Unit 3A

Text 1

W: So you write what is commonly known as Young Adult Literature.

M: Yes. I mean all ages can enjoy my books, but it's primarily aimed at people in high school. 

Text 2

M: What do you think is the most important thing at a school, the courses, the equipment, or something else?

W: Well, I don't think there's anything more important than the teachers. 

Text 3

M: Jane, do you have a map of Manchester? I want to find a good place to eat. 

W: Why not try Chinatown? There are plenty of good Chinese restaurants there, and it's near here.

Text 4

W: My apartment building started a recycling program. I'm so interested in learning about it.

M: We've been recycling in my building since last year. I'm trying to stop using plastic bags, too. 

W:That's awesome. Using less water is another great way to protect the environment. 

Text 5

M: Part of the public has a different thought on war. Some even think it is a game of some sort.

W: Having lived through the Second World War, I know that war is a terrible thing. When I see films about it, I can remember the whole thing. 

Text 6

M: I can't stand this heat. I can't give my attention to study for the midterm exam. I guess I'll have to go to the library this afternoon. 

W: I don't blame you. This dormitory doesn't have an air conditioner. I can't study either. My roommate and I are thinking about moving out to the other dormitory or an apartment that has an air conditioner. 

M: Oh, I've thought about moving, too. But if I want to live in an apartment, I'll have to pay a lot of money for electricity.

W: Oh, no. That's really expensive. Well, I guess I'll tell my roommate we will see about the other dormitory. If it doesn't work out, we will sweat all summer. 

Text 7

W: Let's go to see the pandas first. Then I want to see the giraffes. They are my favorite, because they are so tall!

M: Well, the snake area is on the way to the other animals, so let's see snakes first. 

W: OK. And don't forget about the bird area!

M: We may not make it to the birds. I told your mother we would meet her at the Zoo's Restaurant at 5 o'clock. We have to have dinner and then leave before the zoo closes at 6 o'clock. It's 4 o'clock now, so we just have an hour to visit some of the animals. 

W: All right, Daddy! We are losing time sitting in this parking lot. Let's go buy tickets and get inside!

M: Right. Let's go.

Text 8

W: Hi, Jim. Why did it take you so long to answer the phone? Were you playing computer games as usual?

M: Not this time. I was taking a shower.

W: I called you yesterday, but you didn't answer the phone.

M: Sorry, I was out shopping yesterday and left my phone at home. I saw that you had called when I got back in the afternoon and I tried to call you back, but your phone was off. 

W: Yeah, I went to a concert, so I turned my phone off. 

M: So what's up?

W: I wanted to invite you to my sister's wedding next Saturday. Would you like to be my guest? 

M: Sure. I bought a present for her yesterday. Can you come and pick me up on Saturday?

W: Sure. The wedding begins at 2:00 pm. I'll come and pick you up forty minutes before that.

M: Could you come twenty minutes earlier than that? Megan is going to the wedding, too, and she needs a lift.

W: No problem. See you next Saturday.

Text 9

W: Where did you go last summer, Mike?

M: I went to France, Spain, Italy, Austria and Germany. Of all those countries, I stayed in France the longest. 

W: How long did you stay in France?

M: Five weeks. I took a summer French course in Nice, a city in the southeast of France.

W: When did the course start?

M: On July 10. A week after the vacation started. 

W: Where did you live during your stay in Nice?

M: I lived with the Marceaus. Mr. Marceau is a teacher, his wife is a doctor and his daughter is a nurse. They were friendly to me. 

W: What did you usually have?

M: I usually had bread with milk for breakfast, chicken and fish for lunch and beef for supper.

W: Did you often travel to other places in France at weekends? 

M: Yes, I did. I went to Cannes on July 21, Marseille on July 28 and Avignon on August 4. I really enjoyed my life in France, although it was mostly busy. 

Text 10

M: Good afternoon, everyone! Today I will give you a lecture about history education. I have been teaching history for about 30 years. Once, I asked myself, “What's the best way to teach it?” Recently, educators have been rethinking their approaches to history education. One new view is that it should be taught from the present backwards. Let me give you an example. The traditional approach to teaching the history of business always begins with the history of the Industrial Revolution, and continues slowly through all the government action over three hundred years to the present. Critics say that method, making students only memorize names, places, and dates about the Industrial Revolution, is a waste. Instead, it's more effective for learners to begin with a present-day question, like,“Why is the economy so bad these days?” and then go back to examine the history of business to find the answer. In other words, beginning with the question about the present is more effective than the former method because it shows a cause-and-effect approach to the study of history. And when students begin to see history as a cause-and-effect relationship, they can understand why the study of history is important.