Questions 1 to 5 are based on the passage you have just heard. 1. What attracted people to Jefferson University?
2. What were university leaders thinking about one year ago?
3. Who said that eating better would lead to greater performance? 4. What would be the result of using advertising? 5. How did the university improve eating habits? U10
W: You should always stand up for honesty in your daily life. M: I'm aware of that, but lying and cheating are so much easier! Q: Why doesn't the man always stand up for honesty?
W: I don't know why my teacher told me that I should stand up for honesty. M: Maybe he felt that you weren't telling him the truth.
Q: Why did the teacher tell the woman to stand up for honesty according to the man? M: I heard that you got caught cheating on the test. Why did you do it? W: I had to! My parents were putting so much pressure on me to pass! Q: Why did the woman cheat on the test?
M: Why are you returning your diamonds to the store? You don't like them? W: Well, when I brought them home, my father discovered they were fake. Q: Why is the woman returning her diamonds?
W: I was so upset about stealing money from work. I couldn't sleep at all. M: Ah, your conscience got the better of you. I hope you return the money now. Q: What does the man hope?
W: We can get essays from the Net instead of writing them ourselves! M: Never try that! Our teacher is sure to catch you if you do! Q: Why should the woman NOT use essays taken from the Net?
M: Since you became company president, there have been zero cases of theft.
W: That's because I'm very firm against stealing — once I catch one, he's fired! Q: Why have there been no incidents of stealing since the woman became president? M: Why shouldn't I lie? Everyone else does it, and it helps me get ahead!
W: That's a very cynical attitude. And I don't think what you're saying is all true. Q: How does the woman feel about the man's attitude?
W: I always try to be honest, even at the expense of losing friends.
M: And that's why I like to be with you. I can always trust you to tell the truth. Q: Why does the man like to be with the woman?
M: I assure you, when you start lying, it becomes harder and harder to tell the truth. W: I know. And I've been thinking about always standing up for honesty. Q: What has the woman been thinking about?
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W: Hi! Nice to meet you!
M: Me too! How do you feel about taking this class?
W: Well, this is only the first day. I'll let you know after we meet the teacher. But already, I can tell you that there's nothing to worry about. M: Really? Why is that?
W: Because I know about a hundred ways to cheat. If you listen to me, you'll pass this class easily.
M: Wow! Can you share some of them with me? How do you write your essays? W: I don't! For a small fee, I can buy them over the Net. M: What about tests?
W: No problem! I look at another student's paper or write important information on my hands. Teachers are always too stupid to figure it out. Haven't you ever cheated? M: No. My conscience would get the better of me. Oh, and there's another thing. W: What's that?
M: I'm the teacher.
My girlfriend asked me if I thought she was getting fat — a difficult question for any boyfriend to answer! Most people would lie in this situation. Actually, honesty is best. I told her what I really thought — that she was gaining weight. After she calmed down, she started exercising more. She also began trusting me more, knowing I would be honest whenever she asked a difficult question.
Being honest has also helped me out at work. Whenever my boss makes a decision that I don't agree with, I tell him what I really think. Though it's tempting to make him happy by telling him his ideas are always right, I am genuine with him and say what's on my mind. So whenever he needs a straight answer, he comes to me. Other people do likewise. And whenever someone asks me what is most important in life, I'll say it's honesty.
Barber: I'm sorry, but I don't want to be an Emperor — that's not my business. I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone, if possible — Jew, Gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another; human beings are like that. We want to live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this world there's room for everyone and the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful. But we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical, our cleverness hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.
M: What a beautiful day for playing golf! Excuse me, how much is it to get in? W: It's 5 dollars for you and 3 dollars for kids between 7 and 12. We let them in for free if they are 6 or younger.
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M: OK then, I guess that'll come to 8 dollars, because my little lawyer here is 3 and my little doctor is 7.
W: Don't you mean that your older son is 6? M: Nope. I meant what I said. He's 7. W: I'm afraid that you don't understand.
M: What is there to understand? I should pay 8 dollars. 5 for me, and 3 for my son who is older than 6.
W: You're sure about this?
M: Of course. It's very simple. Here you are: 8 dollars.
W: All right. You know, you could've just told me that your older son was 6. Then he could've gotten in for free. No one would've known. M: You're wrong. He would've known. W: Whatever. Have a nice day.
Questions 1 to 5 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 1. What were the man and his sons going to do?
2. What may the older boy want to become according to the man? 3. How much should the man pay for the tickets? 4. What did the woman say to the man?
5. What can we learn from this conversation?
A man drove his donkey to the shore to buy salt. When they were crossing a stream on the way home, the donkey fell into the water by accident. When he rose up, he found the load much lighter, as the water melted the salt. The man had to go back to the shore to buy more salt. When they came again to the stream, the donkey fell down on purpose. He brayed, for his load was again greatly reduced. The man found out his trick, drove him for the third time to the coast, and bought a lot of sponges. The donkey again fell into the water on purpose, but this time the sponges became big and heavy with water. So, the donkey's trick backfired on himself, for he carried on his back a double load.
Questions 1 to 5 are based on the passage you have just heard. 1. Why did the man drive his donkey to the shore?
2. What happened to the donkey the first time they crossed the river? 3. Why did the donkey bray the second time they crossed the river? 4. What happened to the donkey at the end of the story? 5. What does this story tell us?
Now Words and Their Stories, a VOA Special English program about American expressions. I'm Rich Kleinfeld with expressions that include the word \
The first is \music\means to accept the results of what you have done. Here is an example from a Reuters news report. Britain's highest court had ruled that former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet was legally arrested. Opponents of General Pinochet welcomed the news. One of them said, \have waited for years for this man to face the music.\
No one is sure how the expression began. One story is that it came from a military ceremony held when a soldier was forced out of an army. The buttons were cut from the soldier's clothing. He was put on a horse facing the back of the horse and led
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away. As he left he faced the music of a military band and the soldiers he had served with.
Another story says the expression began in the theater. New actors, shaking with fright, were told that the only cure was to go out and face the music. The music was played by the orchestra seated in front of the stage.
A similar expression is %up to\It means to accept something that is difficult or painful. For example, a man must face up to the fact that he lied about a business deal and will lose his job. Or, a child must learn to face up to her responsibilities and complete her schoolwork.
Meeting someone \famous. It is an expression one might use after visiting the White House and meeting the president face-to-face. Or a teacher might ask for a face-to-face meeting with the parents of a student in trouble. It means to talk to someone in person, not by telephone.
Another expression is \is as clear as it can possibly be. Shakespeare used the words almost 500 years ago for a joke in his play Two Gentlemen of Verona. Valentine secretly loves Lady Sylvia. His servant jokes that Valentine's love for her is as hard to see as the nose on a man's face. Of course a man's nose cannot be hidden.
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B2 U1
W: It's time for \Clock Talk\Time to discuss how you feel about time! M: Well, since we all come from the same country, I think our views will be similar. Q: Why does the man believe the people will have similar views?
W: It annoys me the way my foreign friends treat time.
M: I just read a book about this problem! It's entitled International Clock Talk. Q: Which problem is the book about?
M: Australians are so relaxed about time! It drives me mad!
W: That's the way they are. While you're here, you'll have to get used to it. Q: What advice does the woman give the man?
M: Have you noticed differences between our cultures?
W: Sure. In my country, people don't care about time very much. Here, you take it seriously.
Q: How do people in the woman's country feel about time?
W: Can you explain why you're always five minutes late for conferences? M: Oh, I'm sorry. In my country, people are often late. Q: Why is the man late for conferences?
W: What do you appreciate most about life in Germany?
M: German people are rarely late for meetings. I never have to deal with latecomers. Q: What does the man like best about life in Germany?
M: I've heard that Chinese people are very relaxed about time.
W: That used to be true. Nowadays, people are increasingly bothered by lateness. Q: According to the woman, how have Chinese people changed?
M: Why did you walk out of the restaurant abruptly? We had just started talking. W: Just started? We were there for two hours! In my country, meals take 15 minutes! Q: Why did the woman walk out of the restaurant so abruptly?
W: What did Mom think about her trip to Russia? I'm so looking forward to hearing about it.
M: She didn't say much. When I picked her up at the airport this morning, she was just eager to get home to see Dad. She just said the food was great there. Q: What is the relationship between the two speakers?
M: It's only 6:30, and you're done! I won't finish work till 10. You're very efficient. W: Well, Tom finished two hours earlier than me. That's a sign of efficiency in my country.
Q: How many hours earlier did the woman finish her work than the man?
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M: You travel a lot. Which people do you think are the most time-conscious? W: I think it's probably the Swedes. M: Really, what makes you say that?
W: Well, on my last trip to Sweden, I ordered a taxi to pick me up at my hotel at 6:25 am. I got to the street at 6:27, but the taxi had already left. M: That's a little hard to believe. Is it true?
W: Absolutely, everything runs on time there. There's no room for mistakes. Everyone is very time-conscious!
M: They must seem very stiff and serious!
W: Sure, but once you get to know them, you find kind, caring people behind their serious faces.
M: This is very different from my experiences traveling in South America. Of course, people there are very kind, but they don't care much about time.
W: I agree. South Americans don't put very much stress on time. They're always late for everything, but no one seems to mind.
The biggest problem in my company has to do with culture, in particular our different ways of looking at time. People from some countries think it is OK to show up late for a meeting and some people even don't think they need to come at all! As president of the company, however, it is my responsibility to tell them that this is not acceptable. Whereas in some other countries attending meetings is not considered very important, in this country, and especially in this company, meetings must be attended on time. Not being on time causes inefficiency. I spent all night thinking about the exact words that I would use to explain my feelings. I even wrote my words down. I planned to discuss this problem at the meeting today, and entitled my speech
\— no one came to the meeting!
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