936 – Working With the IT Department Whenever I have a technol ogy probl em at work, I try to sol ve i t mysel f . It’s not that I know a l ot of about technol ogy. In f act, the opposi te i s true. I’m pretty much a computer i l l i terate, but I sti l l try. Why do I bother? The answer i s the IT department i n my company. Every ti me I consul t one of the IT speci al i sts, they make me f eel l i ke an i di ot. But thi s ti me, I had no choi ce but to cal l i n the experts. Leah: What seems to be the probl em here? Steve: My computer i s acti ng up and I can’t get thi s f i l e to open. Leah: Move. Let me take a l ook. Ha, of course your computer i s acti ng up. I don’t know what you di d to i t, but i t’s real l y screwed up. Steve: I’m not sure how I coul d have done that. Leah: Me nei ther. Thi s i s conf i gured al l wrong. And the reason you can’t open thi s f i l e i s because i t’s encrypted. Di d that occur to you? Steve: No, I guess I di dn’t. Leah: I’l l f i x everythi ng, but try not to screw i t up agai n. Steve: I’l l do my best. See what I mean?
935 – Showing Signs of Age Jul i an: What i s that, another gray hai r?! My hai r i s al ready thi nni ng on top. I don’t need more gray hai rs. Vera: I thi nk sal t and pepper hai r l ooks great on men. It makes them l ook di sti ngui shed. Jul i an: It makes them l ook ol d. Thank God I don’t have a recedi ng hai rl i ne – yet. Vera: When you get to be my age, you won’t worry so much about grayi ng hai r. There are a l ot of other thi ngs to worry about. Jul i an: Li ke what? Vera: Forget I menti oned i t. Showi ng si gns of age i sn’t somethi ng to be l amented. It’s natural and part of maturi ng as a person. It gi ves you character. Jul i an: Stop bei ng evasi ve. Li ke what? Vera: Okay, l i ke wri nkl es and age spots, deaf ness and memory l oss. Jul i an: Gee, thanks. If I ever need to tal k someone of f a l edge, I’l l gi ve you a cal l !
934 – Watching Special Effects Chri ssy: Wow, that movi e was amazi ng, but I can’t bel i eve that they bl ew up the Ei f f el Tower. I bet the French are real l y pi ssed. Jack: You’re ki ddi ng, ri ght? They di dn’t real l y bl ow up the Ei f f el Tower. They usedspeci al ef f ects to make i t l ook that way. Chri ssy: Are you sure? It real l y l ooked l i ke the real thi ng. Jack: They used a scal e model or a computer- generated i mage of the Ei f f el Tower and added some pyrotechni cs or other vi sual ef f ects to create what you saw on the screen. It’s l i ke a bi g opti cal i l l usi on. I can’t bel i eve you real l y thought they bl ew up the Ei f f el Tower. Chri ssy: Oh no, I di dn’t. I was just ki ddi ng. But you have to admi t that i t was pretty cool that they got the real presi dent of the Uni ted States to ki l l that monster, ri ght? Jack: You must be messi ng wi th my mi nd agai n. That wasn’t the presi dent. That was an actor weari ng prostheti cs and makeup standi ng i n f ront of a green screen. They added the monster 1
l ater i n post- producti on. Chri ssy: Oh, ri ght, sure. But you have to hand i t to them f or movi ng a secti on of the Great Wal l of Chi na to New York Ci ty, ri ght? Jack: Oh, boy...
933 – Letting Go of the Past Emma: I thi nk i t’s ti me. Uday: I beg to di f f er. Emma: You can’t l i ve i n the past. I know that you l i ke rel i vi ng your gl ory days, but the onl y way to move on i s to l et go of the past. Uday: I don’t want to move on. If you’ve had the l i f e I’ve had, you’d cl i ng to the past, too. Emma: But your best days are sti l l to come. Constantl y harki ng back to days gone by doesn’t al l ow you to l i ve i n the moment and to pl an f or the f uture. Uday: So what? I have my memori es to comf ort me i n my ol d age. Emma: You’re speaki ng as though your l i f e were over. You’re sti l l young. Uday: Not as young I used to be. Emma: These ol d trophi es and f ootbal l jerseys won’t keep you young. Uday: Yes, but they hel p me remember some of the hi ghl i ghts of the ol d days. Di d I ever tel l you about the ti me I si ngl e- handedl y won the game? Emma: Uh...
932 – Rebuilding Consumer Trust Karen: The scandal over our new product l i ne real l y damaged our i mage, and we need to rebui l d consumer trust. Brandon: Thi s i s goi ng to be an uphi l l battl e. Losi ng customers i s easy. Wi nni ng them back wi l l be real l y hard. Karen: I agree, but our stock i s taki ng a beati ng and we need to do somethi ng now. Brandon: Part of the probl em was that the rumors about the new producthei ghtened expectati ons and we just f el l short of the mark. We need to al ways remember to under promi se and over del i ver. Karen: Yes, that was a bi g part of the probl em, but we al so need to have moretransparency. We can’t make major changes wi thout f i rst getti ng customer i nputand wi thout noti f yi ng them wel l i n advance. Otherwi se, our customers f eel betrayed. Brandon: Al l ri ght, I thi nk we have a pl ace to begi n. Shoul d I cal l a general meeti ngto tal k speci f i cs? Karen: Sure, and whi l e we’re at i t, we can work on empl oyee moral e, too! ‘
931 – Solving a Mystery Jane: You have to watch thi s movi e. It’s so good! Hercul e: I’m not real l y i nto mysteri es. Jane: But thi s i s a real l y good whoduni t. Hercul e: I pref er acti on movi es. Jane: Li sten, the movi e gi ves you pl enty of cl ues, and the detecti ve f ol l ows hunchaf ter hunch, l ead af ter l ead, but the movi e i s f ul l of red herri ngs. Everybody seems to have an al i bi and the wi tnesses aren’t rel i abl e. Hercul e: I don’t know. It seems ki nd of conf usi ng to me. I don’t real l y want to use my brai n 2
when I’m watchi ng a movi e. Jane: But that’s the f un part of i t. The true i denti ty of the vi cti m i s a mystery, thesuspects al l have skel etons i n thei r cl osets, and the detecti ve i sn’t what he seems. Hercul e: Yeah, wel l ... Jane: And just when you thi nk you’re getti ng to the bottom of i t, the rug gets pul l ed out f rom under you. It keeps you guessi ng unti l the very end. Hey, where are you goi ng? Hercul e: I’m goi ng to f i nd an acti on movi e where al l my brai n has to do i s handl e thesensory overl oad!
930 – Fearing Bioterrorism Natal i e: Why are you weari ng that gas mask? Anton: I’m getti ng used to i t. If we ever have a bi oterrori st attack, I’l l be ready. Want to try one on? Natal i e: No, thanks. If we get i nvol ved i n bi ol ogi cal warf are, I thi nk we’l l have somewarni ng. Anton: That’s what you thi nk. Ai rborne toxi ns, bacteri a, or vi ruses coul d be i n the ai r ri ght now, and you and I woul dn’t be abl e to detect i t. It coul d i nf ect you i n the bl i nk of an eye. Natal i e: Then I’l l be si ck or dead anyway. So who cares? Anton: I sai d we woul dn’t be abl e to detect i t, but there are agenci es wi th earl y detecti on equi pment that coul d. As soon as they sound the al arm, we can put on our gas masks and take other precauti ons. Natal i e: If we’re real l y attacked by bi oterrori sts, what good i s earl y detecti on? It’s not l i ke you can real l y escape the toxi ns. Anton: Don’t pooh- pooh these preparati ons. They coul d be the di f f erence between l i f e and death when the ti me comes. Natal i e: Ri ght. In the meanti me, I thi nk I’l l just get dressed – wi thout the styl i sh gas mask.
929 – Trying to Locate Someone Carmen: Hi , I’m l ooki ng f or Wal do. I was tol d that he comes i n here f rom ti me to ti me. Have you seen hi m? Antoni o: Wal do? I haven’t seen hi m i n a whi l e. He comes i n someti mes, but i t’s pretty hi t-andmi ss. Carmen: I can’t seem to pi n hi m down. Every ti me I thi nk I’m hot on hi s trai l , I’m too l ate. He’s ski pped town or has gone underground. Antoni o: That’s Wal do. He’s the most el usi ve person I know. I thi nk he actual l y enjoys pl ayi ng a game of cat and mouse wi th peopl e who are tryi ng to l ocatehi m. Carmen: I’m starti ng to get that f eel i ng. I’ve been tryi ng to track hi m down f or over two months. Antoni o: He does seem to have a si xth sense and knows when to vani sh. Carmen: I’m starti ng to thi nk he doesn’t real l y exi st and that he’s just a f i gment of my i magi nati on. Antoni o: It’s f unny you shoul d say that. I thi nk hi s ul ti mate goal i s to be i nvi si bl e, just another f ace i n the crowd.
928. Understanding Corporate Structure Andrea: Thi s organi zati onal chart i s real l y conf usi ng. Raf f ael : Why are you l ooki ng at that? Andrea: I have an i ntervi ew next week and I’m tryi ng to bone up on the company I’l l be 3
i ntervi ewi ng wi th. I want to i mpress them, but thi s chart i s real l y conf usi ng. Raf f ael : Let me see. It’s a si mpl e f l ow chart. You have your board of di rectors at the top, wi th the managi ng di rector reporti ng to them, and then the executi ve of f i cers overseei ng major departments. Andrea: But I thought managers work bel ow the executi ve of f i cers. Raf f ael : You’re conf usi ng managers wi th managi ng di rectors. The managi ng di rector oversees the enti re company and managers oversee dai l y operati ons. Andrea: Oh, I see. So these here are the departments: accounti ng, marketi ng,purchasi ng, personnel , R & D, sal es, and producti on. Raf f ael : That’s ri ght. Whi ch department are you i ntervi ewi ng f or? Andrea: I thi nk the job i s i n purchasi ng. Raf f ael : You thi nk? Don’t you thi nk that’s somethi ng you shoul d get strai ght bef ore you do anythi ng el se? Andrea: You mi ght have a poi nt there.
927 – Being Tidy and Messy Carol e: It i s beyond me how you and Oscar can be roommates. You’re very ti dyand he’s, wel l , a sl ob. Fel i x: It’s not al ways easy, but we’re maki ng i t work. Carol e: Isn’t Oscar real l y messy al l the ti me? Whenever I see hi m, hi s cl othes arerumpl ed and hi s hai r i s unkempt. Fel i x: Hi s room i s real l y cl uttered, but he keeps the common areas i n passabl econdi ti on. I do have to strai ghten up f ai rl y of ten, and I someti mes have to pi ck up af ter hi m, but that’s because I’m pretty ni tpi cky. Carol e: That’s very tol erant of you. Fel i x: Wel l , we have set up a system so that i f thi ngs get too messy, I have somerecourse. Carol e: Real l y, what’s your system? Fel i x: Oscar and I agreed that every ti me he l eaves a bi g mess, I can f i ne hi m. Carol e: That seems ki nd of drasti c, but maybe i t works f or you guys. Fel i x: Yeah, i t keeps the pl ace pretty cl ean. Carol e: Sti l l , knowi ng Oscar, you must have had to f i ne hi m a l ot. Fel i x: Let’s just say that my next vacati on wi l l be i n Monte Carl o!
926. Getting an advantage in sports Tammy: What are you doi ng thi s year to gi ve your team an advantage? Phi l l i p: I have a f ew tri cks up my sl eeve. We’re goi ng to have a wi nni ng season. Tammy: Are you goi ng to start Wang? Phi l l i p: No, I’m redshi rti ng Wang. I want hi m to si t out hi s f i rst year so he cansharpen hi s ski l l s. Tammy: I’m real l y surpri sed. Wang i s al ready a great pl ayer and too good to si t on the bench. Phi l l i p: Trust me, I know what I’m doi ng. He’l l get an extra year of el i gi bi l i ty and be even better next year. Tammy: If you say so. What about Schwartz? Phi l l i p: He’s out f or the season. He’s hurt and won’t be abl e to pl ay. Tammy: That’s a major bl ow! He’s your star pl ayer, ri ght? Phi l l i p: He’s a l oss, but I have a secret weapon. Tammy: Oh, yeah? 4
Phi l l i p: Thi s new pl ayer, Pi erre, i s goi ng to gi ve the other teams a run f or thei r money. Tammy: Who i s he? Phi l l i p: Just somebody I recrui ted. Let’s just say he’s tal ented beyond hi s years. Tammy: Huh? You mean he’s a ri nger? You’re bri ngi ng i n a ri nger? Phi l l i p: Of course not. He’s just a l i ttl e more experi enced than my other pl ayers and he’l l be a f orce to be reckoned wi th. Tammy: Onl y i f nobody catches on. Phi l l i p: Catches on to what?
925. Going through customs Customs Of f i cer: Your passports, pl ease. What i s your f i nal desti nati on? Özkan: Los Angel es. Customs Of f i cer: How l ong i s your stay? Özkan: We’l l be there f or a week. Customs Of f i cer: What i s the purpose of your tri p? Özkan: I’m goi ng there on busi ness and my f ami l y i s accompanyi ng me on vacati on. Customs Of f i cer: Who are you travel i ng wi th? Özkan: Thi s i s my wi f e Ayse, and these are my chi l dren, Mustaf a and Ömer. Customs Of f i cer: Are you bri ngi ng i n any restri cted i tems? Any pl ants, f rui ts and vegetabl es, meats, or ani mal s? Özkan: No. Customs Of f i cer: Do you have anythi ng to decl are? Özkan: We bought some duty-f ree i tems i n the ai rport. Here’s the recei pt. Customs Of f i cer: That’s f i ne. Step over to the exam stati on f or baggage i nspecti on. ... We opened our bags f or i nspecti on, and l ucki l y, the i nspector f ound nothi ng toconf i scate and we got of f scot-f ree. I’m real l y gl ad they di dn’t f i nd that cat we’resmuggl i ng i n as a gi f t f or my f avori te podcaster!
924. Getting access to important people Cami l e: That i s a real l y good i dea. Nathan: Thanks, but there’s no way I can get past al l of the gatekeepers i n thi s company to get access to the presi dent. He’s the onl y one who can green-l i ght a project l i ke thi s. Cami l e: Can’t you present i t to your boss f i rst? Nathan: If I bri ng the i dea to my i mmedi ate supervi sor, she’l l ei ther take i t over orni x i t. Cami l e: What you need to do i s to get the ear of one of hi s advi sors and do an end-run around the other managers. Nathan: I’m not sure how I can do that. I don’t know any of the advi sors i n the presi dent’s i nner ci rcl e. We don’t exactl y travel i n the same ci rcl es, you know. Cami l e: How’s your jump shot? Nathan: Why do you ask? Cami l e: My cousi n works at the same gym where that the company presi dent goes to exerci se. Someti mes he l i kes to pl ay a game of pi ck- up basketbal l , of ten one-on-one. If you got a cal l f rom my cousi n when he’s there, you mi ght be abl e to be get there qui ckl y and be i n the ri ght pl ace at the ri ght ti me. Nathan: You mean tal k busi ness on the courts? 5
Cami l e: Sure, i sn’t that how real deal s get made? Nathan: You mi ght have an i dea there. Cami l e: Yes, but one pi ece of advi ce: Let hi m wi n!
923. Having a bad habit Al i sha: Thi s i s the second ti me I’ve been turned down f or a credi t card i n a month. I don’t know what I’m doi ng wrong. James: Have you checked your credi t report recentl y? Maybe you have a badcredi t rati ng. Al i sha: I have a f ul l -ti me job wi th a good i ncome, whi ch they can easi l y veri f y, and I don’t have any outstandi ng debt, so what coul d be the probl em? James: Have you had a credi t card bef ore? Al i sha: Yes. James: Di d you al ways make your payments on ti me? Al i sha: Wel l , no. James: Then that may be your answer. Your payment hi story makes a bi g di f f erence wi th the credi t bureau. If you’ve mi ssed payments or been l ate, that’s a bi g stri ke agai nst you. Al i sha: You mean i f I were l ate a f ew ti mes, I woul dn’t be abl e to get another credi t card? James: A f ew ti mes? How many ti mes? Al i sha: Wel l , maybe a l ot of ti mes. James: And why do you need another credi t card i f you al ready have one? Al i sha: Had one, past tense. The credi t card company cancel l ed i t. James: Ah ha, I thi nk we’ve just f ound the crux of the probl em.
922. Getting a second opinion Greg: Where are you goi ng? Anne: I’m goi ng to see another doctor to get a second opi ni on. My doctordi agnosed me wi th a seri ous medi cal condi ti on and I don’t want to take i t at f ace val ue. Greg: You’re second- guessi ng your doctor? Anne: No, I just want to make sure he’s ri ght. He’s al so recommendi ng aconservati ve treatment f or thi s condi ti on, and i f I real l y have i t, I want to be moreaggressi ve. Greg: Doesn’t your doctor mi nd that you’re getti ng a second opi ni on? Anne: No, he even gave me a recommendati on f or another speci al i st. Greg: What’s al l of that? Anne: Thi s i s a compl ete set of my records al ong wi th my test resul ts. I’m hopi ng he’l l have a f resh perspecti ve when he l ooks at al l of i t and my pati ent hi story. Greg: What are you hopi ng he’l l f i nd? Anne: The best-case scenari o i s that he’l l f i nd that my doctor was wrong and that I don’t real l y have thi s condi ti on. Greg: If he tel l s you that, woul dn’t you be dubi ous? You’l l have one doctor tel l i ng you that you have i t and one tel l i ng you that you don’t. Anne: Then, i t woul d be ti me f or a thi rd opi ni on.
921. Describing a chance an probability Raul : What are the chances that Rob wi l l be here on ti me? Ti f f any: I’d say i t’s f i f ty- f i f ty. You never know. He mi ght surpri se us and be earl y. Raul : Fat chance of that happeni ng. I’ve known hi m f or three years and i f I had to stake my l i f e 6
on whether he’l l arri ve earl y or not, I’d be i n bi g troubl e. Ti f f any: Don’t exaggerate. Rob i sn’t compl etel y i rresponsi bl e. I’d say there’s a pretty good probabi l i ty that he’l l be here when he sai d he woul d, especi al l y af ter he promi sed. Raul : Hi s i ntenti ons are good, but he l oses track of ti me and doesn’t know what day i t i s hal f the ti me. Ti f f any: He tol d me that he’s tryi ng to change. Raul : Wel l , as I sai d, hi s i ntenti ons are good. He just needs to work on hi s f ol l ow-through. Ti f f any: Come on, he coul d be on hi s way ri ght now. Raul : Don’t hol d your breath. I’l l bel i eve hi s promi ses when hel l f reezes over. Ti f f any: Aren’t you bei ng just a wee bi t cyni cal ? Raul : And aren’t you just i ndul gi ng i n wi shf ul thi nki ng? Ti f f any: Hey, I thi nk that’s hi m comi ng down the road! I thi nk you’d better eat your words. Raul : And I thi nk you’d better get gl asses.
920. Leasing business equipments Ol ena: We need to keep pace wi th changi ng technol ogy, but how are we goi ng to rai se capi tal to upgrade our equi pment? Joel : I’m not sure. Maybe we can f i nd a suppl i er who wi l l extend credi t to us. We can pay i n i nstal l ments. Ol ena: That’l l be hard to do. No one wants to extend credi t these days. Joel : I know what my brother di d when hi s company needed new equi pment. Ol ena: What? Joel : He l eased i t i nstead of buyi ng i t. Ol ena: Leasi ng equi pment? I’ve never consi dered i t. I don’t want to end up payi ng more f or the equi pment over ti me than i t’s worth, and sti l l not own the equi pment at the end of the contract. Joel : The f l i p si de i s that you won’t be saddl ed wi th outdated equi pment that’s hard to of f l oad. My brother says that there are other advantages to l easi ng. You can have the mai ntenance i ncl uded i n your contract, so you won’t have to worry about hi gh repai r bi l l s. Ol ena: I don’t know... Joel : And my brother al so tol d me that he was abl e to negoti ate a purchase opti on. You can do the same i f you real l y want to own the equi pment. Ol ena: Your brother real l y seems to know what he’s tal ki ng about. Why i sn’t he worki ng f or me? Joel : You have someone even better. You have an empl oyee who l i stens and steal s the competi tors’ good i deas.
919. Visiting childcare centers Adam: What’s that? Noel l e: It’s a l i st of questi ons I’m goi ng to ask at the chi l dcare center when we vi si t today. I want to be prepared. Adam: We al ready know that i t’s l i censed and has a good reputati on. What other questi ons are you goi ng to ask? Noel l e: Lots. For i nstance, I want to know what the rati o i s of chi l dren to each chi l dcare worker and what thei r staf f turnover rate i s. Adam: Okay, I guess those are i mportant questi ons. Noel l e: And I want to know what thei r pol i ci es are on di sci pl i ni ng the ki ds and what ki nds of meal s and snacks they serve. 7
Adam: Al so good questi ons. Noel l e: And I want to f i nd out thei r pol i ci es on si ck ki ds and i f they al l ow l ate pi ck-up. Adam: Yeah, I guess those are real l y good questi ons, too. Noel l e: And I want to know i f I can observe any ti me I want to and i f there i s asecure checki n/check- out system. Adam: Those are al l good questi ons, but I guess I shoul dn’t be surpri sed that you’vedone your homework. Noel l e: That’s why you marri ed me, ri ght? Because I’m so practi cal ? Adam: If that’s why I marri ed you, woul dn’t that make me the practi cal one?
918. – Preparing for a Disaster Li l l y: Qui ck, we need to go get some suppl i es. I was l i steni ng to tal k radi o on my way home f rom work and thi s guy was on tal ki ng about how doomsday i s comi ng and we need to prepare. Paul : Oh no, not thi s agai n. You have to stop l i steni ng to that garbage on the radi o. Li sten, there i s no i mpendi ng doom and thi s guy was just cryi ng wol f . Li l l y: No, he wasn’t. He had proof that the worl d i s goi ng to end soon and he wassoundi ng the al arm. Those peopl e ki l l ed i n the storm l ast week? They were thecanari es i n the coal mi ne. Di saster i s comi ng! Paul : Let me be the voi ce of reason f or a mi nute. How many ti mes have you bel i eved that the worl d was endi ng i n the past f ew years? Li l l y: A f ew ti mes, but thi s i s f or real . There’l l be a di srupti on of servi ces, a run onf ood and water, and chaos! Paul : Let me ask you thi s: i f the worl d i s endi ng, aren’t we al l just goi ng to di e? Li l l y: Not i f you have an underground bunker. Start di ggi ng!
917 – Types of Families Patri ci a: Okay, we’re nearl y done setti ng up f or the nei ghborhood party. I got somenametags wi th “f ather,” “mother,” and “ki ds” pri nted on them, wi th a space f or peopl e to wri te thei r names. It’l l be easi er f or peopl e to i ntroduce themsel ves and make f ri ends. Ed: The nametags are a good i dea, but we have to keep i n mi nd that i n thi s day and age, there are a l ot of unconventi onal f ami l i es. We won’t just have nucl earor tradi ti onal f ami l i es comi ng. Patri ci a: I don’t see how that makes a di f f erence. Ed: Don’t you? What i f we have same-sex f ami l i es? We need to be ready to hand out two “f ather” or two “mother” nametags. There are al so a l ot of stepf ami l i es wi th more than one set of parents. Patri ci a: Wel l , the men are al l “f athers” and the “women” are al l mothers – that’s si mpl e. I sti l l don’t see the probl em. Ed: What i f the chi l dren are bei ng rai sed by grandparents? Some of the men coul d be grandf athers and some of the women grandmothers. Patri ci a: Okay, we mi ght have some of those f ami l i es. Ed: And don’t f orget that some parents are di vorced or are si ngl e parents. Thei r current partner may not be thei r spouse. It woul dn’t be appropri ate to gi ve them “f ather” or “mother” nametags. We mi ght even get f oster f ami l i es, i n whi ch case, the nametags may not be appl i cabl e at al l . Patri ci a: I gi ve up. Forget I ever brought up these nametags. I’l l get bl ank ones wi th nothi ng on them. Ed: That’s a good i dea. Gi ven the compl exi ty we l i ve i n today, choosi ng si mpl i ci tymi ght be the 8
way to go!
916 – Being Forced Out of a Position Jul i anna: Ha ha! The wi cked wi tch i s dead! Hugo: What are you tal ki ng about? Jul i anna: Betti na i s steppi ng down as chai rperson of the commi ttee. I thought thi s day woul d never come. Hugo: That’s a bi g surpri se. I never thought I’d l i ve to see the day when Betti na woul d wi l l i ngl y gi ve up her posi ti on. Jul i anna: It wasn’t her choi ce exactl y. The rest of the commi ttee f orced her out, sayi ng they coul dn’t work wi th her anymore. Oh how the mi ghty have f al l en! Hugo: But I thought she had the support of the hi gher- ups and they wanted her i n the posi ti on. Jul i anna: Wel l , she’s somehow f al l en f rom grace and they can’t wai t to see the back of her. It’s ni ce to see her get her comeuppance – f i nal l y! Hugo: Maybe we’re not getti ng the f ul l story. Maybe she had personal reasons f or l eavi ng. Jul i anna: Whatever the reason, we’l l be ri d of her once and f or al l . Hal l el ujah! Hugo: How do you know the next chai rperson won’t be worse? Jul i anna: Bi te your tongue!
915 – Learning to Read Music Mi ke: You have a great voi ce. You shoul d joi n our choi r. Grace: I don’t know anythi ng about musi c. I can’t even read musi c. Mi ke: It’s not that hard. I coul d teach you. Look, thi s i s a pi ece we’re worki ng on ri ght now. Grace: What’s that wei rd thi ng at the begi nni ng? Mi ke: That’s the cl ef . It tel l s you whi ch note each l i ne and space on the staf f represents. Grace: Okay. What about these numbers? Mi ke: That’s the ti me si gnature. It tel l s you how many beats are i n each measure, and what ki nd of note gets one beat. Thi s l i ttl e number above there gi ves you thetempo. Grace: Hmm, that’s ki nd of compl i cated. Why are al l of these notes stacked on top of each other? Mi ke: That’s to i ndi cate a chord, wi th two or more notes pl ayed together at the same ti me. See? Musi cal notati on i s real l y very si mpl e. Grace: I don’t thi nk I got al l that. Mi ke: I’m happy to hel p you unti l you get the hang of i t. We coul d even work on some duets. We coul d si ng harmony or I can accompany you on the pi ano. Grace: I thi nk you’re overesti mati ng my si ngi ng abi l i ty, but I’m wi l l i ng to gi ve i t a try. At l east, I thi nk I can stay on pi tch. I just don’t want to embarrass mysel f too much. Mi ke: I thi nk you’re overesti mati ng the qual i ty of our communi ty choi r!
914 – Wanting Peace and Quiet Af ter three days of travel and meeti ngs, I returned to my hotel room ready f or somedownti me. Al l I wanted was some peace and qui et so I coul d get a good ni ght’s sl eep. ... [phone ri ngs] Carl : Hel l o. Hotel staf f : Hel l o, Mr. Mendez. I’m cal l i ng to wel come you to our hotel . I hope you’re f i ndi ng everythi ng to your sati sf acti on. 9
Carl : Yes, yes. Everythi ng’s f i ne. I just want to get some rest ri ght now. Hotel staf f : Of course, Mr. Mendez. If there’s anythi ng we can do f or you, don’t hesi tate to ask. ... I hung up the phone and turned of f the ri nger. I di dn’t want any more unsol i ci tedphone cal l s. But then, there was a knock on the door. ... Hotel staf f : Hel l o, si r. I’m here to turn down your bed. May I come i n? Carl : I don’t need the bed turned down, thanks. ... Bef ore I cl osed the door, I put the do-not- di sturb si gn on my door. I wanted no more i nterrupti ons. Al l of a sudden, a l oud al arm went of f . I opened my door and a hotel empl oyee was expl ai ni ng that there was a smal l f i re i n the ki tchen and that the guests were bei ngevacuated. We woul d have to l eave the bui l di ng i mmedi atel y. I l ef t my hotel room and wondered i f there was a vast conspi racy to rob me of my sl eep or i f I’m just the unl ucki est guy i n the worl d!
913 – Experiencing Motion Sickness Ashl ey: You don’t l ook so good. What’s wrong? Terrel l : I f el t moti on si ckness watchi ng that movi e. The camera jerked aroundand i t made me di zzy. Ashl ey: It di dn’t bother me. The hand-hel d camera used to f i l m the movi e had thatef f ect on you? Terrel l : I’m suscepti bl e to moti on si ckness. You shoul d see me on a boat. Therocki ng moti on makes me seasi ck and nauseous. When I was a ki d, I used to get carsi ck every ti me my f ami l y took a road tri p. My parents al ways had a barf bagready. Ashl ey: Wow, that sucks. Terrel l : Yeah, and don’t even try to get me on an ai rpl ane. Just the starti ng of theengi nes makes me f eel ai rsi ck and l ooki ng down gi ves me verti go. Ashl ey: So how do you travel ? Terrel l : Very rarel y and usual l y wi th one f oot on the ground!
912 – Working as a Lobbyist Cody: You’re not the ki nd of person I woul d expect to work as a l obbyi st. Jada: Why not? Cody: I pi cture l obbyi sts as bei ng ki nd of pushy and corrupt, usi ng underhanded tacti cs. Jada: It’s not l i ke that at al l , at l east not f or me. I just use my powers of persuasi on to hel p my cl i ents. Cody: So what do you do exactl y? Jada: I meet wi th l egi sl ators and try to sway them to support l aws that aref avorabl e to the peopl e and compani es I represent, and to di scourage them f rom voti ng f or l aws that aren’t. Cody: You’re a spokesperson f or your cl i ents, then. Jada: I’m more than that. I work f or cl i ents i n the pri vate sector and i n corporati ons, as wel l as f or speci al i nterest groups. I advocate f or what woul d benef i t my cl i ents i n a way that they can’t do themsel ves di rectl y. Cody: Isn’t there someti mes a conf l i ct of i nterest? Let’s say your cl i ent thi s month wants a l aw passed and your cl i ent next month doesn’t. What happens then? 10
Jada: I’m a gun f or hi re. I do my best f or my cl i ent, whi chever that cl i ent i s at that moment. Cody: I’m gl ad to hear you say that. I coul d use the servi ces of a good l obbyi st. I’ve been tryi ng to get my wi f e to agree to buy a new boat... Jada: Stop ri ght there. In thi s case there i s a conf l i ct of i nterest. Your wi f e tal ked to me l ast week and wants me to have a l i ttl e tal k wi th you about that new boat...
911 – Correcting and Explaining in Conversation Danny: You l ook l i ke you need to rel ax. Sybi l : Excuse me? Danny: What I mean i s, you l ook l i ke you coul d use some R and R. Sybi l : I di dn’t know I l ooked ti red and worn out. Danny: No, what I’m tryi ng to say i s, peopl e need l ei sure ti me once i n a whi l e. Sybi l : Yes, that’s certai nl y true. Danny: The human body needs downti me to recuperate and to regenerate. Sybi l : Okay, I guess that’s true. Danny: Let me rephrase that. Peopl e need ti me away f rom work to get ready f or more work. Sybi l : Are you sayi ng you’re pl anni ng on gi vi ng me more work? Danny: No, no, no. Let me put i t another way. It’s i mperati ve that you don’t work thi s weekend. Sybi l : Why? What’s goi ng on thi s weekend? Are you sayi ng that somethi ng bi g i s happeni ng i n the department thi s weekend and I’m bei ng l ef t out? Danny: No, not at al l . What I’m tryi ng to say i s... [si gh]...woul d you l i ke to go out wi th me Saturday ni ght? Sybi l : Oh, I guess I di dn’t catch your dri f t earl i er. You’re aski ng me out f or Saturday. Danny: Yes, I am. Sybi l : Then, I accept. Danny: Real l y? Sybi l : Yes, as l ong as you promi se never to ask me out on a f i rst date ever agai n!
910 – Plagiarizing a Paper Paul : Al l done. Samantha: You’re done wi th your paper? How can that be? I’m just getti ng started. Paul : I’m just a better student than you are. Samantha: Let me see that. You di dn’t wri te thi s. Paul : No, I di dn’t. I downl oaded somebody’s paper f rom some websi te and sl apped my name on i t. The prof essor wi l l never know. Wi se up. Do you want me to f i nd one f or you? Samantha: No way! Not onl y i s i t cheati ng, i f you get caught, you coul d f l unk the cl ass or get expel l ed. Paul : Don’t be such a goody two-shoes. Everybody does i t. I know a guy who pays somebody i n another state to wri te al l of hi s papers f or hi m and another guy who l i f ts hi s papers f rom ol d books. Don’t tel l me you’ve never paraphrased i deas f rom a source and represented them as your own. Samantha: Are you ki ddi ng me? Borrowi ng i deas f rom a book wi th properattri buti on i s what you’re supposed to do. You, on the other hand, are pl agi ari zi ngyour way to your degree. Paul : Damn strai ght! Look who’s done wi th hi s homework and who i s sti l l worki ng on hers. Samantha: I’d rather earn what I get and know that I di dn’t shortchange mysel f out of an educati on! 11
909 – Buying Electronic Books Ki ndo: What’s that? Nooki e: It’s my new e-book reader. I’m just downl oadi ng some new books onto i t. Ki ndo: I haven’t bought one yet. I’m ol d school . I sti l l pref er a pri nted book. Nooki e: But i f you haven’t tri ed i t yet, how do you know you woul dn’t l i ke i t better? Thi s e-book reader can store over 10,000 di gi tal books and i t’s easi l y portabl e. Imagi ne tryi ng to carry an enti re l i brary f rom pl ace to pl ace. Ki ndo: I don’t usual l y read 10,000 books al l at once and I hear that there are a l ot of i ncompati bl e f ormats out there. Each company i s tryi ng to edge out the others by establ i shi ng thei r f ormat as the f ormat. I thi nk I’l l just wai t unti l the dust settl es. Nooki e: The di f f erent f ormats aren’t that bi g a deal . You can easi l y convert a book i n one f ormat to another. Ki ndo: I l i ke the l ook of text on a pri nted page. Nooki e: You mean that f aded text on that yel l owed page? On an e-book reader, you can adjust the text si ze, f ont, and even l i ne spaci ng. Ki ndo: Can I get al l of the out-of -pri nt books on my shel ves i n di gi tal f ormat? Nooki e: Wel l , I’m not sure. Ki ndo: Unti l I can, I’l l sti ck to my l ow-tech books.
908 – Being Territorial at Work Andy: What are you doi ng? Si ta: I’m runni ng some numbers f or the new project. Andy: I thought that was Del i a’s turf . Si ta: She’s usual l y the go-to person f or thi s type of i nf ormati on, but I need thi s i nf o ri ght now. Andy: I’d be caref ul about steppi ng on Del i a’s toes. She doesn’t take ki ndl y to peopl e encroachi ng on her responsi bi l i ti es. Si ta: I know she can be terri tori al at ti mes, but I’m sure i f I expl ai n to her why I’m getti ng thi s i nf ormati on ri ght thi s mi nute, she’d understand. Andy: Okay, but don’t be surpri sed i f she thi nks you’re tryi ng to gai n control of her l i ttl e f i ef dom. She’s real l y entrenched and she doesn’t l i ke anyone muscl i ng i n. Si ta: Do you real l y thi nk she’l l mi sunderstand my moti ves? Andy: I woul dn’t take any chances. Hurry up and f i ni sh what you’re doi ng, cover your tracks, and get out. Wi th any l uck, she won’t thi nk thi s i s the begi nni ng of a turf war.
907 – Buying Tools at a Hardware Store Chuck: Just remember that we have a l ot to accompl i sh today, so l et’s just get what we need and go, okay? Ayaka: Sure, we just need a f ew tool s f or our DIY project. The power tool s are over there. Chuck: Whoa, we’re not getti ng power tool s. We just need a f ew si mpl e hand tool s: a hammer, a wrench, a chi sel , some pl i ers – and maybe an extrascrewdri ver or two. Ayaka: We woul d get the job done so much more qui ckl y i f we had power tool s. Instead of a hammer, we shoul d get a nai l gun. We al so need a power dri l l , and hey, a sander and a tabl e saw. Chuck: A tabl e saw?! We’re doi ng some si mpl e repai rs, not remodel i ng our house. Ayaka: You never know when you need a good saw and I’ve al ways wanted a tabl e saw. Chuck: Other women want cl othes and jewel ry, and you want power tool s? 12
Ayaka: That ri ght. You shoul d be counti ng your l ucky stars!
906 – Using Illegal Drugs Nancy: So, what do you thi nk? Ron: Uh, that was i nteresti ng. Nancy: That’s al l you have to say? I spent si x months maki ng thi s anti - drug f i l m to show students i n school s to try and deter i l l egal drug use. Ron: Wel l , I’m not sure i f i t gets the poi nt across. Nancy: What do you mean? I show f ootage of peopl e usi ng hardcore drugs. Ron: That’s just i t. You start by showi ng peopl e smoki ng pot, maki ng the poi nt that i t’s a gateway drug, and then showi ng addi cts poppi ng pi l l s, shooti ng up heroi ne, and snorti ng and f reebasi ng cocai ne. Nancy: I’m tryi ng to show the downhi l l spi ral that resul ts f rom i l l egal drug use. Ron: But consi deri ng how i ncredi bl y expl i ci t the f i l m i s, I’m af rai d that teachers mi ght mi stake i t f or some other type of f i l m. Nancy: What do you mean? What type of f i l m? Ron: Wel l , i nstead of an anti - drug educati onal f i l m, i t seems more i nstructi onal . If ki ds don’t know how to use i l l egal drugs bef ore, they wi l l af ter watchi ng thi s f i l m!
905 – Getting a Marriage License Yves: Hel p me f i l l out thi s appl i cati on f or our marri age l i cense. Vanessa: Can’t you do i t? I’m real l y busy wi th work ri ght now. Do as much as you can and just ask me i f you don’t know somethi ng. Yves: Okay, I’l l try, but I’m readi ng through the requi rements, and i t’s a good i dea f or both of us to know what they are. Vanessa: Okay, then just read them out l oud to me. Yves: Al l ri ght. We need to bri ng i denti f i cati on and i t’s best to bri ng our bi rth certi f i cates, just i n case. We don’t need bl ood tests and there’s no wai ti ng peri odi n thi s state. Are you l i steni ng? Vanessa: To every word. Go on. Yves: For peopl e who have been marri ed bef ore, they’l l have to bri ng proof of di vorce, death, or annul ment. Okay, si nce you’ve been marri ed bef ore, you’l l need to bri ng a copy of your f i nal di vorce decree. Di d you hear that? Vanessa: Yeah, yeah. Yves: We can choose any qual i f i ed of f i ci ant and the marri age l i cense i s val i d f or 90 days – that’s 90 days to get marri ed and have the marri age recorded. We onl y have 90 days af ter we get the l i cense to get marri ed, got that? Vanessa: Sure, 90 days. No probl em. Yves: I’m starti ng to wonder. If you don’t have ti me to f i l l out our marri age l i cense appl i cati on, how wi l l you make ti me f or our weddi ng? Vanessa: What? I’m real l y busy ri ght now. Let’s tal k about i t l ater. Yves: Is i t just me, or does thi s conversati on not bode wel l f or our f uture marri age?
904 – Working Overseas Dani el l e: I’m so exci ted! I just got my new posti ng overseas. I can’t wai t to l i veabroad and work as an expat. Angus: I remember my f i rst overseas assi gnment. It was i nteresti ng, but theadjustment took 13
some ti me. Dani el l e: I won’t have any probl ems. I al ready have my work permi t andvacci nati ons, and I speak the l anguage f ai rl y wel l . And remember, I don’t have any f ami l y to rel ocate. Angus: I di dn’t thi nk I’d have any probl ems ei ther, but when I got to McQui l l anl and, I was i n cul ture shock. Dani el l e: I’m ready f or the di f f erences i n the cost of l i vi ng. I’l l be getti ng a housi ng al l owance, whi ch wi l l of f set the i ncrease i n l i vi ng expenses. Angus: I wasn’t thi nki ng so much about the expense of l i vi ng abroad. I was ref erri ng to a di f f erent pace of l i f e and the many cul tural di f f erences that af f ect every f acetof l i f e. Dani el l e: That’s what I’m l ooki ng f orward to. It’l l al l be so exci ti ng. Angus: I’m gl ad you’re i n euphori a ri ght now, but be prepared f or some bumps i n the road. Dani el l e: No probl em. To me, smooth sai l i ng woul d be bori ng!
903 – Listening to a Traffic Report Every af ternoon bef ore I l eave work, I l i sten to the traf f i c report to see i f I shoul d take my usual route home or make a detour. So today, l i ke every day, I turned on my radi o. “It’s a tough commute today i f you’re travel i ng on I-35 north. There’s a majorsl owdown due to an overturned bi g ri g that’s bl ocki ng the number two l ane.” Oh no. That meant that I had to take the 40W i nstead. “If you’re travel i ng on the 40W, you’l l f i nd a l ot of congesti on. It’s down to onel ane because of a pi l eup. Emergency vehi cl es are respondi ng.” Wow, that meant I mi ght have to take surf ace streets al l the way home. “And i f you’re thi nki ng of taki ng Broadway Boul evard west f rom downtown, thi nk agai n. There i s a stal l ed vehi cl e bl ocki ng the ri ght l ane and constructi on al l the way to Mai n Street.” Wel l , I was i n a no-wi n si tuati on. Do I want to spend two hours i n gri dl ock or two more hours at work?
902 – Being Chivalrous and Protective When I f i rst met Lance, I thought he was the perf ect guy. He was a real gentl eman. He opened doors f or me and pul l ed out my chai r i n restaurants. He was as chi val rous as they come. But af ter a whi l e, I real i zed that he took chi val ry a l i ttl e too f ar. Lance: Let me carry that box f or you. Gui nevere: No, that’s okay. It’s not heavy. Lance: It doesn’t matter. I’m your boyf ri end and I can’t have you carryi ng a box when my hands are f ree. Gui nevere: Is that some ki nd of code of conduct I don’t know about? Lance: It’s how a kni ght woul d treat hi s l ady. Gui nevere: That’s ni ce, but I’m perf ectl y capabl e of carryi ng my own box, thank you. Lance: Don’t argue. It’s my duty to show every courtesy to my gi rl f ri end, so gi ve me that box. Gui nevere: Are you sayi ng that your code of conduct takes precedence over my pref erences? Lance: No, I’m just tel l i ng you that my job i s to hel p and protect you, even i f i t’sagai nst your wi l l . ... How can you argue wi th that l ogi c?
901 – Participating in a Clinical Trial 14
Luci nda: You l ook ti red. Are you al l ri ght? El an: I’m f i ne. It’s thi s cl i ni cal tri al I’m enrol l ed i n. I’m suf f eri ng f rom some si de ef f ects. Luci nda: Are they seri ous? El an: No, they’re not too bad. I was tol d to expect some adverse reacti ons i n the f i rst weeks of the pi l ot study. I guess that’s why onl y a smal l group of vol unteersi s taki ng part ri ght now. It’s so they can judge the drug’s ef f ecti veness bef ore thepharmaceuti cal company does a l arge-scal e tri al . Luci nda: At l east you know you’re not i n the group getti ng a pl acebo. El an: Who knows? I hope not. If I successf ul l y get through thi s f i rst phase, I’l l get a f ul l dose of the drug i n phase two. Luci nda: Then you may once and f or al l be ri d of Podcaster’s Di sease. El an: I real l y hope so. No one shoul d go through l i f e soundi ng l i ke a podcaster.
900 – Simplifying Information Tara: How i s your presentati on comi ng al ong? Stan: It’s okay, but I’m havi ng troubl e si mpl i f yi ng some of the key conceptswi thout dumbi ng them down too much. Tara: I thi nk your i nsti ncts are ri ght. You’l l be presenti ng to non- speci al i sts, so i t’s i mportant to keep your presentati on cl ear and si mpl e. Stan: That’s my probl em. How do I capture the essence of al l of thi s i nf ormati on wi thout maki ng i t too si mpl i sti c? Tara: My rul e of thumb i s to thi nk about whi ch concepts real l y jump out at me when I thi nk about the topi c and i denti f y any patterns i n the i nf ormati on. Then, I bui l d my presentati ons around those thi ngs. Stan: That’s a good i dea. Tara: I woul d al so f i nd a non-speci al i st and do a run-through and get hi s or her f eedback. That’s the best way to know i f you’ve nai l ed i t. Stan: That’s another good i dea. What do I owe you f or al l of thi s good advi ce? Tara: There’s a new restaurant across the street I’ve been meani ng to try f or l unch... Stan: Say no more. Lunch i s on me. Tara: Real l y? Let’s go ri ght now bef ore you change your mi nd!
899 – Purchasing and Using an E-Ticket I thought I woul d save ti me by purchasi ng my ai rl i ne ti cket onl i ne and checki ng i n at the ai rport wi th my e-ti cket. I went onto the McQ Ai r websi te and sel ected my f l i ghts. The screen then prompted me to pay wi th a credi t card. Af ter I typed i n my payment i nf ormati on, I got a conf i rmati on recei pt wi th my ti cket number and myi ti nerary. I pri nted out a copy of my e-ti cket and I was ready to go – easy! But when I got to the ai rport, i t was a di f f erent story. I went up to a sel f -serve ki osk and swi ped my credi t card to bri ng up my account. The computer sai d that i t coul dn’t f i nd my account. I f l agged down an empl oyee and she di dn’t have any better l uck, suggesti ng I stand i n l i ne at the check-i n counter. I got i n the l ong l i ne and 45 mi nutes l ater, the empl oyee hel ped me check i n and gave me my boardi ng pass. When I asked her what the probl em was, she sai d she di dn’t know and i t was probabl y just a gl i tch i n thei r computer system. Wel l , the best l ai d pl ans of mi ce and men of ten go awry, especi al l y i f technol ogy i s i nvol ved! 15
898 – People of Different Ages Gl ori a: I’m surpri sed at the vari ety of peopl e on thi s tour. Andy: Oh, yeah? I hadn’t noti ced. Gl ori a: Wel l , we’l l be spendi ng the next two weeks wi th these peopl e so I thought I’d get to know some of them. Andy: That’s ni ce. Gl ori a: Di d you see that thi rty-somethi ng coupl e wi th a toddl er and an i nf ant? I’m real l y surpri sed they’re on thi s tour. Andy: I’m sure they know what they’re doi ng. Gl ori a: And how about that group of seni ors? Some of them l ook l i ke they’re i n themi d- to l ateseventi es. Andy: They seem pretty spry to me. Gl ori a: But what real l y surpri ses me i s that group of mi ddl e-aged coupl es wi th thei rtween and teenage chi l dren. They’l l be a handf ul . Andy: They seemed pretty wel l behaved to me. Gl ori a: And di d you noti ce that woman i n her earl y-f orti es and the f orty-i sh man each travel i ng al one? She seemed ni ce, but he di dn’t seem too f ri endl y. Andy: Maybe he’s usi ng hi s ti me to si ze up everybody l i ke you are. Gl ori a: Wel l , I wi sh there were more young adul ts i n thi s group. I l i ke tal ki ng to young peopl e. Andy: I thi nk there wi l l be pl enty of peopl e f or you to tal k to these two weeks when you’re not si ghtseei ng. Gl ori a: Si ghtseei ng? Oh yeah, si ghtseei ng.
897 – Cooking a Meal Emeri l : Can you hand me that pan? Rachel : Thi s pot? Emeri l : No, that pan over there. I need to pan-f ry these vegetabl es. Rachel : Woul dn’t be heal thi er i f we steamed the vegetabl es or gri l l ed them? Emeri l : Maybe, but f or thi s meal , I’m f ryi ng them i n thi s pan. Rachel : Okay, do you want me to heat thi s sauce i n thi s saucepan? Emeri l : No, I’m goi ng to mi crowave that ri ght bef ore I serve i t. Rachel : Have you consi dered si mmeri ng i t i n a saucepan to get a better consi stency? Emeri l : We don’t have ti me f or that. Sl i ce thi s meat and mari nade i t bef ore I broi l i t. Rachel : Maybe we coul d bake i t at a l ower temperature so that the meat won’t getdri ed out. Emeri l : We’l l try that another ti me. Can you get that cutti ng board and chop these carrots and di ce these oni ons? Rachel : Sure, but don’t you thi nk...? Emeri l : What I thi nk i s that there wi l l be si x hungry chi l dren comi ng through that door i n an hour and I need to f i ni sh di nner. You’re here to hel p, ri ght? Rachel : Yes, of course. That’s exactl y what I was tryi ng to do.
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