Listening

 

Audio Track 4-8-1/Audio Track 4-8-2

 

Telling a white lie

We have been brought up with the belief that honesty is highly valued and lying is bad. Telling the truth is always the best policy. But it would be too simplistic to say that telling lies is always bad. Telling a white lie, for example, is sometimes acceptable or even necessary. We might tell a white lie to encourage people, to comfort people, or to soothe people. We say this because we care for them. We want them to be confident in themselves. Of course, if not for these purposes, we shouldn’t tell lies, especially to children. This would not only hurt them when they find out the truth, but would set up a bad example for them. That would be very dangerous.

 

Audio Track 4-8-3/Audio Track 4-8-4

 

Kate: I work in an office with three really nice women, and we’ve all become friends. One of my coworkers, Sally, is getting married and moving to another city, and she’s looking for a job there. Sally has asked all of us to write letters about her work. She’ll show them at job interviews. Here’s the problem: She’s made a list of things she wants in the letters, and some of them aren’t true. It’s not a big office, she’s not our supervisor, and she didn’t put together our computer system — in fact she doesn’t know much about computers at all. I don’t want to hurt her feelings, but I also don’t want to lie. What would you do, Kevin?

Kevin: I think you and the other two women should get together and write a letter about the good things that Sally really has done in your office. That would be the most helpful thing to do. Otherwise, she might get a job she can’t really do.

 

Audio Track 4-8-5/Audio Track 4-8-6

 

Roger: Did you hear what happened, Denise? Cindy was fired yesterday.

Denise: The new employee? You must be kidding! She’d only worked here for a week.

Roger: No, I’m serious. Did you even get a chance to meet her?

Denise: No. I was on vacation all last week. I thought I would meet her today.

Roger: Well, that won’t happen now!

Denise: What happened?

Roger: I heard from someone in the HR department that she lied on her résumé. She wrote down a lot of previous job experience. None of it was true.

Denise: I can’t believe she did that!

Roger: I’m not surprised. I think people lie on their résumés sometimes.

Denise: Really? Would you ever lie?

Roger: Not on a résumé — it’s too dangerous. But I might tell a white lie to help someone. It would depend on the circumstances.

Denise: Well, I don’t know. I think if a person starts lying, it might never stop. I think it’s safer to never start lying.

Roger: I think you have a strong sense of morals, and I respect that. But in the real world, I think you sometimes need to lie in order not to hurt someone’s feelings.

Denise: Maybe. Anyway, I feel sorry for Cindy. What’s she going to say at her next interview?

Roger: I think she should tell the truth. She should just say, “I was fired.” People will respect her for telling the truth.

 

Audio Track 4-8-7/Audio Track 4-8-8

 

Reporter: I’m reporting here from the corner of Vine Street and Fifth Avenue. We’re trying to find out what sources people rely on for their news. My first interviewee is Graham Carter. Hello, Mr.

Carter.

Graham: Hello.

Reporter: So, what source do you rely on for news?

Graham: I count on a variety of sources for information. It’s important to be wellinformed.

Reporter: Can you be more specific?

Graham: Well, I read the newspaper on the train to work. At night I watch the local TV news, although it’s not always so trustworthy.

Reporter: What do you mean?

Graham: The reporters on those programs tend to exaggerate. And they report stories in a simple way. It’s more like entertainment sometimes.

Reporter: So you like the really serious news stories.

Graham: Absolutely.

Reporter: Thank you, Mr. Carter. Standing next to me is Lucinda Ross. What’s your opinion?

Lucinda: About news? Well, I like TV shows like “Entertainment Now.”

Reporter: Is that a news show?

Lucinda: Well, sort of. They report on current trends and famous people.

Reporter: So, it sounds like you prefer “infotainment” — you want to get information and be entertained at the same time.

Lucinda: Exactly! I don’t like heavy news stories. … Oh, and I also go online to get news sometimes. That’s really fun and I can do it any time of day.

Reporter: Good for you. Thanks for talking to me, Ms. Ross.

 

Audio Track 4-8-9

 

The kindness of strangers

You’re cold and alone. You’re afraid. You’ve lost your way. You can’t speak the local language. You’ve lost your money and passport. You could experience any of these situations in another country. Who would you turn to for help?

My name is Philippe and I’m from France. I was faced with a difficult situation while traveling by car in the mountains. I was traveling with my wife, Sophie, and our hired driver. It was going to be a long ride and we were tired. Just as we began to doze, the engine made an odd, loud noise and then stopped working. The sun was just setting and the air was getting cooler. We tried communicating with the driver but with little success. He pantomimed the act of going to get help and then he left.

We were in a remote location, with no houses in sight. We started to hear the cries of wild animals. Sophie was scared. Would the car be fixed soon? We didn’t know.

We didn’t have much food and it was getting colder, and darker. I began to lose confidence. Should we leave the car and seek shelter? If we left, our driver might return and leave without us. We didn’t know what to do.

 

Audio Track 4-8-10

 

A couple of hours passed. Suddenly, the headlights from another car appeared in the dark. An unfamiliar man got out of the car. He looked unfriendly at first, until his mouth opened with a big, friendly grin. He beckoned us to get into the car with him. He had such a kind face, and we thought we could rely on him. We climbed into the car.

Before we left, he put a note on the windshield of the car with his phone number on it. Then he drove us to a nearby village, and we met his family. His cousin spoke basic French and offered us tea and local delicacies. They were delicious. Then everyone insisted we stay for dinner. They asked us questions and were thrilled to have unexpected guests.

Later that evening, the phone rang. It was our driver. He said that the car was running again. We thanked the people who helped us. I couldn’t believe the response from the cousin: “No, we thank you for coming into our home.”

I will never forget the warmth and hospitality we received on that day because we relied on a complete stranger for help.

 

Audio Track 4-8-11

 

The kindness of strangers

You’re cold and alone. You’re afraid. You’ve lost your way. You can’t speak the local language. You’ve lost your money and passport. You could experience any of these situations in another country. Who would you turn to for help?

My name is Philippe and I’m from France. I was faced with a difficult situation while traveling by car in the mountains. I was traveling with my wife, Sophie, and our hired driver. It was going to be a long ride and we were tired. Just as we began to doze, the engine made an odd, loud noise and then stopped working. The sun was just setting and the air was getting cooler. We tried communicating with the driver but with little success. He pantomimed the act of going to get help and then he left.

We were in a remote location, with no houses in sight. We started to hear the cries of wild animals. Sophie was scared. Would the car be fixed soon? We didn’t know.

We didn’t have much food and it was getting colder, and darker. I began to lose confidence. Should we leave the car and seek shelter? If we left, our driver might return and leave without us. We didn’t know what to do.

A couple of hours passed. Suddenly, the headlights from another car appeared in the dark. An unfamiliar man got out of the car. He looked unfriendly at first, until his mouth opened with a big, friendly grin. He beckoned us to get into the car with him. He had such a kind face, and we thought we could rely on him. We climbed into the car.

Before we left, he put a note on the windshield of the car with his phone number on it. Then he drove us to a nearby village, and we met his family. His cousin spoke basic French and offered us tea and local delicacies. They were delicious. Then everyone insisted we stay for dinner. They asked us questions and were thrilled to have unexpected guests.

Later that evening, the phone rang. It was our driver. He said that the car was running again. We thanked the people who helped us. I couldn’t believe the response from the cousin: “No, we thank you for coming into our home.”

I will never forget the warmth and hospitality we received on that day because we relied on a complete stranger for help.

 

Audio Track 4-8-12

 

Conversation 1

A: Cindy was fired.

B: She was fired? Why?

A: Because she lied on her résumé.

B: I can’t believe it! B: I can’t believe it!

Conversation 2

A: Cindy got into trouble.

B: She got into trouble? How?

A: She dented her parents’ car.

B: I can’t believe it!

 

Speaking & Communication

 

Audio Track 4-8-13

 

Mr. Ward: So, how’s the chicken?

Mrs. Ward: Delicious. How about your steak?

Mr. Ward: It’s all right, I guess.

Mrs. Ward: You don’t sound very happy with it.

Mr. Ward: Well, it’s not cooked right. I asked for medium rare. This is well done.

Mrs. Ward: Why don’t you send it back?

Mr. Ward: Oh, that’s OK. I can eat it. I don’t mind.

Mrs. Ward: Don’t be silly. I’m sure they’ll make you another one. I’ll call the waiter.

 

Audio Track 4-8-14

 

Talk 1

If I were her, I would tell the waiter the truth. It’s not worth lying just for a couple of yuan. Besides, if you lie, you will have it on your conscience. You’ll worry about it for a long time.

*Talk 2

If I were Fernando, I would tell my co-worker directly that it’s not right to use the office computer to play games. But then again, I’m not the boss. If I told my colleague what to do and what not to do, it might become awkward to work together. This one’s hard to call. I’m not sure what I would do.

**Talk 3

That’s really a tricky situation. I think she should tell them the truth. Honesty is always the best policy. Next time she should check her schedule carefully and only commit to something if she is sure she is able to follow through.

 

Audio Track 4-8-15

 

Conversation 1

A: If no one was to come and tell me to stop, I would read an entire magazine in a store without buying it, especially if the magazine was very expensive and I couldn’t afford it.

B: Not me. I would never have the nerve to do that. It would be too embarrassing if I was caught out.

Conversation 2

A: I think it is acceptable to download music from the Internet. I mean so many other people are doing it anyway. The authorities won’t care unless you are downloading thousands of files and sharing them or selling them to others.

B: No way! I’d never download music illegally, it’s illegal, and it’s a crime! Besides there are so many alternatives now such as online radio or music streaming sites.

Conversation 3

A: I might take some extra supplies from the office to use at home. Stationery is very expensive these days.

B: I wouldn’t risk it. My boss keeps a close eye on our stationery inventory.

 

Video Course

 

Video Track 4-8-1

 

Catherine: Every time I’ve lied, I’ve always gotten caught. So I think the best bet is to never lie and to tell the truth, and my parents really … they stressed that … to always tell the truth.

Calum: Honesty is only sometimes the best policy. Sometimes when someone asks you how they look today, or what time you went to bed at, you’d want to lie to them so that you don’t get in trouble.

Alejandra: If I had to choose between lying and telling the truth, I would always tell the truth, even though that might mean hurting someone’s feelings.

Kevin: I think lying in general is bad, however, there’s a difference between lying and concealing the truth. If I had to lie to protect somebody, then I would probably do that.

Woo Sung: It might be OK to lie to save someone from being hurt.

Natalie: I caught my friend in a lie one time when she told me that she was unable to go to the movies with me, but I went to the store before going to the movies and I saw her there with another friend. I felt upset because she didn’t tell me the truth. All she had to do was explain the situation to me and we could have made other arrangements.

Gian: If you’re not honest then you can get caught up in a lot of lies and it’s really difficult to get out of those lies. If you’re honest all the time then you don’t have to worry about getting caught.

Dave: I never lie, so I’ve never been caught.

 

Video Track 4-8-2

 

Sun-hee: Claudia?

Claudia: Uh-huh?

Sun-hee: Would you ever tell a white lie?

Claudia: A white lie?

Sun-hee: Yeah. You know … if telling the truth were going to hurt someone’s feelings.

Claudia: I think honesty is always the best policy.

Sun-hee: But sometimes … doesn’t it depend upon the circumstances? You know … aren’t there exceptions to the rule?

Claudia: I don’t know. Hey, why are you asking me this, anyway?

Sun-hee: Well, I told a white lie today, and my conscience is really bothering me.

Claudia: What was it?

Sun-hee: Tara asked me if I wanted to go shopping with her this afternoon …

Claudia: Yeah?

Sun-hee: … and I told her I couldn’t because I had to prepare for my class, but the class actually ended last week …

Claudia: So why did you say that?

Sun-hee: Because I hate going shopping with

Tara! She makes me crazy! She always insists on trying on everything, and then she has to get everyone’s opinion — twice!

Claudia: I know, but you shouldn’t have lied. You should have just said: “Hey, I’m not in the mood to go shopping.” Or, if you were really her friend, you would tell her the truth.

Sun-hee: That I hate shopping with her?

Claudia: Yes! Sun-hee, friends have to be honest with each other — especially roommates!

Tara is counting on us to tell her the truth. No matter what.

Tara: (entering from outside) Hi, girls! Check out my new jacket! I simply couldn’t

resist! The saleslady told me it looked great on me! So what do you think?

Claudia: (hesitates ) Uh! Aha! It’s beautiful!

Tara: Sun-hee?

Sun-hee: It’s you!

Tara: Do you really mean it?

Claudia: Absolutely!

Tara: Where’s the mirror! (leaves room)

Claudia: (Sun-hee scowls at Claudia ) Well … I suppose there are always exceptions to every rule …

 

Video Track 4-8-3

 

Claudia: So why did you say that?

Sun-hee: Because I hate going shopping with Tara! She makes me crazy! She always insists on trying on everything, and then she has to get everyone’s opinion — twice!

Claudia: I know, but you shouldn’t have lied. You should have just said: “Hey, I’m not in the mood to go shopping.” Or, if you were really her friend, you would tell her the truth.

Sun-hee: That I hate shopping with her?

Claudia: Yes! Sun-hee, friends have to be honest with each other — especially roommates! Tara is counting on us to tell her the truth. No matter what.

 

Video Track 4-8-4

 

Tara: (entering from outside) Hi, girls! Check out my new jacket! I simply couldn’t resist! The saleslady told me it looked great on me! So what do you think?

Claudia: (hesitates ) Uh! Aha! It’s beautiful!

Tara: Sun-hee?

Sun-hee: It’s you!

Tara: Do you really mean it?

Claudia: Absolutely!

Tara: Where’s the mirror! (leaves room)

Claudia: (Sun-hee scowls at Claudia ) Well . . . I suppose there are always exceptions to every rule . . .