Four conversations

Listen to four conversations to practise and improve your listening skills.

Do the preparation task first. Then listen to the audio and do the exercises.

Preparation

Transcript

A

Man: How did it go?

Woman: Umm, I think it went quite well. I did a lot of research and prepared a lot. I was in there for ... I don't know ... half an hour?

Man: And? What did they say?

Woman: Nothing much. At the end I asked them, 'What happens now?', and the woman said, 'We'll call you back with news in three or four days.'

Man: Really?

Woman: Yeah, I think I've got the job. There weren't a lot of other people there. I was the only interview that day, you know?

Man: Well, good luck with it.

B

Man: Anyway, you were saying ...

Woman: Oh, yeah, um ... let's see. Yes, so I was in the museum and there were, I don't know, a hundred people waiting to get into the room. Finally, I got in, and I tried to see the Mona Lisa but I couldn't look at it.

Man: Why not?

Woman: Because the room was filled with people taking photographs of it!

Man: Oh, right.

Woman: Yes! And selfies.

Man: Wait a minute. You can take photos while you're in there?

Woman: Yes, but you can't use flash. I don't know ... Why do we take photos of everything we see when we travel?

Man: I know. And we never look at the photos after.

Woman: Exactly! I'm tired of always taking photos. I don't feel I'm enjoying things.

C

Man: Who took this?

Woman: I can't remember. Hmmm ...

Man: What am I doing?

Woman: You're sitting on the sofa, watching TV and eating chocolates. Nothing changes!

Man: Ha! Very funny. You look very young, though.

Woman: I know. Look at my hair – it was so long!

Man: Mine too, look at me! Hey … I think I know who took this photo.

Woman: Umm … who? Was it Dad?

Man: No, it wasn’t Dad or Mum. Do you remember Barry?

Woman: No.

Man: Yes, YES! You do remember. Barry, your boyfriend at high school. You were seventeen and he was sixteen and he was so very polite: 'Hello, I'm Barry. It's very nice to meet you ...'

Woman: Stop it! He was nice.

Man: Yeah, well, he took the photo.

D

Woman: Let's see. OK. I'm glad we could talk about this. It's not easy to say.

Man: What?

Woman: Well, you're not in our group – for the class project.

Man: What do you mean? You know I'm always in a group with you.

Woman: I know. It's just that this time … this time we made the group differently and because you were late ...

Man: I see. You don't want me in the group?

Woman: No, no. It isn't that. It's that we've already made the group, see? There's four of us already.

Man: So? We can't be a group of five?

Woman: Well, the teacher said four people per group.

Man: Oh.

Woman: It's not about you or your work or anything like that. It's ... errrr ... well, we already have the group.

Man: So I have to find another group.

Woman: I'm sorry.

Task 1

Exercise

Task 2

Exercise

Discussion

Have you ever had a similar conversation? What new phrases did you learn in these conversations?

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Language level

A2 Pre-intermediate

Topics

family and friends

conversation

Of course, I had some conversations on these topics. I've been on plenty of job interviews and discuss them with my friends and family. And I also tried to see Mona Lisa and also failed, actually. You just can't come nearer because of the crowd. And yeah, I think we take too many photos on our holidays. And then, after returning, we look at them at the most ones or twice. I used to take tons of photos in my past travelings but now I prefer to enjoy the moment of relaxation but not being a photographer only. However, I like to view some old photos. It's funny how we change through time.

Yes, I had a similar conversation about taking a photo when traveling. taking a photo is great, but first, we need to enjoy the view before it. it may be our last chance to come to those places, so we need to memories that beautifully.

Yes, I already had a similar conversation but in my native language and also learned new phrases.

well, I had the same conversation like the third one with my roomate yesterday. We showed our old school and classmates together. It is great to look back these memories.

Yes, I had a conversation similar too the second one. And, I think the same about taking a lot of photos. We'd better enjoy our moments than just try to take photos or videos to show them to people or post them on social media. Well, a few photos for the family or friends to remember the good time spent together are fine but when you are always going around with the camera or the phone in hands taking photos instead of appreciating your holidays and having fun, it simply does not make sense.

Yes, I've had similar conversation, specially, A,B and D. I learned new phrase it's Who did it go ?

Yes,I’ve had a similar conversation. I learn some new phrases: Really? ,What happens? ,Gotcha, That’s interesting, Right, Pardon?....

yes, i already had this kind of conversation with my parents or my friends. i've learn a lot in this coneversation, because at the moment i'm trying to study english by myself and i hope that i will be able to improve my level.

In my view, writing an essay or assignment for college and school is not very difficult. When I was a student, I wrote many essays. But in an academic research, it will be hard to write. There are many important things or points to be noted. First of all, we should be free from all kinds of judgments and should use academic norms and terminologies which maintain many different types of methods and epistemologic approaches from one field to another. Secondly, we should study hard to find a good theory that can explain our subject. Thirdly, we must collect a lot of data and analyse them based on our theory which is accepted by our research. Finally, after all these things, time is to make a deduction. We should carefully compare our data with our presumptions and answer to questions/ problem adequately. Indeed, writing an essay is not very difficult, if we have enough sources and time. We should work hard, and it will not be easy, if we don't want to sustain any discomfort.

Yes, I have. But my conversation wasn't in English. A few weeks ago, I looked at pictures that I took them when I was at the University. My brother asked many questions about them, for example. He said: you were a little overweight and so younger when you were in the University. I also explained some pictures of mine and my friends. I learned some, for example, I didn't know "I know" uses when we are going to say something or let's see, and so on.