1. (Dan calls Kay)
Dan： Hello Kay. It's Dan. I just received the invitation to your party.
Kay： Can you make it?
Dan： Well, let's see. It's next Saturday night, 7:00 pm, at 201 Liberty Lane, Champaign. Right?
Kay： That's right. I hope you can come?
Dan： It would be my pleasure. Can I bring anything?
Kay： Just yourself.
Dan： Ok, I'll be there with bells on. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks.
Kay： Bye.
Dan： See you then.
2.
George: Hi, Heather, I was wondering if you're free tomorrow night.
Heather: Well, George, I guess I am. Why do you ask?
George: I have just gotten a pair of pre-sale \"Star Wars\" movie tickets from a friend and I was thinking of inviting you along for the opening premier. Are you interested?
Heather: Yeah, definitely! Thanks for inviting me!
George: No problem.
Heather: I really wanted to watch \"Star wars\" on the opening day but the pre-sale tickets were sold out. How did you manage to get hold of 'em?
George: A friend of mine works at the corporate headquarters of \"Pepsi\major sponsor of the movie. He was able to get the tickets for free, and then he sold me 2 for $50 a piece.
Heather: You paid $50 for each ticket? That's a huge premium over the regular price!
George: Not really, considering the fact that other people are paying as high as $200 each on the \"black market\". Besides, I knew you were really looking forward to watching \"Star Wars\" on the opening day.
Heather: Wow, I'm really honored you went through all this trouble just for my sake. I really appreciate that. So, what time are we going?
George: Well, let's see. The movie starts at 10 PM. We should get there at least 1 hour earlier because there'll be a big line. I could pick you up at your house at 8, if that's OK with you.
Heather: 8 o'clock? That's fine with me.
George: Okay good.
Heather: So I'll see you tomorrow at 8 then?
George: Yeah. That's great. I'll see you tomorrow night, Heather.
Heather: Okay, George. Bye!
George: Bye, Heather.
3. Karl: Do you have time to stop for lunch?
Ann: Yes, I'm hungry. This restaurant has a good selection and the prices are moderate.
Karl: That sounds fine with me. Let's try it.
Ann: Where do you want to sit, the smoking or the nonsmoking section?
Karl: I prefer nonsmoking, but the sign says to wait to be seated.
Hostess: Good afternoon. How many are in your party?
Ann: Just two and we'd like a booth in the nonsmoking section, if you have one.
Hostess: Right this way. Follow me. Will this booth be all right?
Karl: The one by the window would be better, thanks.
Ann: No problem. Here are your menus. Your server will be right with you.
Server: Hello, my name is Chris, and I'm your server today. May I bring you something to begin with, a drink or some appetizers perhaps?
Karl: No appetizer for me. I'll have a glass of water for now.
Ann: I'd like an iced tea, decaffeinated or herbal. What flavors do you have?
Server: We have mint, peach, or raspberry.
Ann: Bring me a large mint, please.
Server: Will that be all, or are you ready to order?
Karl: I'm ready. I'll have the veggie sandwich on whole wheat. Hold the mayonnaise, please.
Server: That comes with your choice of soup or a salad.
Karl: What soups do you have?
Server: We have potato, bean, vegetable beef, or cream of broccoli.
Karl: Does the potato soup have pork in it?
Server: Yes, it has pieces of ham.
Karl: Well, then I'll have the cream of broccoli.
Ann: I'd like a hamburger on a sour dough bun with plenty of onions, please.
Sever: How do you want your burger cooked, medium, or well done?
Ann: Medium will be fine, thanks.
Server: The burger comes with your choice of cole slaw or fries.
Ann: Make it fries, and please bring ketchup with them.
Server: Will that be all?
Karl: I think so. Please bring us the check when you return with our food. We're pressed for time.
4.
Anna: Hi Masahiro! How's it going?
Masahiro: Fine, I guess. How about you?
Anna: Busy. Guess who's coming our way?
Will: Hi guys! What's up?
Anna: Nothing much. We just ran into each other.
Will: That's nice. So Masahiro, how's the coffee maker working?
Masahiro: Actually, it doesn't work well. It was a waste of money. I guess I should have shopped around for a good one.
Anna: Why don't you take it back?
Masahiro: I'd like to, but I've misplaced the receipt.
Will: Well, if it's any consolation, my shopping wasn't all that great either. I wish I'd never bought Stephanie a necklace. Just last night she was telling me how she wished she had Liz Taylor's new perfume.
Anna: That makes three displeased shoppers. Guess what? The camera I bought and shipped to Mike just this morning is now on sale! It's a pity that I bought it then. Then again, I guess I shouldn't complain. It was a good buy, even though I didn't get the best deal on it. Anyway, Masahiro, I suggest you look for that receipt and just go to the Complaints
Department and say \"I'd like to exchange this, please.\" It's as simple as that. And Will, it's not too late for you to ask for a refund.
5.
In this conversation, an international student has been asked to see her advisor. The
advisor has something very important to discuss with the student.
Student: You wanted to see me?
Advisor: That's right. We need to have a serious talk.
Student: About what?
Advisor: Your attendance--or rather, lack of it.
Student: OK, so I've ditched class a few times . . .
Advisor: A few times? I've been told you've missed six out of eight times in two different classes! That's really setting yourself up to fail.
Student: Oh, come on. Those classes are really boring!
Advisor: But they're also required, so that doesn't matter. You're about to be in big trouble.
Student: What's the big deal about missing some classes?
Advisor: The big deal is that you're here on a student visa.
Student: So?
Advisor: So if you don't attend class regularly, you won't be a full-time student--which
your visa requires. You'll be out of status.
Student: What are you gonna do? Turn me in to the Immigration Police?
Advisor: Oh, of course I'll have to report you if you continue missing your class, but I'm going to do something else first.
Student: Like what?
Advisor: Like faxing your father.
7.
Visitor: Can you tell me how to reach the bank please?
Policeman: Which bank? There are two: the Allied Irish Bank and the Bank of Ireland.
Visitor: I have an AIB pass card and I want to withdraw money from the bank.
Policeman: You need to go to the Allied Irish Bank which is near the local shopping centre, Dunnes Stores.
Visitor: How do I get there. I have no knowledge of this area.
Policeman: Cross the road and turn left at the other side. Walk along the footpath until you reach the traffic lights. You will see a shopping centre on the right hand side. Walk across the road and turn right after the shopping centre. Keep going straight for about 100m and
the bank is to your left.
Visitor: It sounds very complicated. How far is it from here?
Policeman: It's not so complicated. It's about five minutes walk from here. I can draw a map for you if you wish.
Visitor:Oh, I would really appreciate that . By the way will I be going North or South ?
Policeman: You will be going northwards. You are now in the the Western part of the city and the Allied Irish Bank is situated in the North East. Here's a rough sketch of the area.
8.
Librarian: Can I help you?
Natalie: Yes. I am a bit confused. My sociology class is supposed to read a chapter in a book called Sociology and the Modern Age. According to the syllabus, the book is in the library, but I haven't been able to find it.
Librarian: Do you have your syllabus with you? May I see it?
Natalie: Yes, uh....I put it in the front of my sociology notebook. Oh, here it is.
Librarian: Let me see. Oh yes. Your professor has placed this book on reserve. That means you cannot find it on the shelves in its usual place. You need to go to a special room called the reserve room. It's down the hall and to the right.
Natalie: I'm sorry - I still don't understand what you mean by on reserve.
Librarian: You see, your professor wants every one in the class to read the chapter. If one student removes the book from the library, it is likely that none of the other students will have the opportunity to read it. So, your professor has insured that all students have the opportunity to read it by placing it on reserve.
Natalie: So, will I be able to find this book?
Librarian: Yes, when a book is on reserve, a student can go to the reserve room and ask the reserve librarian for the book. The student can have the book for a few hours, and he or she MUST read it in the library during that time. That way, the book stays in the library, and all students have a chance to read it.
Natalie: Okay. Thank you. I understand now.
Librarian: Will there be anything else?
Natalie: No! I am on my way to the reserve room. Thanks again!
9.
Thinh: Hello.
Jim: Oh, hi there!
Thinh: Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Thinh Nguyen and this is my wife,
Lan Quong.
Jim: Pleased to meet you. My name is Jim Peters. Did you just move in next door?
Lan: Yes, we did. Have you lived here long?
Jim: Me? I guess so. I've lived here for about 6 years now. Have you lived in America very long?
Thinh: No. Not really. When we left Vietnam and came to America we lived with a cousin in Dallas for 2 years. Where do you work, Jim?
Jim: I teach mathematics at Willow Springs community college. What do you do?
Thinh: I am a mechanic at Allied Diesel. I repair truck engines.
Jim: What about you, Lan?
Lan: I am a nurse's assistant at Whitfield County hospital.
Jim: Well, Thinh and Lan, it was good to meet you. I have to go now. I'm teaching a class this evening and I need to get to the college.
Thinh: It was good to meet you, too, Jim.
Lan: Yes, it was good to meet you.
Jim: See you around!
Thinh and Lan: Good-bye, Jim!
10.
As the sun rose over the horizon, I went out to enjoy the beauty of the grassland scenery. On the way, I saw a pair of red flowers blooming. They had flat petals and were incredibly full of smiling beauty. Those independent flowers seemed very vibrant. Gazing at the flowers made me think of many things.
Dew like pearls shone on the grass brightly. Rays of sun offered happiness. I stood and stared at the beautiful flowers for a long time, enjoying the bright, pleasant sunshine. Butterflies and little bees were flying about. Then some naughty children with sticks came. One child swung his stick when he saw the flowers. Many petals fell to the earth, and with them, my heart fell too.
The next day, beside the road, the red flowers were brighter than the day before. The natural beauty made me gasp. It gave me an understanding of the energy of growing and youth and convinced me it couldn't be destroyed with a heartless stick. I wanted to be like the soul of a flower.
Then I saw an old woman and child coming along the road. When they reached the flowers the child quickly plucked one. I felt great horror and then heard the old woman say, \"What beautiful flowers. Don't pick them.\" The next day, I couldn't see the flowers anymore. The grass and leaves on the ground were almost dried. I was in a world of great sorrow.
11.
John and Bobby joined a wholesale company togther just after graduation from college the same year. Both worked very hard. After several years, however, the boss promoted Bobby to the position of manager but John remained an ordinary employee. John could not take it anymore, tendered his resignation to the boss and complained the boss did not know how to delegate and did not value hard working staff, but only promoted those who flattered him.
The boss knew that John worked very hard for the years. He thought for a moment and said, \"Thank you for your criticism, but I have a request. I hope you will do one more thing for our company before you leave. Perhaps you will change your mind and take back your resignation.\"
John agreed. The boss asked him to go and find out anyone selling watermelon in the market. John went and returned soon. He said he had found out a man selling watermelon. The boss asked how much per kg? John shook his head and went back to the market to Boss told John to wait a second, and he called Bobby to come to his office. He asked Bobby to go and find anyone seling watermelon in the market. Bobby went, returned and said, boss, only one person selling watermelon. $1.2 per kg, $10 for 10kg, he has inventory of 340 melons. On the table 58 melons, every melon weights about 2 kg, bought from the South two days ago, they are fresh and red, good qualityask and returned to inform the boss $1.2 per kg.
12.
A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men aboard
were able to swim to a small, desert-like island. Not knowing what else to do, the two survivors agreed that they had no other recourse than to pray to God.
However, to find out whose prayers were more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.
The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a
fruit-bearing tree on his side of the island, and he was able to eat its fruit. But the other man's part of land remained barren.
After a week, the first man became lonely and decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the island. But on the other side of the island, there was nothing.
Soon thereafter the first man prayed for a house, clothes and more food. The next day, like magic, all of these things were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship so that he and his wife could leave the island, and in the morning he found a ship docked at his side of the island.
The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island, considering the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings since none of his prayers had been answered.
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from Heaven booming, \"Why are you leaving your companion on the island?\"”
\"My blessings are mine alone since I was the one who prayed for them,\" the first man answered. \"His prayers were all unanswered and so he doesn't deserve anything.\"
\"You are mistaken!\" the voice rebuked him. \"He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings.\"
13.
There once were two poor woodsmen who made a living by collecting woods in the mountain. One day, they happened to discover two large bag of cotton in the mountain and felt surprisingly happy. The cotton was light but valuable, so they carried it on their back and went back home.
When they were walking home, one of the woodsmen spotted a large bundle of cloth beside the road. So he discussed with his partner whether to discard the cotton and take the cloth instead. But his partner held a different view that since he had carried the cotton for such a long way, he would not change it with cloth because all his previous effort would turn
out to be in vain.
Therefore, the other woodsman abandoned the cotton and carried the cloth on his back. After walking for a while, the woodsman who carried the cloth spotted several jars of gold disseminated on the ground not far away. He felt so thrilled that he was going to be a wealthy man. So he gave up the cloth and used his carrying pole to carry two jars of gold, while his partner was still reluctant to abandon the cotton and wondering whether the gold
was real or not.
14.
We should not hesitate too much during the first half of our lives, while we should not regret at what we’ve done during the other half. We should seize every opportunity to find a way out in our lives, for it goes off swiftly. We should say something urgent slowly, something serious clearly, something small humorously and something unsure cautiously. We should never say something that did not happen, something that you cannot do, something that does harm to others, and something that is disgusting. We should tell others our happiness in specific occasions and should not tell anyone our unhappiness. Do not easily say something about others. We should follow our own heart and interest, and fulfill what we should do instead of merely paying lip service and looking forward to the future.
Everyone is craving for a happy life, but owning wealth does not necessarily mean owning happiness. To truly reach happiness, we need to know how to get on with others. So we need to understand the core of happiness and achieve what we desire.
Without happiness, one will feel terribly miserable, for he always insists that he has done the right thing all the time and that others often do wrong to him. He attributes every mistake to others or the environment instead of reflecting on himself, which renders him farther and farther away from happiness. A celebrity once said, “Nobody intends to make mistake. One makes mistake because of his igorance.” Therefore, if someone makes mistake, we need to care about him, forgive him and enlighten him by setting a good example for him instead of losing temper, hatred to him. Othewise, we are also ingorant like him, for we also make a stupid mistake that leads us farther from happiness.
15.
I'm Special
我就是我
In the entire world there's nobody like me. Since the beginning of time, there has never been another person like me. Nobody has my smile. Nobody has my eyes, my nose, my hair, my hands, or my voice.
I'm special.
No one can be found who has my handwriting. Nobody anywhere has my tastes — for food or music or art. No one sees things just as I do. In all of time there's been no one who laughs like me, no one who cries like me. And what makes me laugh and cry will never provoke identical laughters and tears from anybody else, ever. No one reacts to any situation just as I would react.
I'm special.
I' m the only one in all of creation who has my set of abilities. Oh, there will always be somebody who is better at one of the things I'm good at, but no one in the universe can reach the quality of my combination of talents, ideas, abilities and feelings. Like a room full of musical instruments, some may excel alone, but none can match the symphony sound when all are played together. I'm a symphony.
Through all of eternity no one will ever look, talk, walk, think or do like me.
I'm special.
I'm rare.
And, in all rarity there is great value. Because of my great rare value, I need not attempt to imitate others. I will accept — yes, indeed, celebrate — my differences. I'm special.
And I'm beginning to realize it's no accident that I'm special. I'm beginning to see that I have been made for a very special purpose. There is a job for me that no one else can do as well as I. Out of all the billions of job applicants, only one is qualified, only one has the right combination of what it takes. That one is me. Because...I'm special.
16.
She was dressing up in the make-up room and going to perform on the stage, when one of her friends rushed to her breathlessly and told her that her husband left for another place with another woman. Hearing the news, she just smiled frankly and did not stop making up. She made up very delicately for that show. After ten minutes, she showed on the stage and kept a charming smile as well as a steady tone as usual. She interacted with the audience and threw out quite a few of jokes that deeply pleased her audience. Returning back to the make-up room, she cleansed her makeup and still maintained calm. Her friend felt it incredible: Why she could bear when her husband fooled around with other woman while she was performing?
There was another woman singer having the similar experience. When she reached the
age of retirement, she suffered the change of marriage. Her husband had another woman and departed from her, leaving her feeling sad alone. She told others miserably that she broke down with her husband because their characteristics were not suitable for each other and that she had chosen a wrong man initially. Many of her fans had thought that her singing career would come to an end since then. As a female singer who had lost her youth and love, how could she still strive in her field?
However, the choices of both ladies mentioned above are totally beyond our wildest dream. The first lady was Jin Yuxi. After divorce, her career reached a higher peak and she led a more colorful life. Wherever she went, she would keep a smiling and confident profile. The second lady was Cai Qin. She did not give up singing with youth fading away. On the contrary, her career leapt to another culmination.
There are numerous women’ lives ruined by failed marriage, but these two ladies’ did not. The reason is indeed very simple. Cai Qin once said, “Your life is yours, not others!” It is more than true that your life is belonging uniquely to yourself and you should sense and capture every moment of happiness from life with a generous and grateful mindset. No one would present you happiness unless you seize it by yourself in daily life!
17.
Years ago， when I started looking for my first job， wise advisers urged， \"Barbara， be enthusiastic! Enthusiasm will take you further than any amount of experience.\"
How right they were. Enthusiastic people can turn a boring drive into an adventure， extra work into opportunity and strangers into friends.
\"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm，\" wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson. It is the paste that helps you hang in there when the going gets tough. It is the inner voice that whispers， \"I can do it!\" when others shout， \"No， you can‘t.\"
It took years and years for the early work of Barbara McClintock， a geneticist who won the 1983 Nobel Prize in medicine， to be generally accepted. Yet she didn‘t let up on her experiments. Work was such a deep pleasure for her that she never thought of stopping.
We are all born with wide-eyed， enthusiastic wonder as anyone knows who has ever seen an infant‘s delight at the jingle of keys or the scurrying of a beetle.
It is this childlike wonder that gives enthusiastic people such a youthful air， whatever their age.
At 90， cellist Pablo Casals would start his day by playing Bach. As the music flowed through his fingers， his stooped shoulders would straighten and joy would reappear in his eyes. Music， for Casals， was an elixir that made life a never ending adventure. As author and poet Samuel Ullman once wrote， \"Years wrinkle the skin， but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.\"
18.
My grandfather took me to the fish pond on the farm when I was about seven, and he told me to throw a stone into the water. He told me to watch the circles created by the stone. Then he asked me to think of myself as that stone.
\"You may create lots of splashes in your life, but the waves that come from those
splashes will disturb the peace of all your fellow creatures,\" he said.
\"Remember that you are responsible for what you put in your circle and that circle will also touch many other circles.\"
\"You will need to live in a way that allows the good that comes from your circle to send the peace of that goodness to others. The splash that comes from anger or jealousywill send
those feelings to other circles. You are responsible for both.\"
That was the first time I realized that each person creates the inner peace or discord that flows out into the world. We cannot create world peace if we are riddled with inner conflict, hatred, doubt, or anger.
We radiate the feelings and thoughts that we hold inside, whether we speak them or not. Whatever is splashing around inside of us is spilling out into the world, creating beauty or discord with all other circles of life.
19.
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