M: You’ve got a wonderful apartment.
W: That’s what you’re saying now. But you should have seen it when we moved in.

W: I was calling about the job application I submitted on Monday.
M: Yes, well, I’m sorry. We are looking for someone with more experience.

M: If anyone calls for me, tell them I’m not in.
W: Even if it’s your mother?

W: The soccer game was rained out today.
M: Well, I’m not much for watching sports anyway.

M: If you want to buy beer, you’ll need to prove that you’re 21.
W: I guess I must look younger than I am.

W: You really can’t throw very well. I don’t think you can be on the team unless you improve.
M: I’m afraid I’m very bad at playing sports.

M: Look, the pond is frozen. It’s perfect weather for skating. I want to go right now.
W: Don’t you think it’s a bad idea to go alone?

W: Isn’t this place a good value?
M: Unfortunately, they don’t bring you your food when it’s hot.

M: Say, haven’t I seen you somewhere before?
W: Last semester, we both took European History. Don’t you remember?

W: Jeremy loves to play soccer, so I had his brother go to a store in the suburbs and get him this great soccer ball.
M: That’s great. Do you think Jeremy will let me borrow it some time?

M: I would have called if I had thought it would help.
W: Oh well. Thanks anyway for thinking of us.

W: Watch out for that low overpass.
M: I see it. We can clear it, no problem.

M: I’m so unhappy with my test results.
W: Well, I’m not exactly dissatisfied with mine, and anyway, there’s always next time.

W: Did you see that bird fly right past us?
M: No, I was having enough trouble just walking down the trail.

M: How was your trip to the state park?
W: What a great place!

W: Did you find it expensive to vacation in Europe?
M: Not really; once you get to know it, you learn how to save money.

M: Chris has a really neat car, doesn’t she?
W: Are you kidding? I’d die for a car like that!

 W: I don’t like it when Joe puts ketchup on his steak!
M: Why?

M: I got a great deal on these books.
W: Yes. I believe this one has been out of print for years.

W: Do you think I could borrow ten dollars until Thursday?
M: Why not? It’s no big deal.

M: These are the most extensive notes I’ve ever seen.
W: I know, I had Sally take them for me.

W: That’s the best beef we’ve ever had in the dining hall.
M: Isn’t it, though!

M: That’s a great sweater. Did it take you long to make it?
W: I cant knit a thing—I had it made for me.

 (Woman) When I graduated from high school, I never had a chance to go to college, but now I may be able to. So, I’ve been trying to decide what college to apply to and thought you could help me.

(Man) I’d be glad to talk to you about it. There are many things to consider. When you think of going to college, you need to be prepared to work hard. Studying takes up a lot of time, and students who are not motivated usually don’t succeed.

(Woman) I can easily see how motivation can affect success in learning. Taking college classes may not be very different from doing many other things. If you like what you do, you do a better job.

(Man) And when you are trying to figure out which college to attend, there are many questions one should ask. Asking for information can help you discover many facts about the school, what courses it offers, and what kinds of facilities it provides for students.

(Woman) Should I ask for a brochure? Maybe I need to write letters to several schools to find out about their libraries, laboratories, computers, and other facilities.

(Man) That sounds like a good start. In addition, asking about their teaching methods and the average class size may give you the information you need to decide.

(Woman) These are essential facts. So, if I’m going to write to them for information, what else do I need to find out?

(Man) Okay, other key questions are about their tuition, fees, and assistance available for students. For example, can the college help students get a job? Many colleges hire their students to work in offices, mail rooms, food services, and dorms. Not only do students earn money, but also they acquire work experience that they need to get jobs when they graduate.

(Woman) Like most other businesses, home video consists of three segments. They are first, production, second, distribution, and finally, retail. When companies produce prerecorded cassettes, that’s production. Most of the home-video market consists of sales of movies, and almost all motion picture studios dominate the production of cassettes. Just as an example, two thirds of video-cassette sales come from the ten largest studios, and 20th Century Fox and Columbia occupy the first and the second place.

Studios do not sell directly to retailers, distributors do. And more than ninety distribution firms in the U.S. have become the bridge between production and retail. Cassette distributors make it easy for retail stores to become a video-rental outlet. These days, more than 60,000 convenience stores rent videos. And that’s in addition to the 30,000 video rental stores. The retail business is volatile, and it’s very competitive.

A retail store can carry about 5,000 to 7,000 movies, which include current and old titles. On the other hand, convenience and grocery stores usually have about 300 to 500 titles that are current pictures. The video-rental business these days is almost like fast-food restaurants, and a store covers a certain area of about three miles in each direction. Independently owned stores have a tough time competing with large chains that dominate the business. The largest one has about 2,700 franchises, and the second largest, about 800.