OVERVIEW QUESTION

TOPIC

1.

M: I though that was boring, actually. It was way too long.

W: Hmm. And the acting wasn’t very good, was it?

M: It had a lot of big stars in it and they say it cost a fortune to make.

W: Yes, but the story itself was terrible. I don’t think I’ll be getting the DVD.

2.

W: How’s your steak?

M: It’s great. And the potatoes are tasty too. What about your fish?

W: It’s good, but the vegetables are overcooked

M: Oh, that’s a shame. Maybe you should tell the waiter.

3.

M: So, you have a board meeting at 10, then lunch with Dr.Liu.

W: Ok, anything after lunch?

M: Gary from Sales wants to see you. How about, say, two.

W: Two’s fine. I don’t want any appointment after that, though. I need to finish a report.

4.

W: The elevator stopped working this morning around 9. Luckily nobody was inside.

M: Well, I suppose we’ll take the stairs. Any idea when it will be fixed?

W: I called a maintenance guy hours ago. They should be here soon.

5.

M: Are you going to Tim’s on Saturday night?

W: Yes, I’m looking forward to it. Who else is going?

M: Everyone from work, some of his friends, his neighbors. It starts at 8, you know where he lives,
right?

W: Yes, 43 Greenacre Drive, I’ll see you there at 8.

6.

W: The train to the airport is the quickest. It’s direct, too

M: But it’s expensive and the bus is more convenient. There’s a stop just outside our hotel.

W: I don’t want to get stuck in traffic with a flight to catch. Let’s take the train.

LOCATION

1.

W: Tickets, please. Can I see your ticket?

M: Oh, here it is. Thank you. Which platform is the 3:10 to Sydney, please?

W: That’ll be Platform 11. Go straight and turn right. It’s at the end.

2.

M: Excuse me. Can you tell me where the meat sauce is, please?

W: Over near the fruit and vegetables. Can you see the sign?

M: Oh yes, I see it. Thank you

3.

M: Are you going out?

W: Yes, I need to return these books. I just remembered I’ve had them for ages.

M: You’ll probably have to pay a fine then.

W: I know, I hope it’s not too expensive

4.

M: How’s the new job? Are you enjoying it?

W: Yes, but it’s hard work. I hurt my back lifting a package this morning into the scale. It was really
heavy.

M: Could anyone help you?

W: No, everyone was busy. It’s always busy on Mondays. I filled six huge bags of mail, and sold
around 300 stamps before lunch.
5.

M: I’d like a car for a few days. What do you have? Small is ok?

W: Well. We have a compact available. That’s the most .

M: That’s fine. How much is it for the weekend including insurance?

W: Ok. Give me a minute and I’ll get you a price.

6.

W: Hello. Mr. Wikinson. How are you?

M: Not too good, actually. I have a toothache in the back, on the side, right about here.

W: Sit back in the chair and let me take a look. Open wide. Oh yes, I see the problem. I’ll need to do
something about this right away.

SPEAKER

1.

W: Can you sit in your seat, please, sir? The plan is going to take off soon

M: I’m sorry. Where can I put this bag?

W: Please put it under the seat in front of you.

M: Ok, thanks.

2.

W: Where should I put all these books?

M: They’re all new for this season. I want them in the window.

W: Ok, I will do it.

3.

M: Ok, so what seems to be the problem?

W: I have a terrible cough and a sore throat. It’s been almost a week now, and it’s not getting any
better.

M: I see, let me have a look down your throat. Say “ahhh”

W: Ahhhh
4.

M: Hello, ma’am. How can I help you?

W: I’d like 12 red roses, please. The best you have?

M: Certainly. Would you like me to wrap them in gift paper?

W: Yes, please. They’re a birthday present for my husband.

5.

M: Sorry, but my room hasn’t been cleaned today, and the TV doesn’t work.

W: Oh, dear. I’m very sorry to hear that. What’s your room number?

M: 246. and the service at breakfast this morning was terrible. Can I speak to the manager?

W: I’ll get her right away.

6.

M: Hi, the airport, please!

W: No problem

M: Can I go as quickly as you can? I’m late and I don’t want to miss my flight.

W: I’ll do my best, but the traffic is pretty bad right now.

ACTIVITIES

1.

M: Can I see your passport, please?

W: Yes, here it is. And here’s my boarding pass, too

M: Thank you, please take a seat in the lounge. The flight is on time, so you can board in 10 minutes.

2.

M: Here we are, 30 Harvard Square. That’ll be $12.50 please

W: Oh, I only have 20, is that ok?

M: No problem. Let me see…. 7 dollars and fifty cent. Here you are.

3.

W: So go along fifth avenue and take a right at the post office.

M: Right at the post office, ok

W: Then walk straight for 2 blocks and the bank is on your left.

M: That’s great. Thanks for your help.

4.

W: Jason, can you help me prepare for the presentation in Room 4.

M: Sorry, I can’t. I have to finish this report.

W: Can’t it wait? I could really use your help moving the furniture, and I need someone to connect
my laptop.

M: Sorry, I need to email this by 4 o’clock. My best customer is waiting for it. Maybe Alan can help.

5.

W: Do you know what the problem is?

M: No, not yet. The engine works fine, and it’s not the battery.

W: I need it soon. I have a meeting at 3 and it’s at least a thirty-minute drive from here.

M: Hmm. It might be a loose connection. Give me a little more time. We’ll have you on the road
again really soon.

6.

M: Suzie, can you pass the salt? It’s over there on the table

W: Sure, here you go the vegetables will be ready soon.

M: Good, I checked the steak about 2 minutes ago. It looks delicious

W: Great. I’m looking forward to this. I’m really hungry

DETAILED QUESTION

TIME

1.

W: It’s Friday already and we still haven’t finished this project. I’ll be glad when it’s over.

M: I know. It’s almost three months now. Well, we should be able to finish it next week, hopefully.

W: Hopefully! I’m looking forward to it. Anyway, have a good weekend. I'II see you on Monday.

2.

M: I don't think this cell phone is working properly.

W: You only bought it two weeks ago, didn’t you? Why don't you take it back to the store?

M: I haven’t had time this week. I’ve been too busy.

W: Maybe you’ll get the chance over the weekend.

3.

M: When does the lecture on Telephone Sales begin?

W: I think it starts at three. It’s in Training Room B this time.

M: It finishes at tour, right? I have a meeting then.

W: No, this one lasts for two hours. You’ll have to reschedule your four o’clock appointment.

4.

M: When are you going to sign the Franklin contract?

W: There’s no rush. It’s only Tuesday. We aren’t seeing them until Thursday.

M: Yes, but I promised Mr. Franklin he would have it before the weekend.

W: Really? I didn’t know that. OK, I’ll do it right away.

5.

W: Say, Tony. Have you lost weight?

M: Yes, I have. Thanks for noticing. I started going to the gym a few months ago.

W: Well, it seems to be working! Do you go every day?

M: No. They say you need to go three times a week, but I just go on Mondays and Fridays.
6.

W: I haven’t sent this package yet, and it’s five thirty already.

M: Well, why don’t you leave it until tomorrow? It’s not urgent, is it?

W: I guess not. But I wanted to do it today.

M: I’d leave it and do it right when you get in tomorrow. That’ll be ok.

REASONS

1.

W: What’s wrong? You look a little upset.

M: It’s this new tiling System. It’s not very good. A lot of documents seem to be missing.

W: You’re right. It’s not easy to use. I think the old system was much better.

M: I’ll have to ask senior management to look into it. It’s time we put all these records on the
computer anyway.

2.

W: Hey, Sean. I hear you moved home last week. Congratulations!

M: Thanks. It's a smaller place than I was in, though.

W: But don’t you find it’s more convenient to be in the city?

M: Yes, that’s why I moved. I love the countryside, but it used to take 40 minutes to get here on the
train, but now I walk to work!

3.

W: Why are we meeting on Friday and not today, as we planned?

M: James can’t make it today. He’s away at a convention.

W: Can’t we manage without him?

M: Not really. The main office says we all have to attend the meeting.

4.

M: Don’t you want to leave? It’s seven thirty. Everyone’s gone home.

W: I have to wait for a client to call. It’s the Jenkins account. . . again.

M: Oh, really. What's the problem this time?

W: They’re saying they won’t pay our latest invoice.

5.

M: Have you heard the news about Michael Fraser? He resigned.

W: No! He’s only been here six months. What happened?

M: I have no idea. But they’re already advertising for a new Research Director.

6.

W: Hello? Barbara Reddich speaking

M: Hi, Barbara. It’s Brian. I won’t be in today. I have a really bad stomachache. I’m seeing the doctor
later this morning.

W: Oh, dear. I’m sorry to hear that. I’II tell the others. Oh! What about your annual review?

M: It'll have to wait. Can we just reschedule it for next week?

PLANS

1.

W: At last, it’s Friday. What a week! I’m glad we Finished that report.

M: Let’s enjoy ourselves this weekend. The weather forecast is good, so why don’t we play tennis
tomorrow?

W: OK, and on Sunday we can go for a long walk in the country.

M: That sounds like a good plan!

2.

M: Hi, Carol. This is your last month. Do you know what you’re going to do atter this contract is over?

W: Yes, I’m going to apply for a permanent position here. I really like working with you all.

M: That’s great! But, I thought you wanted to work in Vancouver

W: No, I’ve changed my mind. Toronto is much nicer!

3.

M: Can you check the price of these memory sticks, please?

W: Certainly, one moment... They’re $8.49 each. Do you want all three?

M: Yes, please. Oh, I don’t have enough cash. Is a credit card OK?

W: Sure, no problem.
4.

W: Which one do you think I should get; the red or the blue dress? Or maybe that skirt over there?

M: The black one? That looks good. But you have a lot of skirts, already.

W: Yes, you’re right. OK, so if it’s for work, then the blue is a little more suitable, I think.

M: I agree. Let’s hurry up and pay.

5.

M: Fiona, we’d like to otter you the job. Will you accept?

W: I’d love to. Thanks. Oh, I’ll have to tell my current employer, of course.

M: Yes, of course. So, you intend to give a month’s notice there?

W: That’s right. I can't just leave immediately. That means I should be tree to start here four weeks
from next Monday.

6.

M: Due to the economic slowdown, we’re going to have to close our Munich branch next year.

W: Oh, that’s terrible. What about all the staff who work there? Will they lose their jobs?

M: Some will be offered work in New York or London, but the majority will have to go, I’m afraid.

W: Hmm. I wonder how our investors will take this news.

OFFERS AND REQUESTS

1.

M: OK. It’s almost one o'clock. I'm going out to get a sandwich. I can get one for you too, if you like

W: That’s very kind of you. Thank you. Could you get me a ham and cheese, from the coffee shop on
the corner?

M: OK. Do you want anything to drink?

W: A regular coffee, thanks. Wait a minute and give you the money.

2.

M: Diane, do you think you'll get that work done by five o'clock?

W: By five? No way. There’s too much to do. It’ll have to wait until Monday.

M: Would you mind staying late tonight and finishing it? It’s very urgent. I can pay you overtime
W: Sorry, but I have plans. I’m meeting some friends for dinner.

3.

W1: Hello, Noreen. How can I help you?

W2: Do we have a budget for this kind of thing?

W1: Not at the moment. Money is very tight. I can give you my monitor if you want. We can swap

W2: Well, you’re not at your desk as much as me, so OK, yes. Let’s do that.

4.

M: Are you waiting for Mrs. Aifen?

W: Yes. We have a meeting at four, but it seems she’s a little late.

M: Yes, I think it’s the traffic. I’ll call her on her cellphone to check. Would you like some tea or
coffee while you wait?

5.

M: Excuse me. Are you using this?

W: No, that one’s free. I just need two, for my friends. They’ll be here any minute.

M: OK, well, I’m with some people over there in the corner, and we need one more chair. Do you
mind if I take this one?

W: Sure, go ahead.

6.

W: We’ve been good customers of yours for a year now.

M: Yes, that’s right. I hope you’re happy with our Service and our Products. Do you feel you’re
getting good value for your money?

W: Well, that’s what I want to ask you about. I’ve been comparing prices on the Internet, and you’re
not that competitive, to be honest. We’d like to stay with you, but could you give ten percent off all
future orders?

M: Oh. I see. I'll have to ask my boss about that.

SUGGESTION AND ADVICE

1.

W: Haven’t you found a job yet, Craig?

M: No, I haven't. I can't seem to find anything. There aren’t any good jobs in the newspapers, and
the employment agencies are useless.

W: There are a lot of job sites on the web. Why don’t you look there? That’s how I found my job.

M: Of course, the Internet! Why didn’t I think of that?

2.

M: I’m going to the airport to pick up Mr. Chan ... again.

W: Wow. That’s the third time this month.

M: I know. And it’s getting in the way of my work. I’m already behind schedule.

W: lf I were you, I'd find a good taxi company and get them to meet him.

3.

W: You know, I’ve done the same job since I started here five years ago. I'm getting bored, but I
don’t want to leave the company.

M: Isn’t there a vacancy in Media Relations? I saw an ad on the bulletin board in the cafeteria.

W: Yes, I saw that too. I don't think I'm qualitied for it, though.

M: Maybe you should ask them about it. You might have the skills they need.

4.

W: Oh, this office is so small. I’m surprised you haven't moved by now.

M: There are only three of us. We don’t need a lot of space, you know.

W: Hmm. Have you considered moving someplace bigger, and closer to the city? It would be more
convenient for your clients.

M: Yes, but it would also cost more money. I don't think we can afford it.

5.

W: What are we going to do for the end-of-the-year party? Do you have any ideas?

M: We usually have drinks and snacks in the conference room on the last day, don’t we?

W: Yes, but this year I want us all to do something different. What about a dance competition?

M: Hmm. How about eating out for a change? We could have dinner at the new Italian place across
the street.
6.

W: What’s the best way to get to Halson Chemicals from here?

M: lf I were you, I’d catch a train to Newberry, and then walk there from the station. It’s not far, and
quicker than the bus.

W: Oh, OK. I was thinking of driving actually.

M: Don’t. The traffic is terrible. When I drove there, it took two hours.

OPINION

1.

W: Well, that was, er, an “interesting” experience.

M: Interesting? Huh. I guess you could say that. The guy on the violin was terrible. Not what I was
expecting.

W: And I couldn’t hear the piano at all. I think one of the microphones was broken

M: Yes, it’s a shame. At least it was only an hour.

2.

W: Those plastic bottles go in the blue bin, not the black bin.

M: Oh, right. Sorry. It’s so difficult to remember what goes where.

W: Just read the poster on the wall over there. It’s simple

M: Maybe for you, but I’m not used to all these bins.

3.

M: OK, let’s move on to next year’s sales targets. Michelle, what are your thoughts?

W: In my opinion, the targets are very high. We’ll be lucky to get anywhere near them.

M: So, which targets can we achieve?

W: To tell you the truth, I’d be surprised if we can reach any of them.

4.

M: How do you like the new Museum shop? It was only finished last week

W: I like it, but why is it on the top floor? I didn’t expect it to be there. It's not marked in the leaflet
so it took me ages to work out where it was.
M: We wanted to put it next to the coffee shop. That was the only place in the museum where we
had enough space, too.

W: Hmm. Well, maybe some signs would help.

5.

W: It seems we have to either cut costs or lose more staff. There’s no other way.

M: Yes, I agree. If we continue as we are, the company will fail, that’s for sure.

W: So, we have a lot of decisions ahead of us. Some very difficult ones, I’m afraid.

M: Yes, but we have to take them, and take them quickly. If we don’t, we’ll lucky to survive another
six months.

6.

M: How much do you think we should sell the new TX20 for?

W: I’d say the price should be around $295. That would make us slightly cheaper than most of the
competition.

M: Well. I think we should aim for $360. It’s a quality product and customers will expect to pay more
for it.

W: But that’s 20% more than our rivals. That’s a big difference. Do you think anyone would buy it?
INFERENCE QUESTIONS

ATTITUDE

1.

M: That was a long drive, wasn’t it?

W: Yes it was. Five hours on the highway in heavy traffic. It’s not my idea of fun, especially in this
weather. It's been raining the whole time.

M: Well, at least we’re here now. Look, there's the hotel over there. Let’s check in and then you can
relax.

W: Yes. I think I need a long bath before we have dinner.

2.

W: I can't believe they canceled the order.

M: I know. They just called an hour ago.

M: But I was there tor three days negotiatìng that. We gave them everything they asked tor. We
couldnl have done any more.

M: I know. But they say they don't want it now. Perhaps they got a better offer from somewhere
else?

DEDUCTION

1.

W: Are you sure this bill is correct?

M: Yes ma'am. One appetizer, one main course, a glass of wine, one dessert... a twelve percent
service charge. Yes, the bill is correct.

W: Really. I know what I had, but l'm amazed at the cost. I don't have enough cash.

M: Would you like to pay by credit card?

2.

W: Do you have any Plans for the weekend, David?

M: Yes, l'm going to a concert on Saturday night. The Blue Kings.

W: Oh, right. Are they famous?

M: Are you kidding? I can’t believe I got tickets