Unit 2 Getting older, getting wiser?
Part 1
P: Hi. I’m really excited about the next few months. I’m DJing on the banks of the River Thames in the heart of London and I’m playing some beach parties. Today I’ve come to Covent Garden to find out how people feel about their lives. What are you looking forward to in the future?
Part 2
M1: Er, I’m looking forward to having a family: I don’t have a family right now. Er, I’m looking forward to buying a house – er, I actually live in the United States right now and I haven’t bought a house there, so I’m looking forward to that. And I guess I’m looking forward to um, more travel.
W1: Finding a job that I’m really passionate about.
M2: Er, near future, I’m looking forward to a holiday next year. I’m going to Vegas with a family that I haven’t been away with um, for about five or six years now.
W2: Getting a good job, and finishing university.
M3: Nothing really. I kind of enjoy my life at the moment. Um, I ... I live in Australia now, and I’ve got things the way we like them at home, and life’s good.
M4: Starting a new job next summer.
Part 3
P: Is there anything you aren’t looking forward to?
W1: No, no, there’s nothing I can think about that I’m not looking forward to in the future.
M2: The one thing that I’d have thought most people say is dying. Quite serious, but, other than
that, no – I kind of embrace life to the full; look forward to most things.
W3: Um, I have to say, the premise of getting older, and with getting older you have more
responsibilities, so that’s one thing I won’t ... I’m not looking forward to.
M1: Well, I’m not looking forward to retiring: Um, I like my job and I like working, and I think
I’ll be a little bored when I retire.
W2: It’s quite stressful looking for jobs and going to job interviews, so I do get nervous about that.
M3: Getting older. Your body’s starting to fall to bits. Not looking forward to that, but it’ll happen.
Part 4
P: People say that your schooldays are the best days of your life. Do you think that’s true?
W1: Absolutely. I do, yes, because you’re, the world is your oyster. You have so much hope, so many dreams, and you believe, you believe you can achieve anything. So yeah, definitely, I think so, yeah.
M3: No. Schooldays were hell on earth for me. It was (They were) the worst days of my life.
W2: Um, they’re quite stressful because you have exams, but I do think they’re fun: being able to be with your friends every day. So I do think that schooldays are ... are good days in your life.
M1: Looking back on it, I had a great time at school. I’m sure at the time it seemed a little difficult, um, you know, trying to fit in, but now when I look back on it, they were fun days and, you know, I ... I ... I look at them very fondly.
M4: For me, personally, my, er ... my schooldays were my favorite because I’ve still got friends from, going back 20-odd years.
W3: That’s when I’ve created most ... the most valuable relationships I have in my life.
M2: For most people, yes, but when I left school at 16, I was a fulltime footballer at Ipswich Town Football Club for two years. So, living away from home with friends and doing, kind of, the best thing I could do in my life, were the best two years of my life.
Listening
Scripts
Part 1
OK ... so ... I’ve got the date ... “Thursday, the 20th of May, 2004. Dear the future me, I hope this letter has found its way to you / me. As I write this, I am 16 in Year 11; and as I read it, I am 20. Wow! I will have changed so much. I can only guess what I will be like at 20. I envisage to myself at Oxford Uni, sitting ...” oh, this is embarrassing ... “sitting under a tree by the river in the
college grounds. I think I’ll be wearing something floaty and a bit indie, but I bet when I get this,
it’ll, it’ll be raining.”
“As I read this, I’ll have already remembered that I fancied Tom Squires ...” there you go, Tom ... I’m looking at him now. “I wonder if I’ll ever have the guts to tell him. ... I know, I’m a romantic. I hope that hasn’t changed. My plans for myself in the following years are to find a man, someone good-looking, romantic and intelligent, who, who shares my interests – or just Tom.
Either way, um, I hope I’ll have someone.” I don’t remember this, “... and then I think I’ll have three children with long brown hair and green eyes.”
“Well, I’ll stop now even though I want to write everything I can down, but I’m running out of time. I hope I’m happy in 2008, and I hope this letter makes me feel good about who I was, or am, as I write this. Keep smiling, and while I can’t really say bye, but good luck for the future and keep dreaming. Don’t change too much, and be happy with who you are – I like who I am now more than any other time. Love, Laura.”
Part 2
It all seems very shallow looking back and reading what I thought I’d be doing or hoped I’d be doing. I think my 16-year-old self might have been disappointed with where I am, but because I as my 20-year-old self have sort of grown up and matured, I’m absolutely ecstatic with the way where I am, and it doesn’t have to be this perfect sitting-by-a-lake kind of image.
Viewing
Scripts
N = Narrator; B = Dr. Bradley Willcox
N: The remote island of Okinawa is home to one of the longest-living communities in the world.
In a population of only one million, there are 900 centenarians, a percentage that’s over four times higher than Britain and America. It’s a place where age has a different meaning ... where people like Mr. Miyagi can expect to live way beyond his 92nd year. Unaware of the latest diet or lifestyle fad, Mr. Miyagi has developed his own way of defying the aging process.
B: They’re not thinking about “Gee, if I do this, I’m not gonna live as long, if I ... I have one extra drink or if I eat this food or ...” – they’re not thinking about that at all. Most of them couldn’t care less what the scientists think. They just go about their business and live. They just happen to live a very long time.
N: The explanation for this extraordinary phenomenon begins in the most ordinary of places. Like every town in Okinawa, the fruit and vegetable shop in Ogimi lies at the heart of village life.
It’s here that Bradley and Craig believe the source of the Okinawa miracle can be traced. For the past 20 years, Bradley and Craig have been analyzing the life-enhancing Okinawan ingredients.
B: Got reds here in the tomatoes, the peppers. You’ve got green peppers here.
N: They’ve identified a number of crucial properties that guard the Okinawans from disease, from the antioxidant rich vegetables that protect against cell damage, to the high quantities of soya proteins. In Ogimi, 100-year-old Matsu is preparing a traditional Okinawan dish using all the vital ingredients. It’s only after the food is served that the most significant Okinawan tradition can be observed.
B: The Okinawans developed also cultural habits over the years that appear to have health protective properties. They have a saying called “harahachibu” – eat until you’re only 80 percent full.
N: In a typical day, Matsu only consumes around 1,200 calories, about 20 percent less than most people in Britain and America.
B: In the West we’re very much focused on getting more for our money, and one of the most popular things is all these all-you-can-eat restaurants. You go and you load up at the, at the er, the all-you-can-eat restaurant, and you, you walk away with this bloated feeling and you ... you may have got your money’s worth, but you probably didn’t get your, your health’s worth, because what you’re doing is just digging yourself into an early grave.
Speaking for communication
Role-play
Scripts
P = Presenter; V = Vince; J = Julia; D = Dan; Z = Zara
P: And up next, it’s time for Just Tell Me I’m Wrong. Today’s topic: How young is too young or, perhaps more accurately, how old is old enough? We’ve received hundreds of emails and text messages about the right age for a child to have a mobile phone, stay home alone, wear make-up, get their ears pierced, babysit for younger kids ... and we’ve got our first caller, Vince. Go ahead, Vince. You’re on.
V: Hi. My situation is that my nine-year-old kept asking me to get her a mobile, so I bought her one a few months ago. Then, last week, I got a bill for over two hundred pounds, so I warned her I’d take the phone away from her if it happened again.
P: So I gather your point is whether she’s too young to have a mobile?
V: Yeah, yeah, that’s right.
P: Er, surely it’s the parents’ responsibility to set some sort of guidelines ahead of time.
V: So what you’re saying is I should have given her some rules?
P: Basically, yes, when she first got the phone. OK, thanks Vince. Next caller is Julia. What’s your question, Julia?
J: About the mobile phone thing. I’ve got an eight-year-old, and I worry about him all the time if I can’t reach him. You know ... anything could happen ...
P: So in other words, you want him to have a mobile.
J: And have it on at all times. But he doesn’t want one.
P: Fair enough. Let me ask you a question. When you were eight years old and there were no mobile phones, what did your mother do? I bet you were allowed to go out on your own. Isn’t
that an important part of growing up and developing a sense of independence and responsibility?
J: So what you’re getting at is that I’m being overprotective?
P: You could say that.
J: Yeah, but don’t you agree that the world used to be a safer place?
P: Surely that’s what every generation says. Anyway, thanks for your question, Julia. Let’s go to our next caller. Dan, you’re on.
D: Hi, my question’s also about technology.
P: OK. Go ahead.
D: Well, my son, Seth, he’s 12 and, up till recently, he was a normal 12-year-old, you know, he used to go out with his friends, play football with me, you know ... we had a great relationship.
P: So, Dan, from what you’re saying, I’m guessing he doesn’t want to spend so much time with you now, and you feel ...
D: Oh no, it’s not that. It’s just that he spends all his time on the computer now.
P: Isn’t that just normal nowadays?
D: It’s hard to say. Sometimes at the weekend he spends all day in his bedroom on the computer, on social networking sites or playing games. I don’t think it’s right. I mean for one thing, he never gets any exercise.
P: Don’t you think it’s just a stage he’s going through? I used to spend hours in my bedroom listening to music when I was that age.
D: You mean I should just relax and let him get on with it?
P: Yeah, he’ll grow out of it. And you can’t force him to go and play football if he doesn’t want to.
D: I guess not. Thanks.
P: OK, our next caller is Zara. You’re on.
Z: Um, I was wondering how you would deal with a 13-year-old wanting to get pierced ears?
P: Thirteen years old? Doesn’t she simply want to be like her friends? I imagine a lot of them have pierced ears.
Z: Well ... that’s it. I’m not talking about a she.
P: Oh, if I’ve got it right, you’re upset because your 13-year-old son wants to get his ears pierced.
Z: That’s right.
P: Ah ... so it’s because he’s a boy rather than his age?
Z: I suppose so.
P: Well, what’s he like socially? Does he have friends who’ve got their ears ...
Further practice in listening
Short conversations
Scripts
Conversation 1
W: So this is your last year in college. Have you ever thought about what you’d like to do after graduation?
M: Well, I really don’t know. The job market seems to be improving, so I may look for a job somewhere. But I am also interested in applying for graduate school.
Q: What are the two speakers talking about?
Conversation 2
M: Do you remember Linda we met a while ago at Susan’s birthday party?
W: Linda? Do you mean the lady who you said was a nurse in the community hospital before her retirement? Yeah, I remember. She looks very young for her age.
Q: What does the woman think of Linda?
Conversation 3
M: I wish I could retire tomorrow. Then I would not need to worry about work.
W: I don’t look forward to retirement. I’m afraid of getting old – my body will slow down, and my children will be away. I dread losing independence and living in loneliness.
Q: What makes the woman afraid of getting old?
Conversation 4
W: I consider my early 20s to be the prime time of my life. How about you?
M: I couldn’t agree with you more. That’s no doubt the golden period. You are young and energetic. You are free to pursue your passion. The best thing is that you have a wealth of opportunities to explore.
Q: What does the man like best about being in his early 20s?
Conversation 5
W: Hi, John. You are taking Law 201 this semester, right? How do you like it?
M: Yeah, it’s a great class. We’ve looked at several cases of age discrimination at work. Such cases are very interesting because they are rarely clear-cut and court decisions can be rather controversial.
Q: What does the man say about age discrimination cases?
Long conversation
Scripts
M: Nancy, time to make a birthday wish!
W: I wish ... hmm. OK! I want a high-paying job, a husband with a perfect face and body, and a big house ... with a swimming pool!
M: Wow, Nancy! Those are your three wishes?
W: Of course! If I have those three things, I’ll be happy!
M: Now, Nancy. Let me tell you my story, and you may see things differently.
W: “See things differently?” What do you mean, Uncle Charlie?
M: Here is what I once experienced in life. When I married, 32 years ago, we had a happy marriage, a beautiful house, two expensive cars, and $200,000 in the bank!
W: See, just like now!
M: Wait! I would suggest three different wishes!
W: Well ... What would you wish for? You’re older and wiser!
M: What happens if you lose your job, lose your house, and your husband becomes sick? I suggest these three wishes: patience, courage and love!
W: Patience, courage and love?
M: Yes! If you have patience and courage, you and your husband will have good jobs and a nice house. And if you have true love, you and your husband will be beautiful to each other no matter how old you become together.
W: This is good.
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