中級口語(LRC)-英語聽力中級口語2a
Oral Workshop Discussion Lesson9(Additional) -13(Text A) ;
lesson 9 ;
Additional information ;
I Want a Wife ;
I belong to that classification of people known as wives,I am A Wife. ;
And,not altogether incidentally. I am a mother. ;
Not too long ago a male friend of mine appeared on the scene ;
fresh from a recent divorce. ;
He had one child, who is,of course, with his ex-wife. ;
He is obviously looking for another wife. ;
As I thought about him while I was ironing one evening, ;
it suddenly occurred to me that I,too, would like to have a wife. ;
Why do I want a wife? ;
I would like to go back to school ;
so that I can become economically independent, ;
support myself,and, if need be,support those dependent upon me. ;
I want a wife who will work and send me to school. ;
And while I am going to school I want a wife to take care of my children. ;
I want a wife to keep track of the children's doctor and dentist appointments. ;
And to keep track of mine,too. ;
I want a wife to make sure my children eat properly and are kept clean. ;
I want a wife who will ash the children's clothes and keep them mended. ;
I want a wife who is a good nurturant attendant to my children, ;
who arranges for their schooling, ;
makes sure that they have an adequate social life with their peers, ;
takes them to the park,the zoo,etc. ;
I want a wife who takes care of the children when they are sick, ;
a wife who arranges to be around when the children need special care, ;
because,of course, I cannot miss classes at school. ;
My wife must arrange to lose time at work and not lose the job. ;
It may mean a small cut in my wife's income from time to time, ;
but I guess I can tolerate that. Needless to say, ;
my wife will arrange and pay for the care of the children while she is working ;
I want a wife who will take care of my physical needs. ;
I want a wife who will keep my house clean. ;
A wife who will pick up after me. ;
I want a wife who will keep my clothes clean, ;
ironed,mended, replaced when need kept be, ;
and who will see to it that my personal things are kept in their proper place ;
so that I can find what I need the minute I need it. ;
I want a wife who cooks the meals, a wife who is a good cook. ;
I want a wife who will plan the menus, do the necessary grocery shopping, ;
prepare the meals, serve them pleasantly, ;
and then do the cleaning up while I do my studying. ;
I want a wife who will care for me while I am sick ;
and sympathize with my pain and loss of time from school. ;
I want a wife to go along when our family takes a vacation ;
so that someone can continue to care for me and my children ;
when I need a rest and change of scene. ;
I want a wife who will not ;
bother me with rambling complaints about a wife's duties. ;
But I want a wife who will listen to me ;
when I feel the need to explain a rather ;
difficult point I have come across in my course of studies. ;
And I want a wife who will type my papers for me when I have written them. ;
I want a wife who will take care of the details of my social life. ;
When my wife and I are invited out by my friends, ;
I want a wife who will take care of the babysitting arrangements. ;
When I meet people at school that I like and want to entertain, ;
I want a wife who will have the house clean,will prepare a special meal, ;
serve it to me and my friends, ;
and not interrupt when talk about the things that interest me and my friends. ;
I want a wife who will have arranged that the children are ;
fed and ready for bed before my guests arrive ;
so that the children do not bother us. ;
I want a wife who takes care of the needs of my guests ;
so that they feel comfortable,who makes sure that they have an ashtray, ;
that they are passed the hoirs d'oeuvres, ;
that they are offered a second helping of the food, ;
that their wine glasses are replenished when necessary, ;
that their coffee is served to them as they like it. ;
And I want a wife who knows that sometimes I need a night out by myself. ;
I want a wife who assumes the complete responsibility for birth control, ;
because I do not want more children. ;
I want a wife who will remain sexually faithful to me ;
so that I do not have to clutter up my intellectual life with jealousies. ;
And I want a wife who understands that my sexual needs ;
may entail more than strict adherence to monogamy ;
I must,after all,be able to relate to people as fully as possible. ;
If,by chance, I find another person more suitable as a wife ;
than the wife I already have, ;
I want the liberty to replace my present wife with another one. ;
Naturally,I will expect a fresh, new life; ;
my wife will take the children and ;
be solely responsible for them so that I am left free. ;
When I am through with school and have a job, ;
I want my wife to quit orking and remain at home so that my wife can more fully ;
and completely take care of a wife's duties. ;
My God,who wouldn't want a wife? ;
Lesson 10 ;
How to Describe Yourself Text A ;
All about me.I'm twelve years old. ;
I'm large for my age and have big feet which I am self-conscious about. ;
I look like both my mum and my dad but in different ways. ;
I have fair hair and blue eyes like my dad, ;
and a mouth and expression like my mum. ;
My nose is like my mother's and definitely nothing like my father's. ;
("thank goodness"). ;
I am very like my mum in temperament, thought I don't have her very hot temper. ;
I'm rather a tomboy but I'm not violent. I hate fighting and arguments. ;
I hate being laughed at and some teasing hurts me more than I show. ;
I tend to sulk when I am annoyed and I tend to be a bit oversensitive. ;
Friendship is important to me with people of all ages. ;
My home is very important to me ;
and I would hate to be sent to a boarding school. ;
On the whole I'm a fairly tidy person. I am quite creative with my hands. ;
I like making models,pendants and candles as well as other things. ;
I like acting and music,I play the French horn and can play the trumpet. ;
I am not a very keen reader because I like to be outside most of the time. ;
I ride my bike a lot and have been youth hosteling with it. ;
My father lives abroad and I enjoy travelling to see him.I enjoy my food ;
(especially my French grandmother as she is an excellent cook!) ;
and I have a sweet tooth but I hate the dentist. ;
I don't like my hair being brushed by someone else and I hate it long. ;
Finally,the one thing I really find boring is homework ;
as I would far rather be outside or make something. ;
Text B ;
My thoughts I sometimes wonder what my mind is like inside, ;
often I fancy that it is like this. ;
I feel as if my mind goes round and round like the earth ;
and if my lessons make me think hard it begins to spin. ;
In my other class it was getting all stodgy and still and lumpy and rusty. ;
I feel as if there is a ball in my mind and it is divided into pieces-- ;
each piece stands for a different mood. ;
The ball turns every now and then and that's what makes me change moods. ;
I have my learning mood,my good looks mood,my happy mood, ;
my loose-end mood and my grumpy mood, my miserable mood, ;
my thoughtful mood and my planning mood. ;
At the moment I am writing this I am in my thoughtful mood. ;
When I am in my thoughtful mood ;
I think out my maths and plan stories and poems. ;
When my kitten is in her thoughtful mood she thinks shall I pounce or not, ;
and shall I go to sleep or not. ;
This sort of thing goes on in my own mind,too. ;
It is very hard for me to put my thoughts into words. ;
Additional Information (1) ;
He's the sort of chap who loves to make entrances and exits. ;
He'll arrive ten minutes before everybody else ;
and he'll leave ten minutes before everybody else. ;
He'll come dashing in with a bunch of flowers,screaming hellos. ;
He likes to be noticed.He loves telling jokes. ;
He's a well-informed chap and keeps up to date with all the current affairs. ;
He likes to talk and give his view on life.He's very successful. ;
When he sets himself a goal,he works hard to attain that and to achieve it. ;
He knows what he wants and he'll set out to get it. ;
As a result,he's successful. ;
When you're talking to Roger,sometimes you're left way,way behind. ;
His mind is whizzing over so fast that you're talking about something, ;
and he's off at a tangent,talking about something completely different ;
He can't sit down. He's not.He can't relax. ;
He's always jumping up nd doing things and finds it hard to concentrate at times. ;
(2) She gazes at herself in wonder. ;
Vanished are her healthy pink cheeks, her slightly red winter nose, ;
her mole,her little freckles and blemishes:she is smooth,new made. ;
She dabes a little powder on top,and stands back to admire the effect. ;
It is pleasing,she decides. ;
She wonders what it will look like by midnight. ;
Will she be transformed into an uneven,red-faced, patchy, ;
blotchy clown? And ugly sister? ;
(3)When she was twenty-three years old,she met,at a Christmas party, ;
a young man from the Erewash Valley.Morel was then twenty-- seven years old. ;
He was well set-up,erect, and very smart. ;
He had wavy black hair that shone, ;
and a vigorous black beard that had never been shaved. ;
His cheeks were ruddy,and his red, moist mouth was noticeable ;
because he laughed so often and so heartily. ;
He had that rare thing,a rich, ringing laugh. ;
Gertrude Coppard had watched him, fascinated. ;
He was so full of colour and animation, ;
his voice ran so easily into comic grotesque, ;
he was so ready and so pleasant with everybody. ;
Her own father had a rich fund of humour,but it was satiric. ;
This man's different:soft, ;
non-intellectual, warm,a kind of gambolling. ;
She herself was opposite.She had a curious,receptive mind which found ;
much pleasure and amusement in listening to other folk. ;
She was clever in leading folk to talk. ;
She loved ideas,and was considered very intellectual. ;
What she liked most of all was an argument on religion ;
or philosophy or polities with some educated man. ;
This she did not often enjoy. ;
So she always had people tell her about themselves,finding her pleasure so. ;
In her person she was rather small and delicate, ;
with a large brow, and dropping bunches of brown silk curls. ;
Her blue eyes were very straight, honest,and searching. ;
She had the beautiful hands of the Coppards. ;
Her dress was always subdued. ;
She wore dark blue silk,with a peculiar silver chain of silver scallops. ;
This,and heavy brooch of twisted gold,was her only ornament. ;
She was still perfectly intact, deeply religious, ;
and full of beautiful candour. ;
Lesson 11 ;
Is He a Good Neighbour? Text A ;
You and your family have been living in the same six-family apartment ;
building for eight years. ;
The landlord's family also lives there,and,generally speaking, ;
all the tenants get along fairly well with each other. ;
Recently,however, there was a change in the apartment next to yours. ;
A nice,quiet old couple used to live there. ;
The old lady would sometimes bring over some cookies or small cakes she had made, ;
and your mother in return would give them some food or ;
help the old woman with her shopping. ;
Unfortunately,the old lady died last month. ;
Her husband couldn't live alone,so his grandson moved in with him. ;
The grandson,who is about twenty,has become a problem to your family. ;
The walls of the building are thin and he is noisy. ;
You are used to peace and quiet, ;
but the grandson likes to listen to his radio late at night. ;
Sometimes friends of his visit,and they make a lot of noise. ;
Everyone in your family is bothered by you new neighbor ;
and as a result is becoming more irritated. ;
Your mother once politely asked the old man if he was able o sleep well at night ;
but apparently he didn't get the hint. ;
If he did understand your mother's intention ;
and did speak to his grandson about it, ;
the grandson apparently didn't listen,since things haven't changed any. ;
Everyone in your family agrees that something has to be done, ;
but no one wants to hurt the old man's feelings or cause him any problems. ;
What do you think should be done? ;
Text B ;
ALBERT:Listen,the heating's broken in my room. ;
When are you going to come and fix it? ;
MANAGER:I'm sorry to hear that,sir.I'll someone right away. ;
ALBERT:You'd better. It's freezing up there.And my room's disgrace. ;
That maid's useless. I want her replaced. ;
MANAGER:Well,I'll speak to the housekeeper about it,sir, ;
but I'm sure... ALBERT:And that hall porter's another one.Cheeky devil. ;
You should get rid of him,too.Doesn't know how to treat guests with respect. ;
And look at the money I'm paying! MANAGER:Well,I'm very sorry,sir, ;
but George has been with us for twenty years and we've never had ;
any complaints about him until now. ;
ALBERT:And another thing! ;
What are you going to do about those foreigners in number 27? ;
Carrying on all night in that funny language!Shouting, they were. ;
It shouldn't be allowed. MANAGER:If you like,sir, ;
I'll have a word with them and ask them to be a little more considerate. ;
ALBERT:Yes,do that, will you,then maybe I'll get some sleep. ;
MANAGER:I'm very sorry you've been disturbed,sir. ;
But are you enjoying your stay apart from that? ;
ALBERT:Well,I don't think much of the restaurant. ;
I can't get a decent plate of fish and chips.It's all salad and fancy stuff. ;
And the service is terrible,too. ;
MANAGER:Well,sir,I'm sure the waiters try to be as helpful as they can, ;
but they are very busy at dinner. ;
ALBERT:Well,you should get some more,shouldn't you? ;
You should be able to afford it. ;
You're charging enough this year, aren't you? ;
MANAGER:I'm very sorry you feel that way about it,sir. ;
If there's anything else I can do to make your stay here more pleasant, ;
please don't hesitate to ask me. ;
ALBERT:Don't worry, I'll tell you all right! ;
Additional Information ;
The time of day is about 7.30 in the evening. ;
You are on your way home ;
and are presently on a subway train which is about full. ;
At one of the stops, a young man in his early twenties gets on the train ;
and sits down next to a middle-aged woman reading a book. ;
The man looks like he might have been drinking a little. ;
After a few minutes,he eaches into his pocket for a cigarette nd lights up. ;
There are signs on the subway which prohibit smoking. ;
People usually obey the signs, ;
since it is both dangerous and inconsiderate not to. ;
The woman turns to the man and very politely says, ;
"Excuse me,sir, but you aren't supposed to smoke on the subway." ;
The man ignored her, so she once again says."Excuse me,sir, ;
but people don't usually smoke on the subway." ;
The man looks at the woman and says, ;
"Why don't you mind your own business, lady?" ;
The woman closes her book,very calmly stands up, ;
looks straight at the man and says, ;
"I think the safety of ll the passengers is everyone's business, young man." ;
She then turns to walk away, ;
when suddenly the young man jumps up ;
and grabs her by the arm and turns her around.The woman yells. ;
Lesson 12 ;
Seeing the World Text A ;
If someone offered to pay all my expenses for a month's holiday anywhere in the world. ;
I would feel very surprised and very excited. ;
It would be difficult to decide where I wanted to go. ;
Should I go to one place or to lots of different places? ;
If I went to one country,I could see and understand a lot about it. ;
If I went to lots of countries, ;
my holiday would be more interesting and more exciting. ;
I think I would decide to fly around the world ;
and to visit three different countries. ;
The countries I would visit would be Australia, ;
the United States of America and Kenya. ;
If I went to Australia,I would stay there for about two weeks. ;
I am sure it would be very interesting ;
to visit a country which is so very different from my own. ;
Before I went,I would write to one of my Australian friends. ;
I would suggest that if it were possible, ;
he should spend a week with me ;
visiting Aboriginal tribes in the northern part of Australia. ;
I would really like to find out how the Aboriginal people live n Australia today. ;
My friend could explain what we saw ;
and he could translate what people said ;
because he majored in Aboriginal Studies at Queens-land University. ;
While I was visiting Australia. ;
I hope I could also see some of the large cities, ;
such as Sydney and Melbourne. ;
If I went to the United States,I would stay there about a week. ;
I expect I would start by visiting New York. ;
I have heard that New York is a very exciting city. ;
I imagine that there are lots of tourist attractions, ;
that the buildings are spectacular and that the food is very varied. ;
After I had stayed two or three days in New York,I would fly to San Francisco. ;
I hope I could stay with my relations who live there ;
and I would visit the city and other parts of California. ;
Finally,I would fly to Kenya where I would stay for about a week. ;
There are three things I would like to do in Kenya. ;
First,I hope I could visit the coast ;
because I would like to see the old Arab cities and enjoy the beautiful beaches. ;
Next,I would like to visit a Game Reserve. ;
I imagine the wild animals of Africa-- the lion, ;
elephant and hippopotamus-- are very exciting and beautiful. ;
Finally,I would like to visit the Mountains of Kenya ;
where you can see snow on the Equator. ;
If someone offered me this money,I would be amazed. ;
Unfortunately,I do not think this will ever happen ;
and I doubt if I shall ever visit these countries. ;
Text B ;
Ann started work last summer,so she didn't have a holiday. ;
She saved as much as she could and, in January, ;
she booked a package trip to Rosa, in Spain. ;
She left London airport early on the morning of the first Saturday in August. ;
She was very excited,as this was her first trip abroad. ;
During the flight they had a snack, ;
and when they arrived at Barcelona airport, ;
a special bus was ready to take them to their hotel in Rosas. ;
The weather was beautiful and Ann enjoyed the bus trip. ;
At the hotel,she checked in, ;
and then went to her room to change before dinner. ;
She was just ready to go downstairs, ;
when she found that her Spanish money wasn't in her handbag. ;
She carefully looked in all her luggage, but she couldn't find it. ;
All she had was a small purse with ten English pound notes in it! ;
Ann found a place to change her English money. ;
She had very few pesetas,and she would be here for two weeks. ;
On her way back to the hotel, ;
Ann bought some cheese,some bread and someoranges.When she got back, ;
she told the manager that her doctor had told her not to eat Spanish food; ;
she'd just have breakfast each day. ;
This was all right, as she knew the price of hotels included breakfast. ;
For the rest of her holiday,Ann swam in the hotel swimming-pool, ;
or lay on the beach and got a suntan. ;
She also went for long walks with one of the other tourists, ;
a Scottish girl called Jane. ;
However,when the others went to interesting places, ;
she always said she wasn't well. ;
In fact,her holiday wasn't bad,except that she was always hungry. ;
After all,a piece of fruit for lunch,and bread and cheese for supper isn't very much ;
especially not for two weeks! Late in the afternoon of their last day, ;
Ann and Jane were on the beach. ;
Jane asked her why she never ate with them in the hotel restaurant. ;
The food was excellent. ;
Ann told her all about her money problems. ;
Jane looked at her for a minute,and then said,"But didn't you know? ;
The price of this holiday includes absolutely everything!" ;
Additional Information ;
TRAVEL BOOKS ;
There are several ways you can find out about the countries ;
and places you wish to visit. ;
You can talk to friends who have travelled to the places. ;
Or you can go and see a colour film about them. ;
Or you can read travel books. ;
It would seem that there are three kinds of travel books. ;
The first are those that give a personal, ;
subjective account of travels which the author has actually made himself. ;
If they are informative and have a good index ;
then they can be useful to you when you are planning your travels. ;
The second kind are those books whose purpose is to give ;
a purely objective description of things to be done and seen. ;
If a well-read, ;
cultured person has written such a book then it is even more useful. ;
It can be classified as a selective guide book. ;
The third kind are those books which are called 'a guide' ;
to some place or other. If they are good, they will, ;
in addition to their factual information, ;
give an analysis or an interpretation. ;
like the first kind they can be inspiring and entertaining. ;
But their primary function is to assist the reader ;
who wishes to plan in the most practical way. ;
Whatever kind of travel book you choose ;
you must make sure that it does not describe everything as "marvellous", ;
"fabulous"or "magical", ;
You must also note its date of publication ;
because travel is a very practical affair ;
and many things change quickly in the twentieth century. ;
Finally,you should make sure that the contents are well presented ;
and easy to find. ;
Lesson 13 ;
What's Wrong with Them? Text A ;
I'm forty and married with two children. ;
My trouble is that I haven't got enough to do. ;
The kids are at school all day and the house is empty. ;
So I eat chocolates, mostly. ;
I've put on a lot of weight,but I can't give them up. ;
I try as hard as I can but I just can't stop eating. ;
Doctor Bruce writes: I think Mrs Allen would be happier if she found a job, ;
or if she got out of the house more and made some interesting friends. ;
If she did that,I think the weight problem would be solved. ;
I'm sixteen.My trouble is my spotty skin. ;
I've used all the creams on the market,but none of them do any good. ;
And now I've met a marvellous girl. ;
But I'm afraid to ask her to go out with me. ;
Doctor Bruce writes: ;
Most teenagers suffer from this,of course, at some time or other. ;
And it makes them very shy and self-conscious. ;
"What will other people think of me, if they see me like this?" They wonder. ;
And it's a pity, because if they didn't worry so much, ;
the skin trouble would soon disappear. ;
Tom should learn a relaxation technique,yoga for example. ;
Then I think he'd solve the problem very quickly. ;
My problem is time. I haven't enough of it. ;
I sleep badly,and I wake up tired. ;
I get indigestion every day ;
and now I'm beginning to get bad headaches and pains in my chest. ;
And don't tell me to take a holiday,doctor. I haven't got time. ;
Doctor Bruce writes: If Mr Tyler had more common sense, ;
he'd find the time to have a holiday, or change his job. ;
If he thought for a minute,he'd see that he can't go on like this. ;
He should rest more.Then he'd work better. ;
But that's the silly thing about men like him. ;
They only believe they're ill when they're almost dead. ;
lesson 9 ;
Additional information ;
I Want a Wife ;
I belong to that classification of people known as wives,I am A Wife. ;
And,not altogether incidentally. I am a mother. ;
Not too long ago a male friend of mine appeared on the scene ;
fresh from a recent divorce. ;
He had one child, who is,of course, with his ex-wife. ;
He is obviously looking for another wife. ;
As I thought about him while I was ironing one evening, ;
it suddenly occurred to me that I,too, would like to have a wife. ;
Why do I want a wife? ;
I would like to go back to school ;
so that I can become economically independent, ;
support myself,and, if need be,support those dependent upon me. ;
I want a wife who will work and send me to school. ;
And while I am going to school I want a wife to take care of my children. ;
I want a wife to keep track of the children's doctor and dentist appointments. ;
And to keep track of mine,too. ;
I want a wife to make sure my children eat properly and are kept clean. ;
I want a wife who will ash the children's clothes and keep them mended. ;
I want a wife who is a good nurturant attendant to my children, ;
who arranges for their schooling, ;
makes sure that they have an adequate social life with their peers, ;
takes them to the park,the zoo,etc. ;
I want a wife who takes care of the children when they are sick, ;
a wife who arranges to be around when the children need special care, ;
because,of course, I cannot miss classes at school. ;
My wife must arrange to lose time at work and not lose the job. ;
It may mean a small cut in my wife's income from time to time, ;
but I guess I can tolerate that. Needless to say, ;
my wife will arrange and pay for the care of the children while she is working ;
I want a wife who will take care of my physical needs. ;
I want a wife who will keep my house clean. ;
A wife who will pick up after me. ;
I want a wife who will keep my clothes clean, ;
ironed,mended, replaced when need kept be, ;
and who will see to it that my personal things are kept in their proper place ;
so that I can find what I need the minute I need it. ;
I want a wife who cooks the meals, a wife who is a good cook. ;
I want a wife who will plan the menus, do the necessary grocery shopping, ;
prepare the meals, serve them pleasantly, ;
and then do the cleaning up while I do my studying. ;
I want a wife who will care for me while I am sick ;
and sympathize with my pain and loss of time from school. ;
I want a wife to go along when our family takes a vacation ;
so that someone can continue to care for me and my children ;
when I need a rest and change of scene. ;
I want a wife who will not ;
bother me with rambling complaints about a wife's duties. ;
But I want a wife who will listen to me ;
when I feel the need to explain a rather ;
difficult point I have come across in my course of studies. ;
And I want a wife who will type my papers for me when I have written them. ;
I want a wife who will take care of the details of my social life. ;
When my wife and I are invited out by my friends, ;
I want a wife who will take care of the babysitting arrangements. ;
When I meet people at school that I like and want to entertain, ;
I want a wife who will have the house clean,will prepare a special meal, ;
serve it to me and my friends, ;
and not interrupt when talk about the things that interest me and my friends. ;
I want a wife who will have arranged that the children are ;
fed and ready for bed before my guests arrive ;
so that the children do not bother us. ;
I want a wife who takes care of the needs of my guests ;
so that they feel comfortable,who makes sure that they have an ashtray, ;
that they are passed the hoirs d'oeuvres, ;
that they are offered a second helping of the food, ;
that their wine glasses are replenished when necessary, ;
that their coffee is served to them as they like it. ;
And I want a wife who knows that sometimes I need a night out by myself. ;
I want a wife who assumes the complete responsibility for birth control, ;
because I do not want more children. ;
I want a wife who will remain sexually faithful to me ;
so that I do not have to clutter up my intellectual life with jealousies. ;
And I want a wife who understands that my sexual needs ;
may entail more than strict adherence to monogamy ;
I must,after all,be able to relate to people as fully as possible. ;
If,by chance, I find another person more suitable as a wife ;
than the wife I already have, ;
I want the liberty to replace my present wife with another one. ;
Naturally,I will expect a fresh, new life; ;
my wife will take the children and ;
be solely responsible for them so that I am left free. ;
When I am through with school and have a job, ;
I want my wife to quit orking and remain at home so that my wife can more fully ;
and completely take care of a wife's duties. ;
My God,who wouldn't want a wife? ;
Lesson 10 ;
How to Describe Yourself Text A ;
All about me.I'm twelve years old. ;
I'm large for my age and have big feet which I am self-conscious about. ;
I look like both my mum and my dad but in different ways. ;
I have fair hair and blue eyes like my dad, ;
and a mouth and expression like my mum. ;
My nose is like my mother's and definitely nothing like my father's. ;
("thank goodness"). ;
I am very like my mum in temperament, thought I don't have her very hot temper. ;
I'm rather a tomboy but I'm not violent. I hate fighting and arguments. ;
I hate being laughed at and some teasing hurts me more than I show. ;
I tend to sulk when I am annoyed and I tend to be a bit oversensitive. ;
Friendship is important to me with people of all ages. ;
My home is very important to me ;
and I would hate to be sent to a boarding school. ;
On the whole I'm a fairly tidy person. I am quite creative with my hands. ;
I like making models,pendants and candles as well as other things. ;
I like acting and music,I play the French horn and can play the trumpet. ;
I am not a very keen reader because I like to be outside most of the time. ;
I ride my bike a lot and have been youth hosteling with it. ;
My father lives abroad and I enjoy travelling to see him.I enjoy my food ;
(especially my French grandmother as she is an excellent cook!) ;
and I have a sweet tooth but I hate the dentist. ;
I don't like my hair being brushed by someone else and I hate it long. ;
Finally,the one thing I really find boring is homework ;
as I would far rather be outside or make something. ;
Text B ;
My thoughts I sometimes wonder what my mind is like inside, ;
often I fancy that it is like this. ;
I feel as if my mind goes round and round like the earth ;
and if my lessons make me think hard it begins to spin. ;
In my other class it was getting all stodgy and still and lumpy and rusty. ;
I feel as if there is a ball in my mind and it is divided into pieces-- ;
each piece stands for a different mood. ;
The ball turns every now and then and that's what makes me change moods. ;
I have my learning mood,my good looks mood,my happy mood, ;
my loose-end mood and my grumpy mood, my miserable mood, ;
my thoughtful mood and my planning mood. ;
At the moment I am writing this I am in my thoughtful mood. ;
When I am in my thoughtful mood ;
I think out my maths and plan stories and poems. ;
When my kitten is in her thoughtful mood she thinks shall I pounce or not, ;
and shall I go to sleep or not. ;
This sort of thing goes on in my own mind,too. ;
It is very hard for me to put my thoughts into words. ;
Additional Information (1) ;
He's the sort of chap who loves to make entrances and exits. ;
He'll arrive ten minutes before everybody else ;
and he'll leave ten minutes before everybody else. ;
He'll come dashing in with a bunch of flowers,screaming hellos. ;
He likes to be noticed.He loves telling jokes. ;
He's a well-informed chap and keeps up to date with all the current affairs. ;
He likes to talk and give his view on life.He's very successful. ;
When he sets himself a goal,he works hard to attain that and to achieve it. ;
He knows what he wants and he'll set out to get it. ;
As a result,he's successful. ;
When you're talking to Roger,sometimes you're left way,way behind. ;
His mind is whizzing over so fast that you're talking about something, ;
and he's off at a tangent,talking about something completely different ;
He can't sit down. He's not.He can't relax. ;
He's always jumping up nd doing things and finds it hard to concentrate at times. ;
(2) She gazes at herself in wonder. ;
Vanished are her healthy pink cheeks, her slightly red winter nose, ;
her mole,her little freckles and blemishes:she is smooth,new made. ;
She dabes a little powder on top,and stands back to admire the effect. ;
It is pleasing,she decides. ;
She wonders what it will look like by midnight. ;
Will she be transformed into an uneven,red-faced, patchy, ;
blotchy clown? And ugly sister? ;
(3)When she was twenty-three years old,she met,at a Christmas party, ;
a young man from the Erewash Valley.Morel was then twenty-- seven years old. ;
He was well set-up,erect, and very smart. ;
He had wavy black hair that shone, ;
and a vigorous black beard that had never been shaved. ;
His cheeks were ruddy,and his red, moist mouth was noticeable ;
because he laughed so often and so heartily. ;
He had that rare thing,a rich, ringing laugh. ;
Gertrude Coppard had watched him, fascinated. ;
He was so full of colour and animation, ;
his voice ran so easily into comic grotesque, ;
he was so ready and so pleasant with everybody. ;
Her own father had a rich fund of humour,but it was satiric. ;
This man's different:soft, ;
non-intellectual, warm,a kind of gambolling. ;
She herself was opposite.She had a curious,receptive mind which found ;
much pleasure and amusement in listening to other folk. ;
She was clever in leading folk to talk. ;
She loved ideas,and was considered very intellectual. ;
What she liked most of all was an argument on religion ;
or philosophy or polities with some educated man. ;
This she did not often enjoy. ;
So she always had people tell her about themselves,finding her pleasure so. ;
In her person she was rather small and delicate, ;
with a large brow, and dropping bunches of brown silk curls. ;
Her blue eyes were very straight, honest,and searching. ;
She had the beautiful hands of the Coppards. ;
Her dress was always subdued. ;
She wore dark blue silk,with a peculiar silver chain of silver scallops. ;
This,and heavy brooch of twisted gold,was her only ornament. ;
She was still perfectly intact, deeply religious, ;
and full of beautiful candour. ;
Lesson 11 ;
Is He a Good Neighbour? Text A ;
You and your family have been living in the same six-family apartment ;
building for eight years. ;
The landlord's family also lives there,and,generally speaking, ;
all the tenants get along fairly well with each other. ;
Recently,however, there was a change in the apartment next to yours. ;
A nice,quiet old couple used to live there. ;
The old lady would sometimes bring over some cookies or small cakes she had made, ;
and your mother in return would give them some food or ;
help the old woman with her shopping. ;
Unfortunately,the old lady died last month. ;
Her husband couldn't live alone,so his grandson moved in with him. ;
The grandson,who is about twenty,has become a problem to your family. ;
The walls of the building are thin and he is noisy. ;
You are used to peace and quiet, ;
but the grandson likes to listen to his radio late at night. ;
Sometimes friends of his visit,and they make a lot of noise. ;
Everyone in your family is bothered by you new neighbor ;
and as a result is becoming more irritated. ;
Your mother once politely asked the old man if he was able o sleep well at night ;
but apparently he didn't get the hint. ;
If he did understand your mother's intention ;
and did speak to his grandson about it, ;
the grandson apparently didn't listen,since things haven't changed any. ;
Everyone in your family agrees that something has to be done, ;
but no one wants to hurt the old man's feelings or cause him any problems. ;
What do you think should be done? ;
Text B ;
ALBERT:Listen,the heating's broken in my room. ;
When are you going to come and fix it? ;
MANAGER:I'm sorry to hear that,sir.I'll someone right away. ;
ALBERT:You'd better. It's freezing up there.And my room's disgrace. ;
That maid's useless. I want her replaced. ;
MANAGER:Well,I'll speak to the housekeeper about it,sir, ;
but I'm sure... ALBERT:And that hall porter's another one.Cheeky devil. ;
You should get rid of him,too.Doesn't know how to treat guests with respect. ;
And look at the money I'm paying! MANAGER:Well,I'm very sorry,sir, ;
but George has been with us for twenty years and we've never had ;
any complaints about him until now. ;
ALBERT:And another thing! ;
What are you going to do about those foreigners in number 27? ;
Carrying on all night in that funny language!Shouting, they were. ;
It shouldn't be allowed. MANAGER:If you like,sir, ;
I'll have a word with them and ask them to be a little more considerate. ;
ALBERT:Yes,do that, will you,then maybe I'll get some sleep. ;
MANAGER:I'm very sorry you've been disturbed,sir. ;
But are you enjoying your stay apart from that? ;
ALBERT:Well,I don't think much of the restaurant. ;
I can't get a decent plate of fish and chips.It's all salad and fancy stuff. ;
And the service is terrible,too. ;
MANAGER:Well,sir,I'm sure the waiters try to be as helpful as they can, ;
but they are very busy at dinner. ;
ALBERT:Well,you should get some more,shouldn't you? ;
You should be able to afford it. ;
You're charging enough this year, aren't you? ;
MANAGER:I'm very sorry you feel that way about it,sir. ;
If there's anything else I can do to make your stay here more pleasant, ;
please don't hesitate to ask me. ;
ALBERT:Don't worry, I'll tell you all right! ;
Additional Information ;
The time of day is about 7.30 in the evening. ;
You are on your way home ;
and are presently on a subway train which is about full. ;
At one of the stops, a young man in his early twenties gets on the train ;
and sits down next to a middle-aged woman reading a book. ;
The man looks like he might have been drinking a little. ;
After a few minutes,he eaches into his pocket for a cigarette nd lights up. ;
There are signs on the subway which prohibit smoking. ;
People usually obey the signs, ;
since it is both dangerous and inconsiderate not to. ;
The woman turns to the man and very politely says, ;
"Excuse me,sir, but you aren't supposed to smoke on the subway." ;
The man ignored her, so she once again says."Excuse me,sir, ;
but people don't usually smoke on the subway." ;
The man looks at the woman and says, ;
"Why don't you mind your own business, lady?" ;
The woman closes her book,very calmly stands up, ;
looks straight at the man and says, ;
"I think the safety of ll the passengers is everyone's business, young man." ;
She then turns to walk away, ;
when suddenly the young man jumps up ;
and grabs her by the arm and turns her around.The woman yells. ;
Lesson 12 ;
Seeing the World Text A ;
If someone offered to pay all my expenses for a month's holiday anywhere in the world. ;
I would feel very surprised and very excited. ;
It would be difficult to decide where I wanted to go. ;
Should I go to one place or to lots of different places? ;
If I went to one country,I could see and understand a lot about it. ;
If I went to lots of countries, ;
my holiday would be more interesting and more exciting. ;
I think I would decide to fly around the world ;
and to visit three different countries. ;
The countries I would visit would be Australia, ;
the United States of America and Kenya. ;
If I went to Australia,I would stay there for about two weeks. ;
I am sure it would be very interesting ;
to visit a country which is so very different from my own. ;
Before I went,I would write to one of my Australian friends. ;
I would suggest that if it were possible, ;
he should spend a week with me ;
visiting Aboriginal tribes in the northern part of Australia. ;
I would really like to find out how the Aboriginal people live n Australia today. ;
My friend could explain what we saw ;
and he could translate what people said ;
because he majored in Aboriginal Studies at Queens-land University. ;
While I was visiting Australia. ;
I hope I could also see some of the large cities, ;
such as Sydney and Melbourne. ;
If I went to the United States,I would stay there about a week. ;
I expect I would start by visiting New York. ;
I have heard that New York is a very exciting city. ;
I imagine that there are lots of tourist attractions, ;
that the buildings are spectacular and that the food is very varied. ;
After I had stayed two or three days in New York,I would fly to San Francisco. ;
I hope I could stay with my relations who live there ;
and I would visit the city and other parts of California. ;
Finally,I would fly to Kenya where I would stay for about a week. ;
There are three things I would like to do in Kenya. ;
First,I hope I could visit the coast ;
because I would like to see the old Arab cities and enjoy the beautiful beaches. ;
Next,I would like to visit a Game Reserve. ;
I imagine the wild animals of Africa-- the lion, ;
elephant and hippopotamus-- are very exciting and beautiful. ;
Finally,I would like to visit the Mountains of Kenya ;
where you can see snow on the Equator. ;
If someone offered me this money,I would be amazed. ;
Unfortunately,I do not think this will ever happen ;
and I doubt if I shall ever visit these countries. ;
Text B ;
Ann started work last summer,so she didn't have a holiday. ;
She saved as much as she could and, in January, ;
she booked a package trip to Rosa, in Spain. ;
She left London airport early on the morning of the first Saturday in August. ;
She was very excited,as this was her first trip abroad. ;
During the flight they had a snack, ;
and when they arrived at Barcelona airport, ;
a special bus was ready to take them to their hotel in Rosas. ;
The weather was beautiful and Ann enjoyed the bus trip. ;
At the hotel,she checked in, ;
and then went to her room to change before dinner. ;
She was just ready to go downstairs, ;
when she found that her Spanish money wasn't in her handbag. ;
She carefully looked in all her luggage, but she couldn't find it. ;
All she had was a small purse with ten English pound notes in it! ;
Ann found a place to change her English money. ;
She had very few pesetas,and she would be here for two weeks. ;
On her way back to the hotel, ;
Ann bought some cheese,some bread and someoranges.When she got back, ;
she told the manager that her doctor had told her not to eat Spanish food; ;
she'd just have breakfast each day. ;
This was all right, as she knew the price of hotels included breakfast. ;
For the rest of her holiday,Ann swam in the hotel swimming-pool, ;
or lay on the beach and got a suntan. ;
She also went for long walks with one of the other tourists, ;
a Scottish girl called Jane. ;
However,when the others went to interesting places, ;
she always said she wasn't well. ;
In fact,her holiday wasn't bad,except that she was always hungry. ;
After all,a piece of fruit for lunch,and bread and cheese for supper isn't very much ;
especially not for two weeks! Late in the afternoon of their last day, ;
Ann and Jane were on the beach. ;
Jane asked her why she never ate with them in the hotel restaurant. ;
The food was excellent. ;
Ann told her all about her money problems. ;
Jane looked at her for a minute,and then said,"But didn't you know? ;
The price of this holiday includes absolutely everything!" ;
Additional Information ;
TRAVEL BOOKS ;
There are several ways you can find out about the countries ;
and places you wish to visit. ;
You can talk to friends who have travelled to the places. ;
Or you can go and see a colour film about them. ;
Or you can read travel books. ;
It would seem that there are three kinds of travel books. ;
The first are those that give a personal, ;
subjective account of travels which the author has actually made himself. ;
If they are informative and have a good index ;
then they can be useful to you when you are planning your travels. ;
The second kind are those books whose purpose is to give ;
a purely objective description of things to be done and seen. ;
If a well-read, ;
cultured person has written such a book then it is even more useful. ;
It can be classified as a selective guide book. ;
The third kind are those books which are called 'a guide' ;
to some place or other. If they are good, they will, ;
in addition to their factual information, ;
give an analysis or an interpretation. ;
like the first kind they can be inspiring and entertaining. ;
But their primary function is to assist the reader ;
who wishes to plan in the most practical way. ;
Whatever kind of travel book you choose ;
you must make sure that it does not describe everything as "marvellous", ;
"fabulous"or "magical", ;
You must also note its date of publication ;
because travel is a very practical affair ;
and many things change quickly in the twentieth century. ;
Finally,you should make sure that the contents are well presented ;
and easy to find. ;
Lesson 13 ;
What's Wrong with Them? Text A ;
I'm forty and married with two children. ;
My trouble is that I haven't got enough to do. ;
The kids are at school all day and the house is empty. ;
So I eat chocolates, mostly. ;
I've put on a lot of weight,but I can't give them up. ;
I try as hard as I can but I just can't stop eating. ;
Doctor Bruce writes: I think Mrs Allen would be happier if she found a job, ;
or if she got out of the house more and made some interesting friends. ;
If she did that,I think the weight problem would be solved. ;
I'm sixteen.My trouble is my spotty skin. ;
I've used all the creams on the market,but none of them do any good. ;
And now I've met a marvellous girl. ;
But I'm afraid to ask her to go out with me. ;
Doctor Bruce writes: ;
Most teenagers suffer from this,of course, at some time or other. ;
And it makes them very shy and self-conscious. ;
"What will other people think of me, if they see me like this?" They wonder. ;
And it's a pity, because if they didn't worry so much, ;
the skin trouble would soon disappear. ;
Tom should learn a relaxation technique,yoga for example. ;
Then I think he'd solve the problem very quickly. ;
My problem is time. I haven't enough of it. ;
I sleep badly,and I wake up tired. ;
I get indigestion every day ;
and now I'm beginning to get bad headaches and pains in my chest. ;
And don't tell me to take a holiday,doctor. I haven't got time. ;
Doctor Bruce writes: If Mr Tyler had more common sense, ;
he'd find the time to have a holiday, or change his job. ;
If he thought for a minute,he'd see that he can't go on like this. ;
He should rest more.Then he'd work better. ;
But that's the silly thing about men like him. ;
They only believe they're ill when they're almost dead. ;
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