M: Oh, it’s all right. You don’t have to do that.
B: No, I want to pay. You had to wait for me almost half an hour. M: Well, hey, OK-if you insist. Thanks!
Leo: Did you know next week is Halloween? It’s on October 31.
Natasha: So what do you do on Halloween? We don’t have that holiday in Russia.
Leo: Well, it’s a day when kids dress up in masks and costumes. They knock on people’s doors and ask for candy by saying the words “Trick or treat!” Natasha: Hmm. Sounds interesting.
Leo: But it’s not just for kids. Lots of people have costume parties. Hey…my friend Pete is having a party. Would you like to go? Natasha: Sure. I’d love to.
Natasha: So are we going to wear costumes to the party?
Leo: Of course. That’s half the fun. Last year I rented this great Dracula costume, and this year I’m going as a clown.
Natasha: A clown? Yes, you would make a good clown. Leo: Hey!
Natasha: Oh, I’m just kidding. What about me? What kind of costume should I wear? Leo: Why don’t you go as a witch? I saw a terrific witch outfit at the costume store.
Natasha: A witch…yeah, that’s a good idea. So after I scare people, you can make them laugh.
Jill: You look beautiful in that kimono, Mari. Is this your wedding photo? Mari: Yes, it is.
Jill: Do most Japanese women wear kimonos when they get married?
Mari: Yes, many of them do. Then after the wedding ceremony, the bride usually changes into a Western bridal dress during the reception. Jill: Oh, I didn’t know that.
Jill: Did you get married in a church, Mari? Mari: No, the ceremony was held at a shrine. Jill: Oh, a shrine…
Mari: Yes, we were married by a priest in a traditional Shinto ceremony. Jill: Hmm. And who went to the ceremony?
Mari: Well, only the immediate family attended the ceremony… you know, our parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters…
Jill: And what about the reception? What was that like?
Mari: Lots of friends and relatives came to the reception… about a hundred people. And the first thing that happened was that the main guests gave formal speeches. Jill: Speeches?
Mari: Yes, and then after that, all the guests were served a formal meal. While everyone was
eating and drinking, lots of other guests gave short speeches or sang songs. Some of the speeches were funny. Jill: Sounds like fun!
Mari: Yes, the songs and speeches are all part of the entertainment during a wedding reception. And then, at the end of the reception, each guest received a present for coming to the wedding.
Jill: A present from the bride and groom? Mari: Yes, it’s a Japanese custom. Jill: What a nice custom!
Jody: Ugh! I feel awful. I really have to stop smoking. Luis: So why don’t you quit?
Jody: Well, if I quit, I might gain weight! Luis: A lot of people do, but…
Jody: And if I gain weight, I won’t be able to fit into any of my clothes! Luis: Well, you can always go on a diet.
Jody: Oh, no. I’m terrible at losing weight on diets. So if my clothes don’t fit, I’ll have to buy new ones. I’ll have to get a part-time job, and…
Luis: Listen, it is hard to quit, but it’s not that hard. Do you want to know how I did it?
Luis: Well, giving up smoking isn’t really as hard as you think. I managed to do it, so it can’t be
that difficult. You should try nicotine gum. You chew it just like regular chewing gum, and you don’t feel like smoking. Jody: Well, I guess it’s worth a try.
are you in love?
You think you’re falling in love. You’re really attracted to a certain person. But this happened before, and it was just a “crush”. How can you tell if it’s real this time? Here’s what our readers said:
If you’re in love,…
you’ll find yourself talking to or telephoning the person for no reason. (You might pretend there’s a reason, but often there’s not.)
you’ll find yourself bringing this person into every conversation. (“When I was in Mexico - ,” a friend begins. You interrupt with, “My boyfriend made a great Mexican dinner last week.”)
you might suddenly be interested in things you used to avoid. (“When a woman asks me to tell her all about football, I know she’s fallen in love,” said a TV sports announcer.)
OK, so you’ve fallen in love. But falling in love is one thing, and staying in love is another. How can
you tell, as time passes, that you’re still in love? If you stay in love, your relationship will change. You might not talk as much about the person you are in love with. You might not always call him or her so often. But this person will nevertheless become more and more important in your life.
You’ll find that you can be yourself with this person. When you first fell in love, you were
probably afraid to admit certain things about yourself. But now you can be totally honest. You can trust him or her to accept you just as you are. Falling in love is great – staying in love is even better!
Brad: Any interesting jobs listed on the Internet today?
Sue: Well, there are a lot of retail jobs – selling clothes and stuff. But you have to work Saturdays
and Sundays.
Brad: Hmm. I hate working on weekends.
Sue: Hmm…so do I. Oh, here’s a job in sales. It’s a job selling children’s books to bookstores. Brad: That sounds interesting.
Sue: Yeah. Let’s see. You need to have a driver’s license. And you have to work some evenings. Brad: I don’t mind working evenings during the week. And I enjoy driving. So, what’s the phone
number? Sue: It’s 789-3455.
W: Delta Education.
Brad: Hello. I’m calling about the job you advertised for a salesperson. Is it still available? W: Yes, it is.
Brad: Well, can you tell me something about the job?
W: Sure. Our company sells educational books for children. We’re looking for part – time salespeople to promote our books to local bookstores.
Brad: That sounds interesting. I’m a student, and I’m looking for part – time work. W: Well, perhaps you’d like to come in for an interview. Brad: Yes, I would.
W: Oh, just one thing we didn’t mention in the advertisement. Some of our books are in Spanish, so we’d like to hire someone who speaks Spanish. Brad: Oh, as a matter of fact, I do.
W: Good. Well, let me arrange a time for you to come in for an interview.
W: So what kind of job are you looking for?
M: Well, I haven’t made up my mind. I love working with people, and I love traveling. I don’t want a job where I’m stuck in an office all day. I want to get out and see the world.
W: Are you interested in working in business? That’s where you can sometimes make good
money.
M: I’m not really interested in making a lot of money at this point in my life. I’ll worry about that later.
M: What kind of career are you planning for yourself?
W: I don’t know. I think I’d like to have a job where I can help people. Everybody else in my family is in law or business – you know, boring stuff like that. That’s just not for me. I know I’d like to work overseas, though. Maybe in a children’s hospital in a developing country. But that’s a long way away. I have to get into medical school first, and that’s not going to be easy!
M: What kind of job do I have in mind? Well, I don’t want a regular nine-to-five job. Eventually, I’d like to get into acting – maybe even break into movies. But I guess that won’t happen for a while.
W: So what are you doing in the meantime?
M: Well, I work out at the gym nearly every day. I need to be really fit. And I’m taking acting lessons as well so that I feel comfortable in front of the crowd. I just had some pictures taken to show to agents in the city. Would you like to see them? W: Sure.
a boss
W: How do you like your new boss?
M: She’s OK. I just wish she’d learn to lighten up a little. W: What do you mean?
M: Oh, she never enjoys a joke. She never laughs. It’s hard to even get a smile out of her.
a co-worker
M: Look what Mary gave me! Isn’t this a great book?
W: Yeah, it is! Mary’s so sweet – she’s always giving her friends and co-workers presents. I wish there were more people like her in this world!
a teacher
W: What do you think of the new French teacher?
M: Well, she’s kind of strange. She’s in a good mood one minute and in a terrible mood the next.
a relative
M: Hey, what’s wrong?
W: I’m fed up with my brother! It seems as if he’s always angry at me about something. M: Really?
W: Yeah. He gets upset so easily. I don’t know what’s the matter with him.
Tim: I don’t know what classes to take this semester. I can’t decide what I want to do with my life. Have you thought about it, Brenda?
Brenda: Yes, I have. I think I’d make a good journalist because I love writing.
Tim: Maybe I could be a teacher because I’m very creative. And I like working with kids. Brenda: Oh, I wouldn’t want to be a teacher I’m too impatient. Tim: I know one thing I could never do. Brenda: What’s that?
Tim: I could never be a stockbroker because I’m not good at making decisions quickly.
Brenda: My history professor says I should think about a career in politics. But I don’t think I’d make a good politician. Tim: Why not, Brenda?
Brenda: Oh, you know me. I’m terrible at speaking in front of a lot of people – you know, like giving speeches and things. And politicians have to speak in public all the time. Tim: That’s true. You know, that reminds me of a problem I’m having. Brenda: What is it?
Tim: You know my parents have a really successful restaurant, right? Well, my father wants me to be the manager. Brenda: And you don’t want to?
Tim: No, not at all. I’d be a terrible manager. I’m much too disorganized.
Guide: We are now approaching the famous Statue of Liberty, Which has welcomed visitors to New York Harbor since 1886. Andrew: Wow! Look at it. James: Incredible, isn’t it?
Guide: The statue was given to the United States by the people of France. It was designed by the French sculptor Bartholdi.
Andrew: It’s really huge. Do we get to go inside?
James: Of course. We can climb the stairs all the way up to the crown. Andrew: Stairs? There’s no elevator?
James: Not to the top. But it’s just 142 steps!
Guide: Let me tell you a little more about the statue before you climb to the top. In case you’re wondering what the statue is made of, it has a framework inside that’s made of iron; the outer skin is made of copper. The copper skin is only 2.4 millimeters thick. The support- -ing framework inside the statue is what holds the whole thing together.
The Statue of Liberty is a major tourist attraction, and every year about two million peo- -ple from all over the world come here to visit it.