936 Working With the IT Department

Whenever I have a technol ogy probl em at work, I try to sol ve i t mysel f . Its not that I know a l ot
of about technol ogy. In f act, the opposi te i s true. Im pretty much a computer i l l i terate, but I sti l l
try.
Why do I bother? The answer i s the IT department i n my company. Every ti me I consul t one of
the IT speci al i sts, they make me f eel l i ke an i di ot. But thi s ti me, I had no choi ce but to cal l i n the
experts.
Leah: What seems to be the probl em here?
Steve: My computer i s acti ng up and I cant get thi s f i l e to open.
Leah: Move. Let me take a l ook. Ha, of course your computer i s acti ng up. I dont know what
you di d to i t, but i ts real l y screwed up.
Steve: Im not sure how I coul d have done that.
Leah: Me nei ther. Thi s i s conf i gured al l wrong. And the reason you cant open thi s f i l e i s
because i ts encrypted. Di d that occur to you?
Steve: No, I guess I di dnt.
Leah: Il l f i x everythi ng, but try not to screw i t up agai n.
Steve: Il l do my best.
See what I mean?

935 Showing Signs of Age

Jul i an: What i s that, another gray hai r?! My hai r i s al ready thi nni ng on top. I dont need more
gray hai rs.
Vera: I thi nk sal t and pepper hai r l ooks great on men. It makes them l ook di sti ngui shed.
Jul i an: It makes them l ook ol d. Thank God I dont have a recedi ng hai rl i ne yet.
Vera: When you get to be my age, you wont worry so much about grayi ng hai r. There are a l ot
of other thi ngs to worry about.
Jul i an: Li ke what?
Vera: Forget I menti oned i t. Showi ng si gns of age i snt somethi ng to be l amented. Its natural
and part of maturi ng as a person. It gi ves you character.
Jul i an: Stop bei ng evasi ve. Li ke what?
Vera: Okay, l i ke wri nkl es and age spots, deaf ness and memory l oss.
Jul i an: Gee, thanks. If I ever need to tal k someone of f a l edge, Il l gi ve you a cal l !

934 Watching Special Effects

Chri ssy: Wow, that movi e was amazi ng, but I cant bel i eve that they bl ew up the Ei f f el Tower. I
bet the French are real l y pi ssed.
Jack: Youre ki ddi ng, ri ght? They di dnt real l y bl ow up the Ei f f el Tower. They usedspeci al
ef f ects to make i t l ook that way.
Chri ssy: Are you sure? It real l y l ooked l i ke the real thi ng.
Jack: They used a scal e model or a computer- generated i mage of the Ei f f el Tower and added
some pyrotechni cs or other vi sual ef f ects to create what you saw on the screen. Its l i ke a bi g
opti cal i l l usi on. I cant bel i eve you real l y thought they bl ew up the Ei f f el Tower.
Chri ssy: Oh no, I di dnt. I was just ki ddi ng. But you have to admi t that i t was pretty cool that they
got the real presi dent of the Uni ted States to ki l l that monster, ri ght?
Jack: You must be messi ng wi th my mi nd agai n. That wasnt the presi dent. That was an actor
weari ng prostheti cs and makeup standi ng i n f ront of a green screen. They added the monster
1

l ater i n post- producti on.

Chri ssy: Oh, ri ght, sure. But you have to hand i t to them f or movi ng a secti on of the Great Wal l
of Chi na to New York Ci ty, ri ght?
Jack: Oh, boy...

933 Letting Go of the Past

Emma: I thi nk i ts ti me.
Uday: I beg to di f f er.
Emma: You cant l i ve i n the past. I know that you l i ke rel i vi ng your gl ory days, but the onl y way
to move on i s to l et go of the past.
Uday: I dont want to move on. If youve had the l i f e Ive had, youd cl i ng to the past, too.
Emma: But your best days are sti l l to come. Constantl y harki ng back to days gone by doesnt
al l ow you to l i ve i n the moment and to pl an f or the f uture.
Uday: So what? I have my memori es to comf ort me i n my ol d age.
Emma: Youre speaki ng as though your l i f e were over. Youre sti l l young.
Uday: Not as young I used to be.
Emma: These ol d trophi es and f ootbal l jerseys wont keep you young.
Uday: Yes, but they hel p me remember some of the hi ghl i ghts of the ol d days. Di d I ever tel l
you about the ti me I si ngl e- handedl y won the game?
Emma: Uh...

932 Rebuilding Consumer Trust

Karen: The scandal over our new product l i ne real l y damaged our i mage, and we need to rebui l d
consumer trust.
Brandon: Thi s i s goi ng to be an uphi l l battl e. Losi ng customers i s easy. Wi nni ng them back wi l l
be real l y hard.
Karen: I agree, but our stock i s taki ng a beati ng and we need to do somethi ng now.
Brandon: Part of the probl em was that the rumors about the new producthei ghtened expectati ons
and we just f el l short of the mark. We need to al ways remember to under promi se and over
del i ver.
Karen: Yes, that was a bi g part of the probl em, but we al so need to have moretransparency. We
cant make major changes wi thout f i rst getti ng customer i nputand wi thout noti f yi ng them wel l i n
advance. Otherwi se, our customers f eel betrayed.
Brandon: Al l ri ght, I thi nk we have a pl ace to begi n. Shoul d I cal l a general meeti ngto tal k
speci f i cs?
Karen: Sure, and whi l e were at i t, we can work on empl oyee moral e, too!

931 Solving a Mystery

Jane: You have to watch thi s movi e. Its so good!
Hercul e: Im not real l y i nto mysteri es.
Jane: But thi s i s a real l y good whoduni t.
Hercul e: I pref er acti on movi es.
Jane: Li sten, the movi e gi ves you pl enty of cl ues, and the detecti ve f ol l ows hunchaf ter hunch,
l ead af ter l ead, but the movi e i s f ul l of red herri ngs. Everybody seems to have an al i bi and the
wi tnesses arent rel i abl e.
Hercul e: I dont know. It seems ki nd of conf usi ng to me. I dont real l y want to use my brai n
2

when Im watchi ng a movi e.

Jane: But thats the f un part of i t. The true i denti ty of the vi cti m i s a mystery, thesuspects al l
have skel etons i n thei r cl osets, and the detecti ve i snt what he seems.
Hercul e: Yeah, wel l ...
Jane: And just when you thi nk youre getti ng to the bottom of i t, the rug gets pul l ed out f rom
under you. It keeps you guessi ng unti l the very end. Hey, where are you goi ng?
Hercul e: Im goi ng to f i nd an acti on movi e where al l my brai n has to do i s handl e thesensory
overl oad!

930 Fearing Bioterrorism

Natal i e: Why are you weari ng that gas mask?
Anton: Im getti ng used to i t. If we ever have a bi oterrori st attack, Il l be ready. Want to try one
on?
Natal i e: No, thanks. If we get i nvol ved i n bi ol ogi cal warf are, I thi nk wel l have somewarni ng.
Anton: Thats what you thi nk. Ai rborne toxi ns, bacteri a, or vi ruses coul d be i n the ai r ri ght now,
and you and I woul dnt be abl e to detect i t. It coul d i nf ect you i n the bl i nk of an eye.
Natal i e: Then Il l be si ck or dead anyway. So who cares?
Anton: I sai d we woul dnt be abl e to detect i t, but there are agenci es wi th earl y detecti on
equi pment that coul d. As soon as they sound the al arm, we can put on our gas masks and take
other precauti ons.
Natal i e: If were real l y attacked by bi oterrori sts, what good i s earl y detecti on? Its not l i ke you
can real l y escape the toxi ns.
Anton: Dont pooh- pooh these preparati ons. They coul d be the di f f erence between l i f e and
death when the ti me comes.
Natal i e: Ri ght. In the meanti me, I thi nk Il l just get dressed wi thout the styl i sh gas mask.

929 Trying to Locate Someone

Carmen: Hi , Im l ooki ng f or Wal do. I was tol d that he comes i n here f rom ti me to ti me. Have
you seen hi m?
Antoni o: Wal do? I havent seen hi m i n a whi l e. He comes i n someti mes, but i ts pretty hi t-andmi ss.
Carmen: I cant seem to pi n hi m down. Every ti me I thi nk Im hot on hi s trai l , Im too l ate. Hes
ski pped town or has gone underground.
Antoni o: Thats Wal do. Hes the most el usi ve person I know. I thi nk he actual l y enjoys pl ayi ng a
game of cat and mouse wi th peopl e who are tryi ng to l ocatehi m.
Carmen: Im starti ng to get that f eel i ng. Ive been tryi ng to track hi m down f or over two months.
Antoni o: He does seem to have a si xth sense and knows when to vani sh.
Carmen: Im starti ng to thi nk he doesnt real l y exi st and that hes just a f i gment of my
i magi nati on.
Antoni o: Its f unny you shoul d say that. I thi nk hi s ul ti mate goal i s to be i nvi si bl e, just another
f ace i n the crowd.

928. Understanding Corporate Structure

Andrea: Thi s organi zati onal chart i s real l y conf usi ng.
Raf f ael : Why are you l ooki ng at that?
Andrea: I have an i ntervi ew next week and Im tryi ng to bone up on the company Il l be
3

i ntervi ewi ng wi th. I want to i mpress them, but thi s chart i s real l y conf usi ng.
Raf f ael : Let me see. Its a si mpl e f l ow chart. You have your board of di rectors at the top, wi th
the managi ng di rector reporti ng to them, and then the executi ve of f i cers overseei ng major
departments.
Andrea: But I thought managers work bel ow the executi ve of f i cers.
Raf f ael : Youre conf usi ng managers wi th managi ng di rectors. The managi ng di rector oversees
the enti re company and managers oversee dai l y operati ons.
Andrea: Oh, I see. So these here are the departments: accounti ng, marketi ng,purchasi ng,
personnel , R & D, sal es, and producti on.
Raf f ael : Thats ri ght. Whi ch department are you i ntervi ewi ng f or?
Andrea: I thi nk the job i s i n purchasi ng.
Raf f ael : You thi nk? Dont you thi nk thats somethi ng you shoul d get strai ght bef ore you do
anythi ng el se?
Andrea: You mi ght have a poi nt there.

927 Being Tidy and Messy

Carol e: It i s beyond me how you and Oscar can be roommates. Youre very ti dyand hes, wel l , a
sl ob.
Fel i x: Its not al ways easy, but were maki ng i t work.
Carol e: Isnt Oscar real l y messy al l the ti me? Whenever I see hi m, hi s cl othes arerumpl ed and
hi s hai r i s unkempt.
Fel i x: Hi s room i s real l y cl uttered, but he keeps the common areas i n passabl econdi ti on. I do
have to strai ghten up f ai rl y of ten, and I someti mes have to pi ck up af ter hi m, but thats because
Im pretty ni tpi cky.
Carol e: Thats very tol erant of you.
Fel i x: Wel l , we have set up a system so that i f thi ngs get too messy, I have somerecourse.
Carol e: Real l y, whats your system?
Fel i x: Oscar and I agreed that every ti me he l eaves a bi g mess, I can f i ne hi m.
Carol e: That seems ki nd of drasti c, but maybe i t works f or you guys.
Fel i x: Yeah, i t keeps the pl ace pretty cl ean.
Carol e: Sti l l , knowi ng Oscar, you must have had to f i ne hi m a l ot.
Fel i x: Lets just say that my next vacati on wi l l be i n Monte Carl o!

926. Getting an advantage in sports

Tammy: What are you doi ng thi s year to gi ve your team an advantage?
Phi l l i p: I have a f ew tri cks up my sl eeve. Were goi ng to have a wi nni ng season.
Tammy: Are you goi ng to start Wang?
Phi l l i p: No, Im redshi rti ng Wang. I want hi m to si t out hi s f i rst year so he cansharpen hi s ski l l s.
Tammy: Im real l y surpri sed. Wang i s al ready a great pl ayer and too good to si t on the bench.
Phi l l i p: Trust me, I know what Im doi ng. Hel l get an extra year of el i gi bi l i ty and be even better
next year.
Tammy: If you say so. What about Schwartz?
Phi l l i p: Hes out f or the season. Hes hurt and wont be abl e to pl ay.
Tammy: Thats a major bl ow! Hes your star pl ayer, ri ght?
Phi l l i p: Hes a l oss, but I have a secret weapon.
Tammy: Oh, yeah?
4

Phi l l i p: Thi s new pl ayer, Pi erre, i s goi ng to gi ve the other teams a run f or thei r money.
Tammy: Who i s he?
Phi l l i p: Just somebody I recrui ted. Lets just say hes tal ented beyond hi s years.
Tammy: Huh? You mean hes a ri nger? Youre bri ngi ng i n a ri nger?
Phi l l i p: Of course not. Hes just a l i ttl e more experi enced than my other pl ayers and hel l be a
f orce to be reckoned wi th.
Tammy: Onl y i f nobody catches on.
Phi l l i p: Catches on to what?

925. Going through customs

Customs Of f i cer: Your passports, pl ease. What i s your f i nal desti nati on?
zkan: Los Angel es.
Customs Of f i cer: How l ong i s your stay?
zkan: Wel l be there f or a week.
Customs Of f i cer: What i s the purpose of your tri p?
zkan: Im goi ng there on busi ness and my f ami l y i s accompanyi ng me on vacati on.
Customs Of f i cer: Who are you travel i ng wi th?
zkan: Thi s i s my wi f e Ayse, and these are my chi l dren, Mustaf a and mer.
Customs Of f i cer: Are you bri ngi ng i n any restri cted i tems? Any pl ants, f rui ts and vegetabl es,
meats, or ani mal s?
zkan: No.
Customs Of f i cer: Do you have anythi ng to decl are?
zkan: We bought some duty-f ree i tems i n the ai rport. Heres the recei pt.
Customs Of f i cer: Thats f i ne. Step over to the exam stati on f or baggage i nspecti on.
...
We opened our bags f or i nspecti on, and l ucki l y, the i nspector f ound nothi ng toconf i scate and we
got of f scot-f ree. Im real l y gl ad they di dnt f i nd that cat weresmuggl i ng i n as a gi f t f or my
f avori te podcaster!

924. Getting access to important people

Cami l e: That i s a real l y good i dea.
Nathan: Thanks, but theres no way I can get past al l of the gatekeepers i n thi s company to get
access to the presi dent. Hes the onl y one who can green-l i ght a project l i ke thi s.
Cami l e: Cant you present i t to your boss f i rst?
Nathan: If I bri ng the i dea to my i mmedi ate supervi sor, shel l ei ther take i t over orni x i t.
Cami l e: What you need to do i s to get the ear of one of hi s advi sors and do an end-run around
the other managers.
Nathan: Im not sure how I can do that. I dont know any of the advi sors i n the presi dents i nner
ci rcl e. We dont exactl y travel i n the same ci rcl es, you know.
Cami l e: Hows your jump shot?
Nathan: Why do you ask?
Cami l e: My cousi n works at the same gym where that the company presi dent goes to exerci se.
Someti mes he l i kes to pl ay a game of pi ck- up basketbal l , of ten one-on-one. If you got a cal l
f rom my cousi n when hes there, you mi ght be abl e to be get there qui ckl y and be i n the ri ght
pl ace at the ri ght ti me.
Nathan: You mean tal k busi ness on the courts?
5

Cami l e: Sure, i snt that how real deal s get made?

Nathan: You mi ght have an i dea there.
Cami l e: Yes, but one pi ece of advi ce: Let hi m wi n!

923. Having a bad habit

Al i sha: Thi s i s the second ti me Ive been turned down f or a credi t card i n a month. I dont know
what Im doi ng wrong.
James: Have you checked your credi t report recentl y? Maybe you have a badcredi t rati ng.
Al i sha: I have a f ul l -ti me job wi th a good i ncome, whi ch they can easi l y veri f y, and I dont have
any outstandi ng debt, so what coul d be the probl em?
James: Have you had a credi t card bef ore?
Al i sha: Yes.
James: Di d you al ways make your payments on ti me?
Al i sha: Wel l , no.
James: Then that may be your answer. Your payment hi story makes a bi g di f f erence wi th the
credi t bureau. If youve mi ssed payments or been l ate, thats a bi g stri ke agai nst you.
Al i sha: You mean i f I were l ate a f ew ti mes, I woul dnt be abl e to get another credi t card?
James: A f ew ti mes? How many ti mes?
Al i sha: Wel l , maybe a l ot of ti mes.
James: And why do you need another credi t card i f you al ready have one?
Al i sha: Had one, past tense. The credi t card company cancel l ed i t.
James: Ah ha, I thi nk weve just f ound the crux of the probl em.

922. Getting a second opinion

Greg: Where are you goi ng?
Anne: Im goi ng to see another doctor to get a second opi ni on. My doctordi agnosed me wi th a
seri ous medi cal condi ti on and I dont want to take i t at f ace val ue.
Greg: Youre second- guessi ng your doctor?
Anne: No, I just want to make sure hes ri ght. Hes al so recommendi ng aconservati ve treatment
f or thi s condi ti on, and i f I real l y have i t, I want to be moreaggressi ve.
Greg: Doesnt your doctor mi nd that youre getti ng a second opi ni on?
Anne: No, he even gave me a recommendati on f or another speci al i st.
Greg: Whats al l of that?
Anne: Thi s i s a compl ete set of my records al ong wi th my test resul ts. Im hopi ng hel l have a
f resh perspecti ve when he l ooks at al l of i t and my pati ent hi story.
Greg: What are you hopi ng hel l f i nd?
Anne: The best-case scenari o i s that hel l f i nd that my doctor was wrong and that I dont real l y
have thi s condi ti on.
Greg: If he tel l s you that, woul dnt you be dubi ous? Youl l have one doctor tel l i ng you that you
have i t and one tel l i ng you that you dont.
Anne: Then, i t woul d be ti me f or a thi rd opi ni on.

921. Describing a chance an probability

Raul : What are the chances that Rob wi l l be here on ti me?
Ti f f any: Id say i ts f i f ty- f i f ty. You never know. He mi ght surpri se us and be earl y.
Raul : Fat chance of that happeni ng. Ive known hi m f or three years and i f I had to stake my l i f e
6

on whether hel l arri ve earl y or not, Id be i n bi g troubl e.

Ti f f any: Dont exaggerate. Rob i snt compl etel y i rresponsi bl e. Id say theres a pretty good
probabi l i ty that hel l be here when he sai d he woul d, especi al l y af ter he promi sed.
Raul : Hi s i ntenti ons are good, but he l oses track of ti me and doesnt know what day i t i s hal f the
ti me.
Ti f f any: He tol d me that hes tryi ng to change.
Raul : Wel l , as I sai d, hi s i ntenti ons are good. He just needs to work on hi s f ol l ow-through.
Ti f f any: Come on, he coul d be on hi s way ri ght now.
Raul : Dont hol d your breath. Il l bel i eve hi s promi ses when hel l f reezes over.
Ti f f any: Arent you bei ng just a wee bi t cyni cal ?
Raul : And arent you just i ndul gi ng i n wi shf ul thi nki ng?
Ti f f any: Hey, I thi nk thats hi m comi ng down the road! I thi nk youd better eat your words.
Raul : And I thi nk youd better get gl asses.

920. Leasing business equipments

Ol ena: We need to keep pace wi th changi ng technol ogy, but how are we goi ng to rai se capi tal to
upgrade our equi pment?
Joel : Im not sure. Maybe we can f i nd a suppl i er who wi l l extend credi t to us. We can pay i n
i nstal l ments.
Ol ena: Thatl l be hard to do. No one wants to extend credi t these days.
Joel : I know what my brother di d when hi s company needed new equi pment.
Ol ena: What?
Joel : He l eased i t i nstead of buyi ng i t.
Ol ena: Leasi ng equi pment? Ive never consi dered i t. I dont want to end up payi ng more f or the
equi pment over ti me than i ts worth, and sti l l not own the equi pment at the end of the contract.
Joel : The f l i p si de i s that you wont be saddl ed wi th outdated equi pment thats hard to of f l oad.
My brother says that there are other advantages to l easi ng. You can have the mai ntenance
i ncl uded i n your contract, so you wont have to worry about hi gh repai r bi l l s.
Ol ena: I dont know...
Joel : And my brother al so tol d me that he was abl e to negoti ate a purchase opti on. You can do
the same i f you real l y want to own the equi pment.
Ol ena: Your brother real l y seems to know what hes tal ki ng about. Why i snt he worki ng f or me?
Joel : You have someone even better. You have an empl oyee who l i stens and steal s the
competi tors good i deas.

919. Visiting childcare centers

Adam: Whats that?
Noel l e: Its a l i st of questi ons Im goi ng to ask at the chi l dcare center when we vi si t today. I
want to be prepared.
Adam: We al ready know that i ts l i censed and has a good reputati on. What other questi ons are
you goi ng to ask?
Noel l e: Lots. For i nstance, I want to know what the rati o i s of chi l dren to each chi l dcare worker
and what thei r staf f turnover rate i s.
Adam: Okay, I guess those are i mportant questi ons.
Noel l e: And I want to know what thei r pol i ci es are on di sci pl i ni ng the ki ds and what ki nds of
meal s and snacks they serve.
7

Adam: Al so good questi ons.

Noel l e: And I want to f i nd out thei r pol i ci es on si ck ki ds and i f they al l ow l ate pi ck-up.
Adam: Yeah, I guess those are real l y good questi ons, too.
Noel l e: And I want to know i f I can observe any ti me I want to and i f there i s asecure checki n/check- out system.
Adam: Those are al l good questi ons, but I guess I shoul dnt be surpri sed that youvedone your
homework.
Noel l e: Thats why you marri ed me, ri ght? Because Im so practi cal ?
Adam: If thats why I marri ed you, woul dnt that make me the practi cal one?

918. Preparing for a Disaster

Li l l y: Qui ck, we need to go get some suppl i es. I was l i steni ng to tal k radi o on my way home
f rom work and thi s guy was on tal ki ng about how doomsday i s comi ng and we need to prepare.
Paul : Oh no, not thi s agai n. You have to stop l i steni ng to that garbage on the radi o. Li sten, there
i s no i mpendi ng doom and thi s guy was just cryi ng wol f .
Li l l y: No, he wasnt. He had proof that the worl d i s goi ng to end soon and he wassoundi ng the
al arm. Those peopl e ki l l ed i n the storm l ast week? They were thecanari es i n the coal mi ne.
Di saster i s comi ng!
Paul : Let me be the voi ce of reason f or a mi nute. How many ti mes have you bel i eved that the
worl d was endi ng i n the past f ew years?
Li l l y: A f ew ti mes, but thi s i s f or real . Therel l be a di srupti on of servi ces, a run onf ood and
water, and chaos!
Paul : Let me ask you thi s: i f the worl d i s endi ng, arent we al l just goi ng to di e?
Li l l y: Not i f you have an underground bunker. Start di ggi ng!

917 Types of Families

Patri ci a: Okay, were nearl y done setti ng up f or the nei ghborhood party. I got somenametags
wi th f ather, mother, and ki ds pri nted on them, wi th a space f or peopl e to wri te thei r names.
Itl l be easi er f or peopl e to i ntroduce themsel ves and make f ri ends.
Ed: The nametags are a good i dea, but we have to keep i n mi nd that i n thi s day and age, there are
a l ot of unconventi onal f ami l i es. We wont just have nucl earor tradi ti onal f ami l i es comi ng.
Patri ci a: I dont see how that makes a di f f erence.
Ed: Dont you? What i f we have same-sex f ami l i es? We need to be ready to hand out two
f ather or two mother nametags. There are al so a l ot of stepf ami l i es wi th more than one set
of parents.
Patri ci a: Wel l , the men are al l f athers and the women are al l mothers thats si mpl e. I sti l l
dont see the probl em.
Ed: What i f the chi l dren are bei ng rai sed by grandparents? Some of the men coul d be
grandf athers and some of the women grandmothers.
Patri ci a: Okay, we mi ght have some of those f ami l i es.
Ed: And dont f orget that some parents are di vorced or are si ngl e parents. Thei r current partner
may not be thei r spouse. It woul dnt be appropri ate to gi ve them f ather or mother nametags.
We mi ght even get f oster f ami l i es, i n whi ch case, the nametags may not be appl i cabl e at al l .
Patri ci a: I gi ve up. Forget I ever brought up these nametags. Il l get bl ank ones wi th nothi ng on
them.
Ed: Thats a good i dea. Gi ven the compl exi ty we l i ve i n today, choosi ng si mpl i ci tymi ght be the
8

way to go!

916 Being Forced Out of a Position

Jul i anna: Ha ha! The wi cked wi tch i s dead!
Hugo: What are you tal ki ng about?
Jul i anna: Betti na i s steppi ng down as chai rperson of the commi ttee. I thought thi s day woul d
never come.
Hugo: Thats a bi g surpri se. I never thought Id l i ve to see the day when Betti na woul d wi l l i ngl y
gi ve up her posi ti on.
Jul i anna: It wasnt her choi ce exactl y. The rest of the commi ttee f orced her out, sayi ng they
coul dnt work wi th her anymore. Oh how the mi ghty have f al l en!
Hugo: But I thought she had the support of the hi gher- ups and they wanted her i n the posi ti on.
Jul i anna: Wel l , shes somehow f al l en f rom grace and they cant wai t to see the back of her. Its
ni ce to see her get her comeuppance f i nal l y!
Hugo: Maybe were not getti ng the f ul l story. Maybe she had personal reasons f or l eavi ng.
Jul i anna: Whatever the reason, wel l be ri d of her once and f or al l . Hal l el ujah!
Hugo: How do you know the next chai rperson wont be worse?
Jul i anna: Bi te your tongue!

915 Learning to Read Music

Mi ke: You have a great voi ce. You shoul d joi n our choi r.
Grace: I dont know anythi ng about musi c. I cant even read musi c.
Mi ke: Its not that hard. I coul d teach you. Look, thi s i s a pi ece were worki ng on ri ght now.
Grace: Whats that wei rd thi ng at the begi nni ng?
Mi ke: Thats the cl ef . It tel l s you whi ch note each l i ne and space on the staf f represents.
Grace: Okay. What about these numbers?
Mi ke: Thats the ti me si gnature. It tel l s you how many beats are i n each measure, and what ki nd
of note gets one beat. Thi s l i ttl e number above there gi ves you thetempo.
Grace: Hmm, thats ki nd of compl i cated. Why are al l of these notes stacked on top of each
other?
Mi ke: Thats to i ndi cate a chord, wi th two or more notes pl ayed together at the same ti me. See?
Musi cal notati on i s real l y very si mpl e.
Grace: I dont thi nk I got al l that.
Mi ke: Im happy to hel p you unti l you get the hang of i t. We coul d even work on some duets. We
coul d si ng harmony or I can accompany you on the pi ano.
Grace: I thi nk youre overesti mati ng my si ngi ng abi l i ty, but Im wi l l i ng to gi ve i t a try. At l east, I
thi nk I can stay on pi tch. I just dont want to embarrass mysel f too much.
Mi ke: I thi nk youre overesti mati ng the qual i ty of our communi ty choi r!

914 Wanting Peace and Quiet

Af ter three days of travel and meeti ngs, I returned to my hotel room ready f or somedownti me.
Al l I wanted was some peace and qui et so I coul d get a good ni ghts sl eep.
...
[phone ri ngs] Carl : Hel l o.
Hotel staf f : Hel l o, Mr. Mendez. Im cal l i ng to wel come you to our hotel . I hope youre f i ndi ng
everythi ng to your sati sf acti on.
9

Carl : Yes, yes. Everythi ngs f i ne. I just want to get some rest ri ght now.
Hotel staf f : Of course, Mr. Mendez. If theres anythi ng we can do f or you, dont hesi tate to ask.
...
I hung up the phone and turned of f the ri nger. I di dnt want any more unsol i ci tedphone cal l s. But
then, there was a knock on the door.
...
Hotel staf f : Hel l o, si r. Im here to turn down your bed. May I come i n?
Carl : I dont need the bed turned down, thanks.
...
Bef ore I cl osed the door, I put the do-not- di sturb si gn on my door. I wanted no more
i nterrupti ons.
Al l of a sudden, a l oud al arm went of f . I opened my door and a hotel empl oyee was expl ai ni ng
that there was a smal l f i re i n the ki tchen and that the guests were bei ngevacuated. We woul d have
to l eave the bui l di ng i mmedi atel y.
I l ef t my hotel room and wondered i f there was a vast conspi racy to rob me of my sl eep or i f Im
just the unl ucki est guy i n the worl d!

913 Experiencing Motion Sickness

Ashl ey: You dont l ook so good. Whats wrong?
Terrel l : I f el t moti on si ckness watchi ng that movi e. The camera jerked aroundand i t made me
di zzy.
Ashl ey: It di dnt bother me. The hand-hel d camera used to f i l m the movi e had thatef f ect on you?
Terrel l : Im suscepti bl e to moti on si ckness. You shoul d see me on a boat. Therocki ng moti on
makes me seasi ck and nauseous. When I was a ki d, I used to get carsi ck every ti me my f ami l y
took a road tri p. My parents al ways had a barf bagready.
Ashl ey: Wow, that sucks.
Terrel l : Yeah, and dont even try to get me on an ai rpl ane. Just the starti ng of theengi nes makes
me f eel ai rsi ck and l ooki ng down gi ves me verti go.
Ashl ey: So how do you travel ?
Terrel l : Very rarel y and usual l y wi th one f oot on the ground!

912 Working as a Lobbyist

Cody: Youre not the ki nd of person I woul d expect to work as a l obbyi st.
Jada: Why not?
Cody: I pi cture l obbyi sts as bei ng ki nd of pushy and corrupt, usi ng underhanded tacti cs.
Jada: Its not l i ke that at al l , at l east not f or me. I just use my powers of persuasi on to hel p my
cl i ents.
Cody: So what do you do exactl y?
Jada: I meet wi th l egi sl ators and try to sway them to support l aws that aref avorabl e to the peopl e
and compani es I represent, and to di scourage them f rom voti ng f or l aws that arent.
Cody: Youre a spokesperson f or your cl i ents, then.
Jada: Im more than that. I work f or cl i ents i n the pri vate sector and i n corporati ons, as wel l as
f or speci al i nterest groups. I advocate f or what woul d benef i t my cl i ents i n a way that they cant
do themsel ves di rectl y.
Cody: Isnt there someti mes a conf l i ct of i nterest? Lets say your cl i ent thi s month wants a l aw
passed and your cl i ent next month doesnt. What happens then?
10

Jada: Im a gun f or hi re. I do my best f or my cl i ent, whi chever that cl i ent i s at that moment.
Cody: Im gl ad to hear you say that. I coul d use the servi ces of a good l obbyi st. Ive been tryi ng
to get my wi f e to agree to buy a new boat...
Jada: Stop ri ght there. In thi s case there i s a conf l i ct of i nterest. Your wi f e tal ked to me l ast
week and wants me to have a l i ttl e tal k wi th you about that new boat...

911 Correcting and Explaining in Conversation

Danny: You l ook l i ke you need to rel ax.
Sybi l : Excuse me?
Danny: What I mean i s, you l ook l i ke you coul d use some R and R.
Sybi l : I di dnt know I l ooked ti red and worn out.
Danny: No, what Im tryi ng to say i s, peopl e need l ei sure ti me once i n a whi l e.
Sybi l : Yes, thats certai nl y true.
Danny: The human body needs downti me to recuperate and to regenerate.
Sybi l : Okay, I guess thats true.
Danny: Let me rephrase that. Peopl e need ti me away f rom work to get ready f or more work.
Sybi l : Are you sayi ng youre pl anni ng on gi vi ng me more work?
Danny: No, no, no. Let me put i t another way. Its i mperati ve that you dont work thi s weekend.
Sybi l : Why? Whats goi ng on thi s weekend? Are you sayi ng that somethi ng bi g i s happeni ng i n
the department thi s weekend and Im bei ng l ef t out?
Danny: No, not at al l . What Im tryi ng to say i s... [si gh]...woul d you l i ke to go out wi th me
Saturday ni ght?
Sybi l : Oh, I guess I di dnt catch your dri f t earl i er. Youre aski ng me out f or Saturday.
Danny: Yes, I am.
Sybi l : Then, I accept.
Danny: Real l y?
Sybi l : Yes, as l ong as you promi se never to ask me out on a f i rst date ever agai n!

910 Plagiarizing a Paper

Paul : Al l done.
Samantha: Youre done wi th your paper? How can that be? Im just getti ng started.
Paul : Im just a better student than you are.
Samantha: Let me see that. You di dnt wri te thi s.
Paul : No, I di dnt. I downl oaded somebodys paper f rom some websi te and sl apped my name on
i t. The prof essor wi l l never know. Wi se up. Do you want me to f i nd one f or you?
Samantha: No way! Not onl y i s i t cheati ng, i f you get caught, you coul d f l unk the cl ass or get
expel l ed.
Paul : Dont be such a goody two-shoes. Everybody does i t. I know a guy who pays somebody i n
another state to wri te al l of hi s papers f or hi m and another guy who l i f ts hi s papers f rom ol d
books. Dont tel l me youve never paraphrased i deas f rom a source and represented them as your
own.
Samantha: Are you ki ddi ng me? Borrowi ng i deas f rom a book wi th properattri buti on i s what
youre supposed to do. You, on the other hand, are pl agi ari zi ngyour way to your degree.
Paul : Damn strai ght! Look whos done wi th hi s homework and who i s sti l l worki ng on hers.
Samantha: Id rather earn what I get and know that I di dnt shortchange mysel f out of an
educati on!
11

909 Buying Electronic Books

Ki ndo: Whats that?
Nooki e: Its my new e-book reader. Im just downl oadi ng some new books onto i t.
Ki ndo: I havent bought one yet. Im ol d school . I sti l l pref er a pri nted book.
Nooki e: But i f you havent tri ed i t yet, how do you know you woul dnt l i ke i t better? Thi s e-book
reader can store over 10,000 di gi tal books and i ts easi l y portabl e. Imagi ne tryi ng to carry an
enti re l i brary f rom pl ace to pl ace.
Ki ndo: I dont usual l y read 10,000 books al l at once and I hear that there are a l ot
of i ncompati bl e f ormats out there. Each company i s tryi ng to edge out the others by establ i shi ng
thei r f ormat as the f ormat. I thi nk Il l just wai t unti l the dust settl es.
Nooki e: The di f f erent f ormats arent that bi g a deal . You can easi l y convert a book i n one f ormat
to another.
Ki ndo: I l i ke the l ook of text on a pri nted page.
Nooki e: You mean that f aded text on that yel l owed page? On an e-book reader, you can adjust
the text si ze, f ont, and even l i ne spaci ng.
Ki ndo: Can I get al l of the out-of -pri nt books on my shel ves i n di gi tal f ormat?
Nooki e: Wel l , Im not sure.
Ki ndo: Unti l I can, Il l sti ck to my l ow-tech books.

908 Being Territorial at Work

Andy: What are you doi ng?
Si ta: Im runni ng some numbers f or the new project.
Andy: I thought that was Del i as turf .
Si ta: Shes usual l y the go-to person f or thi s type of i nf ormati on, but I need thi s i nf o ri ght now.
Andy: Id be caref ul about steppi ng on Del i as toes. She doesnt take ki ndl y to peopl e
encroachi ng on her responsi bi l i ti es.
Si ta: I know she can be terri tori al at ti mes, but Im sure i f I expl ai n to her why Im getti ng thi s
i nf ormati on ri ght thi s mi nute, shed understand.
Andy: Okay, but dont be surpri sed i f she thi nks youre tryi ng to gai n control of her l i ttl e
f i ef dom. Shes real l y entrenched and she doesnt l i ke anyone muscl i ng i n.
Si ta: Do you real l y thi nk shel l mi sunderstand my moti ves?
Andy: I woul dnt take any chances. Hurry up and f i ni sh what youre doi ng, cover your tracks, and
get out. Wi th any l uck, she wont thi nk thi s i s the begi nni ng of a turf war.

907 Buying Tools at a Hardware Store

Chuck: Just remember that we have a l ot to accompl i sh today, so l ets just get what we need and
go, okay?
Ayaka: Sure, we just need a f ew tool s f or our DIY project. The power tool s are over there.
Chuck: Whoa, were not getti ng power tool s. We just need a f ew si mpl e hand tool s: a hammer, a
wrench, a chi sel , some pl i ers and maybe an extrascrewdri ver or two.
Ayaka: We woul d get the job done so much more qui ckl y i f we had power tool s. Instead of a
hammer, we shoul d get a nai l gun. We al so need a power dri l l , and hey, a sander and a tabl e saw.
Chuck: A tabl e saw?! Were doi ng some si mpl e repai rs, not remodel i ng our house.
Ayaka: You never know when you need a good saw and Ive al ways wanted a tabl e saw.
Chuck: Other women want cl othes and jewel ry, and you want power tool s?
12

Ayaka: That ri ght. You shoul d be counti ng your l ucky stars!

906 Using Illegal Drugs

Nancy: So, what do you thi nk?
Ron: Uh, that was i nteresti ng.
Nancy: Thats al l you have to say? I spent si x months maki ng thi s anti - drug f i l m to show
students i n school s to try and deter i l l egal drug use.
Ron: Wel l , Im not sure i f i t gets the poi nt across.
Nancy: What do you mean? I show f ootage of peopl e usi ng hardcore drugs.
Ron: Thats just i t. You start by showi ng peopl e smoki ng pot, maki ng the poi nt that i ts a gateway
drug, and then showi ng addi cts poppi ng pi l l s, shooti ng up heroi ne, and snorti ng and f reebasi ng
cocai ne.
Nancy: Im tryi ng to show the downhi l l spi ral that resul ts f rom i l l egal drug use.
Ron: But consi deri ng how i ncredi bl y expl i ci t the f i l m i s, Im af rai d that teachers mi ght mi stake
i t f or some other type of f i l m.
Nancy: What do you mean? What type of f i l m?
Ron: Wel l , i nstead of an anti - drug educati onal f i l m, i t seems more i nstructi onal . If ki ds dont
know how to use i l l egal drugs bef ore, they wi l l af ter watchi ng thi s f i l m!

905 Getting a Marriage License

Yves: Hel p me f i l l out thi s appl i cati on f or our marri age l i cense.
Vanessa: Cant you do i t? Im real l y busy wi th work ri ght now. Do as much as you can and just
ask me i f you dont know somethi ng.
Yves: Okay, Il l try, but Im readi ng through the requi rements, and i ts a good i dea f or both of us
to know what they are.
Vanessa: Okay, then just read them out l oud to me.
Yves: Al l ri ght. We need to bri ng i denti f i cati on and i ts best to bri ng our bi rth certi f i cates, just
i n case. We dont need bl ood tests and theres no wai ti ng peri odi n thi s state. Are you l i steni ng?
Vanessa: To every word. Go on.
Yves: For peopl e who have been marri ed bef ore, theyl l have to bri ng proof of di vorce, death, or
annul ment. Okay, si nce youve been marri ed bef ore, youl l need to bri ng a copy of your f i nal
di vorce decree. Di d you hear that?
Vanessa: Yeah, yeah.
Yves: We can choose any qual i f i ed of f i ci ant and the marri age l i cense i s val i d f or 90 days
thats 90 days to get marri ed and have the marri age recorded. We onl y have 90 days af ter we get
the l i cense to get marri ed, got that?
Vanessa: Sure, 90 days. No probl em.
Yves: Im starti ng to wonder. If you dont have ti me to f i l l out our marri age l i cense appl i cati on,
how wi l l you make ti me f or our weddi ng?
Vanessa: What? Im real l y busy ri ght now. Lets tal k about i t l ater.
Yves: Is i t just me, or does thi s conversati on not bode wel l f or our f uture marri age?

904 Working Overseas

Dani el l e: Im so exci ted! I just got my new posti ng overseas. I cant wai t to l i veabroad and work
as an expat.
Angus: I remember my f i rst overseas assi gnment. It was i nteresti ng, but theadjustment took
13

some ti me.
Dani el l e: I wont have any probl ems. I al ready have my work permi t andvacci nati ons, and I speak
the l anguage f ai rl y wel l . And remember, I dont have any f ami l y to rel ocate.
Angus: I di dnt thi nk Id have any probl ems ei ther, but when I got to McQui l l anl and, I was i n
cul ture shock.
Dani el l e: Im ready f or the di f f erences i n the cost of l i vi ng. Il l be getti ng a housi ng al l owance,
whi ch wi l l of f set the i ncrease i n l i vi ng expenses.
Angus: I wasnt thi nki ng so much about the expense of l i vi ng abroad. I was ref erri ng to a
di f f erent pace of l i f e and the many cul tural di f f erences that af f ect every f acetof l i f e.
Dani el l e: Thats what Im l ooki ng f orward to. Itl l al l be so exci ti ng.
Angus: Im gl ad youre i n euphori a ri ght now, but be prepared f or some bumps i n the road.
Dani el l e: No probl em. To me, smooth sai l i ng woul d be bori ng!

903 Listening to a Traffic Report

Every af ternoon bef ore I l eave work, I l i sten to the traf f i c report to see i f I shoul d take my usual
route home or make a detour. So today, l i ke every day, I turned on my radi o.
Its a tough commute today i f youre travel i ng on I-35 north. Theres a majorsl owdown due to
an overturned bi g ri g thats bl ocki ng the number two l ane.
Oh no. That meant that I had to take the 40W i nstead.
If youre travel i ng on the 40W, youl l f i nd a l ot of congesti on. Its down to onel ane because of
a pi l eup. Emergency vehi cl es are respondi ng.
Wow, that meant I mi ght have to take surf ace streets al l the way home.
And i f youre thi nki ng of taki ng Broadway Boul evard west f rom downtown, thi nk agai n. There i s
a stal l ed vehi cl e bl ocki ng the ri ght l ane and constructi on al l the way to Mai n Street.
Wel l , I was i n a no-wi n si tuati on. Do I want to spend two hours i n gri dl ock or two more hours at
work?

902 Being Chivalrous and Protective

When I f i rst met Lance, I thought he was the perf ect guy. He was a real gentl eman. He opened
doors f or me and pul l ed out my chai r i n restaurants. He was as chi val rous as they come. But
af ter a whi l e, I real i zed that he took chi val ry a l i ttl e too f ar.
Lance: Let me carry that box f or you.
Gui nevere: No, thats okay. Its not heavy.
Lance: It doesnt matter. Im your boyf ri end and I cant have you carryi ng a box when my hands
are f ree.
Gui nevere: Is that some ki nd of code of conduct I dont know about?
Lance: Its how a kni ght woul d treat hi s l ady.
Gui nevere: Thats ni ce, but Im perf ectl y capabl e of carryi ng my own box, thank you.
Lance: Dont argue. Its my duty to show every courtesy to my gi rl f ri end, so gi ve me that box.
Gui nevere: Are you sayi ng that your code of conduct takes precedence over my pref erences?
Lance: No, Im just tel l i ng you that my job i s to hel p and protect you, even i f i tsagai nst your
wi l l .
...
How can you argue wi th that l ogi c?

901 Participating in a Clinical Trial

14

Luci nda: You l ook ti red. Are you al l ri ght?

El an: Im f i ne. Its thi s cl i ni cal tri al Im enrol l ed i n. Im suf f eri ng f rom some si de ef f ects.
Luci nda: Are they seri ous?
El an: No, theyre not too bad. I was tol d to expect some adverse reacti ons i n the f i rst weeks of
the pi l ot study. I guess thats why onl y a smal l group of vol unteersi s taki ng part ri ght now. Its so
they can judge the drugs ef f ecti veness bef ore thepharmaceuti cal company does a l arge-scal e
tri al .
Luci nda: At l east you know youre not i n the group getti ng a pl acebo.
El an: Who knows? I hope not. If I successf ul l y get through thi s f i rst phase, Il l get a f ul l dose of
the drug i n phase two.
Luci nda: Then you may once and f or al l be ri d of Podcasters Di sease.
El an: I real l y hope so. No one shoul d go through l i f e soundi ng l i ke a podcaster.

900 Simplifying Information

Tara: How i s your presentati on comi ng al ong?
Stan: Its okay, but Im havi ng troubl e si mpl i f yi ng some of the key conceptswi thout dumbi ng
them down too much.
Tara: I thi nk your i nsti ncts are ri ght. Youl l be presenti ng to non- speci al i sts, so i ts i mportant to
keep your presentati on cl ear and si mpl e.
Stan: Thats my probl em. How do I capture the essence of al l of thi s i nf ormati on wi thout maki ng
i t too si mpl i sti c?
Tara: My rul e of thumb i s to thi nk about whi ch concepts real l y jump out at me when I thi nk about
the topi c and i denti f y any patterns i n the i nf ormati on. Then, I bui l d my presentati ons around
those thi ngs.
Stan: Thats a good i dea.
Tara: I woul d al so f i nd a non-speci al i st and do a run-through and get hi s or her f eedback. Thats
the best way to know i f youve nai l ed i t.
Stan: Thats another good i dea. What do I owe you f or al l of thi s good advi ce?
Tara: Theres a new restaurant across the street Ive been meani ng to try f or l unch...
Stan: Say no more. Lunch i s on me.
Tara: Real l y? Lets go ri ght now bef ore you change your mi nd!

899 Purchasing and Using an E-Ticket

I thought I woul d save ti me by purchasi ng my ai rl i ne ti cket onl i ne and checki ng i n at the ai rport
wi th my e-ti cket. I went onto the McQ Ai r websi te and sel ected my f l i ghts. The screen then
prompted me to pay wi th a credi t card. Af ter I typed i n my payment i nf ormati on, I got a
conf i rmati on recei pt wi th my ti cket number and myi ti nerary. I pri nted out a copy of my e-ti cket
and I was ready to go easy!
But when I got to the ai rport, i t was a di f f erent story. I went up to a sel f -serve ki osk and swi ped
my credi t card to bri ng up my account. The computer sai d that i t coul dnt f i nd my account. I
f l agged down an empl oyee and she di dnt have any better l uck, suggesti ng I stand i n l i ne at the
check-i n counter.
I got i n the l ong l i ne and 45 mi nutes l ater, the empl oyee hel ped me check i n and gave me my
boardi ng pass. When I asked her what the probl em was, she sai d she di dnt know and i t was
probabl y just a gl i tch i n thei r computer system.
Wel l , the best l ai d pl ans of mi ce and men of ten go awry, especi al l y i f technol ogy i s i nvol ved!
15

898 People of Different Ages

Gl ori a: Im surpri sed at the vari ety of peopl e on thi s tour.
Andy: Oh, yeah? I hadnt noti ced.
Gl ori a: Wel l , wel l be spendi ng the next two weeks wi th these peopl e so I thought Id get to
know some of them.
Andy: Thats ni ce.
Gl ori a: Di d you see that thi rty-somethi ng coupl e wi th a toddl er and an i nf ant? Im real l y
surpri sed theyre on thi s tour.
Andy: Im sure they know what theyre doi ng.
Gl ori a: And how about that group of seni ors? Some of them l ook l i ke theyre i n themi d- to l ateseventi es.
Andy: They seem pretty spry to me.
Gl ori a: But what real l y surpri ses me i s that group of mi ddl e-aged coupl es wi th thei rtween and
teenage chi l dren. Theyl l be a handf ul .
Andy: They seemed pretty wel l behaved to me.
Gl ori a: And di d you noti ce that woman i n her earl y-f orti es and the f orty-i sh man each travel i ng
al one? She seemed ni ce, but he di dnt seem too f ri endl y.
Andy: Maybe hes usi ng hi s ti me to si ze up everybody l i ke you are.
Gl ori a: Wel l , I wi sh there were more young adul ts i n thi s group. I l i ke tal ki ng to young peopl e.
Andy: I thi nk there wi l l be pl enty of peopl e f or you to tal k to these two weeks when youre not
si ghtseei ng.
Gl ori a: Si ghtseei ng? Oh yeah, si ghtseei ng.

897 Cooking a Meal

Emeri l : Can you hand me that pan?
Rachel : Thi s pot?
Emeri l : No, that pan over there. I need to pan-f ry these vegetabl es.
Rachel : Woul dnt be heal thi er i f we steamed the vegetabl es or gri l l ed them?
Emeri l : Maybe, but f or thi s meal , Im f ryi ng them i n thi s pan.
Rachel : Okay, do you want me to heat thi s sauce i n thi s saucepan?
Emeri l : No, Im goi ng to mi crowave that ri ght bef ore I serve i t.
Rachel : Have you consi dered si mmeri ng i t i n a saucepan to get a better consi stency?
Emeri l : We dont have ti me f or that. Sl i ce thi s meat and mari nade i t bef ore I broi l i t.
Rachel : Maybe we coul d bake i t at a l ower temperature so that the meat wont getdri ed out.
Emeri l : Wel l try that another ti me. Can you get that cutti ng board and chop these carrots and
di ce these oni ons?
Rachel : Sure, but dont you thi nk...?
Emeri l : What I thi nk i s that there wi l l be si x hungry chi l dren comi ng through that door i n an hour
and I need to f i ni sh di nner. Youre here to hel p, ri ght?
Rachel : Yes, of course. Thats exactl y what I was tryi ng to do.

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