to forget the bad times. And we find ourselves thinking about the future. We start to worry, thinking, \
But I say to you, \none of us have very long on this earth. Life is fleeting. And if you're ever distressed, cast your eyes to the summer sky, when the stars are strung across the velvety night. And when a shooting star streaks through the blackness turning night into day — make a wish; think of me. And make your life spectacular. I know I did. I made it, Mom. I'm a grown-up. Thank you.
M: Grandma, Grandpa tells me I complain too much about my chores. Do you think he has a point?
W: Your grandpa says a lot of things, Jerry. Don't take it to heart, OK? What do you know about your grandpa? M: I know he worked hard.
W: That's true. Many years ago, your grandpa didn't have enough money to live. M: That sounds awful!
W: It does. He used all his money to buy an apple. And he sold that apple for enough money to buy two.
M: And he just kept going like this?
W: That's right, Jerry. By the end of the month, he had $20.
M: Wow! No wonder Grandpa says young people complain too much! Your generation worked much harder! Grandpa became rich, and he did it all with one apple.
W: Not quite! After that first month of selling apples, my father died and left us a fortune. Your grandpa never had to work again.
Questions 1 to 5 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 1. What did Grandpa say to Jerry?
2. What does Jerry know about his grandpa? 3. How did Grandpa earn $20?
4. Why does Jerry think that Grandma's generation was so great? 5. How did Grandpa really become so rich?
Preparing teens for life after high school is an important task for parents. Deb, a mother of four, communicates with her children often. When her daughter Kate became interested in art, Deb took her on a tour of the Disney Studios to show Kate how she could make her dreams come true.
What if your teen is about to begin his junior year and you haven't really spoken to him about his plans? You can ask him. If your teen has an \later\
If your teen imagines himself a rock star, try to keep an open mind — you may think it's crazy, but there are people who are rock stars. Instead of immediately saying no to your teen's idea, you should talk about what he'll need to do to reach his goal.
Questions 1 to 5 are based on the passage you have just heard.
1. According to the passage, what is an important task for parents?
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2. According to the passage, who is Deb?
3. Why did Deb take Kate to the Disney Studios?
4. What should be done with teens who are putting off their life choices? 5. How should a parent respond to a teen who wants to be a rock star?
Most children in the United States are returning to school after the summer holiday. Public education for children in the United States is free. But parents still have to buy equipment, new clothes and other supplies for their children before every new school year.
The National Retail Federation studies such sales each year. It is an organization of many kinds of stores, as well as companies that sell goods by mail order and the Internet. The group recently released a report on back-to-school sales this year. The report says American parents will spend almost 15,000 million dollars this year to prepare their children for school. A research business carried out the study for the National Retail Federation. It asked more than 8,000 Americans about their back-to-school needs and shopping and spending plans.
The study found that 93 percent of families with school-age children plan to purchase clothes, shoes and school supplies.
Families will spend an average of almost 500 dollars on those things. This is an increase of more than 7 percent from last year. Almost half of those questioned also said they planned to spend about 100 dollars on electronics and computer-related products.
The National Retail Federation says that would be a 15 percent increase from last year. The group says most families have enough money to buy electronic and computer equipment for their children. It says this helps parents continue their children's education at home.
Half of the parents in the study said their children would be using their own money to buy some things for school. Teenaged children are expected to spend about 85 dollars each for supplies. And, 23 percent of parents said even their younger children will buy some things for themselves.
To help shoppers save money, several cities permit people to buy some goods without paying sales tax. Washington D.C. is one such city. It observed a ten-day sales tax holiday in August. During this period, people could buy clothing, shoes or school supplies that cost less than 100 dollars without having to pay sales tax. U3
W: In order to have a meaningful life, you must be ready to give and sacrifice. M: I agree totally. And I try to remember this every day.
Q: What will be possible if you give and sacrifice according to the woman? W: Do you think we should give aid to people in need? M: I think it's the least we should do for them.
Q: What should be done for people in need, according to the man?
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M: Believe it or not, my baseball coach taught me a lot about being kind.
W: That really isn't so unusual. After all, it isn't always parents who teach us. Q: Who taught the man to be kind?
W: Why do you let your little sister cling to you all the time?
M: Since our parents died, she needs me more. I can't push her away. Q: Why does the little sister need the man more?
W: My mother never complained about hard work in front of the family. M: Wow, that's something to learn from!
Q: What did the woman's mother never complain about?
W: You've got to meet my father. He's handicapped and he has a lot to share. M: I'd like to. You just tell me when.
Q: Why should the man meet the woman's father?
M: I saw you talking to your mother at dusk.
W: Yeah, even though she's busy she always finds time to talk to me. That's why I love her so much.
Q: Why does the woman love her mother?
W: Hey, I heard you spend your evenings at the home for the elderly. M: Some evenings. I'd like to go more, but I don't have time. Q: How does the man feel about going to the home for the elderly? W: You are the first person to extend help when I needed it. M: Don't worry about it. That's what friends are for. Q: Why does the man tell the woman NOT to worry?
W: My mother never interrupted me while I told her my problems. M: Sometimes that's the best way to help someone. Q: What did the mother do to help the woman?
W: I heard a bang on my way to class this morning.
M: Some guy brought a gun to school and tried to shoot someone. W: You're kidding! Is everyone OK?
M: Yeah. The teacher managed to take the gun from him. W: Our history teacher? M: That's the one.
W: He never stops amazing me.
M: He was definitely the right person at the right time. After he hit the student and grabbed the gun, he talked to the boy about his problems. While I was on the phone with the police and the parents, he was holding the student. If I was not mistaken, I thought the student was crying.
W: Did the teacher help the boy solve his problems?
M: I don't think so. The student was clearly bothered by something pretty big. I don't think problems like that can be solved so quickly. But, when the police came to take him away, our teacher told him that he would see him again.
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The friendship and sympathy of a special person changed my life, and I'd like to tell you about it. Looking at me now, you might not guess that I was not very popular when I started my university studies. I was thin and didn't look very handsome with my glasses. In fact, my classmates still laughed at me, just as they did in high school. One day, when I was leaving the science building, someone ran past me and knocked the books out of my hands.
I was feeling sad and lonely. But then, someone else approached me and helped me pick up my books. That day, I made my first university friend. Suddenly, life improved. I helped him with his studies. And he helped me with everything else. He taught me how to dress right, how to talk to girls, and above all, how to be social. Clergyman 1: Your Majesty would improve all these matters if you would agree to marry. Clergyman 2: Aye, marry then.
Elizabeth: Fine, but marry who, Your Grace? Would you give me some suggestion? For some say \I'm not sure how best to please you, unless I marry one of each.
Clergyman 3: Now Your Majesty does make fun of the sanctity of marriage.
Elizabeth: I do not think you should lecture me on that, my lord, since you yourself have been twice divorced — and are now upon your third wife. Each of you must vote according to your conscience. But remember this: In your hands, upon this moment lies the future happiness of my people, and the peace of this realm. Let that be upon your conscience also.
M: Hello?
W: Hello. I'm calling from the university.
M: I was hoping to hear from you. Have I been accepted?
W: We'll send that information by mail. But that isn't why I'm calling. M: What can I do for you? W: We've received your application to enter our school, but I'm afraid that you didn't fill it all out. In the place where we request family information, you wrote that you have a mother and a younger sister. M: Uh-huh.
W: Well, you didn't mention anything about your father. M: Is it necessary?
W: Yes. I'm afraid so. We like to keep complete records.
M: OK. The truth is that my father wasn't around to help me in my growing up. W: I'm sorry.
M: It's fine. My mother taught me the value of being honest, working hard, and being kind. She did this while working two jobs. W: She sounds great.
M: She is. And she's the only real parent I have.
Questions 1 to 5 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 1. What was the man expecting to find out?
2. How will the university let the man know whether he is accepted or not? 3. Who did the man leave off of his form?
4. What do the people at the university feel it necessary to do? 5. Why is the man's mother the only real parent he has?
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Being nasty and impatient has advantages. For example, since I am not nice, I tend to get what I want. People listen to me, and I don't have many problems.
There are people in this world who are caring. I suppose it is good that our world has such people, because they help others. Still, I try not to learn anything from these good people. Goodness, after all, has a price.
My friend is one of those good people. He once saved a child from a fire. He was the right man at the right time. The child was lucky. My friend was there and not me. Because I would've been reluctant to help. In fact, I probably wouldn't have helped. Fires, you know, are dangerous.
By thinking about myself first, I've saved myself from being hurt or uncomfortable. But sometimes I wonder whether my friend has the better life.
Questions 1 to 5 are based on the passage you have just heard. 1. What does the speaker think about being nasty and impatient? 2. Why is it good that the world has caring people? 3. Why does the speaker NOT want to be good?
4. How would the speaker have responded to the fire? 5. What does the speaker wonder about?
Millions of American children attend summer camp. Most summer camps teach swimming and sports. But some are designed to teach special skills.
One of these is Concordia Language Villages Camp in the State of Minnesota. Campers there learn to speak a foreign language without the use of books or teachers. The counselors speak the language all the time and show the campers what to do. The campers learn the language by watching and hearing the words. One student at the German camp said she experienced what it would be like to be in Germany.
Colleges and universities organize other learning camps. Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois offers a week-long experience called \Wings Camp\history of flight and experience what an airplane pilot does.
At Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, students can take part in a two-week camp that teaches astronomy. They observe sunspots, for example, and study the motion of planets and stars.
The Pennsylvania State University offers many summer programs. One camp this summer taught about what it is like to be a weather expert or meteorologist. Students at Weather Camp learned how tornadoes form. And they learned how to present weather information on television.
Another Penn. State summer program was Nursing Camp. Students in this program took part in different emergency situations and learned how to treat injuries. The students carried out first-aid skills on life-like dolls in a laboratory. They also learned cardiopulmonary resuscitation, how to start a heart that has stopped beating. And they learned how to help people in a medical emergency.
Another skills camp is organized by businesses. Camp CEO is a one-week program in the State of Arizona for 50 teenage girls. At the camp, they link with successful businesswomen who are chief executive officers (CEO) in different industries. The girls build a business. They also take part in a special outdoor exercise to develop communication and trust. Officials at Camp CEO say the experience is unlike any other kind of camp operating today.
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