Unit 11
Task 1: A Way of Life
Doctor: Well Mr. Thomson. The first and important thing I have to tell you is that ... mm ... there is really nothing seriously wrong with you ... physically that is. My ... er ... my very thorough re-examination and the ... the analyst's report show that basically you are very fit. Yes ... very fit.
Mr. Thomson: So ... Why is it doctor that I'm always so nervy ... tense ... ready to jump on anybody—my wife, children, colleagues?
Doctor: I think ... erm ... I think your condition has a lot to do with er—What shall we call it? —Way of life? Habits? Mr. Thomson: Way of life? Habits?
Doctor: Yes ... now tell me Mr. Thomson ... You smoke, don't you? Mr. Thomson: Yes ... I'm afraid ... I'm afraid I do, doctor. Doctor: And ... er ... rather heavily I imagine.
Mr. Thomson: Well ... yes. I smoke—what ... about forty ... fifty a day I suppose. Doctor: You should do your best to stop, you know.
Mr. Thomson: Yes ... I see ... But er ... Well ... it won't be the first time. I've tried to give up smoking several times but it's ... it's no good.
Doctor: You see ... fifty a day is overdoing it ... you must admit. You must cut it down ... at least that. Oh yes. I know that when you're feeling tense you ... you probably feel that a cigarette relaxes you. But in the long run ... I do advise you to make ... to make a real effort.
Mr. Thomson: Of course. But ... well ... it's easy to say give it up or cut it down ... but ... oh you know ...
Doctor: Well in my opinion you have no choice. Either you make a real effort or ... or there's no real chance of your feeling better. You see ... well obviously I could prescribe some kind of tranquillizer... but would that help? I'd prefer—and I'm quite sure you'll agree—I'd prefer to see you really back to normal ... not just seemingly so. And that's my reason for asking you several more questions about ... about your other habits. Mr. Thomson: Right.
Doctor: Your eating habits for example. What do you eat normally ... during a normal day?
Mr. Thomson: Yes ... well ... I'm a good eater. Yes, I'd say I'm a good eater. Now let's see ... Up at eight in the morning and my wife has a good breakfast ready. Doctor: A good breakfast?
Mr. Thomson: The usual. A cereal followed by bacon and eggs with fried bread and perhaps a tomato or two. Then toast and marmalade... all washed down with a couple of cups of tea. I er ... yes ... I really enjoy my breakfast.
Doctor: Er ... yes ... I can see you do. But I'd advise you to eat rather less. We'll come to that later. Go on.
Mr. Thomson: Then lunch ... no, first brunch. A cup of coffee and a bun at eleven. Lunch has to be quick because there's so much to do in the office about that time. So I have a pint and a sandwich in the pub. All very hurried.
Doctor: Try to be in less of a hurry.
Mr. Thomson: But I make up for it in the evening. I get home at about seven. Dinner's round about eight. Er ... yes ... My wife's an excellent cook ... excellent. It's usually some meat dish ... and we like spaghetti as a first course. Spaghetti, a meat dish, cheese, a sweet. But er ... but then ... at the end of the day shall we say ... then ... well then I begin to feel on edge again. Most evenings after dinner we read or watch TV ... but I ... I get this terrible feeling of tension.
Doctor: Well ... I'm sorry to have to say this because you obviously enjoy your food ... but ... er ... I really do recommend that you ... that you eat less and—secondly—that you eat more healthily. Instead of having that enormous breakfast for example ... er ... well ... try to be content with a fruit juice and some cereal. Mr. Thomson: I see ... but er ...
Doctor: Elevenses... right ... well that's all right. But lunch should be more leisurely. Remember your health is at stake not your job. As for dinner ... er ... I'd advise you to eat a soup perhaps ... with a salad ... a salad followed
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by some fruit.
Mr. Thomson: But my wife's cooking ...
Doctor: ... is superb. Granted. And she probably enjoys preparing delicious meals for you. If you like ... well ... er ... I'll have a word with your wife ...
Mr. Thomson: No ... that won't be necessary ... erm ... thanks just the same, doctor. But no ...
Doctor: And on that subject Mr. Thomson ... erm ... er ... Just one other thing ... er ... I'm sure this won't embarrass you. You say you feel tense in the evenings after dinner. Might I ask about your relationship—your sexual relationship that is—with your wife?
Mr. Thomson: Well ... erm ... er ... you see ... er ...
Task 2: Do It Yourself
(Do It Yourself magazine organizes a competition every summer to find the 'Handyman手巧的人of the Year'. The winner this year is Mr. Roy Miller, a Sheffield postman. A journalist and a photographer have come to his house. The journalist is interviewing Mr. Miller for an article in the magazine.)
Journalist: Well, I'm very impressed by all the work you've done on your house, Mr. Miller. How long have you been working on it?
Mr. Miller: I first became interested in do-it-yourself several years ago. You see, my son Paul is disabled. He's in a wheel-chair and I just had to make alterations改造 to the house. I couldn't afford to pay workmen to do it. I had to learn to do it myself.
Journalist: Have you had any experience of this kind of work? Did you have any practical skills?
Mr. Miller: No. I got a few books from the library but they didn't help very much. Then I decided to go to evening classes so that I could learn basic carpentry and electrics. Journalist: What sort of changes did you make to the house?
Mr. Miller: First of all, practical things to help Paul. You never really realize the problems handicapped people have until it affects your own family. Most government buildings, for example, have steps up to the door. They don't plan buildings so that disabled people can get in and out. We used to live in a flat, and of course, it was totally unsuitable. Just imagine the problems a disabled person would have in your house. We needed a large house with wide corridors so that Paul could get from one room to another. We didn't have much money and we had to buy this one. It's over ninety years old and it was in a very bad state of repair. Journalist: Where did you begin?
Mr. Miller: The electrics. I completely rewired the house so that Paul could reach all the switches. I had to lower the light switches and raise the power-points. I went on to do the whole house so that Paul could reach things and go where he wanted.
Journalist: What else did you do?
Mr. Miller: By the time I'd altered everything for Paul, do-it-yourself had become a hobby. I really enjoyed doing things with my hands. Look, I even installed smoke-alarms. Journalist: What was the purpose of that?
Mr. Miller: I was very worried about fire. You see, Paul can't move very quickly. I fitted them so that we would have plenty of warning if there were a fire. I put in a complete burglar-alarm system. It took weeks. The front door opens automatically, and I'm going to put a device on Paul's wheelchair so that he'll be able to open and close it when he wants.
Journalist: What are you working on now?
Mr. Miller: I've just finished the kitchen. I've designed it so that he can reach everything. Now I'm building an extension so that Paul will have a large room on the ground floor where he can work. Journalist: There's a ￡10,000 prize. How are you going to spend it?
Mr. Miller: I am going to start my own business so that I can convert ordinary houses for disabled people. I think I've become an expert on the subject.
Task 3 My First Job
The first job I ever had was as a waitress. I did it the summer before I started at university, when I was
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eighteen. I was working in a very nice hotel in a small town in Scotland where there are a lot of tourists in the summer so they were taking on extra staff. I arrived there in the evening and met some of the other girls who were working at the hotel—we all lived in a little house opposite the hotel. Anyway, they were all really friendly and we had dinner together and then sat around chatting and drinking coffee—I didn't get to bed until after one o'clock in the morning. I had to be at work in the dining room at seven thirty in the morning to start serving breakfast. Well, I didn't wake up 'til seven fifteen! So I threw my clothes on and rushed over to the hotel. I must have looked a real mess because the head waiter just looked at me and told me to go to the bathroom to tidy myself up—I was so embarrassed!
The first thing I learned was that there were these two heavy swing doors into the kitchen from the restaurant—one for going into the kitchen and one for going out, so that the waiters coming in didn't bump into the ones going out. Anyway, that morning I was so frightened of the head waiter that I didn't listen properly to what he was saying, so when one of the waiters asked me to give him a hand and take two plates of eggs and bacon and an orange juice out to the restaurant, I went straight towards the wrong door and collided with another waiter coming in! You can't imagine the mess—eggs, bacon and orange juice all over the floor, the door, the waiter and me. The other waiter thought it was quite funny, but the head waiter was furious and made me clear everything up straight away in case someone slipped and fell.
After serving breakfast, at about ten o'clock, we had our own breakfast. I was starving by then, and just wanted to sit down and eat quietly. But some of the waiters started making fun of my English accent—they were all Scottish. I think they were just trying to cheer me up and have a joke, but I was so upset and hungry that I just rushed off to the bathroom in tears! I thought everybody hated me! By the time I came back, they'd cleared up all the breakfast things, and I hadn't had a chance to eat anything!
Well, straight away we started getting the dining room ready for lunch—cleaning the silver, setting the tables, hoovering the floor. The room had a beautiful view over a river with the mountains behind, but of course, as soon as I stopped work to have a look out of the window, the head waiter spotted me and told me off again.
I didn't make too bad a job of serving lunch—one of the waiters looked after me and showed me how to do things. One of the customers ordered some expensive white wine, and I gave him a bottle from the cupboard, not from the fridge, so it wasn't cold enough. But fortunately the other waiters hid the bottle I'd opened wrongly and I gave him another bottle from the fridge so the head waiter didn't find out. I would have been quite happy, but I had another problem which was that I'd got up in such a hurry I just put on the shoes I'd been wearing the night before. Well, these shoes looked quite smart but they had really high heels, and after a few hours on my feet I was in agony and there was nothing I could do about it, there was certainly no time to go and change them. I can tell you I never wore those shoes to work again!
Anyway, after lunch we had our own lunch—I managed to get something to eat this time, and we were free in the afternoon. I went for a walk with one of the other girls and we got a bit lost so I didn't have time for any rest before we went back to work at six. By the time we finished serving dinner at about ten thirty I was completely exhausted. I'd never worked so hard in my life, I think. Of course, I stayed up chatting with the other girls that night too, and most of the other nights I was there. I fell into bed at night and out of it at seven the next morning, but I loved the job after a while, believe it or not, and I even went back to work there the next year! I never got on very well with the head waiter, though.
Task 4 Dictation
Body Positions
People often show their feelings by the body positions they adopt. These can contradict what you are saying, especially when you are trying to disguise the way you feel. For example, a very common defensive position, assumed when people feel threatened in some way, is to put your arm or arms across your body. This is a way of shielding yourself from a threatening situation. This shielding action can be disguised as adjusting one's cuff or watchstrap. Leaning back in your chair especially with your arms folded is not only defensive, it's also a way of showing your disapproval, of a need to distance yourself from the rest of the company.
A position which betrays an aggressive attitude is to avoid looking directly at the person you are speaking to.
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On the other hand, approval and desire to cooperate are shown by copying the position of the person you are speaking to. This shows that you agree or are willing to agree with someone. The position of one's feet also often shows the direction of people's thoughts, for example, feet or a foot pointing towards the door can indicate that a person wishes to leave the room. The direction in which your foot points can also show which of the people in the room you feel most sympathetic towards, even when you are not speaking directly to that person.
Unit 12
Task 1 Dustbin Day Robbery
Gentleman Jim has worked out a plan to rob a bank. He's telling his gang, Fingers Jones and Ginger Robertson about the plan. Listen to their conversation.
Fingers: Let's see. You're going to walk up the counter and you're going to start writing a cheque. Then you're going to open the canister罐of nerve gas, and everyone will go to sleep instantly. Jim: That's right. This gas will put anyone to sleep for exactly three minutes.
Fingers: And while everyone is asleep, you're going to go round to the manager's desk and steal all the money? Jim: Exactly. I've worked it out very carefully. There should be about ￡50,000 in used bank notes. Ginger: Sounds great. There's only one thing. If you open the gas, you'll go to sleep too, won't you?
Jim: I have thought of that. I'll wear a motor-cycle helmet头盔, with an oxygen mask inside. If I wear a helmet, no one will be able to recognize me afterwards, either.
Ginger: I think it's risky. If the bank clerk sees you take out a gas canister, he won't wait. He'll push the alarm button straight away.
Fingers: I've just had an idea. If I came into the bank when you were standing at the counter, no one would even look at me. Then, if I threw the can of nerve gas, they wouldn't guess that we were connected. Ginger: Yes, that might be better. Are you going to wear a helmet, too?
Fingers: No. It would look very suspicious if two people were wearing motor cycle helmets. I'll just open the door, throw in the gas canister, and leave Gentleman Jim to rob the bank.
Jim: I like that idea. Right, we'll do that. Any other problems that you can see?
Ginger: What are you going to do with the money? If you walk out with ￡50,000 under your arm, somebody will surely notice you.
Jim: You'll be sitting in a get-away car, waiting for me outside the bank.
Ginger: But there is a police station just fifty yards away. If I park a car outside the bank, the police would probably come and ask me to move.
Fingers: Well, what do you suggest? He can't just walk around the town. He'll be carrying ￡50,000 in bundles of bank notes.
Jim: Just a minute! I've thought of something. What day is this robbery? Fingers: Monday.
Jim: Monday! You know what happens on Monday, don't you? It's dustbin day! Ginger: So?
Jim: So, can you think of a better way of moving the money? If you saw a man pick up ￡50,000 and put it into a car, what would you think?
Fingers: I'd think he was a thief.
Jim: Exactly. But if you saw a man pick up a dustbin and put it into a lorry, what would you think? Fingers: I'd think he was a dustman. Hey! That's clever!
Ginger: And if the ￡50,000 was in the dustbin, I could pick up the money and nobody would notice. That's brilliant.
Fingers: Is there a dustbin?
Jim: Oh yes, several. They put the dustbins out every Monday. They'll be standing there, outside the bank. Fingers: But if you put the money in a dustbin, it'll stink. We'll never be able to spend it if it smells like that. Jim: We don't have to put it in a dustbin. We can put it in a black plastic bag. They often have black plastic bags for rubbish nowadays. If I carry one in my pocket, I can pull it out after you've thrown the gas. OK? Let's run
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through the plan once more.
Ginger: You go into the bank with a motor-cycle helmet on, and a black rubbish bag in your pocket.
Fingers: I come in a few minutes later. I open the door, throw in the open gas canister, and then go ... where? Jim: I've hired a room in the building right opposite the bank. Go up in the lift to the top floor and keep a look out. When you get there, radio Ginger, and tell him to come.
Ginger: In the meantime, everyone in the bank has gone to sleep, except you. You take the money, and put it in the plastic bag.
Jim: I come out, and put the bag with the rubbish, and then go back into the bank. Ginger: Go back?
Jim：Oh yes. If everyone woke up and I wasn't there, they'd know I was one of the thieves. No, I'll go back and pretend to wake up with everyone else. Fingers: That's a really clever touch.
Ginger: I drive a dustcart and wait in the cul-de-sac死胡同behind the bank until Fingers contacts me. Then I come and pick up the rubbish, including the ￡50,000. Jim: I can't think of any problems, can you?
Task 2: Crime
(Doorbell rings. Door opens.)
Boss: At long last! Why did it take you so long?
1st villain: Er ... I really am sorry about this, boss ... Boss: Come on! What happened? Where's the money?
1st villain: Well, it's a long story. We parked outside the bank, OK, on South Street, and I went in and got the money—you know, no problems, they just filled the bag like you said they would. I went outside, jumped into the car, and off we went.
Boss: Yes, yes, yes. And then?
2nd villain: We turned right up Forest Road, and of course the traffic lights at the High Street crossroads were against us. And when they went green the stupid car stalled, didn't it? I mean, it was dead—
1st villain: So I had to get out and push, all the way to the garage opposite the school. I don't know why Jim here couldn't fix it. I mean, the car was your responsibility, wasn't it?
2nd villain: Yeah, but it was you that stole it, wasn't it? Why didn't you get a better one? 1st villain: OK, it was my fault. I'm sorry.
2nd villain: The mechanic said it would take at least two days to fix it—so we just had to leave it there and walk. 1st villain: Well, we crossed over Church Lane, and you'll never believe what happened next, just outside the Police Station, too.
2nd villain: Look, it wasn't my fault. You were responsible for providing the bag—I couldn't help it if the catch broke.
1st villain: It took us five minutes to pick up all the notes again. Boss: Fine, fine, fine. But where is the money?
2nd villain: We're getting there, boss. Anyway, we ran to where the second car was parked, outside the library in Ox Lane—you know, we were going to switch cars there—and then—you know, this is just unbelievable—
1st villain: —yeah. We drove up Church Lane, but they were digging up the road just by the church, so we had to take the left fork and go all the way round the north side of the park. And then, just before the London Road roundabout—
2nd villain: —some idiot must have driven out from the railway station without looking right into the side of a lorry. The road was completely blocked. There was nothing for it but to abandon the car and walk the rest of the way.
Boss: All right, it's a very fascinating story. But I still want to have a look at the money.
1st villain: Well, that's the thing, boss. I mean, I'm terribly sorry, but this idiot must have left it somewhere. 2nd villain: Who are you calling an idiot? I had nothing to do with it. You were carrying the bag.
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