UNDERSTANDING SHORT CONVERSATIONS
1£®M£ºWhat’s your family like£¬Emma?
W£ºWell£®my parents are separated£¬but my father lives near us£®My mother is a middle aged woman£®She works as a chemical engineer for a drug company£®
Q£ºHow do Emma’s parents get along?
2£®W£ºI have to go downtown tomorrow morning to have my spring dresses fitted£®
M£ºDon’t you have other clothes to wear?
W£ºNo£®none of them fit£¬and I can’t even button up my dresses£®I think I need some new clothes£®
M£ºMaybe you should first think about doing more exercises and losing weight and then worry about your new clothes£®
Q£ºWhat does the man suggest the woman do ?
3£®M£ºRobert talks a great deal about moving from his present home in New York to a plantation in the South£®
W£ºBut that is the same thing he has been saying since he moved there six years ago£®
Q£ºWhat can we learn from the conversation?
4£®W£ºHow long has your friend been at your home?
M£ºAbout 10 days£®
W£ºDid he have a good time?
M£ºYeah£®It seemed as if he just got here when it was time for him to say good—bye.
W£ºIt is certainly a pleasure to see him again and renew old memories£®
M£ºWell£®we talked about college days when we had been best friends£¬and when we used to have SO many ambitions£®
Q£ºWhat can be learned about the man and his friend?
5£®W£ºWhat happened to you? You look really happy£®
M£ºMy wife voluntarily proposed to invite my best friend to our family party.
W£ºDidn’t your wife like your friend?
M£ºNo£¬at first she found him a terrible nuisance£¬but she has finally overcome her dislike for him£® Q£ºWhat does the man mean?
6£®M£ºSo you have finally decided to end your teaching career£¬Lucy?
W£ºYes£®It has been driving me crazy£®My health doesn’t permit me to cope with such a heavy workload at the moment£®That’s why I decided to go to Australia to take a rest£®
M£ºOh£®I see£®So that’s why you’ve been so quiet recently£®Your periods of silence were not your basic nature£¬but the result of moods£®You really need a change£®
Q£ºWhat can we know about the woman?
7£®M£ºI heard just last week that Vicky had got married£®
W£ºVicky married? I can’t believe it! Remember how she always said that marriage wasn’t her choice?
M£ºBut I also heard that Vicky left her husband£¬just two days after their marriage£®
W£ºWhat?
M£ºWhen her husband arose in the morning£¬Vicky had already gone£¬without even saying farewell£®A porter had carried her trunk to the station and she had taken all early morning train to another city£®
Q£ºWhat can we learn about Vicky from the conversation?
8£®W£ºDo you know who that man is?
M£ºWhich one?
W£ºThe one in casual clothes£®
M£ºOh£¬that’s David Smith£®He’s the one who just moved into the apartment£®
W£ºOh£¬really? He looks kind of interesting£®
Q£ºWhat does the woman think of David Smith?
9£®W£ºDo you know anything about Henry?
M£ºThat name sounds familiar£®but I’m not sure£®
W£ºHe’s from New Zealand£®He works for IBM£®
M£ºHave you spoken to him? What’s he like?
W£ºHe seems to be a very nice man£®He’s very friendly and he’s got a good sense of humor£®
They say he’s a man of wit£®
q£ºwhat can be learned about Henry?
10£®M£ºDid you hear that Mr. and Mrs. Brown went to Singapore for a vacation last month?
W£ºYeah£®Did they enjoy themselves?
M£ºIt’s hard to say£®When they got there£®they couldn’t get a room in a good hotel£®
W£ºThat’s too bad£®But they really should have made a reservation for a room earlier£®
Q£ºWhat can be drawn from the conversation?
11£®M£ºYou know Martin? Although we’ve been in the same office for many years£®I’ve never been able to figure him out£®
silence in which he has unconsciously covered himself, but ...
Q: What does the man mean?
12. W: Have you made your peace with your wife yet?
M: I've certainly tried, but she refused to talk to me last night. And when I arose this morning, she had already left for her aunt's.
W: When will she return?
M: Haven't the slightest idea.
Q: What happened between the man and his wife?
13. M: What is it like to live here?
W: It's terrible. It used to be quieter when I went to school here. I still remember that I often sat alone on the bench that stood beneath an oak tree at the edge of the trail.
M: And nothing disturbed you?
W: Yeah. Being alone there, my thoughts quickly flew this way and that.
Q: What does the woman imply?
14. W: When my husband's friend Bob visited us, I just left them alone for the most part.
M: Why?
W: Because he was so different from other people and I couldn't understand him.
M: Did he notice your absence?
W: No, he didn't. Sometimes 1 imposed my company upon him, accompanying him in his idle walks to the mill.
M: Did he want you to accompany him?
W: No, that was the last thing he would desire.
Q: What does the woman mean?
15. W: Peter is a quiet boy. He seldom says a thing.
M: Well, let me tell you. His brother Tom is just the opposite.
Q: What kind of a person is Tom?
16. M: Do you often see our fellow students?
W: I did for a while until I left university, but after that not really.
M: Yeah, I've lost touch with most people as well, but I still see Peggy occasionally.
W: Oh, yeah. How's she getting on?
M: Ok, I suppose, but she's had a rough time in the last few years. She got divorced.
Q: Whom do the man and woman talk about?
17. M: Did you hear about Mrs. Baroda?
W: Yes, I did. She was a~ upright and respectable woman. She was also very sensible. It's a pity that the world has lost a great modern dancer.
Q: What happened to Mrs. Baroda?
18. W: When is your friend going?
M: Not for a week yet, dear. I don't understand why you ask my friend to leave our house. Actually he gives you no trouble.
W: No. I should like him better if he did; if he were more like the others, I could plan somewhat for his comfort and enjoyment.
M: He just came here to take a rest, so please don't make a fuss over him.
W: Fuss! Nonsense! How can you say such a thing?
Q: What can be concluded from the conversation?
19. M: Oh, it's you, Mrs. Johnson. Come in and sit down. Now, what was it? Oh, yes, your leg. Has there been any improvement since last week?
W: Well, no. I'm afraid not, doctor. It's still the same.
M: I'd better have another look at it. Hmm! Still very swollen. Have you been resting it, as I told you to?
W: It's so difficult to rest it; doctor, you know, with a house to run, and six children and ...
Q: What made it difficult for the woman to follow the man's advice?
20. M: You are very nice to me and I've had a delightful time. I really appreciate your inviting me here and spending so much time showing me around.
W: Oh, it was fun for me, too. It gave me a chance to get away from routine and do something a little bit different.
Q: What have the speakers been doing together?
Key: 1. (A) 2. (C) 3. (A) 4. (C) 5. (B)
6. (A) 7. (B) 8. (B) 9. (D) 10. (A)
11. (C) 12. (C) 13. (A) 14. (B) 15. (D)