Text 1
W: I need to make a service appointment for my car.
M:We have openings Tuesday at 9, Wednesday at 11, Thursday at 8 and 10, and Friday at noon and 2.
W: Let me see... Eight on Thursday.
Text 2
W: Can you play tennis with me today, Bob?
M: I am afraid I can't. I have to go and help Emily with her English. If she fails in the final examination, she won't be able to go camping with us.
W: I see. Good luck to her.
Text 3
M: Have you decided what you're going to do during your holiday?
W: Yes. I'm going to travel around Europe. I think I will start off in Paris. Then I'm going to take the train to Nice and then go on to Milan.
M: Oh, that will be lovely.
Text 4
M: Would it be all right if I turn in the paper next Monday? I'm afraid I can't finish it this Friday.
W: You can hand it in next Monday, but you'd better get ready for an "F". You've been putting it off for quite a few days.
Text 5
W: John, are you going straight home after school today?
M: No, I'll stay in the lab doing an experiment until six o'clock and after that, I'm going to spend a couple of hours at the library before going home.
Text 6
W: Would you like to join the Volunteers’ League?
M: Do you think I’m crazy? I just quit the Student Council. I don’t want to be so busy. I gave up a good chance of getting scholarships for that.
W: Come on, you won’t regret joining this club. It’s different from other student clubs or unions.
M: What’s the difference?
W: We can do something for the community in Beijing. You will have a chance to learn how to communicate, how to arrange an activity and how to cooperate with your group members.
M: Oh, it means that I will have a good chance to practise my Chinese. You win. Just tell me how to get enrolled in that club.
Text 7
W: Have you heard the city has passed a law against walking dogs in the street?
M: Sure, it’s published in the newspaper.
W: It means that dogs have to be kept inside all the time.
M: It’s rather cruel, isn’t it? We shouldn’t be so cruel to animals.
W: But dogs often leave a mess everywhere.
M: But owners can clean up the mess.
W: Would they?
M: Perhaps the best solution is to build a dog park. Then people can walk their dogs there.
W: Sounds too good to be realistic. The city is already too crowded without dogs.
Text 8
W: When are you going to take your vacation?
M: I’ve got a ten-day vacation starting from July 25th.
W: Where are you going?
M: To Hawaii.
W: That sounds like a good place. Are your family going?
M: Yes. We plan to climb the mountains and go fishing, just to relax.
W: Your children must be all excited about it.
M: Yes, they are. They’re already crossing out days on the calendar. Are you going to Europe again this summer?
W: No, not this time. We’re going to visit some old friends in China.
M: Are you going by ship or taking a flight?
W: We’re going by air.
Text 9
W: Why are you in such a bad mood?What's the matter?
M: I can't put up with my boss any more. I think I have the worst boss in the world.
W: Why?
M: He's rude and yells a lot. I've never heard him say "Please" or "Thank you". And he always gives us extra work during the weekend.
W: That's hard to take.
M: What's worse, when we can't finish a task by the deadline, he will punish us severely.
W: Oh. How come?
M: We are fined 100 yuan a day. And it is very hard to ask for leave. Calls and messages don't work; we have to talk to him face to face.
W: Can't you report him to his superior?
M: Of course not. If I do that, I'll lose my job.
W: You shouldn't choose money over happiness.
Text 10
Keeping a diary in English is one of the most effective ways to improve our English writing abilities.
Compared with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes less time. It can help us to develop the habit of thinking in English. If we persist in this practice, gradually we'll learn how to express ourselves in English. In keeping a diary in English, we certainly come across many difficulties. In the first place, it often happens that we have trouble finding appropriate words and phrases to give expression to our mind. Second, there are many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese but it is extremely hard for us to put them into English properly.
As far as I am concerned, my suggestion is that we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary within easy reach. Whenever something beats us, we can first put it down in our notebook and consult our dictionary. We can also turn to our English teacher for help, if we can't overcome it. In short, I believe that it is of great use to keep a diary in English for the development of our writing skills.