Learn English Converstions Intermediate Level

[Music]

listening practice through dictation 3

nature and the environment unit 1 a big

responsibility

mom can I get a puppy no Billy taking

care of a pet is a big responsibility I

promise to take good care of him and you

won’t have to remind me to do things for

him a dog isn’t a toy that you play with

for a while he will be part of our life

for the next 10 or 20 years he is a

living creature I understand that mom I

promise to feed him every morning and

take him for walks every afternoon

that’s part of the responsibility but

there’s more

he needs a license and has to go to the

vet to get shots a dog also needs

companionship you can’t go off with your

friends and leave them locked up in the

house all day I understand mom I have

almost $100 in a bank so I can pay for

his license in shops now there are other

expenses too dog food is rather

expensive well I have my job mowing lawn

and I’ll get a newspaper route I think

we should discuss this with your father

when he gets home this is a family

decision

okay mom thanks

Unit two elephants are amazing

since our interesting they are

intelligent they also have a great

memory you should always be kind to

elephants they remember everything a

woman from India told me a story

when she was a little girl she knew of

an evil elephant keeper he often hid his

elephant he was very mean and cruel to

the elephant then the evil keeper sold

the elephant the new keeper was a very

kind man many years later the evil

keeper met the elephant again the

elephant remembered the evil man he

picked up a stone with his trunk and

threw it at the evil man the elephant

still knew the man even after so many

years

elephants help each other two elephants

use a special sound the sound is so low

that people cannot hear it this sound

travels really far

groups of elephants can communicate with

each other even if they are far apart

this is very useful because it helps the

elephants to find water and food the

elephant’s cooperate to help each other

unit three and ants everywhere

hello mrs. Wilson how are you I’m

worried Brianna thousands of ants are

all over my patio

that’s quite a problem what’s worse is

that my daughter’s birthday party is in

a few days and I wanted to have it on

the patio why don’t you call an

exterminator I would but I don’t want

all those hazardous chemicals around my

children it’s harmful and unhealthy I

also don’t want dangerous substances to

seep into the garden I usually don’t

have problems with ants and I don’t use

any chemicals what’s your secret well

ants are difficult to control

so I granted a lot of new plants near my

deck I also use cinnamon and cayenne

pepper I just sprinkle them around the

places I don’t want ants some people

have tried it and said it worked

others said that they needed to try

something else I think it’s worth a try

I would rather use cinnamon and mint

around my patio than some hazardous

chemicals besides I don’t mind having

the ants in the yard I simply don’t want

them coming to the birthday party would

you mind helping me it would be a

pleasure I have a lot of cinnamon at

home and I can run to the store to get

the plants for you Thank You Brianna

you’re such a thoughtful person

unit for the oil spill

my best friend Katie lives near a

beautiful white sand beach her parents

take us there every summer the water is

clean and refreshing we have a lot of

fun in the waves last year there was an

oil spill at Katie’s Beach we

volunteered at the beach to clean up the

oil and help the birds that were caught

in a spill when we arrived at the beach

that day the water was slick with oil

and the white sand had turned black it

was an ugly sight at first the rescue

workers would not let us on the beach we

had to watch from a distance we watch as

they put a huge float in the water

called a boom this device kept the oil

slick from spreading once they stopped

to slick we were allowed on the beach to

help each of us was given a broom we

swept the oil into a pile the workers

took it away in big trucks we all worked

very hard that day to restore the beach

once the oil was removed the birds that

had been caught in the oil had to be

helped

the workers showed us how to remove the

oils from their wings then the birds

could fly away to safety we were very

proud of ourselves that days we helped

save our beautiful Beach and the birds

who visited

unit 5 the amazing Amazon

the Amazon is an amazing river it is

unique in many ways it is the second

longest river in the world

it is 6,500 kilometers long it starts up

in the Andes Mountains its drainage

basin the area of land that collects

water covers 40% of South America the

Amazon River has many small rivers that

supply it with water it is the widest

river in the world

the river rises more than 9 meters

during the rainy season it overflows its

banks it floods large areas of the

rainforest during that time in some

parts it has a width of up to 40

kilometers

the Amazon River is over 325 kilometers

wide at its mouth it has more water than

any other river in the world

Amazon River is also home to many

animals over 2,000 types of fish live in

the Amazon River one kind of fish is the

piranha the Piranha is a terrifying fish

a piranha grows up to sixty centimetres

long it hunts in a group a group of

piranha can kill and eat cattle in a

matter of minutes

they are so efficient that only the

bones are left

fish is one of the most dangerous

creatures in the Amazon River

Science and Technology unit 6 research

what are you doing Billy I’m doing

research I found a lot of great websites

you know I think you might want to go to

the library and look at some books I

don’t want to it takes too much time

and besides this is fast easy and fun

this paper will be done in no time the

Internet is great for finding

information but it is also full of

misinformation and lies you don’t really

know what you are looking at unless you

are at a reliable site it’s safer to get

some books first and then search for

more information

grandma I love you but I think you’re a

little old fashioned look at all this

great information

my report is on Albert Einstein now

according to the site he was born in

1979 came up with a theory of relatives

and was awarded the Nobel Prize for

Physics in 1922 your information is

wrong Albert Einstein was born in 1879

and developed a theory of general

relativity he won the Nobel Prize in

1921 Wow

that means all this stuff is inaccurate

how do you know all that come with me to

the library and I’ll help you find the

books with those facts thank you grandma

you’re a real lifesaver

unit seven a new calculator

hi I’d like to see your calculators did

you have a certain model in mind ma’am

I’m not thinking of any specific model I

want something simple for basic math is

it for personal use yes I just need it

for shopping and keeping track of my

bills well the great thing is that these

simple calculators are very inexpensive

and small here is a solar model that

never needs batteries it is thin too

it’s too small I can’t read the numbers

very easily how about this one it is a

pocket calculator it’s a bit bigger the

display is easier to read yes I can see

the numbers better it is easier to hold

• is it also solar yes it is it is

battery-powered as well it has an eight

digit display this calculator also has a

memory key how much is it it is only

five dollars plus tax it comes with a

one-year warranty I’ll take it

unit eight racing robots

I have been interested in robots for as

long as I can remember the first thing I

did when I entered high school was

joined the robotic robot making club we

get together after school every day and

create our own robots nowadays it is

very easy to find kits to build your own

robot and these are what we use the

highlight of the year for us is the

annual robot maze race everyone who

wants to take part has to make a small

computer controlled robot you need to

race it to the center of a maze we work

together in teams of three or four this

year I am working with two students who

won last year’s competition so I think

we have a really good chance of winning

our robot is about 30 centimeters high

it weighs two kilograms it should be

really quick we have been practicing

often and we have already equalled last

year speed so we just need to get a

little faster we are keeping the design

of our robot secret if we win we will

get $500 I hope this will be my lucky

year

unit9 online chatting

Philip are you still chatting online

it’s 9:30 p.m. you have an exam tomorrow

yes mom I’ll get off in a minute I read

some articles about chatting online I am

not so sure you should be spending so

much time in front of your computer mom

that seems unfair it can be very

educational you meet people from all

over the world who talk about lots of

different things okay

maybe these people share their knowledge

I still think it is better to join clubs

and socialize with real people do you

think chatting online causes bad

behavior online chatting can be very

addictive not to mention expensive well

if you have dsl chatting is not

expensive also

not everyone who chats is an addict

disabled people are better able to

socialize online you know not every area

is wheelchair accessible true however

I’ve read that there are lots of strange

people online who are dangerous I’ll be

careful besides you can only feel what

I’m writing and who I’m writing to in my

opinion the biggest fault with chatting

online is the lag time or delay in the

system I agree I have noticed that there

is some lag time and you getting off the

computer

unit 10 the Nobel Prize

one of the greatest achievements in the

world is to win the Nobel Prize it has

been given to people since 1901 there

are prizes for physics chemistry and

medicine

there are also prizes for literature

economics and peace the Nobel Prize is

named after Alfred Nobel he was born in

Stockholm Sweden in 1833 Alfred Nobel

invented dynamite in 1866 dynamite is

used in mining construction and war

before he died he wrote that all of his

money should be used to create the Nobel

Prize he died in 1896 the first prize

was given in 1901 each prize has three

parts a diploma a gold medal and money

the money has increased since 1980 it is

now 10 million Swedish crowns this is

about 1 million euros how are the

winners chosen five committees secretly

meet to pick the winners the Nobel Prize

for economics is the only one that is

not decided that way that is because it

was created in 1956 find a bank of

Sweden in honor of the 50th anniversary

of Alfred Nobel’s death the bank of

Sweden decides who gets the Nobel Prize

for economics since 1901 over 750 people

have won the Nobel Prize

Art and Culture

unit 11 great art

what makes a painting a great work of

art there are many answers to that

question some people think that a

painting should look pretty others

disagree the skill of the painter is

important the techniques used are also

important most of all a great painting

has meaning a great painting has a

special element in it

sometimes a painters special element is

the way he portrays his or her feelings

in a piece of art an example of this is

Picasso’s painting Guernica it has

strange shapes in it it shows suffering

people - it is not a very pretty picture

however it makes people understand

Picasso’s feelings about war

other times the element is a memory or

feeling this comes from inside another

person someone may see a painting and be

reminded of a beautiful memory

a painting can also remind people of a

feeling for example Leonardo da Vinci’s

Mona Lisa is very popular many people

like her smile some people say it is a

mysterious smile others say it is a

happy one still others make up stories

about the woman in the painting which

element is the most important is it the

skill of the artist or the feelings of

the person looking at the painting

whatever the case a painting that grabs

people’s emotions is popular

unit 12 talking drums

I want to be a member of a heavy metal

band I love heavy metal drums James I

don’t Henry they are too heavy if you

ask me I prefer a more traditional style

like African barrel drums barrel drums

what are those they are made with hollow

logs and animal skins first they cut

down a tree they cut a section that’s

about as thick and tall as a barrel they

stretch an animal skin over the top and

tie it to the sides with wooden pegs

these pegs can be tightened to change

the pitch hmm that sounds interesting in

Nigeria they have talking drums they use

a hollow tree trunk that’s smaller than

a barrel drum and leave an opening at

both ends then they fit an animal skin

on each end there’s a string between

each of these ends when a player holds

the drum under an armpit and squeezes it

tightens the string and raises the pitch

why do they call it a talking drum the

drummers are so skillful they can make

the drums imitate human voices they seem

to cry laugh and shout I’d like to hear

that why don’t you come to the Community

College with me tomorrow a troop from

Africa is giving a concert and they are

supposed to have the best drummers in

the world now that sounds great

unit 13 the hot new movie

the latest blockbuster movie robots

attacked - starring garrison fort opened

yesterday fortune ande robot are at it

again saving people from the jaws of

death the evil robots are invading

Atlantis once again the crowd seemed to

love the sequel maybe they loved it as

much if not more than the first robots

attack the special effects are fantastic

mr. Ford seems to have worked on his

fighting technique his martial art

skills are amazing he beats the evil

robots easily of course our leading man

saves a lady in distress the fair Angie

she promptly falls in love with garrison

the hero

however Andy robot is jealous of this

new love he spends a good part of the

movie trying to ruin their plan another

surprise is the evil robot homer who

decides he wants to become a do-gooder

his partner Ethel worked hard to make

him return to his evil ways does Andy

robot succeed in rescuing garrison force

from loss what about Ethel does she

bring Homer back to his evil ways to

find out head for the theater buy a

ticket and sit back and relax

unit 14 a faux pas

it happens a lot so many people visit

and live in foreign countries nowadays

the culture and manners of every country

are different it is likely that a

foreigner will say or do something

inappropriate this is called a faux pas

in one culture it is fine to do

something one way in another culture it

is rude for example my friend visited a

relative in Israel she offered to wash

the dishes she did not know that it was

important to wash the meat dishes with a

special sponge she used the wrong sponge

her friend’s father was very upset in

Canada it is fine to use the same sponge

to wash all of the dishes but not in

Israel something similar happened to me

when I visited a temple in India I was

surprised when two officials stopped me

and told me to take off my shoes it was

only then that I realized that people

are not allowed to enter a temple with

their shoes on I was very embarrassed

of course I apologized for my mistake

football paw is embarrassing no one

wants to be rude no one wants to cause

problems

however when two cultures meet there can

be misunderstandings the next time

someone is rude be patient and

understanding he may think he is acting

politely

unit 15 the list

thanks for coming dad I can’t believe my

first day of school is just next week

your mother and I are proud of you

greer is a very prestigious art school

there is an enormous list of art

supplies

they are mostly items I don’t recognize

let’s look for the supplies that you

recognize Megan and then we can get help

with the rest I need a large drawing

board I also need a drawing pad 1 meter

by half a meter in size newsprint paper

and a set of artist’s drawing pencils

here is the drawing board and I noticed

the pencils over there what’s next

I need watercolor paint various brushes

India ink and a fountain pen they are on

the wall display now we need to locate

the vine charcoal excuse me miss yes sir

how can I help you

we’re trying to find vine charcoal do

you know what that is and where we can

find it vine charcoal is specially

burned wood burning it makes it like a

black chalk it is commonly used for

drawing vine charcoal is very easy to

erase so we keep it next to the erasers

that’s everything dad great let’s pay

for all these supplies

leisure and entertainment unit 16 family

camping

there are many popular leisure time

activities but one of the most enjoyable

is family time most people enjoy being

with their families there are many

things to do with your family - families

can go to the movies travel visit

museums and play sports together the

most common family activity is probably

camping many families like camping is a

chance for the whole family to work

together they can stay in the wild

children gather dry wood for the fire

their parents set up the tent then the

whole family gathers around the fire

they enjoy a special meal together

then they set off into the woods with a

compass and a map after hiking the

trails everyone gets a fishing pole each

person cast a fishing line out into the

river who gets the biggest fish it’s a

great contest later the children clean

the fish by the river they take two

scales off the fish mon-fri is official

with the campfire dad cleans up when

everyone is finished

you don’t want wild animals coming to

eat your leftovers then everyone goes

into their tents for a restful night

well there are many things that families

can do together camping is probably the

most exciting

unit 17 the amusement park

of this amusement park Fran thanks for

suggesting it I am having a fantastic

time there’s that new ride it’s called

the volcano and it’s supposed to be

amazing that looks awfully high do you

really want to try it we’ve experienced

the rocket the giant Ferris wheel and

those bumper boats don’t you think

that’s enough

besides I’m absolutely starving if you

come on the volcano with me

I’ll buy you a pizza with whatever

toppings you want do you really mean any

topping even mushrooms which you don’t

like yes I will even order a pizza with

mushrooms okay Michael I will try this

last ride great friend I know you will

enjoy this did you know that when the

volcano erupts our seats shake I heard

it is quite an experience I am not sure

that I want to get on this ride anymore

don’t worry Fran look at the people

getting off the ride they look very

satisfied I’m sorry but I don’t think I

can do this even for pizza how would you

feel if I bought lunch instead I don’t

want to force you to do something you

really don’t want to do and I am hungry

sure let’s get some lunch I want to try

this new restaurant called skylight the

top of the restaurant spins while you

eat oh wow let’s go

unit 18 fresh lemonade

how can I earn some extra money this

summer why don’t we start a lemonade

stand well that’s a great idea Mary but

do you think we’ll make any money if we

set up in an area with a lot of traffic

on a hot day we will get plenty of

customers we can charge one dollar and

fifty cents per cup that sounds a little

expensive but we need to charge that

much to cover our expenses by charging

one dollar and fifty cents per cup we

can make good money with our lemonade

stand

okay what do we need to get started we

need the ingredients to make lemonade so

we need lemons sugar and water we need

something to keep our money in a sign to

advertise the lemonade paper cups and a

cardboard box to use as a stand should

we sell food to Yosa lemonade I think

that would be too complicated we would

need a permit and either a cooler or

stove we should stick to just selling

lemonade you’re right

let’s just keep it simple okay let’s get

set up and think of a plan to get some

customers and make some sales

why don’t I attract customers and you

serve the lemonade sounds good to me

unit 19 at the movies

Isis have certainly gone up yes but I

really needed a break so if the price is

a bit higher it doesn’t matter the side

I really want to see this movie on the

big screen would you like something to

snack on while we watch the movie sure

what do they have

it looks like the standard popcorn and

soda but there’s also ice cream hotdogs

and coffee I have a craving for

chocolate but I should attempt to eat

something healthy I want to avoid

getting sick this year I’m trying to

change my diet

I’m afraid the healthiest item may be

the coffee do they have any muffins no

but they do have brownies I haven’t had

a brownie in a long time please get me a

brownie and a coffee what are you

getting I’m getting the large popcorn

and a cola here is the money

it’s on me no please the tickets were

extremely expensive I know you are on a

restricted budget I insist

did you want cream and sugar in your

coffee well thank you very much no cream

and the coffee blaze so you probably

don’t want sugar either no I think there

is enough sugar in the brownies I’ll

find us some seats near the aisle

unit 20 hobbies

when someone does an activity that is

not a part of his or her job and his gun

for fun it is called a hobby most people

enjoy hobbies during their free time

some people spend a lot of time on their

hobbies there are nearly as many kinds

of hobbies as there are people a hobby

can be about making or collecting things

or enjoying an experience creative

hobbies are popular some creative

hobbies are writing drawing and making

pottery a lot of people like making

jewelry or clothes people who do these

kinds of hobbies sometimes become

writers or artists when they retire

collecting is also popular most

collectors used to buy coins stamps or

baseball cards today toys games and

model cars are trendy collectors buy and

sell things on the internet they also

shop online in stores all around the

world enjoying an experience is a hobby

to some people listen to music others

watch movies or read books many people

travel or play sports helping people is

a hobby there are places you can help

build houses for poor families you can

help feed the homeless at soup kitchens

you can also tutor children or help the

elderly a hobby is something that is

done for fun with so many choices there

is no reason not to enjoy a hobby

school and family

unit 21 defense

stay low and bend your knees come over

here yes coach Jackson when you’re

playing defense keep your knees bent and

your body low it helps you keep your

balance and it allows you to move more

quickly in every direction like this

that’s right

you should attempt to stay on the balls

of your feet it’s like you are getting

ready to pounce athletes never rest on

their heels should I stand with my legs

close together or far apart it is best

to keep them about shoulder-width apart

bend your knees and keep your back

straight spread your arms straight out

at your sides

this seems almost like I’m getting ready

to attack the ball it is a little bit

like that your stance looks much better

than before coach how do I move forward

and backward on defense I feel like my

stance is fine but when I try to guard

toward my opponent I keep tripping over

my feet when you move forward put your

right foot in front of you with your

toes pointing in the direction you want

to go when you move backward just

reverse it follow the direction of your

left foot how are you feeling my legs

are tired in my back ache flang defense

is hard work take a break then we’ll try

it again

22 the importance of writing

this is terrible I hate this assignment

what’s wrong to me I am frustrated

because I need to write a book report

and I can’t get started

may I see your paper there’s nothing

here

I can’t think of anything to write and

it’s due tomorrow to make matters worse

we have to perform an oral presentation

in front of the entire class I don’t see

the purpose of writing a book report

anyway writing is a necessary skill that

you’ll use for the rest of your life

this book report is just one way to

begin learning that skill it’s another

form of communication and a means of

expressing your thoughts it allows

others to understand what is in your

heart and mind I’ve never had to write

before why should I start now now is the

best time to begin the best writers read

a lot and practice writing anyone can

learn to write well I know you can do it

okay mom when you put it that way I

think I can do it that’s the right

attitude let’s try to organize some of

your thoughts by brainstorming what can

you tell me about the book the book I’ve

only watched the movie does that count

oh goodness what kind of child am i

raising one that probably won’t be a

famous writer

unit 23 the course schedule

it’s so difficult to choose what courses

to take this semester Henry have you

chosen all of your courses yet no su I’m

having a hard time making up my mind and

I still need to select two more do you

have any ideas do you know anything

about the professor’s I heard that the

psychology professor is tough but fair

if you work hard you can get a good

grade psychology sounds interesting how

about we both sign up for psychology

then we’d be in the same class and we

could help each other with assignments I

remember the last class we took together

I’m not so sure that’s a good idea

oh come on it would be fun I promise

I’ll attend the classes and not just

borrow your notes this time Thanks I was

thinking about taking film studies why

don’t you take that I like going to the

movies but I don’t want to study them I

know someone who took that course last

year and she said it’s very easy almost

everyone gets an A or a B and there is

no homework that is tempting but I want

to learn something useful fine but don’t

complain to me if you get a C

unit 24 food family and fun

Thanksgiving is a special family holiday

in America families come together to

give thanks for all they have although

every family celebrates in slightly

different ways a typical Thanksgiving is

full of food family and fun my family

celebrates Thanksgiving too

everyone in my family goes to my parents

place for Thanksgiving we have a large

meal everyone helps on Thanksgiving the

children set the table my mother cooked

the turkey using her own secret

ingredients my father makes the side

dishes

he makes potatoes beans carrots stuffing

oysters and beets my mom makes cranberry

sauce my sister-in-law brings a pumpkin

pie I come early to help my parents cook

when it is time to eat we put all the

food on the table everyone sits down we

say what we are thankful for before we’d

some of us are thankful for our health

and others are thankful for their jobs

everyone is thankful for something

different there is a lot of activity

after the meal my aunt and uncle clean

off the table

my sister-in-law helps me wash the

dishes

the teenagers wash and put away the

silverware the children help to tidy the

dining room my brothers take out the

garbage then they go play football in

the backyard the rest of us sit down and

relax

we are thankful for the food and our

blessings most of all we are thankful to

have each other

unit 25 the project

hey dad you think you can help me out

I’ve just been assigned this enormous

project at school and I really don’t

know where to begin

sure Jason I’ll give it my best shot Oh

dad I know you’ll be great help and

inspiration to me okay okay that’s

enough flattery from you for one day

what’s this project about well I have

two choices

I can research your profession or I can

interview someone that I admire about

their profession if I do the second

option I must also add my own opinion

about their profession well I am an

expert when it comes to my profession

accounting is a noble profession and one

that I am always happy to talk about dad

I know how much you love your career it

isn’t that I don’t admire you but what I

was hoping actually was that you could

speak to mr. Chang you’re diving friend

and see if he would agreed to an

interview diving for a living sounds

cool I see that’s a great idea

you know how I really dislike talking

about myself for too long

let me give David Chang a call right now

and find out thanks dad

you’re the best I know this will be an

awesome project people and work

unit 26 the assignment

hello Wendy who did you do your homework

about I wrote about my dad because he is

a firefighter really does he actually go

into burning buildings yes and he

sometimes has to crawl into tight places

to rescue people has he ever been

trapped in a burning building

well one time he needed to break down a

door he was carrying a little girl out

of her house someone left a stove on and

it ignited a fire in the kitchen was

everyone all right all five people

living there escaped safely but the

house burned to the ground

your dad is incredibly brave a real hero

what does he do at the fire station he

resides there for a few days when he

works all of the firefighters could eat

and clean together when there’s a fire

they slide down a pole into the fire

stations garage to get their

firefighting equipment they quickly put

on their gear and then jump on to the

fire trucks my dad loves to drive the

fire trucks Wow

maybe I should be a firefighter someday

I’m definitely going to be a firefighter

in I want to be just like my dad

unit 27 Coco Lee

mother hoped her daughter would follow

in her footsteps and become a doctor

however Ferran always knew she wanted to

sing in her spare time Ferran sang along

with pop songs Ferran also entered

singing contests

she won many competitions her big break

came after high school she was on

vacation in Hong Kong and took second

place in an important singing

competition

she got a recording contract with fancy

Pye records and a few years later Sony

today Coco Lee as she is now known is

one of the most famous pop singers in

the world she was born in Hong Kong on

January 17 1975 but she was raised in

San Francisco she has made records in

English and Chinese her 1998 album dee

da Jie won the MTV Asia Music Award for

best album and best music video Coco’s

next album was in English it was called

just no other way it introduced her to

American audiences apart from her

beautiful voice and stunning looks Coco

Lee is intelligent she had a 3.8 grade

point average in college she also earned

a double major in biochemistry and

bioscience one of her dreams she says if

you help find a cure for cancer

who knows Coco’s mother may yet get her

wish

unit 28 a blind date

what’s wrong Mike you appear to be

depressed I haven’t slept in days and I

feel awful my fiance and I broke up just

before I went to Madrid for the concert

why didn’t you say something no wonder

you’re playing sounded so bad oh dear

I’m really sorry it was an appalling

performance I agree I was miserable and

unhappy but I had to perform anyway have

you been seeing anyone else since you

broke up with her no I have been working

overtime instead the conductor was not

pleased with my last performance besides

don’t you think it’s too soon not at all

you might just need to get out and

socialize Hey

I’ve got a fabulous idea oh no not

another one of your ideas what is it

this time

do you remember me telling you about

Julia a friend from work I think so why

well she is single I could set up the

two of you a blind date I tried that

when I was younger and it was a disaster

come on Mike I’d be helping two friends

who will of course have a great time

together she has a charming personality

and she also plays the oboe you can go

to the concert in the park on Saturday

afternoon maybe you can have coffee

afterwards she played the oboe okay let

me know when and where to meet her

unit 29 crime does not pay

have you ever thought about committing a

crime have you ever dreamed about

holding up a bank and driving away in a

fast car or have you ever thought about

taking a famous painting from a big

museum there are many stories in movies

and on TV of criminals who make a lot of

money they go on to live a life of

luxury however for every successful

criminal there are many many more who

fail these crooks soon regret their

crimes take the example of a man in

Winnipeg who tried to break into cars in

a police academy parking lot the man was

found by the police in the parking lot

they saw him trying to open the doors of

all the cars the man was hoping to find

some loose change or maybe take some

good car stereos however he did not know

that he was being watched by police

officers he charged the parking lot

because it was in a very quiet area he

thought that no one would see him he was

soon arrested by the police

a foolish criminal like this man shows

us that crime does not pay

unit 30 a interview

hello Ms Jones please come in and sit

down thank you so you’re applying for

the position of computer technician yes

that’s right

my name is mr. Smith and I will be

interviewing you today nice to meet you

can you tell me a little bit about

yourself as my resume shows I graduated

from Leeds University with a computer

science degree during my junior and

senior years I worked part-time at the

computer lab monitor in the university

as part of that job I help students with

PC and desktop application problems

ended hardware and software maintenance

I also taught a weekly one-hour class on

how to use Microsoft Office applications

how would you describe yourself I really

enjoy problem-solving and I’m

hard-working I’m also very organised so

when I have a lot of problems to deal

with I make a list and work through it

from the most to the least urgent that

way I can get everything done within the

set deadlines that’s a good way to

manage your time just one more question

why do you want to work for us

your company is well known and is

respected in the computer industry I

would really like a chance to be part of

your company ok thank you for coming in

I’ll be in touch thank you goodbye

sports and health unit 31 an ounce of

prevention

hi Sandy I have a question for you sure

Joe I need to have a physical

examination and there is a new clinic on

Elm Street have you heard anything about

it one of my friends went there recently

she said it was very hygienic and

well-run it is great to have a new

clinic close by since there is a

shortage of doctors around here why are

you going I just joined a gym I want to

get more exercise and they require a

medical exam before I can start what

kind of tests do they want you to have

they want to know my blood pressure how

much I weigh and results from a blood

test to check for any possible diseases

I feel terrific so I’m not worried I had

a routine check-up last month and the

doctor discovered that my blood pressure

is a little high it’s not serious

but I am glad that I found out about it

I am walking every day and I have to cut

down on my salt intake I would rather

not take medicine if I don’t have to the

change in diet has really made me feel

better you know the thing an ounce of

prevention is worth a pound of cure I

think you are right

prevention is very important I’m going

to call right now and set up an

appointment

unit 32 herbal medicine

everyone wants to be healthy people see

doctors they take pills to stay healthy

however plants have been used to heal

for thousands of years more and more

people are trying earth to stay healthy

plants used to heal are called

herbal medicine

there are many plants used in herbal

medicine each plant is used in a certain

way

herbal medicine works more slowly than

most pills

many people think plants are gentle on

the body there are a lot of examples of

helpful plans ginger can help your body

eating ginger often may help you stay

healthy another helpful plant is parsley

it can stop bad breath herbs may be

gentler than some pills however this

does not mean that anyone can take them

in any way you should always be careful

some herbs can be harmful to too much

rosemary can be very bad for your

stomach it can make you sick foxglove is

a very pretty flower

it also has poison in it nevertheless if

you are afraid of using herbs you may be

surprised you have probably already used

some kind of herbal medicine coffee

garlic ginseng and peppermint are all

used in herbal medicine herbal medicine

is becoming popular again as people

become more interested in their health

unit 33 home remedies

everyone gets a cold now and then

doctors cannot cure colds sleep and rest

are good for taking care of a cold

however in almost every culture most

families have a home remedy for colds

these remedies are passed down from

parents to children they have changed

very little over time

different cultures use different

ingredients in Mexico cinnamon raisins

oregano and hot water are used to make a

specialty honey is sometimes added a

fruit called henna Pop is used as a cold

remedy in Puerto Rico the fruit is cut

up it is then soaked in water sugar can

be added to make it sweet

chicken soup is popular in America a

large chicken is boiled in a pot carrots

onions garlic and other vegetables are

usually added ginger tea is used to help

a cold in China a ginger root is peeled

it is then crushed the ginger is boiled

for about 30 minutes some honey can be

added after it is done each family

usually has a home remedy for a cold

some remedies work some do not some

taste good others do not no matter what

home remedies are sure to be around for

a long time

unit 34 too much of a good thing

hi Jenny are you drinking coffee again

hi Sam this is my third cup are you sure

it’s alright to drink so much don’t you

think all that caffeine is bad for you

no that’s a misconception

everyone thinks coffee is bad for you

but it’s not really according to an

article I read coffee can be beneficial

to your health that’s interesting but

you should remember that one study does

not prove much there are a lot of other

studies out there too this doctor in

Italy found a lot of benefits such as

she says the chemicals in coffee can be

good for your heart and may relieve

headaches too I know that some coffee

can be good sometimes but drinking too

much is not beneficial Coffee has a lot

of caffeine which is addictive it

affects your blood circulation and

removes calcium from your bones the

doctor did admit that it is not for

everyone and that you shouldn’t drink

more than 3 cups a day you seem nervous

when you drink a lot and remember when

you told me that you are not sleeping

well do you think that maybe you should

cut back I appreciate your concern I was

thinking of cutting back would you like

a cup of green tea

unit 35 soccer rules

soccer is one of the most popular sports

in the world although the main idea of

the game is easy to understand there are

many rules to be followed a player gets

a yellow card for not following the

rules a yellow card is a warning if the

player keeps breaking the rules to get

their red card

when this happens he cannot play anymore

he’s a ejected from the game another

rule is about handling handling is when

another player touches a ball with his

hands on purpose players cannot handle

the ball the player may not do anything

that is dangerous to another player he

cannot take an opponent’s leg to get the

ball

there are also some lesser known rules a

player is not allowed to impede an

opponent this means that a player cannot

purposely slow down another player on

the field a penalty can be called if

this occurs there is a rule about

blocking a goalkeeper - a yellow card or

an indirect kick can be given to the

opponent’s team if the player tries this

yes

soccer is full of roles

to

Land Transport

unit 36 visit Frisco City

Frisco City is the place for your next

vacation the city has lots of shopping

food and fun there are so many things to

do the Riverwalk is a must-see take a

city bus to any of the three downtown

stops there you will find stairs the

stairs go down to the Riverside there

are about five kilometers of sidewalk on

either side of the river

palm trees and cypress trees decorate

the area there are also tropical plants

you will see many unique shops casual

cafes and upscale restaurants every shop

is different

you can ride one of the river boats and

here a guide talk about the history of

the Riverwalk

however the River Walk is only one of

the attractions of Frisco City there are

also two amusement parks just outside

Frisco City you can enjoy a day of Fun

in the Sun at Waterworld park you can

also spend the day enjoying the roller

coasters and other rides at Sunland

visit Frisco City you will have a great

time

unit 37 asking for directions

asking for directions can be risky I

realized exactly how risky it could be

when I needed to meet one of my friends

one day a while ago I arranged to meet

my friend at a new mall my friend had

been there before and indicated that we

should shop there together we plan to

meet at 3 p.m. at Burger palace in the

mall when I arrived at the mall I

realized I did not know where burger

palace was so I asked a woman for

directions she advised me to go straight

past the bank and turn right before the

food court she mentioned that I would

walk for a few minutes

passing a shoe store until I reached

burger palace which was next to the

bookstore

I followed her directions and arrived

just in time 20 minutes later I was

beginning to wonder where my friend was

30 minutes later I was worried I did not

know what to do so I just kept waiting

at around 3:40 p.m. I saw my friend

walking quickly toward me I rushed to

him and demanded to know what happened I

was at the other burger palace he cried

we had not realized there were two

burger palaces in the mall since then I

have made sure that I get the directions

from my friends before I go to meet them

it saves me a lot of trouble

unit 38 fixing a flat

when your card gets a flat tire do not

panic

first apply your brakes and pull over

inside the trunk you will find a spare

tire and a toolbox one of these tools is

a jack which is a tool you use to raise

the car this makes the tire easy to

remove

position the jack beneath the car behind

the tire that is flat

insert the jack handle and turn it

clockwise

continue turning the handle until the

car rises high enough so that the flat

tire is well off the ground and spins

freely make sure that the jack is

securely supporting the vehicle

if the car is unsteady or the jack is

unstable lower the car reposition the

jack and begin again

next use a crowbar to pry off the hubcap

the metal cover on the side of the tire

inside the hubcap are four bolts that

hold the tire in place loosen these

using the long l-shaped tool

push firmly on the tool to get the bolts

to turn it may be difficult once the

bolts are loose the flat tire can be

pulled off easily now you can put on the

new tire once it is in place replace the

four bolts and tighten them place the

flat tire and the toolbox back in the

trunk finally drive to the nearest

service station and get your flat tire

fixed

unit 39 the exchange rate

International Airport ma’am how may I

help you I am travelling to Venezuela

can you tell me what the exchange rate

is for the dollar

one moment please and I will look it up

the currency in Venezuela is the Bolivar

the exchange rate is 200 bolivars per

dollar that seems rather low are you

certain that that is all the dollar is

worth there may be several local

businesses that may exchange for a

higher rate but the official rate is the

one I gave you can I exchange $100 I

need to have some money for a taxi and a

hotel once I arrive in Caracas no

problem here is your money would you

like a receipt yes please I will need it

to keep track of my business expenses is

there anything else I can do for you I

just have one more question do you know

where I can exchange dollars in

Venezuela once I arrive I will probably

need more cash and I want to find a

reliable exchange the best place to

exchange money is at a large bank they

will always give you the official rate

you can also find money exchange stores

in most large cities wonderful I will

look for a bank I appreciate your advice

my pleasure

I hope you enjoy Venezuela

unit 40 the First Nations

the First Nations are the people who

lived in North America before Europeans

migrated there there is a place in

Canada where you can learn about the

culture of the First Nations it is where

the First Nations people used to live

now a visitor center is there

there is also an archeology lab and

walking trails you can learn about the

culture through the displays in the

center the displays show everyday

activities they show how the people

lived the Gift Shop in the Visitor

Center self crafts made by the First

Nations people there are jewelry

paintings and pottery you can also eat

at the restaurant bison meat is in many

dishes they are also wild rice dishes

fruit pies and traditional bread all of

the food is tasty the archaeology lab is

run by the local university a big window

lets you see the archaeologists working

they found a very old spearhead

they also found ancient human bones the

First Nations visitor center is a great

place you can learn about the First

Nations culture you can also see

archaeologists at work you can walk on

the trails or enjoy a traditional meal

it is an experience to remember