大城市小世界 Series 2 Episode 1 - Fingers Crossed

 　　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. grumpy

　　2. soap opera

　　3. degree

　　4. demolish²

　　5. cheer up

　　6. compensation³

　　Definitions:

　　a. Destroy (a building)

　　b. Payment for damages caused

　　c. Miserable⁴ and moody⁵

　　d. A TV series with a continuing storyline

　　e. Make oneself – or somebody else – happy

　　f. A university qualification

　　Audio script

　　Olivia:  Hey! Good to see you again!

　　Sarah/Magda:  Hey!  You too!

　　Harry⁶:  Hello Sarah, hi Magda....

　　Sarah:  How are you Olivia?  Harry!  Great to see you too...

　　Olivia:  Fine, fine thanks, all well.  Tony!?  Could we have some coffees over here please?

　　Tony:  Ok, ok...hold on...I’m rushed off my feet here...

　　Harry:  He’s always so miserable, so grumpy that guy....

　　Olivia:  He’s not really, it’s just his way...

　　Harry:  I’ll believe you then...his coffee’s always good!

　　Olivia:  So, how are you two getting on?

　　Magda:  Fine.  It’s great, we’ve got this really nice flat...

　　Sarah:  We moved into Harry’s old place...

　　Olivia:  Yeah, I remember. How’s it going?  No problems?  Still friends?  It’s not always easy sharing a flat...

　　Sarah/Magda:  No, no problems...

　　Sarah: …except she leaves the top off the toothpaste tube…

　　Magda: ...and she spends too much time watching soap operas on TV!

　　Sarah:  No, really, we’re getting along fine.

　　Magda:  The only problem is the rent...

　　Sarah:  It’s really expensive.

　　Magda:  I still need to find that proper job, and that depends on me getting the right degree results...

　　Olivia:  Yeah, I remember you telling me.  When will you find out?

　　Magda:  Next week.

　　Olivia:  Fingers crossed, then!

　　Magda:  Fingers what?

　　Olivia:  Crossed.  It’s what we say when we hope for something good to happen.

　　Magda:  Oh, ok...fingers crossed!

　　Olivia: Has anybody heard from Johnny?  Sarah?

　　Sarah:  Just because we’re both Chinese doesn’t mean we keep in touch all the time, you know!  There are a lot of people in China!  (laughs)

　　Olivia:  Of course...sorry...I just thought...

　　Sarah:  He was more of a friend of yours, wasn’t he Harry?

　　Harry: Yeah, we’re good mates.  I hear from him all the time.

　　Sarah:  How’s he doing?

　　Harry:  He’s still in Chongqing with his new job.  He says it’s really interesting, really exciting, but he misses us – and he wants to come back to London!

　　Magda:  Fingers crossed!

　　Sarah:  And how about you Harry? What are you up to?  Are you still job hunting?

　　Harry:  Yeah, that’s right.  I’m still looking for a new job.

　　Magda:  Any luck?

　　Harry:  I haven’t found anything yet, but I’ve got a few possibilities.  I really liked not working at first, I really enjoyed the free time, but now – well, I need the money, and also – well, I just get bored if I haven’t got something to do all the time.

　　Magda:  Where’s Fadi, Olivia?  I haven’t seen him for ages.

　　Olivia:  Why ask me?

　　Magda:  I thought you’d know...you know, you’re like, good friends, aren’t you?

　　Olivia:  Yes, that’s exactly what we are.  Good friends.  Nothing more.

　　Magda:  I wasn’t suggesting anything! (laughs)

　　Olivia:  I hope not!  Anyway, he’s away at the moment, gone to visit his family.  He’ll be back next week.

　　Tony:  Here you are...four coffees...

　　All:  Thanks Tony!

　　Olivia:  Cheer up Tony.

　　Harry:  Yeah...it can only get worse...!

　　Tony:  It might get worse!  This café might be closing down soon, so then you’ll all have to find somewhere else to go.

　　All:  Oh no....

　　Olivia: What’s this all about, Tony?

　　Tony:  A big property company - they’re building new luxury flats, just behind here.  They want to get rid of these old buildings.

　　Magda:  “Get rid of”?

　　Tony:  Yeah...knock them down.  Demolish them.

　　All:  Oh no, that’s terrible.

　　Tony:  It is terrible!  I’ve worked here for ages.  I mean, they’re offering me compensation, but I want to stay here.

　　Olivia:  Oh no...I’ve just realised...perhaps that means my shop’s affected⁷ too...

　　Tony:  It might be.  Your shop’s only next door...

　　Olivia:  They can’t knock my shop down!  We must do something...

　　Comprehension Task

　　Listen to the episode and answer the questions. Which characters are the questions referring to?

　　Magda, Sarah, Harry, Fadi, Johnny or Olivia?

　　1. Who thinks Tony makes good coffee?

　　2. Who is sharing a flat with Magda?

　　3. Who is waiting for exam results?

　　4. Who is in Chongqing?

　　5. Who is visiting their family?

　　6. Who has a shop next door to the café?

　　Grammar Task

　　Choose the correct verb form in each sentence.

　　1. I still need find / to find that proper job.

　　2. He wants come / to come back to London!

　　3. It might get / to get worse!

　　4. They want get rid of / to get rid of these old buildings.

　　5. But I want stay / to stay here.

　　6. It might be / to be.

　　7. They can’t knock / to knock my shop down!

　　8. We must do / to do something...

　　Vocabulary Task

　　Match the phrasal verbs from the listening with the definitions.

　　1. To hold on

　　a. To destroy something or to throw it in the bin⁸

　　2. To keep in touch with somebody

　　b. To stop a business (etc) from functioning

　　3. To hear from somebody.

　　c. To receive news from somebody

　　4. To be up to something

　　d. To maintain contact with somebody

　　5. To look for something

　　e. To wait

　　6. To be away

　　f. To try to find something

　　7. To close (something)  down

　　g. To be doing something that you shouldn’t be doing

　　8. To get rid of (something)

　　h. To be absent from your usual place (e.g. on holiday)

　　Answers

　　Vocabulary Task: 1 – e, 2 – d, 3 – c, 4 – g, 5 – f, 6 – h, 7 – b, 8 – a

　　Comprehension Task: 1 – Harry, 2 – Sarah, 3 – Magda, 4 – Johnny, 5 – Fadi, 6 – Olivia

　　Grammar Task: 1 – to find, 2 – to come, 3 – get, 4 – to get rid of, 5 – to stay, 6 – be, 7 – knock, 8 – do

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

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 demolish   

v.拆毁(建筑物等)，推翻(计划、制度等)

参考例句：

• They're going to demolish that old building.他们将拆毁那座旧建筑物。
• He was helping to demolish an underground garage when part of the roof collapsed.他当时正在帮忙拆除一个地下汽车库，屋顶的一部份突然倒塌。

3 compensation   

n.补偿（或赔偿）的款物，补偿，赔偿

参考例句：

• Workers who have been unfairly dismissed may claim compensation.被无理开除的工人可以要求补偿。
• Equal compensation should be given to men and women for equal work.男女同工应同酬。

4 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

5 moody   

adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的

参考例句：

• He relapsed into a moody silence.他又重新陷于忧郁的沉默中。
• I'd never marry that girl.She's so moody.我决不会和那女孩结婚的。她太易怒了。

6 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。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。