ListSPpart1-2

M: Gold has been a part of many cultures for hundreds of years. People made coins and jewelry with gold. Gold is a soft metal. It is easy to shape into sheets, long wires, or rings. People sometimes mix gold with other metals. This makes the gold harder. Then it can be made into beautiful jewelry. Why do we value gold so much? It has a special color. No other metal is a bright yellow. 
We also value gold because it is rare. A rare thing is hard to find. Even after hundreds of years, gold is still a precious metal now. It is still valued for its beauty. It is still rare. Today, banks store gold in the form of bars. Its value is more than $600 per ounce. Gold is more useful now than ever before.

W: Have you heard about the music festival next summer? I read that it is going to have about 20 different bands playing in it.
M: I think I did hear someone talking about it. Are you planning on going?
W: I’ll go if I can get tickets. I heard that people are going to line up overnight to get tickets. I might line up overnight, too.
M: I don’t think I want to line up all night long!
W: Well, I’m going to do it. I think it is going to be a great music festival that I won’t want to miss.
M: Maybe. Do you know how much the tickets are going to cost?
W: I’m not sure, but I think each ticket will be about $75.
M: That’s a lot of money! I don’t think I want to spend that much on a ticket. Good luck, anyway!

B : Are you going to the school play on Saturday night?
G : The school play? I didn’t know there was going to be a play on Saturday night.
B : Yes, I heard about it in English class yesterday. I think it will be really good.
G : Who told you about it?
B : Ms. Martin, our English teacher, told us all about it. This is the drama club’s first play of the year.
G : What is the play about? I hope it’s nothing boring.
B : Can you guess what it is?
G : Oh, come on, tell me please!
B : It’s The Sound of Music.
G : Really? I watched The Sound of Music on TV last month! It’s very good! Are you sure?
B : Of course I’m sure, that’s what Ms. Martin said. Would you like to watch the play with me on Saturday night?
G : That would be great! Let’s go early so we get good seats!

W: Hi Cindy, where are you going?
G : Good afternoon, Mrs. White, I’m going to ballet class.
W: Ballet class? I didn’t know you were studying ballet. How long have you been studying ballet?
G : Today is my first day, and I don’t want to go. My mom and dad want me to learn ballet. I’m not sure I want to learn how to dance.
W: I used to learn ballet too, when I was your age. Now I teach ballet in a dance school.
G : Oh, I didn’t know that! Where do you teach your classes?
W: Down the street at Easy Steps Dance Academy. Ballet is fun to learn, and it’s a very graceful dance. You’ll need to learn the steps and practice a lot of course, but I think you’ll enjoy it.
G : I hope so!
W: Well, go and have some fun dancing!

W: Claude Monet was a great artist. He was the first of a group of artists called the Impressionists. This group of artists thought about how things in the world made them feel. They tried to show this in their work. This way
of painting shows how light can change shapes and colors. 
Monet did a lot of his work outdoors. He wanted to show how daylight made things look. Many of his paintings are of gardens. He liked to paint flowers and trees. He loved to paint in his own garden. His garden was in a village. He lived there for many years. 
Today, many visitors come each year to this
garden. They come from all over the world. Most of them are art lovers or artists. They come to see the place that Monet loved so much.

G : Oh no, it’s raining! I wanted to go to the beach today.
B : Well, I’m visiting a haunted house this afternoon. You can come with me if you like.
G : A haunted house? What is it like?
B : It’s really dark, with lots of old furniture and pictures on the walls. It’s called a haunted house because it’s full of ghosts!
G : You’re joking, right? I don’t believe in ghosts! Where is the haunted house?
B : The house is in the old forest.
G : Oh! Are you really sure you want to go?
B : What’s wrong? I thought you didn’t believe in ghosts!
G : Well, I don’t really believe in ghosts, but . . .
B : That’s OK, I don’t believe in ghosts, either! I was only joking. The old house isn’t really haunted; it’s just a very old, empty house.
G : Whew, I’m glad to hear that! Sure, I’ll come with you!

M: I’m thinking about buying a big screen TV.
W: Wow! I’ve seen those in the store. They cost a lot of money. Can you afford to buy one?
M: They do cost a lot of money. But I really enjoy watching TV. I think it’s much more fun to watch TV shows on a big screen.
W: I’ve never watched TV on a big screen. Do you think the quality of the picture is good?
M: Yes, the quality is great. When you watch soccer games, you feel like you are right there on the field!
W: When you buy the TV, can I come over to your house? Then, I can enjoy watching TV on the big screen with you!
M: I have to save some money to buy the TV first. It will be a few months before I can afford to buy it!

B : Are you going to the new Tim Cross movie tonight?
G : I don’t know. It looks kind of boring.
B : Really? I think it looks quite interesting. Besides, Tim Cross is a famous actor.
G : He may be famous, but I don’t think he’s a very good actor. He always acts in the same sort of movie. He never does anything different.
B : Well, at least you think he’s good looking, right?
G : No, not really. He always looks so sleepy.
B : But most girls think he’s handsome. Maybe that’s why he is so famous.
G : None of my friends think he is good looking at all. I used to like him a few years ago, but now I think he’s not handsome at all.
B : Hey! I just got a haircut to try to look more like him!
G : Well, that explains why I don’t like your new haircut!

W: Hi, Steve! Thanks for coming to my housewarming party.
M: Hello, Sue! Thanks for inviting me to see your lovely new home. It’s beautiful!
W: Thank you. I’m glad you like it.
M: Did you decorate your house all by yourself?
W: Yes, I did. I travelled around Europe last year. I got some beautiful furniture for my house there.
M: Do you plan to go on a new trip this summer?
W: Yes, I am planning to visit China.
M: That’s great! How long will you be there?
W: I will be there for a month.
M: You can find some beautiful things in China for your new house. You should go shopping while you are there.
W: Of course! It will be fun to go shopping there. By the way, please help yourself to the refreshments.
M: Thanks. The food looks delicious!

M: I had a big problem at the office today!
W: What happened?
M: I could not use my computer all day!
W: Was it because of a virus?
M: Yes. I opened a file that had a virus.
W: Oh no! You must be careful when you open files in your email. A virus can make your whole computer crash.
M: It was an accident! I didn’t know the file had a virus. I’ll be more careful next time.
W: What did you do next?
M: I asked a computer repairman to come to the office. He worked all day to repair my computer. But the real problem is that I may have lost some of my work.
W: Don’t worry. Your work is probably still on your computer. I can help you get it back. Next time, make sure you have back-up files. Just in case it happens again!

B : I want to find a part-time job. Do you have any ideas about where I should look for work?
W: Have you looked in the newspaper? There are lots of job advertisements in the newspaper.
B : Yes, I have. But there were no jobs I was interested in.
W: Did you search on the Internet? Many companies put job advertisements on the Internet.
B : No, I haven’t looked on the Internet. I don’t know what I should search for.
W: There are many websites that have job postings that you could look at. You could also search for the type of job you are interested in.
B : OK. Thanks for telling me what I need to do. I’ll start my Internet search right now.
W: I have a list of some websites. You could start looking at those first. That might save you some time.
B : That would be very useful. Thanks!

G : When people work together as a team, they can achieve a lot. You can easily get things done when you share the work. We practice teamwork in my family. Both my parents have jobs. My father is a doctor. My mother is a teacher. Both of them work long hours all week. My brother is a student at college. I am a student in school. We all have very busy lives. So, when it comes to household chores, we all work together to get them done. 
Each of us has different chores. My parents take turns to cook. My father takes out the trash. My mother does the laundry. My brother washes the dishes. I sweep the floor. We share the chores and work together. Everything gets done fast. People should practice working as a team. Teamwork works!

B : Isn’t it great that there aren’t any classes on Monday? We have a three-day weekend!
G : That’s right! Do you have any special plans?
B : My family is taking a trip to Las Cruces. I’m really looking forward to it. Have you ever been there?
G : No, but I’ve heard about it. Is it nice?
B : Yes, there are so many things to see. The city is famous for its nuts.
G : What kind of nuts?
B : Pecans. There are many pecan trees growing in and around the city.
G : I like pecans. How far away is Las Cruces from here?
B : It only takes about four hours by car if you use the freeway and drive directly south.
G : That certainly makes for an easy trip. When are you leaving?
B : We’re going on Saturday morning. We’ll be back on Monday evening.
G : Have a nice time! Bring me some pecans!

W: I want to go on a trip to China.
M: How long do you want to stay?
W: Four or five days.
M: We have a very good package tour that is for four days and three nights.
W: OK. What can you tell me about it?
M: Well, you’ll fly directly to Beijing. Your tour guide will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. Over the four days, you will do a lot of sightseeing. You will see many famous landmarks, like the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall of China.
W: That sounds great! What sort of transport will we use to get from one place to another?
M: You will take a bus with your tour group.
W: OK. Can I book this package tour now? There will be five of us going on this trip.
M: Sure!

M: You’re so lucky, Marian. You’re leaving for Hawaii in five hours! I never travel because I hate flying in airplanes. I don’t like buses, either.
W: That doesn’t matter, Dean. There are other ways to get around. You should take the train somewhere.
M: That’s true. It’s been a long time since I last travelled. I’ve always wanted to take a long train trip.
W: What’s stopping you? Go to the travel agent now and ask about train trips!
M: What do you think the fares are like?
W: I’m not sure what train fares are like now. I think it depends on your destination. That’s a question you’ll have to ask a travel agent.
M: Can you suggest a good person to talk to?
W: My travel agent is always very helpful. Here is his phone number.
M: Thanks! I’ll call him right now. Where’s the phone?

Narrator: Listen to two students discussing subways.
Student 1 : We need to organize the information for our report on the history of subways. We agreed that our topic would be the London Underground.
Student 2: Yes, it's such an intrinsic part of London. It's famous worldwide. It really is the centerpiece of the city.
Student 1 : And it's been around for a long time. We should mention that it first began operation in 1863. I think it's important to point out that at that time they used steam engines to pull the trains.
Student 2: Yes. That's really important information because steam engines were intrinsic to the way the system was built. The tracks couldn't be very deep because the engines had to release steam.
Student 1 : Right. The tunnels had to be close to the surface of the ground, and there were vents to release the steam to the streets.
Student 2: So we should explain all that and then talk about how the system changed when electric trains were introduced.
Student 1 : That made a big difference because the tunnels could be deeper since they didn't have to worry about releasing steam.
Student 2: And they had developed methods that made it possible to dig deeper tunnels because they used a sort of shield to support the tunnel while the workers were digging.
Student 1 : Right. The Harlow-Greathead Shield.
Student 2: People were happy with the deeper tunnels because it wasn't necessary to destroy streets and buildings to dig them.

Narrator: Listen to a woman talking to a trainer at a fitness center.
Patient: Hello? Is this the hospital fitness center?
Trainer: Yes. I'm Tim Smith, a trainer here. How may I help you?
P: I'm interested in taking classes.
T: Just let me take down your information. May I have your name?
P: Yes, it's Amanda Clark. That's Clark, C-1-a-r-k.
T: R-k. Right. And what kind of classes were you interested in?
P: I need to get some exercise. Do you have aerobics exercise classes?
T: Yes, we do. We have several levels of exercise classes. Are you a beginner?
P: Yes, I am, for aerobics classes, but I've taken other classes previously. I took yoga classes last year.
T: So you've taken yoga classes. Very good. And why are you interested in exercise classes with us now? Do you have a referral?
P: Yes, I do. My doctor told me to call you. I've been feeling depressed, and she said it would improve my mood.
T: I think we'll be able to help you with that problem. Medical research shows a clear link between exercise and mood.
P: Also I've been getting a little heavy, and the doctor thought that regular exercise would help me stave off any big weight again.
T: It certainly will. Exercise has many benefits. We also work a lot with the elderly here, who may be suffering from dementia or decrease of cognition. But you, of course, are much too young for that! However, we can help you with the issues your doctor wants you to work on.
 

Narrator: Listen to a customer talking to a tour company agent.
Agent: Good afternoon. Excellent Eco Tours.
Customer: Hello. Yes. I have a vacation coming up, and I haven't taken a pleasure trip in a long time. I'm interested in ecotourism. Can you tell me about any trips you have coming up soon? My vacation is in January.
Agent: I'd be happy to help you. Let me just take down your information. What's your name, please?
C: Bob Henderson.
A: What kind of tour are you interested in? Our most popular tours are the Wilderness Adventure Tour and the Local Culture Tour.
C: Tell me more about the first one.
A: That's a nature tour. We take you to a remote area of the rain forest where you learn all about the local plants and animals.
C: It sounds interesting, but I'm a little wary of tours that feature wild animals. 
A: Don't worry. You'll be in the hands of experts, and everything will be perfectly safe. Also, there will always be a barrier between you and the animals.
C: It sounds like an interesting trip.
A: It is. Shall I sign you up for the Wilderness Adventure Tour then?
C: Yes. What are the dates?
A: January twelfth through the twenty-fifth.
C: That sounds perfect. I have a question about the accommodations. What are they like?
A: There are two types. You have a choice between a fairly basic hotel or camping at the campground.
C: Oh, I'd definitely prefer the campground.
A: Great. I'll put you down for that. Now do you mind if I ask you something? How did you hear about our company? Did you see our publicity somewhere?
C: Yes, I saw it in a travel magazine.

Narrator: Listen to two students discussing a small business.
Student 1 : Okay, so our assignment for our business class is to explain the reasons for the success of a particular small business. We agreed to use the Sunshine Bakery for our model, right?
Student 2: Yes. It's a good example of several of the characteristics that are typical of successful small businesses. For one thing, it has its own particular niche.
Student 1 : Uh huh, because there arc no other bakeries in the neighborhood.
Student 2: Right. So even though its product isn't unique - it just sells normal baked goods - there aren't any competitors in the area.
Student 1 : Yes, I think that's a vital part of its success. And its product is really good, so it already has a great reputation. Everybody knows about the delicious bread you can get there.
Student 2: So it has lots of customers. I don't remember reading anything about market research that the owners did before opening the business. But I guess it doesn't matter because there are lots of customers now.
Student 1: But the owners did start with a sound business plan. I mean, they projected all their expenses and how long it would take to start earning g a profit and all that.
Student 2: Right. And the business became profitable in about two years. I think that's pretty good. And since they had enough financial support to start off with, they were able to keep the business afloat until then.
Student 1 : Okay. So let's start writing up these ideas for our report.

Narrator: Listen to a tour guide at a factory.
Guide: Welcome to the Apex factory tour. Let's begin with a little history of the factory. The Apex Manufacturing Firm has been in existence since 1900, when the company built the first factory right here on this site. It was quite a boon to the local economy since it was the first factory in this region. In fact, Apex was at the epicenter of manufacturing in this region for many, many years. 
Business was so good that in 1910, the firm’s owners decided to add a night shift in order to keep the factory operating twenty four hours a day. As you can imagine, the firm's owners became quite wealthy. The first branch factory was built in 1915. In 1940, the original old factory was completely tom down and replaced with a new larger one on the same site. That's the building we're standing in now. 
Over the years, there have been a number of changes, of course. Then came 1998, which was perhaps the most decisive year for the company. The decision had to be made about outsourcing some of the labor, as many other companies were doing and are doing. The firm's owners ultimately decided not to do so. That decision means that at the present time, Apex remains a major employer in this region. There's a high level of satisfaction among our staff, as shown by the fact that our employee turnover is quite low.

Narrator: Listen to a class discussion about social networking.
Professor: Let's talk today about the online social networking trend. There's been an explosion of interest in this form of communication. What effects do you think this will have on our lives as the trend unfolds?
Student 1: It's clear that the advantages are immense. Think about it. These online social networking sites make it possible to have contact with people all over the world.
Student 2: I agree. You can pursue all kinds of opportunities, both personal and professional. through social networking. You can make friends, you can find jobs, you can exchange all kinds of information with people everywhere. It really expands your world.
Professor: These are important advantages, but do you also see any disadvantages to this phenomenon? What might be some of the negative consequences?
Student. l : I see that in one way it expands your world, but in another way it hurts it. I mean, you might spend so much time with your online friends that you don't pay attention to your local friends and family. It can mean the loss of your local community.
Student 2: There are also dangers with your online community. You can make many acquaintances online, but you don't necessarily know a lot about them. You might not know their true identity.

Unit 1 Gold

Unit 2 The Summer Music Festival

W: Have you heard about the music festival next summer? I read that it is going to have about 20 different bands playing in it.

M: I think I did hear someone talking about it. Are you planning on going?

W: I’ll go if I can get tickets. I heard that people are going to line up overnight to get tickets. I might line up overnight, too.

M: I don’t think I want to line up all night long!

W: Well, I’m going to do it. I think it is going to be a great music festival that I won’t want to miss.

M: Maybe. Do you know how much the tickets are going to cost?

W: I’m not sure, but I think each ticket will be about $75.

M: That’s a lot of money! I don’t think I want to spend that much on a ticket. Good luck, anyway!

Unit 3 The School Play

B : Are you going to the school play on Saturday night?

G : The school play? I didn’t know there was going to be a play on Saturday night.

B : Yes, I heard about it in English class yesterday. I think it will be really good.

G : Who told you about it?

B : Ms. Martin, our English teacher, told us all about it. This is the drama club’s first play of the year.

G : What is the play about? I hope it’s nothing boring.

B : Can you guess what it is?

G : Oh, come on, tell me please!

B : It’s The Sound of Music.

G : Really? I watched The Sound of Music on TV last month! It’s very good! Are you sure?

B : Of course I’m sure, that’s what Ms. Martin said. Would you like to watch the play with me on Saturday night?

G : That would be great! Let’s go early so we get good seats!

Unit 4 Ballet Class

W: Hi Cindy, where are you going?

G : Good afternoon, Mrs. White, I’m going to ballet class.

W: Ballet class? I didn’t know you were studying ballet. How long have you been studying ballet?

G : Today is my first day, and I don’t want to go. My mom and dad want me to learn ballet. I’m not sure I want to learn how to dance.

W: I used to learn ballet too, when I was your age. Now I teach ballet in a dance school.

G : Oh, I didn’t know that! Where do you teach your classes?

W: Down the street at Easy Steps Dance Academy. Ballet is fun to learn, and it’s a very graceful dance. You’ll need to learn the steps and practice a lot of course, but I think you’ll enjoy it.

G : I hope so!

W: Well, go and have some fun dancing!

Unit 5 Monet’s Garden

W: Claude Monet was a great artist. He was the first of a group of artists called the Impressionists. This group of artists thought about how things in the world made them feel. They tried to show this in their work. This way

of painting shows how light can change shapes and colors.

Monet did a lot of his work outdoors. He wanted to show how daylight made things look. Many of his paintings are of gardens. He liked to paint flowers and trees. He loved to paint in his own garden. His garden was in a village. He lived there for many years.

Today, many visitors come each year to this

garden. They come from all over the world. Most of them are art lovers or artists. They come to see the place that Monet loved so much.

Unit 6 A Haunted House

G : Oh no, it’s raining! I wanted to go to the beach today.

B : Well, I’m visiting a haunted house this afternoon. You can come with me if you like.

G : A haunted house? What is it like?

B : It’s really dark, with lots of old furniture and pictures on the walls. It’s called a haunted house because it’s full of ghosts!

G : You’re joking, right? I don’t believe in ghosts! Where is the haunted house?

B : The house is in the old forest.

G : Oh! Are you really sure you want to go?

B : What’s wrong? I thought you didn’t believe in ghosts!

G : Well, I don’t really believe in ghosts, but . . .

B : That’s OK, I don’t believe in ghosts, either! I was only joking. The old house isn’t really haunted; it’s just a very old, empty house.

G : Whew, I’m glad to hear that! Sure, I’ll come with you!

Unit 7 A Big Screen TV

M: I’m thinking about buying a big screen TV.

W: Wow! I’ve seen those in the store. They cost a lot of money. Can you afford to buy one?

M: They do cost a lot of money. But I really enjoy watching TV. I think it’s much more fun to watch TV shows on a big screen.

W: I’ve never watched TV on a big screen. Do you think the quality of the picture is good?

M: Yes, the quality is great. When you watch soccer games, you feel like you are right there on the field!

W: When you buy the TV, can I come over to your house? Then, I can enjoy watching TV on the big screen with you!

M: I have to save some money to buy the TV first. It will be a few months before I can afford to buy it!

Unit 8 He’s Famous!

B : Are you going to the new Tim Cross movie tonight?

G : I don’t know. It looks kind of boring.

B : Really? I think it looks quite interesting. Besides, Tim Cross is a famous actor.

G : He may be famous, but I don’t think he’s a very good actor. He always acts in the same sort of movie. He never does anything different.

B : Well, at least you think he’s good looking, right?

G : No, not really. He always looks so sleepy.

B : But most girls think he’s handsome. Maybe that’s why he is so famous.

G : None of my friends think he is good looking at all. I used to like him a few years ago, but now I think he’s not handsome at all.

B : Hey! I just got a haircut to try to look more like him!

G : Well, that explains why I don’t like your new haircut!

Unit 9 A Housewarming Party

W: Hi, Steve! Thanks for coming to my housewarming party.

M: Hello, Sue! Thanks for inviting me to see your lovely new home. It’s beautiful!

W: Thank you. I’m glad you like it.

M: Did you decorate your house all by yourself?

W: Yes, I did. I travelled around Europe last year. I got some beautiful furniture for my house there.

M: Do you plan to go on a new trip this summer?

W: Yes, I am planning to visit China.

M: That’s great! How long will you be there?

W: I will be there for a month.