Short Conversations （短對(duì)話）
Read aloud the conversations two times, and then listen to the tape without looking at the text.
The Mystery Benefactor
Blackard: Whit, we're broke. We're on the verge of1 going out of business2. But someone promised us a lot of money to do this class, and we think it's someone connected3 with the class. But we don't know who! So…
Whittaker: So you don't want to offend4 anyone, just in case5. And that's why you're doing this program.
Blackard: Exactly.
Whittaker: Oh, that certainly explains6 a lot. I'm glad to know that it's only a problem with judgment7.
Blackard: Judgment?
Whittaker: Well, if you want my humble8 opinion…
Blackard: Oh, yes, yes.
Whittaker: … you've put yourself in an impossible position.
Blackard: I know, I know.
Whittaker: Not only9 are you trying to please everyone in the entire class, but you've let money become the center of your thinking!
Blackard: But we're going broke, Whit! I had to do something!
Whittaker: But is this the best thing to do? I'm sure whoever gave you the money wanted you to be less concerned about offending your students than to guide and instruct10 them, so they'd be good at acting.
Blackard: And if they aren't very good?
Whittaker: Then it's better to be truthful and help them understand that.
注釋：
1.on the verge of:快要…，險(xiǎn)些…
用法：He is on the verge of bankruptcy for the investment.
由于投資問題他快要破產(chǎn)了。
2.out of business:破產(chǎn)，倒閉
用法：The competition was destroyed here in this town when his branch store drove three small groceries out of business.
他的分店使小鎮(zhèn)上的三家小雜貨店破產(chǎn)，競(jìng)爭(zhēng)于是不復(fù)存在。
3.connected: 相連的，有關(guān)的
用法：The Internet connected people of different places.
互聯(lián)網(wǎng)將不同地方的人們聯(lián)結(jié)起來。
4.offend:冒犯
用法：The servants did not like to offend their young master for fear of losing their job.
仆人們由于害怕丟掉工作而不想得罪他們年輕的主人。
5.in case:以防萬一，作為準(zhǔn)備
用法：It may rain, you'd better take your umbrella just in case.
可能會(huì)下雨，你帶上傘以防萬一。
6.explain:解釋
用法：We shall in another chapter explain this celebrated author's fallacious conclusions respecting commercial restrictions.
我們會(huì)在另一章解釋這位的作者關(guān)于貿(mào)易限制的荒謬結(jié)論。
7.judgment:判斷
8.humble:謙卑的。Humble opinion 意為“愚見”、“鄙意”
9.not only… but (also)…:不僅……而且（not only 用于句首時(shí)后面的動(dòng)詞倒裝）
用法：Not only did I hear it, but I saw it.
我不但聽到了，而且也看到了。
比較：I not only heard it, but saw it.
10.instruct: 指導(dǎo)、教導(dǎo)
用法：When I met him, he was instructing his son how to deal with the car problem.
當(dāng)我見著他時(shí)，他正在教兒子修汽車。
Long Conversations （長(zhǎng)對(duì)話）
Conversations: (Find a partner and practice these dialogues.)
A:
Pop:(Working at his desk) Hi, kids!
Dick:Whoa, Pop! What's going on? We came here to get away from1 the schoolwork stuff.
Pop:Victor's convinced me to get wired2.
Dick:What? Are you drinking more coffee?
Pop:No! Wired in an electronic sense! My place is becoming a cyber3 café! I'm putting in a few computers with Internet access. Not to mention that my sales and inventory now will all be done on computers!
Dick:As long as your triple-cheeseburgers4 stay the same, I'm here.
Pop:I don't have a computer to do that yet.
B:(They start playing with the computer.)
Dick:Cool! Let's go surfing5!
Pop: Okay, Dick. Just because you're online doesn't mean you can get out of ordering.
Dick:Then I'll take a large burger and a Diet Coke. Wait a minute! Some pickles6 and French fries, please.
(Victor and two other guys walk in the café.)
Pop:Victor! This was a brilliant idea!
Guy:What's going on here? Homework?
Dick:Of course not! Pop's gone cyber! Everyone's cruising7the net! (Watching the computer screen) Hey, check this out! Oh, great! It's for me!
Guy2:You've got a bunch of8 stuff on this one, too!
Guy1:Here also!
Dick:What can I say! I'm a popular guy!
Pop:(Looking shocked) Dick, are youshavingsall your e-mail sent to my accounts?
Dick:Just the overflow9! My computer at home can only handle so much of my fandom10！
C:(Three girls walk in.)
Girl1: Hello, Pop!
Pop:Good evening, ladies! Thanks for joining us.
Girl1:Pop, I'd like you to meet Tiffany and Stephanie.
Pop:Charmed! Can I get you girls anything? Shakes? Sundaes?
Girl1:I'll take an Espresso.
Girl2:That sounds delicious. Put me down for one, too. 11
Girl3:Make mine a Cappuccino.
Pop:Uh…I'm sorry, but we don't have Espresso or Cappuccino.
Girl1:Bummer12! How can this be a cyber café if there's no Espresso or Cappuccino?
Pop:I do have coffee.
Girl2:Yeah. What flavors?
Pop:Flavors?
D:(Pop hears a lot of noise and turns around.)
Pop:Dick, what's going on over here?
Dick:Just printing out my latest bit of fan e-mail from the girls I met on the net.
(A delivery boy walks in.)
Delivery Boy:Pizza delivery!
Pop:Is this a joke? Why would someonesgroupsfood from another restaurant?
Delivery Boy:It says right here, “Deliver to Pop's Café.”
Pop:I ordered it? Oh, gee! Dick!
Dick:Well, it's 20% off if yousgroupsa delivery online!
(Another delivery boy walks in.)
Delivery Boy:Did someonesgroupsChinese food?
Pop:Dick!
Dick:Uh…but it comes with free collectible13 chopsticks!
注解
1 get away from: to escape from ,to flee from 擺脫, 逃離
2 get wired: very excited and energetic極其興奮的
用法：After drinking a pot of coffee, he got wired the whole night. 喝完一壺咖啡，他整整一夜變得極其興奮。
3 cyber: 網(wǎng)絡(luò)上的虛擬空間
用法：Some youngsters are quite addicted to wandering in the cyber space.有些年輕人十分沉緬于網(wǎng)絡(luò)漫游。
4 triple-cheeseburger: 夾三層肉餅的奶酪漢堡包
5 go surfing: surf on the Internet 網(wǎng)上沖浪
用法：The teenagers nowadays always like to go surfing on the Internet all day and all night. 現(xiàn)在的孩子們喜歡整日整夜地上網(wǎng)沖浪。
6 pickle: 酸黃瓜 (最常見的西式泡菜)
用法：The Korean restaurants are famous for their pickles.韓國飯店以泡菜著稱。
7 cruise: wander around in boat on the sea巡游, 巡航，乘游輪出游
用法：They always go cruising in their holidays.假日里他們總是乘游輪出游。
8 a bunch of: 一捆，一束，一堆，一群
用法：He held a bunch of flowers at the school gate to wait for his girlfriend. 他舉著一束花在學(xué)校大門口等他的女朋友。
9 overflow: an excess or superabundance泛濫、過量，這里指郵件泛濫成災(zāi)
用法：The city hospital is full enough already, withoutshavingsto cope with the overflow of patients from other hospitals. 即使沒有其他醫(yī)院來的病人，這家市醫(yī)院已經(jīng)夠滿的了。
10 fandom: fan 運(yùn)動(dòng)迷, 影迷等 （集合名詞，指全體）
11 Put me down for one, too. 也給我來一杯吧
12 bummer: any unpleasant or disappointing experience真差勁，真叫人失望
13 collectible: 收藏品
Exercise: Turn the four mini-dialoguessintos ONE descriptive narrative. Use only indirect speech.