Level 5 Unit 11/4ListeningJessica’s Class Reunion 1Jessica is 35 year old.She graduated from middle school 20 years ago.This year her middle school class has its 20 year class reunion. All of her classmates and teachers were invited to attend.It was going to be at a hotel near where their school used to be. Like many other buildings, the school had been torn down.It had been replaced by some apartment buildings.At first, she wasn’t sure if she could go to the reunion.One reason was that there wasn’t anyone in particular that she wanted to see (from her school days). Another reason was that she was very busy.She was a working mother with a boy 8 years old and a husband who is rarely at home.Going to the union meant that she would have to arrange for someone to take care of things while she was away. That wouldn’t be easy.She didn’t want to take her boy with her, and her husband wouldn’t take time off from work.Then she got a message from Sharon, one of her old classmates.Sharon was contracting people from their class and urging everyone to come.In their school days,Sharon was class momitor,and now she was helping to organize the reunion.They exchange messages and Jessica said she c ouldn’t make it. Then Sharon gave her a call, and they talk for nearly an hour.Sharon really wanted her to come, and so did the couple of Jessica‘s’ old friends.They were all wandering how she was doing.None of them has seen or heard from her since graduation.They were a especially curious since she hadn’t gone to the ir first reunion 10 years before.Jessica’s Class Reunion 2Jessica decided to arrange thing so that she could go.Her husband finally agreed to take care of things while she was away.He agreed to do it, because her mother had offered to come and stayed for a while, so Jessica could attend the reunion.Since he and her mother didn’t get along, he decide d to change his schedule and work from home for a few days. He really didn’t want h er mother to come though he didn’t say so.Once she got to the reunion she was shocked.Everyone had aged so much and many were out of shape.Some who used to be good looking had lost their looks completely and others looked much better than before. It was strange how time had changed people in such different ways.Anyway, she decided that since she was there, she would try to enjoy it.VocabularyActions and ChangeTo replace something means to put something else in its place.When something gets old and begins to break down, it may need to be replaced.The person who replaces someone is the person’s replacement.When a person leaves a company,the person may need to be replaced by someone else.To tear something down means to break it apart.To tear a person down means to hurt them by saying negative things about them.It may take a long time to tear down a big building.The Earthquake destroyed several buildings and left many people without homes.To construct something means to build it or put it together.Large construction projects include buildings, bridges and organizations.The opposite of constructive is destructive.To be constructive means to help build an idea or process by contributing something helpful, such as positive feedback.Destructive comments in a discussion can be very nagative and cause bad feelings.To organize something means to arrange things in an orderly logical way.An organization is something that has logical structure such as a well-managed company.Some people are poorly organized, so they have a hard time finding things.They are too disorganized to get anything done on time.An event or party can be well organized, poorly organized or completely disorganized.When things are not arranged well, you need to organize.To support something such as an idea is to help add strength to it.The opposite of support is to undermine or weaken.If you support someone, it means you are trying to help them succeed.To work against someone means to undermine them, or make them less effective.Types of InformationPublic information is available to anyone who wants to know it.If a store is open to the public, it means anyone can come in.A public company makes its shares available for purchase by any investor.Many people make money by investing in public companies.Anyone can invest in a public company by buying its shares.Private information is not open to everyone, but is only available to trusted friends or family.Information about one’s secret hopes and dreams is usually private.You had better keep information about your passwords private or you may lose a lot.The password to your bank account is private information.Most people keep their personal information private.-To keep something private means...-...it shouldn’t be shared with others.Confidential information is secret information.Confidential information is not supposed to be shared with others.The details of a secret design or how a company makes decisions are often confidential.Revealing confidential information may be illegal.Gossip is information that is often exchanged because it’s exciting or fun, even though it may not be true. Office gossip is often entertaining but it can also be damaging.Gossip may hurt or embarrass the person being gossiped about.People who gossip often enjoy embarrassing or hurting other people.When people gossip,they may hurt someone by spresding fales or embarrassing information.Opinions are what people think or feel about something as a pose to facts or information.Factual information is based on facts or evidences but opinions are what people think or feel.Someone’s opinion is what they think or feel about something.Opinions often differ, and when they do people may argue.DialogueA Customer ComplaintM: Is this the Ace service center?W: Yes, it is, sir. May I help you?M: Yes, I’m calling to complain about your service.W: Certainly, sir. I’m sorry to hear that. Let me see if there is something I can do to help you. Please tell me what happened.M: I ordered a new washing machine on your website. It was more than a week ago.-The phrase,may I,signals...-...a request.W: Before you go on, may I have your order number please?M: Sure, i t’s ABC1005.W: And may I have the last four digits of your social security number?M: I don’t have a social security number. I’m an illegal alien.W: Very funny sir. OK, then, what is your first pet’s name?M: Mister Kitty.W: OK. I see your order inform ation. Now, what’s the problem?M: I ordered a washing machine and paid for it. Then I chose a delivery date from a set of choices. It was supposed to be delivery today, but it’s still not here.W: Did anyone contact you?M: No, I haven’t received any mess ages.W: I’m sorry to hear that, sir.W: I see here that the washing machine you ordered hasn’t arrived in our warehouse yet. It can’t be delivery until next week.M: You don’t even have it yet? Why haven’t I been notified? I took time off from work to be at home today.W: You should have been notified, by phone or email.M: I wasn’t. I haven’t received any notification. This is very upsetting.W: I understand, sir. I’m really sorry for this.M: Being sorry isn’t enough. I’m really upset. This is no way t o do business.W: Yes, sir. I understand.W: I can send you a 50 dollar gift coupon as a way to express our appreciation for your patience.M: I don’t care about the money. I don’t blame you of course,but I want you to know how disappointed I am withACE. I expected a much better service.W: I’m really sorry, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you?M: Yes, there is. I’d like to cancel the order and get the refund.W: I’m sorry to hear that, sir. But I understand. I’ll see to it that you get your refund.M: How long will it take before I get the refund?W: You should see the credit on your credit card billing statement.M: Thanks for your help.W: You’re welcome, sir. And once again, please accept my apologies.2/4ListeningAt Jessica’s Reunion Party 1Jessica’s 20-year class reunion was held at a fancy hotel. When she arrived, she wasn’t sure she was in the right place. At first, she didn’t recognize anyone.She felt a bit awkward and out of place.But it wasn’t long before a strange man came up to her.He was already losing his hair, and he was wearing thick glasses. Don’t you remember me? He asked.When he said who he was, she barely remembered him, especially since he had changed so much. Then he told her that he always had a crash on her.He said she looked beautiful and he immediately took a sofy of them with his arm tite around her waist. This made her feel a bit strange.She smiled to him and pretended to be happy to see him.But in fact, she wasn’t sure how to react, though he seemed nice.She fina lly excused herself and went to the lady’s room. She was beginning to regret having come to the reunion. She had always been shy and she still was.When she returned to the party, Sherry invited her to sit at her table.Dinner was going to be served soon and some of the classmates were going to give speeches. Sharon asked Jessica to say a few words too, because people were curious.This was a surprise.Jessica had never been very popular and she didn’t think anyone had noticed her. She had always felt like an outsider, with only a couple of close friends.Still she had been one of the best students and people remembered her.At Jessica’s Reunion Party 2As the evening were on, Jessica began to really enjoy herself.She talked with her old friends and was amazed by how some others had changed. For example, Tommy used to be good-looking and athletic.He was one of the most popular students and a star basketball player. His one problem was math.He had had a hard time in math, especially in geometry. This was because he wasn’t a logical thinker.Except for basketball, he didn’t want to do anything, unless it was easy.Tom was no longer good-looking.His nose, which had always been large, had grown even larger. He had also gained a lot of weight.His wife had left him, so for the first time ever, he was alone. He looked lonely and depressed not at all like he used to be.Steven was nobody in middle school. People hardly noticed him.He was small, quiet and a bit ugly, with crooked teeth. What he was good at was English.Hi s English was even better than their teacher’s.After graduating, he went to a low-ranked university and eventually dropped out.For a while he worked as a tour guide.Then, 10 years ago, he and some friends started a little company which has now a great success. In fact, he had become a rich, generous man.He had a nice warm smile and his success hadn’t gone to his head. It was a pleasure to be around him.His success hadn’t gone to his head means that his success didn’t make him think he was better than othe rs.-His success hadn’t gone to his head means that his success...-...didn’t make him think he was better than others.Betty used to be the most beautiful girl in school. She wasn’t very smart but she was a great singer. She made a video of her singing and it went viral.She became famous overnight but it only lasted for about 2 years. After that, her fans lost interest in her.She tried to become an actress,but she failed.She had been too stiff and nervous in front of the camera.Betty had a nice husband who seemed to adore her.The one tragedy in her life happened about 5 years ago,when she lost her daughter to a rare form of cancer. Because of that her hair had begun to turn grey.Jessica couldn’t help but fe el sorry for her.Betty had had such high hopes and tremendous energy as a girl, but things didn’t work out.And then there was John.John used to be the school bully. He had been big, strong and mean. He hadn’t been nice to anybody.It seemed that he was always angry and ready to hit someone.After graduating he joined the army and went overseas to fight no war. He saw many people die and he grew to hate fighting of any kind.Then one day he was nearly killed when the helicopter he was in was shot down. He survived the crash but he lost a leg and was hospitalized for nearly a year.Now he had completely changed.He had gentle, kind eyes and beautiful smile.He was working for an organization that provides support for elderly people. From Jessica’s point of view, John had turned out to be a wonderful surprise.In the end, Jessica was glad she went to her reunion.It was interesting to see how people had changed through the years.Still she was happy to get home and appreciate everything that she had.VocabularyLanguage of LoveA broken heart is what happens when a love relationship is broken off.Someone with a broken heart is usually depressed which means they feel awful and don’t enjoy life.If someone you love breaks off the relationship it feels like the end of the world.She broke his heart when she told him their relationship was over.To fall in love with someone can be a wonderful experience with powerful emotions.People in love often share their deepest feelings and emotions,which is intimacy.Being in love can blind you from seeing things as they really are, so it is easy to make a bad decision.When you are in love with someone you can hardly think of anything else.The emotions of love have inspired poets throughout history.She has found the man of her dreams.To find someone attractive usually means there is a physical desire to be with them.Physical attraction may sometimes lead to love, but in many cases, it may only lead to a short term sexual relationship.Physically attractive people attract people of the opposite or same sex, depending on their sexual orientation. Many women use makeup to make themselves more physically attractive.To flirt with someone means to let him or her know that you want to be approached.Some people use their eyes or a smile to flirt.The skill of flirting is something that comes naturally to some people, but for many people, they just act awkwardly.If someone is flirting with you, they are coming on to you. You may reject their advance or accept it and begin a relationship.Jealousy is what often happens when 2 people compete for the love of the same person.The one who loses may be very jealous of the other and try to breaks things up.If 2 men are rivals for the same woman, they may dislike or even hate each other because of jealousy.A jealous person often wants to possess the person they love.Feelings of jealousy may last for a long time and can destroy friendships.Reactions to NewsSome people can remain calm even when everyone else is confused and upset.When you are calm you can think clearly and make good decisions.Some people are easily upset and have a hard time controlling their emotions.Sometimes it’s best to control your emotions and be calm rather than react in anger.Their actions can upset everyone around them.People react to disappointing news in different ways.Sometimes they get discouraged and lose their confidence.Sometimes they get depressed and begin to cry or even get drunk.When disappointed, be calm, think clearly and act constructively.When disappointed, it’s much better to face the facts and decide what to do next than get discouraged.She was really disappointed when she failed to pass the examination.Discouraging news can cause people to lose their confidence.People are furious when they are extremely angry.People who are furious at each other may end up fighting or trying to hurt each other.Some people become furious when they are driving and another driver cuts in front of them.When people are furious at each other they often yell and insult each other.To be excited is usually a good thing.People can become excited while watch a soccer match and seeing their team score a goal.The opposite of “exciting” is “dull” or “boring”.Everyone was excited when they heard that their favorite team had won the game.He expected the game to be exciting, but it was so boring that he left early.Someone is terrified if they are extremely afraid and shaking with fear.Terrified people will often scream and run away from whatever threatening them.Being in the Earthquake was a terrifying experience, especially for the children.When people are furious at each other they often yell and insult each other.People who can’t control their emotions are difficult to work with.When people are furious at each other, they often yell and insult each other.He was terrified when he thought the building he was in was going to collapse in the Earthquake. DialogueOffice GossipW1: What are you so excited about?W2: Have you heard? John and Sofaier are getting a divorce.W1: No, I haven’t,b ut I’m not surprised. To be honest, I never expected their marriage to last very long. She’s so aggressive and bossy.W2: Well, I think John had an affair. He met someone on a business trip.W1: Really? How did you find THAT out?W2: Sherry told me a few minutes ago.W1: Oh, Sherry. She is such a gossip. I wouldn’t believe anything she says.W2: No, really. This time I think we can trust her. I don’t think she’s making it up.W1: Wow, this IS news. What about their baby?W2: I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything about that.W1: Well, that’s too bad. Even though I don’t like either one of them, I feel sorry for them. It’s so sad when this happens, especially for the child.W2: Ya, right. It’s easy to get cort up off in a gossip and forget about the serious consequences.To have an affair means foe a married person to have a romantic relationship outside of the marriage.To gossip is to talk about or spread rumors about the lives of other people.W1: Still, I can’t say I’m surprised. Can you ima gine living with someone like that?W2: No, I can’t. She is so self-centered.W1: And what about him?W2: I don’t know him well, but he seems nice.W1: I think so too. I’m not sure how he ever fell for her.W2: Are you kidding? Hormones. You have to admit that she’s physically attractive. He probably couldn’t help himself. And now it seems he has fallen for someone else.-To fall for someone means...-...to fall in love with them.-Hormones are...-...chemicals in the body that control how people feel.W1: I guess he can’t control himself. I’ve heard he has a drinking problem too.W2: Oh I wasn’t aware of that. Well, what’s new, right? Something’s never change.W1: That’s for sure. Hey, what about lunch?W2: No, thanks. I’d better get back to work.3/4ListeningEmma’s Best 1Emma’s Best is a small but growing health food company.It was started in 1995 by a married couple who were tired of working for large companies.The two founders were Ed and Emma Smith, both health-conscious vegetarians.Despite the risks, Ed and Emma wanted to start their own business. They knew it would be hard work, but they were determined to try.Their plan was to create a business that provided healthy food to busy people. They wanted it to be something they could be proud of.-They wanted to start their own business the risks.-despite.-Their plan was to create a business that...-...provided healthy food to busy people.When they started the company, organic food was becoming more popular. People were becoming more food conscious and worried about food safety.In fact, people were willing to pay higher prices for food that was free of harmful chemicals. In addition, an increasing number of people had little time to go shopping and cook at home. They wanted meals that were healthy but easy to prepare.There were very few frozen meals available at the time and none of them were vegetarian or organic. There were the gap in market.To be more conscious of something means to be more aware of it.Ed and Emma immediately saw the opportunity and launched their first product. It was a frozen pasta meal with a mix of vegetables and delicious cream sauce.The market response was enthusiastic and profitable beyond their expectations. Their product was an instant success.To their surprise, it was soon being eaten by millions of people not only vegetarians or those interested organic foods.It was being bought because it was easy to prepare and tested good.And of course it was healthy.People were willing to pay more for food that was free of harmful chemicals.To their surprise, it was soon eaten by a wide variety of people.Other products followed in rapid succession.As a result, at the end of 5 years, the company was producing over 100 frozen meals.Since then they have increased the number of meals to over 150, including pizzas, sandwiches and snacks. Their foods are carried by natural food stores and supermarkets thoughtout North America.People were willing to pay more for food that was free of harmful chemicals.Emma’s Best 2Although they have expanded their production facilities and increased the number of employees,they haveremained a private company.They enjoy the fact that they are a family-owned business, sensitive to the needs of customers. They don’t have to worry about pleasing shareholders.Rather than paying dividends to shareholders, Emma’s Best has a profit-sharing plan that benefits its employees.Dividends are that are paid to the shareholders.Bonuses and salary increases keep employees happy and motivated to work hard.As a result, employee turnover is low and the company has been recognized as one of the best companies to work for.In addition, Emma’s Best supports local charities, especially those that provide healthy food to children from low-income families.Giving it success, the company feels an obligation to contribute to society.In spite of the fact that other companies now produce similar products, Emma’s Best remains the market leader.Their total commitment to quality has made the difference and they are proud of the accomplishments.If employees are happy and motivated, employee turnover is usually low.They have remained a private company.Other products followed in rapid succession.It was being bought because it was easy to prepare and it tested good.VocabularyFeelings and AttitudesPeople are often nervous or apprehensive before performing in front of an audience.People who are really nervous may feel tense, which is the opposite of relaxed.When someone is nervous their muscles often tense up and their heart rate increases.Sometimes, taking a deep breath can help a nervous person feel more relaxed.People are often nervous or apprehensive before performing in front of an audience.Someone who strongly believes their ability to do something is often confident.The best way to build confidence is to practice what you are going to do until you can do it with ease.The key to building confidence and reducing nervousness is effective and frequent practice.Someone with confidence can perform at a higher level than someone who is nervous.The best way to build confidence is to practice hard.To be indifferent means to not care one way or the other about something.If you are indifferent to a person or a project, it means that the person or project isn’t important to you.People who are indifferent are often cold and uncaring about others.People who are indifferent may not value anything or anyone but themselves.To be appreciative is to be thankful or grateful for something.If someone does something nice for you, you should appreciate it.It’s important to show your appreciation for someone’s support or help.If someone does a favor for you,you should show your appreciation by thanking them.To be depressed is the opposite of to be happy.When someone is depressed they feel very sad.Depression can be caused by disappointing news or by failing to reach a goal.When people are depressed, they are usually pessimistic about the future.Types of CharacterAggressive people often push their own ideas or try to force others to follow them.Someone who is passive will usually not resist efforts of the others.A passive person is often seen as weak and easy to control.An aggressive person pushes or attacks, and a passiv e person doesn’t resist.An optimistic person believes in a positive future.Optimists see a glass that half full rather than half empty.The opposite of an optimist is a pessimist.Pessimists see a glass as half empty rather than half full.A pessimist sees things with a negative light and have little hope for the future.Sensitive people are emotional and have strong feelings about things.It’s important to be careful when dealing with sensitive people because it’s easy to upset them.Insensitive people don’t seem to be aware of or care about the feeling s of others.He doesn’t realize when she’s upset because he’s quite insensitive to the feelings of others.It’s important to know how to act around extremely sensitive people.A mean person doesn’t treat other people well or with kindness.Mean people often enjoy making people suffer for their mistakes.To be kind is the opposite of to be mean.Nobody ever asks him for help because he’s mean and selfish.He was really mean to her when she disagreed with him and he told her to shut up.He was really mean when he told her how badly she had performed.Conceited people have a very high opinion of themselves.They often talk about how great they are and tend to exaggerate their strength.Modest people don’t show off their strengths, but are often very good at what they do.Modest people are often overlooked in a job interview because they fail to communicate their strengths. Conceited people often exaggerate their abilities and can fool people into believing them.DialogueArranging an AppointmentW: ACE Industries. May I help you? This is Sue Mitchell speaking.M: Hi Sue, this is Ben Wang of Job LINK.W: Oh hi Ben, how are you? I’ve been excepting your call.M: I’m sorry to be late. I’ve been tr avelling.W: It seems like everyone is travelling these days.M: That’s for sure. I’m a way more than I’m here. Anyway, I’m calling to see if we can arrange a meeting.W: Good. There are several matters I’d like to discuss with you.M: Sure, would later this week be possible?W: Let me see. According to my schedule, I’ll have some time Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.M: How long do you think we’ll need?W: I think an hour should be enough.M: That should be fine. Would Thursday at 3:30 work for you?W: Yes, that’s fine.W: OK, I’m looking forward to seeing you at 3:30 on Thursday.M: Right, see you then, and thanks.W: You are welcome, Ben. Take care.He suggests that they meet later this week.M: Hi Sue, I’m sorry but something urgent has come up, so I’d like to change the time for our meeting on Thursday.W: Oh I’m sorry to hear that. What about Friday morning?M: That should work. How early?W: I’m usually here by 9 o’clock. Could you be here by then?M: Yes, that shouldn’t be a problem.W: OK, Friday at 9 o’clock.M: Once again, sorry for the last minute change.4/4ListeningMysteries of Nature 1There are many mysteries in nature.Mysteries are things we don’t understand, such as how the Egyptian pyramids were built. In fact, we are surrounded by mysteries.What we know about the world seems like very little.-Things we don’t understand are...-...mysteries.Scientists tell us that what we see in the universe is only a small part of what is there. The rest is invisible, including dark matter and dark energy.These two unknowns make up around 95% of the universe.Evidence for their existence comes from their effects on that what we can observe, such as the motion and positions of distant galaxies.Most of what makes up the universe is invisible.Yet though we know very little, we are able to build airplanes and communicate with smart phones. In some ways we humans are very smart or at least we think we are.We still need to face big issues like climate change and that is going to be a huge challenge. The challenge for humans will be our ability to adapt to our changing environment.。
