(Woman) What should I do with the key?

(Man) When you check out, you can return it at the front desk.

(Narrator) What does the man mean?

(Man) What did John see last night?

(Woman) He was so tired yesterday that he decided to stay home instead of going to the movies.

(Narrator) What does the woman say about John?

 (Woman) Couldn’t you get a seat on the next flight?

(Man) The travel agent said that it’s completely booked.

(Narrator) What does the man mean?

 (Man) Is it okay to submit a handwritten paper instead of typewritten?

(Woman) As far as I know.

(Narrator) What does the woman imply?

(Woman) Hopefully, we didn’t disturb you. Students were trying to decide who would attend the President’s

counsel and they were very enthusiastic.

(Man) They were noisy.

(Narrator) What does the man imply?

 (Woman) I don’t understand what we are supposed to do in this chemistry assignment.

(Man) Do you think Frank can help us?

(Narrator) What does the man ask?

 (Man) I’d like to check in these boxes and the three suitcases.

(Woman) The limit is two pieces per passenger.

(Narrator) What does the woman mean?

 (Woman) What are you looking for?

(Man) Have you seen my red coat anywhere?

(Narrator) What does the man mean?

(Man) Are you and Paul still neighbors?

(Woman) Paul has moved to an apartment near the North Campus dorms.

(Narrator) What does the woman say about Paul?

 (Woman) Do you have a table available?

(Man) If you don’t have a reservation, you may have to wait about fifty minutes.

(Narrator) What does the man mean?

 (Man) I can’t believe they charge fifteen dollars for a chicken dinner.

(Woman) But the salad and the dessert are included.

(Narrator) What does the woman mean?

(Woman) Jennifer’s car wouldn’t start, and she needs a ride to the library.

(Man) It’s on my way to the bank.

(Narrator) What did the man infer he would do?

 (Woman) Did you hear about the new craft show at the City Center?

(Man) I think I’ve seen more craft shows than I’ve ever wanted to.

(Narrator) What does the man mean?

(Man) The road construction in Detroit always creates traffic jams on the highways.

(Woman) You could take two-seventy-five (275) around the city.

(Narrator) What does the woman suggest?

 (Woman) Do you carry books on outdoor cooking?

(Man) We used to, but we don’t any longer.

(Narrator) Where does this conversation take place?

 (Man) I don’t think I need to take another history course.

(Woman) You should discuss that with your advisor.

(Narrator) What does the woman imply?

 (Woman) Can you tell me where the conference center is located?

(Man) Go straight to the light at the end of the block and turn right.

(Narrator) Where is the conference site located?

(Man) How much does it cost to mail a package overnight to Seattle?

(Woman) It depends on its weight.

(Narrator) Where does this conversation take place?

 (Woman) My brother is coming to spend the weekend with us, and we wanted to have you and your

wife for dinner on Saturday.

(Man) She’ll be out of town.

(Narrator) What does the man mean?

(Woman) I’d like to return the shoes and the shirt.

(Man) No problem. May I see your receipt?

(Narrator) What is the man’s occupation?

 (Man) We’re on our way to the pool. Would you like to come with us?

(Woman) I have to write a letter to the phone company to clear up the mistake on my bill.

(Narrator) What will the woman do next?

 (Man) It’s already nine. I wonder how much more we can get done today.

(Woman) Well, let’s call it a day.

(Narrator) What does the woman mean?

 (Man) I couldn’t finish the assignment because during the summer the lab hours are restricted.

(Woman) Whether the lab is open or not, the test on vowels will be given on Friday.

(Narrator) What does the woman mean?

 (Woman) The ribbons and the balloons make the room look so cheerful.

(Man) Laura went out of her way to decorate the house for the occasion.

(Narrator) Where is this conversation taking place?

 (Man) Do you mind if I change the channel?

(Woman) Actually, I think this program looks interesting.

(Narrator) What are the man and the woman probably doing?

(Woman) Excuse me, do you know where the museum is?

(Man) I didn’t even know there was one here.

(Narrator) What does the man mean?

 (Woman) It looks like you’ve finished packing.

(Man) Could you help me take these boxes downstairs?

(Narrator) What does the man mean?

(Man) Has Tom been tired lately?

(Woman) He’s taken a second job.

(Narrator) What does the woman say about Tom?

(Woman) Marsha is getting tired of Rob’s practical jokes.

(Man) Rob’s humor can be difficult to take sometimes.

(Narrator) What does the man mean?

 (Man) I’ve been looking for a part-time job, but haven’t had much luck.

(Woman) The clothing store on the corner pays its employees well.

(Narrator) What does the woman mean?

 (Woman) Sharks are meat-eating fish and are the most feared of sea creatures. Although no one knows

exactly how many species of sharks exist, over 350 have been identified. Sharks vary greatly in size and behavior,

and most species are found in warm waters of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. People frequently believe

that sharks have few rivals, but a shark’s greatest enemy is a bigger shark.

(Man) Do they eat people?

(Woman) Contrary to a popular belief that sharks virtually feed on people, fewer than 100 shark attacks are

reported each year. I’d like to point out that this number includes all attacks in the world.

(Man) How fast can sharks swim? If a shark attacks you, do you have a chance to escape?

(Woman) Well, an escape can be difficult. Usually, sharks are not very fast, but when necessary, they can move at bursts of up to forty-five miles an hour. Their tails help sharks gain speed; however, they cannot maintain it for long periods of time.

(Man) Their teeth do look pretty frightening.

(Woman) The most amazing feature of sharks is their teeth. First of all, sharks have several rows of teeth, and second, their teeth can be replaced as often as every week or two. Some people believe that before sharks bite, they have to turn over on their backs, but that is a myth. Sharks can bite in any position.

(Man) In all the movies about sharks, I’ve seen that they can hear movement in the water from great distances. Is that also a myth?

(Woman) No, it isn’t. Sharks have a keen sense of hearing and excellent eyesight that make them excellent hunters. Also, their bodies can sense movement of water, which allows them to identify the presence of another live creature. Sharks can detect even the smallest electrical fields emitted by fish that move their gills. This ability also permits sharks to navigate their way through the ocean.

31.  What is the main topic of this conversation?

(Man) When I lived in Los Angeles, I had a great family doctor. Since we moved, I haven’t been able to find a physician. I am not even sure how to go about looking for one.

(Woman) It’s really not that difficult. Most hospitals have a physician-referral service. You could call one.

(Man) That’s a great idea. But there are so many hospitals.

(Woman) I’m sure there is a hospital in the area where you live. If you call, you can ask for a referral to a family physician close to your house.

(Man) But what if they refer me to a doctor who doesn’t accept new patients?

(Woman) Usually, hospitals have this information and won’t refer you to someone who doesn’t. However, to be on the safe side, you can ask for two or three referrals. You can also tell them if you are looking for a family doctor who is associated with a particular hospital. Another thing to bring to their attention is whether the doctor files claims with your insurance company.

(Man) It sounds like great service. Do they also recommend dentists?

(Woman) I don’t know about dentists. You can ask them when you call.

 (Man) During a job interview, your behavior, clothes, and speech are important. It’s important that you arrive on time and be polite, sincere, and organized. Most people don’t realize that the way one dresses for an interview is also important. If your clothes are wrinkled or mismatched, the interviewer may think that you really don’t care about your appearance and even about the quality of your work. Your outfit doesn’t have to cost a fortune, but it should be neat and clean to make a good impression on the interviewer. And, please,

please don’t arrive at the interview in clothes that have stains or rips. Don’t borrow your friend’s clothes if they don’t fit well. This is one of the common mistakes that job seekers make: they don’t want to spend the money and end up losing a chance to get an offer.

It’s important to remember that if you don’t make a good first impression, you may not get a chance to make

another one. When you speak, you need to adjust your speech rate. If the interviewer speaks fast, you have to

speak just as fast. If the person in charge speaks slowly, you’ll have to slow down. Research has shown that most (people) like those individuals who speak at the same speed as they do.

(Woman) In 1767, the British imposed heavy taxes on goods sold in America. The taxation caused a public uproar, and eventually, all but one of the taxes were repealed. The tax that remained in effect had to do with the sale of tea imported from Britain or other colonies. In addition to this tax, the British government allowed one company to sell tea at lower prices, and American merchants were afraid that they could not compete fairly. At first, when tea arrived in Boston Harbor, the local merchants protested and attempted to have the tea returned to England.

   This attempt failed, but on December 16, 1773, about 100 colonists raided three British merchant vessels anchored in Boston Harbor and threw 342 containers of tea overboard into the waters

of the Atlantic Ocean. This raid was called the Boston Tea Party by the Boston newspapers.

(Man) In political polling, the purpose of any sample is to produce results that can be useful. Therefore, the findings have to be valid and reliable, and a sample has to be large enough to represent the voters’ opinions.

Of course, we all understand that political polls cannot be one hundred percent accurate, but still, the margin of error cannot exceed two or three percent. If poll results exceed that, they may not be valid. Even five percent is excessive. As a rule, political polls are not completely reliable.

Any pollster will tell you that they cannot scientifically predict outcomes. They describe people’s attitudes at a certain moment in time, but people’s attitudes obviously change as events continue to occur. The sample of the population has to include various groups of people that represent all voters and not just a selected minority. Let me give you an example. In 1936, Literary Digest, a popular publication at the time, decided to conduct a political poll. They used the telephone to obtain their sample and tried to predict if Alf Landon would be the next president. I’d like to remind you that Landon was defeated by a landslide and lost to Franklin Roosevelt. His defeat by the majority of the electorate was one of the worst in history.

Although the Literary Digest poll predicted that Landon would win, the prediction was clearly off the mark. So, what went wrong? Well, in 1936, only wealthy people could afford to have a telephone. And the wealthy strongly supported Landon. However, they did not represent the majority opinion, even though their number was large enough for the sample size to be valid. So, it’s not that polls simply have to be large enough, but they have to represent the entire voting population. Otherwise, their results won’t be valid.