大城市小世界 Series 1 Episode 12 - Good News & Bad News

 　　Before you listen

　　We suggest you do the vocabulary activity below before you listen. Then listen to the episode¹ and do the first task to check your understanding. Finally, practise some vocabulary and grammar.

　　Match the words and phrases in the boxes to their definitions.

　　1. a distinction (noun)

　　2. proper (adjective)

　　3. to miss someone (verb)

　　4. a decision (noun)

　　5. permanent (adjective)

　　6. a row (noun)

　　Definitions:

　　a. A verbal² argument or disagreement We had ________ about whose turn it was to clean the kitchen.

　　b. Long lasting³, not temporary After having six temporary jobs she was delighted to get a ________ one.

　　c. Appropriate, conforming⁴, correct Now I am getting a ________ salary instead of just some pocket money.

　　d. Marked superiority⁵ She was an excellent student so it wasn.t a surprise to hear that she had got ________ in her exam.

　　e. To feel sorry about the absence of somebody or something She ________ her family a lot when she moved away to another town.

　　f. a judgement It was a difficult ________ to make but she had to choose a winner.

　　Audio script

　　Olivia: Hi Magda! How was your first day?

　　Magda: Fantastic!

　　Olivia: Really!? I.m amazed...

　　Sarah: Yeah, you were so worried about your new job...

　　Magda: Well, I had some good news...

　　Olivia: Yeah? What?

　　All: Hi Johnny!

　　Johnny: Hi! I.ve got some good news...

　　Sarah: Makes two of you then!

　　Johnny: At least I think it.s good news...I.m not really sure...

　　Olivia: Tell us!

　　Magda: Can.t I tell you my good news first?

　　Sarah: Wow, this is getting complicated...and I.m afraid I.ve only got some bad news...

　　Magda: Oh no...What a shame! What.s the problem?

　　Olivia: Yeah, go on, bad news first, then the good news will cheer us up!

　　Sarah: OK, well, I had a row with my landlord, finally! And I.m moving out...

　　Magda: Oh no!

　　Sarah: Oh yes! So, I need a new flat...

　　Olivia: Again!!!

　　Magda: Oh dear...

　　Olivia: What a shame. I hoped it was going to work out...

　　Sarah: Yeah, but I didn.t get on with the landlord.

　　Magda: Have you told Fadi yet?

　　Sarah: No...I.m worried what he might think. The landlord is his cousin, after all...

　　Olivia: Well, let.s just wait until he comes in. I was going to tell him you weren.t happy – now I.ll tell him you.re leaving!

　　Magda: Is it good news time yet?

　　Sarah: Yes! Go on! What.s your good news?

　　Magda: I.ve been offered a job!

　　Johnny: Me too!

　　Olivia: Hang on! Wait a minute! You.ve already got a job, haven⁶.t you Magda?

　　Sarah: And you have too, Johnny, haven.t you? You talk about it all the time...

　　Magda/Johnny: But...

　　Magda: Go on...!

　　Johnny: No, you first, please...

　　Magda: I.ve been offered a permanent job, with the same company! I.ll be a proper architect!

　　Olivia: Wow! That.s fantastic!

　　Magda: But...

　　Olivia: There.s always a .but....

　　Magda: I have to get a distinction in my master.s degree...

　　Sarah: Phew...that.s not easy...

　　Magda: No, but I.m doing well...

　　Olivia: Fingers crossed then...

　　Sarah: Let.s hope!

　　Johnny: That.s amazing – I.ve got the same news!

　　Olivia: What? You.re going to be an architect?

　　Johnny: No!

　　Sarah: You.re doing a master.s degree?

　　Johnny: No!

　　Magda: What then?

　　Johnny: A job...I.ve been offered a new job!

　　Olivia: Yes, you said...

　　Johnny: And there.s a .but....

　　Olivia: I told you there was always a .but....

　　Johnny: It.s not in London...

　　Olivia: You.d have to leave...

　　Johnny: Yeah...

　　Olivia: Well, where is it? New York?

　　Johnny: No...

　　Magda: Paris? Berlin? Where?

　　Johnny: It.s back in China.

　　Sarah: Oh...Beijing? Shanghai?

　　Johnny: No, it.s in Chongqing.

　　Olivia: Where?

　　Johnny: Chongqing!

　　Magda:: Where.s that?

　　Sarah: Southwest China. It.s a really interesting place...growing really quickly...

　　Johnny: Yeah, it.s a great opportunity...

　　Olivia: But?

　　Johnny: But I love it here so much. I.m not sure I want to go back to China yet – I.d miss all my friends...

　　Olivia: You.ll have to choose!

　　Sarah: It.s big decision time! Oh no...here comes Fadi....and Harry⁷.

　　All: Hi Fadi! Hi Harry!

　　Fadi: How.s it going everyone?

　　Olivia: Don.t ask...

　　Magda: I.ve been offered a new job, a really good job – if I get a good degree!

　　Johnny: I.ve been offered a new job, a really good job – but I have to go back to China!

　　Harry: Wow! Busy day everyone.s having...I.ve got some news too...

　　Olivia: Oh no...

　　Harry: Oh yes – I.ve been sacked!

　　Magda: “Sacked”?

　　Harry: Yes – I.ve lost my job, been made redundant⁸, unemployed⁹, no longer working!

　　Magda: Oh no!

　　Harry: Don.t worry – I don.t care. I hated that job anyway. I.ll soon find another job. A man with my skills and abilities is always in demand!

　　Johnny: Somebody from my company sacked you? Why?

　　Harry: I told them I wasn.t going to work at the weekend – Saturdays and Sundays. If I worked on Saturday and Sunday, when could I play football!? So I said .no., and they said .goodbye....

　　Magda: What will you do now?

　　Harry: I have absolutely no idea! The future is an open book...

　　Sarah: Very poetic¹⁰!

　　Fadi: Well Sarah, at least you.re ok...with your new flat and everything...

　　Sarah: Oh...er...well...

　　Olivia: Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that...cousin

　　Fadi: You wanted to talk to me?

　　Olivia: (whispering) Yeah, well, you see, Sarah.s a bit embarrassed...

　　Fadi: (whispering) What.s up?

　　Olivia: She wants to leave the new flat...she doesn.t get on well with the landlord...

　　Fadi: My cousin.

　　Olivia: Yes, your cousin.

　　Fadi: I.m not surprised!

　　Olivia: Eh?

　　Fadi: I said I.m not surprised! My cousin.s horrible! I can.t stand him!

　　Olivia: (laughs) Oh that.s a relief...

　　Fadi: Sarah – I.m sorry if I got you involved with my cousin...I thought you were desperate for a place to live...I know my cousin.s horrible!

　　Sarah: Oh, never mind Fadi – thanks for trying to help anyway...Now I need a new place to live though...

　　Magda: If I get this job, I.ll have more money – we could get a place together...

　　Sarah: That.d be great...

　　Johnny: If I take the job in China, I.ll have to leave my flat...

　　Sarah: And we could move in...

　　Olivia: What a lot of .if.s....

　　Sarah: It.s exciting...

　　Magda: But also worrying...

　　Johnny: And confusing...

　　Harry: And that.s not all...

　　Fadi: What?

　　Harry: I.ve just been speaking to the owner of the café...

　　Olivia: And?

　　Harry: They.re closing down – next week!

　　All: What!!?? Oh…that.s terrible…no....what are we all going to do??

　　Comprehension Task

　　True or false

　　Decide whether these statements are true or false:

　　1. If Magda does well in her degree she will get a permanent job.

　　2. Johnny is moving to Shanghai.

　　3. Fadi doesn.t like his cousin.

　　4. Harry has been offered a permanent job.

　　5. Magda suggests that she and Sarah share a flat.

　　6. The café is going to close down.

　　Vocabulary 1

　　Adjective + noun collocations

　　Match the halves to make common adjective + noun collocations

　　First

　　degree

　　Good

　　 week

　　Permanent

　　decision

　　Master's

　　day

　　Big

　　job

　　Next

　　 news

　　Vocabulary 2

　　Colloquial¹¹ expressions

　　Complete the colloquial expressions with a word from the box.

　　1. What a __________

　　2. Cheer __________

　　3. Fingers __________

　　4. Decision __________

　　5. Don.t __________

　　6. I.m __________

　　crossed

　　time

　　worry

　　up

　　sorry

　　shame

　　Grammar 1

　　Adjective endings: -ed and –ing

　　Complete the gaps with the correct adjective

　　1. Something __________ happened to me today. (amazed / amazing)

　　2. Try not to get too __________ about the exam. (worried / worrying)

　　3. It was an __________ situation. (embarrassed / embarrassing)

　　4. She was __________ to hear the news. (surprised / surprising)

　　5. What an __________ plan! (excited / exciting)

　　6. We are __________ because there are too many options. (confused / confusing)

　　7. Is the film __________? (bored / boring)

　　8. The book was much more __________.(interested / interesting)

　　Grammar 2

　　Articles Fill in the gaps with a, an, the or - (no article)

　　1. I.ve had ______ row with my boyfriend.

　　2. I don.t get on with ______ landlord.

　　3. I.m going to be ______ architect.

　　4. The job is in ______ China.

　　5. That.s ______ excellent news.

　　6. I hated ______ job so I left.

　　Answers

　　Grammar 2: 1 a, 2 the, 3 an, 4  - , 5 -  , 6 the

　　Grammar 1: 1 - amazing, 2 - worried, 3 - embarrassing, 4 - surprised, 5 - exciting, 6 - confused, 7 - boring, 8 - interesting

　　Vocabulary 2: 1 -  What a shame, 2 -  Cheer up, 3 - Fingers crossed, 4 - Decision time, 5 - Don’t worry, 6 - I’m sorry

　　Vocabulary 1: First day - Good news - Permanent job - Master's degree - Big decision - Next week

　　Comprehension Task: 1 – true, 2 – false (he may move to Chongqing), 3 – true, 4 – false(he has lost his job), 5 – true, 6 – true,

　　Before you listen: 1 – d, 2 - c, 3 - e, 4 - f, 5 - b, 6 - a

1 episode   

n.（作品的一段）情节，插曲，系列事件中之一

参考例句：

• The episode was a huge embarrassment for all concerned.这段小插曲令所有有关人员都感到非常尴尬。
• This episode remains sharply engraved on my mind.这段经历至今仍深深地铭刻在我的心中。

2 verbal   

adj.口头的，用言辞的，用文字的，动词的

参考例句：

• Verbal statements are no guarantee.口说无凭。
• I delivered a verbal protest against their brutal acts.我对他们的暴行提出口头抗议。

3 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

4 conforming   

a.遵守(规则、法则等)的

参考例句：

• Their parents typically endeavors to keep them subordinate, conforming, and dependent. 他们的父母一般都极力使他们处于附属、顺从和依赖的地位。
• We generate a conforming triangle as follows. 现在我们通过下述方式构造一个相容的三角形。

5 superiority   

n.优越性，优势

参考例句：

• We believe in the superiority of this method over that one.我们相信这种方法比那种方法优越。
• His air of calm superiority annoyed her intensely.他不动声色的优越感让她极其烦恼。

6 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

7 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

8 redundant   

adj.多余的，过剩的；(食物)丰富的；被解雇的

参考例句：

• There are too many redundant words in this book.这本书里多余的词太多。
• Nearly all the redundant worker have been absorbed into other departments.几乎所有冗员，都已调往其他部门任职。

9 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

10 poetic   

adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的

参考例句：

• His poetic idiom is stamped with expressions describing group feeling and thought.他的诗中的措辞往往带有描写群体感情和思想的印记。
• His poetic novels have gone through three different historical stages.他的诗情小说创作经历了三个不同的历史阶段。

11 colloquial   

adj.口语的，会话的

参考例句：

• It's hard to understand the colloquial idioms of a foreign language.外语里的口头习语很难懂。
• They have little acquaintance with colloquial English. 他们对英语会话几乎一窍不通。