UNIT5

II. Listening Skills

1. M: The police gave a few tickets out last week along Highway 15.

W: In fact, quite a few tickets were given on that road.

Q:?What does the woman mean?

?

2.?

M:?Who do you think is the smartest student in the class?

W:?Mary is second to none.

Q:?What does the woman say about Mary?

?

3.

W:?What are you so happy about?

M:?Instead of being given an even dozen, we’ve been given a baker’s dozen.

Q:?Why is the man so happy?

?

4.?

M:?We have had a lot of rain over the last few years.

W:?But nothing like this.

Q:?What does the woman mean?

?

5.?

M:?What effect has the booming economy had on interest rates for loans?

W:?The interest rates have skyrocketed!

Q:?What does the woman mean?

1. A?? 2. B?? 3.B?? 4.D?? 5.C

   
   

III. Listening In

Task 1: Dogs aren’t allowed here!

Manager:?I’m sorry. Miss, but dogs aren’t allowed in this theater.

Mary:??? But I have a ticket for him.

Manager:?I’m very sorry, but animals aren’t permitted.

Mary:?? You don’t understand. This is a special case. My dog is so well trained and so intelligent that he’s almost human.

Manager:?I see that you have an exceptional animal, but…

Mary:?? I promise you that if there is any problem we’ll leave the theater immediately. I promise you that this dog isn’t like any other dog you’ve ever seen.

Manager:?Well…all right. I’ll let you go in, since the theater is almost empty tonight. But your dog will have to behave himself, or you will have to leave.

Mary:?? Thank you very much.

1. allowed? ?movie theater??

2. a ticket???

3. well trained??? intelligent?? human???

4.any problem??? leave the theater??? any other dog??? seen????

5. almost empty????

?

Task 2: Put the cat out!

A couple was going out for the evening to celebrate the wife’s birthday. While they were getting ready, the husband put the cat out. The taxi arrived, and as the couple walked out of their home, the cat ran back into the house. Not wanting their car to have free run of the house while they were out, the husband went back upstairs to chase the cat out. The wife, not waiting it known that the house would be empty, explained to the taxi driver, “He’s just going upstairs to say goodbye to my mother.” A few minutes later, the husband got into the car, and said, “Sorry it took it so long. The stupid old thing was hiding under the bed, and I had to poke her with a stick to get her to come out!”

4-1-3-5-2-6???? D) She was ill-treated at home.

Task 3: A Sudden Change in the Parrot’s Attitude

A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of this bird’s mouth was rude. John tried every method to change the bird’s attitude by constantly saying polite words, playing soft music, and anything he could think of to set a good example. Nothing worked. Finally, John got fed up and he yelled at the parrot. And the bird yelled back. John shook the parrot, and the bird got angrier and ruder. Finally, in a moment of desperation, John put the bird in the refrigerator freezer. For a few minutes, John heard the bird scream and kick. Then suddenly there was silence. Not a sound for over a minute. Fearing that he’s hurt the bird, John quickly opened the door to the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out and said, “I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I am truly sorry, and I will do everything I can to correct my poor behavior.”

John was greatly surprised at the bird’s change of attitude. As he was about to ask the parrot what had caused such a sudden change in his behavior, the bird continued, “May Ii ask why you put the chickens there and what they did wrong?”

1.C?? 2.D?? 3.B?? 4.C???? 5.A

IV. Speaking Out

Model 1 The dog will be company for her.

John:??Se-Jin,?come shopping with me. I’m buying a present for my mother.

Se-Jin:?What are you getting her?

John:??I’ve got just the perfect idea. A dog.

Se-Jin:?A dog? Would she like that?

John:??She’ll love it. My dad works long hours each day, and I think with me away at school, she is a bit lonely. And I’ll just get a small one, a Pekinese.

Se-Jin:?Good idea!?The dog will be company for her.

Now Your Turn

A: Hi, come shopping with me. I want to buy a gift for my neighbor.

B: What for?

A: His wife died a couple of weeks ago, and he is feeling lonely. He’s been kind to us. I want to buy something to cheer him up.

B: What do you want to get for him?

A: I’m thinking of buying a bunch of flowers for him.

B: But I’ve got a perfect idea. A dog.

A: A dog? Why?

B: He’ll be crazy about it. He’s so lonely; he needs company rather than beautiful flowers.

A: Good thinking! The dog can keep him company.

Model 2 Where to walk dogs??????

Bob:??There’s some talk of a businessman building a dog park?in Shanghai.

Laura:?Really, what on earth for?

Bob:??Apparently?there is a law against having dogs on the streets.

Laura:?Does it mean that the dogs have to stay inside apartments at all times?

Bob:??It sounds pretty cruel, doesn’t it? Maybe the park is a good idea.

Laura:?Maybe they should just allow people to walk their dogs?on the streets.

Bob:??But in many large cities where dogs can be walked,?the streets are a mess. I heard Paris is the worst.

Laura:?Couldn’t people just clean up after their dogs?

Bob:??Would they?

Now Your Turn

A: Have you heard the city has passes a law against walking dogs in the streets?

B: Sure, it’s published in the newspapers.

A: It means that dogs have to be kept inside all the time.

B: It’s rather cruel, isn’t it? We shouldn’t be so cruel to dumb animals.

A: But dogs often leave a mess from their dogs.

B: But owners can clean up the mess from their dogs.

A: Would they?

B: Perhaps the best solution is to build a dog park. Then people can walk their dogs there.

A: Sounds too good to be realistic. The city is already too crowed without the dogs.

Model 3 What does having a few fish do for you?

Philip:?Wow!?I see you’ve bought an aquarium. Nice!

Peter:?You should get one too. I highly recommend it.

Philip:?Why? What does having a few fish do for you?

Peter:?I find it relaxing just to sit down?and watch tropical fish at the end of a tiring day.

Philip:?I can understand.?I like to take it easy after work?, too.

Peter:?There’s more than that. They’re really fascinating. They give you hours of entertainment, believe me.

Philip:?Perhaps I should give it a try.

Peter: OK, I can lend you a couple of good reference books.

Philip:?Great! Any other tips on getting started?

Now Your Turn

A: Wow! You’ve bought a discman! It does look nice!

B: You’d better buy one as well. I strongly recommend it.

A: Why? What can it do for you?
B: I find it relaxing to listen to music on it.

A: I can understand. After a day’s work I like to relax a bit myself.

B: Not only that. Some music cheers you up and makes you forget all your troubles.

A: Maybe I should have a try, but I don’t know how to use the diskman.
B: OK, I can lend you this manual.

A: Wonderful! Any other tips on getting starded?

V. Let’s Talk

An Intelligent Dog

A black dog walked into a butcher’s shop with a five-dollar bill in his mouth. He spent several minutes looking at the meat on display. He finally fixed his eyes on the lamb chops and barked, showing that he wanted to buy some of them. The butcher, thinking the dog wouldn’t know the difference, picked out the worst chops. The dog barked angrily and continued to bark until the butcher selected the finest chops. After the butcher took the money from the dog’s mouth, the dog picked up the chops and left the shop.

The butcher was deeply impressed and decided that he would like to own a clever dog like that. He closed up shop and followed the dog to see where it went. The dog entered an apartment house, climbed to the third floor, and began to scratch on the door. With that, the door opened and an angry man started yelling at the dog. As he did so, the butcher stepped forward to ask the man to stop. “What are you doing?” That’s the smartest animal I’ve ever seen! Surely it doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment.” The butcher then went on to explain how the dog had bought the best lamb chops in the shop. The man looked at the butcher from the corner of his eye and said, “I don’t think he’s so intelligent. You see, this is third time this week he’s forgotten his key.”

?

VI. Furthering Listening and Speaking

Task 1: A Birthday Present

Mary:?David, how did your mom like the dog you gave her for a birthday gift?

David:?Oh, Mary, she was delighted. It licked her hand and wagged its tail and she was hooked.

Mary:?What did she call it?

David:?She’s calling it “Brian”, after a friend of hers.

Mary:?Your mom always did have a sense of humor. I read somewhere that dogs can become very close to their owners.

David:?I’ve heard that. I saw an interview on TV with a man who had epileptic attacks, and his dog would warn him before he would have an attack.

Mary:?Really? I wonder how they can do that1

David:?It ahs something to do with the dog’s sense of smell. It’s very keen.

Mary:?Do you think Brian will be able to foretell when your mom is going to roast a chicken?

?

After David gave his mom a dog as a?birthday?present, she was very pleased, for the doglicked?her hand?and wagged its tail. She called it Brian?after?one of her friends. Mary?read?an article which says that dogs can be faithful to their?owners/masters. David agreed, for he saw a TV?interview?which introduced a dog that could?warn?its master of an epileptic?attack. He explained that this ability of the dog’s has?something?to do with?its keen sense of?smell. Jokingly, Mary said she wounded whether the dog Brian can?foretell/predict?when David’s mom is going to roast?a?chicken.

Task 2: 100 Percent Polar Bear

One afternoon in the Arctic, a father polar bear and his son polar bear were sitting in the snow. The son turned to his father and asked, “Dad, am I 100 percent polar bear?” “Of course, son, you’re 100 percent polar bear.”

A few minutes passed, and the bear turned to his father again and said, “Dad, tell me the truth. I can take it. Am I 100 percent polar bear? No brown bear or panda bear?” “Son, I’m 100 percent polar bear and your mother is 100 percent polar bear, so you’re certainly 100 percent polar bear.”

A few minutes passed, and the son polar bear again turned to his father and asked, “Dad, don’t worry. But it’ll hurt my feelings if it’s not true. I really need to know…am I really 100 percent polar bear?”

Somewhat angered by this continued questioning, the father polar bear yelled at his son, “Why on earth do you keep asking is you’re 100 percent polar bear?”

“Because I’m freezing to death out here!”

1.T?? 2.F? 3.F?? 4.T?? 5.F

Task 3: An Introduction to Advertising

“Are you ready to go to work?” a woman asks her dog Sydney. The dog was her tail. Then she starts sniffing around inside the house. Sydney is hunting for mold. When she sits down, that means she smells mold nearby. Usually mold is found within three or four feet. A boy who lives in this house has epileptic attacks. It could be from mold. His mother wanted to find the mold. She tried other ways to find it, but they didn’t work. She said she trusted the dog more than the other ways. Workers found mold near where Sydney sat. Nobody had thought to look for mold there before. Now it can be cleaned out and the boy will feel much better.

Sydney is very special. Only about ten animals in theU.S.can do this. She spent hundreds of hours with a police dog trainer in Florida to learn how. In theU.S., people have used dogs to find drugs and bombs for a long time, but dogs that find mold are something new.

People in Europe have used mold-sniffing dogs for many years. Dogs are cheaper to use than human trackers and can find exactly where the mold is. They also do it quickly and for less than %500. Other methods may cost thousands of dollars and take many weeks.

1.D?? 2.C?? 3.B?? 4.A?? 5.D

Speaking

A Funeral for a Dead Fish

Nancy:?Westerners often take pets as their friends, even their family members. Especially dogs They think dogs are man’s best friends.

Michael:?What pets do people usually keep?

Nancy:? A lot. Fish, cats, horses… anything could be a pet.

Michael:?Do you have a pet?

Nancy:?I have three fish. One day, the fish called Susan died. We even had a funeral for her.

Michael:?A funeral?

Nancy:?Yes, usually it’s a ceremony for dead people. But we had a funeral for the dead fish.

Michael:?Sounds interesting.

Nancy:?Well, I need to go back to feed my fish. Talk to you later.

Michael:?OK, bye.