Some daily conversation

by abdo Wed Apr 06, 2011 11:22 am

Some daily conversation

Making Friends
When making new friends, there are usually three parts to the conversation you will have with your new friend. The first is the greeting. In this part, you and your new friend will greet each other and tell each other your names. The second part is the conversation. Sometimes the conversation is small talk and some times the conversation is about important matters, such as business. "Small talk" is an American slang term. It means that the conversation is about matters that are not very important. When conversing with your new friend, it is customary to give information about your family, your work, or you will talk about any matter that is important to you and your new friend. The third part of the conversation is the leave-taking. In this part, you tell your new friend that you are happy to meet him and that you must end the conversation.
In this conversation, Thinh will introduce himself and his wife to Jim, their new neighbor.
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The whole conversation
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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!
Apartment Hunting
Bill is looking for a new apartment. He just moved to a new city in order to start studying at a university. He is at a Rental Agency in the new city.

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Agent: Hi! Welcome to Rental Property Management. How may I help you?
Bill: Hi, yes. I'm interested in renting a two-bedroom apartment.
Agent: Okay. If you have a seat, one of our rental agents will be with you in a moment.
Bill: Thank you.
Associate: Hi, my name is Ann Smith.
Bill: Hi, I'm Bill Harrington.
Ann: Hi, Mr. Harrington. So that we will be able to match your needs better, I would like to ask you a few questions before I show you what we have available. First, what price range were you interested in?
Bill: Somewhere between $400-$450 a month.
Ann: Okay. Did you have a specific location in mind?
Bill: Well, I would like to live somewhere near the university. Or at least on a bus line.
Ann: And when would you like to move in?
Bill: On the first of the month.
Ann: Okay. Are there any other amenities which you would like to have? For example, a dishwasher, a balcony, a swimming pool or central air conditioning?
Bill: I would definitely like to have a dishwasher, and with summers like these, central air! A balcony is not that important. Oh, yes, and two bathrooms would be nice.
Ann: Okay. Here are photos of the apartments we have available which fit your preferences.
Bill: Thank you. This one on Broadway Avenue looks nice. I would like to see that one. And the one on Main Street.
Ann: Sure. Let me get the keys and we will go look at them. If you choose to rent one of them, we will need a damage deposit of $250. You will be responsible for all the utilities. You can sign a lease today, if you like.
Bill: Great! Thank you.
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At the Library

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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!
Asking for the Way

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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. A VISIT TO THE ADVISOR
Listen to the Whole Conversation
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In this conversation, an international student has been asked to see her advisor. The advisor has something very important to discuss with the student.
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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.