1

Audio Transcripts:

Thank you for inviting me to speak. Let me first congratulate this year’s

graduating class! (applause) I know that you all have aspirations regarding your

future careers. I’m here to tell you about what could happen even if you don’t

secure your dream job. Take Brad Pitt, for example. He studied journalism in

college. Instead of news reporting, however, he became one of Hollywood’s A-list

actors. Other celebrities have similar stories. Curtis Stone, host of The Learning

Channel’s Take Home Chef, yearned to play in the Australian Football League

when he was growing up—until his mother taught him how to cook. When Jim

Carrey was a kid, he wanted to make a living by lessening animals’ pain. Now

he’s starred in many successful comedies instead. Serena Williams has won two

Olympic gold medals in women’s doubles, but being the world’s best tennis

player isn’t her ultimate dream. She longs to work in a nail salon. She is even

taking classes so that she can get certified to give manicures. So remember,

graduates, while your original dreams may not work out, something better could

come your way!

GETTING READY

2

VOCABULARY DRILL

Audio Transcripts:

Dr. Abbie: Lucy, welcome!

Lucy: Thanks, doctor. I’m here to discuss my personality. I’m graduating soon, and my teacher advised that knowing more about myself would help me choose a rewarding career.

Dr. Abbie: She is very insightful. It will also be useful for your daily activities and social interactions. So, describe yourself.

Lucy: I enjoy knitting. Following the different patterns soothes me. I usually give my creations to my family.

Dr. Abbie: OK. Tell me about your relationships with your friends.

Lucy: I try to be accessible to them. Whenever they need a favor, I’m there.

Dr. Abbie: How about your values and ideal job?

Lucy: Honesty and integrity are qualities that are important to me. I’m not sure what my dream career is, but I prefer to work in an office environment that isn’t too stressful. Job security is also a factor—I don’t want to work for a struggling company that might go bankrupt.

Dr. Abbie: This is all interesting. I’m glad you came in.

3

Audio Transcripts:

Heather: Hello, Melody. How are the plans for our company trip coming?

Melody: Many of the details are up in the air, including how long the trip should be.

Heather: What about the destination? Is the Grand Canyon plan set in stone yet?

Melody: Yes, but the lodging arrangements are a toss-up between a four-star hotel and a cabin.

Heather: I personally prefer a hotel to a cabin. Most cabins I’ve stayed in are gross. Will we hire someone to show us around?

Melody: Yes, we will. That’s a done deal, as I’ve already hired a tour guide. We don’t want anyone wandering off and getting devoured by a bear.

Heather: Well, I won’t be getting lost in the woods. Have we decided on how we are getting there?

Melody: We’re still on the fence about that. The people in accounting are nailing down the financial details. Last year’s trip was under budget, so we

may be allowed to apply the surplus to this year’s trip. Then we could fly everyone there.

Heather: That would be fantastic!

EXPRESSION PRACTICE

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Dear Graduating Class,

I appreciate your 1. _________ in last week’s job fair. As you know, the

2. _________ has been struggling lately. Bear this in mind and

stay 3. __________ when looking for work so you don’t get 4.

_________________. You will possibly have 5. _________________ when you are

trying to secure a job. This is especially true with a position that provides you with a

large salary and

6. _________________. My advice is to be diligent in utilizing your 7. __________

and keep reminding yourself that the world 8. ______________.

Good luck with your career hunt!

Sincerely,

Roland Taylor

Career Services

EXPRESSION PRACTICE

B. Finish the LetterFill in the blanks with words or expressions from the audio.

participation

economy

down-to-earth let down

a harsh reality check

a rosy future qualifications

is your oyster

5

EXPRESSION PRACTICE

Audio Transcripts:

Thank you for your participation in today’s employment fair. As a career

counselor, I often get asked for advice on navigating the job market. Let me start

by saying that the world is your oyster. Diligent workers with good

qualifications will have a rosy future. Despite this, it is of enormous importance

to be down-to-earth during your search. The economy’s current state is

alarming, and it could be a long while before it makes a comeback. Until then,

recent graduates will get a harsh reality check when they discover their only

extras are medical and dental insurance. Additionally, those new to the workplace

will come to realize that they must work an average of nine hours more each

week than their senior coworkers. And with just seven days of annual leave,

one’s hopes of a lengthy trip to Hawaii will be quickly dashed. However, dreams

can come true! Although some of you might be let down, many of you will find

that the sky’s the limit.

6

EXPRESSION PRACTICE

Audio Transcripts:

Dialogue 1

Coach Jones: Andy, you aren’t as bulky as the rest of these guys, so you are at

a disadvantage. If you want to make the team, you’ll need to try

your hardest.

Andy: I understand, coach.

Coach Jones: You’re not going to get anywhere if you perform like last year. If

you want to impress me, you must persevere in spite of your size.

Andy: Don’t worry! I won’t fall flat on my face this time.

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EXPRESSION PRACTICE

Audio Transcripts:

Dialogue 2

Tommy: It’s been ages since I saw you, coach!

Coach Jones: Stop kidding around, Tommy. I saw you two days ago. Now listen

up. Just because you made the team last year doesn’t mean you

won’t drop the ball now. You need to have a resolute attitude

toward these tryouts.

Tommy: I will go all out. I practiced every day this summer!

Coach Jones: I hope so. Don’t risk losing that scholarship by taking your talent

for granted. You still have to pull out all the stops.

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EXPRESSION PRACTICE

Audio Transcripts:

Dialogue 3

Coach Jones: How is your twisted ankle, Billy?

Billy: It’s almost at 100 percent. I’m taking pain medicine, but the doctor

said there won’t be any side effects.

Coach Jones: I don’t want you to blow your chance of becoming a professional

by not letting your ankle heal fully.

Billy: I will absolutely take great pains to pass the tryouts. I won’t let

this injury deter me.

Coach Jones: I have faith in you, Billy. Just be careful to take care of that leg of

yours.

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1. Betty _________________ (fly) to Manila yesterday, but her flight was overbooked.

2. I haven’t seen my neighbor for a while. He _________________ (go) on a vacation abroad.

3. I thought they _________________ (have) fun at the party, but they said it was disastrous.

4. Molly _________________ (forget) to bring her ID because they won’t let her into the disco.

5. I _________________ (study) harder for the exam. That way, I _________________ (not flunk) it.

6. Nelson _________________ (pay) the bill when he realized that his wallet was missing. He _________________ (put) it in his front pocket.

GRAMMAR WORKOUT

A. Complete the SentencesFill in the correct forms of the words. Some blanks may have more than one possible answer.

may / might / could have gone

would have / would have had

must have forgotten

should have studied

was about to pay

was going to fly

wouldn’t have flunked

should have put

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1. Where did you put my glasses and keys, Kristen? _____

2. We shouldn’t have painted the wall gray. It looks so dreary. _____

3. Where’s Danny? He was going to help me with my math assignment. _____

4. I was going to play table tennis, but I had to babysit my sister’s kid. _____

5. The place is in utter chaos. Don’t you ever tidy up? _____

a. I absolutely agree. We should have used a more cheerful color.

b. That’s thoughtful of you. She must have really appreciated that.

c. I would have cleaned up, but you’re here early. I was just about to

vacuum the floor.

d. Let me think. I may have left them on the dining room table.

e. I haven’t got the faintest idea. I haven’t seen him all day.

GRAMMAR WORKOUT

B. MatchMatch the statement with the most appropriate response.

d

a

e

b

c

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With the new iPhone coming out, you’re probably considering selling your old

model. Chances are you spent a fortune on it and would like to get some money

back. You think that you 1. _________________ (not pay) so much for it. Well,

don’t worry. Apple products normally have a considerably higher resale value than

those of other brands, even if they are secondhand. A year ago, I

2. _________________ (sell) my iPhone 2 to a used electronics store. A friend

recommended that I try an online auction site instead. I 3. _________________

(get) NT$3,000 from the shop. In the end, I earned double that sum by selling it on

Yahoo!, and I believe I 4. _________________ (make) even more. So remember:

your old iPhone does have monetary worth. If you haven’t been able to sell it, you

5. _________________ (not try) hard enough.

GRAMMAR WORKOUT

C. Complete the PassageFinish the passage using the correct tenses. Some blanks may have more than one possible answer.

Each week, tech expert Doug de Nimes answers your questions in Ask Doug . . .

Computer Age Magazine

shouldn’t have paid

was about to sell / was selling

would have gotten

could have made

must not have tried

was going to sell /

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READING ─AFTER YOU READ

A. Fill in the Missing LettersComplete the sentences with words from the article.

1. Even after a terrible breakup, nothing could diminish Samantha’s z__________1 for romance.

2. He worked r__________y to finish the project ahead of the deadline.

3. In times of economic recession, the ability to be s__________d in business transactions is crucial.

4. Melissa wants to hire someone that is more c__________t than her current assistant.

5. After the police arrived at the demonstration, the college students retreated to their r__________e dorm rooms.

ea

elentlessl

hrew

ompeten

espectiv

p.36

p.37

p.38

p.39

p.40