Unit 9A

Text 1

W: International Shipping, Elaine speaking. May I help you?

M: Allan MacFarlane speaking. Could I speak to Bob Harris, please? 

W: Hold on a moment please, Mr. MacFarlane. I'll just put you through. 

Text 2

M: I am so tired of driving all those hours to work.

W: Yeah. I know what you mean. I used to drive two hours to work each day. But now, I live within walking distance of my office. I don't even need a bike. 

Text 3

W: Oh, man, you look awful. Do you have that flu everybody's lately got?

M: No, I probably look terrible because I stayed up all last night studying, but I should be fine after some sleep. 

Text 4

M: I heard about what happened at the weekend. Are you alright?

W: I'm fine. It was scary, though, particularly as I had my daughter with me. We were returning from her school. Luckily, neither of us was hurt, although my car was another story! 

Text 5

M: Amy, it's a pity you missed the opening of the concert. Were you stuck in heavy traffic?

W: No. I was just about to leave when my neighbor came to borrow my phone. I didn't expect her to talk for that long. 

Text 6

W: Where are you reading your poem?

M: That stage there. I am so nervous. It wouldn't be so bad if I could just read it at home, or in class. This way I have to remember all the words. 

W: Well, I guess that's what performance poetry is all about! Do you have to act it out as well?

M: A little bit. The important thing is the way you say the words.

W: Is this your first time at a poetry festival in our city? 

M: Yes. My poem came first in a competition at school, and then I was recommended to the poetry festival here. 

W: Well done! And good luck!

Text 7

W: Do you know China's 24 solar terms? 

M: Of course. They were created by ancient Chinese farmers and represent wisdom learned from nature.

W: Yeah. With the deepening of people's understanding of traditional culture, new products inspired by the 24 solar terms, such as creative cuisines and designs, have emerged. 

M: That's smart. It's a way to connect modern consumers with traditional culture.

W: True. I've even seen workshops teaching people how to cook dishes inspired by the solar terms, like seasonal soups and desserts. 

M: I'd love to sign up for one of those courses. It's fascinating! 

Text 8

M: What do you think of cloning?

W: No doubt it's a great invention. But if it's not properly handled, it may have some side effects. For instance, cloning humans raises serious moral questions. Who decides how it's used? And how do we ensure it doesn't lead to inequality? 

M: Good point. But on the other hand, cloning could help save endangered species or even bring back extinct ones, like the woolly mammoth!

W: Would reintroducing extinct species disrupt modern ecosystems? Nature has changed since they were gone, so the consequences could be unpredictable.

M: I hadn't thought of that. Even so, cloning body parts for medical use could help a lot of people. Imagine the lives it could save. 

W: Absolutely. But even in medicine, there's the issue of accessibility. Will these technologies be affordable for everyone, or only for the wealthy?

M: That's a real concern. It seems like cloning is both a blessing and a challenge. We need strict regulations to make sure it's used responsibly. 

W: Agreed.

Text 9

W: OK, so it's up to us to hold the last school year party for our class. How can we make it a really good one? 

M: Well, it shouldn't be too difficult. Everyone will be so happy because all their exams are over and they'll all want to have a party. We just need good music.

W: No. We should do something to make it really special. We could ask people to dress up. We could tell everyone to come as a famous character from a film. 

M: But it'll be difficult to find the clothes.

W: Well, maybe you're right. What else could we do then?

M: We could organize some games and competitions!

W: Well, I like games. But it might seem a bit like school if we have competitions.

M: Yeah, but we could think of some fun games. 

W: OK. We can talk about it tomorrow. Let's think about food now. What about bread or fried chicken? They are easy to prepare. 

M: Why not have different kinds of pizza? Everyone likes pizza. 

W: Good idea. 

Text 10

M: This year, the Summer Festival is the biggest we've ever seen, so there should be something for everybody. This is the third year they've run it and the timing is slightly different: for the last couple of years it's been from the fifth to seventeenth, but this year they've put it at the end of the month. 

The program has theatre dance and a large number of art exhibitions, but the thing the festival is most famous for is its great street music. For today's report though, I'm looking at some of the theatrical events that you might like to see, in particular, on this year's theme — the circus. 

There are two circus performances. The first is the Circus Romano. As this is a travelling circus, it'll be performing in a tent, usually put up in a green space. There are no animals — just very talented clowns. The second is Circus Electrica at the Studio Theatre. It's a showcase for skills in dance and music. 

Then finally, as it's summer, there are some performances presented outdoors, like the famous Mekong Water Activity, performing in the City Gardens this week. It's a must-see for young children. Well, that's all I have for today.