P251-260

[251] The Weekend - Buying Makeup

A: I’m hungry, let’s go grab a bite to eat.

B: Yeah me too. Oh! Can we stop at the shop really fast? I lost my makeup bag at the airport and I want to pick up a few things.

A: Will you take long?

B: No! Five minutes I promise!

A: Come on! We have been here for almost an hour! I thought you said you were only going to get a few things! How long does it take you to pick out a lipstick and some nail polish!

B: Are you crazy! You have no idea what you are talking about! Just for my eyes I have to get eye- liner, an eyelash curler, eye shadow, an eyebrow pencil and mascara. Then I need to get founda- tion, liquid foundation.

A: Whoa whoa whoa! Are you nuts? How much is all this going to cost? I’m looking at the price at each one of these little things and it’s outrageous! This is basically a crayon!

B: What about you? You spend as much or more money on your razors, after shave, cologne and gel! Not to mention how much you spend on clothes and...

A: Fine! Get the stupid thirty dollar crayon!

[252] Global View - Contraceptives

A: Alright, settle down everyone. As part of this school’s curriculum we’ll be covering sex ed this week.

A: Now I want everyone to take this class seriously, sexual education is very important and I want you to ask as many questions as you can think of. Re- member, there are no stupid questions here.

B: Miss Carlton? What exactly is sexual education? Are you going to teach us like Kama sutra stuff like that?

A: No Jason, that’s not exactly what sex ed is. Ba- sically, we will talk about sexually transmitted dis- eases, contraceptives and how the male and fe- male bodies work.

B: My older sister is in college and she takes what she and her friends call the pill. I never really un- derstood what that is, but I know it has to do with sex or something.

A: Good point Jason! This will be the topic of our first class, contraceptives. As you mentioned, the pill is one of the many that exist. The birth con- trol pill is taken daily by a woman in order to pre- vent unwanted pregnancy, but it does not protect her from contracting STD’s from an infected per- son. Another popular method is using condoms. This is probably the best method if you have sex, since it not only prevents a woman from getting pregnant but also protects both from STD’s. Yes Jason?

B: What are condoms made out of? How exactly is it that a woman gets pregnant?

A: Condoms are usually made out of an elastic ma- terial called Latex. As for your other question, that’s a whole new class.

[253] The Office - Interview Skills 7 - Describing Ones

[254] The Weekend - Making Breakfast

A: Smells good! What’s for breakfast?

B: Well, since we are getting up so late, I decided to make a big breakfast!

A: Nice! Brunch!

B: Kind of, so I made scrambled and soft boiled eggs, some french toast and buttermilk pancakes!

A: Wow! You really went all out! Did you make any coffee?

B: Yeah, just the way you like it! I also put out some cereal and muesli if you feel like having something more light.

A: Looks good! I’ll squeeze us some fresh orange juice.

B: Getthe jam and butter while you are in there! Oh! And don’t forget the syrup!

[255] Global View - The Miracle Of Life

A: Continuing with our class, today we are going to study briefly the miracle of life. Many of you may think you already know how babies come to be, but I am sure that some of the things that we will be talking about today may surprise you. Billy can you turn on the projector please? Thanks. Ok, does anyone know what this is?

B: Looks like a goat head to me!

A: Nice try, but this is a woman’s womb which con- tains her uterus and ovaries. The ovaries. are packed with eggs and each month during the mid- dle of the menstrual cycle, the ripest one will be sucked up by one of the fallopian tubes. This is called ovulation and the exact time of ovulation depends on the length of your cycle. In an aver- age 28 day cycle, ovulation will most likely happen between the 12th and 15th days, counting day 1 as the first day of your last period.

B: That’s amazing! So each month, the woman pro- duces these eggs and then waits for them to be fertilized?

A: Actually, every woman is already born with over four hundred thousand eggs! Some will start dy- ing off immediately and others released during her fertile period.

B: What about the guys? I know they produce sperm and stuff.

A: That’s right! The man’s body has a tiny factory that produces sperm twenty four hours a day! Each ejaculation will release about a hundred mil- lion sperm so the factory is always pretty busy. The sole purpose of a sperm’s life is to fertilize the woman’s egg.

B: So, then we basically need to put one-and-one together so we can have babies right?

A: Yes, the man will have an orgasm during inter- course and ejaculate sperm and semen. Now this is where the race begins and all those millions of sperm will race and swim from the cervix, through the uterus to the fallopian tubes. This could take anywhere from forty five minutes to twelve hours! Not all of them make it, since some go the wrong way and get lost or simply die. Many will actually reach the egg but only one will penetrate it and fertilize it. Once this happens, the egg instantly changes and creates a protective shield once the sperm is safely inside.

B: And then? That’s it?

A: Well, the egg will be fertilized within about 24 hours of its release. The genetic material from the sperm combines with the genetic material in the egg to create a new cell that will rapidly start dividing. The woman is not actually pregnant un- til that bundle of new cells, known as the embryo, travels the rest of the way down the fallopian tube and attaches itself to the wall of her uterus. Any other questions? Then let’s move on.

[256] The Office - Interview Skills 8 - Discussing Salary

[257] Global View - The World Cup

A: What are you doing?

B: What am I doing? What am I doing? Don’t you know what day it is?

A: Ummm. no.

B: It’s only the day when the world’s biggest sporting event is kicking off.

A: What?

B: The World Cup! The first match is today! It’s Mex- ico vs. South Africa! It’s going to be a really good match! Both teams have a very strong offense and have skilled players. I think that South Africa will probably dominate the first half since they are the host country, and all.

A: I have no idea what you’re talking about. The only sporting event we watch at home is the Super Bowl.

B: This is bigger than the Super Bowl, man! Teams from 32 countries compete against each other ev- ery four years and fight to win that trophy. They first start in a group stage with bigger groups, each group having 4 teams. The top 2 teams pass on to an elimination stage before going on to the quarterfinalsand semifinals.

A: Sounds interesting, but soccer doesn’t really ap- peal to me.

B: Are you kidding? Over seven hundred million peo- ple watched the final match of the World Cup! It’s a very exciting and nerve wracking sport! Each nation is cheering on their team, hoping they will become the next champion. So far Brazil is the team with the most titles under their belt; they’re really good!

A: All I know about soccer is that you can’t use your hands and that players are always falling down, trying to get a free kick or penalty kick. It seems like a sissy sport to me!

B: Whatever dude, I’m going to go watch the opening match.

[258] Daily Life - You’re Grounded!

A: Do you know what time it is?

B: Um. Ten?

A: Get in this door young man. It’s midnight, you are two hours past curfew.

B: I know, but it wasn’t my fault! I told Jennifer she had to drop me off before ten, but she wouldn’t leave the party!

A: I don’t care! You are grounded for life mister!

B: Mom! That is so unfair!

A: You know the rules and you broke them. No al- lowance and no TV for a week. I usually never ground you but this time I have to put my foot down!

B: What! For being a couple of hours late? You have to be kidding!

A: I don’t want to hear it! Now go to your room!

[259] The Office - Interview Skills 9 - Asking For Informa-

[260] The Weekend - Guns

A: Hey Nick, what are you up to?

B: Not much, just heading over to the shooting range. You wanna come?

A: Seriously? You mean to fire a real weapon? I don’t know man.

B: Yeah it will be fun! I have a 9mm pistol that is really easy to shoot. I also have a revolver that’s really fun too! They have big targets at the range that we could use to practice and improve your aim.

A: Yeah that would be cool! Maybe I can also have a try at other weapons like a machine gun or a shotgun! Maybe even a rocket launcher or an anti tank missile! Or what about a flame thrower!

B: Whoa, take it easy there Rambo. Don’t get carried away. These weapons are not toys, and you must first learn how to handle them properly. There are basic rules that you must abide by in order to be safe. For example, never handle a weapon that you haven’t inspected yourself. Always make sure there isn’t anything in the chamber, and never put your finger on the trigger unless you are ready to shoot!

A: Wow, I didn’t know! It always looks so cool and easy in the movies!

B: The reality is different you know, running and firing a weapon is a lot harder than in the movies! So are you ready?

A: Let’s do it!

P261-270

[261] Daily Life - Describing Someone’s Face

A: Let’s play a game!

B: Ok! How about Scrabble?

A: No no, a friend of mine taught me this really fun game. I’m going to describe someone’s face, and you guess who it is!

B: Ok!

A: Let’s see. He has a roman nose, bushy eyebrows and dimples!

B: Our cousin Pete! My turn! She has a pointy nose, sunken eyes and a mole on her chin!

A: Aunt Rose! That mole is so huge! Ok, my turn. He has a crooked nose and full lips. He has quite a few freckles and an oval face. Oh, he is also bald!

B: Your future husband!

A: Not funny.

[262] The Office - Interview Skills 10 - Concluding The In-

[263] Global View - Nationalities

A: Hey! How was your first day of class? I’m in level two and I’m loving my class this semester! It’s great being in a class of international students!

B: Mine was ok, except that no one in my class speaks English. I guess it will force me to con- verse in Chinese more in class so at least I should improve a lot this semester.

A: That’s both fortunate and unfortunate. It’s the United Nations in my class! We have people from all over the world! There are three Germans, a Pole, a Scottish, two French, an American, a Brazilian, a Chilean, a New Zealander, though he prefers to call himself a Kiwi. Who else do we have? Oh, we also have a Moroccan, a Togolese, a Pakistani, and two Indonesians!

B: That’s quite the array of nationalities. Everyone in my class is from Asia, except me. There are a few South Koreans, several Japanese, Malaysian, Thai, Singaporean, Filipino, Kazakhstani, and one Russian.

A: Well, I think you’re pretty lucky actually. You’ll have the opportunity to learn so much about Asian culture.

B: I guess so, but I think it’s going to be hard to relate to my classmates, especially with the language barrier. I think I might change classes.

A: Don’t! Stay the course! Your spoken Chinese will be eternally grateful. I bet you it will even surpass mine with all that practice.

B: I highly doubt it. Your girlfriend is Chinese.

A: Well, there is that, yes.

[264] Daily Life - Toothache

A: What seems to be the problem?

B: I have a really bad toothache! My cheek is swollen and I can’t eat anything.

A: Let’s have a look. Hmmm. This doesn’t look too good. I think we may have to pull out your wisdom tooth. It’s pressing against your molars and that’s one of the reasons you are experiencing so much pain.

B: When you pull my tooth will you also have to ex- tract the nerve and the root?

A: First we will take some x-rays and see what we’re dealing with. I also noticed a small cavity up front here, so you are going to need a filling.

B: I guess that’s what I get for not flossing or brush- ing my teeth three times a day.

A: It could be that, or maybe you are eating too many sweets. In any case, I’ll administer an anesthetic and you won’t feel a thing!

[265] The Weekend - Pest Control

A: Hi, did you call for an exterminator?

B: Yes! Thank goodness you’re here. These bugs are driving us crazy!

A: What sort of pest are we dealing with?

B: We just bought this house and it is infected with just about everything. We have termites in the wood, cockroaches all over the place, and last night I saw a huge rat out in the backyard!

A: Well, there’s nothing we can’t handle. I’ll spray the floorboards and walls to get rid of the cock- roaches, but the termites will be harder to get rid of. We will have to cover the entire house and fu- migate it. Unfortunately that means you will have to find a place to stay for the next three days.

B: No problem, just get rid of the bugs!

[266] Daily Life - Weather Report

A: Those are today’s top stories. Now let’s go to John for the weather. John, what does the fore- cast look like for our weekend travelers?

B: I’m afraid we’re in for a rough weekend, Mark. There is a storm system moving through the East Coast. It will be drizzling all day today, and there’s a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms this evening. It will be warm and humid all weekend. In the Midwest, expect strong winds and a low of around 40 degrees.

A: That’s pretty chilly for the summer! Will it rain on Saturday?

B: Unfortunately, yes. It will be clear early Saturday morning but there is a high chance of showers and thunderstorms later in the day. There is a severe thunderstorm warning for some parts of the Southeast. Folks in those areas might see some hail and flooding, especially in areas that have been experiencing record high rainfalls.

A: That certainly sounds like a dreary Saturday.

B: It gets better on Sunday, though. The storm sys- tems move east and the skies will clear up at night. It will still be rather cool, with highs in the low 50s. The West Coast will be experienc- ing some unusually chilly weather, but at least the sun will come out. I advise weekend travelers to be careful, especially while driving. Back to you, Mark.

A: Thanks John, and there you have it! Looks like it’s a weekend to stay at home!

[267] Daily Life - Making A Bank Transfer

A: Good Morning welcome to Bank of the USA. How may I help you today?

B: Hi I need to transfer some money to another ac- count. It’s urgent.

A: Okay, have you made a wire transfer at our bank before ?

B: No. I’ve never made a transfer before.

A: It’s alright, I will take you through the procedure. Are you transferring funds to a company or an in- dividual account?

B: A company account. I need to pay a bill.

A: Okay, I’ll need the name of the company and their bank routing number as well as their bank’s ad- dress and phone number.

B: I have all the information in this folder.

A: Well You’ve come prepared .You have all the nec- essary materials so we can go ahead and make the transfer right now. It’s a simple transaction, and we can process it today.

B: Oh, that’s such a relief. I didn’t want the payment to be overdue. Thank you so much .

A: It’s my pleasure.

[268] The Office - Purchasing Manager

A: Good morning, Angela, how have you been lately?

B: Morning, Michael. I’ve been very busy lately. One of our other vendors is going out of business and I’ve been searching for a suitable replacement.

A: Well, rest assured that you can count on us to be here for the long run sit down. Coffee?

B: No, thanks. I’ve been trying to cut down on the caffeine .

A: Haha, I could never do that. I’d be a zombie if I didn’t have my morning coffee fix. Let’s get down to business then.

B: Yes. I’ve come to talk with you about ordering the eight megapixel cameras for our new MePhone. The demand for phone cameras is growing, and Pear has been falling behind in the market.

A: That’s great! I’m glad to hear that Pear has finally jumped on the bandwagon. Right now our con- tract is for the five megapixel cameras. Is Pear still interested in having those?

B: No, we’re changing all the cameras to eight megapixels. We were hoping that by making your company our sole supplier for cameras we could negotiate a better deal.

A: Surely. Let’s get started by drafting a new con- tract.

[269] The Office - Marketing Plan

A: Okay everyone, let’s begin. I called you here to- day to evaluate our marketing strategy during this recession. I wanted to re-emphasize our corpo- rate mission of Aiming to give our customers the best coffee and service in a clean and welcoming atmosphere.

B: Several other shops have reduced the prices for their coffees and are drawing in more customers. Why aren’t we doing the same thing?

A: I know that recent sales have been slow, but we are not going to reduce our prices to the level of our competitors. We offer a superior product and our focus is on long-term growth rather than short- term sales. If we lower our prices, we run the risk of devaluing our product.

B: Customers don’t care about the coffee anymore. They only care about the price.

A: I disagree. Highly discerning customers know that our coffee is far better than the coffee you buy at the other places. Our coffee bean are artisan roasted and we use state-of-the-art equipment to brew our coffees. When you compare the coffees side-by-side our coffee wins the taste test every time. We have never sought to appeal to the mass market with cheap coffee drinks, and we will not do so now.

C: That’s true. We’ve certainly achieved top of mind awareness when it comes to the best best tasting brews and it’s important to distinguish ourselves from our competitors. I think the main question is how we can show our appreciation to our cus- tomers.

A: That’s the main question I would like to discuss today.

B: Money is tight for everyone these days so even our most loyal customers may be reconsider- ing the money they pay for their morning coffee. Since the superiority of our coffee beans is one of our core competencies why don’t we sell the beans for people to brew coffee at home.

C: That could definitely be a way we could expand our company, but would we be undermining the essence of the company that way?

A: Let’s brainstorm some more ideas, and do some research. The customer always comes first, and what the customer wants, the customer gets. Maybe it’s time we started selling coffee beans.

P271-280

[270] Daily Life - Buying A Suit

A: Hello sir, what can I do for you today?

B: Hi, I need a new suit. I have an important inter- view next week, so I really need to look sharp.

A: No problem! We have a broad selection of suits, all tailored made so that it will fit perfectly.

B: Great! I want a three piece suit, preferably made from Italian cashmere or wool.

A: Very well sir. Would you like to have some shirts made also?

B: Sure. I’ll also take some silver cuff link and a pair of silk ties.

A: Very good. Now, if you will accompany me, we can take your measurements and choose the pat- terns for your suit and shirts.

[271] The Office - Presentation Series 1 - The Overview

A: Hi everyone, Can everyone hear me?Can you guys at the back hear everything?

A: Okay great. Well I think all of you know why we are here this afternoon. As most of you are aware 2010 marks an important moment for Alpha com- puters.

A: We have bounced back from the recession and now we are set to launch our new line of laptop and desktop computers.

A: I’m really pleased to welcome Michael Ford, the Global Marketing Manager for Alpha comput- ers,who has flown in from California to give all of you an overview of the marketing campaign and to answer any questions you may have. So please give a warm welcome to Mr. Ford .

B: Thank you Jonathan. It really is a pleasure to be here today. It has been three years since I visited Beijing ,and it’s clear to me that operations here are obviously going from strength to strength.

B: The Alpha brand continues to grow in leaps and bounds in China, and that is certainly down to the hard work of all of you here. So congratulations to all of you.

B: I’d like to start by outlining the key points of my presentation this afternoon and giving you an idea of the topics that will be discussed. The presen- tation today is divided into five main parts.

B: First of all, I’d like to briefly touch on the back- ground of the new x420 line; how the whole con- cept has come about and how the new product fits into our existing brand line.

B: Secondly I’dlike to present data on projected sales for the x420. We will then go on to discuss our key rivals in this sector. Then I would like to go on to outline the campaign concept for the x420.

B: Finally I’m happy to open up the discussion for any questions or points you might have for me.

[272] Daily Life - Getting A Nanny

[273] The Weekend - The Zodiac and Horoscopes

[274] The Office - Presentation Series 2 - Talking about

[275] Daily Life - Kitchen Appliances

A: I have been looking at this online catalog for over an hour and I still haven’t finished getting all the kitchen appliances that we need!

B: What are you getting?

A: Well, the first thing on my list is a new blender. I decided to also get a juicer and a new coffee maker.

B: Don’t forget to also get a new mixer. I lent the old one to my brother and he broke it.

A: Yeah I know. I also decided to throw away the old toaster and get a new one. I am also getting a rice cooker and steamer to make some nice steamed fish or veggies.

B: I’m actually thinking of completely refurnishing the kitchen and getting a new stove, oven, dish- washer and trash compacter.

A: That’s a good idea ! The kitchen will look amaz- ing!

[276] Daily Life - Telephone Services

A: Telco Mobile, how can I help you?

B: Yes, I’d like to activate my voice mail service please.

A: Certainly sir, we currently have a special promo- tion where we include voice mail services ,call waiting and also three way calling.

B: Sure that sounds great! Are there any other fees?

A: Not at all. No hidden fees or surcharges, it is a flat monthly rate.

B: Perfect. I also wanted to know if there is any call forwarding service? I am usually out of town and would like my calls to be forwarded to a local num- ber.

A: Yes of course. We can activate all these services in about an hour.

[277] The Office - Presentation Series 3 - Making Com-

[278] Global View - At The Car Dealership

A: Hi there! I am looking for a new car. I have this old Ford Pinto that I would like to trade in.

B: I see. You are in luck this month because all of our models are on sale! it is a perfect time to buy a new car since it’s the end of the year,

A: Perfect! I like this one.

B: That is the Ford Focus. A very light but powerful vehicle. It comes with dual side airbags, power steering and power windows, tinted windows and your choice of either automatic or manual trans- mission.

A: Sounds like a good car! How many miles to the gallon?

B: It is a very fuel efficient vehicle giving you about 34 miles in the city and 40 on the highway.

A: That is really convenient. Especially now that fuel prices are so high! What’s under the hood?

B: A very powerful 2.5-liter turbocharged engine, Trust me, this car is fast!

A: Now for the most difficult question. What is the price tag for this lovely vehicle?

B: Very affordable sir. You can take it out of this lot today with 0% down payment and no interest for the first year! You can test drive it now and we can sign the papers when we get back.

A: Great! Let’s do it!

[279] Global View - Drugs

A: Hey man, you wanna buy some weed?

B: Some what?

A: Weed! You know? Pot, Ganja, Mary Jane some chronic!

B: Oh, umm, no thanks.

A: I also have blow if you prefer to do a few lines.

B: No, I am ok, really.

A: Come on man! I even got dope and acid! Try some!

B: Do you really have all of these drugs? Where do you get them from?

A: I got my connections! Just tell me what you want and I’ll even give you one ounce for free.

B: Sounds good! Let’s see, I want.

A: Yeah?

B: I want you to put your hands behind your head! You are under arrest!

[280] The Office - Presentation Series 4 - Discussing the

P281-290

[281] The Weekend - Breaking Up

[282] Global View - Physics

[283] The Office - Presentation Series 5 - Deferring Ques-

[284] Daily Life - Tune Up

A: Welcome to Al’s Garage. What seems to be the problem?

B: No problem at all! I am taking a long road trip and I want to make sure my car is in good mechanical condition.

A: Very wise decision. When was the last time you had a tune up?

B: Not that long ago, I think it was four months ago.

A: We usually recommend that you bring your car in every five thousand kilometers.

B: Why? I mean, what exactly do you do to a car that you need to check it so often?

A: First of all, we change the motor oil and oil filter. If you don’t do this, it can cause your engine to wear faster and that means you would probably have to change the pistons and intake valves.

B: I see. What else?

A: We also check your spark plugs, fuel filter, and other oil levels such as hydraulic fluid. We also check the clutch and brakes to determine when you will need new ones.

B: Ok, well, when you put it that way, it doesn’t seem like a waste of time and money.

A: Trust me, regular tune ups will keep your car run- ning smoothly and avoid break downs.

[285] Daily Life - Handyman

A: The air conditioning is not working! We need to call a handyman before we start to fry in here!

B: Dan is on top of that. I think they are also getting the handyman to fix the bathroom toilet that keeps clogging up.

A: That would be convenient. They might as well ask him to fix the electrical wiring. The circuit breakers keep going out all the time. It’s really annoying!

B: Yeah you are right. This office is falling apart! Frank told me the other day that the gutters out- side were clogged and that’s why the parking lot was flooded.

A: I know! I was in ankle deep water trying to get to my car that day! The handyman definitely has his work cut out for him.

[286] The Office - Presentation Series 6 - Addressing the

[287] Daily Life - High School Reunion

A: I hate coming to high school reunions.

B: It will be great honey. We will get to see your old classmates and catch up to see how they have been doing.

A: Yeah I guess so. Oh look! There is Robert Matthews! Rob!

C: Hey Bill! Wow great to see you!

A: Likewise! It’s been a long time! This is my wife Dorthy.

C: Pleasure to meet you. So Bill, how have you been?

A: Can’t complain! We have 2 children who are in college and my business is going well. What about you?

C: Ah you know me! I am a dedicated bachelor. I never married although I do have a beautiful daughter with Mary, you remember her? We were high school sweetheart, didn’t really work out be- tween us, but I really can’t complain either.

A: That’s good. Have you seen Frank? I was hoping he would come tonight.

C: You didn’t hear? Frank passed away last year.

A: Are you serious?

C: Nah! I’m just yanking your chain. He’ll be here soon. I saw him just last week and he told me he would show up.

[288] The Weekend - Getting A Tattoo

A: I have made up my mind. I am getting a tattoo.

B: Really? Are you sure?

A: Yeah! Why not? They are trendy and look great! I want to get a dragon on my arm or maybe a tiger on my back.

B: Yeah but, it is something that you will have forever! They use indelible ink that can only be removed with laser treatment. On top of all that, I have heard it hurts a lot!

A: Really?

B: Of course! They use this machine with a needle that pokes your skin and inserts the ink.

A: Oh, I didn’t know that! I thought they just paint it on your skin or something.

B: I think you should reconsider and do some more research about tattoos. Also, find out where the nearest tattoo parlor is and make sure they used sterilized needles, and that the place is hygienic.

A: Maybe I should just get a tongue piercing!

[289] The Office - Presentation Series 7 - Handling Tech-

[290] The Weekend - Buying Jewelery

P291-300

[291] Daily Life - Ordering Chinese Food

[292] The Office - Presentation Series 8 - Common Pre-

[293] Advanced Media - Cheese Lovers

A: Hello everyone my name is Laurie and I want to welcome you to this course. We will learn all about one of the oldest yet most delicious foods on this planet; cheese! Let’s get started!

A: Cheese is usually categorized intofour types: soft, semi- soft semi-hard and hard. The designation refers to the amount of moisture in the cheese, which directly affects its texture. Making cheese is an ancient practice, dating back thousands of years, and the home cheese maker can usually find recipes for cheese that falls into any of the four categories.

A: Soft cheese includes cottage cheese, cream cheese, ricotta, brie, bleu, roquefort, mozzarella, meunster and similar cheeses. These cheeses generally pair well with fruit or meats, or can be used as breakfast cheeses in an omelette Nor as pasta fillings. They are usually mildly flavored and very high in moisture.

A: American, Colby, co-jack and similar cheeses are inthe semi-soft category. These are slightly stronger in flavor and cover a wide range of uses. Co-jack cheese, a blend of Colby and Monterrey jack is one of the most popular. This allows the sharper flavor of Colby to be combined with the milder jack cheese, and also melts better than plain Colby. Grilled cheese sandwiches often use American cheese, and Mexican cheeses such as Asadero and Queso Fresco are becoming more popular.

A: Hard cheeses include Parmesan, Romano, Asi- ago, Swiss, Gruyere and others. Parmesan and Romano are most familiar as the grated powder used to top spaghetti, but they are also used as accompaniments for fruit, wine, nuts and other appetizer items. Swiss is a popular sandwich cheese and melts well, unlike some other hard cheeses.

[294] Daily Life - Picking A University

A: I’ve never heard of AmLion College. Could you...

B: Of course sir, let me give you a brief overview. AmLion College is located in the center of New York city. The school covers a wide range of aca- demic subjects; and eighty percent of the courses are transferable to other state universities. And, last year AmLion College was ranked number one in terms of graduate employment.

A: Interesting, and what about the tuition fees, then?

B: You’ll be looking at somewhere around fifteen thousand US dollars per semester.

A: Okay, well.

B: And, did I mention our on-campus housing? Stu- dents can stay in our newly renovated dorms for as little as three thousand dollars per month!

A: Sounds good. Well. I’ll just grab one of your fly- ers.

B: Sir, you got the wrong flyer. Sir, sir!

[295] The Office - Presentation Series 9 - Summary and

[296] Global View - Vegan Or Vegetarian?

A: Hey Julie, you want to go grab something to eat?

B: Sure! What do you feel like having?

A: I really feel like having a big juicy steak!

B: Oh. ok. I don’t eat meat, but that’s fine, I am sure wherever we are going they will have other options right?

A: I didn’t know you were a vegetarian!

B: I’m not, I am a vegan.

A: A what?

B: A vegan. I don’t eat or use any animal based products. I don’t wear leather, eat eggs, drink milk or anything that comes from an animal. I used to be a pescatarian before, which basically means you don’t eat meat, but still have fish and seafood.

A: Wow! That’s interesting! It must be tough!

B: It’s a bit difficult to find vegetarian friendly restau- rants sometimes, but since more and more people are vegetarians or vegans nowadays, it’s getting a bit less difficult.

[297] The Weekend - Ordering At An Italian Restaurant

A: Good evening ladies. My name is Josh and I’ll be your server tonight. May I take your order?

B: Do you have any recommendations?

A: Well, I personally like the chicken penne with cream mushroom sauce, but the prawn fettuccine is also very nice.

B: Hmm. I’d like to have the grilled chicken, but can I have spaghetti instead of penne?

A: Of course, mam. And for you?

C: I... ah..I’ll have the horse tripe.

[298] The Office - Presentation Series 10 - The Q and A

[299] Daily Life - Returning A Product

A: Hi I would like to return this TV.

B: Sure, do you have the receipt?

A: Yeah here you go. Actually I also want to return this keyboard.

B: Ok, may I ask what is the reason for returning these products? A:: The TV flickers a lot when I am watching a movie and at times the image is not very clear.

B: I see, and what about the keyboard?

A: I spilled some coffee on it and now it won’t work.

B: I am sorry sir, but we can only exchange or refund defective products, we cannot take responsibility for misuse or damages.

A: Fine! I don’t know why they make these things so delicate anyways.

[300] Daily Life - Online Dating

A: Do you want to hang out tomorrow?

B: Oh, I can’t. I have a date!

A: Really? Wow with who?

B: This girl I’ve been chatting with forthe past couple of months. She’s really cool and she’s driving over here this weekend.

A: Wait a minute, you mean you met her online?

B: Yeah! I signed up for a website called match. and it is great! You fill in all your details and prefer- ences, like if you are a smoker or if you have any pets. Then you find people that have similar char- acteristics and you can email them or chat.

A: That is kind of weird! What if she is a psycho or something like that?

B: It’s the same as meeting people anywhere and dating them! I am just tired of going to bars or being set up for dates by my friends! I think this is a really cool alternative, especially if you are a bit shy.

A: I guess it does seem logical. I’ll have to check it out!