- 399 - A Bachelor Party
Slow dialogue: 1:11
Explanations: 3:04
Fast dialogue: 16:15
My best friend, Saul, is getting married. As the best man, it was up to me to plan a bachelor party he’d never forget. All of the groomsmen were chipping in, so we went all out.
I invited everybody over to my apartment. Instead of going to a strip club, we hired a stripper. Before the stripper arrived, we played some drinking games and we gave Saul some gag gifts. We all started to get pretty bombed, but we weren’t thinking of the hangover we’d have the next day.
When the stripper arrived, we told “her” to give Saul a lap dance. He had never had one before and he was really embarrassed! But the best part was when Saul saw the stripper: It was a man! Everyone had a good laugh, and we took some pictures so we’d have incriminating evidence. We poked fun at him for the rest of the night.
And as best man, what was my most important job of all? It was not letting his fiancée find out what happened that night – at least not before the wedding!
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
- English Cafe #150
Topics: Famous Americans: Great Jazz Artists Josephine Baker and Ella Fitzgerald; the Amish; to be honest versus as a matter of fact; why don’t you versus let’s
Words:
jazz
pearl
world-famous
to drop out
civil rights movement
first lady
improv
postage stamp
buggy
suspenders
strict
to pray
to be honest
as a matter of fact
let’s
- 398 - Parts of a City
Slow dialogue: 1:23
Explanations: 3:08
Fast dialogue: 15:15
Tanya: We’ve been here for three days and I’m still getting lost.
Darren: Here’s a map. These are the residential neighborhoods. See? This is where we’re staying.
Tanya: I know, I know. But where were we today? The tour bus went down so many alleys that I lost my bearings after 10 minutes. I thought we were going in circles.
Darren: Look, we drove through downtown first, past the financial district. Next, we drove past the housing projects to the historic district.
Tanya: I remember all that.
Darren: Okay, then. From the historic district, we drove through uptown. Got that?
Tanya: Yeah, that’s where things get a little hazy. How did we get to the outskirts of town? One minute we were in uptown, and the next minute, we were at the city limits.
Darren: We took one of the back roads along here. See? Now do you understand the lay of the land?
Tanya: Yup, definitely. Ask me anything. I know this city like the back of my hand.
Darren: No, thanks. That’s like the blind leading the blind!
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
- 397 - Being a Divorced Parent
Slow dialogue: 2:00
Explanations: 3:53
Fast dialogue: 16:00
Oscar: How are you adjusting to being a single parent?
Penny: It hasn’t been easy, but Paul and I are trying to be as civil as possible. We worked out joint custody so that Mina will get quality time with both of us. Still, it’s been an adjustment for her.
Oscar: I’m sure, and for you and Paul, too. Will you get to see Mina when she’s with her father?
Penny: We each have visitation rights. Fortunately, Paul and I both want what’s best for Mina, so we’re working hard to make the right decisions.
Oscar: If you don’t mind my asking, how are you managing financially?
Penny: Neither of us is paying alimony to the other so that was never an issue, but Paul will be paying child support since I’ll have Mina most of the year. Paul had no objections. He’s been amenable to anything that would be good for Mina.
Oscar: How has Mina been reacting to the whole thing?
Penny: She has been acting out, which is to be expected. Paul’s parents and my mother have been very supportive, and we’re all trying to give her as much stability as possible.
Oscar: It sounds like you’re doing all you can.
Penny: We’re trying our best, under the circumstances.
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
- English Cafe #149
Topics: U.S. zoning laws; how to become a TV or movie screenwriter; unless versus if, in versus at for locations, persecute versus prosecute
Words:
zoning law
urban sprawl
mixed-use zoning
high-density neighborhood
exclusionary
affordable housing
strip club
adult shop
screenwriter
show business
blindly
agent
unless
to persecute
to prosecute
- 396 - Dealing in the Black Market
Slow dialogue: 1:23
Explanations: 3:08
Fast dialogue: 14:41
Jasinda: Was that your friend Mitch?
Thomas: Yeah, he and I had lunch today to talk about some business opportunities.
Jasinda: What line of work is he in?
Thomas: Well, I guess you could say he’s in the import/export business.
Jasinda: Hmm…Why are you being so shifty? Isn’t his business on the up and up? He doesn’t deal in the black market, does he?
Thomas: Let’s just say that he takes full advantage of a free market and there’s nothing wrong with the gray market.
Jasinda: You’re not telling me he deals in stolen goods, are you?
Thomas: No, no, nothing like that. Don’t be so naive. There is an entire underground economy in this country, which serves an important purpose. It gets people what they want.
Jasinda: Is he a smuggler? Does he deal in counterfeit or pirated goods? Is that it?
Thomas: I’m not saying another word.
Jasinda: You did say that you were having lunch to talk about business opportunities. You’re not thinking of going into business with him, are you?
Thomas: It was just talk. Nothing is set in stone – yet.
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
- 395 - Watching the Olympic Games
Slow dialogue: 1:35
Explanations: 3:15
Fast dialogue: 14:27
Mary Lou: Am I too late for the opening ceremony?
Jesse: No, it’s just starting. The runner is just coming into Olympic Village with the torch.
Mary Lou: Oh, this is so exciting! I love the summer Olympics. Track and field, gymnastics, swimming – I can’t wait!
Jesse: Oh, here come the athletes from each country, with their flag bearer in front. Look at all those gold, silver, and bronze medalists.
Mary Lou: Isn’t it funny that that country only has one competitor?
Jesse: No way! Can you imagine the accolades you’d get as the only athlete from your country that’s of Olympic caliber? I’d trade places with her any day.
Mary Lou: This schedule says that the track and field events begin tomorrow.
Jesse: Yeah, but those are just the qualifying heats. The real races don’t start for three days. What’s that?
Mary Lou: My flag. I’m cheering on the U.S. team.
Jesse: From the living room?
Mary Lou: Sure, why not? It can’t hurt, can it?
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
- English Cafe #148
Topics: American Cities: San Francisco/Bay Area; the ACLU; using ‘back’ to refer to the past; failure versus error versus mistake
Words:
image
strait
bay
living expenses
steep
cable car
liberal
costume
civil liberties
litigation
to lobby
to infringe upon
back
failure
error
mistake
- 394 - Describing Hatred and Anger
Slow dialogue: 1:24
Explanations: 3:22
Fast dialogue: 15:04
Danica: Calm down! Stop throwing things! Have you gone berserk?
Neil: Calm down?! Calm down?! You don’t know what just happened.
Danica: I’ve never seen you lose your temper like this before. Take a deep breath and tell me what happened.
Neil: Okay, you know that I like Samantha, right? Well, I told Malik last week. I just found out today that he’s dating her.
Danica: Malik? But he’s your best friend. He wouldn’t do that.
Neil: Do you think I’d be having a fit if I weren’t absolutely certain?
Danica: How can you be so sure? Did he tell you?
Neil: He didn’t have to. I saw him with Samantha together after work. He had his arm around her! I was ready to go off the deep end when I saw the two of them together.
Danica: How do you know he wasn’t sweet-talking her for you? He could have been putting in a good word for you, you know.
Neil: That’s bull! That guy is a traitor and I despise him. And I’m su
