Audioscripts for 1.11

Audio scripts 1.11


Announcer: It’s eight o’clock and time for Breakfast time.

Presenter: Good morning, everyone. Our guest this morning is the writer Norah Levy. Norah’s here this week promoting her new book We are family, which is all about how our position in family affects our personality. Welcome, Norah.

Norah: Thank you.

Presenter: Now is this really true, Norah? That our position in the family affects our personality?

Norah: Sure, Ok. Other factors can influence your personality, too, but your position in the family is definitely one of the strongest.

Presenter: So tell us a little about the oldest child in the family- the firstborn.

Norah: Well, the oldest children get maximum attention from their parents and the result is that they’re usually pretty self-confident people. They make good leaders. Did you know that fifty-two percent of the US presidents were firstborn children? Firstborn children are often ambitious and they’re more likely to go to college than their brothers or sisters. They often get the top jobs, too. Oldest children are often responsible people because they often have to take care of their younger brothers or sisters. The downside of this is that sometimes this means that when they’re older they worry a lot about things. They can also be a little bossy, or even aggressive, especially when they don’t get what they want.

Presenter: well, what about the middle child?

Norah: Well, middle children are usually independent and competitive.

Presenter: Competitive?

Norah: Yes, because they have to fight with their brothers and sisters for their parents’ attention. And they’re usually sociable. They like being with people, probably because they’ve always had other children to play with. However, on the negative side, middle children are often jealous of their brothers and sisters, and they can be moody.

Presenter: And the youngest children?

Norah: If you’re the youngest in a family, you’ll probably be very charming, very affectionate, and a pretty relaxed person. This is because parents are usually more relaxed when they have their last child. On the other hand, youngest children are often a little lazy. This is because they always have their older brothers and sisters to help them. And they can be pretty manipulative. They use their charm to get what they want.

Presenter: OK, that’s all very interesting. Now, I’m an only child. People often have the idea that only children like me are spoiled. Is that true?

Norah: well, it’s true in many cases! Only children are the only ones. They don’t have to share with anyone, so they’re often spoiled by their parents and their grandparents. As a result, they can be somewhat selfish. They think of themselves more than of other people.

Presenter: OK. Well, that sounds like a good description of me! Is there any good news?

Norah: Yes, there is. On the positive side, only children are usually very organized and responsible, and they can be very imaginative, too.

Presenter: Well, thank you, Norah, and good luck with the book. And now it’s time for the news headlines…

Audioscripts 1.6

Audio scripts 1.6


Interviewer: What was the most exciting game you refereed?

Juan Antonio: It’s difficult to choose one game as the most exciting. I remember some of the real Madrid－Barcelona games, for example, the first one I ever refereed. The atmosphere in the stadium was great. But really it’s impossible to pick just one－there have been so many.

Interviewer: Who was the best player you ever saw?

Juan Antonio: During my career, I’ve met many great player. It’s very difficult to say who was the best, but there’s one player who stands out for me, not just for being a great soccer player but also for being a great human being, and that was the Brazilian international player Mauro Sliva, who used to play here in Spain. Interviewer: What was the worst experience you ever had as a referee?

Juan Antonio: The worst? Well, that was something that happened very early in my career. I was only 16 and I was refereeing a game, I was attacked and injured by the players of the home team lost. After the game, I was attacked and injured by the players of the home team and by the spectators. After all these years I can still remember a mother who had a little baby in her arms and was trying to hit me. She was so angry with me that she nearly dropped her baby. That was my worst moment, and it nearly made me stop being a referee.

Interviewer: Do you think that there’s more cheating in soccer than in the past?

Juan Antonio: Yes, I think so.

Interviewer: Why?

Juan Antonio: I think it’s because there’s so much money in soccer today that it has become much more important to win. Also, the game is much faster than it used to be so it’s more difficult for referees to detect cheating. Interviewer: How do soccer players cheat? Juan Antonio: Oh, there are many ways, but for me the worst is what we call “simulation.” Players pretend there has been a foul when there has been no foul at all! For example, sometimes a player falls down and says someone pushed him or hit him when, in fact, nobody has touched him. In my opinion, when a player does this, he’s cheating not only the referee and the players of the other team, but also the spectators. The spectators pay money to see a fair contest, not to watch people cheat! Interviewer: What’s the most difficult thing about being a referee?

Juan Antonio: ah, the most difficult thing is to make the right decisions during a game. It’s difficult because you have to make decisions when everything’s happening so quickly－soccer today is very fast. Also, important decisions often depend on the referee’s interpretation of the rules. Things aren’t black and white. And of course making decisions would be much easier if players didn’t cheat. Interviewer: So, in your opinion fair play doesn’t exist any more.

Juan Antonio: No, I didn’t mean that. I think fair play does exist－the players who cheat are till the exceptions.

The Piano Guys

Recently, when I tried to find materials for students, I found this group, The Piano Guys, unexpectedly. Their music combines piano and cello, the most ravishing musical instruments in the world. Join me to listen to their music.

1. Twinkle Lullaby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDHxhhB8710&feature=BFa&list=UUmKurapML4BF9Bjtj4RbvXw

2. Where are you Christmas? Jon Schmidt and his daughter Sarah, a beautiful little girl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRqjFcP_aw0&feature=BFa&list=UUmKurapML4BF9Bjtj4RbvXw


3. Bitter Sweet by Jon Schmidt and his son Spencer Schmidt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfBwCjDadaY&feature=BFa&list=UUmKurapML4BF9Bjtj4RbvXw

What is the meaning of "butting heads"?

When sheep or goats want to prove who is the strongest they butt their heads together until one gives up, leaving the other the winner. In the same manner when two people try to dominate each other they may continuosly quarrel in the hope that the other one will yield, this is called "butting heads"

from http://wiki.answers.com/

Rumiko

Audio scripts 1.1


Interviewer: Rumiko, what do you eat on a typical day?

Rumiko: I don’t usually have breakfast because I can’t get up early enough to eat! I normally just buy coffee and drink it in the office. I usually have lunch in a restaurant near the office with people from work. When I was younger, I used to go to fast-food restaurants and have pizza, or fried chicken and French fries. Now I prefer eating something healthier, so I go to sushi restaurant or restaurant that serve organic food. And for dinner I eat out a lot, too.

Interviewer: Do you ever cook?

Rumiko: Well, I like to cook, but I work very late every day and also my kitchen’s too small. My boyfriend’s a better cook anyway.

Interviewer: Do you ever eat unhealthy food?

Rumiko: Well, I don’t eat a lot of sweet things but I drink a lot of coffee every day. I think I’m addicted to caffeine.

Interviewer: Are you trying to cut down on anything right now?

Rumiko: No. I eat healthily and I exercise regularly, so I don’t think I need to cut down on food.

Interviewer: Are people’ diets in your country getting better or worse?

Rumiko: Oh, probably worse. I think the diet in Japan today is much more westernized than before and that’s why some people are getting fatter. But personally, I like the fact that there are more different kinds of food and restaurants now. I enjoy the variety, it makes eating out much more fun.

How to introduce yourseelf

Opening
※Good morning, everyone. My name is XXX. I am very happy to be here to introduce myself.
※ Good morning, my (dear) classmates and teacher. My name is XXX. I am very glad/delighted to be here to introduce myself.
※ Good morning, my dear classamtes and teacher. It is my greatest honor to be here to introduce myself.
※ Good morning, everyone. My name is XXX. I am very glad/delighted to receive a chance to introduce myself.

 Ending
This is my self-introduction.
Thank you!
Thank you for your precious time.
Thank you for your attention.

 

I major in Calligraphy and Painting because I like the touch of brush on paper. The brush is soft but the power is strong. Whenever I practice calligraphy and painting, I feel calm and peaceful. To me, Chinese characters are more than words. They are more like pictures, paintings. The art of calligraphy and painting becomes an inner elevated power to push myself to move forward.  Nevertheless, I hope my artwork will touch people’ heart. I think that is the true meaning and mission of being an artist.