ?  
 up to you  you could have a one on one session with a tutor or group sessions  you can also use free or private computer software  .  going to church might help as well  !  
 no matter what i do  i 'm going to ace this test and go on to become a corporate fat cat  !  
 umm  .   .   .  that 's the spirit  !  
 oh  hi jeremy  .  no please  go ahead  .  so how are you  jeremy  ?  i was talking to linda about you only last week  .  
 oh  i 'm fine  thanks  .  i 'm super busy with work actually  .  did you hear about the lawson contract  ?  
 no  tell me more  .  
 well  i was discussing the contract with bill and he said that they met the head of lawsons last week  .  
 and  .  
 and hopefully they are going to confirm the deal on wednesday  fingers crossed  .  
 that 's great news  jeremy  .  congratulations  !  anyway  i must get back  but give my regards to your wife monica  .  
 i will  michelle  .  speak to you soon  .  
 i don t think that s a good idea  .  i am just not good with approaching someone and starting up a conversation  .  
 maybe you just need a few pickup lines  you know  break the ice  .  
 pickup lines don t work  !  
 come on  !  you can just walk up to a girl and say  if you were a booger i  d pick you first  .   
 what  ?  come on  !  that  s just lame  !  no girl would fall for that  !  
 fine  then you can say   so there you are  !  i ve been looking all over for you  the woman of my dreams  !   
 that s a good one  !  i think that s pretty funny  .  
 yeah  so you make her laugh  you make a fool of yourself a little bit and then you buy her a drink  .  
 ok  how does this sound   i was so enchanted by your beauty that i ran into that wall over there  .  so i am going to need your name and number for insurance purposes  .   
 nice  !  let s go  !  
 sure  !  what s playing  ?  
 the new twilight movie  !  
 twilight  ?  as in the vampire movies  ?  no way  i am watching that  but i don t understand why everyone is so excited about these films about vampires  .  it doesn t make sense  .  
 of course it does  .  it s like a modern tale of romeo and juliet  .  you can see a couple who are in love but can t be together because they are so different  .  and in the fact that immortality and super human strengthen this really sexy and there you have it  !  plus the cast is hip  young people that make the movie even more enticing  .  
 i don t buy into that  .  i think it s just a fad  .  pretty soon this will pass and everyone will be into wearwolves or zombies  !  
 really  ?  are you sure  ?  
 yeah  !  why not  ?  they are trendy and look great  !  i want to get a dragon on my arm or maybe a tiger on my back  .  
 yeah but  it is something that you will have forever  !  they use indelible ink that can only be removed with laser treatment  .  on top of all that  i have heard it hurts a lot  !  
 really  ?  
 of course  !  they use this machine with a needle that pokes your skin and inserts the ink  .  
 oh  i didn  t know that  !  i thought they just paint it on your skin or something  .  
 i think you should reconsider and do some more research about tattoos  .  also  find out where the nearest tattoo parlor is and make sure they used sterilized needles  and that the place is hygienic  .  
 maybe i should just get a tongue piercing  !  
 yes and no  .  i can t wait to go to europe  but at the same time i am terrified  .  
 why  ?  
 well  i have acrophobia  .  i have a chronic fear of flying  .  
 oh really  ?  i have an uncle who is also terrified of flying  .  it s not that bad though  i mean  it is pretty scary to be in this big machine flying through the air at seven hundred miles per hour  .  i actually have arachnophobia  .  
 you re scared of spiders  ?  i actually have two more phobias  .  acrophobia and glossophobia  .  
 i guess that explains why you are afraid of flying  but public speaking is not that bad  .  
 are you kidding  ?  when i get on stage  my palms start to sweat  i get really nervous and i can hardly speak  .  
 well  i must confess i am a bit claustrophobic  .  i hate being in an elevator for more than 5 seconds  .  
 we are such weirdos right  ?  
 dan is on top of that  .  i think they are also getting the handyman to fix the bathroom toilet that keeps clogging up  .  
 that would be convenient  .  they might as well ask him to fix the electrical wiring  .  the circuit breakers keep going out all the time  .  it  s really annoying  !  
 yeah you are right  .  this office is falling apart  !  frank told me the other day that the gutters outside were clogged and that  s why the parking lot was flooded  .  
 i know  !  i was in ankle deep water trying to get to my car that day  !  the handyman definitely has his work cut out for him  .  
 not much  just heading over to the shooting range  .  you wanna come  ?  
 seriously  ?  you mean to fire a real weapon  ?  i don  t know man  .  
 yeah  it will be fun  !  i have a 9mm pistol that is really easy to shoot  .  i also have a revolver that  s really fun too  !  they have big targets at the range that we could use to practice and improve your aim  .  
 yeah that would be cool  !  maybe i can also have a try at other weapons like a machine gun or a shotgun  !  maybe even a rocket launcher or an anti tank missile  !  or what about a flame thrower  !  
 whoa  take it easy there rambo  .  don  t get carried away  .  these weapons are not toys  and you must first learn how to handle them properly  .  there are basic rules that you must abide by in order to be safe  .  for example  never handle a weapon that you haven  t inspected yourself  .  always make sure there isn  t anything in the chamber  and never put your finger on the trigger unless you are ready to shoot  !  
 wow  i didn  t know  !  it always looks so cool and easy in the movies  !  
 the reality is different you know  running and firing a weapon is a lot harder than in the movies  !  so are you ready  ?  
 let  s do it  !  
 i  m very pleased with their performances  .  timmy can cover the 100 meters in 12 seconds  .  that  s very fast for a kid his age  .  
 he  s not very good at the long jump though  is he  ?  
 he  s not bad  .  he can jump a distance of over four meters  .  i think he just prefers running to jumping  .  jimmy  s very good at the high jump  .  he can jump over two meters  .  again  that  s fine for someone his age  .  
 two meters  ?  that means that the high jump bar is above his head  !  are any of them good at longdistance running  ?  
 the longest race we run is the 1500 meters  .  a few of the boys and one girls can do it in less than five minutes  .  
 how are they at swimming  ?  
 they  re ok  .  i ask them to swim 500 meters each day  .  that  s 20 lengths of the swimming pool  .  they  re not very fast  but that  s ok  .  i just want them to build their strength up and keep in shape  .  
 kate is very good at diving from a height of 10 meters  .  
 i  d be afraid to jump from that height  !  
 i think that these kinds haven  t learnt to be afraid yet  .  she started diving from a lower height  but she soon wanted to go higher  .  
 it seems that they really enjoy trying to go faster  higher and further  .  
 the tall one  ?  sure  that 's drive  he works with lily  .  
 he is cute  .  what dose he do  ?  
 i 'm not sure  he is a manager i think  .  
 really  ?  are you going to introduce us  ?  
 well  he has already taken you know  that 's his wife right there  .  
 i may have something on that day  but thanks for inviting me  .  
 well  drop by if you can  .  
 i will  do you want me to bring anything  ?  
 no  just bring yourself  .  i hope to see you there  .  
 sure  when is good time for you  ?  
 can you make it on tuesday  ?  
 what time do you want me there  ?  
 anytime after six will be fine  .  
 all right  it 's a date  .  
 no  but i have to type my paper tonight  .  
 does that mean i ca n't use it tonight  ?  
 you got it  !  
 no  i was out  .  was it worth watching  ?  
 you didn  t hear  ?  spain won  two to zero  .  
 oh  really  ?  so  spain is through to the next round  ?  
 yeah  .  the final is next week  .  you have to watch it  .  
 busy with your work again  ?  
 not really  .  i 'm expected to attend a meeting  .  
 i 'm not at all convinced  .  tomorrow is saturday  !  
 of course not  .  i 'm afraid of them  .  
 i mean  do you like snake meat  ?  
 i 'm afraid i 'll feel sick at the sight of it  .  
 really  ?  
 yes  .  so you 'd better dress warmly before you go out  .  
 i will  .  thanks for telling me  .  
 really  ?  ca n't you stay a little longer  ?  
 no  i really must go now . my family are expecting me home soon  .  
 be seeing you then  !  
 see you  !  
 most of them are not so practical  .  it will be very bad for your health if you skip lunches or supers as the recommended  .  i think making an exercise plan can be more effective  .  
 maybe you  re right  .  it is very expensive to go to a weightloss center  .  i  d better join in a fitness club  .  
 you don  t need to lose weight  you are not fat  .  
 i bought an exercise dress yesterday and i found it was hard to dress it up  .  
 not really  but i know it is very popular a traditional chinese gambling game  .  
 yes  some friends play it all day  all night  and sometimes a whole weekend  .  i tried to read about some basic rules online  but it is hard to understand  .  so i went to watch people play yesterday only to find i was even more confused  .  i think i have to work hard on those rules and more learning by doing  .  practice makes the master  .  
 typical francis  whether you are at work  or engaged in leisure time activities  you always show the same eagerness and curiosity to learn something new and improve yourself  .  
 it is important to keep your mind uptodate and active  .  
 i rather doubt it . you re cheated by his appearance  i think  .  
 do n't be so jealous  .  he never speaks ill of you before me  .  
 i do n't think i share your view there . the writer is writing about history  society  human nature and so on . it s too hard to understand  .  
 sounds not bad  !  you know  the only thing i worried about is the safety  .  i  m not an active exerciser and my muscle may be not strong enough for such an intense sport  .  
 well  then you can go to the threedaylong training camp first  .  there  re some professional teachers and they can guide you to do certain necessary exercise  .  
 i will think about it  .  
 come on  !  it is really a fun game  .  
 you 're mistaken about it  .  as a matter of fact  it 's very hard  .  
 i do n't think so . there re so many familiar characters and they sound just like chinese  .  
 you 're quite right . but many japanese learners begin with smiles on their faces and end up with tears in their eyes  .  
 well  going to a cinema  visiting the galleries  exhibitions and museums  finding and meeting old friends  exercising in the health club or mountain biking  .  there are so many good choices  .  
 the problem is that i find all of them are full of fun  .  i just don  t know what to do first  .  
 why not start with the most interesting one  ?  
 actually  i  m interested in all of them  .  the more choices we have  the harder to make a decision  .  
 toss a coin to decide then  .  
 not good for business  ?  i do n't see eye to eye with you . the new policy offers new opportunities  .  
 too risky anyway . it s necessary to look before you leap  .  
 well  flying kites is more fun to me  .  
 i 've got no kite  .  do you have one  ?  
 let 's go and buy one  .  
 yes  i have a very special one  .  i will be doing volunteer work in a zoo for two weeks  .  a friend of mine working there told me the other day that they were in need of some volunteer keepers  .  i was very interested  .  so i asked him to get me the application form  .  lucky  my application was approved by the manager very soon  .  
 volunteer in a zoo  ?  what specific things will you do  ?  
 i will help to prepare food  feed animals and clean up  .  i  m very excited about it now  .  
 it must be a unique experience  .  i  m looking forward to share your story when you come back  .  
 ok  i will bring you photos as many as possible  .  
 hi  gary  what happened  ?  i was waiting for you at the theater  .  why didn  t you meet me there  ?  
 i thought we were supposed to meet here  .  
 don  t you know our movie starts at seven  ?  and we were going to meet at the theater at five to seven  .  then it doesn  t make sense to meet at the apartment  .  
 i  m sorry  .  we must have misunderstood each other  .  
 why don  t you try to be clearer about your intentions  ?  
 you  re right  .  i am sorry  .  let  s go and watch the movie  .  
 it  s okay  .  i don  t want to go now  .  we  ve already missed ten minutes of the movie  .  i don  t want to see a movie without watching the beginning  .  
 really  ?  i thought his wife couldn  t have a baby  .  
 actually they  re expecting the baby to come on my birthday  .  
 oh  what a coincidence  !  i bet bobby must be very happy about it  .  he likes children and always wants a child of his own  .  
 in fact  they  re both very excited about the coming baby  .  evelyn imagines what their baby would be look like  since one parent is american and the other one is chinese  .  
 oh  right  .  now i know why they would want to see our boy  .  it  s hard to imagine the wonder  !  are they expecting a boy or a girl  ?  
 it  s still a mystery  .  because evelyn is only threemonth pregnant  .  but she begins to take her maternity leave now  .  
 oh  !  you mean she doesn  t have to work now  ?  it  s hard for young parents not to overreact  isn  t it  ?  
 nine total  .  seven children and my parents  .  
 seven children  ?  that 's a lot  .  why did your parents have so many  ?  
 well  my mother came from a big family  and wanted to have one of her own  .  my father was an only child  and did n't really care about having a large family  but my mother talked him into it  .  
 jeez  seven children  .  that must have a lot of problems  .  we have four children in my family and my grandparents can never get our names right  .  
 it can be hard  and there are certain sacrifices you have to make  .  
 like what  ?  i assume that there 's no privacy  .  
 that 's one  .  another is the lack of personal property  .  everything you have  from toys to clothes  is used by your brothers and sisters  .  especially clothes  .  three quarters of my wardrobe are handmedowns  .  
 and the age gap is also annoying  .  there 's a tenyear difference between my younger brother and me  .  we have nothing in common  .  
 same problem here  .  there 's an 18  year gap between the oldest and youngest child in my family  .  the last child was born just as the oldest was going to college  .  
 don  t mention it  .  it  s my pleasure  .  have you been to one of these large  sitdown dinner parties since you got to new haven  ?  
 no  this is my first . last week i went to a cookout for new professors at dean barksdale  s home  .  i took a taxi because i didn  t want to be late . but i was the first one 
 cookouts often start slowly  .  a two o  clock start means you arrive any time after two  .  
 thanks for telling me this  .  
 i was late getting back from the mall  but i  m hurrying  .  
 why are you in such a hurry  ?  they said  dinner at eight  and it  s only sevenfifteen  .  i don  t want to be the first one there again  .  
 don  t worry  .  we won  t be the first  .  
 huh  ?  
 i said merry christmas  !  don  t you know that christmas is almost here  ?  
 it is  ?  oh  that  s nice  .  
 huh  ?  didn  t you know  ?  aren  t you excited  ?  
 actually  i  d forgotten about it  .  
 forgotten about it  ?  how could you  ?  
 because i  m not christian  i  m jewish  .  
 oh  i  m sorry  .  i didn  t know  .  
 it  s all right  .  there are so many christians in america that everybody takes it for granted that i  m christian  .  
 i guess so  .  so what do you do around this time of year  ?  
 well  i  ll celebrate hanukah soon  but that  s not as important to us as christmas is to you  .  mainly i  ll just enjoy the holiday break  .  
 well  would you be horribly offended if i invited you to a christmas party at my house  ?  
 not at all  .  a party is a party  .  i  ll be happy to come  .  
 why do you say that  ?  
 the city is beautiful  the off  .  .  .   the offices are modern and comfortable  and the work is so interesting  .  
 many people work for the federal government their entire adult lives  .  government service can be a rewarding and secure career  .  
 do you mean financially rewarding  ?  
 well  many positions pay salaries that are comparable to those in private industries  .  
 i  ve always thought that most bureaucrats are lazy  .  
 sometimes that  s true  but not usually  .  most feds are honest  hardworking professionals  .  it  s hard to keep highly trained people  so the pay and working conditions have to be attractive  .  
 how much do you make  ?  
 i  m a gs  15  .  that  s high on the scale of workers  but even a gs  1 is paid a living wage  .  
 i  ve been away on holidays for sometime  .  
 no wonder i haven  t seen you recently  .  where did you spend your holidays  ?  
 i went with my husband  .  our first stop was bangkok  .  we stayed there for 5 days  .  then we flew to hong kong  stopover for 3 days  .  our last stop was china  .  we visited the great wall  .  
 you must have a wonderful time  .  
 yes  .  we enjoyed ourselves very much  .  have you traveled much  luke  ?  
 no  my wife doesn  t like traveling  .  we haven  t been traveling for more than ten years  .  the first time we traveled together was in 1978 when we just got married  .  we spent our honeymoon in the alps  .  
 what  ?  
 i said  i  m ted  who are you  ?  
 huh  ?  oh  my name is laura  .  
 do you somewhere often  laura  ?  
 huh  ?  i can  t hear you  the music  s too loud  .  
 let  s go outside and talk  .  so laura  do you come here often  ?  
 hold on  my ears are still ringing from the music  .  .  .  what was it you asked me  ?  
 i asked if you come here often  .  
 sometimes  usually once every few weeks  .  do you  ?  
 no  this is my first time here  .  
 i usually come with a group of friends  .  we dance a little  have a few drinks  and just have a good time  .  
 yeah  that  s why i  m here  .  my friends dragged me here  because they think i spend too much time studying  .  
 that  s good  .  it  s good to hit the books  but you need to get out once in a while  .  
 i guess so  .  but the music is too loud  .  i don  t mind getting out and meeting people  but next time i  ll do it in a park  .  
 just for a few weeks  .  i need this vacation  .  you  ll be all right  .  you know the project we  re working on  and you  re a good scientist  .  don  t worry  .  i  ll be back as soon as i spend or gamble all my money  .  
 gambling  ?  where  ?  
 las vegas  .  i find gambling relaxing  .  i don  t take it seriously  the way some people do  .  besides  i love the shows and the allnight atmosphere of the town  .  the casinos never close  you know  .  
 if you gamble all night  you  ll run out of money in a few days  .  
 yes  .  i have three sons  .  actually i also have a grandson  .  
 to tell you the truth  sometimes i regret having a baby so early  .  i have been making so many sacrifices just because my husband insisted on keeping the baby  .  
 i understand  .  i was in your position before  .  at that time i couldn  t depend on anyone taking care of the children for me  .  my husband seldom stayed at home  .  
 what about your mother  ?  did she help you  ?  
 yes  she did a little  .  but you see  americans are different from chinese  .  you can  t depend on your own mother to be a fulltime babysitter  .  she could babysit only once or twice a week  .  that  s it  .  i had to care for them most of the time  .  
 i see  .  so if my little family goes to america  i would end up taking care of my child all the time  .  my husband would have to make the bread for us  .  i just don  t know how i would get some education and be able to get a job some day  .  
 don  t worry  .  you can take night classes  .  i did that when i had kids  .  and soon your child will be old enough to attend kindergarten  .  then you could find a job and work  .  
 sounds not so easy to me  .  when that happens  i will be too old to learn  .  
 no  .  you see  i went back to school to get my master  s degree when i was in my thirties  .  you won  t be older than that  .  
 how much is it  ?  is three hundred dollars enough  ?  
 no  i 'm not asking for money  .  i 'm asking for your advice  .  
 oh  you 've already grown up  son  .  
 yes  all of us have naps  .  
 do n't you feel dizzy when you have to get up  ?  
 no  not at all  .  
 why not  ?  china is a wonderful country  .  
 will you go with me  too  ?  
 no  i 'm afraid not now  .  i 'm too busy  .  
 not yet  grandma  what 's the matter  ?  
 i want you to have a walk with me  .  
 i 'll finish soon  .  
 her acting is ok  .  
 i mean her personality  .  
 i 'm afraid i know less than you do . tell me more about her  will you  ?  
 that of the old man  .  
 you 're absolutely right  !  that 's the very figure i like best  .  
 some of the scenes moved me into tears  .  
 well  i like others very much  but i really do n't think much of this one  .  
 you do n't like the performance  do you  ?  
 yes  but i do n't like the story  .  
 oh  it 's really a drag  .  
 sorry to hear that  .  i think it 's even better than on the golden pond  .  
 hell with it  !  nobody will give it an academy award  !  
 what kind of movie is it  ?  
 it 's a feature film  .  
 oh  i 've no interest in such films  .  
 why  this is the most interesting film  !  
 i hate the hero . he s too cruel  .  
 but it 's only a film  .  
 yes  of course  .  i love the picnic party  .  it  s really family fun time  .  
 this time you can bring your daughter with you  .  
 right  she is so excited and simply can  t wait  .  
 there are times of games planned  should have a grand time  .  
 yes  i  ve been there several times on business trips  .  but i have never really seen the terracotta warriors as it is outside the city  .  
 i  ve heard many people saying that it is a place worth touring  .  i really want to see the old walls and terracotta warriors one day  .  of course i won  t miss the local food either  .  you know  the sites interests a food in scenery  food is a key factor when visiting a place  .  
 i agree  .  as long as the food is not too bizarre once i saw some people eating insects  .  that is frightening  .  
 sure it is  .  is it convenient to get there by plane  ?  
 well  the airport is quite far from the downtown area  but it is still more convenient than taking the train  .  
 that is a good idea  i love it  .  what time do you think is convenient  ?  
 well  what about this thursday evening after we finish the weekly meeting  ?  
 ok  i will inform everybody when they come back from lunch  .  it has been a long time since we had the department dinner last time  .  i am sure they don  t want to miss it  .  
 i hope so  .  let me know how many will come  .  then i will book the restaurant  .  
 i guess the first thing is the price  the second is the size  and of course the color will play a role too  .  but i have to be honest  .  it is our today  s responsibility to take care about our environment  .  therefore  i will also pay attention to the fuel consumption of the car  .  you know  the rise in gasoline prices is huge  .  so i would rather to consider a smaller car with smaller engine  .  for which i can also save some tax  .  last of the list  i also consider the safety  .  
 what about the environmental factors  ?  
 well  i do prefer the lower emission cars as long as it doesn  t cost much  .  some environmentallyfriendly cars are really expensive  .  
 sure they are  .  some hitech devices are built in to make sure they pollute less  .  some of these green cars have not become standard  .  so the production costs are still high  .  but anyway  we should make efforts to start with  .  
 uh  .  .  .  i mostly just like to listen  .  you 're the groom  .  why do n't you go first  ?  
 ok  .  put on something by the backstreet boys  !  
 how about as long as you love me  !  you can pretend you 're singing it to your fiancee brooke  !  
 i 'd better not  .  brooke hates the backstreet boys  !  
 it  s nice to go home earlier once in a while  .  but it  s the evening rush  .  
 it  s hard to commute a long way  .  
 sure it is  .  i really hate to get caught in a traffic jam  .  
 you know  if i can keep up my workouts  i think i have a chance in 2004  .  
 in what  ?  
 in gymnastics  .  i 'm pretty flexible  .  look  !  i can even touch my toes  !  
 can you do the vault  ?  
 i do back flips at the pool all the time  .  
 are you sure  ?  how do you know  ?  
 well  usually people think i 'm a terrible singer  but after we all have a few beers  they say i sound a lot better  !  
 well  i heard that if you drink enough beer  you can speak foreign languages better  .  .  .  
 it 's a etv palace  !  i 'm glad i brought my platinum card  .  
 you wo n't need it  .  stanley  my best man  is going to treat everybody  !  
 where is stanley  ?  it was his idea to have the bachelor 's party at a etv  was n't it  ?  
 if it were up to stanley  we 'd have the wedding in the etv  !  he loves to sing  .  
 then i bet he 's really good  !  
 well  uh  i 'll let you decide that for yourself  .  he 'll be here a little later  .  here 's our room  !  
 well  if not gymnastics  then mountain biking  .  
 mountain biking is an olympic sport  ?  
 since 1996 it has been  .  and i bet i 'd be pretty good at it  .  i ride my mountain bike to work almost every day  .  
 autumn is the best season in beijing you know  ?  
 yes  .  i can see  .  the summer heat is over  .  and the winter cold is still far away  .  
 what is the whether like in washington at this time of this year  ?  
 autumn is also very nice in washington  .  
 is it very cold in winter there  ?  
 no  .  it isn  t  .  but sometimes it slows a lot in winter  .  
 does it rain a lot in summer there  ?  
 oh  .  yes  .  sometimes it rains very heavily 
 how about here in beijing  ?  
 there  s a lot of rain in summer  .  but it seldom rains in autumn 
 i feel it  s rather dry here 
 that  s true  .  many people from the south don  t like the whether here  .  
 are you from south  ?  
 no  .  i  m from the north  .  i was born in beijing actually  .  
 i see  .  so this is your hometown  ?  
 oh  .  it  s a case flowers  .  it  s very kind of you  .  
 i hope you like it  .  
 i love flowers you know  .  thank you very much  .  
 that  s all right  .  
 you can say that again  .  the sunny shining and there  s pleasant raise  .  it  s so lovely 
 i  ve heard the whether here is ideal  just like spring most of the year 
 that  s correct  .  we have four seasons of spring 
 so soon  .  why don  t you stay a little longer  ?  
 i wish i could  but it  s already late  .  
 oh  .  it  s pity you have to leave  .  
 thank you for wonderful meat  .  
 i 'm glad you enjoy it  .  
 the same to you  !  
 are you doing anything special  ?  
 we 're having some friends over . what are you doing  ?  
 oh  .  i 'm just going to take it easy  .  
 ok  .  where should we go  ?  
 why don  t we down to the pool  ?  it  s not too far from here  .  
 fine  .  i  ll be ready in a minute  .  
 thanks . you too  !  
 do you have any plans  ?  
 well  my family 's away and i ca n't afford to do much . what about you  ?  
 oh  i have n't decided what i 'm going to do yet  .  
 yes  of course . it was nice to see you  .  
 it was nice to see you  too . and please give my regards to mrs . robbins  .  
 i went to play tennis in the public park  .  
 how often do you play tennis  ?  
 twice a week  .  how about you  ?  
 i seldom play tennis  .  i prefer football and basketball  .  
 what is very difficult to gather team player together  .  
 i usually play with my schoolmates  .  
 do you like watching football matches  ?  
 yes  .  i went to tinge sport centre for football match last sunday  .  
 i think it  s my ankle  .  
 what happened  ?  
 one of my snowshoes that cause on rocks  .  
 can you stand  ?  
 i don  t think so  .  it  s kind of sore  .  
 what i have to give you a hospital for an extreat  .  
 it  s that really necessary  ?  
 it maybe worse than it seems  .  
 that 's true  .  her husband is a fat cat  .  
 but i do n't think she really loves him  .  
 she is only after his money  .  
 if i were her  i would n't marry a man i do n't really love  .  
 but many girls nowaday do want to marry a man filthy with dough  .  
 really  ?  why  ?  
 mr  .  black has been getting a little on the side  .  
 really  ?  i am surprised  .  he does n't look like a guy who 'd ever cheat on his wife  does he  ?  
 no  he does n't  .  anyway  his wife found out that he has been twotiming for a long time  .  
 well  i am really surprised  .  by the way  have you done anything behind my back  ?  
 no  .  the only thing i 've ever done behind your back is zipping you up  .  
 i like that joke  but i hope it 's true  .  
 well  .  i am breaking up with cathy  .  
 what happened  ?  did you have a fight  ?  
 no  .  she is really a very nice girl  .  .  .  
 yeah  she is  .  she is pretty  caring  getting easygoing and she is a great cook  .  she is a gem  .  
 well  you are right  .  but sometimes she is too caring  .  well  no  .  .  .  she  s just possessive and i kind of want a break  .  .  .  you know  .  .  .  for some room for myself  .  
 oh  ?   !  did you talk with her about it  ?  
 i 've tried  but it did n't work  .  
 so  when are you going to tell her  ?  
 maybe tonight  .  i do n't know  .  i do n't know how to tell her  .  
 i know she  s head over heels in love with you  .  she will be badly hurt  !  
 i know  .  .  .  
 hi  jenny  .  it 's david here  .  
 hey  what 's new  ?  
 not much  .  my girlfriend just dumped me  .  
 sorry to hear that  .  what happened  ?  
 well  she told me things just weren  t working out and we weren  t right together  .  but i thought things were just great  .  why did she say this  ?  it 's completely out of the blue  .  
 hey  that  s not the girl with pink hair  is it  ?  the girl i saw with jack yesterday  .  
 what  ?  she was cheating on me with that ugly guy  .  oh  no  i feel like such a loser  .  
 hey  she is not worth it  .  forget her  .  
 but she lied to me  .  
 hey  she is not worth it  .  anyway  there are plenty more fish in the sea  .  listen  let 's go for a drink in the town  .  how about that  ?  
 ok  then  .  
 but you have to promise me that you are not gonna wear that face  .  
 what face  ?  
 the one where you look like your dog just died  .  you have to get over her and the sooner the better  .  
 yeah  i know  .  you are right  .  
 yes  i am  .  when is the wedding  ?  
 aug 8  .  
 august bride  .  how nice  !  by the way  who is going to be the matron of honor  ?  
 mrs  .  white  .  
 oh  yeah  ?  i wonder who is going to give jane away at the wedding  .  you know her father passed away several years ago  .  
 maybe her uncle will  .  
 i think so  .  the wedding will be held at her church  right  ?  
 right  .  red rochester will officiate at the wedding  .  
 do you know where they will go on their honeymoon  ?  
 yes  jane says they will go to china  .  
 yes  .  to be frank  i really love him to death  .  
 you are so lucky  .  
 why do you say that  ?  
 why  ?  are you kidding me  ?  a guy like that is hard to find  .  few boys are so caring  so patient  and did i mention he is hottie  ?  
 you really think so  ?  
 totally  .  i am saying it from the bottom of my heart  !  and it 's obvious that he  s head over heels in love with you  too  .  
 i sure hope so  .  
 i do n't know  .  you know what they say about office romances  .  
 no  i do n't  .  what do they say about office romances  ?  
 they say you should n't mix love and work  .  
 that 's silly  .  what i do on my own time is no one else  s business  .  besides  it 's pretty hard to meet people outside of the office when we spend long hours here  .  
 you  ve got a point  .  once i dated one of my supervisors and all of my coworkers accused him of favoritism  .  then when the relationship went bad  he fired me  .  
 people fall in love with people they work with  .  that 's a fact  .  
 that may be true  but i do n't want an interoffice relationship to affect my productivity  .  
 if it does  it will only make you more productive  because we can support each other  .  
 you are sounding like we are already married  .  
 good grief  .  all i did was ask you out  .  i am sorry  .  
 well  i do n't feel right about it  .  
 i am talking about dinner tonight  not a lifetime  .  
 most starts with dinner  but then it gets out of hand  .  besides  have n't you asked out every woman in the entire office  ?  
 i like company  .  
 company  ?  i heard about you from linda  .  she said you were an octopus  !  
 what can i say  ?  i am a passionate guy  .  
 well  i hope you can find something else to be passionate about  .  
 you want to go out with me and you know it  .  
 in your dreams  .  now if you do n't mind  i 've got some work to do  .  
 ok  i get the message  .  hey  do you have any sisters  ?  
 that would be great  .  actually  can i get your phone number  ella  ?  that 's assuming you do n't mind if i call you sometime  .  
 anytime  .  you can reach me at 5558929  .  
 ok  got it  .  i will call you sometime next week  .  
 fine  .  
 it 's time to go  .  bye  ella  .  hope to see you soon  .  
 bye  jason  .  
 thank you  .  
 where is she going to college  ?  
 she has been admitted to yale with a scholarship  .  
 really  ?  that 's the icing on the cake  .  congratulation again  !  
 thank you  .  
 my dissertation  .  i put it somewhere last night and i ca n't find it now  .  
 did you finish typing yesterday  ?  
 yes  i kept on typing it until midnight  but it is lost  .  
 do n't worry about it  .  it must be somewhere in your room  .  let 's see where you put it  .  have you searched your drawers and the desk  ?  
 yes  but there is nothing inside the drawers or on the desk  .  
 how about the shelf  ?  
 i 've searched everywhere  .  where on earth did i put it  ?  
 do n't get upset over it  .  at least you have another week to go  .  
 i have been working on it for a whole month and it 's too late to write another  .  just think of all my hard work that goes for nothing  .  how could i do such a thing  ?  
 cheer up  !  what i meant was that you can find it sometime during a week  .  there is no need to write a new one  .  oh  what 's this  ?  is this your dissertation  ?  
 let me see  .  yes  that 's it  .  where did you find it  ?  
 you  ve put it among these journals  .  
 my poor memory  .  thank you very much  .  
 yes  .  i 'm leaving tomorrow  .  i came here just because i want to say goodbye to you  .  
 you 're so thoughtful  .  wish you a good trip home  .  and we 'll miss you  .  
 i 'll miss you too  my friends  .  
 yes  .  i 've got to cancel my traveling plan  .  
 what a pity  !  i know you 've been longing for it these months  .  
 the only thing i can do now is waiting for another chance  .  
 have you ever been to it before  ?  
 yes  lots of time  .  i was quite impressed by the wide variety of exhibitions they have  .  
 let 's go  .  it sounds interesting  .  
 i heard about that  .  it was successful  .  
 it 's a big jump in science  .  maybe more like a leap  .  
 i should say  it stunned me  .  i ca n't imagine what they will think of next  .  
 what 's the problem  ?  
 should i date tom or should i date harry  ?  
 that 's easy  .  if i were you  i 'd date me  !  
 sometimes  if there 's music playing  .  
 what kind of dancing do you like  ?  
 it all depends  .  if it 's rock music i 'll do disco  and if it 's romantic music i 'll do ballet  .  
 yes  .  i 'm afraid so  .  
 but you 'll miss out on the football game  .  
 oh  .  well  it ca n't be helped  .  
 no  not yet  .  i 'm really worried  .  
 well  it 'd be foolish to call the police  .  he probably just went away overnight  .  
 maybe you 're right  .  but i 'm still worried  .  
 okay  .  loser has to take out the trash for a month  .  
 it 's a deal  .  
 see you in the court  .  
 keep it  .  i 'm buying tonight  .  
 no  you ca n't do that  .  
 sure i can  my treat  .  
 it  s a beautiful day to see two world class teams face each other and fight for their right to be called champions  .  
 well  the national anthem has just been sung  and the umpire has started the game  .  it  s time to play ball  !  
 roger vargas is up at bat  .  the pitcher winds up and strike one  !  
 a very nice curve ball by the pitcher  .  the catcher gives him the sign  he winds up and vargas gets a line drive  !  
 the players are scrambling to get the ball  .  vargas gets to first base and he  s still going  !  the outfielder throws it to second  !  vargas slides  !  he  s safe  !  
 great play  !  
 we have a runner on third and up at bat is brian okapi  !  there  s the pitch  he hits it  !  it  s going  going  that ball is gone  !  
 home run by okapi  !  that puts this team ahead by two as we are at the bottom of the fifth inning here at richie stadium  !  
 well  i have the day off from work  .  
 that  s great  !  do you have any plans  ?  
 well  i  ve been working so hard lately  so i  ll probably just take it easy  .  
 sounds nice  .  
 yeah  i  ll probably just stay in and relax  .  maybe watch a few movies  .  
 can i stop by  ?  
 sure  .  any time  .  
 alright  no problem  .  
 we 're supposed to meet him at cal 's bar at 10 
 wait a minute  .  cal 's bar  ?  
 yes  .  
 that 's a gay bar  .  
 yes  it is  .  conrad is gay  .  did n't you know  ?  
 i thought he was maybe gay  but i was n't sure . anyhow  you do n't expect me to go into a gay bar  do you  ?  
 why not  ?  we 're supposed to meet him there  .  
 why does n't he meet us outside  ?  
 why should he do that  ?  it is n't illegal for us to go in  .  
 yeah  but who wants to go in  ?  i 'm not gay  you know  .  why should i go in a gay bar  ?  
 you sound like you 're afraid  .  
 i just would n't be comfortable  .  
 you 've never been in a gay bar before  ?  
 no  never  .  
 but it 's just a bar  .  there 's no danger . you should n't be so homophobic  .  
 well  .  .  .  
 listen  .  if you refuse to go in  conrad will be offended . you do n't hate gay people  do you  ?  
 no  i do n't  .  but i never went into a gay bar before  .  
 do n't worry about it  .  there is nothing strange about it . if conrad 's there  we 'll leave for the party . if he 's not  we 'll sit down and have a drink  .  
 okay  .  i will try it  .  i suppose it is n't reasonable for me to refuse to go in . after all  gay people are n't afraid to go into normal bars  .  
 i 'm glad you feel that way . we ll leave in about ten minutes  alright  ?  
 fine  .  
 i know i 'm late  .  i 'm sorry  .  i tried to call you to tell you  but your phone seems to be disconnected  .  
 my phone  ?  
 yes  .  an automatic message says your phone is not in service  .  
 really  ?  i had no idea  .  let me check . yes  it 's dead  .  there 's no dial tone  .  
 so i could n't get through  .  i knew i 'd be late because my car would n't start . it was too cold i had to warm it up in the garage with a heater  .  that 's why i 'm late  .  
 but this is terrible  .  i 'm expecting important calls  .  
 about what  ?  
 you know what . the theater guild is supposed to call me and discuss a contract for my play . they are supposed to call me this evening . if i do n't have a phone  .  oh  what can i do  ?  
 well  the only thing you can do is tell the phone company and hope they fix it fast  .  
 do you have a cell phone  ?  
 no  .  i hate cell phones . but you could go to a neighbor 's house and use their phone  .  
 can you drive me  ?  i will go to ann's house  .  it is n't far  .  i can call the theater guild from there and give them her number . she will let us wait in her living room  .  
 yes  of course i can drive you . so you do n't want to get your phone fixed right away  ?  
 yes  i do . at ann's house i will call the phone company and have them check my line . if they can fix it right away without coming to my house  then we 'll just return here . but if not  i need to wait at ann's house to talk with the theater guild . it s very important to me  .  
 alright  let 's go  .  
 yes  let 's go  .  
 are you serious  ?  gambling is a vice industry built on deception and fed by the intentional exploitation of human weakness for the sole purpose of monetary gain  !  it disgusts me  .  
 what are you talking about  ?  how does it exploit people  ?  
 well  to begin with  gambling is addictive  ruins marriages  destroys families and bankrupts communities  .  once you are addicted it is very difficult to stop  .  people have lost their houses  cars and been left out on the street after becoming addicted  .  secondly  it exploits because men become addicted to gambling most often because of the action and risk  .  women gamble to escape  and senior citizens will start gambling for the social interaction  .  underage gamblers often start gambling on sports with friends and then illegal bookies  .  
 geez  !  now that i think about it  maybe legalizing gambling isn  t such a good idea  !  although  i have been to las vegas  and i didn  t become addicted or anything like that  .  
 you cannot predict who will become addicted to gambling  .  now excuse me  i have a protest rally to organize  !  
 what  s wrong  ?  slow down or you are gonna give yourself a heart attack  .  
 tomorrow is christmas and i haven  t bought my mom anything  !  i  m such a bad son  !  
 take it easy  !  let  s go to the mall  window shop a little and see if there is anything she might like  .  
 that  s just it  !  i don  t know what to get her  !  last year i got her a ring that was two sizes too big and a pair of shoes five sizes too small  !  i suck at getting presents for people  .  
 that  s where you  re making a big mistake  !  you can  t just guess peoples  likes or sizes  !  especially with clothes or jewelry  .  on top of that  i think that you should get your mom something that shows how much you love her  .  at the same time you should show her that you took the time and effort to look for something that she would really like  !  
 yeah  you  re right  .  when it comes down to it  i can be pretty tacky  .  
 yeah  tell me about it  .  i know  !  your mom is trying to learn spanish  right  ?  why don  t you get her a gift certificate for this great website i saw called spanishpod  .  
 now that  s a great idea  !  
 sure  !  are you okay  ?  you seem a bit worried . what  s on your mind  ?  
 we need to talk  .  
 okay  .  .  .  
 i  ve been thinking  and well  i think we need to start seeing other people  .  
 what  ?  why  ?  i mean  we  ve had our ups and downs  and we have the occasional disagreement  but we  re happy together  aren  t we  ?  
 that  s just it  i  m not happy anymore  tim  .  it  s not you  it  s me  .  i know that i can be hard to deal with  and you are a great guy  !  you are the type of guythat any woman would kill for  !  
 so  what are you saying  ?  you  re breaking up with me because i  m perfect  ?  
 tim  you are too good for me  .  you deserve someone who can make you smile and make you happy the way that you made me happy  .  oh  i could say that i  ll be all you need  but that would be a lie  .  i know i  d only hurt you  i know i  d only make you cry  .  
 baby  come on  .  don  t do this to me  !  whatever it is  we can work it out  .  just give me another chance  !  i know that we can get through this  but we gotta stick together  !  don  t leave me  .  
 i can  t  tim  .  i hope someday you can find some way to understand i  m only doing this for you  .  i don  t really wanna go but  deep in my heart i know this is the kindest thing to do  .  
 laura  .  .  .  
 here are your keys  .  i  ll send my sister to pick up the rest of my things next week  .  i  m sorry  tim  .  i wish you all the best  and i hope that one day we can meet again  .  i  ll always love you  .  goodbye  .  
 fine with me  .  i just want to get this over with  .  it  s important we make a clean break  .  i should have signed a prenup  .  
 what was that  ?  
 nothing  !  anyway  you  re right  there  s no reason this has to be nasty . my lawyer tells me you  ve accepted our alimony proposal and the division of property  as well as the custody agreement  i keep the cat and you get the dog  .  so that  s done  .  .  .  finally  .  
 let  s not go there  joanne  !  ok  so let  s start with the record collection  i  ll take the albums i contributed and you can have your cheesy disco albums back  .  
 fine  but i  m keeping the antique gramophone as my grandfather gave it to me  .  
 i believe that was a wedding present to both of us  joanne  .  and you hardly ever use it  !  
 he  s my grandfather  and he never really liked you anyway  !  
 whatever  !  alright  i  ll concede the silly gramophone  if you  ll agree that i get the silver tea set  .  
 how typical  when are you ever going to use a silver tea set  ?  fine  !  i don  t want to drag this out any longer than necessary  .  what  s next  ?  what about these old photographs  ?  
 which ones  ?  let me have a look . wow  look at that  !  that brings back memories  .  .  .  that  ?  
 our trip to italy  !  i remember that day  .  we were going to visit the trev fountain  and we got caught in the rain  .  .  .  
  .  .  .  and you looked so adorable with your hair all wet  .  i had to take a picture of you standing there in that little alley  smiling and laughing in the rain  .  .  .  
 oh  we really did have fun back then  didn  t we  ?  
 oh  joanne  are we making a big mistake  ?  i know our relationship has been on the rocks for sometime but are you sure we can  t reconcile and try again  ?  i still love you  .  
 oh jeff  !  i love you too  !  i  m so glad we didn  t have to decide who keeps the motorcycle  .  
 the motorcycle  ?  but that  s mine  !  
 i 'm glad you liked it  .  are you ready for dessert  ?  
 i do n't know  .  i 'm pretty full  .  what are we having  ?  
 i made strawberry shortcake  .  
 ooh  that 's my favorite  .  maybe i 'll have a small slice  .  
 great  .  would you like coffee or tea with that  ?  
 i 'll have a cup of tea  .  
 do you take cream or sugar with your tea  ?  
 actually  could i have some milk with that  ?  
 definitely  .  would you like skim or whole milk  ?  
 skim  please  .  that 'd be very nice  .  thanks  .  .  .  oh no  .  janna  i 'm so sorry  but i 've got to go  .  
 what happened  ?  
 i just got a message from my sister saying that she 's been in a car accident  .  i need to go pick her up  .  
 i 'll go with you  .  where is she  ?  
 she 's on the m40  near reading  .  
 is she alright  ?  
 i do n't know  she did n't say  .  i 'm so sorry about this  .  
 do n't worry  .  family comes first  .  come on  let 's go  .  
 actually  i 've only got a twoseater  .  i 'll have to go on my own  .  
 ok  .  just call me if you need anything then  .  
 i will  .  thanks a lot  .  
 yes  are you  ?  
 i 've got my money and my keys  so i 'm ready  .  
 you do know that it 's absolutely freezing out  do n't you  ?  i 'd put a coat on if i were you  .  
 it was n't cold out this morning  .  
 well  it 's started raining since then  .  look out the window  !  it 's pouring rain out there  !  
 well  i guess we 'd better grab our umbrellas then  as well  .  
 have a look outside for me  .  does that look like hail to you  ?  
 it does  actually  .  maybe we should wait for it to clear up before we go shopping  .  
 that 's a good idea  .  but maybe we should move the car so that the hail does n't dent it  .  
 ok  .  i 'll go move the car if you turn the heat on  .  it 's a bit chilly in here  .  
 how long do you think this hailstorm is supposed to last  ?  
 i do n't know  .  the weatherman did n't say anything about this in his weather report last night  .  
 maybe we should turn on the news in case it 's supposed to get worse  .  
 i do n't think we have anything to worry about  .  do you want to put on a cup of tea as well  ?  
 good idea  .  that will help us to warm up  .  
 if i 'm not back in ten minutes  come and find me  .  
 alright  .  i 'll have a cup of tea waiting for you  .  
 don  t worry about it  i  ll call my friend and have him take care of it  .  i can  t believe he was stalking you all these years  .  what a nut job  !  
 i know  !  well  .  .  .  he said i  m not pregnant  .  i  m sorry if i got you all worked up over nothing  .  i want you to know that i didn  t do it on purpose  .  .  .  
 don  t apologize  !  from the moment i met you  not a day has gone by when i haven  t thought of you . and now that i  m with you again  i  m  .  .  .  i  m just scared  veronica  .  the closer i get to you  the worse it gets  .  the thought of not being with you  i mean  i just can  t handle it  !  we were made for each other  veronica  .  you are my everything  my soul mate  .  what can i do  ?  
 just hold me  .  .  .  i  ll always be here for you  no matter what  .  and together  we can tackle whatever life throws at us  .  i believe in us  steven  .  
 i  m so happy to hear that  !  i knew we belong together  .  i love you so much  .  
 with this ring i thee wed  .  wear it as a symbol of our love and commitment  .  
 honey  that  s my pinkie  .  the ring goes on the ring finger  !  
 this one  ?  
 that  s my index finger  !  
 oh  right  .  this one  right  ?  
 umm  .  .  .  that  s the thumb  nick  .  
 okay  okay  i got it  !  this is the ring finger  !  
 that  s my middle finger  nick  .  this is my ring finger  !  
 horowitz  i beg to differ  .  even in your most recent study  the investigative approach was flawed  !  you know as well as i do that the collection of data was not systematic  and there is a large margin of error  .  to draw a definitive conclusion based on that data would be misleading 
 that is preposterous  !  
 you are trying to singlehandedly solve one of the world  s greatest mysteries  and yet you are oblivious to the fact that you are wrong  !  
 i am not wrong  !  the chicken came first  !  
 no  !  the egg came first  !  
 howdy folks  and welcome to today  s game  !  you know  rick  today is a key game between russia and canada  .  as you know  the winner will move on to the finals  .  
 that  s right  and it looks like we  re just about ready to start the match  .  the ref is calling the players for the faceoff  .  .  .  and here we go  !  the russians win possession and immediately set up their attack  !  federal gets checked hard into the boards  !  
 maurice richard has the puck now  and passes it to the center  .  he shoots  !  wow what a save by the goalie  !  
 alright  the puck is back in play now  .  pavel bure is on a breakaway  !  he is flying down the ice  !  the defenders can  t keep up  !  slap shot  !  he scores  .  
 what an amazing goal  !  
 you see  ?  every cloud has a silver lining  .  
 at the drop of a hat  .  
 nothing  .  he 's just got a chip on the shoulder  .  
 when pigs fly  !  
 i just took a shot in the dark  .  
 over my dead body you are  !  
 i 'm off to barcelona for a week  .  
 do you have your passport with you  ?  
 yes  here you go  .  i do n't need a visa to go to spain  do i  ?  
 fortunately for you  you do n't  .  next time  if you have any questions about visas  you should try to find out before you get to the airport  .  
 that 's good advice  .  
 would you like a window seat or an aisle seat  ?  
 are there any seats available by the emergency exits  ?  
 let me see here  .  .  .  yes  there 's one left  .  
 ok  .  i 'll take that one then  .  
 alright  .  how many pieces of luggage are you checking in  ?  
 i like to travel light so i just have this one  .  
 if that 's your only piece of luggage  it is small enough to carry on with you  .  would you like to do that so you do n't have to wait in luggage reclaim once you arrive  ?  
 yes  please  .  that 's a fantastic idea  .  which gate do i need to go to  ?  
 you 're here a bit early  so check the departure screens in the waiting area in about a half hour  .  here 's your boarding pass  .  enjoy your flight  !  
 oh  .  
 do n't you think that it 'd be a good thing for you to get out of the office for a couple of days  ?  
 sure  .  
 i thought you 'd be a bit more excited about this  .  everything will be paid for and i 'll send my assistant with you to take care of everything for you  .  all you have to do it get on the train tonight a 
 the train  ?  will i be flying back then  ?  
 oh  no  .  we 've brought your return ticket for you  .  i think you 'll find it comfortable  .  
 will the train be very crowded  ?  
 oh no  .  the train has n't been crowded at all recently  .  besides  you 're in firstclass  so you 'll be fine  .  
 when is the first meeting then  ?  
 they 've scheduled the negotiation meeting for 900 tomorrow morning  .  that should give you enough time to have a quick shower  .  
 where will i be staying  ?  
 we 've booked you a room in the same hotel as your meetings  so you wo n't need to deal much with the transportation system  .  
 that 's very sensible  .  would it be alright if i left early today to prepare for the trip  ?  
 that 's not a problem  .  have a nap if you can  .  you do n't know how tight the schedule is for this business trip  .  
 i am  .  i just went to the travel agent  s and picked up these brochures  .  
 where are you planning on going  ?  
 i fancy going to tibet for a few days  .  have you ever been there  ?  
 i went a long time ago  before they built the new train that can take you there  .  
 would you recommend going there for a few days  ?  
 personally  i think it  d be better to go when you have more time  .  a few days isn  t really enough to get acclimatize yourself and to go on a few excursions outside of the capital  .  
 you  re probably right  .  what do you think about yangshao  ?  
 it  s a beautiful city  but i think it  s become too touristy  .  how about going to a cosmopolitan city like shanghai or hong kong  ?  
 i  d like to get away from the big city life  .  
 maybe you should consider going to a hot springs resort outside of beijing  .  i heard they are very relaxing  .  
 i guess if i only have a few days  i should probably think about going somewhere that isn  t far away  .  
 since the may holiday is the high season  you should probably call ahead to reserve a room  .  here  s the phone number  .  
 thanks  i  ll give them a call later  .  
 wow  what a great burd  !  
 she sure knows how to strut her stuff  .  
 she 's a real turnon our rights  .  
 and look out she 's dressed  .  
 yeah  i noticed  .  she must be really loaded  .  
 no way  .  her old man is rich  .  he buys her anything she wants  .  
 lucky her  .  anyway  i think that is just as beautiful  .  
 i think you 've lost it  .  
 well  that 's my opinion  .  
 i admit that she is much prettier than kate  .  
 oh  there is no comparison  .  now we are talking but ugly  .  
 at least we agree on that  .  let 's go and get a drink  .  
 it was fantastic  but i 'm glad to be back  !  being a tourist is really tiring  !  
 where did you end up going  ?  
 because it 's offseason  we got a really good package deal to paris  so we went there  .  
 i 've always wanted to go to paris  .  the eiffel tower is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the world  !  did you go to the top  ?  
 that was the first thing we did  .  i have a few pictures  .  do you want to see them  ?  
 sure  .  what 's this one a picture of  ?  
 oh  that 's a picture of me on our fourth day of travelling  .  i 'm standing next to a famous foundation in the centre of the city  .  
 you do n't look very happy in that picture  .  
 no  by that time  i was sick of sightseeing  .  i had had enough of art galleries  cathedrals  fountains  statues  and palaces  !  
 so what did you do  ?  
 we spent that afternoon walking around a flea market  .  we had a few coffees  watched a movie  and went for a swim in the pool at the hotel  .  
 my travel agent always reminds me to plan a day of relaxing for every 3 days of sightseeing  .  did you go to the louvre  ?  
 of course  !  you ca n't go to paris without going to their famous art gallery  !  i was surprised by how small the mona lisa was though  .  
 that 's what everyone says  !  i ca n't wait to see it for myself some day  .  
 everything 's great  .  and you  ?  
 same here  .  have you seen any new films recently  ?  
 no  i have n't had a chance to  .  but i 've been watching a chinese tv series called chinesestyle divorce  .  
 oh  really  ?  i saw it two years ago  .  it 's worth seeing and it 's thoughtprovoking  .  
 yeah  .  i found it is so close to our life  .  
 it reflects some of our difficulties in this everchanging world  .  
 you said it  .  you know  the divorce rate has been on the rise in recent years  .  
 well  it 's said that a lot of young people favor getting married quickly which tend end quickly too  .  
 i know a couple who divorced a week after getting married  .  
 oh  that 's too shortlived  .  
 that 's true  .  it 's said the shortlived marriage is typical of the post  80s generation  .  
 i ca n't agree more  .  the onlychild generation in china tends to know little about marriage  .  
 definitely  .  they do n't take relationships and marriages very seriously  .  
 in their mind  love is nothing but passion and marriage is over once the passion is gone  .  
 i think  as the saying goes as the saying goes haste makes waste  it is the same thing with marriage  .  
 i 'd love to  the movies are smash hit  .  
 then let 's go in  .  
 i ca n't  .  i 'm waiting for paul  but he 's late  .  
 i 'll say the movie 's starting in the minute  .  
 i know  .  i wonder what 's keeping him  .  
 looks like he wo n't show up  .  he 's done this before  has n't he  ?  
 yeah  a number of times  .  
 what 's he trying to pull anyway  .  
 i do n't know  .  but this is definitely the last straw  .  
 maybe you should start seeing someone else  .  
 you said it  .  ok  let 's go in  sandy  .  
 that 's true  .  but i have a low opinion of those women who go out with foreigners  .  
 oh  why  ?  
 i think some chinese wone marry foreigners for money while others just want to live abroad  .  there is no true love between them  .  
 i would n't say that 's totally true  .  i 've met many happy intercultural couples  .  
 well  then why are n't there many eastwest couples where the man is a chinese and the woman is a westerner  ?  
 i guess it 's because the chinese women are more attractive to western men  .  
 or because they are less attractive to to chinese men  .  
 what do you mean  ?  
 you know  usually the woman is in her thirties and she is a left girl  .  
 a left girl  ?  what 's that  ?  
 they 're called that because they 're left behind on the shelf  .  they 're also known by their three h 'shigh diploma  high salary  and high degree  .  and they 're also known as the three s 's  single  
 you have a point here  but i believe some mixed marriages are based on true love  .  
 that for sure but very few  .  
 why  ?  did tom pop the question  ?  
 not yet  .  but i wonder if i can get my parents  consent  .  
 let me guess  your parents want you to marry a chinese man  right  ?  
 you are right  .  it is giving me a real headache  .  i feel like i  m between a rock and a hard place  .  
 i used to have the same problem when i was with my ex  .  
 oh  how did you deal with it  ?  
 i just let it go and continued dating with my korean boyfriend  .  but finally we broke up  .  
 oh  it  s a pity  .  what was the matter  ?  
 simple  .  we had personality clashes and there were too many cultural differences  .  
 like what  ?  
 he hoped to live in the korean way and asked me to give up working and stay at home to take care of the family  .  
 oh  i see  .  in their culture women should put family first  .  
 yes  he said it would be batter for me and for the whole family  .  but i simply can not quit working  .  
 so that 's why it  s hard to have a happy marriage with a foreigner  .  
 not really  .  there are many successful mixed marriage around us  .  
 what about renting a restaurant and treating the employees to a nice dinner  ?  
 but we 've done that many times  .  we want something fresh this time  .  
 okay  let me think  .  what about a partyandmovie night  ?  we can rearrange our reference room  invite a band to play some music  order in some food and watch a movie later  .  
 sounds like a good idea  but a band sounds too expensive  .  
 well  we can ask people to make small contributions  .  
 i don t think so  .  i do n't think people are going to like it if they have to pay to come  .  but we certainly can cut costs in other ways  such as make the party byob  .  
 byob  ?  what 's that  ?  
 bring your own beverage  .  we can provide food  but people have to bring their own drinks  .  
 so we 're just going to have a party where they bring their own drinks and we just give them some snacks  ?  i do n't know how well that will go over  .  
 maybe you have a point  .  how about having a party on a friday afternoon  ?  we 'll stop early  order some pizza  and serve drinks  .  there 'll be music but no band  .  having the party in the office will make 
 oh  that sounds like fun  !  
 in the summer it gets very hot . the temperature is often between 37 and 40 centigrade . when it is hot we often get rains . the winters are drier  .  
 the summer temperature usually often reaches about 20 or25 in my city . the rain falls mostly in the winter . and we often get snow  .  
 what are the temperatures in winter  ?  in my city it is about 15 or 20 degrees  .  
 in winter temperature often falls to zero at night temperature can be below that . the streets are often icing in the morning . with high such temperatures you must get some thunderstorms  .  
 yeah  we do  .  in the middle of summer there can be thunderstorms every day usually in the afternoon  .  i heard your city has a lot of fog  is that true  ?  
 we do have a few foggy days in winter . but i would not say we have a lot of fogs . the sky are usually clearly over your city  are they  ?  
 yes  they are  .  like i said we have thunderstorms . but each one usually only last a few hours . then the skys are clear again  .  
 have you ever had snow in your city  ?  
 my grandmother said there was snow once when she was a child . but my parents and i only see it outside of our city  .  
 the river in my city sometime freeze over . people go iceskating on it . on summer people go boating on the river . but few people go swimming because it is not very clean  .  
 as you know  my city is on the coast . the water is also not clean . but people still go swimming all year around  .  i prefer to sand bath on the beach when the weather is hot in sunny  .  
 my country is well know for being very flat  .  there are some hills in the southeast of the country  .  
 is it really completely flat  ?  
 pretty much  .  the land rises and falls only a few meters  .  the southeast  the hills rise to a height of a few hundred meters  .  there are mountains over 1000 meters high in your country  .  
 yes  there are  .  they are not very big compared with the mountains in other countries  .  
 the coast of your country is very varied  .  the coast of my country is just made up of sandy beaches  .  
 that doesn  t sound too bad  .  great for sunbathing  !  the coast of my country changes even within a few kilometers  .  there are cliffs  then sandy beaches  .  then rocks  .  there are lots of caves in the cliffs  .  
 there are many lakes and rivers in your country too  .  we also have many rivers  but only a few lakes  .  
 we also have waterfalls in the mountains  .  they make the landscapes look very scenic  .  the landscape has been shapes by millions of years of erosion  especially by water  .  
 there  s some  but i don  t think it  s a big problem  .  a lot of it is petty crime  burglary and car theft  .  there  s very little major crime  .  
 it  s the same in my city  .  we also have a lot of drug addicts  .  a lot of the crime is committed by drug addicts who need money for drugs  .  
 that happens in many places  .  in my city  there is a very good drug rehabilitation programme  .  the police and courts are also tough on people who commit crimes  but i don  t know if that  s the reason for 
 some people believe that a tough approach is better  .  other prefer a more lenient approach  .  
 i think that the best way to reduce crime is to spread wealth more evenly  .  if most people have similar amounts of money  they will not think of stealing from others  .  
 that  s possible  but i  m not sure it would really happen like that  .  
 i  ve been to most of the countries in europe  several countries in asiachina  japan  korea  and thailandand to the united states and canada  .  
 i thought you had been to australia too  .  
 no  but i  m planning on visiting australia and new zealand soon  .  i  ve heard that they are beautiful countries  .  which is the most beautiful country you  ve been to  ?  
 i think i  d say norway  .  it has many picturesque fjords  waterfalls  and mountains  .  
 isn  t it really cold there  ?  
 well  the north of norway is almost always cold  but further south it can be fairly warm in summer  .  it  s a wet country  so there  s snow almost everywhere in winter  .  
 i  ve been to other scandinavian countries  but not to norway  .  perhaps i should go and do some winter sports there  .  
 what do the romans do  ?  
 they live in rome  of course  and go to work by car or bus  .  but sometimes it takes too long that way because of the traffic jams  so they walk  .  
 in other words  the romans do what everyone else does  .  
 yes  but they do it differently  .  everything is different  .  
 what do you mean  ?  
 well  the climate 's different for a start  .  it does n't rain so much as it does in england  .  the sun shines more often  .  
 i envy them the sun  .  
 i know  .  you hate the rain  do n't you  ?  
 i certainly do  .  
 and a roman really ioves life  .  eye knows how to enjoy himself  .  
 they always eat spaghetti and drink wine  do n't they  ?  
 not always  .  but they like a good meal  .  lots of tourists go to rome just for the food  you know  .  
 really  ?  how much does it cost to fly to rome  ?  
 i do n't know exactly  but it costs a lot of money  .  
 to the cinema  .  what about coming with me  ?  
 no  thanks  .  i 'm going home  .  my wife 's expecting me  .  
 what a pity  .  i believe it 's a very good film  .  
 do you go to the cinema a lot  ?  
 once a week  .  most nights i sit at home and watch telly 
 do you know what 's on tonight by any chance  ?  
 no  i 'm sorry i do n't  .  i never read the papers till i get home  .  
 oh  i see  .  by the way  where are you going for your holidays this year  ?  
 i do n't know yet  .  my wife 's going to her mother 's for a couple of weeks  .  she livesay the sea  you know  .  
 oh  does she  ?  that 's convenient  .  
 yes  but i want to go to the country  .  
 do n't you like the sea  ?  
 yes  very much  .  but i need peace and quiet when i 'm on holiday  .  what are coughing to do  ?  
 i 'm going to stay at home  .  
 are n't you going to have a holiday abroad this year  ?  
 no  i want to buy a car  and that 's going to take every penny i 've got  .  
 i have n't played chess for a long time  .  
 that 's all right  i 'm a beginner  .  i 've just learnt how to play  .  
 look  there 's a chessboard  .  those two men have already finished playing  .  
 you 're a very good player 
 not really  but once i won a prize  .  
 so did i  .  i won a prize last week but it was a prize for beginners  .  
 my prize was for the best player in the country  .  now let 's start playing chess seriously  .  
 not bad at all  thanks  .  there were one or two interesting people there . why could n't you come  ?  
 well  i could n't get away from work early  .  and when  .  i got home i had a headache  so i had to go straight to bed  .  but i was overtired  because i was n't able to get to sleep for hours  .  
 what a shame  .  why did n't you take a sleeping pill  ?  
 i do n't like them  .  i used to take them when i had to work overtime  you know  .  
 how many did you use to take  ?  
 three every night  .  
 good heavens  .  why did you take so many  ?  
 because i was under a terrible strain  .  the doctor saidthey were n't very strong  .  anyway  i used to feel awful the next morning  .  
 i 'm sure you did  .  
 the doctor said i had to be careful  .  
 he was quite right  .  
 so i stopped drinking coffee late at night instead  .  
 yeah  clearly blue sky . but it is a bit too hot for me  .  i do n't like heat and humidity  .  
 it 's not that hot  .  it 's cooler than yesterday  .  let 's go swimming  !  
 that 's a thought  .  it 's still early  and the beach is n't crowded at this time of the day  .  if we do n't stay too long  we wo n't get sunburned  .  
 yeah  sounds like fun  .  i can wear my new pink bikini  .  
 there wo n't be anyone there to appreciate how cute you are  .  
 who cares  !  well  the smart guys get there early  .  that 's the kind of guy i want to meet  .  let 's go  !  
 if you are going to husband hunting in a bikini  then i want to wear one  too  .  
 ok  you could borrow one of mine  .  
 thanks  how about the green and black one  ?  
 no problem  .  here it is  .  
 i 'm not certain  .  do you know  ?  
 america was discovered by christopher columbus in 1492  .  
 in a way that 's right  .  but the vikings travelled there long beforecolumbus  .  and what about the red indians  ?  
 all right  .  ask me a question now  .  
 who invented the electric light bulb  ?  
 that 's easy  .  it was invented by edison  .  
 correct  .  now for a harder question  .  who will be the first men on mars  ?  
 i ca n't answer that  .  but i think mars will be visited by men before theed of this century  .  
 ask me a question now  .  
 all right  .  what is the nearest planet to the sun  ?  
 that 's easy  .  it 's  .  .  er  .  venus  .  no  .  pluto  .  no  .  wait a minute  .  it 's anthe tip of my tongue  .  oh dear  what is the nearest planet to the sun  ?  
 it  s hard to say . just soso  .  
 yeah  i cherish it  .  because i have been working like a dog for two months to buy it  .  
 just so so . there are no exciting things for me  .  
 no . why  ?  
 there  s a typhoon coming  .  
 no way  !  
 yep  it should be here by tomorrow night  .  
 whose name did you pick  ?  
 i got jacob  .  any ideas what to get him  ?  
 booze  !  
 yeah  you  re right  .  can  t go wrong with that  .  
 knock on wood  .  but i have a very important date  .  
 no  what  ?  
 she and vic broke up and now she  s asked for a transfer  .  
 get out of here  !  i didn  t even know they were dating  !  
 no one really did  .  they were very discreet and professional at the office  .  
 trust me  .  everything will go well  .  
 that  s a good idea  .  i haven  t been in a while and i need to get a new backpack  .  the old one is hanging on by a thread  !  
 that reminds me i should buy some new socks to go hiking this weekend  .  
 sure  .  i  ve never seen a dragon boat race  .  
 really  ?  i think you  ll love it  .  
 as long as i don  t have to row  .  
 thanks  denise  .  actually  i was really surprised  .  i mean  there were a lot of qualified people out there  .  
 sure  .  but the work you did was really exceptional  !  you definitely deserved it  !  
 thanks a lot  .  i expect to see your name nominated pretty soon  too  .  you  ve been doing some great work  !  
 i had meetings back to back all morning  .  then the printer broke in the middle of putting together the six soap presentation  and the phone rang off the hook from the minute i walked into the office  .  
 not a good day  i hate to tell you that mr  .  emory wants to see the designs for the polish paste ad tomorrow morning  .  
 i can  t believe it  !  i guess i  ll be here until ten again tonight  !  
 when did you finish  ?  
 this morning  !  no more overtime  and no more headaches  !  
 well  i  m glad to hear it  .  have a cup of coffee  !  
 no  .  we broke up last month  .  i  m taking a break from dating for a while  .  
 did you break up amicably  ?  sometimes couples row a lot before splitting up  .  
 we just decided to stop seeing each other  .  it was all very amicable  .  are you still going out with mike  ?  
 yes  i am  .  we  re thinking about getting engaged  .  we  ve been dating for over a year now  .  
 good for you  !  have you seen kelly recently  ?  is she still dating nick  ?  
 i hav n't seen her for a while . she stopped seeing nick because he was cheating on her . he was seeing a girl form his office . one day  she saw them holding hands and ended the relationship immediately  .  
 she was right to do that  .  i heard the neil and tina getting married soon  .  
 really  ?  they  ve been together for a long time  .  when are they getting married  ?  
 i think it  s 26th september  .  i  ll check and make sure that tina remembers to invite you to the hen night  .  
 thanks  .  hey  look at that guy over there  .  i think he fancies you  .  
 he certainly looks interested  doesn  t he  ?  shall we invite him over to our table  ?  
 thanks  frank  .  i  d love to come  .  when is it  ?  
 her birthday is on the 9th  .  we  re going to have dinner at a mexican restaurant  and then maybe go out dancing  .  
 sounds like fun  .  you can count me in  !  just give me directions to the restaurant  .  
 very well  .  we started organizing everything early to avoid a last minute rush to get things done  .  the only thing that isn  t ready yet is my wedding dress  .  
 when will that be ready  ?  
 the dressmakers said that is would be ready in two weeks  .  
 you  re getting married in three weeks  .  so that should be ok  .  so  you  ve prepared the church  catering  transport  hoteleverything  .  
 yes  .  we  ve taken care of all of that  .  we decided not to get married in a church though  .  neither of us is very religious  .  
 which hotel will the reception be held at  ?  
 the palace hotel they  re taking care of the catering  including the wedding cake  .  i  m sure they  ll do a good job  .  
 oh  yes  .  it  s and excellent hotel  .  a friend of mine had her wedding reception there and said it was perfect  though very expensive  .  
 yes  .  it will be expensive  but we think it will be worth it  .  it gives us great peace of mind to know that our reception is in the hands of experienced people  .  
 i think you make the right decision  .  
 as you know  china has a singlechild policy  .  therefore  there  s just my husband  my daughter and i  .  what about in your family  ?  
 i have one daughter and one son  .  then there  s my husband and i  .  what about your parents  ?  do they live with your family  ?  
 not anymore  .  they live with my brother now  .  and yours  ?  
 my parents live by themselves now  .  when they get older  they  ll probably go to a retirement home  .  do you just have one brother  ?  
 no  i have two older brothers and one younger sister  .  what about you  ?  
 i also grew up in a big family  .  i have one older brother and three younger sisters  .  
 how long have you been married  ?  
 about seven years now  .  and you  ?  
 i  ve been married for about five years  .  what do you think about divorce  ?  
 it  s becoming more and more common  .  however  i don  t ever want to get divorced myself  !  what about you  ?  
 if my husband cheated on me or treated me badly  i would get a divorce  .  
 if that happens  maybe you could marry my brother and we could become inlaws  !  
  ha ha  i  ll keep that in mind  but don  t tell my husband  .  
 of course not  !  
 do you think so  ?  i don  t like girls who look like that  .  i like girls who are not too slim  .  if you like her  go and talk to her  .  
 i  d like to  but there  s her boyfriend  .  he  s very broadshouldered  .  
 he  s huge  !  he must go to the gym to have a wellbuilt body like that  .  
 do you prefer tall girls or short ones  ?  
 i don  t mind  but i like girls with long hair  .  
 we have different tastes  .  i like girls with short hair  .  i like tall girlsprobably because i  m so tall myself  .  
 have you ever dated a girl taller than you  ?  
 no  never  .  i don  t think i  ve ever met a girl taller than me  !  have you gained weight recently  ?  
 yes  i have  .  perhaps i should go to the gym  like that girl  s boyfriend  .  
 i 'm getting a bit plump myself  .  perhaps i  ll go with you  .  
 cindy  s husband is ron  .  
 how many children do cindy and ron have  ?  
 they have two childrenone son and one daughteras well as one daughterinlaw and one soninlaw  .  
 do they have any grandchildren  ?  
 yes  they have three grandchildrenone girl and two boys  .  
 does their daughter get along well with her inlaws  ?  
 yes  she gets along with them quite well  .  
 do they have a large family  ?  
 their family is very similar to cindy and ron  s family  .  
 he 's 21  .  how old is james  ?  
 he 's a year older than keith  but he looks younger  .  
 how 's your father  ?  
 he 's fine  .  he retired last week  .  it 's a turning point in his life  .  now he can relax and enjoy his retirement  .  
 he can spend more time with his grandchildren  .  
 oh  i do n't think he wants to  .  he wants to travel to several different countries around the world  .  
 so  he wants to have a more active retirement  .  good idea  !  
 how do you want to spend your old age  ?  
 in the same way  probably  .  
 no  i have n't had the pleasure  .  
 come and meet her now  .  
 all right  .  
 no  i do n't think so  .  
 please meet him now  .  
 thanks  .  
 no  i have't got the chance to meet the famous professor yet  .  
 oh  he 's my uncle . come to my house at seven this evening  .  i 'll introduce you to him  .  
 thank you very much  .  
 then you must hurry up . there s only ten minutes left  .  
 until we meet again  .  
 do n't mention it  .  
 it 's my greatest pleasure to have met you . see you around  .  
 see you  .  
 see you  !  
 see you  !  
 thank you for your coming  .  
 my wife is expecting me at home  .  i must be off now . so long  !  
 so long  !  
 no  i ca n't  .  i 've really got important business  .  
 keep in touch then  ok  ?  
 ok  .  
 drop in if you 're free . bye for now  !  
 see you  .  
 why are you in such a hurry  ?  
 my old man does not allow me to go back later than 11 p  .  m  .  bye  !  
 bye  !  
 nothing  .  what 's going on with you  ?  
 i 'm having a party this friday  .  
 i had no idea  .  
 is that right  ?  
 i did n't hear anything about it  .  
 can you go  ?  
 what time  ?  
 it starts at 8 o 'clock  .  
 i 'll go  .  
 i hope that i 'll see you there  .  
 no doubt  .  
 nothing  how about you  ?  
 next saturday  i 'm going to have a party  .  
 oh  really  ?  
 you are coming  ?  
 probably not  .  
 why is that  ?  
 i do n't feel like going  .  
 why not  ?  
 i really ca n't stand going to parties  .  
 i understand  i guess  .  
 sorry about that  .  
 i enjoy listening to all kinds of music  .  
 what kind  ?  
 i like to listen to rock and r  b  .  
 why do you like that type of music  ?  
 i like the kinds of instruments that they use  .  
 i think that 's an excellent reason to like something  .  
 thanks  i feel the same way  .  
 i like listening to different kinds of music  .  
 like what  for instance  ?  
 i enjoy rock and r  b  .  
 why is that  ?  
 i like the different instruments that they use  .  
 that 's a good reason to like something  .  
 yeah  i think so too  .  
 i listen to various types of music  .  
 what genres  ?  
 i enjoy listening to both rock and r  b  .  
 what interests you in that type of music  ?  
 i enjoy the different types of instruments that they use  .  
 that is a perfect reason to like a certain kind of music  .  
 that 's exactly what i think too  .  
 my favorite movie is superbad  .  
 oh  why is that  ?  
 it 's the funniest movie that i 've ever seen  .  
 that 's true  .  it is a very funny movie  .  
 you 've seen it before  ?  
 yes  i saw that movie the first day it came out in theaters  .  
 did n't you laugh through the whole movie  ?  i did  .  
 me too  .  that movie brought tears to my eyes  .  
 mine too  .  
 i have it on dvd at my house if you want to come over and watch it  .  
 sure  let 's go  .  
 i have to say  my favorite movie is superbad  .  
 is that right  ?  why  ?  
 honestly  it is one of the funniest movies i 've seen in a long time  .  
 you 're right  .  that movie is hilarious  .  
 i did n't think you saw that movie  .  
 i went to see it the day it came out  .  
 i was laughing through the whole movie  .  
 i could n't help laughing  either  .  
 same here  .  
 i bought the movie  .  would you like to come to my house and watch it  ?  
 of course  .  
 i 'm going to have to say that superbad is the best movie ever  .  
 you think so  how come  ?  
 well  superbad is super funny  .  
 you 're not lying  i found that movie absolutely hilarious  .  
 i did n't know that you saw superbad before  .  
 i made sure to be in line to see it the first day it came out  .  
 i could n't keep from laughing throughout the whole movie  .  
 i was laughing hysterically the whole time  my stomach muscles hurt afterwards  .  
 that 's exactly how i felt  .  
 i got the movie when it came out on dvd  do you want to come over  ?  
 i would love to  .  
 i 've always liked to draw and paint  .  
 i did n't know you knew how to draw and paint  .  
 i do it every once in a while  .  
 how long have you known how to do that  ?  
 i first learned how to do it in high school  .  
 did you take some sort of art class or something  ?  
 that was my favorite class  .  
 you have got to be talented  .  
 thanks  .  
 if only i was talented  .  
 you have a talent  .  you just do n't know what it is yet  .  
 when i have time  i sometimes draw and paint  .  
 oh  you actually do that  ?  
 every so often  i do  .  
 did you always know how to draw and paint  ?  
 i was taught in high school how to draw and paint  .  
 you had an art class  ?  
 exactly  it was my favorite class  .  
 well  it 's good that you 're so talented  .  
 i appreciate that  .  
 talent is a great thing  i wish i had one  .  
 everyone has a talent  .  they just need to find it  .  
 yes  i would like to make a reservation for may 3rd  .  
 for how many people  ?  
 only one  .  
 may i have your name  ?  
 it 's nice to meet you  mr  .  cooper  .  
 nice to meet you  ms  .  wang  .  you must be exhausted after your long trip from canada  .  
 yes  it was quite a long flight  .  i 'm glad to finally be here  .  
 ah  yes  that 's right  .  
 glad to meet you  mr stewart  .  i 'm the guide from pacific tour agency  .  my name is zhang hua  .  
 hello  i was just looking for the guide  .  
 i 'm always at your service  sir  .  by the way  did you have a pleasant trip  ?  
 not bad  .  but i 've made too many flights these days  .  i could hardly remember how many takeoffs and landings i 've been through these three days  .  i think we all feel a bit tired  .  
 well  shall we go to the hotel right now  ?  i 've already made a reservation for you  .  
 wonderful  .  i 'm eager to take a sauna as soon as possible  .  
 so we must get you to the hotel as soon as possible  .  i hope to see you refreshed and revitalized tomorrow morning  as we are going to visit the great wall  .  
 i am sure we will  .  actually  we are looking forward to seeing the great wonder  .  
 come this way  please  .  the coach is waiting outside  .  
 fine  let 's go  .  
 what  ?  you 're kidding  !  let me see that  .  .  .  there must be some mistakes  .  
 i 'm afraid you 'll need to have your visa extended before we can have you check in  .  
 oh  it 's a pity  .  
 hi  .  i want to check out  .  my room is 1005  .  
 ok  .  please hold on a minute  .  so you checked in on monday and stayed 3 nights in single room 1005  .  is that right  ?  
 yes  .  can i have a look at my bill  ?  
 ok  .  here you are  .  if there are no questions  could we have your signature in the blank below  ?  
 ok  .  i would like to have my receipt report  please  .  
 here it is  .  we are pleased to serve you here and we look forward to seeing you again  .  wish you have a good day  .  
 hello  .  i 'm having a problem with my air conditioner  .  
 which air conditioner  ?  
 the one in the bedroom  .  
 what seems to be the problem  ?  
 there 's no cold air coming out  .  
 may i have your room number  please  ?  
 512  .  
 ok  we 'll send someone up to check it  .  
 i 'm going out right now  .  but that 's all right  you can come when i 've gone  .  
 fine  .  the housekeeper will open the door and stay in the room with the repairmen  .  
 this is room 320  .  can i have a morning call tomorrow  ?  
 what time do you want us to wake you up  ?  
 seven  please  .  
 ok  .  i 've set it up for you  .  
 thank you  .  
 it will leave at 300 p  .  m  .  
 when does it arrive  ?  
 it should be due in at 730 a  .  m . tomorrow  .  
 how much is the ticket  ?  
 it 's 86 coach and 175 berths 
 one berth  please  .  
 yes  .  i feel terrible  .  i have been coughing for the whole morning  .  
 do you feel anything else  ?  
 yes  .  i feel chilly and sluggish  .  
 have you had similar feelings before  ?  
 no  .  this is my first ae abroad  .  i am not sure what is wrong with me  .  
 do n't worry  .  i believe you are just not agreeing with the local climate  .  i will get you some medicine  .  you will be alright after a good rest  .  
 thank you very much  .  
 no  .  what is that street charming for  ?  
 you can find the most fashionable restaurants there  .  and also you can see the galleries  antique shops and the ballrooms  .  
 i 'm leaving for shanghai tomorrow morning  .  when do i have to settle my bill  ?  
 is it all right for you to pay the bill this evening  ?  
 that will do  .  where shall i go to pay the money  ?  
 at the cashier 's counter of our hotel  right in the lobby downstairs  .  
 would you please get the bill ready before supper  ?  
 all right  .  is your companion leaving for shanghai with you  ?  
 no  he will stay here for two more days  .  please keep the room for him  .  
 shall i make out a single bill or two separate bills  ?  
 two separate bills  please  .  
 ok  .  i 'll surely have the bill ready for this evening  .  
 will you give the bill to me at around six o 'clock  ?  
 no problem  .  by the way  do you have any comment to make on our hotel  ?  
 i have had a good stay here  .  your service is wonderful  .  i 'm very satisfied with it  .  
 thank you for your compliments  .  you 're welcome to our hotel again  .  
 ok  i will  .  
 just a second and i 'll check the schedule  .  
 i 'll need an economy ticket with an open return  .  
 american airlines has a flight leaving at 925 a  .  m  .  
 i guess that 's ok  .  what time should i check in  ?  
 you have to be there two hours before departure time  .  
 we have beef with rice and fish with noodles  .  which would you like  ?  
 fish with noodles  please  .  
 would you care for coffee or tea  ?  
 coffee  please  .  
 may i have your ticket and passport please  ?  
 here you are  .  i 'd like a window seat  .  
 no problem  .  put your baggage on the scale  please  .  
 all right  .  
 ok  .  here 's your ticket  boarding pass  passport and baggage claim tag  .  you 'll be boarding at gate 8  .  the boarding time is 9 a  .  m  .  
 thank you very much  .  
 thank you  !  
 what 's the weather like in your country  ?  i suppose it must be warmer than here  .  
 oh  yes  .  we have rather mild winters  .  it always has much sunshine in winter  .  but it was very foggy when i left two days ago  .  i knew it would be colder here  but i thought there would be a lot of snow  .  
 we do n't have much snow in winter in beijing  .  in fact  we have n't had any so far this winter  .  the winter is rather long  but the cold is generally not severe  .  the temperature seldom gets as low as ten below zero centigrade  .  
 what is the temperature today  do you know  ?  
 about freezing point  i think . but the morning 's forecast said that we are going to have a very cold spell in the next few days  and the temperature will probably drop to 10 or 15 degrees below zero  .  
 oh  i 'm very lucky that my wife let me take a heavy overcoat  .  
 it is considerate of your wife  .  
 yes  she is  .  by the way  what is the best season in beijing  ?  
 fall is the best season in beijing  .  it 's neither hot nor cold  .  the sky is clear and blue  .  there 's hardly any wind  only a slight breeze which is hardly noticeable  .  and we have plenty of sunshine too  .  
 really  ?  then i will come to beijing in the fall next time  .  
 good  you are welcome  .  
 i do n't feel well  .  i need an airsickness bag  .  
 yes  madam  .  there 's one in the seat pocket  .  here you are  .  
 thank you  .  
 should i bring you some water  ?  
 yes  please  .  
 yes  are you mr james  ?  
 yes  i am  .  are you miss li from the travel agency  ?  
 that 's right  .  
 do you mind telling me your name  ?  
 of course not  .  my name is li ping  .  is this all your baggage  ?  
 yes  it is  .  i usually travel light  .  
 welcome to hong kong  .  i 'll go and get the car  .  could you please wait a few minutes  ?  
 sure  and i 'm glad to meet you  .  thanks for your help  .  
 yes  they were  .  but it has already past  .  the traffic from the airport to downtown has been relieved after the completion of yan'an aerial road  .  
 we 've never expected that shanghai is such a big metropolis  same as new york city  .  david  would it be a good idea to rent a car here  ?  i 've got an international driver 's license with a pretty good record in the states  .  
 that 's wonderful  .  ok  .  i 'll remember that  .  but i have to warn you that you must drive very carefully in the downtown area  for there 're no separate lanes for motor vehicles and bicycles in some places  and still quite a few people do n't take road regulations seriously  .  
 yes  .  i 'd like to use a safety deposit box  .  
 will the object fit into this size of box  ?  
 let me see  .  i think it 's ok  .  
 could you fill out this form  please  ma 'am  ?  
 here you are  .  
 thank you  ma 'am  .  would you like to use it until may 20th  ?  
 yes  .  
 this way  please  .  your box number is 522  .  
 thank you  .  
 if you would like to use the contents during the period of use  please come here in person  .  after confirming your signature  we will open the box  .  
 i see  .  thank you  .  
 yes  .  can i deposit valuables here  ?  
 of course  you can  .  please put your articles in this bag and seal it  .  
 ok  .  
 thank you  .  here is your tag  .  
 would you tell me the rate per day for depositing my bag  ?  
 sure  madam  .  only one dollar  .  
 when does the cloakroom close  ?  
 this cloakroom is open until 10 p  .  m  .  
 oh  dear  !  i wo n't be back until about 1130 tonight  .  where can i pick up my bag  ?  
 we will transfer your bag to the lobby floor cloakroom  .  you may collect it there  madam  .  
 i see  .  thanks a lot  .  
 you 're welcome  .  
 yes  .  i am thinking of a tour to australia  .  
 may i recommend the popular route  ?  it 's a seven days trip and cost  500  .  
 that 's really cheap  .  what are the fees included  ?  
 everything  sir  including the air tickets  accommodation and gate tickets  .  
 ok  i will take the tour  .  
 oh  thank you  .  
 is there anything i can do for you now  ?  
 yes  .  i 'm rather tired and want to go to bed early  .  please make the bed  .  
 certainly  sir  .  
 yes  of course  .  there are various forms of travel  .  
 do i have to book the tour right now  ?  
 there is no need  .  we have the tour everyday  .  
 oh  what 's up  ?  
 i locked myself out  .  what do you suggest i do  ?  
 well  the best thing to do is to go down to the front desk and ask for a duplicate key  .  
 yes  .  i locked myself out  .  may i borrow a duplicate key for room 201  ?  
 certainly  .  where are you now  ?  
 i 'm right outside my room  .  
 ok  .  just wait where you are  .  i 'll send someone up to help you  .  
 all right  .  one moment  please  .  .  .  no  mr  .  smith checked out this morning  .  
 oh  he did  ?  may i have his forwarding address  please  ?  
 i m afraid he didn  t leave one  .  
 can i have mr  .  j  .  smith paged  ?  he said he 'd be in the main dining room  .  i 'm mr  .  j  .  b  .  white  .  
 who would you like to have paged again  sir  ?  
 mr  .  j  .  smith  .  
 where would you like him to come  ?  
 to the front desk  .  
 just a moment  please  .  
 i wonder if you can help me  .  
 i 'll be happy to try  .  
 please wake me up at seven tomorrow morning  .  
 may i have your name and room number  please  ?  
 mr  .  lee in room 1234  .  
 have you any package tour to italy  ?  
 yes  of course  .  here are all the tour routes we have to italy  .  
 how long does the route no  .  5 last  ?  
 2 weeks  .  is that ok  ?  
 we have just 10 days for the vacation  .  
 i 'm planning a trip to europe  .  
 have you decided which city you want to go  ?  
 well  what 's the price of this route  ?  
 that 's  400 and we will visit 4 cities  .  
 this is my first tourism  .  i do n't know what should be declared  .  
 ok  .  please open your luggage  and i 'll tell you what you should declare  .  
 all right  .  here you are  .  
 you should declare the camera and the film  .  do you have alcohol  ?  
 yes  i have got some special local product  i want to take them for my friends  .  
 how many bottles have you got with you  ?  
 four bottles  .  
 i 'm sorry  .  according to the regulations  a passenger can only take two bottles on to the aircraft  .  so you cannot take so many  .  
 what shall i do with my two more bottles  ?  
 you may give them to your friends who come to see you off  .  this is the customs declaration form  .  please fill in it  .  and then you can go through the other formalities  .  be sure to keep the form safe  .  
 all right  thank you  see you  .  
 see you  .  have a good journey  .  
 log on to the website of american embassy in beijing and fill in the application forms  .  
 and what should i do next  ?  
 then make an appointment by telephone and wait for the interview  .  
 how long will i wait for  ?  
 it all depends  .  
 what 's the fee for application  ?  
 about 800 yuan  .  
 thank you very much  .  
 you are welcome  .  
 here you are  .  
 are you chinese  ?  
 yes  i am  .  
 where in china are you from  ?  
 fujisan province  .  
 there are a lot of people from china visiting right now  .  
 it 's not surprising  .  our school year just ended  and a lot of chinese are on vacation  .  
 how long do you plan to stay  ?  
 about half a month  .  
 all right  .  here 's your passport  .  welcome to australia  .  
 thank you  .  
 certainly  .  here it is  .  
 you are here on business  i think  ?  
 that 's right  .  a german company has invited me for business talks  .  
 how long will you be staying  ?  
 just two weeks  .  
 how many pieces of baggage have you got  ?  
 only one  .  in this case  i have a camera  .  
 do you intend to take it out on your departure  ?  
 yes  i do  .  
 according to the regulations  the camera you 've brought along for personal use can be passed for the time being duty free  but you will have to take it out with you when you leave the country  .  
 i will  .  
 well  .  have a pleasant stay in germany  .  
 thank you  .  
 there 's a 20 percent service charge in this hotel  .  
 well  .  what 's this 138 dollars charge then  ?  
 that 's for the hotel restaurant  .  you had five meals here  .  
 oh  right  .  i forgot about that  .  sorry  i 'll pay cash  .  
 ok  .  here you are  .  
 how long will you be staying at hotel in china  ?  
 about three weeks  .  
 and what 's the purpose of your visit  ?  
 sightseeing  .  
 and where will you be staying  ?  
 at the friendship hotel in beijing  .  
 ok  .  could you put your hand baggage on the counter  please  ?  do you have any gifts  or food in here  ?  
 yes  i have some fresh apples in my suitcase  .  
 i 'm sorry  sir  you ca n't bring fresh fruit into china  .  i 'm going to have to confiscate these  .  
 oh  that 's too bad  .  
 there 's a service called a friend in new york  .  it 's a personal tour guide service  .  
 that 's interesting  .  what does it do  ?  
 you give them your information by answering a questionnaire and they will create a perfect trip for you according to your budget  .  
 good  .  where can i get the questionnaire  ?  
 you can easily download it from their website  .  
 oh  here you are  .  
 you come from germany  do n't you  ?  
 yes  .  and come here for tourism  .  
 how long will you be staying in china  ?  
 twenty days  .  
 ok  .  have you filled in the declaration form  ?  
 yes  here is the form  .  
 is this your luggage  ?  
 yes  only one travel bag  .  
 what do you have in the luggage  ?  
 nothing but several personal effects  .  
 that 's all  .  thank you for your cooperation  .  
 yes  i 'd like to book a room at your hotel  .  
 what kind of room would you like  sir  ?  we have single rooms  double rooms  suites and deluxe suites in our hotel  .  
 i 'd like to book a single room with a bath from the afternoon of october 2nd to the morning of october 6th  .  
 all right  .  
 what is the rate  please  ?  
 the current rate is  100 per night  .  
 what services come with that  ?  
 for  100 you 'll have a radio  a color television  a telephone and a major international newspaper delivered to your room every day  .  
 that sounds not bad at all  .  i 'll take it  .  
 i have a camera and three bottles of whisky  .  
 ok  .  you 'll have to pay duty for the whisky  .  
 well  where shall i pay the duty for the whisky  ?  
 please wait a moment  .  i 'll make out the duty memo  .  here you are  .  take this and pay the people over there  .  
 i 've paid the duty  .  here is the receipt 
 very well  .  i hope you 'll enjoy your stay in china  .  
 thank you  .  
 sure  but you have to pay  3 for it  .  
 ok  .  here you are  .  
 well  ou ca n't hear music until takeoff  .  
 i see  .  thank you  .  
 let me help you  .  ok  this is the one you want  .  push this button to change the channel  .  we have 6 channels in all  .  have a good day  .  
 thanks so much  .  
 what forms must we fill out  miss  ?  
 they are e  d cards  .  all passengers except american citizens must complete these forms  .  
 i see  .  but why do we have to fill out these forms now  ?  
 it will save you much time when you clear customs  .  
 sorry  sir  .  dinners are available 20 minutes  drinks are served throughout the flight  .  
 then please give me a cup of coffee  .  
 sure  anything else  ?  
 i 'd like a pillow as well  .  
 ok  .  here you are  .  
 yes  can i help you  ?  
 well  this is my baggage claim tag  .  can you get my baggage now  ?  
 ok  here you are  .  
 thanks a lot  .  
 let me see  .  en  .  here is your baggage  .  
 thank you  .  and where can i get a pushcart  ?  
 walk ahead a little further  .  there are plenty of them  .  
 how many pieces of baggage have you lost  ?  
 just one piece  .  
 can you tell me the features of your baggage  ?  
 it 's a big leather suitcase with my name lily on it  .  
 do n't worry  .  we will look it for you right now  .  
 thank you  .  
 well  that depends  .  tell me where you want to go  ?  
 venice  .  i have great interests in the boats  .  
 that 's interesting to travel by boat to see the whole city that is between the sea and sky  .  but personally i like greek better  .  
 i like the country too  .  it 's quite famous for its culture  .  
 what 's in your bags  ?  
 those are something gifts i bought for my friends  .  
 would you mind opening it  ?  
 of course not  .  
 just myself  .  what is the rate  ?  
 ok  a single fare is  50 per right  .  
 fine  .  do i have to show my passport  ?  
 no  it 's not necessary  .  but you have to fill out this form  .  
 sure  .  
 that 's  50 for a single night  .  
 are meals included  ?  
 yes  of course  .  can i make a reservation for you  ?  
 fine  i want to book one for overnight  .  
 surely of course  .  
 here is the bag  .  is that free  ?  
 yes  .  how long would you like us to keep it  ?  
 for two days  .  
 what time is checkin  ?  
 1200  .  you have to wait for a while  .  
 ok  .  
 well  sir  .  come with me  .  i will show you the waiting room  .  you must be tired  .  have a short rest there  .  we will call you later  .  
 thank you  .  
 yes  .  when do you want it  ?  
 next today  .  by the way  is there a closed circuit tv  ?  
 yes  sir  .  
 what about laundry  ?  
 sorry  sir  .  you have to pay by yourself  .  
 yes  we have one and it faces the beautiful sea  .  
 that 's wonderful  .  i want to stay for 2 days  .  
 ok  we will make it ready for you  .  
 thank you  .  
 yes  i want to a room for tomorrow  .  
 single or double  ?  
 a single one with a private bath  .  
 would you like to have your room on the top floor  ?  
 it does n't matter  .  
 yes  .  i 'd like to book a room  please  .  
 certainly  .  when for  madam  ?  
 march the 23rd  .  
 how long will you be staying  ?  
 three nights  .  
 what kind of room would you like  madam  ?  
 er  .  .  .  double with bath  .  i 'd appreciate it if you could give me a room with a view over the lake  .  
 certainly  madam  .  i 'll just check what we have available  .   .   .  yes  we have a room on the 4th floor with a really splendid view  .  
 fine  .  how much is the charge per night  ?  
 would you like breakfast  ?  
 no  thanks  .  
 it 's eighty four euro per night excluding vat  .  
 that 's fine  .  
 who 's the booking for  please  madam  ?  
 mr and mrs ryefield  that 's ryefield  .  
 okay  let me make sure i got that 
 yes it is  .  thank you  .  
 let me give you your confirmation number  .  it 's 7576385  .  i 'll repeat that  7576385  .  thank you for choosing san felice hotel and have a nice day  .  goodbye  .  
 goodbye  .  
 what kind of rooms do you want  ?  
 a single room with a bath and one double room facing the lake  .  
 no problem  .  your room numbers are 201 and 204  .  
 thank you  .  
 on which day  ?  
 this friday  .  
 well  let me check for you  .  yes  you are booked already  .  it 's a single room with a bath  facing the south  .  
 that 's right  .  thank you  .  
 well  sir  .  may i have your room number  ?  
 503  .  i would like to pay for it  .  
 please fill out the form first  .  
 ok  can you bring me a new one  ?  
 of course  .  
 yes  .  this is room 804  .  i ca n't find my coat  .  i was wondering if it 's in the lost and found  .  
 i can check for you  .  could you describe the coat  ?  
 it 's a light blue coat  .  it 's got a hood and a big silver zipper  .  
 when was the last time you saw it  ?  
 last night  .  i think i may have left it in the lobby bar  .  
 ok  .  i  ll check the lost and found and with the bar manager  .  we 'll do our best to find it  .  
 thanks  .  i appreciate that  .  
 come in please  .  
 good evening  sir  .  i come to make the bed  .  shall i do it now or later  ?  
 well  since you have come  do it now please  ?  
 that 's all  .  have a nice stay here  .  
 thank you . please get some soap for us  .  
 just a moment  .  i will do it right now  .  
 hello  .  i 'd like to reconfirm my flight  please  .  
 may i have your name and flight number  please  ?  
 my name is daniel adams and my flight number is 374  .  
 when are you leaving  ?  
 on may 11th  .  
 and your destination  ?  
 buenos aires  .  
 hold the line  please  .    .  .  .   all right  .  your seat is confirmed  mr  .  adams  .  you 'll be arriving in buenos aires at 4 o 'clock p  .  m  .  local time  .  
 thank you  .  can i pick up my ticket when i check in  ?  
 yes  but please check in at least one hour before departure time  .  
 bucharest  romania  .  
 may i have your passport and form i  94  please  ?  
 here you are  .  
 what 's the nature of your visit  ?  business or pleasure  ?  
 pleasure  .  i 'm visiting my relatives  .  
 how long are you going to stay in the united states  ?  
 three weeks  .  
 what is your occupation  ?  
 i work as an accountant for a romanian telecommunications company  .  
 do you have a return ticket  ?  
 yes  here it is  .  
 that 's fine  .  thanks  .  enjoy your trip  .  
 thank you  .  
 i 'd like to rent a car  please  .  
 okay  .  fullsize  midsize or compact  ma 'am  ?  
 fullsize  please  .  what 's the rate  ?  
 78 dollars a day with unlimited mileage  .  
 and i 'd like to have insurance just in case  .  
 is there an additional driver  ?  
 no  .  
 if you want full coverage insurance  it will be 8 dollars per day  .  it includes collision damage waiver and personal accident insurance  .  
 all right  .  i 'll take it  .  
 here is our brochure  ma 'am  .  err  .  .  .  fullsize  .  .  .  ok  .  please choose a model in this section  .  
 how about this one  ?  
 all right  .  how many days would you like to use it  ?  
 just one day  .  
 may i see your driver 's license and credit card please  ?  
 is the international driving licence fine  ?  
 yes  it is  .    .  .  .   thank you  .  please fill in this form  .  can you check this box  and put your initials here  and again here  .  
 at 1635  from platform 8  .  
 is it a direct train to london  ?  
 no  you have to change trains at birmingham  .  
 i see  .  one ticket to london  please  .  
 single or return  sir  ?  
 single  please  .  
 64 pounds  please  .  
 here you are  .  
 here 's your ticket and change  sir  .  
 i would like to have my room cleaned  .  would you please send a maid here right now  ?  
 ok  .  someone will be there right away  .  
 thank you  .  
 yes  show me your tickets please  .  
 here you are  .  by the way  when does the train leave  ?  
 the train is driving after ten minutes  .  
 thanks  .  where is my seat  ?  
 it 's over there  .  have a good trip  .  
 thank you  .  
 i have just checked in this afternoon  .  i am wondering what shall i do if i want to have some clothes washed  .  
 there is a laundry form in your room ars well as a bag . fill out the form and put them together with the laundry in the bag . the maid will come and pick it up  .  
 that 's convenient . thank you  .  
 here you are  .  
 excuse me  sir  .  this is your passport  .  
 really  ?  ugh  .  .  .  is there any difference  ?  
 yes  .  as a matter of fact  you ca n't board the plane without boarding pass  .  
 gee  .  i must have left it in my hotel room  .  
 i 'm sorry sir  .  i ca n't let you pass  .  
 but when does the plane take off  ?  
 ugh  in about thirty minutes  sir  .  
 oh  my god  !  what do i do now  ?  bone head  .  
 calm down  sir  .  you are creating a commotion  .  
 is that me  ?  
 could be  .  
 oh  thank god  .  thank you  i 'll be right back  .  
 i feel dizzy and weak  .  and i 'm having this pain in my ear  .  i think i am sick  .  
 are you often traveling by plane  ?  
 no  this is the second time  .  
 that 's right  .  it 's normal if you do n't often take the plane  .  just relax a little bit  .  
 why this happens to me when i am on the plane  ?  i feel bad  .  
 do n't worry  sir  .  it 's just because of the lower pressure  .  
 what should i do about it  ?  
 you may feel much better if you chew some gum or peanuts  .  
 ok  thanks  .  does it work really  ?  i 'll give a try  .  
 are you feeling better now  ?  do you need some pills  ?  
 much better  .  thank you  .  i just feel tired but i ca n't fall asleep  .  
 so  you 'd better wear this eyeshade and you will sleep well  .  
 i am not used to wearing that  .  thanks  .  
 if you try to adapt yourself to your destination's local time  you 'll feel more comfortable  .  so please try to sleep  and have meals according to los angeles 's time  .  
 thank you so much  .  
 before 12 a  .  m  .  
 i see  .  thank you  .  
 yes  i  ve been there several times on business trips  .  but i have never really seen the terracotta warriors as it is outside the city  .  
 i  ve heard many people saying that it is a place worth touring  .  i really want to see the old walls and terracotta warriors one day  .  of course i won  t miss the local food either  .  you know  the sites interests a food in scenery  food is a key factor when visiting a place  .  
 i agree  .  as long as the food is not too bizarre once i saw some people eating insects  .  that is frightening  .  
 sure it is  .  is it convenient to get there by plane  ?  
 well  the airport is quite far from the downtown area  but it is still more convenient than taking the train  .  
 yes  but you look fine  .  
 oh  it 's for my brother  .  the little boy over there  .  he is getting a carsickness  .  
 poor boy  !  but do n't worry  .  here are two pills made in germany  .  it 's really effective  .  he will be just fine  .  
 thank you so much  .  
 take some with you next time  just in case  .  
 sorry to interrupt  but my brother is still sleeping  .  
 you mean the boy who felt carsick just now  ?  
 yes  .  it 's so strange that he slept all the time after taking the pills  .  
 oh  sorry  maybe i gave you the wrong medicine  .  
 what  ?  
 it 's just sleeping pills made in america which is also very good  .  but do n't worry  .  it has no undesirable sideeffects  .  
 i see  .  
 i took them from a travel agency  .  look at those nice pictures  lash forest  palm fringed  white sand beaches  crystal blue ocean  they  re breathtaking  .  it is like paradise on earth  .  
 that  s why it  s become a very popular holiday destination these years  .  someone told me the service there is very good too  .  are you planning to spend the holiday there  ?  
 yes  i  m thinking about signing up for a tour in the travel agency  .  their next tour starts the same time as my holiday does next month  .  
 how many days is the tour  ?  
 10 days  .  when i get back  i still have two days to go before work  .  isn  t that great  ?  
 that  s a perfect plan  .  enjoy yourself  .  
 i 'm sorry  but everything is taken  .  
 how about the next flighttomorrow at two o 'clock  ?  
 yes  i can give you a reservation on that  .  
 four is an unlucky number here  peter . four sounds like death in chinese . hotels often have no fourth floor  .  
 i see . oh  i know what i wanted to ask . how much should i tip this guy  ?  
 people do n't usually tip here  but you can . fifty dollars should be more enough  .  
 yes  i 'm calling from mexico  .  i will be in town next week and would like to know if you have availability  .  
 ok ma 'am  can you tell me the date you expect to check in  ?  
 yes  july ninth  .  i will be there for seven nights  .  
 we have a junior single suite or a superior double suite available for those dates  .  
 what 's the difference  ?  
 the junior suite is smaller and has one twin bed  while the superior suite has a double bed and minibar  .  
 ok  i would like to reserve the superior suite  .  is breakfast included  ?  
 yes  a buffet breakfast is served every morning  .  i will need your name and your credit card details in order to complete the reservation  .  
 sure  my credit card number is  .  .  .  
 you can be sure of that  sir  .  
 thank you  .  
 can we have two a joining double room  sir  ?  
 have you made a reservation ladies  ?  
 i  m afraid not  .  
 one moment  please  .  i have to check if there are room available  .  i  m sorry ladies  .  we have only two double room available  but they are on different floors  .  would you mind that  ?  
 we prefer they are on same floor because we have a problem check late that night  .  
 may i suggest family sweet  ?  you all just have a consolation  .  
 what  s it like  ?  
 it  s a big room with a king  size double bed and two single beds  .  you  ve get also an rollerwheels  .  
 that  s great  .  how much is it  ?  
 2000 hongkong dollars per night plus ten percent service charge and five percent government tax  .  
 that  s fine  .  
 but  ladies  the room  s not yet ready  .  it will be delay about half an hour  .  perhaps you can fill the registration form first  .  and rest at the lobby for a while  .  we  ll let you know when the room  s ready  .  
 alright  .  thanks  .  
 ladies  hotel policy requires one nine of room charge as deposit  .  
 do you take traveller  s check  ?  
 yes  we do  madam  .  thank you  madam  .  here  s our welcome brochure with all of information of our facilities  .  my name is john  .  if you need any help do let me know  .  i  m at your service  .  
 yes  i have  .  here are my blouse  coats and stockings  .  
 anything else  ?  
 oh  yes  .  my husband also has some laundry  .  this is his suit and here is his pajamas  .  
 are they to be drycleaned  ?  
 oh  no  .  only the suit and coat are to be drycleaned  .  i want to have my blouse tomorrow evening  .  and i 'd like the collar and cuffs starched  .  
 yes  but not too stiff  right  ?  
 exactly  .  is it possible to have my overcoat drycleaned  too  ?  
 there are a few spots on it  .  i am afraid you will not have it tomorrow  .  drycleaning usually takes three days  .  
 oh  no  .  i also need this tomorrow evening  .  
 in that case  i suppose i could ask the drycleaner to clean up the spots for the moment  and have it well pressed  .  you might get it back on time then  .  
 that 's a good idea  .  
 by the way  a cotton came off your shirt you gave me the day before yesterday  .  
 yes  i noticed it yet  .  
 the laundry has sewed on a new button for you  .  
 oh  thanks a lot  .  
 i am afraid the new one is not exactly the same as the others  .  
 never mind  it does n't matter  .  
 if you have any more laundry  please just leave it in the laundry bag behind the bathroom door  .  the laundryman comes to collect it every morning  .  
 where do you think you lost it  ?  outside the hotel  ?  
 yes  i believe so  .  how should i compensate for this  ?  
 i am afraid  ma 'am  you have to pay 100 us dollars since you lost the key  .  
 what  ?  100 us dollars  ?  is it covered by the insurance  ?  
 i am afraid no  .  it is not covered by this insurance  .  
 yes  madam  may i help you  ?  
 this room 117  and we have just checked in  .  
 yes  ?  
 our room has n't been cleaned up yet . so would you send one of your house keepers to clean up our room  .  
 oh  yes  .  madam  we 'll come right away then  .  your room number and your name  please  ?  
 our room number is 117 and my name is terry chen  .  
 thank you  would you hang up and wait  ?  
 sure  here they are  .  
 any luggage  ?  
 just this suitcase  .  
 your backpack is very big and today 's flight is quite full  .  i am afraid that you will have to check your backpack too  .  
 no problem  .  what about this carryon  ?  
 you can take that with you  .  
 can i have an aisle seat  pls  .  
 no problem  .  i 'll give you an aisle seat in the center row  .  and here is your ticket  passport and boarding pass  .  please board the plane at gate 15  .  
 thank you  .  and when is the latest time for me to board the plane  ?  
 15mins before the plane takes off  .  the plane is scheduled to leave on time  .  
 thank you very much  !  
 you are welcome  !  have a nice flight  .  
 we are practically full up  but i will see  .  what do you want  a single room or a double one  ?  
 a single room  preferably with a bath  .  
 how long do you plan to stay  ?  
 for a week or so  .  
 you can have a room on the second floor  .  
 i hope it 's quiet  .  i hate noise at night  .  
 i think you will find it quiet  .  it faces the courtyard  .  
 what is the rate  please  ?  
 the current rate is 50 dollars per night  .  
 what services come with that  ?  
 a radio  a color television  a telephone and a major international newspaper delivered to your room everyday  .  
 that sounds good  .  well  do you give discount for a week or more  ?  
 yes  we give 5  discount for one week  10  for two weeks and more  .  
 all right  .  i will take a room for a week  .  
 will you fill out this form  please  ?  the bellboy will show you up to your room  .  your luggage will be brought right up  .  
 can i get dinner here  ?  
 we do serve dinner  .  
 i see  .  
 i  d like to make a reservation for my trip from detroit to beijing on april 13 on trans pacific airline  .  
 do you want a single ticket or a round trip ticket  ?  
 i  d like to have a round trip ticket with a oneyear open return  .  
 economy or business class  ?  
 economy  please  .  how much is it  ?  
 it will be  850  .  
 very good  .  could i get an electronic ticket  ?  i  m always afraid of losing my tickets  .  
 no problem  .  how do you wish to pay for it  ?  
 bank of american card  .  the number is 6786 9182 12300 8657  .  
 thank you  !  would you like an aisle seat or a window seat  ?  
 an aisle seat  please  .  i  m tall and need to get up and walk pretty often  .  
 no problem  .  your ticket is for trans pacific flight 87 from detroit to beijing at 3 forty p  .  m  .  on april 13  .  you will arrive at beijing international airport at six 35 p  .  m  .  on april 14  .  your electronic 
 what time should i arrive at detroit airport  ?  
 please be at the airport two hours before your departure to check in  .  you also need to reconfirm your reservation with the airline at least 7 days prior to your departure  .  
 what happens if i can  t leave on april 13  ?  can i cancel my ticket or change the reservation to another date  ?  
 yes  you can  but you will have to pay a penalty of  75 for any change or cancellation  .  
 that  s ok  .  what are the weight restrictions for checked baggage  ?  
 on trans pacific international flights  each ticketed passenger is permitted a maximum of two checked bags with a maximum weight per checked bag of 70 pounds  .  
 that  s great  !  i can have two bags checked for 70 pounds each  .  i think i  m all set  .  you  re really efficient  .  thank you very much for your help  .  
 thank you for the compliment and for calling g  .  o  .  t  .  travel agency  .  have a nice trip  !  
 yup  i think so  .  the car  s packed . we have munchies and music  and the map  s in the car  .  
 did you get the camera  ?  
 got it  !  did you fill up the tank  ?  
 yup  it  s all set  .  
 you  re sure we  re not forgetting anything  ?  
 i  m sure  .  .  .  we  ve got all our bases covered  .  
 well . let  s get going then  !  i love road trips  !  
 um  .  .  .  do you think we can make a pit stop  ?  
 but we  ve only been on the road for ten minutes  .  
 i know  but i forgot to go to the bathroom before we left  .  
 i feel kind of stupid  .  
 why  ?  
 we got lost coming back  .  i guess i do n't really know this town yet  .  
 you got lost  .  you 're kidding  !  
 no  .  we took a wrong turn somewhere . and joseph does n't know the town at all  .  so i started giving him directions . but i did n't really know where we were  .  so we got seriously lost  .  
 you could have called  .  
 i know i could have  .  but finally we asked someone where we were  .  
 you 've been gone for two hours  .  how could you get lost for so long  ?  
 guess where we ended up  .  
 i do n't know  .  where  ?  
 when we finally decided to ask someone  they told us we were in grangerfield  .  
 grangerfield  !  you were in grangerfield  ?  that 's a completely different town  !  how could you drive to a completely different town  ?  
 i do n't know . the person we asked had to give us directions to the highway to get back here  .  
 grangerfield is like a dozen miles away from here  .  
 i know it is  .  i do n't know how it happened  .  
 hmm  maybe i do  .  
 what  ?  
 maybe i have an idea how it happened  .  
 how  ?  
 you were too busy looking at joseph  and you were n't paying attention to the road  .  
 oh  that 's what you think  huh  ?  
 yes  that 's what i think . maybe the next time you go out with him to buy groceries  you 'll get lost for even longer . maybe six hours or so  .  
 you know what  trish  ?  
 what  ?  
 i hope so  .  i really hope so  .  
 hah  hah  !  see  ?  i guessed right  .  you were n't watching the road at all  .  
 no  i was n't  .  it 's kind of hard to watch the road when joseph is behind the wheel  .  
 i am tim green in room 1021 and i want a wakeup call at five thirty am tomorrow  .  
 yes  i see  .  five thirty am mr  .  green  room 1021  .  
 i want to change my wakeup time  .  
 ok  could you tell me your room number and your name  ?  
 tim  in room 1021  .  
 and when would you want us call you this time  ?  
 at six thirty am tomorrow  .  
 ok  six thirty am  .  we will call you exactly on that time  .  
 i see  .  it 's on top of the hills  .  
 yeah  it stretches over for thousands of miles  .  
 i know  .  it 's a major symbol of china  .  
 where can we climb it  ?  
 do we have any choices  ?  
 well  we could take the cable car  .  
 ah  .  .  .  let 's just climb  .  it 's more fun  i think  .  
 okay  .  let 's go  .  
 well  that was tough  .  
 but we made it  .  
 this looks great  .  when was it built  ?  
 it was first built about twentyfive hundred years ago  .  
 that 's remarkable  .  
 there are so many ancient relics in china  .  
 i 'm afraid you 're going in the opposite direction  .  go back the way you came  and take the second turn on the left  .  the museum is straight ahead  right in front of you  .  
 will it take me long to get there  ?  
 well  it 's about fifteen minutes walk  .  
 which bus goes there  ?  
 you may take a no  .  34 bus  .  and the subway can also take you there  .  
 thank you very much  .  
 my pleasure  .  
 what kind of bag is it  ?  
 it 's blue  samsonite bag  .  
 what is your room number and your name  please  ?  
 this is room elevenseven and my name is terry chen  .  
 well  let me check . we delivered four bags to room 1106  you friend 's room about an hour ago  .  
 my friend 's room  ?  oh  i see . thanks a lot  .  
 you 're quite welcome  .  
 i see  we have explanation leaflet on the table . if you follow the directions it is quite simple  .  
 i read it  but i could n't understand it . would you come to my room and tell me how to use them  ?  
 oh  certainly  .  
 and also tell me how to use other switches  .  
 i see  sir . those two ladies in front of your room did the same thing twenty minutes ago  .  
 oh  did they  ?  well  would you give us an extra key to the room  ?  
 i 'm afraid we have no extra key . so i 'll send somebody to your room  .  
 by the way  what should i do with the key when i go out  ?  
 please drop it at the front desk when you leave tie hotel  .  
 would you turn off the tap  ?  
 i did it  .  
 then will you put all the towels under the bathroom door  ?  
 ok  .  i will  .  
 i 'll have our housekeeper come right away  .  
 i 'm sorry i was too tired to fall asleep  .  
 when you woke up  the water was coming out of the tub  .  
 right . can i compensate for the damage with the travel accident insurance  ?  
 yes . may i help you  ?  
 this is room 1425 . we asked for the room service an hour ago  .  
 we 're very sorry to cause you a lot of inconvenience  .  
 what 's the matter  ?  
 we 're rather busy right now . it will take another 15 minutes  .  
 is it really going to take that long  ?  will you rush the order  ?  
 i 'm afraid it would take 15 minutes at most  .  
 ah  well  we have no choice  .  
 oh  is there  ?  which room is it  ?  
 it 's  .  i think  neighbours on the right  .  
 you mean the room thirteenthirteen  ?  
 i 'm not sure  but i think so  .  i 'm very exhausted  but i ca n't sleep  .  
 all right  ma 'am  .  i 'll check and tell them to be quiet  .  
 if next room is still noisy  could you give me a different room  please  ?  
 where do you think you lost it  ?  outside the hotel  ?  
 yes  i believe so . how should i compensate for this  ?  
 i 'm afraid  ma 'am  you have to pay u  .  s  .   100 since you lost the key  .  
 what  !  one hundred u  .  s  .  dollars . is it covered by the insurance  ?  
 i 'm afraid no . it is not covered by this insurance  .  
 you can take the subway to get there 
 how long will i take it to get there  ?  
 it  s takes only about 10 minutes 
 may i take a bus or a taxi to get there  ?  
 you can take no  .  1 bus or taxi 
 excuse me  .  sir  .  where is the no  .  1 bus stop  ?  
 pleas turn right at the traffic lights  .  
 thank you very much 
 when it comes to that  i have a lot to say  .  
 then say it  .  
 when i went back to my doctor to hear the results of my lab tests  i tried to keep a poker face even though i was scared to death  .  then you guess what he said  .  
 that  s just what i want to know  .  
 he told me the tests were negative and there was nothing wrong with me  .  
 it says on the bottle here that you can have two refills  .  
 yes  i need to refill it today  .  
 alright  .  i 'm sorry  miss  .  according to our file  this prescription has already been refilled twice  .  
 i was worried about that  .  i could n't remember if i had it refilled twice yet or not  .  
 well  it looks like you have . you will need to see your doctor to get a new prescription  .  
 listen  .  this is an emergency  .  i tried to call my doctor  but he is out of town  .  so i ca n't see him in time  .  i need this medicine  .  it is for skin condition  .  i 've run out . can you just refill it once more  ?  
 i 'm sorry  miss  .  we ca n't do it  .  we must follow the prescription . and this prescription has run out  .  
 but i need it  .  please  .  refill it for me just this once  .  i can go to the doctor around ten days from now  .  then i 'll have another prescription  .  
 miss  i understand your problem . but it is against the law for us to sell certain medicines without a prescription . it s the law  .  i ca n't do anything about it . we never sell medicine unless we have a proper prescription  .  never  .  
 but i have a prescription  .  i just need more of it  .  
 a prescription must be valid  .  it cannot be an expired prescription  .  i 'm sorry  miss  .  it 's the law . you will have to find another doctor who will prescribe this for you  .  
 oh  it will be so expensive  !  i have a special medical plan  and i can only see one doctor . it will cost me a lot of money to see another doctor  .  
 miss  i just ca n't help you on this  .  i 'm a pharmacist  not a doctor  .  and there are other customers i need to help now  .  i know it is frustrating when this happens . but there is nothing i can do about it  .  i 'm sorry  .  
 this is ridiculous  !  in taiwan  it is much easier to get medicine when i need it  .  
 maybe that 's true  .  i do n't know . but i 'm sure in taiwan you have prescriptions too  .  
 doctor  i have a bad cough and a headache  .  
 do you have a fever  ?  
 i do n't know  but i feel terrible  .  
 let me examine you  .  do n't worry  .  it 's nothing serious  .  
 do you think i should lie in bed  ?  
 yes  stay in bed and drink a lot of water  .  your fever will be gone in a day or two  .  
 ok  .  do you think i can play football tomorrow  ?  
 of course not  .  you need a good rest  .  
 ok  i 'll listen to you  .  
 i 've got a sore throat and my chest hurts  .  
 have you got a headache  ?  
 yes  i ache all over  .  
 are you coughing much  ?  
 a little bit  .  
 now  let me listen to your chest  .  ah  you have a temperature  .  breathe deeply  .  that 's right  .  well  do n't worry  it 's only a throat infection  .  there 's nothing wrong with your lungs  .  and how is your appetite  ?  
 it 's gone completely  .  
 show me your tongue  please  .  all right  stay in bed and keep yourself warm  .  i 'll prescribe some pills for you to take  .  
 is that all doctor  ?  
 yes  .  you 'll be better in a few days  i 'm sure  .  
 thank you  doctor  .  goodbye  .  
 goodbye  .  
 is your blood pressure  i 'm afraid  .  it 's far too high  .  
 and what 's the cause of that  ?  
 overworkamongst other things  .  you ca n't work 24 hours a day  .  you ve got to slow down  .  
 but i ca n't just slow down  .  
 you 've got to  i 'm afraid  .  and look at this  .  you weigh 200 stones  .  that 's too much for a man of your size  .  
 you mean i 've got to lose weight  ?  
 yes  .  you 've got to cut down on bread and potatoes and take more exercise  .  
 i 've got a terrible pain in my stomach  doctor  .  
 i see  .  when did it start  ?  
 it started yesterday  .  i did n't eat any supper  .  
 have you got a temperature  ?  
 i think so  .  i feel very hot  .  
 let 's see  .  yes  .  you ve got quite a high temperature  .  
 i 've got an awful headache  too  and my throat hurts  .  
 hm  .  .  i think you ve got the flu  .  
 is it serious  ?  
 no  not at all  but you must stay in bed for three days and take this medicine  .  
 how often must i take it  ?  
 three times a day after meals  .  
 thank you  doctor  .  goodbye  .  
 hello  doctor  .  
 what 's the matter  ?  
 i 've got a backache  .  
 do you often suffer from backache  ?  
 no  i do n't  .  i 've never had a bad one before  .  
 when did it start  ?  
 about four days ago  .  
 well  go home and rest in bed for two days  then you 'll feel better  .  
 can you give me some medicine  ?  it 's very painful  .  
 yes  i 'll give you some pills  .  take one a time and three times a day  and come back in three days  .  if you do n't feel  .  .  .  
 yes  but not here  .  have you got registered yet  ?  
 no  i have n't  .  where do i go for that  ?  
 the registration office  .  did you bring your records with you  ?  
 yes  .  
 is anybody here with you  ?  parents or siblings  ?  
 no  i 'm here all by myself  .  
 you are a brave kid  .  go ahead to the registration office first  then to the doctors  .  
 but i do n't know where the registration office is  .  
 it 's in the hall on the first floor  .  
 do i have to come back here after getting registered  ?  
 no  kid  .  this is the gynecology department  .  
 gynecology  ?  
 yeah  it 's only for girls  .  
 yes  it is  .  which department for  ?  
 i do n't know exactly  .  
 what 's your problem then  ?  
 i 've got a sore throat  a runny nose  and a headache  .  
 ok  i will register you with medical department  .  
 medical department  ?  are you sure  ?  
 yes  .  just go there  !  
 where is it  ?  
 it 's on the second floor  .  have you got your records  ?  
 yes  .  here you are  .  
 ok  here is your registration card  .  
 i 've got a sore throat  a runny nose and a headache  .  
 ah  .  .  .  how long have you been like this  ?  
 i am not very sure  .  maybe for three days  .  
 do you have any stomachache  ?  
 i guess so  .  it comes and goes  .  
 open your mouth and say ah  .  .  .  god  you are suffering from the swelling of tonsils  .  
 is that serious  doctor  ?  
 yes  i am sure that you got the flu  .  you need a shot  .  
 oh  doctor  .  do i have to  ?  i am afraid of needles  !  
 yes  that 's for sure  .  but it is not that bad  .  it 's gonna be all right  .  
 oh  doctor  please  .  .  .  
 be brave  young man  .  only girls cry when given an injection  .  
 you are right  .  i wo n't cry anymore  .  
 what time would you like your wakeup call  ?  
 i need two calls  one at 7 and another at 7 fifteen  .  
 that is no problem at all  of course  .  you 'll get a call at 7 o 'colock and another at 7 fifteen  .  
 then again  i think 7 fifteen is too early  .  change 7 fifteen to 7 thirty  please  .  
 so  that 'll be a call at 7 and another at 7 thirty . do you have any other requests  ?  
 not just now  but if i do think of something later  i 'll give you a ring  .  
 okay  sir  .  sleep well  .  
 certainly  .  what time would you like us to call you  ?  
 i need two wakeup calls  if you do n't mind  one at 7 and the other at 7 fifteen  .  
 not a problem  .  we 'll call you tomorrow morning at 7  and again at 7 fifteen  .  
 on second thought  you 'd better make that second call at 7 thirty instead of 7 fifteen  .  
 said  and done  .  will there be anything else  ?  
 no  that gets it for now  thank you  .  
 well  give us a call if there 's anything more we can help you with  .  
 not a problem  .  what time shall we call you  ?  
 i always hit the snooze button  so give me two calls  one at 7 and another at 7 fifteen  .  
 it 'll be our pleasure  .  we 'll call you at 7 and then at 7 fifteen  .  
 oops  cancel that  .  change the second call to 7 thirty will you  please  ?  
 no sooner said than done  .  can i help you with anything else  ?  
 no  that 's about it for now  .  thanks  .  
 okay  sir  .  have a pleasant evening  .  
 of course  .  we can give you a call anytime you like  .  
 actually  i need two calls  one at 7 and the other at 7 fifteen  .  
 your wish is our command  .  expect a call at 7  and another one at 7 fifteen  .  
 wait a minute  !  i do n't like 7 fifteen  now that i think about it  .  change it to 7 thirty  .  
 the second call is now changed to 7 thirty  .  is there anything else we can help you with  ?  
 nothing that i can think of right now  .  if something comes up  though  i 'll call you  .  
 we 're here all night long if you need anything  .  
 you finished everything in there  sir  ?  
 absolutely everything  .  
 what would you like to order  ?  
 three bottles each of perrier and jim beam  .  
 uhhuh  .  what else do you want  ?  
 the apples were great  .  could you bring a couple more up  ?  
 no problem  .  is there anything else i can get for you  ?  
 some grape juice would also be nice  .  
 i 'll get all of that for you right away  .  someone should be up shortly 
 you already finished off everything  sir  ?  
 i finished off everything  .  
 would you like anything in particular  ?  
 the perrier and the jim beam  .  let me have three more of each  .  
 beam and perrier  .  anything else  sir  ?  
 i really loved the apples in my room  .  bring me a few more  please  .  
 sure thing  .  might there by anything else  ?  
 oh  yes  speaking of fruit  bring me some grape juice  too  .  
 perrier  jim beam  apples  and grape juice  .  it will all be there shortly  sir  .  
 everything is gone  sir  ?  
 there 's not a drop left of anything  .  
 is there anything in particular you want  ?  
 yes  the perrier and the jim beam hit the spot  .  let me have three more of each  .  
 got it  .  anything else  ?  
 i really liked the apples  .  bring me a couple of apples  please  .  
 not a problem  .  anything else  ?  
 oh  yes  one more thing 
 someone will be up shortly with your order  sir  .  
 you 've drunk everything  sir  ?  
 i finished it all  .  
 do you want the whole minibar  or just certain items  ?  
 send me up three bottles each of perrier and jim beam  .  
 that 's three jim beams and three perriers  .  anything else  sir  ?  
 the apples in my room were delicious  .  bring me a few more  please  .  
 okay  .  are you sure there is n't anything else  ?  
 you know  some grape juice would be really nice  too  .  
 be patient for just a few minutes  sir  and someone will be at your door  .  
 would you tell me the nature of the problem  sir  ?  
 i have cockroaches crawling in my room  .  
 perhaps you saw a silverfish  sir  .  
 i 've seen nine more cockroaches than i wanted to see  .  
 sir  you have n't been drinking by any chance  have you  ?  
 how dare you question my statement  !  
 forgive me  .  you 're 100 percent correct  .  allow me to transfer you to my supervisor  .  
 what exactly seems to be the problem  mr  .  sandals  ?  
 i found cockroaches in my room  .  
 cockroaches  sir  ?  that 's unbelievable  .  
 i 've seen at least nine different cockroaches in my room  .  
 sir  are you sure you have n't seen the same silverfish nine times  ?  
 there are nine cockroaches in my room  .  i do n't have time for your disbelief  !  
 i apologize  .  one moment  please  while i transfer you to my supervisor  .  
 please feel free to stay as long as you want  .  you know you  re always welcome here  .  
 thank you  .  you  ve been so nice to me  .  
 is there anything else i can do for you before your leave  ?  
 no  thanks  .  you  ve done a lot for me already  .  thank you for everything  .  
 don  t mention it  .  i  ve really enjoyed your company  .  
 ok  .  commodity inspection is really an important part of our trade contract  .  
 yes  .  let 's first define the inspection right  .  
 following the rules of world business  the exporters have the right to inspect the goods before the delivery  while the importers have the right to reinspect the goods after their arrival  .  
 would you tell me how the inspection is conducted before shipment and by which agency  ?  
 inspection is to be done by the china commodity inspection and testing bureau  .  usually inspection is conducted within five days before each shipment  .  
 and can you tell me about the reinspection  ?  
 yes  .  the reinspection should be made within seven days upon the arrival  and if any discrepancy is found  the claim must be raised within one month  .  
 i see  .  how do they make testing and analysis of this item  ?  
 they always use the standard and method laid down in the contract  .  
 what if the results from the two inspections do not coincide with each other  ?  
 a seminar of technical specialists including the surveyors from both sides will be held to clarify which result is correct  .  
 that 's true  .  you need to take some time off to relax  .  
 you said it  .  i 'm looking forward to my annual vacation  .  
 when are you going to take your vacation  ?  
 later this month  .  i ca n't wait  !  
 i really envy you  .  you know i 'm not taking my vacation until december  .  
 thank you for your compliment  .  i bought this pc with my firstmonth salary  .  i am getting to know the online trade  .  
 i 'm wondering if you often trade with others on the internet  .  
 yes  i often do business through internet now  .  
 oh  really  ?  is it a good way  ?  
 yes  very gorgeous  .  sometimes  i can deal with my business without stepping out of our house  .  
 what advantages does it have  ?  
 firstly  it is convenient  .  and secondly  it has low cost  because you know you only need to pay the fee of internet service  .  
 i agree with you  .  it will cost too much when going abroad to join the exhibition  .  
 the most important is that it is very convenient  .  you know you can browse the website and send emails to your customers at any time  .  even you can have econtract with your regular customers  .  
 so cool  if we do business through other ways  it will cost a lot of time  .  
 sure  but every coin has two sides  .  doing business through the internet is not as safe as doing business through traditional ways  .  
 will you give me some suggestion  ?  
 of course  such as alabama  which is a famous website  .  
 thank you  .  maybe i will do business through internet in the future  .  
 of course  i  ve enjoyed it very much  .  i  ve met my old friends and made some new friends  .  
 we  ve all enjoyed being with you  .  when will you come back  ?  
 sometime next year  .  
 i  m looking forward to seeing you again  .  take care  .  
 the same to you  .  keep in touch  .  
 that  s true  .  i got the news yesterday  .  
 you did a good job for the company  .  so  this is your first day in the new position  .  how do you feel  ?  
 not bad  .  i  m confident  .  and i like challenges  .  
 i believe you are cut out for this position  .  
 thank you  .  
 i 'm doing the business online  .  
 can you tell me the concept of ecommerce  ?  now  many people mentioned the word  ecommerce  in front of me  .  
 ecommerce  or electronic commerce is the practice of purchasing and selling products or services over the internet  .  
 what kinds of channels can you use in ecommerce  ?  
 we can complete a trade by email  electronic data interchange and smart cards  and so on  .  
 what are the benefits of ecommerce  ?  
 firstly  it can overcome the geographic limitation  .  and secondly  ecommerce can lower the internal costs  .  and thirdly  people like us  can also open stores on internet  .  
 how things have changed now  !  
 we appreciate your intention  but the amount of your orders last year was moderate  .  
 that 's true  .  however at the fair last march  people were so interested in chinese garments that the demand this year will surely increase  .  
 do you think it will help if we appoint a local agent  ?  
 i 'm sure it will  if we are appointed your agent  .  your garments are attractive  and we  a wellestablished importer with multiple sales channels  can boost the sales  .  
 well  we 'll consider your proposal  .  
 yes  we are thinking of placing an order  .  however we would like to know what kinds of machines are available for export and in addition your sales terms  including mode of payment  discount and possible date of delivery  .  
 we supply washers of all types and sizes  .  we have years of experience in the manufacture of washers  .  
 we have read about this in your sales literature  .  could you give us some idea of your prices  ?  
 our prices compare favorably with those offered by other manufactures either in europe or anywhere else  .  here are our latest price lists  .  you will see that our prices are very attractive  .  
 do you take special orders  ?  that is  do you make machines according to the specific requirements from clients  ?  
 sure  we do  .  
 how long does it usually take you to make delivery  ?  
 as a rule  we deliver all our orders within three months after receipt of relevant l  c  .  it takes longer  of course  for special orders  .  in no case would it take longer than six months  .  
 good  .  one more thing  we 'd like you to quote us on cif basis  .  
 okay  .  no problem  .  
 well  we want to have the largest share  .  our company is much larger than yours  and we have been in business longer  .  
 let 's look at that another way  .  the major point is the value that we add  not who has been in business longer  or is bigger  .  
 what are you thinking about  ?  
 we do not want to place ourselves in an inferior position  .  we are a good  small companythat 's why you are interested  .  
 then  what would make you feel more comfortable  ?  
 if you take a 75  position in the venture  we would take a back seat to you  .  
 what day did you have it scheduled for  ?  
 my appointment was on tuesday  .  
 what time was it scheduled for  ?  
 it was for two o  clock in the afternoon  .  
 i see your appointment  .  what day would you like to switch to  ?  
 i would like to switch it to next friday  .  
 what time would you like  ?  
 i would like to come in at 10 
 fine  i will pencil that in right now  .  we will see you then  .  
 hi  dr evans  .  thanks for seeing me on such short notice  .  when i woke up this morning i had a really sore throat and a really bad cough  .  i think i am coming down with the flu  .  
 ah i see  yes you do sound rather croaky  .  well let  s have a look  shall we  ?  could you please open your mouth and say  ah   .  
 ahhhhhhhh 
 good  yes  your tonsils are a little swollen and red  .  how are your ears  blocked at all  ?  
 a little actually  .  my sinuses are a little blocked up as welli really feel terrible  .  
 ok chloe  can you please breathe in and out slowly for me while i listen to your chest  ?  you really are all bunged up  you don  t sound too good at all  .  ok  i  m going to set you up with a bunch of antibiotics  .  you will need to take these orange pills twice a day and these blue pills every evening  .  you will also have to take this cough medicine three times a day after meals  .  finally  i am giving you an inhaler to use every time you feel breathless  .   .   .  just to clear up your lungs  !  
 whoa  !  so many drugs  .   .   .  i hate swallowing pills  .  am i able to go to work  ?  
 absolutely not  !  you are highly contagious  !  you don  t want to infect the rest of your coworkers do you  ?  i recommend staying in bed for at least three days and drinking plenty of fluids so you don  t get weak and dehydrated  .  you can catch up on all the latest tv shows and movies  !  
 ok  !  would you mind writing me a doctor  s note for work  otherwise they may think i am faking it  !  
 haha  sure not a problem  !  here you are . now off you go and away to bed  .  if you have any questions just give me a call  !  feel better soon and take care  .  
 thanks doc  bye  !  
 when you made your appointment  what day did you choose  ?  
 my appointment was on wednesday  .  
 at what time was that appointment  ?  
 it was for 4 
 i can see the appointment that you had  .  what day do you need to change to  ?  
 i want to change to next tuesday  .  
 what time would you prefer  ?  
 i would prefer three o  clock in the afternoon  .  
 i will put you down for that time  .  thank you for calling to reschedule  .  
 alright  .  have you been to this hospital before  ?  
 no  i have n't  .  i need help quick  .  it hurts really badly  .  
 i understand  .  it 's good you came to the emergency room  .  
 let me see a doctor  .  
 i 'm sorry  sir  .  you will need to wait at least a short time . we are very busy tonight  .  there was a big car accident on highway 106  .  
 i thought this was the emergency room  .  
 it is  .  but unless you are critically injured  you still need to wait . you are n't bleeding  are you  ?  
 no  .  only a little  .  i fell off my porch  .  
 oh  that 's terrible  .  is it your right arm or your left arm  ?  
 my left arm  .  
 can you fill out this form then  ?  
 no  i ca n't  .  i 'm lefthanded  .  
 that 's very inconvenient for you then . you ll probably have a cast on your left arm  .  
 yes  .  but why do i have to fill out a form anyway  ?  this is the emergency room  .  
 yes  it is  .  but even in emergency rooms there is some paperwork to be done . have you ever been in an emergency room before  ?  
 no  .  just let me see a doctor  .  i 'm worried about my arm  .  
 be brave  sir  .  it wo n't be long  .  i will fill out the form for you  .  what is your name  ?  
 steve schliessman  .  s c h l i e s s m a n  .  
 alright steve  .  your social security number  ?  
 34995 8821  .  
 do you have medical insurance  ?  
 yes  i do  .  blue cross  .  
 do you have your insurance card with you  ?  
 no  i do n't  .  
 well  you can call it in later  .  you can phone us  .  
 can i sit down now  ?  
 first i need to get your address  .  try to move your arm as little as possible  .  
 look at me  .  i look so old  !  i look as if i were thirty  .  
 come on  !  stop being so vain  .  you look great  !  you are beautiful  !  
 yes  i am  but i think it  s time for some plastic surgery i  m tired of these wrinkles and sagging skin  .  see  ?  
 i don  t see any wrinkles or sagging skin  !  you are 25  stop being ridiculous  .  besides  i think that people who get boto  have facelifts  or tummy tucks look weird  .  it doesn  t look natural  .  
 whatever  i think i  m gonna get liposuction and a nose job and some breast implants as well  .  
 i think you need to get brain surgery  .  i honestly don  t think you need cosmetic surgery  .  you look amazing  .  
 i thought you were my friend and would support me on this  !  i just want to feel better about myself and feel more attractive  .  
 you don  t need plastic surgery to do that  .  you are fine the way you are and you have guys drooling all over you  !  plus  plastic surgery hurts  !  
 really  ?  
 yeah  !  when i got my nose job i was black and blue for a week  !  
 what day was your appointment on  ?  
 my appointment was on monday  .  
 what time had you chosen  ?  
 it was for 10 
 i am looking at your appointment right now  .  what day would you prefer  ?  
 i would prefer next thursday  .  
 what time would be best for you  ?  
 i want to come in at 2 
 i am writing you down for that time  .  we look forward to seeing you  .  
 hey doc  .  well  i think i might need glasses  .  i  m getting headaches  and i really struggle to see things that are far away  .  but i have always had 2020 vision  .  
 sounds like you may be farsighted  .  ok  then  cover your left eye and read the chart in front of you  .  
 mmm  .  .   .  x  e  r  3  a question mark  and i can  t quite make out the other symbol but i think it  s the peace sign  .  
 wow  arthur  !  you  re as blind as a bat  !  
 yeah  i know  my vision is really blurry at times  .  
 ok then  head on over to the other room and pick out some frames while i fill out your prescription  .  
 thanks doc  !  
 arthur  that  s the bathroom  .  
 no  i have n't been registered  .  
 are you a medical or surgical case  ?  
 i 'm a medical case  .  
 do you have your medical history sheet with you  ?  
 yes  here you are  .  
 please fill in this admission card  .  well  how long do you expect to stay in the hospital  ?  
 the doctor told me to stay about one month  .  
 but there 're no beds available now  .  two patients will be discharged this afternoon  so you 'll have to wait until then  .  
 well  when they leave the hospital  give me a call and i 'll come back  .  
 certainly  .  see you in the afternoon  .  
 yes  i need this prescription please  .  
 let  s see  .  okay  so 50 mg of prozac  would you prefer this in capsule or tablet  ?  
 capsules are fine  .  
 okay  you should take 1 capsule 3 times a day  .  be sure not to take it on an empty stomach  and also  don  t ever mix it with alcohol  !  
 yes  i know  .  it  s not the first time i  m taking this  !  don  t worry  i won  t overdose  !  
 okay  anything else i can get you  ?  
 oh  yes  i almost forgot  !  can i also get some eye drops and um  some condoms  ?  
 sure  .  darn condoms aren  t registered in our system  .  
 oh  well that  s okay  i  ll get some later  thanks  .  .  .  really it  s no problem  .  
 just hang on there a sec  .  can i get a price check on  fun times ribbed condoms  please  !  
 hey doc  .  well  i think i might need glasses  .  i  m getting headaches  and i really struggle to see things that are far away  .  but i have always had 2020 vision  .  
 sounds like you may be farsighted  .  ok  then cover your left eye and read the chart in front of you  .  
 mmm  .  .   .  x  e  r  3  a question mark  and i can  t quite make out the other symbol but i think it  s the peace sign  .  
 wow  arthur  !  you  re as blind as a bat  !  
 yeah  i know  my vision is really blurry at times  .  
 ok then  head on over to the other room and pick out some frames while i fill out your prescription  .  
 thanks doc  !  
 arthur  that  s the bathroom  .  
 thank you  mr  .  owens  for taking time out of your busy schedule to interview me  .  
 you  re welcome  .  i appreciate your coming  .  
 when can i contact you about your final decision  ?  
 we need to consider several other applicants and we hope to make a decision by the end of this month  .  we will call you regardless of whether you are hired or not  .  
 thanks a lot  !  i will look forward to the good news  .  please call me at this number between nine and eleven in the morning  .  
 well  i really appreciate your coming today  .  
 the pleasure is mine  .  it  s nice talking with you  .  goodbye  mr  .  owens  .  
 goodbye  .  
 thank you  .  so pleasant to meet you here  !  
 i heard that you are interested in our silk skirts and new style of coats  .  
 yes  i 've brought a list of your recent products with me  .  we 'd like to import some of your latest clothes for the second half of this year  .  we 're ready to place an order with you  .  
 great  !  b  most of the items listed are available this year  .  i hope we can come to an agreement and sign the contracts  so as to enable our timely delivery  .  
 that sounds good  .  but i have a proposal now  .  
 what 's the proposal  ?  
 both of our two parties were involved in the discussion previously  .  shall we also allow some of our clients to join us  ?  
 good idea  !  in this way  our clients needs will be met and disagreements between the two parties avoided  .  
 sounds like we have the same idea  .  
 good morning  .  yes  i am  .  but i  m sorry i don  t think i know you  .  
 no  you don  t  .  my name is liu lili  .  i got the information from the tv that your department wants to hire a clerk  who will work under you  .  i would like to apply for the job  .  
 oh  yes  .  we do have such a commercial  .  sit down  please  miss liu  .  i  m glad to see you  .  could you tell me about yourself first  ?  
 ok  .  i  m 24 this year  .  i earned my college diploma from the night college of foreign languages institute in 2010  .  my major is english  .  recently i  ve also earned my degree in secretarial technology  .  
 could you tell me about your work experience  ?  
 of course  .  i  ve been working as an office clerk in the textile company since my graduation  .  i do a lot of things  such as typing  handling the daily correspondence  arranging meetings and so on  .  
 do you enjoy your work  ?  
 to be frank  not very much  because i can  t use much what i  ve learned in my work  .  i enjoy doing more challenging work  .  
 well  according to your experience  perhaps you could tell me what essential qualities a personnel department office clerk should maintain  .  
 of course  .  first of all  she must have a strong sense of responsibility  .  
 good  .  go on  please  .  
 she must be an honest person  .  
 anything else  ?  
 she must also be diligent and do a lot of things on her own initiative  .  
 good  .  the work includes keeping the files  .  have you got any practical experience with that  ?  
 well  no  .  but i took related courses  .  i can gain experience quickly  .  i  m sure i can do the job well  .  
 correct  .  i have expected to visit here for a long time  .  so fortunate for me  i can realize this expectation and meet you  arden  and your kindhearted staff in your company  .  
 i am so honored to hear that  .  well  after staying here for several days  you must have some ideas about our company  .  we have been in the clothes field for many years  and yours brand is also wellknown in the country  .  how about our cooperation  ?  
 that is one of reasons why i am here now  .  i am really willing to have some cooperation with your company  .  
 we intend to establish business relationship with your company on the basis of equality and mutual benefit  .  
 thank you very much for offering me this opportunity  .  
 it has been pleasant talking with you  .  
 i have enjoyed talking with you too  .  thank you  .  
 may i call you at your home about our final decision  ?  
 yes  please  .  my telephone number is 367  1314  .  you can call me between four and six in the afternoon  .  
 we 'll get in touch with you by next wednesday  .  thank you for your interest in this job  .  
 thank you for your interview  .  
 pleased to meet you  mr  .  brown  .  
 please have a seat  .  i know our employment officer has already given you the information about your employee contract  but i  d like to go over the main details again before signing the contract  .  first  you  ll be getting a monthly salary  with one month paid vacation after one year of service  .  no probation is involved  .  
 that  s what i understand  .  
 you  ll be covered by our medical plan while on duty  .  since you  ll be middleanagement  you  re expected to be available up to one hour past normal working hours  .  any approved overtime that will be paid at time  which you can take as salary or time off  .  
 exactly my understanding  .  
 a reasonable number of sick days will be covered by the company  .  any extended illness will be covered by insurance  .  have you read the other terms of the contract  ?  
 yes  i have  .  
 do you have any questions  ?  
 just one  .  i noticed an item about flextime  .  is that a possibility for me  ?  
 yes it is  but you  ll have to discuss the details with your manager  .  
 good  .  now  if you  ll just sign here  you can start work in 3 days  .  
 i am here to have a discussion on your company 's investment issue  .  
 sorry  could you tell me your name  ?  
 i am james pond from fam company and i am here to discuss it with nova  .  
 do you have an appointment  ?  
 yes  i did it yesterday  .  our meeting should be 2 pm  .  
 i guess she forgot your meeting  .  she is attending an important meeting in the company  .  will you have a seat  ?  may i leave a memo for her  ?  
 thank you  .  
 she will be back soon  .  
 firstly  we can provide our meeting agenda before he comes  .  and then on the day when he is coming  we wait for him at the gate of our company 's gate  .  
 well  that 's right  .  how about on a formal occasion  ?  what should i say to show my gratitude  ?  
 it 's an honor and a privilege to receive a visit from such a distinguished group  .  
 and then  what should we do next when you meet the guests  ?  
 maybe we should send them to the reserved hotel for a short break  meanwhile we can also raise a question on what they want to have and know  .  
 that sounds good  fred  !  
 i suppose we can bring him to visit our company  as well as our display room  .  in this way  he can know more about our company and our potential power  .  in my opinion  visiting the factory will help him learn our manufacturing process very much  .  
 en  you are right  and he will trust us and maybe the contract will be signed soon  .  but remember to keep some skills of our manufacturing secret  .  on one hand  show his our best side  on the other hand  do not show too much to protect our own business secrets  .  
 well  i understand  .  
 please make a detailed schedule on the visit this afternoon  .  
 i really want to stay a little longer  but i still have a meeting to attend  .  all in all  i am so impressed by your hospitality and your warm welcome  .  thank you for the trouble you have taken  .  
 just as what i said in my welcome speech  mr  .  ross 's visit to our company is meaningful for both our two companies  .  thank you very much for your visiting  .  we will miss you all the time  .  
 during my trip here  i learned a lot and i get to know our choice of choosing your company as our partner is definitely right  .  i can feel and sense the potential of your company  .  and at last i wish our further cooperation will be sound and successful  .  
 that 's our pleasure  .  mr  .  ross  your visit leaves gorgeous memory here  .  and i hope mr . halmiton  the president of your company can also have the chance to visit our company soon  .  remember me to him  please  .  
 of course  i will  .  
 yes  .  quite good  .  perhaps you 're very interested in the social benefits  .  
 yes  i think it is possible more important than the salary  .  
 really  ?  we would like to start you off at 2000 yuan a month  excluding bonus and overtime pay  .  
 good  about the essential living conditions  ?  
 well  we 'll supply you with an apartment of a bedroom and a living room  .  
 i see  .  i 'm a female  .  are there any special benefits for me  ?  
 yes  in our company  the women have a twoweek vacation a year  besides this  if you are a married woman  maternity leave for some months is permitted  .  
 i think it is very necessary for us  .  i wonder whether i am on holiday with payment every year  .  
 yes  you have a paid month holiday every year  .  
 right  .  how about the unemployment compensation and the retirement pension  ?  
 well  we are only responsible for the retirement pension  .  about the unemployment compensation  this will be given by the government  .  
 yes  i see  .  
 so it seems  .  and what are you going to do about that  ?  
 i guess i 'll have to buy a new alarm clock  .  
 yes  i did  ms  .  chen  .  
 that 's strange  .  i have mr  .  lin on the phone right now  and he says that he did n't receive any email from us yesterday  .  are you sure you sent it  ?  
 i 'm positive  ms  .  chen  .  
 i 'm making three thousand yuan a month at my present work  .  i should not  of course  make a change for less  .  could you provide me with a monthly salary of four thousand yuan  ?  
 i don  t think we can give you that much as the starting salary  .  
 you know  mr  .  allen  nowadays this starting salary is not high based on my skills and experience  .  
 maybe  but there are many fringe benefits here  .  
 what are they  ?  
 additional to medical benefits  we also offer a rent free house and the use of a car  .  
 but i have my own car and my own house  .  
 ok  4000 yuan a month  .  
 thank you very much  .  
 not at all  it 's reasonable  .  
 the reason for my application for this position is simple  .  my educational background and professional experience make me qualified for the job  .  
 do you have any particular conditions that you would like the company to take into consideration  ?  
 oh  just one thing  could you give me some ideas of the pay  ?  
 what salary do you get for your present position  ?  
 2000 rib per month  .  
 what starting salary would you expect here  ?  
 3000 rib per month  .  
 no problem  we pay 3000 rib per month  .  plus a 20  commission on all  a company car and other benefits  .  all travelling expenses will be reimbursed by the company  .  do you have any other questions  ?  
 no  that 's all  .  
 we would like to start you off at 1500 yuan a month  not including bonus and overtime pay  .  we don  t give bonus every month  but we offer a semiannual bonus  .  and you will receive two weeks paid vacation a year  as well  .  does it suit you  ?  
 yes  thank you  .  may i ask for an apartment  ?  
 no problem  .  we 'll supply you with an apartment of two bedrooms and a living room  .  
 really  ?  wow  it is great  .  
 we try to get everyone in the upper management team a nice office  .  
 i suppose so  .  it 's great  .  
 i 'm glad you like it  .  
 yes  is there a coffee machine around here  ?  
 yes  we have a coffee machine and some other beverages in the break room  .  
 where is the break room  ?  
 it 's just down the hall  the fourth door on your right  .  
 got it  .  
 you can always call me if you need anything and i will get it for you  .  
 thank you  .  
 well  i got  3000 per month  .  
 i see  .  i am sure we can offer you  3  500 at the beginning  .  would that be satisfactory  ?  
 yes  i think so  .  that would be more than i have wished  .  
 good  .  we also have health insurance  bonus and paid vacation  .  when can you begin to work  ?  
 what about early next week  ?  
 good  .  please come in on monday  .  working hours are from eight to fourthirty  .  lunch is fiftyfive minutes  .  
 yes  sir  .  
 thank you  .  
 according to your performance  i decided to give you a salary increase  .  from next month  there will be a 2000 yuan raise to your salary  .  although your first raise might not sound considerable  the company believes that with your ability  sooner or later you 'll get a better raise  .  
 thank you very much  .  mr  .  george  .  as a newcomer  i understand that you have your consideration and i am satisfied with the raise  .  
 i think you deserved this  .  
 thank you again  .  i 'll keep doing my best  .  
 i 'm paid on a salary  .  
 what 's your monthly salary  ?  
 at present i get 1800 yuan per month  .  
 how much do you hope to get a month here  ?  
 that 's not the problem i care about  .  you can decide on my capacity and experience  .  
 if we decide to hire you  we 'd pay you two thousand and five hundred yuan a month at the start  .  you can have saturdays and sundays off  .  besides  you may have a paid month holiday every year  .  how do you think about it  ?  
 thank you  mr  .  brown  .  i really appreciate your assistance  .  
 i 'd like to speak to someone in your accounts department  please  .  
 just a moment  .  .  .  i 'm afraid there 's nobody there right now  .  could i take a message  ?  
 yes  please  .  my name 's michael caxton from one of your customers  rosedale investments  .  
 sorry  just a moment  .  the name is caxton  .  .  .  
 no  it 's caxton  .  
 fine  i 've got that  .  and your company is  .  .  .  
 rosedale investments  .  
 could you spell that  please  ?  
 it 's r  o  s  e  d  a  l  e  .  
 thank you  .  and the message  ?  
 it 's about an invoice which is wrong  .  
 have you got the number there  ?  
 um  .  .  .  yes  .  .  .  it 's 856674  ros  .  
 856674  .  
 that 's right  .  
 ok  i 'll get someone to phone you first thing in the morning  .  
 thank you very much  .  
 how do you spell that  ?  
 m  a  double r  i  o  double t  .  
 right  .  got that  .  
 could you put me through to dan aykroyd  ?  
 he 's on holiday for the week  i 'm afraid  .  can i help  ?  
 could you leave him a message  ?  
 sure  .  
 could you tell him that horst weissmuller phoned  .  
 you 'd better spell that  !  
 of course  .  it 's h  o  r  s  t  then w  e  i  s  s  m  u umlaut  l  l  e  r  .  
 right  i think i 've got that  .  ok  what 's the message  ?  
 just tell him i 'll call him when i get back from australia  .  that 's it  .  
 ok  will do  .  bye  .  
 thanks  .  bye  .  
 could you spell that please  ?  
 of course  .  c  y  g  n  e  t  .  
 cygnet  .  ok  i 've got that  .  
 how often do you service the vans  ?  
 they 're serviced regularly  .  we give them a basic service every 10000 km or so and a main service once a year  or every 100000 km  .  
 i see  .  what does the service involve  ?  
 well  the same as for private vehicles really  but we do it more often because they get a lot of wear and tear  .  
 can you carry out major repairs here  ?  
 yes  we 've got all the necessary equipment  .  we can give the engines a major overhaul  .  if there 's a serious problem  we strip down the engine and find the faulty component  .  would you like to look around  ?  
  beep  this is miriam lavalle  that 's spelt l  a  v  a  l  l  e  .  it 's about an appointment i made with simon meredith  .  i 'm afraid i 'm going to have to change it  .  can you call me  ?  the number is 01563 566 770  .  thank you  .  
 i agree  but the maintenance team is fully stretched dealing with problems  .  we do n't have time to carry out any preventive maintenance  .  
 we need to establish routine maintenance procedures  .  it costs us too much in lost production if we wait until something breaks down before we fix it  .  
 we take very good care of this particular pump  .  it 's a crucial part of our process  .  we clean it and flush it through at the end of every shift  we check the high pressure seals  recalibrate the gauges and lubricate all moving parts weekly  .  we replace the gaskets every month  .  
 how do you decide how often these things need to be done  ?  
 well  from experience we can predict the lifespan of different components  .  we try to replace components before they fail or wear out  .  this prevents the equipment from breaking down  .  it also saves us a lot of trouble  !  
 it depends what it is  .  once we have disconnected the unit  we do as many jobs as we can  .  if there is something that is n't broken but might cause a problem before the next service then of course we repair it or replace that part  .  but if it 's not urgent  we make a note in the service record to carry out that repair next time  .  
 i 'm afraid not  we 're very shortstaffed at the moment  .  can you ask the shift supervisor to ask one of his team to do some overtime  ?  perhaps tommy can stand in for an hour or two until we find a replacement  .  
 i think applied sociology is a practical subject that can be widely applied to research on society and man  .  hence  i chose it as my major  .  
 have you taken the course in public relations when you are in college  ?  
 i am sorry to say i have n't  but i have taken many other courses that concerns the pr  such as social psychology  public affairs and mass communication  .  
 yes  mr  .  li  .  
 how about the microphone and speakers  ?  
 i also have done it  .  
 good  .  have you prepared some paper and pencils for the participants  ?  
 yes  .  they have been laid by their name cards on the meeting table for each attendant  .  
 oh  that 's right  .  and the general manager asked me to report the company 's sales for last year at the meeting  .  
 by the way  the meeting will be held in your office  .  
 ok  thank you very much  .  
 not at all  .  that 's what i should do  .  
 yes  i worked as a doctor at beijing people 's hospital  .  
 how long have you been there  ?  
 a little over 3 years  .  
 in what section did you work in the hospital  ?  
 i worked in the infection medicine division  .  
 fine  .  i have your letter and i 've made some notes  .  
 how can i find out what countries to invest  ?  
 we have quite a lot of import and export information and can give you figures on population  consumption  production  and foreign exchange reserves  .  
 great  .  i want to get an idea for the purchasing ability in various countries  .  
 but you 're also going to have to give some attention to trade restrictions  .  you can get much information about environment of investment  .  
 our country is a free trade nation  .  she was mainly agriculture and rather a backward country and mow has developed into a modern highly industrialized state with an expanding economy  .  parallel to this  her dependence upon foreign trade has increased  .  increased output generates a greater need for raw materials  semifinished products and capital goods  .  thus  .  in many fields  our country is an important and growing market for exporters from other countries  .  but this does n't mean that our country is an easy market  because of a liberal import policy and the high standard in our market is keen  .  
 well  what about price  ?  
 the price factor can be a useful instrument for exporters when trying to place their products in industrialized countries  .  of course  marketing goods abroad is not only a question of price  .  there are also other important factors such as design  quality of goods  terms of sale  transport and insurance  .  
 let me see  about five years  we established our business relationship with hua mei of china import  export corporation in 2003  .  
 do you have any difficulties in doing business in china  ?  you know the chinese economic legislation is still incomplete  ?  
 i do n't think i have any problem with our chinese partners  .  they have always followed the contract strictly  .  we can do business directly with the corporation  .  as i mentioned before  the chinese government is trying very hard to perfect its law  .  its commercial legislation provides legal protection for foreign companies  .  
 well  it 's known that the sinoamerican relation is in a dilemma  .  does it influence your business in china  ?  
 actually not at present  .  but we are afraid it will  .  you know policies influence business to some extent  .  i hope our government will not be influenced by some extremists  .  china is really a large market  .  we do n't want to lose it  .  
 thank you  .  
 you 're welcome  .  
 i think i am very good at planning  .  i manage my time well so that i can always get things done on time  .  
 what is your weakness  ?  
 i always give each job my best efforts  so when others are not pulling their weight  i am frustrated  .  
 what is your greatest accomplishment  ?  
 i got the scientific research prize from the gansu government for my achievements in the northwest regional economy development research project  .  
 can you work under pressure  ?  
 working under pressure is exciting and challenging  .  i don  t mind  .  in fact  i am very efficient when certain pressure is exerted on the work  .  
 what are the problems you have encountered in your job and how do you solve them  ?  
 there was a time when both the clerical assistant and the secretary resigned at the same time  .  i then had to handle their work temporarily  .  the workload was incredibly heavy  .  so i started to set priorities for the jobs and hired parttime staff to handle routine work  .  finally  i managed to keep the operation smooth until we found someone to fill the vacancy  .  
 how do you deal with those who you think are difficult to work with  ?  
 i stick to my principles and keep to the rules  .  sometimes  they just lack enthusiasm and i get them involved with something constructive  .  some of them change their attitude later  .  
 i can write computer programs  i have a good command of secretarial skills  .  
 what qualifications have you got  ?  
 i have a doctor license and a driving license  .  
 do you get special training in office skills  ?  
 i passed both the cambridge examinations  first certificate and the certificate of proficiency in english  and studied for a year in london at the lucas secretarial college  ending with speeds of 120 words per minute in english shorthand and 50 words per minute in typing  .  i was also trained in office procedure  .  
 please tell me about work you have done  which qualifies you for this job  .  
 i  ve received some special training in typing  shorthand and operating a fax machine  etc  .  .  i  m experienced in ibmpc  .  i can operate familiarly a wordprocessor  a fax machine  a photo and other office equipment  .  
 yes  i have  mr  .  thomas  .  we 'll pack them two dozen to one carton  and the gross weight is around 25 kilos a carton  .  
 there are 3 secretarial categories here  .  one is receptionist  one is junior secretary  and the other is senior secretary  .  
 what sort of duties do you expect  ?  
 i would like to be able to work independently and take over some ordinary responsibilities such as answering routine correspondences  taking phone calls  and sometimes assisting you with personal business affairs  .  
 you 're right  .  i think it  s time to seek professional help  .  
 what do you mean  ?  
 i know you don  t want to pay for a job  but i think it  s time we consulted a headhunter  .  
 you  re right  i don  t want to pay  but i don  t want to live without pay  either  .  
 ha  ha  ha  !  i agree  .  that  s not much fun  .  
 do you have anyone in mind  ?  
 actually i do  .  
 who  ?  
 cooke  co  .  does a lot of placements in your field  .  
 ya  they do  .  anyone else come to mind  ?  
 not at the moment  but i  ll let you know  .  
 yes  i 'd like to know if the company provides opportunities for further education  .  
 yes  our employees are allowed to take up 2 days a month to attend college courses  .  
 that 's very generous  .  
 i 've enjoyed the conversation with you  .  we 'll call you within 5 working days  .  
 thank you  .  i appreciate the time you 've given to me  .  
 fully agree  .  i do enjoy the convenience though i am still a beginner in using excel  .  the latest office equipment is more typefunctional  .  it combines fax machine  copy machine and printer in one  .  it saves a lot of place  one machine instead of three  .  
 yes  this machine is even smaller than those before  .  
 when will we get one of those  ?  
 you know our boss always trying to save the last penny  .  we have to use up the equipment first  .  
 please call me or send email  .  could you please let me know when your organization can make a decision  ?  
 about one week  .  
 i really appreciate your time and help  .  see you then  .  
 i guess there is some kind of virus seeking into my computer  i can  t send out this email  .  do you have the number of the text port  ?  
 yes   .  do you mind i have a look at your computer  ?  
 of course not  i appreciate that  .  
 well  it has nothing to do with virus  .  the problem is your attachment is a bit larger  .  it has exceeded the email capacity  .  
 i see  .  what can i do now  ?  
 you can send a compressed one  .  
 yes  i think i speak english quite fluently  .  i 've often explained historical places in xi 'an to foreign tourists in english  .  they say my english is quite good  .  
 how many years have you been learning english  ?  
 oh  more than ten years  .  i started learning english when i was still in a primary school from a foreign teacher  .  
 well  perhaps that 's the reason why you are so fluent in it  .  
 certainly  .  
 i am quite alive and energetic  .  i am a curious person  and i like to learn new things  .  
 do you think you are introverted or extroverted  ?  
 i am quite outgoing  i think  .  
 how do you get along with people whose characters are different from your own  ?  
 i try to adapt myself  .  
 i 'll go and quit my job in the abc company  .  
 can you start on monday  ?  
 i 'm afraid not  but can you make it thursday afternoon  ?  
 that 's all right  .  when you come  ask for smith  ok  ?  
 yes  .  see you then  .  
 hi  i am sorry to say that your experience does n't fit the job at all  .  
 sorry to hear that  but could you inform me why i failed  ?  
 i have to say your education and experience are very outstanding  but it seems that you are not good at working in a team which we attach great importance to  .  
 same here  .  i 've been looking forward to this  .  
 i  m sorry i kept you waiting so long  .  i 'm running a little late today  .  
 no problem  .  that happens to all of us  it goes badly with the traffic  .  
 thank you  .  can i offer you some refreshment  ?  
 why not  thank you  .  a little tea would be nice  .  
 my full name is zhang yong  .  zhang is the surname or family name  .  
 how do you spell your family name  ?  
 zhang  z  h  a  n  g  .  
 what is your present address  ?  
 my present address is no  .  415 green street  .  this is also my permanent address  .  
 may i ask your telephone number  ?  
 my telephone number is 4837625  .  
 where are you from  ?  
 i 'm from guangdong  .  
 may i ask the date of your birth  ?  
 my birthday is june 14th  1985  .  
 yes  it 's true  .  
 what about the foreign bank  ?  
 it 's a branch of the bank of america in beijing  .  
 what are the requirements  ?  
 the applicant must be alert and quick at figures  and like meeting the public  .  
 would you be using english every day in this job  ?  
 yes  .  because the customers are mostly americans  .  
 the pay must be good  .  
 yes  starting salary is 6000 yuan a month plus bonuses  .  
 yes  i am  .  
 how long have you been married  ?  
 i have been married for three years  .  
 how many people are there in your family  ?  
 there are three people in my family  .  
 who are the members of your family  ?  
 my wife  my daughter and i  .  
 working for your company  as the top administrative assistant in your firm  !  
 good answer  b  good answer  !  seriously  though  are you interested in staying in a stafflevel position  or would you hope to move into management someday  ?  
 well  i have n't thought much about this  .  i think it 's too early to tell  .  what is most important for me now is to do the best possible job for the company and learn and develop my skills as much as possible  .  
 my major is business administration  i am especially interested in marketing  .  
 which university are you attending  ?  
 i attended suzhou university  .  
 have you received any degrees  ?  
 yes  .  i received my bachelor degree in business administration  .  
 what course did you like best  ?  
 project management  .  i was very interested in this course when i was a student  .  and i think it 's very useful for my present work  .  
 do you feel that you have received a good general training  ?  
 yes  i have studied in an english training program and a computer training program since i graduated from university  .  i am currently studying finance at a training school  .  
 english and computer skills are comparatively important to this post  especially in the starting period  .  wharfs your ability in these two fields  ?  
 i passed college english test band  4  with good skill in listening  speaking  reading and writing  .  i have n't got any certificate of computer skills  because i don  t think certificates are necessary if what 's needed is merely operating a computer  .  i think  to know how to use a computer is more important  .  and i 'm quite familiar with microsoft office 
 yeah  i  ve been working so much overtime lately  .  
 really  ?  how come  ?  
 my boss gave me a big project  .  i had to have it finished it by this morning  .  it was so difficult  !  
 you shouldn  t work so hard  .  
 i know  .  but hard work pays off  you know  .  
 what do you mean  ?  
 maybe now i  ll get that promotion i was hoping for  .  
 i am studying at beijing university  .  i major in civil law  .  
 why did you choose beijing university  ?  
 because beijing university is the best university in china and i 'm sure i am one of the best students  .  
 what courses have you learned  ?  
 i have learned many courses  such as civil law  economic law  commercial law and administration law  .  
 which one is your favorite  ?  why  ?  
 civil law  .  because it is broad and profound  and furthermore  it best reflects the spirits of fairness and equality  .  
 what was your minor subject  ?  
 psychology  .  
 i finished young primary school in 1998  and entered xi  an middle school that same september  .  i graduated from there in july of 2004  and that september i entered wuhan university  where i 'm studying now  .  
 how do you think the education you have received will contribute to your work in this company  ?  
 i think i have a good understanding of fundamentals in the areas your company deals with  and i can go on from here to build up the specific skills and knowledge i need to do my job well  .  
 your graduation thesis was on medical application of laser  right  ?  what were your conclusions  ?  
 yes  .  i did some work on that  and i found out some really interesting things about the conductivity of liquid helium  .  i was sure i had a great discovery until my teacher told me the same discovery already made twenty years ago  .  i think the most important thing  i learnt though  was the importance of keeping good records  .  
 good morning  !  welcome to our office  !  
 nice to meet you  !  my name is grace williams  .  
 nice to meet you too  !  i am peter smith  .  
 today is my first day at work  !  
 well  hope you will enjoy your first day  !  just ask me if you need any help  .  
 thank you  .  it 's very kind of you  .  
 you are welcome  .  
 i think so too  and you have a general understanding of the company now  .  
 yes  your company is a big one in the field and has great potential  .  
 what else do you want to know  ?  
 i want to know about the salary information in your company  .  
 then  how much do you wish to be paid each month  ?  
 i hope my starting salary will be 3000 yuan a month if i become a formal worker  .  
 we will give you more than what you hope  .  
 really  ?  that 's good news for me  .  
 you will have a sixmonth internship after you enter our company  .  during this period you can get 2500 yuan a month  and after that you can get 3500 yuan per month  .  
 it sounds great  !  
 you can also get a bonus at the end of the year  and if you can keep working in the company  your salary will get a raise every year  .  
 by the way  how many days do we work every week  ?  
 five days every week  but if it is necessary  you need to work overtime once in a while 
 ok  i see 
 mandarin is the language i spoke since i was a child  .  so i can speak it very fluently  .  
 what dialect do you understand  ?  
 i can speak and read cantonese because i worked in guangdong for many years  .  
 yes  .  i am capable of speaking english smoothly  .  i have been learning english for years  .  
 how well do you know english  ?  
 i have no trouble communicating with native english speaker  .  i even taught spoken english in a training school  .  
 yes  and i am very satisfied with it  .  
 do you have any other questions  ?  
 would you please tell me about fringe benefits of the company  ?  
 ok  we will pay insurances for employees after the probationary period  .  
 what do they include  ?  
 include endowment insurance  medical insurance  unemployment insurance  workrelated injury insurance and maternity insurance  .  
 that sounds great  .  
 employees will also have housing payment reserve funds  .  
 the fringe benefits in your company are excellent  and it 's generous of you to offer five insurances and one fund 
 do you have other questions  ?  
 i want to know if the staff can get a vacation every year  .  
 the permanent staff can have a paid monthlong vacation every year  .  besides  they also get chances of free traveling  .  
 that 's quite good  .  thank you for telling me about those  .  
 well  if you want to look professional  serious and more conservative  a blue dress  white shirt and nottoohigh shoes would be the best choice  .  but sometimes  very formal clothes will keep you at a distance from your colleagues  .  it depends on the company  s dress code  .  
 indeed  i found most of the employees dress casually when i went to the interview  .  only the manager was in suit and tie and he just came back from a ceremony  .  it seems that their dress code is not that formal  .  probably  i should put on car key and simple shirt  .  
 whatever you choose  make sure they are neat and clean  .  
 yes  i know a little about japanese which is similar to chinese not only in culture but in language itself  .  
 what band did you pass in japanese language proficiency test  ?  
 i passed the band two in lpt  but i will try to achieve band one which is the highest level  .  
 yes  .  i am sure i can  .  i was an english major in college  .  
 what about your second foreign language since you were an english major  ?  
 russian is my second foreign language and i excelled the rest of my class in russian because my father is a russian  .  
 yes  i can  .  
 mostly short business trips  but sometimes long ones are also needed  .  
 then how about the expenses during the trips  ?  
 the company will pay all the expenses  .  
 would you tell me where we often travel  ?  
 usually shanghai  qingdao  hong kong and so on  .  
 it 's great  !  i like these places  .  
 and you need to go abroad once in a while  .  can you  ?  
 yes  i can  .  
 after the business trip  you could apply for reimbursement of all the expenses  such as passage money and accommodation charges and so on  .  
 i see  .  
 you can take a break for one or two weeks after you have a business trip every time  which depends on the circumstances  .  
 ok  .  thank you very much for telling me all these things  .  
 my familiarity to computer is great  and i use computer frequently in my daily life and work  .  
 what kind of software can you use skillfully  ?  
 i am competent in using word  excel  windows and other commonly used softwares  .  
 yes  .  i have acre  national computer rank examination  certificate  rank ii  .  
 how did you get it  ?  
 i failed in my computer course once and i made up my mind to learn it well  .  then i made painstaking preparation for 3 months and i finally got it  .  
 it is especially important for the graduates who step into the job market for the first time  .  
 you 'd better prepare what you are going to say in advance  in order to have a good performance in the interview  .  
 the contents should be mainly descriptions of your background  .  and the length depends on the particular situation  .  
 only when you are aware of what the interviewer will be interested in  can you make a targeted preparation  .  
 to sell yourself successfully  you should leave the interviewer a deep impression  .  
 selling yourself should go straight to the point  and the statement should be clear and brief  .  
 it should also be truthful and realistic  .  do not blindly blow your own horn  .  
 you should particularly state your strong points which are closely related to the position you are applying for  .  
 while you should not omit your weak points  they need to be described appropriately 
 time permitted  you could add certain examples to your description  .  
 besides  in the interview  it is best that you make corresponding adjustments to apply your prepared contents flexibly  .  
 we have a kind of floating bonus on a yearly basis  .  
 can you elaborate it more concretely  ?  
 yes  .  floating bonus is the kind of bonus that is indeterminate in amount  such as quarterly bonus  bonus at the end of the year  .  
 do n't worry about such problems  .  we can deal with them for you  .  other questions  ?  
 i have no other questions  .  thank you  .  
 you are welcome  .  
 yes  sure  .  to be honest  nobody would like to work overtime  .  however  we have to if it is necessary for our company  .  i would do that if it is the call of duty  .  
 glad to hear that  .  generally  it is 2 to 3 hours more than your working hours  .  
 ok  i completely understand  .  
 yes  you have to work overtime a lot due to the editing job  .  
 is there any extra pay for that  ?  
 no  but we  ll provide you with good businesses at the end of the year  .  
 yes  we have insurance against old age  medical problems  unemployment  work injury and childbirth  .  
 how are they get paid  ?  
 insurance against old age  medical problems  unemployment will be paid by both the company and you  and the others by the company  .  
 you should first write your name and contact information  .  
 what does the contact information include  ?  
 such as your land line phone number  mobile phone number and email box  .  
 anything else  ?  
 then you should write your objectives  such as seeking a position in foreign trade  .  
 i see  .  it is the position desired 
 yes  .  after that you should emphasize your skills  educational background and related experience  .  
 i see  .  skills are about specialty  and educational background is easy as well  .  but what about related experience  ?  i have little work experience  .  
 do n't worry  .  it will take time to accumulate experience  .  you need to be confident for yourself  .  
 i see  .  by the way  should i write the educational background starting from elementary school  ?  
 generally from the college 
 thank you very much  .  i will write it right now  .  
 hello  this is wang li  .  i want to know the status of the position  .  
 sorry  i ca n't give you an immediate answer on the matter  .  it 's pending now  .  
 when can i know whether i 'm accepted or not  ?  
 in about 3 to 4 days  .  
 thank you  .  i 'll go through it and tell you  .  
 we hope you get on board with us  please let me know as soon as possible  .  
 i will  .  thank you for all  .  
 i think so  but how should we write it  ?  
 i think we should begin the letter with a salutation  and the salutation must be very formal  .  
 yes  it should be so  .  then we should write the body and in the body we should mention the place where we saw the job advertisement  .  
 we should say we are very interested in that job  and we hope to get that job  .  
 we should write our skills and let the company know we are competent for the job  .  
 for example  i have mastered business english very well  and i also know a little spanish  .  
 oh  you have recommended yourself very well  .  i should think about how to recommend myself as well  .  
 you can say you have had a firm grasp of the professional knowledge  and you can communicate with others proficiently in english  .  
 yes  .  at the end  we should conclude the letter with greetings  .  
 let 's write it at once  .  
 i 'm afraid not  .  he has a meeting tomorrow morning  .  
 could i possibly make it early in the afternoon  ?  
 no  that 's not good either  .  but give me your phone number and i 'll call you if somebody cancels  .  
 thank you very much  .  
 yes  .  i want to apply for a job you posted on the internet yesterday  .  
 what  s the job title  ?  
 service technician  .  how can i apply for this position  ?  
 you need to fill out an application form  .  
 where is it  ?  
 it is on the desk over there  .  be sure to fill out everything  .  don  t leave any blank spaces  .  when you  re done bring the application to me  .  
 okay  .  thanks  .  
 i 'm awfully sorry  i have other plan  .  
 would you prefer some other time  ?  
 i 'd love to come other time if it can be arranged  .  
 are you quite sure you can come next tuesday  ?  
 certainly  i 'll be going  .  
 what time am i supposed to pick you up  ?  
 i 'll be waiting for you in our office about nine o 'clock  .  
 ok  .  
 this is liu fang speaking  .  
 oh  good morning  mrs  .  liu  .  i 'm calling to see if you have received my resume that i sent to you by email  .  
 may i have your name  please  ?  
 my name is steven  .  may i ask whether i can have an interview  ?  
 of course  .  in my opinion  you are the strongest candidate for the job  .  
 when is it most convenient for me to visit you to talk about the position  ?  
 i want to set up an interview for you at 9 a  .  m  .  next monday in our company 's conference room  .  
 thank you very much  .  see you then  .  
 sure  .  
 when will it be convenient for her  ?  
 any time is all right  except sunday  .  
 how about ten o 'clock tomorrow  ?  
 ok  .  i 'll tell her  .  
 but steven  you 've called in sick 3 times during the last three weeks  .  
 i know  mr  .  emory  .  i 'm sorry  .  but i really need to see the doctor this afternoon  .  i feel dizzy and i ca n't concentrate on my work  .  
 all right  then  .  but do n't forget to bring a doctors note tomorrow  .  
 ok  thank you  !  
 well  administrative assistant with shorthand and typing skills are badly needed here  .  
 first i want to check about the availability and see if you could give me more information  .  
 the position calls for a person with some working experience  .  we must be able to benefit from your analytical and interpersonal skills  .  can you deliver your resume to us first  ?  
 of course  .  i will deliver my resume to you in minutes time  .  i hope you will consider my application and i shall appreciate a reply at your earliest convenience  .  
 ok  .  i will call you soon  .  bye now  .  
 bye  .  
 pleased to see you  .  welcome to our company  .  i hope you have a good day  .  
 thank you  .  can i meet my colleagues  ?  
 sure  come with me  .  hello  michael  this is steven  .  he will be part of your team  .  
 hi  steven  welcome to join us  !  
 i  ve been looking forward to meeting you  .  i am new to the working world and would appreciate your guidance  .  
 that  s right  .  just call me if you need anything  .  
 that 's great  .  
 well  as the other guys are still not in  i  ll introduce you to them later  .  
 all right  .  
 may i see the agreement first  ?  
 of course  .  here you are  .  please read the agreement and sign it  .  
  read the agreement  .   there 's a threemonth period of probation for new recruits  .  
 yes  .  if you have any question  just ask  .  by the way  do you know your rights and obligations in this agreement  ?  
 i think i know it  .  i wonder whether the agreement has the guarantee of law or not  .  
 of course  you can believe us  .  both sides should act according to the provisions of the agreement  .  please sign the agreement  .  
  sign  .   ok  i signed the agreement with the signature of my name  .  
 we are done with the agreement  .  after a threemonth probationary period  you will be confirmed in your post  .  
 i see  .  thank you very much  .  
 you are welcome  .  
 i 'd be happy to help you  .  name it  .  
 my printer is broken  .  can you print up a copy for me  ?  
 sure  no problem  .  do you want me to edit it for you  ?  
 please  you write much better than i do  .  
 oh  its nothing  .  
 all right  .  i graduated and got the degree of bachelor of economics from nanjing university 4 years ago  .  my major is international trade  .  
 can you name some terms of payment  ?  
 of course  .  irrevocable letter of credit  confirmed letter of credit  transferable and divisible letter of credit are common terms of payment in international trade  .  
 yes  i have  .  i was employed by the financial section of the university ever since i graduated  .  i worked there for 3 years  .  then i had worked in a bank for 3 years  .  
 how long did it take you to become an auditor  ?  
 very short time  .  i became an auditor within three months  .  
 do you know various funds and accounts  ?  
 yes  i enjoy working with that  .  
 great  .  we have a very pleasant working condition and i think we have a fine staff to work with  .  
 first of all  as far as i know  your company has had impressive records in business  .  second  i want to enter the foreign trade field  .  
 what was your chief responsibility in your past work  ?  
 i am in charge of marketing activities in southeast asia  for example  organizing trade conferences and arranging exhibitions  .  
 yes  may i ask something about the salary and benefits in your company  ?  
 according to our regulations  you will be on probation for the first three months  .  
 what is the salary while on probation  ?  
 in this period  you can only get the basic salary  2500 yuan per month  .  
 that sounds fine  .  
 the salary will be deposited into the bank on the 15th every month  .  your salary will be raised every year in october  depending on your performance evaluation . you can get a bonus once a year . and it 's normally in december  .  
 are there paid holidays  ?  
 yes  you may enjoy a sevenday paid holiday in the first year  .  after that  you can have two more days each year  .  
 the same with the previous speaker  we must know how things stand with us  .  
 yes  we must keep a clear mind with the tough competition  .  
 it 's the time to emphasize sense of crises  .  
 that 's right  .  
 so i wonder why you want to work for a newspaper  .  
 i did reporting for the university newspaper in my school . and i always be very interested in journalism  .  
 but journalism  it is a very different profession from administration . you know a lot about administration . why do n't you choose to work for a company looking for managers  ?  
 i study the administration . yes . but i 'm more attracted to writing articles  .  i want to use my knowledge of business to write financial news  .  
 a new reporter must expect to work many hours  .  
 i know that starting reporters work many hours  .  i 'm very willing to take on the challenge  .  
 it  s my pleasure  .  
 what are your salary expectations  ?  
 would you please tell me about your pay skill first  ?  
 we  ll offer you a monthly salary to begin with  in addition  we offer one percent commission and all your sales  .  you also enjoy life insurance and health insurance  .  what  s starting salary would you expect here  ?  
 they sum my skills and experience  .  i  d like to start it with 4000 yuan a month  .  
 that sounds reasonable  .  
 do i have paid vacation  ?  
 yes  you have 2 weeks paid vacation a year  and you get it additional week after 4 years  and then again  after 9 years if you decide to stay that long  we promote from within based on performance  so there is an excellent chance that you could become a sales manager or even a regional manager  .  
 i hope to change because my current job is not within my chosen field . since my major was international banking  i really hope to work at a bank  .  
 then  why do you want to work for our bank since it 's a new establishment in shanghai  ?  
 because your bank is a new one  i think i 'll be given more opportunities  and the working conditions and surroundings are so excellent here  .  
 it certainly is  .  but the work is also hard here  .  you need to put a lot of hard hours on the job to succeed in this field  .  
 i expect to work hard  madam  .  
 do you mind going on frequent business traps  ?  
 no  i enjoy travelling  .  
 we look forward to a further extension of our pleasant business relations  .  
 a meeting will be arranged to negotiate the relevant stuff  .  
 that will be good  .  
 good morning . mr . green . my name is helen . what can i do for you  ?  
 i read in the poster that you 're looking for a student to work as a language assistant  .  
 yes . are you interested in the job  ?  
 i think so . but before i apply  could you tell me more about the work  ?  
 have you eve worked with tape recorders before  ?  
 i used cassette recorders a lot when i studied english in high school  .  
 good . there are many different kind of language labs  but ours is a small one . if you decide to take the job  i 'll explain how to operate the system  are you sure  ?  
 how many hours would i work a day and what 's the pay  ?  
 ten hours a week . from monday to friday  from 4 to 6 p  .  m  .   and  150 a week  .  
 ok  i 'll take it  .  
 fine . please fill out the application form  .  
 yes  .  sit down  please  .  how did you learn about our company  ?  
 i got to know your company through such famous brands as lux  lipton and walls  .  after making a customer survey  i was glad to find out how your products are appreciated by millions of chinese  .  
 why would you like to work with us  ?  
 it  s the job i  m interested in  .  and your company is the bestknown  .  although i don  t have much experience as a manager  the job description you sent to me was very interesting  .  it  s a job i  ve been dreaming of and i feel suited to fill it  .  
 oh  really  ?  would you transfer to another company if it is not what you expected  ?  
 i don  t think so  .  as the saying goes  a great oak needs deep roots  .  i  m really interested in this job  .  
 that  s fine  .  thanks for coming to see us  .  i hope to be able to let you know about the job within the week  .  
 really  !  i 've never seen so much work  .  
 right . how are you going to spend your weekend  ?  
 i do n't know  .  i have no idea  .  
 would you like to play some tennis with me before going home  ?  
 i 'm not good at sports  i have never played tennis  and i know i would be terrible  .  
 you should try it . it s a great game  .  come on  let me help you  .  i 'm a good player  and a good teacher  too . what do you say  ?  
 ok  but do n't say i did n't warn you  .  
 that was a pretty good shot  mary  .  
 thanks . this is fun  !  
 let me help you with your serve  .  
 no one has ever tried to show me how to play a sport before . maybe i should learn to do something  .  
 of course  you can . all you need is a little help and a lot of practice  .  
 do you really think i can be a good player  ?  
 well  maybe not a michael zhang  but better than the average  .  person would you like to play again wednesday  ?  
 yes  .  this has been fun  .  
 i was doing quite well at college  .  i completed my mba degree in international trade with firstclass honors  .  
 why did you select your college  ?  
 i selected my college because it had an excellent academic reputation  .  
 what do you like doing in your spare time  ?  
 my favorite recreation is cooking  .  i learned to cook chinese dishes and western style dishes as well  .  it keeps me busy and makes me happy  .  
 i learned from your ad . that you will provide onthejob training for new employees . this is just what i need  because i 'm a recent college graduate  .  i have the necessary knowledge and skills but i lack experience  .  
 what do you hope to become  ?  
 i want to prove my true value in the electronic industry  and hopefully in the near future i would be promoted to a higher position  .  
 well  thank you for coming . we ll let you know as soon as possible  .  
 my name is liu lichi  .  how do you do  ?  
 how do you do  ?  please be seated  how is your trip here  ?  
 quite good  i think  .  i came here by bus  and it took me about 15 minutes  .  
 oh  yes . how old are you  ?  
 twenty  .  
 hum  still a student  ?  
 yes  i 'm student of grade 3 in the university majoring in economics  .  
 what subjects are you studying  ?  
 english  math  commercial and legal studies  and accountancy  .  
 have you had any working experience  .  
 well  i worked at a supermarket during last summer holidays  .  
 what do you like to do in your spare time  ?  
 i like sports very much . besides that  i also like working on a computer in my spare time  .  
 how are your english and computer skills  ?  
 i have passed the cet  4 and 6 . as far as computer is concerned i can use the computer for word processing  .  
 okay  .  mr . liu  we 'll inform you of the results within a week  .  
 how do you do  mr  .  smith  ?  my name is thou hong  .  
 nice to meet you  ms  .  thou  .  we 've learned that you specialize in the export of electronic products  .  
 will you please take a seat  ?  mr  .  smith  have you seen the display of our electronic products in the exhibition hall downstairs  ?  
 yes  .  i had a look just now  .  i found some of the exhibits of excellent quality and beautiful design  .  i feel we 
 sure we can  .  you know  we 've been in this line for more than twenty years  .  
 so  ms  .  thou  we 're a newlyestablished company  but we have wide connections with wholesalers and retailers all over america  .  
 good  .  we can hold more talks later on to iron out the details  .  
 sure  .  
 is that so  ?  
 yes  .  i do n't want to be stuck in a rut  .  i want to move on  .  
 have you decided  ?  
 yes  i want to get a better job  .  
 could you tell me why you want to quit  ?  
 i 'm quitting because of the lousy salary and all the difficulties i have in getting along with my colleagues  .  
 oh  that sounds terrible  .  would you be happier with higher pay here  ?  i 'm sure something can be worked out  .  
 i 'm afraid not  .  i 've promised my girlfriend  .  we 're going to travel south to find jobs that offer higher pay  .  
 ok  .  i 'd like to say that i 've really enjoyed working with you . however  i think you should work harder at your new job and then you can ask for higher pay  .  
 yes  i would  .  
 now this is our office block  .  we have all the administrative departments sales  accounting  personnel  market research and so on  .  
 what 's that building opposite us  ?  
 that 's the warehouse where the larger items of medical instruments are stored  .  we keep a stock of the fastmoving items so that urgent orders can be met quickly from stock  .   in the workshop  this is one of our three workshops  .  this is the delivery bay here  .  
 oh  i see  .  
 the steel sheets and bars come in  as you see  in different sizes and are unloaded onto the delivery bay here  .  we buy them in from a steel works in wales  .  this is the new conveyor belt we installed last year  .  we doubled our output in this department as a result  .  
 oh  really  ?  
 i 'll take you to the assembly shop  .  .  .  
 yes  we have  .  here 's our cif quotation sheet  .  please have a careful look  .  
 are the prices on the list firm offers  ?  
 yes  .  all the quotations on the list are subject to our final confirmation  .  
 i wonder whether there are any changes in your prices  .  
 all these products are our bestselling lines  .  the prices of our products will change according to that of the international market demand  .  and we are always open to negotiate  especially on larger orders  .  what do you have in mind  ?  
 how long does your offer remain valid  ?  i need some time to get my supervisors on board with this plan  .  
 i understand  .  our offer remains open for 4 days  .  
 what do you need  ?  
 i need to talk to you about that new driver you  ve hired  .  i think i am going to have some problems working with him  .  
 he seems to be quite qualified  .  if it is a personal problem i preferred if you would work out between yourselves  .  
 wow  fantastic  .  i like the font and color for his name  .  it is creative yet personal  .  
 yes  it is a bold design  .  people will believe he can make an illustration as an impressive as a business card  .  it just stands out from those plain and standard ones used by government people or other big private and public organizations  .  
 i agree  .  business cards are great tools for promoting personal business  .  it won  t take much time to design an amazing card  but it can make a big difference among the crowd  .  and you  ll always notice it from your collection  .  for they have outspoken colors  own design and the sizes are not always according the mainstream business card  .  i wish to have one like this  .  but for sure our company has its own corporate design which all employees have to follow  .  
 thank you  .  i am very happy to have this opportunity to learn something new  .  you know information and knowledge in this field update very fast  .  
 sure it is  .  this is a changing world  .  does the training course cover the new law and regulation issued last month  ?  they are very useful for us  .  
 yes  according to the agenda  there will be a seminar on these issues at the very beginning of the training course  .  
 well  good for you  .  i hope you can get what you want from the training  .  
 i will do my best  .  
 what do you mean  ?  
 now  i am responsible for training new staff  but you keep overriding my authority by trying to pose your methods  .  i know you are a hotshot college graduate with something to prove  .  but i don  t like your way  .  
 well  i prefer active rather than passive training  .  for example  i like the training offered by a financial software company from which we bought the newest updated virgin  .  they sent the programmers to demonstrate how to do and then ask us to practice  .  all employees receiving this training were in the same meeting room  so we could communicate with each other  .  we had a lot of fun learning together  .  it helps to build up the work relation among colleagues  .  
 well  that is also very efficient  right  ?  
 of course  it is much better than just giving us some reading materials or information via the internet  .  
 that  s boring  .  once we were asked to watch a video on how to operate the punches  all of us seemed to fall into sleep by the end of the video  .  
 no  really  ?  
 yes  flexible  aggressive and creative people are urgently needed in the marketing department  .  
 who will be there  ?  
 james is going to be packed off there  .  
 that is good  .  he can leave you alone this time  .  
 what  s up  ?  
 well  actually i failed to meet a deadline last week and i forgot to answer an email for a vip customer yesterday  .  
 anything that distracts you from work  ?  
 yes  everything  .  i feel overwhelmed by the daily work  .  sometimes  i just can  t focus on what i am doing  .  what is worse  though i make plans for a whole week  i always have to make changes later on because other things come up  .  i can  t manage my time well  .  i can  t handle work well  .  i am afraid i was screw up more things  .  
 look  lucy  .  things are not so bad as you said  .  this is our company  s busiest time in a year  .  you need to relax a little  .  don  t push yourself too hard  ok  ?  
 well  i will try  .  
 if i were a manager  i would have a private talk with this employ to figure out the reasons  .  it is very important to have this onetoone discussion in an unthreatening situation without any distraction  .  
 exactly  i overheard a manager scold his employee in the elevator this morning  they were from the company on the 12th floor  i guess  .  they were only three of us in the elevator  i felt very embarrassed to be in the middle of them  .  
 well  i guess the employee would feel more embarrassed and probably angry  .  anyway  it is not wise at all to give a harsh time to your employee in front of others  especially strangers  .  
 sure  no matter what happened  they should wait to discuss in their office and find the solution in a positive way  .  
 if we think positively  office love can be beneficial to company  .  
 beneficial  ?  i don  t think so  .  if two employees get married  they will leave at the same time for a honeymoon  or later one of them will stay at home taking care of babies  .  if they break up  the company will probably have to relocate one of them to make the workplace more comfortable  .  by any means  the company must spare extra efforts to solve problems brought by an office dating  .  
 but if two employees are in love  they will be happy  .  happy people are more productive  .  if they develop an intimate relation with each other  they are willing to share knowledge and experience  .  it can help to improve work efficiency  .  
 i doubt that  .  
 we have a fairly good working relationship  but there was also a rough spot  .  
 what do you think his strengths are  ?  
 well  he has an amazing ability to analyze information and he is very good at making the right decision in tough situations  .  
 i 'm quite active and energetic  .  i approach things enthusiastically and i do n't like to leave things halfdone  .  
 do you think you are introverted or extroverted  ?  
 i 'm quite outgoing i think  .  i enjoy mixing and doing things with others  .  
 what do you think is the most important thing for you to be happy  ?  
 i maintain that the most important thing is having good friends  .  a person ca n't live all by himself i think  .  a friend in need is a friend in deed . the more really close friends i have  the better  .  
 what kind of people do you like to work with  ?  
 people who are honest  dedicated to their work and having integrity  .  
 i graduated from peking university  .  
 what was your major at university  ?  
 i studied economics  i am especially interested in the economic development of china  .  
 what course did you like best  ?  
 i like business management  and i think it 's very useful for the present work  .  
 what do you think is the relationship between the subjects you 've taken and the job you are seeking  ?  
 i 've taken courses on office administration  reports and correspondence writing  .  i think all these are closely related to the job of assistant manager  because it requires the ability to perform general office work and to assist the manager in handling all paperwork  .  
 all right  madam  .  when i was sales manager at the beijing friendship store  .  i succeeded in raising the yearly sales volume by 25  and profit margins from 50  to 80   .  
 that is quite an achievement  !  do you consider it your most rewarding work experience  ?  
 i do n't think so  .  i 'll create further achievement in the future  .  
 have you received any honors  ?  
 yes  .  i got the title of  advance worker  in 2006  .  
 do you have any publications  ?  
 yes  .  i wrote a thesis entitled  on interpersonal relations in the socialist market economy  and it was published in china daily  .  
 besides chinese  i can speak english and french  .  
 you mean you can read and write both of them  ?  
 no  i can only carry on a simple conversation in french  .  
 can you read and write english well  ?  
 i can speak the language better than read and write  .  
 do you speak the language well enough to communicate with people of englishspeaking countries  ?  
 i think so  .  i used to be an interpreter  .  
 do you think your english is good enough to do desk work  ?  
 the amount of english i know enables me to do general desk work  .  i believe what i know is sufficient to work in an american firm  .  
 well  mr  .  parsons  as i mentioned before i  m someone who needs new challenges  .  i  m really focused and hardworking  .  i think my academic results prove this  .  
 yes  true  but how about other personal qualities  ?  
 well  i believe i  m a good teamplayer  but i can also work well independently  .  i  m very enthusiastic and  well i hope my colleagues would agree  i  m fun to work with  .  
 what would you say is your most positive quality  ?  
 hmm  that  s a tough question  .  but i would have to say my passion  .  i  m really passionate about journalism and passionate about my career  .  
 yes  that  s right  .  to be honest  the first year was quite tough for me  .  i was really just treated more like an intern  .  i didn  t have many responsibilities and i found it quite frustrating  .  
 so  what changed  ?  
 well slowly but surely i proved myself  and the new editor liked me so he promoted me to features writer  .  
 wow  a real step up  !  
 yes  i was responsible for restaurant and food reviews mostly  .  i spent restaurant years in that position  but to be honest it wasn  t an area of journalism i wanted to stay in longterm  .  
 i see  so why did you decide to leave finally  ?  
 i just felt that the paper couldn  t offer me any new opportunities  .  i really needed a more challenging role to be honest  .  
 yes  that  s right  .  after graduating from high school in new york i attended york university in the uk  .  my major was english  and my minor was business studies  .  i completed my ba in 2004  .  
 yes  i  m pleased to see that you also got a distinction  .  
 yes that  s right  .  i  ve always enjoyed studying  .  my friends say i  m a bit of a bookworm  but my father always pushed us to succeed school  .  
 well  it looks like his encouragement paid off rebecca  .  so how about extracurricular activities at university  ?  
 well i  ve always been keen on writing  so i became the editor for the university student newspaper  which i really loved  .  also i volunteered for a group called shelter  to help the homeless in york  .  
 what did that involve  ?  
 providing warm meals and shelter  especially in the winter months  .  i found it really fulfilling to be part of that group  .  
 i  m sure  .  okay  now let  s move on to your work experience  shall we  ?  
 yes  okay  .  
 yes  i 'm looking for a job as a clerk typist in english  .  
 i 'm mary kelly  .  may i ask your name  ?  
 my name is zhuang lingy  .  how are you  miss kelly  ?  
 i 'm glad to meet you  mr  .  zhuang  .  sit down  please  .  
 thank you  miss kelly  .  
 what are your qualifications for being a clerk typist  ?  
 i can type 120 words a minute and i take shorthand at 80 words a minute  .  
 would you be willing to take a typing and shorthand test  ?  
 yes  i would  .  
 your typing and stenography are pretty good  .  would you be interested in applying for the job  ?  
 yes  i 'd like to give it a try  .  
 all right  .  you need to have an interview with our manager  mr  .  mcbride  .  let 's go to his office  .  
 for a local paper in york called the york herald  .  actually  i started with them as an intern in the beginning  .  i was really keen on getting some experience in the journalistic world  and this seemed like a good first step  .  
 certainly  .  and after your internship  ?  
 they seemed impressed  and offered me a position as a junior local news reporter  .  i ended up staying two years there actually  .  i was in charge of the sports news section of the newspaper  .  i really enjoyed it there  and it really helped me build my skills  .  
 yes i see  .  but you decided to leave them in 2006  right  ?  
 yes  that  s right  .  my husband and i moved to london  and so i managed to find a position with a national newspaper based in london  .  
 the london weekly right  ?  
 yes  in some ways it was a step down from my previous job but it did offer me much better prospects for the future  .  
 thank you very much  .  i  ve tried to keep it short and clear  .  if there  s any questions please feel free to ask me  .  
 well yes  i do have a number of questions  but perhaps first you could give me a brief overview i  d like to get a little bit of an idea of your background  .  
 yes  of course  .  well as you can see from the resume i  m 27 and grew up in brooklyn  new york  although our family moved to london when i was quite young  at around sixteen  .  
 ah i see  so you were actually educated in europe  ?  
 yes precisely  .  although i was born in the us  i would definitely call london home  .  but as you see i  ve actually spent a lot of my life moving from country to country  .  my father was in the oil business before he retired so we also spent a number of years in saudi arabia too  .  
 very interesting  .  so it seems you had quite an adventurous childhood  .  
 absolutely  !  we were never still for too long  .  but now i  m really looking to settle down  .  
 i see  .  okay  well let  s move on to discuss your education shall we  ?  
 what  s wrong with the fax machine  ?  is it urgent  ?  
 yes  very urgent  .  and there is no other fax machine around  .  and the office of our boss is closed  so i can not use his machine either  .  and his secretary is out  .  do you have any suggestion  ?  
 either call this extension number 0085 or ask them to send the fax to you as email  you print it out  .  
 yes  sir  .  
 these two are urgent letters and should be sent by registered express airmail  .  others are ordinary letters  .  
 all right  who should i send them to  ?  
 it  s sent to mr  .  charles  .  i believe he is in london  .  
 ok  home or office address  ?  
 office address  please  .  he might be at work when they arrive  .  
 should i enclose this commercial paper with these two letters  ?  
 yes  it  s right  .  
 let me check  .  it has a paper jam  .  
 i didn  t pay attention to that  .  i will try to get the paper out  .  
 be careful  the cartridge can be very hot  .  
 well  all right  .  there are four points you should keep in mind when you file documents  information and other things  .  
 what are they  ?  
 they are  keep the documents in chronological order  remove all the chips and pins  punch the documents evenly and place them in the folder  .  
 and what is the most important point  ?  
 you should always remember that one customer on file is the rule  .  
 hi  this is monica  .  i was wondering when we can work on this financial report  .  
 today  i am busy all day long  .  
 shall i see you on friday morning  ?  
 that  s not good for me at all . it  ll have to be another time  .  
 we must find some time to read report  .  
 i know  .  i am available from 1 pm to 4 pm on friday afternoon  .  
 that  s all right  .  then see you on friday afternoon  .  
 see you  .  
 monica  wait a moment  .  i think we  d better call the repair man to do it  .  
 i think i can handle it by myself  .  
 i  d like you to have a look at the safety manual of our company  .  
 i see  .  if i got hurt when fixing the light  even during office hours  i wouldn  t get compensation from our company since repairing is not my responsibility  .  
 other company rules also need your attention  .  
 like this one  ?  never wear loose clothes or hair when operating the shredder . yeah  thank you for telling me  .  
 don  t mention it  .  
 what  s going to be covered in the orientation  ?  
 the company introduction  our mission  vision  various policies  insurances  pension plan  company id  batch  telephone  email setup and training  .  
 quite a lot  .  all them one afternoon  ?  
 yes  it is not easy  .  
 it is ok with me  .  i enjoy being busy and learning new things  .  
 yes  it is  .  
 i am calling to inform you that we have arranged an interview for this accountant position at 2 pm this thursday afternoon  .  please come on time  .  
 ok  thank you  .  by the way  could you please tell me how i can get there from a community  ?  
 oh  you can take the subway  get off at b stop and walk north for several minutes  .  you will find a building  .  it will take about 40 minutes in total  .  
 i got it  .  thank you so much  .  
 you  re welcome  .  
 good afternoon  .  my name is monica  .  i am here for the job interview at 2 pm  .  
 ok  please first fill in the form and return it to me  .  you can do it in the next door  .  
 done  .  here is my paper  .  
 everybody attention  .  i would like to make sure you all know the process  .  the interview consists of three parts  .  one  all of the interviewees will answer the question there and lasts for maximum one hour  .  two  we will take a 30  minute  s break  .  after the break  we all come back to this office and i will announce the successful candidates for the 2nd round  .  in which  you have a small interview with your future manager  .  
 what about the 3rd round  ?  
 good question  .  but i will tell you when you pass the first two  .  
 i guess there is some kind of virus seeking into my computer  i can  t send out this email  .  do you have the number of the text port  ?  
 do you mind i have a look at your computer  ?  
 of course not  i appreciate that  .  
 well  it has nothing to do with virus  .  the problem is your attachment is a bit larger  .  it has exceeded the email capacity  .  
 i see  .  what can i do now  ?  
 you can send a compressed one  .  
 no problem  if possible i always combine business with pleasure  .  now  let  s hear more about these chocolates you  re offering  .  
 well  as you know  i have recently become the sole distributor for grangers gourmet bonbons here in the united states  .  they  re a new manufacturer and are looking to break into the luxury market  .  naturally  your restaurant sprang into my mind immediately  .  i think your brand exemplifies many of the same traits as grangers and serving these chocolates would really add to your reputation for providing elegant  luxurious  first class dining  .  
 mmmm  sounds interesting  .  .  .  gourmet chocolates  where are they produced  ?  belgium  ?  
 actually  the factory is located in scotland  .  
 really  ?  i didn  t think they were known for their luxury chocolate production  .  .  .  
 that  s what makes this such a fantastic opportunity  !  the government is one hundred percent supportive of creating new export markets and has guaranteed a low tariff for all wholesale orders of over one thousand units  .  they  ve also reduced the red tape involved at customs as well  .  here  i brought these especially for you  try one  !  
 oh  thanks  .  mmm  hmm  creamy texture  very smooth  .  .  .  
 unique  aren  t they  ?  i bet you  ve never tasted anything like it  !  quality is assured as i personally visit the factory to make sure no one  s cutting corners with the ingredients  .  only the creme make it through inspection  .  
 yes  very interesting flavors  .  .  .  slightly spicy  very unique  that  s for sure  .  exactly what are the ingredients  ?  
 i have it on highest authority that this traditional secret recipe has been handed down in the granger family for generations  .  i  m sure you can keep a secret . buttermilk  cacao beans  sugar and haggis  .  
 haggis  ?  what  s haggis  ?  
 it  s a traditional scottish delicacy  you take sheep  s liver  heart and lung and stuff it inside of the sheep  s stomach  .  
 yes  it is  .  kelly  ?  
 yes  it 's me  .  
 do you have a cold  ?  
 no  .  worse than that  .  i have a flu  .  i 'm in bed with a fever  .  
 oh  no  !  what about your presentation today  ?  
 i 'd like to do it  of course  .  but i just ca n't  .  i 'm afraid i 'd fall down in the middle of it  .  
 i understand  .  what should i tell mr  .  morley  ?  
 why not just tell him i 'm sick  ?  i 'll ring him myself this afternoon  .  
 alright  .  have you been to see a doctor  ?  
 not yet  .  i feel too lousy to go out . anyway  i have a flu  .  i know what it is  .  i do n't need a doctor to tell me that  .  
 do you think you 'll be able to come in tomorrow  ?  or should i call off your appointments for tomorrow too  ?  
 i 'm not sure yet . maybe this will all be gone in a day  .  so it 's probably better if you do n't call off my appointments  .  i will call you later this afternoon and tell you what i think  .  
 it 's rainy weather today  .  maybe it 's better if you just stay inside . make yourself some chicken soup and sleep  .  
 yes  that 's what i plan to do  .  except i wo n't make the chicken soup . right now i do n't think i could swallow more than a spoonful of it  .  
 that bad  huh  ?  
 yeah  i 'm very nauseous  .  it 's mostly nausea and a fever  .  
 well  i 'll cancel your appointments for today  .  and i 'll tell mr  .  morley  .  
 thanks  ann  .  talk to you this afternoon  .  
 hope you feel better  .  
 oh  come on  !  i have sixteen items  !  cut me some slack  will ya  ?  
 fine  !  please place your items on the belt and push your shopping cart through  .  do you prefer paper or plastic  ?  
 plastic  .  i also have a couple of coupons  .  
 no problem  i  ll take those  .  sir  these coupons expired yesterday  .  
 darn  !  oh  well  .  i guess it  s just not my day  .  thanks anyway  .  
 do you have a club card or will it be cash  ?  
 yeah i got a club card  .  here you go  .  
 will this be debit or credit  ?  
 debit please  .  also  could i get cash back  ?  fifty dollars would be great  .  
 yeah  sure  .  your total is seventyeight dollars and thirtythree cents  .  here is your receipt  .  have a nice day  .  
 i know  i  m really sorry that i missed the deadline  .  but really  it wasn  t my fault  .  you see  we had all of these unexpected technical problems at the last minute  and that i couldn  t get into the database and extract the kind of information that i needed for the data analysis  .  you know  if the tech guys would have done their job and kept the arm stable  then i wouldn  t have missed my deadline  .  
 oh  come on  !  an excuse like that is tantamount to lying  .  you  re essentially blaming the tech team for your time management issues  rather than accepting responsibility for the fact that you were procrastinating for the past two weeks  .  
 no  i  m not trying to pass the buck here  i know that it was me who is ultimately responsible for getting this done  .  but the thing is  i could have finished on time if the system hadn  t gone down  .  and you know  with everything i  ve got going on now  i can  t afford to waste time dealing with technical problems  .  i  ve got a lot on my plate and there are only twentyfour hours in a day  .  .  .  
 i  m not going to accept this excuse  .  you  re using these small technical glitches as a crutch and trying to rationalize the fact that you  ve missed your deadline  .  look  we have standards and i expect you to live up to those standards  .  no more phoney cases  .  if you  re in over your head  you tell me  .  no more missed deadlines  .  now  i want that data on my desk by nine am  !  
 i have learned english for 10 years  and i have passed college english test band 4 and 6 . my spoken english is fairly good enough to express myself fluently  .  
 what other foreign language do you speak  ?  
 i did selfstudy of japanese in college  and i can carry on some simple conversations in japanese  .  
 because the job i am doing in my present company is of no challenge  but i like challenge . your firm is a young organisation with many innovative ideas  .  it has been very successful in an expanding market since its establishment 10 years ago  .  working for you would be exactly the sort of challenge i am looking for  .  
 why do you think you are qualified for this position  ?  
 i have excellent communication skills and i am familiar with the procedures for the last company i worked for  .  besides  i am a team player and have great interpersonal skills  .  
 i am attending hebes university of technology  .  
 when will you graduate from that university  ?  
 this coming july  .  
 what degree will you receive  ?  
 i will receive a bachelor 's degree  .  
 what is your major  ?  
 my major is business administration  .  
 how have you been getting on with your studies so far  ?  
 i have been doing quite well at college  .  according to the academic records i 've achieved so far  i am confident that i will get my bachelor of business administration this coming july  .  
 how do you think the education you 've received will contribute to your work in this institution  ?  
 i have already learned a lot in the classroom and i hope to be able to make practical use of it in your company  .  my specialization at the university is just in line with the areas your institute deals with  .  i am sure i can apply what i have learned to the work in your institute  .  
 i graduated from hebes university  .  
 what subject did you major in at university  ?  
 i majored in economics  .  
 tell me about the courses of your major in university  .  
 i take more than 50 courses in university  including microeconomics  macroeconomics  marketing principles  sales management  statistics  and so on  .  
 how did you get on with your studies in university  ?  
 i did well in university  .  i was one of the top students in the class  .  
 what subject did you minor in  ?  
 i did n't minor in any subject when i was in university  but i attended english and computer courses  .  and i am currently studying finance in a training school  .  
 please  call me ted  .  
 well  ted  this is a very impressive resume  .  however  we do have several other applicants to finish interviewing before we can make a final decision  .  we  ll call you by friday  if that  s all right  .  
 that  s no problem  .  
 do you have any other questions  ?  
 well  what kind of salary do you provide  ?  
 salary is based on experience as well as time spent with our company  .  
 i see  .  
 salary can be negotiated once we officially offer you the job  .  
 sounds fine  .  
 yes  .  in 1996 i received my bachelor of science degree from hebes university  and in 2001 i received my mba degree from peking university  .  
 how about your academic records at college  ?  
 in fact my records were excellent  .  my overall gpa was 9 on a 10 scale  which was the highest in my class  .  
 that 's very impressive  .  which course did you like best  ?  
 english  .  it was both interesting and useful  so i showed a great interest in it  .  
 can you tell me why you changed your major when you were a graduate student  ?  
 because i am very interested in administration and i did take some courses in it  .  i also performed well in the subjects  .  hence i believe that i can do a good job in this position  .  
 did you get any honors and awards at college  ?  
 yes  .  i was awarded a scholarship from the university every year  .  in 1995 i participated in the national contest of maths models and i won the prize  .  
 i 'm not sure i ca n't agree  dan 
 why not  ?  
 surely  there are other ways to save money  .  
 what are you talking about  we tried everything  !  
 i 'm in favor of maggie  .  
 ditto  it does n't look too expensive either  .  
 that 's right  nigel  .  i think we can keep cost down  .  
 i ca n't see a problem  .  let 's give it a try  .  
 it 's a great pleasure to meet you  mr  .  white  .  i believe you have seen our exhibits in the showroom  .  what is it that particularly interests you  ?  
 i am interested in your hardware  .  i 've seen the exhibits and studied your catalogues  .  i think some of the items will find a ready market in france  .  here is a list of requirements  .  
 thank you for your inquiry  .  would you tell us what quantity you require so that we can work out the offer  ?  
 i will do that  .  meanwhile  could you give me an indication of the price  .  
 here are our fob price lists  .  all the prices in the lists are subject to our confirmation  .  
 what about the commission  ?  from european suppliers  i usually get a 3 to 5  commission for my imports  .  it 's the general practice  .  
 as a rule we do n't allow any commission  .  but if the order is sizable one  we will consider it  .  
 you see i do business on a commission basis  .  a commission on your prices would make it easier for me to promote sales  .  even 2 or 3  would help  .  
 we 'll discuss this when you place your order with us  .  
 fine  thank you  and how are you  ?  
 very well  thank you  .  it 's nice to meet you again  .  i am awfully sorry for not being able to meet you at the airport  as i was busy yesterday  .  i do hope you had a very enjoyable trip from new york  .  
 yes  a very pleasant journey indeed  .  thank you  .  
 how are you getting along with your business  ?  
 not bad  .  the fur market is not very brisk lately  but the selling season is advancing near  .  i hope there will be more buyers in the market this year  .  
 i hope we can do more business together  .  though we are satisfied with our past trade record  there are still possibilities for more business  .  in the meantime  let 's discuss other spheres of cooperation  such as investment  technology transfer and technical assistance  .  
 where have you been  ?  i 've been trying to get in touch with you for two days  .  
 i went to salt lake city on business  .  what 's up  ?  
 i got fired  .  
 how come  ?  last time i saw you  .  you told me it was a good job  and you 'd like to take it as a career  .  that was only one month ago  .  why this sudden change  ?  
 it 's a long story  .  in a word  i did n't do a good job of it  .  i messed up a business deal  a deal that would have made ten million dollars and i messed it up  .  
 what are you going to do now  ?  
 i am trying to find a job asap  .  lily does n't know yet  .  i did n't tell her  .  i spent the past three days at the coffee shop next to your office  and she thought i went to work as usual  .  
 that 's not the way to solve the problem  .  did you look in the classified advertisements column  ?  
 yes  i did  .  but i was n't qualified for most of the jobs that i was interested in  .  
 listen  .  i will see what i can do  ok  ?  you go home and tell lily about this problem you have now  .  she is your wife and i am sure she will understand  .  
 i just do n't know how to bring it up  .  well  all right  .  she has the right to know anyways  .  
 frans smith  ?  i think you may have the wrong number  .  
 is this taiwan 8234342 2  ds engineering  ?  
 it is  .  but there is no frans smith here  .  do you know which department he works in  ?  
 the accounts department  i think  .  
 the accounts department  no problem  .  i 'm just putting you through now  .  
 hello  this is mr  .  morris pitt  .  i 'd like to speak to mr  .  bell  please  .  
 just a moment  .  i am sorry  .  at the moment  he is out of the office  .  would you like to leave your number  ?  when he comes back  i will tell him to call you back  .  
 please have him call me at my office  .  he knows the number  .  
 of course  .  
 i am typing a report for the moment  mr  .  robbins  .  anything i need to do  ?  
 will you please cut it for a while and come in here to take a letter  ?  
 is it urgent  ?  
 yes  this letter ca n't go into the mail any later than 5  .  it 's about a contract  .  
 ok  i am coming  .  
 please take a seat  diana  .  have you got your spare pens and pencils  ?  
 yes  i have this time  .  but if i do n't understand a word or a phrase when you are dictating  can i ask you halfway  ?  
 no  i  d prefer not  .  i do n't want any interruptions every other minute  but you can ask me at the end of the letter  .  
 all right  .  i understand now  .  do you think i should leave a margin on every page wide enough for notes and amendments  .  
 of course  diana  .  you 'd better pay attention to the spelling when you type it  .  
 certainly i will  mr  .  robbins  .  by the way  may i use a window envelope  ?  
 yes  that 's fine  .  now when you finish these  i want you to put these cards in alphabetical order  using the last names  and then make a list  .  
 you want the cards in alphabetical order using the last names  ?  
 right  .  and the last thing  we are going to clean the files out tomorrow  .  now let 's begin  .  
 good afternoon  mr  .  black  .  have n't seen you for a long time  .  can i help you  ?  
 can i see mr  .  cooper  your manager now  ?  
 let me see if he is free  .  would you please sit down and wait for a moment  ?  
 all right  .  
 the manager will come to see you in a few minutes  .  
 thanks a lot  mrs  .  white  .  
 you are welcome  .  
 yes  .  i sent in my resume at the end of last week  .  i 'm applying for the accounts assistant position  .  
 may i have your name please  ?  
 my name is judy liao  .  that 's spelled l i a o  .  
 alright  .  .  .  and did you have some specific questions about your application  ?  
 not really  .  i was in the neighborhood  and i just wanted to stop in to see if you received my resume  .  
 oh  that 's no problem  .  just give me a moment  and i can check . judy liao  .  let 's see  .  .  .  yes  here it is  .  judy liao  .  we have received your resume  .  
 thank you  .  
 is there anything else i can help you with  ?  
 yes  maybe  .  the ad in the newspaper said you wanted the resume  a cover letter  and two letters of recommendation  .  i included those things in the envelope  .  is there anything else i should send  ?  
 no  that is all we need  .  if we have those things included  that is sufficient  .  
 do you know when they will start setting up interviews for the job  ?  
 i 'm not really sure about that  .  but i know we are still receiving resumes . maybe after a week or two they will start calling applicants  .  
 i see  .  well  thank you very much for helping me  .  you have been very helpful  .  
 if you have any further questions  you can call any time  .  
 thank you  .  
 thank you  .  goodbye  .  
 okay  mark  what  s up  ?  
 i  d like to know why you  re always taking credit for work we  ve done together like that line in the new ice cream ad  ?  
 that was my line  mark  .  i know we worked on the ad together  but that was definitely my line  .  
 hi  martin  .  what can i do for you  ?  
 well  i  ve got the spread sheets you asked for  but i  m still waiting on some data from accounting  .  
 that  s all right  .  bring me over what you  ve got  .  
 what  hilary  ?  i  m really in a hurry  !  
 i know  blake  .  but you  ve been avoiding me all morning  and we have got to talk about this deal with the mc kinsey food company  .  
 i  ve been busy  hilary  .  we can set up a meeting to talk about the deal  but i still feel the same way  .  i don  t think it  s worth it  .  
 yes  miss parks  ?  how may i help you  ?  
 well  i  d like to reschedule my flight for the tomorrow morning one at 905  .  is that possible  ?  
 i  m very sorry  miss parks  but the 905 flight is completely booked  .  i can put you on a waiting list if you would like  .  
 i thought you knew  todd  .  it was decided last week  .  i guess you weren  t at the meeting  .  
 you know i wasn  t at the meeting  .  i was meeting with mr  .  wei about this account  .  i  ve been on this for a month and a half  .  
 i  m sorry  .  todd  but mr  .  emory felt that it was going too slowly  and that it needed a fresh start  .  he should have told you  .  
 hi  this is sharon in mr  .  reynolds  s office  .  one of your delivery men picked up a package here about an hour ago  .  
 yes  is there a problem  ?  ma  am  ?  
 well  it still hasn  t reached its destination  .  i wonder if you could track it down for us  .  mr  .  reynolds is a bit concerned  .  
 good morning  ms  .  walker  .  what can i do for you  ?  
 we need to deliver some documents to our monroe street branch  .  can you come by and pick them up  ?  
 of course  ms  .  walker  .  could i have your account number  please  ?  and  when do these documents need to arrive  ?  
 good afternoon  .  lilian  .  this is tom baker over at beck  s trading company  .  we need to arrange a banquet for next wednesday afternoon  .  
 i see  mr  .  baker  .  how many people are you planning to invite and how much would you like to spend per person  ?  
 well  .  we  re expecting about twentyfive people and we  d like to spend no more than  20 a head  .  
 good morning  .  this is paul alexander calling from the isis advertising firm  .  we need a car to the airport for mr  .  phillips  .  
 certainly  mr  .  alexander  .  when would mr  .  phillips like to leave  ?  
 let me check  .  .  .  his flight  s at 230 p  .  m  .   so he should leave no later than 12 noon  .  
 yes  madam  .  may i help you  ?  
 yes  .  i  m calling from westwood and westwood attorneys  .  i need to make a reservation for mr  .  alex brent  .  
 fine  madam  .  when will mr  .  brent be arriving  and how many nights will he be staying  ?  
 that  s a big order  jane  .  i am really swamped  .  
 i know what you  re saying  but i have to go over the books with you before i go see our tax guy  .  
 right  .  okay  let me see what i can do  .  how about 130 right after my lunch meeting  ?  it won  t take more than a half hour  will it  ?  
 i can  t just now  susan  .  could we get together this afternoon  ?  what  s it about  ?  
 well  i  d like to talk about my new contract with you  if that  s all right  .  
 oh  that  s right  .  is that time of the year  huh  ?  that  s fine  .  how about if we meet at 330 this afternoon  ?  
 are you telling me you  re not going to meet with me  ?  
 not at all  sir  .  i  d just like to push it up to next week  .  i  ll have a lot more free time at the beginning of next week  .  
 well  i don  t like it  but i guess i don  t have any choice  .  
 nice to meet you  .  how can i help you  ?  
 i would like to meet with you to discuss some discrepancies on our payroll account  .  
 certainly  mr  .  murphy  .  could you come to my office this afternoon at 230  ?  
 yes  i do  susan  .  just a moment  .  here it is  .  
 thank you  sir  .  sorry to trouble you  .  
 not at all  susan  .  just tell him to leave it with my secretary when he  s finished with it 
 what  s the rush  ?  you  re not leaving for another week  .  
 i know  but i want to make reservations this week  .  
 okay  .  i  ll bring them in tomorrow for sure  .  
 the most important thing to do is to make sure you know the company and what services or products it provides  .  do you know all about them  ?  
 yes  i pretty much understand the company  .  
 well  after you 've done your research  you have to decide whether the company is casual or formal  .  have you decided what they are yet  ?  
 yes  i 've been observing them  .  
 when you are choosing what to wear  keep all of that in mind  .  have you chosen what to wear  ?  
 i already have something to wear  .  
 i would always be ready to go shopping with you  !  should we talk about other basics  ?  
 ok  i am ready to think of other things  .  
 you need to make sure you arrive on time  smile  be pleasant and friendly  look the person in the eye and answer all questions to the best of your ability  .  you 'll do great  !  
 make sure that you understand the company  .  do you understand what it is that they do  ?  
 no  i probably need to do some more research  .  
 when you 've finished your research it will help you figure out whether your company is rigid in philosophy or kind of more relaxed  .  does that make sense  ?  
 i think that their attitude is rather casual  .  
 so all of that information will help you to pick out what to wear  .  do you have something to wear  ?  
 i have absolutely nothing so far  .  
 you know i could go shopping with you sometime if you need it  but can we talk about other basics  ?  
 yes  where should we go from here  ?  
 focus on being relaxed and open  do n't forget to smile and shake hands and be genuinely interested in what their company is about  .  i 'm sure you 'll do well  .  
 yeah  hold on a second  .  i  ve got it in my office  .  here it is  .  5532213  .  
 5532213  .  great  thanks  .  
 no problem  .  pick me up something to eat too  please  .  
 happy to meet with you  .  now  do you prefer group projects  ?  
 i like to work alone on some things and then bring those things to the group  .  
 do you value a steady job more or one that offers a chance to move ahead  ?  
 i want to grow in my job and move ahead  .  
 could you work for us in another state  if need be  ?  
 i need to stay in the area because of my family  .  
 how much do you need to make per year  ?  
 75000 per year  .  
 yikes  !  thanks for your interest in this job  .  we  ll be getting back to you  .  
 you need to get a special application form  .  
 do you know where i can find the application form  ?  
 you can go to the employment development office and pick it up  .  
 what records will i have to show to apply for unemployment benefits  ?  
 they will need a record showing who you worked for and when you worked for them  .  
 is there anything else i will need to provide  ?  
 be prepared to show a written notice of your termination as proof  .  
 do i need to do anything else after i turn in the application  ?  
 you will receive a notice for a phone interview  which will continue the process  .  
 are you working fewer hours than you used to work  ?  
 i got laid off  .  
 you usually qualify if you got laid off or are working a lot fewer hours  .  
 do all jobs provide unemployment  ?  
 most jobs provide unemployment  but some don  t  .  
 do you think that my job pays unemployment  ?  
 you can call your unemployment office  and they can check for you  .  
 will i be able to collect a lot of money on unemployment  ?  
 there is a formula to determine the amount based on how much you earned  .  they will let you know when you file your claim  .  
 are you still working  ?  
 my employer cut back on my hours  .  
 if you got laid off or are working a lot fewer hours  you may qualify  .  
 do i definitely get to collect unemployment  ?  
 not all jobs pay into unemployment insurance  so their employees cannot collect benefits  .  
 how do i check out my status to collect unemployment  ?  
 you should have noticed unemployment insurance being deducted from your paycheck  .  check your pay stubs  .  
 how much will my unemployment check be  ?  
 the more money you made  the more you will earn on unemployment  .  they have a formula  .  
 you need to fill out a special form to apply for unemployment benefits  .  
 where do i get the application form for unemployment benefits  ?  
 you can call the employment development office and request a form  .  
 what information will i need to provide to apply for unemployment  ?  
 be prepared to provide your employer  s name and address and what dates you worked  .  
 what else will the employment development office need  ?  
 you need to be prepared to show that your unemployment is not your fault  .  if you have a termination notice  that would be great  .  
 what will happen next  ?  
 the employment development office will call you for an interview  .  
 there is a special form to apply for unemployment benefits  .  
 how do i get the form to apply for unemployment benefits  ?  
 you can go online to begin the application process  .  
 what type of information will i have to provide to the employment development office  ?  
 you need to be able to say whom you worked for and when  .  
 will they need anything else from me  ?  
 you should be able to provide a layoff notice or proof of severance  .  
 what should i do after i turn in the application  ?  
 you need to be interviewed over the phone  .  they will set up a time for you  .  
 the best opportunity is called callous  which is an internetbased job placement service that you can make use of  .  
 do i have to have a computer at home  ?  
 there are computers at our edd offices for you to use in your job search  .  
 do you have any other services available  ?  
 we have information available about the job market as well as workshops  .  
 what kinds of workshops are available at the edd  ?  
 we have workshops in resume writing and interviewing  to name a few  .  
 are there other places  outside of edd  that i may look for work  ?  
 college job placement services can help  .  
 things are going fairly well  .  how about you  ?  
 well  i  m hanging in there  but i lost my job and need to find another one quickly  .  
 i am looking for a job myself  .  what were you thinking of doing next  ?  
 i am just trying to find something that will pay the bills until this bad economy passes by  .  
 have you gotten any interviews yet  ?  
 no  i haven  t been out on one interview yet  .  
 have you thought about the electrician program over there  ?  
 i think that i might be interested in that position  .  
 i think we should go over there and see if we can apply for that program  .  
 you will receive a notice of unemployment insurance award letter  .  
 what will that tell me  ?  
 the award letter will tell you how much you will receive weekly  .  
 are there any other forms that i need to fill out  ?  
 you will need to fill out a continued claim form every two weeks  .  
 what information will i need to provide on that form  ?  
 they will need to know where you worked and how much money you made  .  
 are there any other questions on the form  ?  
 basically  they want to know that you were available for work and not sick  .  
 i am doing well  .  what  s up with you  ?  
 believe it or not  the company i worked for closed down  so i  m out of a job  .  
 the same with me  .  have you given much thought to what you want to do next  ?  
 i am not being all that particular right now because i just need to keep a roof over my head  .  
 how about interviews  ?  have you been on any of those yet  ?  
 i wish that i could get the opportunity to be interviewed  .  
 how about the electrician program that they have listed over there  ?  
 i read about that  and the position sounded great  !  
 let  s go see how we can apply for those positions  .  
 there are a few considerations  .  is this a parttime or fulltime job  ?  
 does it make a difference  ?  
 basically  you really don  t need to do much of anything  .  on the continued claim form  you will note that you now have a new job and also note what you are earning  .  
 if i get work for a few weeks  will i be terminated from edd  ?  
 you will not mess up your job benefits by taking work  .  you can always come back and notify edd that you are once again in need of assistance  .  
 yes  please  .  i 'm hoping to get a mortgage from you and was wondering about your interest rates  .  
 i see  .  we offer personal housing loans  or mortgages  at a rate of 0 . 42  per month  .  
 that 's pretty much the same as i 've been quoted at other banks  .  
 we offer many different payment plans  .  would you be looking at longterm or shortterm  ?  are you looking at a 10  year repayment plan  ?  
 definitely  .  i want to get my mortgage paid off as soon as i can  .  
 then we can certainly help you with that  .  you see  for shorter term loans  we can offer an even more competitive interest rate  .  
 mmmm  .  .  .  that does sound interesting  .  is there anyone available i can talk with about this in more detail  ?  
 i 'll get our mortgage adviser for you  .  please take a seat  i wo n't be a minute  .  
 yes  please  .  my son wants to go overseas  to england  to do his master degree  .  i wondered if you offer any kind of loan that could assist him in doing so  ?  
 we certainly do  .  i can give you some details about a loan called personal loan for studying abroad  .  we offer this to anyone who will study outside this country  .  
 i see  .  what does it entail  ?  i 'm not sure if we will be eligible  .  
 this loan is specially provided for people who are studying overseas to pay for their tuition fee and other sundry items  .  
 so  we could use it to pay for my son's living expenses  not just his tuition  ?  
 that 's right  .  the sundries could include accommodation  text books and so on  .  the guidelines are not so strict  you see  .  
 that is good to know  .  just think  !  we 've been worrying about this for weeks and just a short visit here and my mind is at ease  .  thank you  .  
 i 'm considering buying a new car  the old one has n't been running too well recently  and was wondering what kind of credit you can offer me  .  
 buying a new car is a big expense  we understand that  so we have a variety of loans to suit your needs  .  
 that 's great  .  i 'm looking to borrow quite a large sum  though  .  
 with our personal automobile consumer loan  the borrower can borrow up to 80  of the purchase price  .  
 that 's good news  .  the car i 'm interested in is priced at 120000 rib  but i think i can get a bit of discount on that  .  i can afford to put up around 40000 rib myself  .  
 that 's great  .  you will need to make an initial down payment of 20   and then we can get going with this  .  
 the funds are all ready to go in my personal account  so let 's transfer it  .  
 i 'm going to be studying overseas next year and i 'd like some info about suitable loans  .  to be honest  i 'm not even sure if i can get a loan  .  
 not a problem  .  we offer a personal loan for studying abroad for anyone who 's studying overseas  regardless of the circumstances  .  anyone is eligible to apply 
 would i have to get my parents to guarantor the loan  ?  
 not exactly  .  our policy states that the loange could be the person studying abroad  for example  you  or your direct relative or spouse  .  
 i see  .  what about age limitations  ?  
 there are no age limitations as such just that the loange should be below 55 years and of course  old enough to get a loan  meaning over 18 years of age  .  
 got it  !  i fit into that category very nicely  .  that 's great  !  i 'll have a chat with my parents and come back  .  thanks very much  .  
 hello  .  i called earlier in the week and spoke to someone in the personal loans department about an overseas study loan  .  she said to come in as soon as i had the chance  as this must be done in person  .  i 'd like to apply today  .  
 ok  that 's absolutely fine  .  i will need to see some credentials before we can get started  .  do you have the notification of admission letter from your university  your passport and your visa with you  ?  
 yes  yes  .  it 's all here  .  there you go  .  i 'm not sure if i need any other proof or guarantee to get this loan  do i  ?  
 you do  i 'm afraid  .  there are 3 ways to do this  .  you can choose  mortgage  pledge or guarantee mode  .  
 yes  i read about all of these in the brochure and decided which would be more suitable for me  .  i 'd like to go for the guarantee mode  please  .  
 right  that 's no problem  .  i see you are already well informed  .  if you choose that one  you can borrow up to 70  of the total tuition and miscellaneous fees  .  
 ok  that 's perfect  70  is excellent  it 'll be a big help  .  thanks  .  
 i don  t know where to get my ballot  .  
 i can help you with that  .  
 how can you help me  ?  
 i work here  .  
 that  s great  .  
 may i see your id  ?  
 here it is  .  
 all right  here is your ballot card  .  
 what do i do now  ?  
 go to a voting booth and vote  .  
 all right  .  thanks for your help  .  
 yes  .  what about you  ?  
 yes  but this will be my first time voting  .  
 really  ?  
 yes  and i have no idea how to do it  .  
 voting is simple  .  
 i don  t know any of the laws they  re trying to pass  .  
 that  s okay  .  they describe everything on the ballot  .  
 i didn  t know that  .  
 don  t worry  .  you  ll be fine  .  
 that  s good to know  .  
 congratulations on your first voting day  .  
 i am  .  are you  ?  
 yes  and for the first time  .  
 is that right  ?  
 i don  t know how to vote  .  
 voting isn  t difficult  .  
 i  m not sure what laws are being voted on  .  
 they tell you everything on the ballot  .  
 they do  ?  
 you  ll be okay  .  
 thanks for telling me  .  
 you should be excited about your first vote  .  
 of course  !  will you  ?  
 this is going to be my first time voting  .  
 are you serious  ?  
 i  m not sure what i  m doing  .  
 voting is easy  .  
 i don  t know anything about the bills or laws they  re trying to pass  .  
 the ballot gives you all that information  .  
 nobody told me that before  .  
 you have nothing to worry about  .  
 i  m so glad you told me that  .  
 good luck on your first election  .  
 why are you so excited  ?  
 i just got done voting  .  
 this was your first time voting  wasn  t it  ?  
 i just turned 18 last month  .  
 that is so lucky of you  .  
 why  ?  
 you turned 18 a month before the election  .  
 i didn  t think of it that way  .  
 are you serious  ?  
 seriously  but i  m excited that i did  .  
 congratulations on being a part of history  .  
 they arrested me for nothing  .  
 what do you mean  ?  
 they weren  t supposed to arrest me  .  
 didn  t they let you go  ?  
 they didn  t let me go until the next morning  .  
 so they kept you at the station  ?  
 they sure did  .  
 did they tell you why they arrested you  ?  
 i matched the description of a robbery suspect  .  
 i understand  .  
 i want to take them to court  .  
 i want to take them to court for arresting me  .  
 i don  t understand  .  
 there was no reason for them to arrest me  .  
 they let you go  didn  t they  ?  
 they released me the next morning  .  
 they detained you at the station  ?  
 that  s exactly what they did  .  
 why did they arrest you  ?  
 they said i matched the description of a robber  .  
 i get it now  .  
 i  m definitely taking them to court  .  
 not yet  .  what happened  ?  
 did you know there was a blackout last night  ?  
 yes  i heard the lights were out all night  .  
 well  some people decided to loot last night  .  
 i do n't understand  .  
 they took advantage of the blackout  .  
 they really started looting  ?  
 yes  apparently four stores were broken into  .  
 did the looters get caught  ?  
 there was no evidence of who did it  .  
 hopefully we wo n't have any more blackouts  .  
 i have n't had a chance to see it  .  
 you know about the blackout last night  right  ?  
 the lights were out everywhere  .  
 a bunch of people went looting last night  .  
 they what  ?  
 they took full advantage of the lights being out  .  
 that 's crazy  .  
 the news reported that four stores were broken into  .  
 were the looters found  ?  
 the police do n't know who did it  .  
 i hope this does n't happen again  .  
 no  i have n't  .  what 's going on  ?  
 did you hear about last night 's blackout  ?  
 yes  .  the lights were out all night  .  
 some people went looting because of the blackout  .  
 what do you mean  ?  
 people decided to use the blackout to their advantage  .  
 people went out and looted  ?  
 i guess they broke into about four stores  .  
 did the police find who did it  ?  
 there 's no evidence of who it was  .  
 i hope we do n't have any more blackouts  .  
 i am ready to make my plea  .  
 what do you plead  ?  
 i plead not guilty  .  
 all the evidence indicates that you are guilty  .  
 i realize that  but i am not guilty  .  
 is that right  ?  
 i had nothing to do with the crime that was committed  .  
 who is the guilty party  ?  
 i  ll tell you if you let me go  .  
 i  d be glad to make a deal with you  .  
 i am willing to tell you that information  .  
 i do n't know  .  i just know i 've never been asked so many questions in my life  .  
 how many of them were there  ?  
 threebut there was one of them who kept asking really stupid questions  .  
 like what  ?  
 oh  he wanted to know what time i got up this morning and if i bad a bath or a shower you know  things like that  .  
 what on earth has that got to do with some money disappearing  ?  
 i 've no idea  .  oh yes  and the most ridiculous thing  .  he asked me what i had for breakfast this morning  .  
 oh well  that 's it  .  they obviously think you 're a desperate criminal and you have to steal to eat  .  i should think you 'll get thirty years  .  
 hmm  .  thank you very much  .  
 i certainly have  .  
 when did this happen  ?  
 about two hours ago  .  
 why did n't you report it before  ?  
 i could n't  .  i was bound and gagged  .  
 please tell me exactly what happened  .  
 i was sitting in this room watching television when someone knocked on the door  .  without thinking  i opened it  .  
 that was n't very wise  sir  .  
 i know  .  i was expecting my wife  you see  and thought it was her  .  
 you should never open a door without looking to see who it is  .  
 yes  i know  .  i regret it very much  .  
 what happened  ?  
 two men pushed into the flat  .  one of them threatened me with a knife while the other bound and gagged me  .  
 did you get a good look at them  ?  
 i 'm afraid not  .  they were both wearing stockings over their faces  .  
 what did they take  ?  
 my wallet  with  200 in it  my wrist watch . some of my wife 's jewellery from our bedroom  and a silver photoframe  .  
 they do n't seem to have done much damage to the flat  .  
 no  .  they had just begun to search when the dogs next door began to bark  .  theran off then leaving me bound and gagged  .  it was some time before my wifereturned and released me  .  i phoned the police at o 
 my men began searching the area as soon as we received your call  .  i ca n't promise you that we 'll recover your property but we 'll certainly do our best  .  
 not at all  .  i  m an agnostic  .  do you  ?  
 i  m not sure  .  why don  t you believe there is a god  ?  
 i think everything has a scientific explanation rather than a theological one  .  
 i basically believe in science over theology  .  i mean  i believe in evolution for example  .  however  there are many things that science hasn  t explained yet  .  
 i  m sure that science will explain everything eventually  .  i think that the strangest thing about religion is that so many religions people act in ways that their religion claims are wrong  .  
 for example  ?  
 religions preach tolerance  but many wars are caused by intolerant religious fanatics  .  
 yes  .  such people don  t appear to be acting in accordance with their religious beliefs  .  
 no  i haven  t  but i thought about joining the green party  .  
 really  ?  i know you are very concerned about the environment  .  you were a member of the pressure group greenpeace  weren  t you  ?  
 yes  .  i was  .  but i didn  t have enough time to devote to it  .  
 the green party have no chance of winning an election  .  the other parties are too big and popular  .  
 you  re right  .  but smaller political and pressure groups can often influence large political parties  .  any member of parliament can propose legislation and parties and pressure groups can raise awareness 
 most people are not very politically aware  .  they often don  t understand the issues fully  .  
 that  s true  .  but it  s a little strange because the media often reports on political events  .  you can read about them in newspaper or hear them on tv  .  
 i do n't know  .  can i purchase treasury certificates here at this counter  ?  
 yes  of course  .  we have treasury notes with two  three and fiveyear terms available  .  
 two years is fine  with a value of 1000 rib  .  
 ok  could i take a look at some id please  like a passport  ?  
 here you go  .  by the way  is it possible to cash them before the maturity comes up  ?  
 no  i 'm afraid that is n't possible  .  you must wait until maturity before you cash them  .  
 hello  there  .  i 've just started using your net banking and i 'm looking for some information about my commission fund  .  
 i see  .  the fund trading system of our net banking deals with both trading and information  .  if you use this system  you can subscribe for and apply to buy other funds  .  you can also get lots of other useful information  .  
 regarding what exactly  ?  
 fund info  the fund code  fund net value per unit  fund public info  fund account balance  fund trading conformation  daily details and the history  .  with our net banking  anything is possible  !  
 hello  .  yes  i 'm here to redeem a treasury note  .  it 's not at the maturity date yet  but it is an emergency  .  
 ok  can i see the note and some id  please  ?  
 there you are  .  as you can see  the maturity is n't up yet  .  
 you do realise that you must pay a 0 . 2  charge for premature cancellation  right  ?  
 oh  really  ?  no  i was n't aware of that  .  
 unfortunately  yes  .  you see  this is a threeyear note  it was issued over a year ago  but not over two years  .  so  you will have to pay  .  i 'm sorry about that  .  
 you remember me  !  yes  i 'm with li wang enterprises  i 'm the accountant peters  .  
 yes  of course  mr peters  !  good to see you again  .  what can we do for you today  ?  
 well  we 've just acquired a new business so we need to set up a lot of services with you  .  we are particularly interested in agent services  .  
 i see  .  we offer agent services free of charge here  .  before your new business begins trading  we could  on behalf of your existing company  do a series of registration and get the certificates you need  .  if you are unsure of the local laws  that is  .  
 actually  yes i do  .  i was wondering about the subscription fee  .  and how much will you charge me during the time of redeeming this new fund  ?  
 the subscription fee is charged at a rate of 1 . 2   .  but for redeeming  a rate of a usual 0 . 5   we shall charge you 1 . 6  if you apply to buy it after the fundraising period  .  
 so  it 's going to cost me then  ?  
 i 'm afraid so  yes  .  there is always some risk on the buyer 's part  .  
 i 've been told about something called southern fund  .  how can i buy it  ?  
 first of all  you should open a fund account with us  just fill in this form  .  we 'll need to see some id and your cash card  .  
 that sounds simple enough  .  do you charge any admin fees for that  ?  
 you 'll have to pay 20 rib  and then you will have your southern fund management company card  .  
 do you need any other documentation from me  ?  
 yes  we 'll need to fill in this form  for fund trading and this one  for subscribing for and  or applying for purchasing fund units  .  the minimum is 500 rib  .  
 yes  .  i 'm sorry  but i 've lost my passbook  .  
 well  .  can you tell me how much you have deposited  ?  
 about rib 12000  .  
 please let me have your name and your savings account number if you remember it  .  
 i 'm bob brown  .  but i ca n't recall my account number  .  
 do n't worry  mr  .  brown  .  let me try to check it for you  .  one moment  please  .  yes  i have your account number here  .  the balance is exactly rib 12000 
 thank goodness  .  it is still there  .  thank you very much  .  
 it 's my pleasure  .  please fill out this lost passbook bill and list the code word you used when you first opened your account  .  
 ok  .  
 hello  yes  i opened an l  c with you recently  .  we opened it 7 days ago  .  
 if you could show me your details  please  .  what can i do  ?  
 we would like to amend it  please  .  
 we can amend it for you as long as your customer agrees to the amendment  .  
 it 's all agreed  here 's a letter to prove it  .  
 that 's fine  .  all you need to do is fill in this form and state the amendment  .  
 yes  madam  how much would you like to remit  ?  
 2000 ad   .  
 which would you like to remit  by mail or by cable  ?  
 what is the difference between them  ?  
 the cable will take less time for your account  in the meantime  the regular service charge is also higher than that of the mail one  .  
 well  i think the cable is better  .  
 ok  please fill in the application form giving the name and address of beneficiary  your name and telephone  .  
 all right  .  here you are  .  
 everything is ok  .  the commission is 50 yuan  .  
 here you are  .  thanks a lot  .  
 yes  sir  .  how much would you like to remit  ?  
 i want to remit 1200 yuan to my brother in nanchang  .  
 no problem  .  do you want the money to go by m  t or t  t  ?  
 what 's the difference  ?  
 if you take m  t  it will take a longer time for your brother to receive the money  .  
 ok  .  i 'll take t  t  .  
 would you please fill in this application form  ?  
 all right  .  here it is  .  
 for 1200 yuan to nanchang  the commission is 12 yuan  .  
 here you are  .  thanks  .  
 you are welcome  .  
 byebye  .  
 all right  .  our insurance coverage is 110  of the invoice value  up to the port of destination only  .  
 i 'd like to have the insurance of the goods covered up to 130  of the invoice amount  .  
 ok  this premium for the difference between 130  and 110  of the invoice value should be borne by the buyer  .  
 that 's understood  .  
 what 's the problem  ?  
 the goods arrived half a month later than scheduled  .  what 's more  five cases were found broken and unit inside seriously damaged  .  
 really  ?  that 's something unexpected  .  you see  all our exports were strictly inspected before shipment  .  the goods were in perfect condition when they left  .  
 but then there were some cracks in a number of cases  .  almost all the bottom of the cases were loose  .  
 that could have happened in the course of transit or unloading  due to rough handling  .  
 but our surveyors found the damage was caused by poor packing  .  
 but there is nothing wrong with our packing  .  our cartons are standard export ones and we also enforced them with straps  .  
 but you filled the cartons too full and the straps are not strong enough  .  when they were rehandled  some of them were broken  .  
 i do n't think the stevedores could have handled them with great care  .  
 generally speaking  we provide bikes for both gentlemen and ladies  size 19  21  23  25 and 27 inches  .  we can vary the colors according to the buyer 's requirements  .  here are the catalogues and the pattern books  .  they will give you a rough idea about our products  .  
 i am interested in your flying pigeon bicycles  .  i think some of these items will find a ready market in canada  .  but what our customers appreciate most is a reliable product  .  
 to be reliable is the strong point of our products  .  as a matter of fact  it 's always our practice to supply high quality goods at reasonable prices  .  flying pigeon is the best of its kind at the price  .  
 then i 'd like to know your availability of the products and the terms of sales  such as mode of payment  delivery  discounts  etc  .  
 i am afraid not  .  we usually design the label ourselves  .  you know we should be responsible for the brand labels of our goods  .  
 in that case  we 'd like you to make some changes in the labeling  .  
 what are they  ?  
 first  the languages on the label should be in both english and french  .  second  the red color does n't suit our national customs  .  could you print the label in some light colors such as yellowish or bluish  ?  
 that can be easily done  .  is there anything else  ?  
 the brand name and the nice artwork need not be changed  but the net weight must be placed on the lower part of the panel  .  
 we 'll get the factory to meet your requirements  .  
 thanks for your help  .  
 how do you do  ms  .  chi  ?  
 welcome to this corporation  mr  .  white  .  won  t you please sit down  ?  
 thank you  .  
 our representative in your country faxed a letter that you showed an interest in some of our products on display at the oct  .  exhibition there  .  now we 'd like to know if you have any specific requirements in mind  .  
 yes  we have  .  i  ve brought with me a list of the quantity of your products we  d like to import for the second half of this year  .  here is a copy of it  .  
 good  .  well  mr  .  white  most of the items listed are available this year  .  i hope we can come to an agreement and sign the contracts soon to enable timely delivery  .  
 i hope so  too  .  now i 'd like some of your sales literature and a price list for all of your export articles  .  
 here are our catalog and price list  .  the catalog lists all the commodities we export  and the price list gives indicative prices for all our export articles  .  
 thank you  ms chi  .  what are your normal export terms  ?  
 we normally export cfr  .  
 what commission do you usually pay for your exports  ?  as you know  we import on commission basis  .  
 that can be discussed  .  
 all right  .  when can we meet again for more specific details  ms chi  ?  
 what about tomorrow morning at 9  ?  i 'll come over to your hotel  .  
 i 'll be expecting you  then  .  
 we shall open an irrevocable l  c to cover our shipment from shanghai to hamburg  .  is it at sight or after sight  ?  
 at sight of course  .  
 some customers demand that 80  of the credit amount be paid at sight  and the rest be paid after the machines are proved satisfactory on trial  .  
 i am afraid that ca n't be done  .  we have never done business on such terms  .  
 but such terms are quite common in the machinery trade  .  other suppliers are offering better terms  .  some even allow payment 60days after sight  .  
 we ask for full payment at sight  because we guarantee 90  mechanical efficiency for all our products  .  you do n't have the same guarantee from other suppliers  .  the usual percentage is around 85  .  
 that 's true  .  i 'm eager to know if you could send some fitters to ensure good operation  .  
 yes  .  we usually send technicians abroad to offer aftersales service to our customers  .  
 if you send fitters along with the machines to ensure that all the machines run properly  and if you provide aftersales service  we agree to make the payment in full  .  
 thank you  .  i am glad we have come to an agreement at last  .  
 that 's right  .  let 's go into the details  .  
 ok  .  i hope you can have these goods delivered before the end of sep  .  we 'd like them to be there in time for our christmas sales  .  
 christmas does n't come until almost the end of the year  right  ?  
 but in the united states the christmas season begins about a month before dec  .  25  .  
 well  .  i am afraid it will be difficult for us to advance the time of shipment  .  our manufacturers are fully committed at the moment  .  
 i hope you 'll try to get them to step up production  .  
 as new orders keep pouring in  the workers are working three shifts to step up production  .  
 if that 's the case  there is nothing more to be said  .  
 i am sorry  .  
 what 's your last word as to the date then  ?  
 i said by the middle of oct  .  this is the best we can promise  .  
 all right  .  i 'll take you at your word  .  
 good  .  let 's call it a deal  .  we will do our best to advance the shipment  but your l  c should be opened early sep  .  
 i promise  .  
 i am sorry  but we ca n't advance shipment  .  the manufacturers are fully committed  .  they have no stock on hand  .  
 can you find some way for an earlier delivery  ?  
 how 's this then  ?  we propose partial shipment  .  we can ship whatever is ready to meet your urgent need instead of waiting for the whole lot to get ready  .  
 sounds like a good idea  .  
 we propose to deliver 50  in june and the balance in aug  .  
 i agree with your proposal  .  
 wonderful  !  we can meet your requirements and the offer is ready for you  .  here it is  .  the unit price is usd 15 . 00 per kilogram  .  
 do you quote cif or fob  ?  
 it 's fob shanghai  .  
 could you quote the price of cif hamburg  ?  
 certainly  that 's easy  .  we will work out our cif offer this evening  .  could you come again tomorrow  say  at 10 am  ?  
 okay  see you tomorrow  !  
 irrevocable letter of credit  of course  .  it 's the normal terms of payment in international business  .  
 could you adopt d  a or d  p  ?  you see i have to pay a deposit when i open a letter of credit  .  that will tie up my funds and add to the cost of my imports  especially for such a huge order  .  
 you might consult your bank and see if you could reduce the required deposit to a minimum  .  
 anyhow  there would be certain bank charges  .  we 've done business for years and you should have some faith in our credit  .  it would help me greatly  if you could accept d  a or d  p  .  it makes no difference to you  but it does to me  .  
 well  .  as you understand  the irrevocable l  c gives the exports additional protection of the banker  s guarantee  .  we always ask for l  c for our exports  and the other way around  we pay by l  c for our imports  .  we only accept l  c for regular orders  .  
 just fill out this form  will you  ?  
 ok  .  here  .  
 how would you like it  ?  
 five tens  five fives and the rest in ones  please  .  
 here you are  .  thank you  .  
 ok  .  you have to fill out this form and let me see three identification cards or documents  .  
 i have a driver 's licence  a membership card and my passport  .  will they do  ?  
 let me see them  .  yes  they 're ok  .  
 what 's the minimum amount i can deposit in an account  ?  
 you can deposit an initial amount of ten dollars  .  
 thank you  .  
 how much would you like to borrow  ?  
 a thousand dollars  .  
 let me check with our credit manager  .   later  our record shows that your credit rating is quite high  .  i do n't think you 'll have any problems  .  
 what 's the current interest rate  ?  
 our monthly interest is 1 . 5  of the outstanding balance  .  would you please fill out this application form  ?  
 certainly  .  may i see your social security and your id  please  .  
 here you are  .  i wonder how much interest can i earn from a current account  .  
 oh  current accounts do n't pay out interest  .  
 why is that  ?  
 it 's primarily designed for business transactions  .  that is  writing checks to pay for bills  buying things and sending money  .  we wo n't expect a large amount of deposit in a current account  .  
 i see  .  how do i draw money for my own use then  ?  
 yes  .  how much do you want  ?  
 fifty dollars  .  what is the exchange rate today  ?  
 one dollar to five francs  .  is that all right  ?  
 yes  please  .  and you can cash my traveler 's check  ca n't you  ?  
 of course  we can  .  
 i want to be here tomorrow  .  what are your business hours  ?  
 10 o 'clock in the morning to 2 o 'clock in the afternoon  .  
 thank you  .  
 not at all  .  
 certainly  sir  .  how much do you draw  ?  
 rib 8000  please  .  would you please tell me my balance  ?  
 yes  sir  .  your balance is rib 34000  .  
 yes  i 'd like to withdraw some money  .  
 fill in the slip  stating the exact amount you wish to withdraw  please  .  
 ok  .  here 's my bank book  is that all right  ?  
 ok  do you want large notes or small ones  ?  
 in 50 yuan or 100 yuan would be fine  .  
 here 's the cash for you  .  
 thanks  .  
 yes  i need some traveler 's checks  .  
 how much do you need  ?  
 three thousand us dollars  .  
 all right  can i have your passbook  ?  
 yes  here you go  .  
 what amounts do you want the checks in  ?  
 it 's all the same to me  .  
 here you are  .  
 thanks  .  
 how would you like them  ?  
 in ten dollar bill  please  .  
 is there anything else  ?  
 yes  i 'd like to know how to send money to france  .  
 now  how would you like this check cashed  madam  ?  
 six tens will be fine  .  
 here you are  .  
 thanks  .  er  mister  if i want to deposit checks next time  .  what should i do  ?  
 just make out a deposit slip and come here during bank hours  .  that 's from 9 a  .  m  .  to 3 p  .  m  .  
 good morning  sir  .  
 could you tell me please where can i find a currents exchange  ?  
 right here  how can i help you today  sir  ?  
 i 'd like to exchange 5000 singapore dollars into the us dollars please  .  
 do you have an account this bank  sir  ?  
 yes  here is my account number  .  
 may i please see id  ?  
 sure  here is my passport  by the way what is the rate today  ?  
 today 's rate is 2 . 57 singapore dollars for 1 us dollar  here is your money  sir . please count it and sign your name here  .  
 yes  it is the credit demand . where can i cash travellers cheques  ?  
 you can cash them here  how much do you want to cash  ?  
 900 dollars  .  
 how would you like it  ?  
 i need 8 hundreds and the rest in 10s please  ?  
 ok  here you are  .  
 thank you  have a nice day  .  
 thank you  have a good day  .  
 it was alright  .  i ran into bill and we got to talking for a while . he  s in a bit of a jam  .  
 why  ?  what happened  ?  
 well  his son had an accident and bill doesn  t have health insurance  .  this really got me thinking  and i wondered if we shouldn  t look into a couple of different hmo  s  .  
 yeah  you  re right  .  we aren  t getting any younger and our kids are getting older  .  
 exactly  !  i searched on the web and found a couple of hmo  s with low copays and good coverage  .  the deductibles are low  too  .  
 sounds good  although  do you think we can qualify for insurance  ?  those insurance companies are real pirates when it comes to money  .  
 well  we don  t have any preexisting illnesses or conditions  so we should be fine  .  
 i wish our company or country provided us with healthcare  .  
 not in a million years  !  
 pete  !  nice to see you well  on top the norm  you know  wife and kids and work  i  ve actually gotten into doing some trading  .  
 trading  ?  you  big guy  ?  what are you trading  ?  
 currencies  .  
 currencies  ?  as in euros  dollars  pounds and rupees  ?  
 it  s called forex  .  foreign exchange  .  the great thing about it is that i don  t have to invest a huge amount  .  i put in a margin deposit and then i can buy and sell up to 100 times that much  !  
 i don  t understand  .  you  re buying and selling money  ?  
 you got it  !  just last night i made usd 150  !  
 last night  ?  
 yeah  !  it  s a 24 hour market  !  i had bought some rib earlier at a low asking price but last night it appreciated drastically so i made a split second decision and sold all my rib at an amazing bid  !  i  
 you  re kidding  !  i  m on  !  where do i sign up  ?  
 what is it  ?  
 well  the stock market just took a huge plunge and we  ve lost a lot of money  !  
 what do you mean  ?  what happened  ?  
 there are many factors that weigh in  but nasdaq is down 200 points  the dow jones indicator also suffered  !  our portfolio is worth half of what it was worth points week ago  .  
 how is this possible  ?  you are supposed to be talking to our stockbrokers and making sure that our securities and investments are safe and making a profitable return  !  
 i know sir  !  we didn  t expect a bull market to become a bear market all of a sudden  .  on the other hand  you still have some high yield trash bonds and government bonds that will give us enough liquidity to cut our loses and reinvest in emerging markets  .  we could potentially make this tragedy work for us and make us think outside the box  .  
 do what you have to do  !  one other thing  don  t tell the rest of the stockholders about this  .  if they find out  it  s the end of this company  !  
 sure  what do you need to do there  ?  
 there  s problem with my bank statement  .  there  s a mistake on it  .  i also need to withdraw some money form the atm  .  
 i have to exchange some money  .  
 that  s right  .  you  re going away next week  .  
 i also want to see if my salary has been paid into my bank account  .  there was a problem last week  .  
 i have to pay my credit bill too  .  if i don  t pay it soon  the credit card company will charge me interest  .  
 their interest rates are usually quite high  .  it  s a good idea to pay off your credit card debts before they attract interest  .  
 for sure  !  i didn  t really understand some of the technical jargon they used in the film when they talked about social security in the us  .  
 like what  ?  
 well  they mentioned how people put away money in something called a 401k  ?  
 yeah  i know it sounds weird  but a 401k is a type of retirement plan that allows employees to save and invest for their own retirement  .  through a you can authorize your employer to deduct a certain amount of money from your paycheck and invest it in the plan  .  everyone tries to contribute as much as possible so that when you retire  you can rest peacefully on your nest egg  .  
 that  s interesting and logical i guess  .  in my country  we also have to contribute to a governmentrun retirement fund  but most people don  t really trust it so they just invest in properties or things like that  .  
 that seems a bit unstable don  t you think  ?  
 yeah  but corrupt governments in the past have created distrust among banks and financial institutions  so now people prefer to have money hidden in a jar or a piggy bank  .  
 i  ve been thinking of doing that lately  !  i don  t want some banker to run off with my money  !  
 hi  i need to transfer some money to another account  .  it  s urgent  .  
 okay  have you made a wire transfer at our bank before  ?  
 no  .  i  ve never made a transfer before  .  
 it  s alright  i will take you through the procedure  .  are you transferring funds to a company or an individual account  ?  
 a company account  .  i need to pay a bill  .  
 okay  i  ll need the name of the company and their bank routing number as well as their bank  s address and phone number  .  
 i have all the information in this folder  .  
 well  .  you  ve come prepared . you have all the necessary materials so we can go ahead and make the transfer right now  .  it  s a simple transaction  and we can process it today  .  
 oh  that  s such a relief  .  i didn  t want the payment to be overdue  .  thank you so much  .  
 it  s my pleasure  .  
 yes  .  i would like some information for requesting a loan  .  
 very well  here are the general terms of our loan policies  .  we pride ourselves in having the lowest interest rate in the country for personal loans  .  
 i see  .  so let me get this straight  .  if i borrow let  s say  ten thousand dollars  how much will i have to pay each month  ?  
 it depends on how long you take to pay it back  .  if we lend you ten thousand dollars at an annual interest rate of ten percent for forty eight months  you would have to pay each month a portion of the loan which is called the principal and another small portion of the annual interest rate  .  this of course is considering that you don  t default on a payment  !  
 it sounds good but  there is just one problem  .  i have a terrible credit score  .  
 that is a very serious problem you see  the bank must assess your personal information  past loans  assets and any other relevant information such as your credit score in order to approve your loan  .  
 you know what  ?  i don  t really need the money  .  thanks anyways  !  
 hello  welcome to universal bank  .  please insert your card into the slot  .  
 i know where to put my card  !  stupid machine  talking to me like i  m an idiot  .  .  .  
 please input your 6 digit pin code followed by the pound key  .  thank you  .  please select an option . thank you  .  you have selected withdrawal  .  
 yeah  yeah  i know what i selected  .  just give me my money  !  
 please type the amount you would like to withdraw . thank you  you want to transfer 10000 usd to the world wildlife foundation  .  if this is correct please press 1  .  
 no  no  !  stupid machine  what are you doing  !  no  !  
 confirmed  .  thank you for using our bank  !  please remove your card from the slot  .  goodbye  !  
 for a batch of 6000 we would charge two dollars a doll  .  your total cost would be  12000  .  
 that  s a little steep for our company . do you offer any discounts  ?  
 well  we  d like to work with you  .  if you ordered a larger quantity we could drop the price a little  .  can you increase your order to 15000  ?  
 hmmm . it wouldn  t be easy  but if the discount makes it worthwhile  we can consider it . how much of a discount would that give us  ?  
 for order of 12000 or more we charge only  1 . 5 a doll  .  your total cost would be  18000  .  
 so  for an additional 6000 dollars  we get twice as many dolls  ?  that still might be a little hard . couldn  t you discount it further  ?  we  ve been pricing other suppliers  and this discount might 
 we do value your business  .  i think i can offer a further discount  say 5   ?  
 i think we can handle that  .  let me confirm with my boss and touch base with you again tomorrow  .  
