Unit 5B

Text 1

W: Hello, I'm here to talk about my travel experience. I've just got back from the holiday you arranged for me. The hotel was really awful, including its food and bedroom. 

M: Sorry about that. I'll tell your problem to the manager.

Text 2

M: Sue, I've just been told the date of the play has been changed from the 15th to the 16th.

W: Are you serious? Yesterday I was told it is going to be the 17th.

M: The 17th is a Sunday, so they changed it to a Saturday in the end. 

Text 3

M: This matches that suit I have at home, doesn't it? I don't know how to tie it, though. 

W: Don't worry, I do. My dad taught me how to do it when I was little.

Text 4

M: The doctor said if I kept smoking, I would increase my chance of having a heart attack.

W: Did he suggest losing some weight, too? 

Text 5

W: Jason, what do you think of Measuring Me! written by Nicola Kent? 

M: This is a lovely introduction to the concept of measuring. It is also a celebration of the amazing human body. It is suitable for children. 

W: Great. Then I'll get it for my son's birthday.

Text 6

M: I wonder if I've let myself down. I planned to have a job in education, but I just wasn't cut out for it. Now, I'm in finance.

W: That's okay. You're just like Roger the dog! Have you heard of him?

M: No.

W: He failed police dog training because he kept losing concentration and wanting to play. 

M: Well, that's not like me.

W: But listen...The fire department hired Roger as a search and rescue dog, and suddenly his energy became a strength, not a weakness. Now he's a hero! 

M: But I'm hardly saving lives.

W: But you help small businesses achieve success! That's really meaningful. And you enjoy it, right? 

M: Yeah, I do!

W: Take pride in that! You've done what's right for you! 

Text 7

M: Hi, I'm Brandon. I live downstairs. Sorry to bother you, but can I talk to you for a minute? 

W: Sure. Is everything all right?

M: I have been listening to you playing the piano in the apartment for a while, and I'm glad you have made improvements. However, I need a long sleep on weekends. It's only 6:30 am now. It's fine on weekdays because I get up at 6:00 am anyway. On weekends, I'd really appreciate it if you could hold off until 8:30 am. 

W: Sorry about that. I will have a piano competition next week, so I have been practicing for it. I didn't realize that it had a bad influence on your sleep. 

M: You know, weekends are always the time when we can get more sleep.

W: I see your point. I know the way you feel. I will put off practicing the piano until 9:00 am.

M: OK, it's very kind of you. Have a nice day!

W: Thank you.

Text 8

M: Word count check...Hey, I've done 800 words so far! I just need 200 more words to reach the required word count. How about you? 

W: I've only written half as many as you. I hate these types of projects. They make me wish I'd taken geography or psychology instead! 

M: You'd still have to write essays for them.

W: Sure. But I wouldn't need to remember all these dates! 

M: Well, if we don't learn from the past, we'll repeat the same mistakes in the future.

W: But society has changed so much over the past 100 years, and many of the big challenges we're facing today are completely new. Shouldn't we be focusing on the present?

M: True. Our ancestors may not have been able to imagine climate change or the Internet, but they still experienced the same joy and bother as we do. By studying the past, we're able to make better decisions for the future. 

W: That's true. We shouldn't get stuck in the past, but I guess it can help guide us forward.

Text 9

W: Hey, Carl. Have you ever done any volunteer work?

M: Yes, I volunteered at a food bank for a few months last year. What's up?

W: I'd like to join some volunteer work, but I don't know how to get started. What did you do at the food bank? 

M: There was a lot of work including food sorting and packing, shopping assistance and home delivery. I was mainly responsible for distributing the donated food to people in need. It was repetitive and boring at times, but I met a lot of great people and felt like I was making a real difference. 

W: That's awesome! I'm a bit nervous about starting. I'm not sure if I could do it well or commit myself to long-term work.

M: Don't worry. Just start with what you can manage. You may find yourself sticking to volunteering for a long time.

W: I'm hesitant to help out at a local shelter or get involved in a community clean-up. Do you have any suggestions?

M: Both sound like fantastic options! Shelters are always in need of volunteers, and joining the community clean-up is a great way to get outdoors. You can try both and see which one you enjoy more. 

Text 10

M: Good afternoon, I'm Ryan Carter. Welcome to Special English. Are people less happy or much happier as they get older? If you choose the latter, you are right. A study led by Arthur Stone from Stony Brook University found that people generally became happier and less worried after the age of 50. His team also found that levels of stress were highest among adults between the ages of 22 and 25, but dropped sharply after people reached their fifties. Happiness was highest among the youngest adults and those in their early seventies. Besides, the survey found that men and women have similar emotional patterns with the growth of age. However, women of all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men did. The researchers also considered possible influences such as having young children, being unemployed, or being single, but none of them affected the relationship between age and happiness. Do you want to know the reason for the increased happiness with age? A study led by Michael Grandner may be able to tell us the answer. Now, welcome Mr. Grandner.