UNIT 14
Section one Tactics for listening. Part 1 phonetics
Complete the following short dialogue as you listen to the tape. Pay special attention to the weak forms, link-ups and contractions.
Mr. Trimm: Now that the (1) weather's better, I'd like to weed the garden and paint the fence white.
Mrs. Trimm:(2) That's a good idea. It looks terrible at the
moment. I'm sure the boys will help you, Dick. You could all (3) do it together. Pedro: Uh--When are you going to do this, Mr. Trimm? Mr. Trimm: This Saturday.
Niko: Oh, then I'm afraid I (4) can't help you. I'm taking Jenny out to lunch and then to (5) an afternoon concert. Mr. Trimm: Maybe you could (6) put it off until next weekend. Niko: I'm so sorry, I can't. (7) I've already bought the tickets. Mr. Trimm: Oh, well. (8) What about you, Andrew? (9) You're
not doing anything special, are you?
Andrew: As a matter of (10) fact, I have to play in the game
against the Panthers, because Jim sprained (11) his ankle and can’t play.
Mr. Trimm: I've always thought football (12) was a dangerous
game.
Pedro: And I have to study for my final exams which start next
week.
Mr. Trimm: (13) Couldn’t you do that on Sunday? Pedro: no. I (14) don’t think I can. On Sunday I have to … Mr. Trimm: All right. (15) I’ll do it alone.
Part 2 Listening and Note-taking
Husband: Have you seen this ad in the paper? Wife: No. which one? Husband: Coconut Island- Wife: But you have an island.
Husband: yes, but listen to this : A hundred acres with excellent sandy beaches, good fishing and forty acres of coconut palms. Wife: sounds nice , but how much does it cost? Husband: $ 800,000. It's a good buy. Wife: Yes, I guess so.
Husband: If I buy it, I'll build a luxury hotel there. Wife: What's the weather like ? Husband: Beautiful all year round. Wife: How do you know?
Husband: Well, it's in the Pacific.
Wife: Seems like a perfect place for tourists.
Husband: Yes. And I'll also have a yacht club—mm, and golf course.
Wife: Uh huh. That's a good idea.
Husband: There'll be fresh fish and coconuts. I might start a coconut oil industry.
Wife: That sounds very ambitious.
Husband: I think I'll call up the real estate agent right now. Wife: Why don't you think about it for a day or two? You may change your mind.
Husband: No. I've made up my mind.
A: Listen to the conversation and take notes. B: complete the advertisement.
Coconut Island
A beautiful island in the (1) Pacific
(2) A hundred acres with excellent (3) sandy beaches, (4) good fishing and (5) forty acres of coconut palms For Only (6) $ 800,000. A perfect investment for both (7) tourism and (8) coconut oil Industry
Interested? Contact your local (9) real estate agent
At 800-123-4567
Section two Listening Comprehension Part 1 Dialogues
Dialogue 1 Magic Tricks and illusions
Ken Brown, the taxi driver, loves magic tricks and illusions. He is talking to another driver while they are waiting for passengers. Ken: Did you see the Joe Daniel show last night? Driver: No, I didn't. Why? Was it good?
Ken: Fantastic. There was an Indian on, called the Great
Supremo.
Driver: what did he do?
Ken: He rolled up a sort of spiral * track in a ball. Driver: What do you mean, in a ball?
Ken: He came on, took off his cloak and shoes, got into a silver
ball and curled up*. Then his assistant fastened it and pushed it onto the track.
Driver: There was probably a moving chain or something. Ken: No, it looked just like a helter-skelter*-about four meters
high.
Driver: But how can a ball roll up a slope*?
Ken: It must be something to do with the center of gravity*.
Driver: and what happened when it got to the top?
Ken: it came back down again. I suppose he turned round inside to keep control.
Driver: did it come down quickly?
Ken: Not at all. It came down as slowly as it went up, but it always looked as if it might fall off the track.
A: Listen to the dialogue and complete the following summary. An Indian rolled up a spiral track in a ball.
B. Listen to dialogue again and complete the following description of the show in detail.
The performer came on, took off his cloak and shoes, got into a silver ball and curled up. Then his assistant fastened it and pushed it onto the track, which looked just like a helter-skelter --- about four meters high. The ball rolled up the slope slowly. When it got to the top, it came back down again. It came down as slowly as it went up, but it always looked as if it might fall off the track.
Dialogue 2 Ancient Mysteries
Ann is having coffee with her two flatmates, Jane and Sheila. Jane: You’re very quiet, Ann. What are you thinking about? Ann: This book about Stonehenge. It reminds me of another