Home Listening 1
An outdoor Party:
Exercise
Listen and fill in
A: Hello.
B: Hello, Bob? This is Larry.
A: Larry! Aren't you coming to the party?
B: Yes. I'm on my way, but I'm afraid I'm lost.
A: Oh?
B: I think I followed your directions. I went north on Union Boulevard to Ivy Street.
A: Yes, that's right.
B: Then, I turned right and drove to Washington Avenue.
A: Uh-huh.
B: Then, I followed Washington Avenue all the way to the parkway entrance.
A: Right.
B: After that, I took the parkway south and got off at Exit 14.
A: Oh-oh! That's the problem. You were supposed to get off at Exit 15.
B: Oh.
A: Well, where are you now?
B: I'm near the Homemaker Supermarket.
A: Oh, that's not far from here. Here's what you should do. Go to the corner and turn right at Station Street. Follow Station Street about seven blocks. Then turn right on Queens Road, and you'll see my house on the right, across from the parkway entrance. Have you got that?
B: I think so. Let me see. I go to the corner and turn right at Station Street.
A: Uh-huh.
B: Then, I follow Station Street about seven blocks.
A: Um-hum.
B: And then ... hmm ... Could you repeat the last part?
A: Yes. Turn right on Queens Road, and you'll see my house on the right, across from the parkway entrance.
B: Okay. I've got it now. Thanks. I'll be there in a few minutes.
A: See you soon.
Home Listening 2
What Friendship Means to Americans?
Exercise
Listen and choose
You might observe that Americans are always talking. Silence makes most Americans uncomfortable. So they would rather talk about the weather than encounter a lapse in conversation. Generally speaking Americans are friendly to everyone.
However, don't mistake friendliness for friendship. Most Americans have many acquaintances but few close friends. The people you are friendly with during the first semester may not necessarily stay in touch when classes are over. Each semester brings new acquaintances. Friendships take time to grow. Americans are open and they trust relationships that develop slowly. Young Americans are very friendly and they like to talk to all kinds of people. They smile easily and laugh quite often. But don't mistake friendliness for physical attraction. Because a person is friendly, he or she is not necessarily interested in dating you. Even if someone accepts a date, it doesn't mean that the person is ready for an intimate relationship. In short, interpersonal relationships in any culture are difficult and require the use for judgment in every new situation.