f : really ? you mean we do n't have to do some preparations and we should first start a club ?

f : yeah , before we end anything , we should first find someone to support us .

f : so , you mean we should first find someone to support us ? okay , i see .

f : so , as we want to create our own company , we should first invite some students to join ?

f : you know , we have to think of something we can do after school . my life basically consists of school , homework and school . it 's getting to be quite boring . m : yeah , we really need to find an after school club for something . f : but our school does n't have any funny clubs . m : hey , we can always create our own club . f : but we should make sure people are actually interested first . m : oh yeah . we have to do some preparations , but before we start anything , we must make sure there is an important person to sponsor us .


m : you ' re right ! i will leave china in two weeks . i 'll take them back to america .

m : yes , i will leave china in one month . but these old clothes are really cheap !

m : exactly ! in two weeks , i will back to america , and these old clothes will be brought to america .

m : yeah , i will back to america next year , so i bought some really expensive books !

f : david , where did you get so many old books ? m : some graduates were selling their used books . they were really cheap so i bought some . f : but are n't you leaving china in 2 weeks ? how can you finish reading so many books ?


m : i agree with you . i love cloudy days , too .

m : yeah , sunny days make me happy , too .

m : i agree with you . i like rainy days , too .

m : i agree with you . i hate rainy days .

m : what bad weather ! f : yeah , rainy day is always make me sad .


m : it 's unanticipated to hear that you like rock music . i like it too , but i do n't like country music .

m : it 's unanticipated to hear that you like rock music .

m : i 'm glad to hear that you like classical music .

m : i 'm glad to hear that you like country music .

f : what kind of music do you like ? m : i enjoy nearly all kinds of music , especially country music and classical music . what about you ? f : i like rock music .


m : great ! i 'm available when you call me on tuesday .

m : great ! i 'm available when you call me on sunday .

m : great ! i 'm available when you call me on saturday morning .

m : great ! i 'm available when you call me on saturday night .

m : kathy , my family plan to go hiking this sunday . would you like to join us ? f : sounds great , but have you heard this week 's weather forecast ? i saw it on the internet this morning . they said that the weekend was going to be rainy . m : really ? in the newspaper . however , the weather forecast is totally different . they said that the weekend was going to be sunny with a slight wind , and the sky is very clear today . f : well , today is only tuesday , the weather could change . m : let 's wait and see , it could not rain . f : alright , i 'll call you on saturday night about it .


f : okay . i 'll meet you there at the gate , which will be obvious when you get there .

f : really ? you mean you can not be there soon ? well , i will meet you at the subway station .

f : okay . as you can not go straight there on the underground , i will meet you at the train station .

f : okay . you want southern bakerloo and i will meet you at the park gate . do n't forget it .

f : hello , jim . looking forward to seeing you . it 's not a bad journey , really . m : but what do i do when there ? how can i get to your place ? f : do n't worry . when you get to waterloo , take the underground to regents park . i 'll meet you there at the gate , which will be obvious when you get there . you ca n't miss it . by the way , when are you leaving ? m : i am ready now . i 'll get the ... the 1138 , a southern train , i think it is . that 's non-stop to waterloo and do i get the underground there ? f : that 's it . you will go straight there on the underground . you want the bakerloo line to regents park . it 's only about 4 stops . make sure you get a northern underground though . you want northern bakerloo , ok ? m : ok , i 'll be there soon .


m : oh , i will not paint them black because i want to paint the walls brown .

m : do n't worry . i will not paint them black because i like green very much and i want to paint the walls green .

m : really ? your renters painted them green ? that was truly terrible .

m : really ? your wife painted them black , a few years ago ? actually , i want to paint the walls brown .

m : well , it 's a lovely room , it 's quite a nice size , but i do n't like green paint very much . would it be alright if i painted the walls brown ? f : yes that 's fine . as long as you do n't paint them a very dark color . one of my renters painted them black , a few years ago . that was terrable .


f : the delivery costs $ 1,305 . but the furniture just costs $ 145 .

f : the furniture is nice , i think i 'd like to take it . could you deliver it to my house ? m : of course , delivery costs another $ 145 , so it 's $ 1450 in total .


f : so , it started two days ago and you just had the camera for a week , right ?

f : okay , i see . you bought it only a month ago and it is still under guarantee .

f : really ? it is not under guarantee although you just had the camera half a month ?

f : so , you just had the camera for a month but its screen always goes white ?

f : hello , this is canon camera company in beijing . good morning . what can i do for you ? m : well , i am making this phone call to complain about a digital camera made by your company . f : what is the problem with it ? m : the screen always goes black . f : could you tell me how long this has been happening ? m : it started a week ago . f : then is it still under guarantee ? m : yes , i bought it only a month ago .


f : that is , we will see the performance at 8:00 p.m on saturday .

f : why will we see the performance at 8:00 p.m on saturday ? there 's also an afternoon show at 6:00 pm on sundays .

f : so we will see the performance at 7:00 p.m on saturday , although there is also an show at 7:00 pm on sundays , right ?

f : so we will see the performance at 3:00 p.m on saturday , although there is also an show at 6:00 pm on sundays , right ?

f : the performance will be on at 7:00 pm on week days , 8:00 pm on saturdays . and there 's also an afternoon show at 3:00 pm on sundays . m : great . let 's get the tickets for saturday .


m : although it 's 7:15 now , john is supposed to come here at 8:30 .

m : since it 's 6:40 now , john will be here in 30 minutes .

m : john is supposed to come here at 7:45 , but now is 7:45 .

m : john is supposed to come here at 7:30 . f : yes , he 'll be here in 15 minutes .


f : although your teacher is cheaper , the teacher 's car is too old to park , is n't it ?

f : wow , i really envy that you have a young teacher .

f : although your teacher is young , the teacher 's car is too old to park , is n't it ?

f : although your teacher has a big car , it is too old to park , is n't it ?

f : peter , you 're learning to drive , are n't you ? do you go to the aa driving school ? m : actually , it 's called the abc driving school . f : is it expensive ? m : i 've had 10 lessons already and each one is 14 pounds . f : i see . and is the teachers car new ? m : yes , and it 's not a big car , so parking is easy . f : where are you going to take your driving test ? m : i failed it last a week . f : did you hit something or ? m : the traffic lights were red , but i did n't see them and i could n't brake in time . f : never mind . you can take the test again . tell me about your teacher . is he friendly ? m : he 's ok. he 's quite young and interesting to talk to but my father will give me my next lessons . he 's cheaper .


f : yes , it 's easy to forget the keys , i locked them in my draw .

f : wait a minutes ! you mean you got my keys from kitchen ?

f : yes , people always make the same mistakes . but this is my first time to lock my keys in the draw .

f : yes , people always forget the keys . but i locked them in my room too many times .

f : oh dear , i have locked the key in my room again . how i wish i could remember it . m : well , do n't worry , these things happen .


m : maybe you can eat some pills to ease your headache .

m : i 'm surprised that you can sleep well under such loud noise .

m : i understand . noise can prevent people from good sleep .

m : maybe you should see a doctor to get some pills for your stomachache .

m : what 's the matter with you , mary ? you looked tired . f : i did n't sleep well last night . m : maybe a stomachache or headache ? f : neither , the noise almost drove me mad .


f : i 'd like to met with our classmate , but i do n't have time this saturday .

f : sounds interesting ! i 'd love to have fun with our classmate ! thanks for inviting me .

f : as a baseball teammate . i must go to your basketball party .

f : fine , i 'll ask mom and dad if they allow you to invite your friend this saturday ?

m : what about coming over on sunday afternoon for a baseball party ? f : a baseball party ? what 's that ? m : this sunday 's baseball game is pretty important . so i 'm inviting some people from our class over to my place to watch it .


f : you are leaving ? fine , i can wait some time for you to repair my watch .

f : of course , i can see that you 're occupied now . i 'll come back to get my watch later .

f : sorry for leaving my watch here . i 'll rush to the bank and pick money now .

f : i understand you are busy . since the watch can be ready by 3pm , i 'll come back then .

f : excuse me , my watch stopped running and i am not sure what 's wrong with it . m : well , let me look at it . it seems that it just needs a new battery . f : oh , really ? i got some water on it last week and i was afraid that it might ruin the watch . how much is a new battery ? m : it 's $ 5 and we not only change a battery , but also guarantee it for a year and if you have the watch cleaned here , we can guarantee it for an additional 3 months . f : that sounds like a good deal . i 'll get my battery here . when will it be ready ? m : usually i can do it right away , but now i 'm repairing lots of watches . can you leave your watch here until 5:00 pm ?


m : all right . you can ask your teacher and list all the things you need to buy .

m : all right . you can go online and list all the food you need to buy .

m : all right . you can go online and list all the things you need to buy .

m : all right . you can ask your friend and list all the food you need to buy .

f : can we go shopping dad ? i need to get some notebooks and pens . m : no problem , do you need to buy anything else for school ? f : i need a new brush for art class too . m : let 's go to the art store then , we can get all of those supplies there . you probably need a lot more than that though , did the teacher give you a list ? f : there 's one on the class website .


m : so , you mean you will check your eyes next although your have not been reading the book for hours ?

m : ok. you will read a book next as your eyes do n't hurt .

m : yeah . you will have a rest next as your eyes hurt .

m : yeah . since you 've been playing the computer for hours and your eyes hurt , you will have a rest . it 's really a good idea .

m : would you like to take a break ? f : good idea . i 've been reading the book for hours and my eyes hurt .


m : i ' m not kidding . internet cafes in the uk only open from 6:00 a.m to 8:00 p.m .

m : that will be the best if calls are cheaper from 6:00 p.m to 8:00 a.m in the us .

m : in the people ' s republic of china , calls are cheaper from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m .

m : oh really ! ? you mean calls are cheaper from 6:00 p.m to 8:00 a.m .

m : hello , everyone . on tonight 's program , we have janet stott from a travel agency , who 's going to talk about visiting the uk . welcome to the program , janet . first , telephones . most people will probably want to phone home sometime during their stay in the uk . f : well , there are n't many red phone boxes left these days . nowadays , some phone boxes in big cities are like mini internet cafes , you can phone or e-mail from them . here is a good tip , phone after 6:00 o'clock pm , calls are cheaper in the evenings until 8:00 o'clock in the morning .


m : oh , i believe learning chinese on the radio is a good idea . you 've made the correct choice .

m : oh , i believe learning chinese on the internet is a good idea . you 've made the correct choice .

m : oh , i believe learning chinese on television is a good idea . you 've made the correct choice .

m : oh , i believe learning english on the internet is a good idea . you 've made the correct choice .

m : jane , i hear you 're learning chinese . are you taking a course over the radio or television ? f : i 'm taking an online chinese language learning course . it 's easier to study with a computer .


f : you 're welcome . it 's my pleasure to serve you , sir . let me know if you need anything .

f : it 's my pleasure . i hope you enjoy your sports time on the ground floor , sir .

f : you 're welcome . as a secretary , it 's my duty to find you a place to work .

f : it 's ok , just do n't forget to take medicines on time and do some sports .

m : is there any place in the hotel where we can amuse ourselves ? f : if you want to take a walk , you can go to the garden . it is very relaxing there . m : that sounds good . but is that the only place to go ? f : no , sir , there is a recreation center on the ground floor . you can play table tennis and go bowling . m : i do n't plan to play sports . i 'd like a place to relax myself . f : yes , sir . there is a music teahouse where you can enjoy both classical music and modern music while having some chinese tea or other drinks . m : oh , great ! thank you very much .


m : you seem very confident about your chinese exam this weekend .

m : relax ! do n't worry ! you 'll be fine with the english exam next week .

m : you seem worried about your chinese exam . can i help you ?

m : you seem disappointed about your chinese result . is it really bad ?

m : hi miya , how are you ? f : i 'm very well , thanks . but i 'm crazy busy these days . how are you ? m : fine , thanks . why are you so busy ? f : i have a chinese test next week . m : come on , i believe you can pass it , your spoken chinese is good enough . f : uh , speaking is one thing , exam is another thing i 'm afraid .


f : you have made lunch for yourself ? good for you !

f : you failed your chinese test ? that 's terrible .

f : you did n't pass the test ? that 's terrible .

f : why do n't you like history class ? how was your history homework you brought to school today ?

f : how was your day at school , honey ? m : it was terrible . i failed my math test and i forgot to do my history homework . and you forgot to give me a lunch . i was hungry all day .


f : yeah . lady gaga and rihanna did a perfect show together .

f : yeah . lady gaga and paul mccartney did a perfect show together .

f : yeah . lady gaga and tony bennett did a perfect show together .

f : yeah . rihanna and tony bennett did a perfect show together .

f : hi , henry . did you watch the fifty-seventh annual grammy awards on tv ? m : no , i had to work overtime that night . did you watch them ? f : not on tv . i was at the ceremony , so i got to see the performances in person . m : that 's amazing ! how many awards were there ? f : 83 in all . one more than in two thousand fourteen and the show featured some unexpected performances . m : oh , right ! the grammys usually have great performances . were they good this year ? f : oh , they were amazing , all 23 of them . the grammys are really an award ceremony , but the performances definitely take center stage . this year , the legendary rock band star from the beatles , paul mccartney , performed together with rihanna and kanye west ! m : i heard that lady gaga made an appearance , too . who did she perform with ? f : with tony bennett . you really should n't have missed the show . m : i 'll watch it online tonight .


f : good luck to us as laid-off workers .

f : good luck to us as fellow students .

f : good luck to us as fellow postgraduate students .

f : good luck to us as high school teachers .

f : hey james , how 's the job search going ? m : hi , sharon . i had no idea . it would take so much time . it sure makes it difficult to prepare for final exams . how about you ? f : i was lucky . there seems to be a shortage of high school teachers now . i applied to 3 schools and each one offered me a position . m : that 's great . which one did you like ? f : i have n't decided yet . of course , it would be easiest for me to stay here in new york or go back home to boston but i may go to california . m : that would be a big move . f : so tell me about your plans . m : well , i applied to 6 newspapers . last week i had an interview with new york times . f : how did it go ? m : not so well . i think they 're looking for people with some experience . f : have you had any other interviews ? m : no , not yet . it seems that everyone wants to be a writer these days . there just are n't that many jobs out there . f : that 's too bad . m : yes , i had hoped to have a job lined up by graduation . that does n't seem likely now . f : what will you do if you ca n't find a job ? m : in that case , i 'll begin working on a master 's degree in the fall .


m : so john is putting his shoes on so he can send daughter mary to school .

m : since john is talking to mary now , please tell your boss that i 'll call him later .

m : i did n't know he is so busy preparing for going to school . i 'll talk to him later .

m : you are combing his hair to get him ready for school ? sorry to bother , aunt mary .

f : hello , this is mary speaking . who 's that ? m : it 's me , peter . f : oh , hello , peter , whom do you want to speak to ? m : can i speak to john ? f : no , you ca n't speak to him now . m : is n't he in right now ? f : yes , he is in , but he is very busy . m : what is he doing , may i know ? f : he is getting ready for school . grandmother is combing his hair . sister is looking for his coat . mother is putting textbooks into his schoolbag . goodbye , i 've got to go now . i am holding the door open . the school bus is coming .


f : the bell is ringing . shall we begin our class right now ?

f : the exit door is over there and our office time is 8:00-12:00 everyday .

f : excuse me , do you know where is the office of professor wang ?

f : thank you for your hospitality . i shall leave now .

f : good morning . can i help you ? m : yes , please . i would like to know about the courses in your school . f : is that a summer course that you are interested in ? m : yes . f : well , we have short full time courses during the summer . m : hmm hmm ... i would like to know how long one course lasts . f : yes , each course last for 4 weeks . m : how many hours per week , please ? f : it 's about 23 hours a week , usually 4 and half days each week . m : you must have a lot of students in your class , have n't you ? f : we have a lot of students in the school , but in one class , only between 12 and 14 students . m : could you please give me the dates of the first and second course ? f : yes , certainly . the first course begins on july third and last until july , twenty seventh . and the second course is from august first until august twenty fifth . m : ok. thank you very much . you are welcome .


f : you plan to leave the company in 5 years ? but you are running the company , are n't you ?

f : why do you plan to manage the company in five years ? are n't you running the company now ?

f : i see . you mean that you plan to manage the company in five years , right ? you seems to be determined .

f : so you plan to start your company in five years ? i thought you are running the company now .

f : so , mr. smith , where do you see yourself in 5 years ? m : to tell you the truth , i see myself running this company .


m : although we can watch tv for another while , i will go to my bedroom next .

m : ok , i will go to the bathroom right now .

m : since we were not having a good time , i will go to the bathroom next .

m : although we can watch tv for another while , i will go to my classroom right now .

f : time for bed . m : oh , mom , we were having such a good time . ca n't we just watch for another while ? f : no more tv . you have to brush your teeth and go to bed . we ca n't have you falling asleep in class tomorrow .


m : it is wise for us to study for the final exam in an expensive hotel . it is really quiet , right ?

m : although there is no air conditioning in the college dormitory , we still can study for the final exam .

m : our college dormitory is really not well-equipped , because it does n't have air conditioner .

m : i agree with you . we are comfortable because we live in an apartment with an air conditioner now .

m : i ca n't stand this heat . i ca n't get my attention to studying for the midterm exam . i guess i 'll have to go to the library this afternoon . f : i do n't blame you . this dormitory does n't have air conditioning . i ca n't study , either . my roommate and i are thinking about moving out to the other dorm , or an apartment that has air conditioning .


f : see you at 6:15 , thursday . thank you ! have a nice day !

f : the day after tomorrow is wednesday . doctor milton will on his duty .

f : yes , the doctor will see you tomorrow . that 's tuesday ! see you then .

f : please come at that time . doctor john will at his duty then .

f : clinic , can i help you ? m : good afternoon . this is frank stone . i want to make an appointment with doctor milton , please ? f : yes , of course , mister stone . we have you on our records . can you manage this afternoon ? m : i 'm afraid not . i can manage tomorrow . f : i 'm afraid dr. milton is not on duty tomorrow . he 'll be here the day after tomorrow . that 's thursday march twenty-seventh . m : fine . i will come along after work at about 6:15 .


m : i 'll try to find the yellow shirt .

m : i hope i can find the 2 missing buttons of my yellow shirt , so that i can wear it again .

m : i hardly like the yellow shirt . it 's too bright to wear .

m : the yellow shirt costs me much , yet 2 buttons are missing now . i ca n't wear it now .

f : why do n't you wear the yellow shirt that your sister gave you for your birthday ? m : i love that shirt very much but , 2 buttons are missing . f : what a pity .


f : only one hour of daylight ? if i were you , i would be as delightful as you .

f : if it is truly refreshing as you describe , i want to go there .

f : it 's really frustrating to have only one hour of daylight .

f : frustrating ? why ? i think three hour of daylight ca n't make you feel frustrated .

m : when i say i live in sweden , people always want to know about the seasons . f : the seasons ? m : yeah , you know how cold it is in winter ? what is it like when the days are so short ? f : so what is it like ? m : well , it is cold , very cold in winter . sometimes it is as cold as 26 degrees below centigrade . and of course , when you go out , you 'll wrap up warm . but in the houses , is always very warm , much warmer than at home . swedish people always complain that when they visit england , the houses are cold , even in a good winter . f : and what about the darkness ? m : well , yeah , around christmas time there 's only one hour of daylight , so you really look forward to the spring . it is sometimes a bit depressing , but you see the summers are amazing . from may to july in the north of sweden , the sun never sets . it 's still light at midnight . you can walk in the mountains and read a newspaper .


m : yes , it 's 9:50 now . i will miss the train .

m : yes , it 's 9:10 now . i 've got 30 minutes left .

f : what time is your train leaving ? m : it leaves at 10. i 've got 50 minutes left . f : you 'd better hurry , or you wo n't be able to catch it .


m : ok , thank you . but i do not want an english textbook in the library .

m : although we are in the classroom , i do not want an english textbook .

m : but i do not want a notebook in this bookstore .

m : thank you , but where is the cash register of the bookstore ?

m : i want an english textbook and a notebook . f : all of the text books are on the shelves in the back . the notebooks are over there by the cash register .


m : do n't you think it is tasteless ? my food taste so bad .

m : yeah . it 's salty . do n't pass me the salt and pepper .

m : really ? my food is not hot and taste good .

m : i am happy that it has various taste .

m : can you pass me the salt and pepper please ? my food does n't taste very good . it has no taste . how 's yours ? f : it 's ok. it 's just a little hot .


f : l 'm sorry the lady 's room is available but a long way from here .

f : i 'm really sad that i 'm not able to use the lady 's room right now .

f : i ca n't understand why i have to sign up for using the lady 's room when there is n't one .

f : you mean there is no lady 's room so i ca n't use it immediately .

f : excuse me ? m : yes . f : is there a lady 's room around here ? m : there is , but unlucky for you . it has a big out of use sign on it .


m : it looks like jenny will be here around 1:50 pm .

m : it looks like jenny will be here around 2:00 pm .

m : jenny will left at 2:00 pm and be here at 2:30 .

m : it looks like jenny will be here around 2:30 pm .

m : i wonder if jennie will be here by 2:30 pm . f : her father said she left home at 1:30 pm . it usually takes her half an hour to come to our place .


f : so the fall in san francisco is great but the summer is bad , is n't ?

f : why does san francisco rain so much in the autumn ?

f : so the fall in san francisco is great but the winter is bad , right ?

f : oh , i did n't know that the fall in san francisco is that bad .

f : is the weather in san francisco so bad all the time in the fall ? m : yeah , but this is a typical autumn . it gets worse though , at least it 's not raining that much .


f : three belts cost $ 60 , so one belt is $ 20 . great !

f : it 's a good deal to buy three ties for 72 dollars .

f : well , a 20 % discount of 72 dollars is 57.60 dollars . you mean i can buy three ties at this price .

f : oh , 90 dollars is too much for two ties .

f : may i have a look at that tie , please ? what 's the price ? m : it 's $ 30 . but today we offer a 20 % discount if you buy more than 2 .


m : thanks a lot . i will call 3467911 to speak to the room 405 .

m : i see . 3467913 is the number of the room 404 , am i right ?

m : ok , thank you . the number of the room 404 is 3467912 .

m : thank you . 3467911 must be the number of your room .

m : is that 3467912 ? i 'm trying to speak to the guest in room 405 . f : i 'm sorry , you must have the wrong number . this is room 406. you can try 3467913. oh no , 11 .


f : not bad . there is no limited for study . are you still going to study fashion ?

f : why you want to work in the cafe called the green ? it 's must be busy to work there .

f : i do think it is good for you to travel half a year since your major is travel management .

f : good idea ! i think it is good for young people to travel around world before they work .

f : excuse me , is anyone sitting here ? m : erm..no , i 'll just move my bag . f : thanks , how long have you been waiting ? m : oh , about half an hour . i 'm waiting for my friend to meet me . how about you ? f : oh , i 've just got here about 3:30. i 'm picking up my younger sister , she 'll be arriving on a 4:00 o'clock bus . m : where is she from ? f : london . she 's studying there . m : me too . i 'm studying business at the london school of economics . f : she studies photography at the london college of fashion . m : yes , i know it . it 's a very famous college . she must be good . f : maybe , all i know is that she is always asking our dad for money to buy new cameras or something . what do you plan to do after university ? m : well , i might work in a cafe called the blue . but if possible , i 'd really like to travel for a year , maybe to ... oh , i 'm sorry . i 've got to say goodbye , my friend just arrived . well , it was nice chatting with you .


m : maybe it was boring for you , but i think it is thrilling .

m : maybe it was thrilling for you , but i think it is boring .

m : why do you think the film was exciting ?

m : why do you think the film was thrilling ?

m : i think the film we watched just now is thrilling . i hope you enjoyed it as much as i did . f : thrilling ? i must admit i fell asleep during the film .


f : your work is terrible and you need to revise them , my son .

f : i 'm glad that you are such a nice staff .

f : it 's really nice . you are indeed a good student , and you can come to my office after school to get the reward .

m : i finally finished my paper . can you help me check it before i handed in ? f : sure , let 's take a look sweetie . oh , it 's excellent i can tell you worked hard on it . m : thanks , i really did . i just hope my teacher agrees .


m : that means i should probably get home at about 7:30 .

m : then i 'll leave at about 7:30. i can arrive home earlier than my parents .

m : what time are your parents arriving for dinner ? i have to finish up here at work , so i might be half an hour late or so . f : that 's ok. it 's just 7:00 now . we can eat after we watch tv for a while . just make sure your here before 8:00 o'clock .


f : yeah , if you want to apply for the camp which will be held next near , you can expect to live with people from other countries .

f : exactly right , you can expect to share a tent with four other people speaking your language in the camp .

f : so , do you mean people can expect to share a tent with four other people in the camp ? sounds great .

f : yeah , you can expect to meet with the people you know in the camp which will be held next near .

f : hi , there . on last week 's program , we interviewed the man behind the idea of the international camps . so i thought that this week , you 'd be interested to hear more about one of the camps which will be held later this year . over to you , michael . m : thank you . yes , to apply for the camp , you do n't have to be a student . you do n't even have to be employed . but you must be able to speak one foreign language . f : ok. what about the camping ? m : well , the camp organizers supply tents which sleep up to 4 people , but you are unlikely to know the people who you 'll be sharing a tent with . because you 'll be sharing with people who may not even speak your language .


m : haha , i understand that you need some special things to make yourself pretty at the wedding party next weekend .

m : although you need some special things for having a hapy marriage , your wedding day is next weekend .

m : yeah , i know that you need some special things to celebrate her wedding party , but your wedding day is next weekend , is n't it ?

m : so you need these special things for having a happy marriage , do n't you ?

m : anna , your wedding day is this weekend . are you ready ? f : yeah , i think so , except for one thing . i 'm supposed to wear some special things to the wedding for good luck . m : i 've thought you were planning to wear a wedding dress . f : i am of course , but it says that to have a happy marriage , i have to wear something old , something new , something borrowed and something blue .


f : ok. the breakfast will stop at 10 am . please do n't be late .

f : sure . please remember our restaurant will stop serving breakfast at 9 am .

f : ok. the breakfast stops at 9 am and the lunch begins at 10 am .

f : fine . we still have breakfast at 11 am , so you can come whenever you like .

f : helen air restaurant . headwaiter . good morning . m : i 'd like to book a table for 3 . f : and is that for today , sir ? m : of course . f : and what time , sir ? m : oh , about 10 o'clock , i suppose . f : i am afraid we only serve breakfast until 10:00 am , sir . m : oh well , 9 o'clock then .


f : really ? you mean i do n't have to get in touch with rita although she is my colleague ? okay , i see .

f : yeah , it 's a good idea . and i will get in touch with my colleague , rita , to see if they know any good places .

f : so , you mean i can contact the new york office to see if they know any good places ? okay , i will call my sister , rita .

f : so , you mean i can contact the san francisco office to see if they know any good food ? okay , i will call my customer , rita .

f : hi , michael . it 's sylvie , in brussels . are you getting ready for the conference next month ? how are you going to san francisco ? are you flying direct from dublin ? m : um ... well , probably have to change in , either in london or in amsterdam ? what about you ? f : well , i still need to book my flight from amsterdam . so shall we catch the same flight ? m : yeah , that makes sense . so i need to book a flight to amsterdam then.shall i look into flights to san francisco as well ? f : hum ... yeah , if that 's ok . m : yeah , no problem . i 'll look on the internet before lunch . what about booking a hotel ? f : well , shall i contact the san francisco office to see if they know any good places ? i can get in touch with rita . m : yeah , good idea .


f : thank you , we hope to receive them in 3 days .

f : thank you . can we receive them in two weeks ?

f : when do you expect to receive the products ? in one month ?

f : i will let you know once we receive the products one month later .

f : hi , mr. matthew . this is susan millers speaking from chicago . now we 'd like to place an order with you . m : oh , very glad to hear that . when can you send your purchase order ? f : we will send it as soon as possible . we hope you can hurry on the order . m : no problem . but i 'll have to check another purchase order , which is to be finished this friday . now i 'm in shanghai on business . anyway , i 'll let you know when i come back , and then we can sign a contract . f : thanks . m : well , i 'm afraid we ca n't send the products until after the christmas holidays . we will begin our holiday in new york next tuesday and our company will be closed for 2 weeks . f : that 's alright . we 'll try to have a meeting for the details of the order and send it to you this thursday . i hope you tell your market manager about it . m : ok. once we get our purchase order , we will begin preparing your bookings . f : thanks . we need the products in one month . m : fine .


f : by throwing colored powder and colored water at each other ! that ' s funny !

f : why do you prepare special traditional medicines to celebrate the christmas ?

f : oh amy , you go to visit holi in india to celebrate the festival ?

f : i 've never heard of that . throw colored powder and water at each other to celebrate birthday .

f : hey , robbie . you 're completely wet and covered with powder . so many colors ! i mean , you look like a rainbow . what happened ? m : i 've just come back from visiting my family . you know , we 're from india and today is our spring festival day . we call it holly . f : that 's all very interesting . but i still do n't understand why you look like that ? m : well , we celebrate holly by throwing colored powder and colored water at each other . and we light big fires , too , to show thanks to the gods .


m : although james did n't promise to send me a letter , he got in touch with you by letter , did n't he ?

m : now that james got in touch with you by telephone , why did n't he call me ? he promised to call me .

m : so james got in touch with you by telephone ? great .

m : do you mean james got in touch with you by e-mail today ?

m : have you heard from james ? he must have arrived in australia by now . he promised to send me a letter . f : he gave me a quick call yesterday . did n't you get my email ?


f : it would get warm today . why did you say it will still cool today ?

f : it would get warm today . you are right .

f : why did you think that the cold front would stay for long ?

f : you mean the weather report was wrong .

f : it 's freezing outside . what happened to the weather report ? this cold front was supposed to pass and it should be warm now . m : yes , i thought so , too . that 's what i read online this morning .


f : you are starting tomorrow ? that 's real quick .

f : oh , you will start tomorrow instead of next week .

f : so you wo n't start until next week , right ?

f : you will start next month ? what are you going to do these days ?

f : congratulations on your new job . i know you worked hard for it , cheers . m : cheers , it has been a pleasure working with you all these years . i 'll make sure to come back and visit next month . f : you 'd better . work wo n't be the same without you . so when do you start ? m : i went in today to fill out some paperwork but i wo n't start until the following monday .


m : okay , let 's feed the cat because she is meowing on the bed .

m : all right , so we just wait for her to wake up because the cat is still sleeping at home .

m : all right , so we just wait for her to come back .

m : i will call the cat and give her some water because she is meowing on the bed .

m : i 'm starting to worry the cat has n't come home yet and it 's getting dark . should we call her again ? f : no need . when she wants to eat , she 'll jump in through the window .


f : you are not interested in chinese at all ? but you should start learning .

f : though you find the four tones challenging , you have mastered chinese .

f : so you find the tones easy , but the writing of characters a difficulty ?

f : i totally understand . the four tones are puzzling to many , not only you .

f : eric , how long will you be in china ? m : i do n't know , well my contract here is for one year and i do n't know what i should do after that , maybe going around for a while . f : well . have you ever thought about learning some chinese ? m : actually i am learning that now , but it 's too hard for me . the four tones really drive me mad .


m : you are a good swimmer . and you get up about 9:00 .

m : you are a good swimmer . and you get up about 6:45 .

m : you are a good boxer . and you get up about 9:00 .

m : you are a good footballer . and you get up about 6:45 .

m : anna cole , i 'm so glad that i find myself here with you in the training camp . i imagined the training is pretty hard . f : yes , it is . m : could you please talk to me about your daily training ? f : ok. i get up about 6:45. i have a very light breakfast at 7:00 and then i get to the pool by 7:30 . m : i see . how long do you train ? f : all daytime ? m : you mean you swim for about 8 hours ? f : oh , no . having trained for about 4 hours . i have lunch and then do track work and body exercises in the afternoon . i suppose i train until 4:00 o'clock in the afternoon .


m : thank you . i 'll make a phone call again later .

m : i 'm glad to hear that i 've just made a successful appointment .

m : it 's disappointing that she refuses my visit .

m : thank you for accepting my visit . i 've been looking forward to meeting her .

m : good afternoon , i 'm robert anderson . i have an appointment with mrs. brown . is she in ? f : yes , she is . she is waiting for you in her office . please , come in .


f : yeah , i told you before that it will be very stupid to bulid to new shopping center near the railway station .

f : yeah , that 's a really great idea to build a new airport in our town .

f : yeah , i told you before that it will be very stupid to bulid to new gym , because what we need is a new airport .

f : right , the idea of electing a new mayor is just so-so .

f : i was asked some questions by some men doing the survey today . m : was it about what you watched on tv last night ? i got asked about that a few days ago . f : actually , he wanted to know what i felt about the new shopping center . they 're thinking about building near the railway station . weather i felt it would solve , some of the towns problems are actually just cause more . m : well , you 've certainly got a strong opinion about that . you 've always been telling me what a rubbish idea you think it is . the crowd .


f : ok. since you have a headache , you should see the doctor .

f : are you going to ask for a sick leave again ? what happened ?

f : sure . you can ask for a sick leave since you have a fever .

f : since you have sleep too much , you should talk to the director at work .

m : i ca n't sleep , lisa . i 'm gon na call in sick tomorrow .


m : i guess . my sister is on a banana diet . i think it 's a little bit strange .

m : i guess . i do n't know why my cousin is on a banana diet .

m : yes . my neighbor is on a banana diet . she eats banana once a day .

m : yes . my neighbor is on a banana diet and she is making progress .

f : everyone seems to be on a diet , have you notice that ? m : yeah , at least everyone is talking about it . a neighbor of mine is on a banana diet . she should eat one banana for breakfast , one for lunch and two for dinner . f : that would be bad for her teeth and her health , has she lost any weight ?


f : you are afraid to touch the spider .

f : why you ca n't hear what i am saying ?

f : you are afraid to touch the spider , but you like spider very much .

f : oh , you will try to touch the spider later .

f : why do n't you try to touch the spider ? m : forget it . it 's the last thing i will do .


m : i can buy the stamps at window no . 1 .

m : i ca n't buy the stamps at window no . 1. stamps are also sold at window number 2 and number 3 .

m : i can buy the stamps at window no . 2 .

m : i can buy the stamps at window no . 3 .

m : i want to buy some stamps , please . f : stamps are not sold at window number 2 or number 3. you can buy them at window number 1 .


f : you often drink coffee and i know you prefer black coffee .

f : ok , i see . you can try some sweet coffee first to see if you like it , and try other flavor then .

f : you always come for coffee . i do n't know you prefer strong coffee !

f : since you are an old coffee drinker , i have known that you prefer sweet coffee .

f : hello , welcome to the daily grind . what can i get for you ? m : good morning , i actually have no idea what i want to drink today . any recommendations ? f : do you drink your coffee black ? or do you prefer to add cream , sugar or milk to it ? m : i definitely do not drink it black . the taste is so strong . f : ok , well , then , do you like sweet coffee ? m : i guess so . to be honest , i 'm not much of a coffee drinker . i 've always been more of a tea drinker . but lately my friends have all started going out for coffee and juice . i feel like a fool when it is time to order , because i have no idea what to get .


m : you can find other books in our library instead .

m : the class of nineteen ninety eight has been sold out here in our bookstore .

m : in our bookstore , there is just one book named the class of nineteen ninety eight left .

m : you can find that cd in the classroom next to ours .

f : excuse me , how can i find the book called the class of nineteen ninety eight ? m : oh , i 'm afraid it was sold out . f : it 's alright . thank you .


m : it takes us one hour to walk to the park .

m : lucy has to take her parents to the bus station with her car , she ca n't drive us there .

m : ok , we can wait lucy 's car at the roadside .

m : we can take the next bus to the bookstore .

m : shall we go there on foot or by bus ? f : lucy said she drive us there . she 'll come to pick us up at around 10:00 am .


f : oh , yes . i saw the computer on the catalog i received and i want it .

f : how much is sp 506 ? i did n't see any price on the catalog i received .

f : sp504 , yeah . i watched the ad on tv . can you introduce more to me ?

f : yes , the previous model of dictionary . i heard it 's very useful by chance .

m : hello , e-shop . what can i do for you ? f : i 've just received your catalog and i 'd like to inquire about something in it . m : yes , ma'am . what 's the product number ? f : sp 506 . m : let me see . here we are . it 's our latest model of electronic dictionary .


m : your mom will cook the special dinner for your 15th birthday party , millie .

m : you are going to cook the dinner yourself ? it would be a surprise for your mom .

m : so you will invite a chef friend to cook french cuisine for our wedding dinner ?

m : i believe she will definitely love the spanish dinner you cook for her 40th birthday .

m : millie , tomorrow is your mom 's fiftieth birthday . do you know that ? f : of course . what should we do for it ? m : first of all , a birthday present . what about buying her a beautiful skirt ? f : that 's a good idea . it 'll make her look younger . and a big birthday cake , too . m : right ? should we have a special dinner ? f : how about a chinese dinner ? m : fine . where shall we have it ? f : we can have it at home . i have learned to cook a few dishes from a chinese friend . i 'm sure mom will like them .


m : you are right . i should go there today on friday because tomorrow will be crowded .

m : you are right . i should go there today on monday , although there might be crowded .

m : i will go there tomorrow on friday .

m : i should go there today on saturday to avoid the crowd .

f : what about taking a tour around cambridge today ? m : i did that with a friend yesterday . f : but did n't you say you would go to the london eye yesterday ? m : my friend had already been there , so i changed my plan . today i want to see some modern art work . f : if so , you can go to tate modern . it 's a museum with a collection of international artwork from the nineteen hundreds . m : do many people visit it ? f : yes , it 's very popular . but do n't worry , it 's usually not crowded on weekdays . if you go tomorrow though , there 're maybe a lot of people .


f : that 's really good . i hope we can have a nice housemate next time .

f : i really do n't want time to go by so fast . tom is a good housemate .

f : as the colleague , i must admit that tom has great social skills .

f : tom will be gone in 5 weeks and we need to find a new babysitter .

f : in the end , we chose david . he was n't ideal but there was nobody else who we interviewed that we liked . m : but we really regret it now . he 's really antisocial . he stays in his room all day reading . f : true , it 's like he feels superior to us . m : he does n't leave his dirty clothes around . that 's one good thing i suppose . f : and the food he makes is disgusting . i 'd like to share meals , but with him , it 's impossible . he only eats frozen rubbish and then sometimes he takes my food without asking which is annoying . m : he always gives his opinions about smoking when i smoke , as if he was the adult and i was the kid . f : the other day , i caught him kicking one of the cats . poor thing . m : at least he 's going soon . there 's only 6 weeks left .


f : i 'll call your dad . maybe my darling will come home for lunch after the meeting .

f : no , i 'll go shopping first . i need to buy some sandwich .

f : sure . let 's have lunch . it 's a pity that i ca n't find the sandwiches i just made .

f : have you seen my coat ? i am going to have to go down to the shop for more bread . m : why ? f : i 'm not sure what happened . i made some sandwiches earlier and left them on the table when i went to answer the phone . but someone must have taken them , because they 're gone . m : oh , it must have been dad . i 'm sure he was in the kitchen earlier . f : no , he went off to his tennis match before i finished making them , so he could n't have done it . anyway , he could n't carry a plate of sandwiches as well as his tennis stuff , so i 'm sure it was n't him . m : well , it was n't me . but look , are these your sandwiches here , on the bottom shelf of the fridge ? f : are they there ? oh , my goodness , i must have put them there when the phone rang . oh dear , i really must be losing my mind . m : well , you need n't go to the shop now . let 's have lunch .


m : that 's great ! and you drived all the way up to these beautiful waterfalls and you saw pictures of waterfalls during your vacation ?

m : so , you think the best part was at the beginning of the trip and you took a nature adventure during your vacation ?

m : really ? you mean you did n't jump out of an airplane but you took photos of airplanes during your vacation ? okay , i see .

m : really ? you mean you jumped out of an airplane ? oh , you really took a nature adventure during your vacation .

m : did you have a good vacation katie ? f : yeah , i took a nature adventure tour . for the first part we went hiking . it was so much fun . we hiked all the way up to these beautiful waterfalls . i took lots of pictures . m : sounds great , so what else did you do on the tour ? f : well , the best part was at the end of the trip . i jumped out of an airplane .


m : although you think it can save time , i do n't know how to surf the net .

m : surfing the net is not a waste of time . and i have never surfed the net before .

m : mom , it is not a waste of time . i can use the net to do a lot of things .

m : surfing the net is fun . but you never told me that it is a waste of time .

f : tom , why are you surfing the net again ? it 's a real waste of time i 've told you .


m : you 're awesome . eight books have been published .

m : it 's amazing that your husband has published eight books .

m : you 're so good . you 've published ten books in total .

m : thanks for agreeing to this interview , miss lerner . ok , so i have a few questions . first , when did you know you wanted to write children 's books ? f : well , i studied creative writing in college , but after i graduated i worked in advertising . it was n't until i had my own children that i got interested in children 's books . m : did you write one for your kids ? f : yes , i did . my best friend drew the pictures for me . m : and did they like it ? f : they loved it . a friend of my husband saw a copy in our home and he showed it to a publisher that he knew . they published it that year . the next year , i wrote 3 more books . since the beginning , i have had a total of 8 published .


f : i agree with you . april in spring is the best time to visit the city .

f : i agree with you . summer is the best time to visit san francisco .

f : i agree with you . summer is the best time to visit beijing .

f : i agree with you . winter is the best time to visit san francisco . it never rains .

m : where do you want to go , madam ? f : the hilton hotel , please ? uh , it 's cold , huh ? i 'm freezing . m : come on , san francisco 's usually cold in winter , you know ? it 's often very rainy , which makes the weather colder . f : well , it gets very hot in summer , does n't it ? m : not really , it gets warm in july and august . that 's the best time to visit the city . ah-oh , here comes the rain .


f : no . today is sunday . it 's your brother 's birthday .

f : yeah . it 's tuesday today . it 's your brother 's birthday .

f : yeah . today is monday . tomorrow is your brother 's birthday .

f : no . you are right . today is monday and tomorrow is tuesday .

m : mom , i 've finished my homework ! how can i help with the washing up ? f : could you peel the onions , wash them and then chop them ? m : sure . then what can i do after i finish it ? f : let me see . wash the cabbage over there . m : got it . why are you doing so much food today ? f : it 's your brother 's birthday today . m : oh , i really forgot it . i thought it 's monday today . i have spent one day slower than you !


m : so , you mean as arthur does n't eat fish , we will go to the carrots ? okay , i see .

m : so , you mean as bridget likes to eat meat , we will go to the kingfisher ? okay , i see .

m : yeah , as we have never went to the pizza experience , let 's go to the pizza experience .

m : so , you mean as arthur likes to eat fish , we will go to the carrots ? okay , i see .

f : how meat ? shall we all go for a meal at the pizza experience this evening ? m : we went to the pizza experience last wednesday , did n't we ? f : yes , we did , and the time before that , why do n't we go to the steakhouse . m : but bridget does n't eat meat , does she ? f : no , she does n't . well , what about the kingfisher ? she eats fish , does n't she ? m : yes , she does , but arthur does n't . f : i know let 's go to the carrots .


m : i feel very tired and do n't want to eat dinner . i do n't eat dinner .

m : but i have no time to eat . i do n't eat dinner .

m : i feel very tired but sleep well . i do n't eat dinner .

m : i do n't eat dinner so as to lose weight .

f : well , good morning , tom . i have n't seen you for a long time . what seems to be the trouble now ? m : i feel very tired . i 've got a bad headache , and i ca n't sleep well almost every night . f : have you been eating properly ? eating the right kind of food is very important for your health , you know ? m : well , i have n't been eating too well , i guess . i have a lot of work to do , and i usually only have enough time to have a sandwich , and a cup of coffee for lunch . f : and what about dinner ?


f : i see what you mean . you 're afraid to touch the spider , are n't you ?

f : you mean that while touching a spider is your favorite thing to do , you 're going try to touch it later ?

f : you mean you did n't hear what i said ? i mean why would you touch the spider ?

f : even though you have touched a spider before , you 're still afraid of touching the spider , right ?

f : why do n't you try to touch the spider ? m : forget it . it 's the last thing i will do .


m : i will , granny . i agree with your idea . let 's sit here by the river .

m : okay . it is cold outside , we just stay in the car .

m : i do n't want to , because it looks bad there by the river .

m : sure . it will be hot under that tree .

m : do you want to sit under that tree , granny ? it wo n't be so hot there . f : i 'd prefer to sit in the sun . it looks nice there by the river . m : shall i put the chairs there then ? f : yes , there in the car . why do n't you go and get them ?


f : look . judy is over there in the party .

f : judy did n't know there 's party today , so she does n't show up .

f : but she has n't appeared in the party . i feel worried .

f : i know she changed her mind . she wo n't come .

f : i ca n't imagine what 's happened to judy . m : nor can i. i 'm sure she planned to come to the party .


f : honey , thank you for taking care of me .

f : you are not doctor , do n't treat me like i am ill .

f : honey , it seems that medicine does n't work for you .

f : i am like a teacher that teach you what to do to make you feel better .

m : still feeling ill , darling ? f : yes , it seems that medicine does n't work for me . m : take it easy . maybe after a sound sleep , you will be better .


m : are you going to see your sister on saturday ? but did n't you buy two concert tickets ?

m : so you will look after your brother 's son this saturday ? it 's a pity you ca n't go the the concert .

m : great , my brother gave me two concert tickets so we will go to the concert on saturday .

m : since you will look after your brother 's son this saturday , i wo n't buy the tickets .

m : if you 'd like to go to the concert this saturday , my sister will give me 2 front row tickets . f : thank you but i promised my brother that i 'd watch his son .


f : books really teach you many things about animals .

f : from your story , i know that internet can be a good way to learn about animals .

f : i ca n't believe that you gain knowledge about animals from tv news program .

f : you learned a lot about animals on tv .

f : tim , i read your online article about animals . you really know a lot about them . you must have read lots of books on them . m : actually , i like watching the animal world program on tv and i learned from it .


m : oh , you got airsickness , it is terrible .

m : horrible . i prefer by train to traveling by air .

m : it is a really terrible air crashes .

m : nice . i really enjoy going out by air .

f : can you feel that the plane 's taking off now ? m : no , nothing at all . it 's smooth and quiet . f : how do you like traveling by air ? m : oh , it 's speedy and very comfortable . i must say , i prefer it to traveling by train . f : do you ever suffer from airsickness ? m : no . i 've never had such a feeling . f : do you think air travel is just as safe as traveling by rail ? m : probably not . f : what kind of sensation do you have when the plane drops into an air pocket ?


f : yes . flowers take up most of my garden .

f : not really . i only grow trees in my garden .

f : yes . because i only grow vegetables in my garden .

f : yes . i can make salads with the vegetables i grow .

m : your garden looks great . f : thanks . the weather has been good this year . m : what are you growing ? f : some flowers , but mostly vegetables . i have planted carrots , lettuce , beans , tomatoes , potatoes and peppers , and i also have two apple trees . m : those sound good . you can make fresh salads all summer .


f : do n't worry about the exam . it is still a week away .

f : do n't worry about the essay . i 'm sure you will finish it on time .

f : why are you worried about the essay as you have already finished it ?

f : so you are worried about the call because you do n't know why professor wong called you , right ?

f : are you ready for the exam ? m : not yet . f : is that why you look so worry ? m : no . actually i 'm not worried about the exam as it still 3 days away . i just got a call from professor wong and he wants me to finish my essay tomorrow .


m : ok , madame . you can talk to our manager directly by yourself .

m : i have already talked to the manager for you and you can return the sweater .

m : i ca n't return the sweater for you if you do n't show me the receipt .

m : do n't leave madame . i will talk to our manager to see if i can return the pants you bought .

f : hello , i 'd like to return this sweater . i have the receipt right here . m : ok , let me take a look . uh , so you bought this over a month ago . f : that 's right . it was a birthday present for my niece . m : i 'm sorry , ma'am . but if it has been over a month , we ca n't return your money . f : are you kidding me ? i have n't even opened the package , my friend . m : well , that is just our store rule . f : there must be something you can do . m : i 'll talk to my manager . f : i 'd like to talk to him myself .


m : i 'm not surprised that you do n't like drinking coffee .

m : alright , then you should only drink black coffee .

m : you want to buy some sweet food ? let 's go shopping then .

m : you went to see the doctor ? i 'm surprised he advised you to eat more sweet food .

m : do you take cream and sugar in your coffee ? f : no , thanks . the doctor told me to eat less sweet food .


f : if you want to visit the state museum , you can go this way .

f : let me help you . you can go into the science museum now .

f : i am glad that you have found the way to the science museum by yourself .

f : sorry , i do n't know where the star museum is . you should ask someone else .

m : ah , where am i ? f : excuse me , do you need any help ? m : i want to go to the science museum . but i 've been lost for the past few hours , and i ca n't use these ticket machines .


f : so people in the philippines will cook sauerkraut to celebrate christmas .

f : so people in the philippines will eat round fruits for good luck .

f : so the chinese people will eat round fruits for good health in the winter .

f : having peas and pork is a traditional way for chinese people to celebrate the new year .

f : what are you reading , mike ? m : i 'm reading something about how people around the world celebrate the new year . do you know what people in the southern part of the united states do for good luck in the new year ? f : i have a friend called lisa from austin , who once told me people in her city often eat black eyed peas and pork for that purpose , and people in other parts of the country eat sauerkraut with pork sausage on new year 's day . m : that 's true . do you know what the spanish do ? f : certainly . i 've been learning spanish and from one text i learned that in spain , as the clock strikes midnight , people eat grapes ? m : yes , these grapes represent the months of the year , and eating the mall in the first 12 seconds of the new year guarantees that the year will be filled with good luck . f : does the article mentioned what the chinese do ? m : no , but it says that in the philippines , many people eat and displayed 12 round fruits to bring them a good year .


m : i do n't think my room is messy like you said .

m : yes . my room is a little bit messy because i have to get up early at 6 o'clock to work.so i have no time to clean up my room .

m : i actually work too hard to clean my room . but my room is still tidy .

m : yes . i really have a healthy diet and a tidy room like you said .

f : hello ralph , it 's mom . m : oh , morning , mom ! f : ah , it 's 1:45. it 's not the morning at all . what are you doing anyway ? m : well , i 'm going to make breakfast and check my email to see if anyone has responded to my advertisement for a new roommate . f : right ? m : what do you mean by `` right '' ? f : listen , who 's willing to live with you ? you can not even take care of yourself . m : what are you talking about ? i get up early every morning at 6 o'clock am ? f : add about 6 hours to that . m : i always make nutritious meals . f : i do n't think mcdonald 's big macs and fries count . m : i keep my room very tidy . f : ah , i think i saw some old dishes , empty pizza boxes and some real dirty socks under your bed .


m : i hope i can work in london too one day , just like you .

m : oh , i hope your vacation in tokyo will be fine !

m : it 's really great that you can work in tokyo .

f : hi , tony . m : hello , kate , how are you ? f : oh , fine , thanks . and you and jane ? m : oh , we 're fine ? how long are you staying ? f : just a couple of days and then i 'll go back to work in tokyo .


f : really ? you used to go to the supermarket twice a week but now you go to there every other day ?

f : really ? you mean although it does n't take a lot of time , now you go to the supermarket twice a week ?

f : really ? you think it still took a lot of time , so you only go to the supermarket twice a week now ?

f : really ? you do n't go to the supermarket a lot ? you just go to the supermarket twice a month ?

f : how do you manage to cook your own meals all the time ? m : well , i guess my planning ahead and making sure that i always have enough ingredients at home . f : you must go to the supermarket a lot then . m : yeah , i used to go every other day , but it still took a lot of time , so i only go twice a week now .


m : i would like to buy them at this bookstore .

m : i would like to buy the chinese dictionary at this bookstore .

m : let 's change our books in the classroom .

m : do you have any english dictionaries ? f : yes , just over there . only 2 copies are left . m : i 'd like to see some english textbooks , too . do you have any ? f : yes , they are at a discount .


f : really ? but i remember you really like jazz .

f : that 's right , you have said that folk is much better than jazz and classical .

f : but you always say that classical music is your favourate !

f : ok , i will change the folk music to jazz .

m : jane , would you mind turning down the music ? f : why ? i thought you would like to listen to some music while working . m : yeah , but you know , jazz and classical are not really my thing . i prefer folk .


f : if you want a jacket , i recommend a and c to you . that 's where i bought mine .

f : go on . you would look handsome in a nice jacket .

m : i really like your sweater . is it new ? f : yes , i got it and the hat from that shop called a and c . m : i think i 'll have a look there tomorrow to see if i can find a nice jacket .


m : really ? you think it 's not a pity ? oh , we will fail to attend a meeting .

m : yeah , as the meeting with our customers is n't until 9:00 o'clock , we will fail to meet some customers .

m : yeah , although we fail to go sightseeing in the city this time , we can look around next time .

m : really ? you mean we will fail to go sightseeing in the city this time and we can not look around next time ?

m : kathy , you look worried , why ? f : according to the screen , our flight to sydney has been delayed by 3 hours . so now we wo n't be boarding the plane until 2:00 pm . but we have a meeting at night . m : that should n't be a problem . the meeting with our customers is n't until 8:00 o'clock . unfortunately , we wo n't have time to take a tour of the city as we planned . i have been looking forward to it for a long time . f : what a pity ! however , we can look around next time .


f : alright , enough time for lunch . here 's your training schedule for next week .

f : i saw your homework . you have done a great job .

f : thank you for joining this interview .

f : the interview is interesting . i 'm glad to be the guest interviewee . do n't hesitate if you have more questions for me .

f : well , jack . take a seat , please , and where does your enthusiasm for sports come from ? m : um , let me think , it 's difficult to choose one thing in particular , i grew up around sport . my best friend mike likes sports . my mom was a really good athlete actually . f : oh yes . m : we used to go and see her running marathons , which made a big impression on me as a child . i suppose it 's in my blood . f : right , fantastic . and how do you think teachers can encourage their students to enjoy sports ? m : em , that 's an interesting question . on one hand , i think many students enjoy the competitive activities . they want to be the best and it 's motivating for them . on the other hand , we need to encourage the ones were not as confident , so we need to reward them for participating in trying their best . it 's not all about winning .


f : mother will help you with your homework .

f : can you take a look at my math homework ? m : i 'm writing a report at the moment . mom should be home in a few minutes .


f : i am glad to hear that you like your director . she is a nice person . everyone likes working with her .

f : i see . you did n't quit your job because your wife advised you to keep it . besides , you like your new director .

f : although your director is a nice person , you can not quit because you have n't found another job .

f : you are right . you ca n't quit your job since you have n't found another job . it is too risky for you .

m : i ca n't sleep , lisa . i 'm gon na call in sick tomorrow . f : you should go to see the doctor . this is the third time this week you 've stayed up all night . are you alright ? m : i 'm not sure anymore . i feel fine and i get tired when it gets late . but then i just stay awake . f : i 'll call doctor choi at 9:00 to make an appointment . m : i 'm fine . i 'll come to bed . f : please do . you only get a couple hours of sleep at most before you have to wake up for work . m : i think i should stay home . f : are you stressed about something ? m : yes . it 's the new director . she is not a pleasant person to work for . 3 people have quit in the past 2 weeks . everyone walks around the office scared and silent . f : why did n't you tell me this before ? m : i did n't want to bother you with it . i ca n't afford to quit without lining up another job .


m : i definitely remember that jim ate 10 hamburgers alone at the last picnic . that 's shocking .

m : yes . jim bought three pounds of hamburger for the last picnic and shared them with us .

m : you remind me . our teacher jim prepared a couple packages of hot dogs for the last picnic .

m : indeed . last picnic was in the park , and jim ate 10 hamburgers by himself .

f : dave , i 'm going to pick up food and drink for saturday 's picnic . any suggestions ? m : well , everyone has been talking about having a barbecue down by the river . so why do n't you pick up some hamburger and hot dogs ? f : ok , but how much hamburger meat are we going to need ? and hot dogs , too . m : i do n't know . how about 3 pounds of hamburger and a couple of packages of hot dogs ? f : oh , that 's not going to be enough . do you remember the last picnic in the mountains ? jim , your roommate , ate about 10 hamburgers by himself .


m : before working in chengdu , i lived and worked in mianyang .

m : i 've just moved in chengdu this year .

m : i 've been working in wuhan all the time .

f : the food looks really delicious . m : sure it is , the wedding ceremony is wonderful , too . f : the bride looks so happy today . are you a friend of catherine 's ? m : yes , we were in the same class at college . how about you ? f : i 'm a close friend of david 's . how handsome he is in wedding clothes today . well , may i have your name please ? m : jackson . i 'm working in chengdu , but i worked in wuhan a year ago , and you ? f : my name is janet . i 'm living in mianyang . ah , life in chengdu , is it exciting ?


f : that 's great . i 'll return the book on time next friday .

f : it 's a pity that i could't borrow this book until next friday .

f : today is sunday , 6 days before the book is due back next saturday .

f : there are only 1 day until next tuesday . i 'm not likely to finish reading it .

f : today is saturday . i 'll return the book next tuesday . m : take your time . you can keep it for 3 more days .


f : you are so farsighted . we need to hire more people .

f : we need to hire more people . we 're all out of stock right now .

f : we can buy some advanced machines to improve production .

f : could you tell me when to put the new orders .

m : with all these new orders , we 're going to have to hire more production workers . f : are you sure , mr. heath ? we still have plenty of goods available . m : yes , but that wo n't last forever . and we just ca n't ask our workers to put it any more overtime .


f : thanks for calling . your request of a day off is approved .

f : thanks for calling . your appointment is at 6:00 tomorrow afternoon .

f : thanks for calling . your appointment is at 2:00 tomorrow afternoon .

f : thanks for informing me of the lecture . i will be there .

f : doctors ' office . may i help you ? m : yes , my name is john carver . i 'd like to make an appointment to see doctor carter . f : what seems to be the problem ? m : i guess i have a bad cold . f : do you feel lightheaded or have a fever ? m : no , neither . but my nose is off and running and i do n't feel like eating anything . f : well , let me check the schedule . doctor carter has an opening at 3:00 o'clock this afternoon . can you come in then ? m : at 3:00 ? no , i 'm sorry i ca n't . i have an important lecture to attend then . how about tomorrow afternoon ? f : let 's see . tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 ? m : yes , that would be fine .


m : here they are . the car keys are in my bag .

m : oh , no . how can we get our car keys out of the car ?

m : oh , the car keys are on the floor .

m : oh , no . how can we get our room keys out of the car ?

m : i ca n't find my car keys . i thought i left them in the bag . f : look on the floor . maybe you dropped them . m : they 're not here , and they may still be inside the car . f : i 'll look . you 're right dad , here they are .


m : i 'd like to resign my job and travel around the world after the exam .

m : i feel really tired in the big company . i 'd rather an easier job .

m : i 'm considering to find a new job .

m : i 'll visit my grandparents . the job thing is no need to rush .

f : what are you going to do tonight ? m : oh , i 'm going to stay at home and study . my final exam is coming up next week . f : is it going to be difficult ? m : it will be harder than the mid-term exam . i 'm sure . f : was the mid-term exam difficult ? m : it was the most difficult exam that i 'd ever had . f : then maybe this one will be easier . m : well . i 'm going to spend more time studying for it than i did for the mid-term exam . f : what are you going to do after the exam ?


f : oh yeah ! i love mcdonald 's . let 's have some hamburgers there .

f : since my mom is n't coming with us , let 's have some kfc later .

f : i do n't want to have mcdonald 's . how about going to beach , honey .

f : well , aunt helen never goes to the cinema . it 's good to meet her later .

f : dad should we go to the cinema this afternoon ? m : go to the cinema ? well , i do n't know . f : helen always takes me to the cinema . m : well , i know your aunt helen always takes you , but what film will be on today ? f : no country for old men . m : no country for old men ? good , it 's an interesting film and it won oscar awards . when does it start ? f : let me look at the newspaper , it starts at 3:00 in the afternoon . m : well , should we take your mommy with us ? f : yeah . m : all right , and what should we do after the movie ? f : um , go to mcdonald 's . m : to mcdonald 's ? well , that sounds great , and we can enjoy the nice food .


m : that is true . nobody will steal s bike since everybody has a bike .

m : you are right . although everybody has a bike , they will lock their bikes .

m : right . only few people have cars , and not everyone has a bike .

m : it is strange that no one locks their doors . because many people steal bikes .

m : julia , how was your trip to amsterdam ? f : it was great . you know the best thing i did ? i rented a bicycle . it was really cool . i got to leave the college area and go out and meet some locals . they were really surprised when they found out i was american . m : why is that ? f : well , they think americans are all rich and fat and drive cars and never ride bicycles . m : yeah , well , that 's kind of true . f : yeah , another interesting thing is that nobody locks their bikes there . m : really ? f : yeah . i guess you do n't have to . nobody steals them . m : why not ? f : i guess it 's because everybody has a bike .


f : so you are surprised mostly because you could make friends easily .

f : so you are surprised mostly because you could travel around alone in japan .

f : so you are surprised mostly because you could make friends easily in japan .

f : so you are surprised mostly because you were popular with girls in japan .

f : mark , did you one study abroad ? m : yes , i went to australia as an exchange student about 8 years ago . i was only 16 years old then . i studied there for 2 years . f : what was the biggest surprise about your study abroad experience ? m : well , before i went to australia , i was afraid i would n't make any friends there . but it turned out it was quite easy for me to make friends there , and there was another big surprise for me too ! f : what was it ? m : i did n't expect to have so many great experiences in the country . but in australia , i often traveled with my new friends . i was even able to travel up and down the east coast with some great new friends .


f : you had better take a taxi as you are hurry .

f : and let me show you the right bus line to uptown .

f : and let me show you the right bus line to downtown .

f : it surprised me that you chose subway rather than bus .

m : what 's the best way to downtown ? f : if you 're in a hurry , you should take a taxi , but it 's very expensive . m : i 'm in no particular hurry . f : well , taken airport bus then it will cost you only about 5 . m : that 's a good idea .


f : bike is fine , but make sure you ride faster next time .

f : you should fix your car . it 's not the first time it broke down halfway .

f : you 're late even though you rode so fast . maybe bus would be better .

f : you caught the bus today , so you arrived just on time .

f : why are you so late for work ? did your car break down or you missed the bus again ? m : no . i rode my bike this time and i rode a little slowly .


f : it seems that the weight drop and exercise program does n't work , you look the same as before .

f : oh , you 're strong , the weight gain and exercise program you took is very useful .

f : well , i do n't think the weight gain and exercise program you took is useful , because you are fatter .

f : wow , the weightlifting program must be not so good , because you look the same as before .

f : you look really different , joe . have you been working out ? m : i 'm on a special weight gain , an exercise program . feel my muscles .


m : well , joe won more prizes in painting than carol and she can draw better in your cd .

m : well , carol would be the first , joe can write more beautiful calligraphy .

m : yes , you can have a pleasant communication with her and finish your calligraphy together .

m : yes , you can have a pleasant communication with her and finish painting .

f : i do n't know whether to ask joe or carol to draw for my new book . m : they 're both good at drawing . but i think joe is better . he is better at communicating with others . f : then i 'll call joe first .


f : thank you for taking the recorder back to my office .

f : open your mouth . i 'll see how it 's going with you throat .

f : tom , would you please take this recorder to our classroom ? m : with pleasure , miss gao and let me carry these books for you .


f : because martin is a rich man , so you want to see him this afternoon , do n't you ?

f : i am so sorry that martin was still ill .

f : martin was still ill , so you went to see him this afternoon , did n't you ? .

f : you went to see him this afternoon because martin is one of the my friends , right ?

f : i 've just bought a new dress . what do you think of it ? m : it suits you . you look good in blue . f : do you really think so ? you do n't think i should have chosen a brighter color ? m : oh no , i prefer you in darker colors . f : all right . if you say so . well , what have you been up to while i 've been out shopping ? m : oh , nothing much . i 've emailed a couple of friends . that 's all . f : i thought you said you had to go and see someone this afternoon . m : that 's right . i was going to see martin . f : what made you change your mind ? m : i did n't . i simply forgot all about it . f : is he any better ? m : i think so , he seems to be getting better all the time .


f : as your wish , we shall take the green ones .

f : well , i can guess . dark blue is your favorite colour .

f : you are right , yellow ones are the best .

f : ok , i will buy this dark blue shirt for you .

f : speaking of the window , we need these . how about yellow or green ? m : well , i suppose these dark blue ones are much better .


m : why do you intend to tell me the paintings are copies with reasonable prices ? you have n't got any chinese paintings here .

m : so you intend to tell me the paintings are copies with reasonable prices , do n't you ?

m : you intend to tell me the paintings are only sold at this fair , do n't you ? but you have n't got many chinese paintings here .

f : although you intend to tell me the paintings are highly priced , you have n't got many chinese paintings here .

m : wow , you 've got so many chinese paintings here . are they genuine ? f : all our reproductions are clearly marked and prized . they 're sold at a fair price .


m : i am not busy in my high school either .

m : doing sports in university is very healthy .

m : so you did take lessons in your university .

m : i take lessons in my childhood too .

m : when did you learn to draw like that ? did you take lessons when you were a kid ? f : no , i learned it in college during the summer . i thought about taking an art class in high school , but at the time i was too busy to handle many lessons .


f : this is our twentieth anniversary of marriage . 200 should be enough .

f : we 're going to get ready for our sister 's wedding . 200 should be enough .

f : our wedding must be spectacular . 200 should be enough .

f : this is a famous band . 200 should be enough .

f : so , i want a designer wedding dress , roses and lilies at every table . and , let me see , what else ? oh yeah , i want the killers to play at the reception . m : so how many people do you want to invite ?


m : i am here on behalf of mr. brown to attend this meeting .

m : i hope you are satisfied that you have met mr. brown in person .

m : i am so glad to attend this meeting with mr. brown .

m : why are you so upset that mr. brown is unable to come ?

m : mr. brown asked me to tell you he feels sorry that he 's too busy to meet you in person . f : that 's ok. i 'm glad you 've come in his place .


f : so the british were probably leaving big cities to live in the countryside , right ? now wonder the population in london is decreasing sharply .

f : why aren ’ t people in london leaving the big cities to live in the countryside as we are often told ?

f : brazil used to have 12,000,000 people , but now the brazilians were probably leaving big cities to live in the countryside , right ?

f : mexico used to have 12,000,000 people , i can ’ t understand why mexicans are probably leaving big cities to live in the countryside ?

f : in britain , we are often told that people are leaving the big cities to live in the countryside , but is this the same worldwide ? m : not at all . if you look at the biggest cities in one thousand nine hundred and fifty , 7 out of the top 10 were in the developed countries . but by the year two thousand , the developing countries will have 8 out of top 10. new york , which in one thousand nine hundred and fifty , was number one with a population of around 12,000,000 will only be the sixth the largest city in the world , but with an extra 2 million . f : and london ? m : london , which was number 2 , wo n't even be in the top ten , its population in one thousand nine hundred and fifty , by the way , was about 10,000,000 .


f : three children is good enough . your wife should stay at home with baby .

f : oh . so you just took two kids to the park .

f : three of them ? so your mom took care of the baby at home .

f : four of them ? you took them to the beach on sunday .

f : how was your weekend steve ? m : not bad . i took the children to the beach on saturday . f : all four of them ? m : no , actually my wife stayed at home with the baby .


f : ok , i can help you to book another hotel .

f : in general , your holiday plan is wonderful .

f : i have received your complaint and i will help you to book a hotel later .

f : what a pity ! the noisy hotel is annoying indeed .

m : well , my wife and i just arrived back from one of your holidays in santa margarita and ... f : oh , yes , lovely place . did you enjoy yourselves ? m : not exactly . the thing is we were expecting to stay in a quiet area , but the hotel was in the center of the town and it was noisy .


f : he is very confident in daily life i hope he can pass the interview .

f : he is confident that he can do well in the exam .

f : tom is outgoing . he always makes lots of new friends .

f : when she first came to school , she was so shy that she hardly talked to others .

f : was john nervous while facing the interviewers ? m : i have never seen such a confident person . he even made some jokes .


m : yes , as it 's already feb. 28th . i 'll apply for medicine as dad prefers .

m : right , it 's already february 28 today . i need to quickly handle it .

m : well , the march 13th deadline has passed more than 2 weeks ago .

m : although it 's april 6 , i still have 4 weeks for most university deadlines .

f : what are you doing michael . m : i am surfing the internet for information about universities . f : so you are thinking about applying for university ? m : right , the early bird catches the worm . f : which university do you prefer ? m : 3 universities are within my choice . manchester , liverpool and oxford ? f : oh all are famous . what do you wish to major in ? m : my father wants me to take off engineering , my mother prefers medicine , while i prefer economics . f : have you decided yet ? m : not really . f : when is the deadline for that application ? m : for most universities , it 's march thirteenth , but for smaller universities , 4 or 5 weeks later . f : so there is not much time left for you , with 2 weeks to go .


f : going around ny by car ? are you crazy ? you will face a huge traffic jam .

f : i agree with you , traveling by car is the most convenient way to visit la .

f : it surprises me that you picked the bus in the end .

f : how about the subway in la after you experienced it ?

f : henry , where did you go for your holiday ? m : i went to los angeles . f : how long did you stay there ? m : i got there on october tenth and returned on the sixteenth . f : how did you like the city ? m : it 's much bigger than i expected , it 's really hard to get around . i did n't like the bus service or the subway system there . so i borrowed a car to get around . it 's really much more convenient with a car .


m : it seems that you can not understand me , i am just introducing the advertising lesson .

m : since you did not try to write down everything , you can not keep up .

m : yes . we are going to learn advertising this term and you need renew your lessons .

m : it is reasonable that you can not keep up . you can not write down everything .

m : so this term , we 're doing the book on marketing . any business in a marketplace is likely to be in competition with other firms offering similar products . f : huh ... excuse me , professor . could you say that again please ? m : having trouble very ? f : yes , i 'm trying to write down everything you say , but i ca n't keep up .


m : so you can speak english well by your english friends ?

m : wow , do you mean you can speak english well by watching english programs on tv ?

m : oh . since you watch voa english programs on tv , so your english is well .

m : oh , i got it . since you watch bbc english programs on tv , so your english is well .

m : excuse me . could you tell me the way to the zoo ? f : yes , it is just over there , across the street . m : thank you . oh , how did you learn to speak english so well ? f : i listen to bbc english programs every day .


f : you are sure that she celebrated her eighteenth birthday last year , so now tina is 19 .

f : i see . tina is 20 now because you know she celebrated her nineteenth birthday last year .

f : really ? you are saying that tina is 21 this year ? i ca n't remember . i must have made a mistake .

f : ok. tina is 21 now , but she did n't celebrate her twentieth birthday last year .

f : tina is about 20 now , is n't she ? m : but i 'm sure that she celebrated her twentieth birthday last year .


m : you should register at a swim club right now .

m : since the school has n't finished you can play football after the school .

m : you had better register at a swim club during your school time .

m : since the school ended for the winter . you need to go to a gym class .

f : i feel so lazy since school ended for the summer . gym class every day and after school football practice kept me fit and strong . what can i do now ? m : how about joining a swim club ? f : that 's a great idea for summer . thanks .


f : so let 's keep talking about when to announce the news .

f : so let 's keep talking about when to announce the news . students will not be excited about monday 's announcement .

f : but we are talking about who will attend the meeting , so students will not be excited about it .

f : but we 're talking about what to debate on monday , and i 'm afraid students wo n't be excited about it .

f : we have already decided for a trip , are you announcing the news today or tomorrow ? m : i 'll do it at monday 's meeting , i 'm sure students will be excited about it .


m : i know you are crazy about painting pictures , but why do you dislike baseball ?

m : you are really crazy about fancy clothing brands . how about the clippers hat i am wearing ?

m : i know you are crazy about baseball , but let 's go to my parent 's home first , ok ?

m : yes , i am crazy about baseball , too . next time let 's watch a baseball game together .

f : uh , where do you think you 're going ? m : we 're going to the new club , right ? oh , man . i ca n't wait to get out on the dance floor and ... f : ha ! you 're not seriously going out like that , are you ? m : hey , you 're just messing around with me , are n't you ? yeah , i know i look good . just let me get my jacket . f : jason , you look ridiculous . your jeans are too tight , and they look like they were washed too many times , back in the 80s . and why are you wearing that funny hat ? m : what ? you 've never heard of the new york yankees ? f : i 'm a huge baseball fan . i know who the yankees are , but why are you wearing that hat backwards ? what are you 10 years old ? and that jacket looks like a dead animal .


m : so , your neighbor 's son drives too fast , which bothers you a lot . and he comes home every night around 9:00 ?

m : really ? your neighbor 's son comes home every night around 10:00 ? and his radio wakes your children , which brothers you ?

m : so , your new neighbors do n't seem nice enough and the radio of your neighbor 's son wakes your children , which brothers you ?

m : so , although brian and lisa are not wide awake , your neighbor 's son plays his guitar loudly , which greatly brothers you ?

m : how are your new neighbors nancy ? f : they seem nice enough , but they have a son , who 's driving me crazy . m : what do you mean ? f : he comes home every night around 10:00 with his car windows rolled down and radio on . it stops as soon as he turns the car off but by then brian and lisa are wide awake .


f : i want a hotel room , please . i want to check in now because i just got off from a plane .

f : i 'm so sad . i was in a bookstore when my plane took off half an hour ago .

f : i 'm so glad that this plane took off half an hour ago .

f : it 's ok. i 'll wait . but i do hope this plane can take off soon .

f : this plane should have taken off half an hour ago . m : i 'm sorry for the delay . we 'll be taking off shortly .


f : what ? your friend keeps a spider for pets ? that 's terrible .

f : your friends keeps a fish ? that 's quite common .

f : what ? your friend keeps a snake for pets ? that 's terrible .

f : i ca n't believe that your brother keeps a snake .

f : matt , do you have a pet ? m : yes . in fact in my mom 's house , we have 3 pets , 2 dogs and a cat . my family actually raises dogs for helping blind people . f : oh , wow . that 's cool ! um , why do people keep pets ? m : i guess the most important thing is companionship , right ? so there is always somebody there for you that will like you . f : yeah , that 's true . ok , besides cats , dogs and fish . what are some other pets people keep ? m : well , i guess all types of things . my friend has a snake . i do n't know if you mentioned that , snake and insects , spiders .


f : oh , i see . some underwater plants will keep the water dirty but will let the fish swim around .

f : so , you mean underwater plants will make the tank look much ugly but can give the fish enough air .

f : so , you mean fish do n't love swimming around the rocks and some underwater plants are needed because they can keep the water clean .

f : yeah , i agree with you . some underwater plants are needed because they will keep the water clean .

f : i saw a beautiful fish in the market the other day , it was orange and blue . i 'm thinking of buying some next sunday . m : where would you keep them ? f : in that round bottle over there . m : it 's a bit small , is n't it ? f : so are the fish . m : i think you should get a tank if you want to keep fish . f : really ? m : yes , you should never keep fish in a small round bottle . they do n't get enough air . i suggest we go shopping together and look for a nice tank . f : that might be quite expensive . m : check the prices before you buy one and you ought to put a few large rocks in the tank . fish love swimming around the rocks and through holes in them . f : is there anything else that i ought to get ? m : yes , you need to get some underwater plants , for one thing they keep the water clean , also they make the tank look much prettier .


m : mom , this tv show is really interesting . you should watch it with me .

m : i have finished my paper so i am playing computer games for a while .

f : jim , why are you still working on the computer ? do n't you know that you have to go to school tomorrow ? m : mom , i know it 's very late now but i have to stay up until i finish the paper . f : i have told you not to watch tv . why you have to put off your task every time .


f : really ? you have learned to play the guitar for 12 years and you are good at playing the violin ?

f : really ? you have just learned to play the guitar for 2 months ? but you are good at playing the guitar !

f : now i am not surprised that you are good at playing the guitar .

f : okay . you mean you do n't want to learn to play the piano now because you are good at playing the piano .

f : i ca n't believe you can play the guitar so well . m : i have learned to play the guitar for 10 years and i want to learn to play the piano now .


m : apart from how to giving tips , do you know how to buy a gift for tom ?

m : what is a reasonable tip to leave to the waitress ? f : it 's up to you . i usually leave 20 % of the dinner price .


f : i still not get why the musicians gave the nikename to new york . what 's the connection ?

f : why the painters gave such a funny name to new york city ?

f : why ? i did n't see any connections between l.a. and a big apple .

f : yeah , people live there know the city most , they call it the big pear .

m : are you ready for the trip to the big apple ? f : the big apple ? what are you referring to ? m : do n't you know ? the big apple ? is the nickname for new york city . you 're going to new york with us , are n't you ? f : yes , i 'm going . i 'm really looking forward to seeing an exhibition of a modern american painter there , but i 'm wondering where the nickname came from . m : some musicians in the nineteen twenties gave it the name when they played a concert in new york . the musicians called it the big apple .


f : really ? you thought i were bringing the book ? oh , i did n't bring it . let 's continue to read the newspaper .

f : oh , this is unbelievable . well , let 's continue to prepare for a picnic , although now i am not really hungry .

f : oh , this is unbelievable . well , let 's continue to prepare for a picnic , because now i am really hungry .

f : you mean you have got some folding desks in the car ? okay , i see . let 's continue to unload the car .

f : did you know it was going to rain today ? m : absolutely not . this comes as a total shock to me , especially since the paper said mostly sunny . f : well , i guess the paper must have meant mostly sunny somewhere else . but since we 've come all this way , why do n't we just move the blanket under that tree ? m : that 's a good idea . it looks like it 's still dry there as long as it does n't start to come down any harder . f : you did n't happen to bring a spare blanket , did you ? this one is all wet now . m : no . but i have got some folding chairs in the car . will they do ? f : they 'll be just fine . i 'm really hungry . so while you are there , how about bringing me the food ? m : i thought you were bringing the food .


m : you like the food at the restaurant .

m : i 'm too busy to cook , but you have enough time to cook .

f : do you often eat out at restaurants ? m : no . i enjoy cooking at home . what about you ? f : i eat at restaurants pretty often . i 'd rather cook and eat at home , too . but my work keeps me busy all the time .


m : then i 'll go to chicago by this train . train 40 leaves at 8:00 , then i 'll be here at 7:30 .

m : ok. reserve a seat in train 40 for me . i should take this train to chicago .

m : bus is convenient , so i 'm taking the bus to chicago .

m : i 'd like a ticket to chicago , please . f : for what time ? m : when does the next train leave ? f : train 40 is leaving at 8:30 this evening .


f : oh , you come post office only a few times a year to send packages to your brother in china .

f : i want to buy some english books here .

f : oh , you come post office so often to send packages to your brother in china .

f : do you come here frequently ? m : not very often , i come here only a few times a year to send packages to my brother in china .


f : you want to take my bike away for a month ? no way .

f : you are right . you should go out with me and get my motorcycle repaired then .

f : ok , take your time repairing the bike . i will come back to get in after 3 days when you are done .

f : thank you , it 's so nice of you to help me repair the bike .

f : i wonder if you could get my bike repaired . m : sure , but it will take some time . f : how long will it take ? m : a week or so ?


m : you must love the blue pair . it suits your taste .

m : grey is in fashion this season . i must say you have good taste .

m : i 'll find a pair of brown pants for you as you ask .

m : we have the grey pants that you must be very interested in .

m : can i help you , mam ? f : yes , i 'm looking for a pair of pants . m : how about these pants in brown or in dark blue ? these 2 colors are coming in this season . f : well , i 'd actually really prefer gray .


m : sure . i 'm going to buy the air mail stamps first when i arrive at the post office .

m : ok. i 'll buy some post cards from the post office for you .

m : i am going to the post office now . what would you like to have ? f : please get some air mail stamps .


f : yeah , so you 're over 60 years old now . you must be very familiar with london .

f : so you were born here and you are nearly 40 years old now .

f : oh , i see . so you are about 20 years old . that 's quite young .

f : wow , you 're over 60 years old and have lived in manchester for 50 years .

f : so you 've lived in london for 40 years . were you born there ? m : no , i was born and brought up in a small town . and only moved to london in my 20s when i got a job at the bbc .


f : ok , this is your ticket for the train leaving in 20 minutes .

f : how much money do you want to withdraw ?

f : this is your ticket for trains leaving in 50 minutes .

f : may i help you ? m : yes , when is the next train to london ? f : oh , let me check . it leaves in 20 minutes . m : one ticket please .