9.Recreational and Sports Activities

（1）Boxing

Speaker 1：When I look at a picture like this，I feel... hmm... I feel... I'm not really sure how I feel.

Interviewer：Disgusted perhaps？Horrified？

Speaker 1：No，no，I wouldn't say that.

Interviewer：Are you excited，perhaps？

Speaker 1：Excited？No，no，not at all. What's there to be excited about？

Interviewer：Well，a lot of people who go to boxing matches seem to be excited.

Speaker 1：Yes，I know. But I really can't understand why anybody should do that sort of thing at all.

Interviewer：What？Go to a boxing match？Or box in one？

Speaker 1：No，the first. I... I think... well... it's hard to understand why people should want to earn their living by fighting，but I think I can. I mean，it's the money，isn't it？No，I meant going to a thing like that and watching it. I... I just can't understand it. That's all.

Speaker 2：Well，before... I used to be disgusted by the idea of this sort of thing. Men fighting for money，blood. All that sort of thing.

Interviewer：And now？

Speaker 2：Well，since I've started going to a few boxing matches with my boyfriend，I think I see something... something else in it.

Interviewer：What？

Speaker 2：Well... perhaps you'll be surprised when I say this... but I think there's a real element of skill. Yes. Skill.

Interviewer：What kind of skill？

Speaker 2：Physical skill. Those men are really... fit. And if you watch two good boxers... boxers who know what they're doing... you can see the skill. The way they... they... the way they watch each other and wait for an opening. That sort of thing. It's quite exciting，really. A bit like... a chess game. Yes.

Speaker 3：To me it's just disgusting. A brutal，disgusting spectacle. It ought to be banned. It sickens me... the very thought of it sickens me.

（2）Movies

Woman：Well，what did you think of the film，Margaret？

Margaret：Oh，I enjoyed it actually. But I do like these musicals and I think Julie Andrews is wonderful.

Woman：Lovely voice.

Margaret：Oh，beautiful.

Woman：And a lovely face.

Margaret：Oh，she's very very attractive.

Woman：I can't think why so many people criticize her.

Margaret：Oh well，a lot of people do，but I think it's a snob thing with a lot of people.

Woman：I've always enjoyed her films. Very well produced，too.

Margaret：Oh，excellent，yes.

Woman：Those lovely scenes in the Alps.

Margaret：Yes，where she was doing that number，where she was dancing on the hills.

Woman：Mm，and that scene in the school. It brought tears to my eyes. What about next week then？

Margaret：Yes，what are we going to see next week？Do you know what's on？I haven't looked at the local paper to see what's on next week.

Woman：Well，I'd better give you a ring about it.

Margaret：All right. I hope there's another musical on.

（3）Internet

Peter：Hi，Jack. Can you give me a hand？

Jack：Sure. What's up？

Peter：I've just bought a new computer and I'm having some problems hooking everything up.

Jack：... and I'm a geek. Yeah，I know. I'd be happy to help.

Peter：Thanks！I've connected all the cables from my monitor，mouse and keyboard，and I've plugged it in.

Jack：Have you installed the software yet？

Peter：No，I haven't. Do I need to？

Jack：Not always，but it's best to install drivers for your keyboard and mouse，as well as your printer.

Peter：Will the computer boot up without those？

Jack：Of course. Boot up the computer and then we can update the drives.

Peter：OK. What's that？（Points to a computer component）

Jack：Oh，that's a memory reader. You can insert things like SD cards from your camera and MP3 players into it.

Peter：That's handy.

Jack：You've bought a nice system. How big is the hard drive？

Peter：I think it's 750 gigabyte.

Jack：Good... The computer's booted up. Let's install those drivers.

Peter：Before we do that，can I get online？

Jack：Do you have a modem？

Peter：Yes，I do. I think I have a cable modem.

Jack：Hmm... yes，you do. Is the Ethernet cable plugged in？

Peter：What's that？

Jack：It's the cable that connects your modem to your computer.

Peter：Let's surf the internet！

Jack：Just a moment... first we need to launch the browser.

Peter：The browser？

Jack：It's the program that allows you to surf the internet.

Peter：Oh... I've got a lot to learn.

Jack：Yes，you do. I can see I'm going to be here all day...

（4）Meeting Friends

Husband：We've been waiting for more than 30 minutes！

Wife：Terry，are you sure you read the directions correctly？

Husband：Do you think I made a mistake？！I'm sure he said Joe's Bar and Grill.

Wife：I wish you had brought the directions with you.

Husband：Well，if you hadn't lost them，I would have brought them！

Wife：Now，now，let's not get into that. I told you I put them on the shelf in the hall.

Husband：It's no use worrying about that now. Anyway，what will be doing this time tomorrow？I'm so excited about getting away on holiday.

Wife：So am I. Just think，this time tomorrow we'll be lying on the beach soaking up the sun.

Husband：No，I'll be sitting at the bar enjoying my Gin and Tonic and reading a good book.

Wife：It's going to be wonderful，isn't it？It's been so long since we last got away.

Husband：Yes... I wish he were here. I'm getting hungry！

Wife：Why don't you ask that man for help？

Husband：OK.（goes up to the man behind the counter）Excuse me，we've been waiting for over half an hour for a friend. Have you seen anyone looking for somebody？

Waiter：No，I'm afraid I haven't.

Husband：I just don't understand，our friend is never late.

Waiter：Well，maybe he's at Joe's Pub.

Husband：Joe's Pub？

Waiter：Yes，there's also a Joe's Pub in town. People mix us up all the time！

Husband：Do you think you could give a ring and see if he's there？

Waiter：Certainly，no problem. What's his name？

Husband：Alex.

Waiter：（Telephoning）Yes，this is Joe's Bar and Grill. Is there an Alex waiting there？...（he waits for the other person to ask for Alex）Yes，great. Thanks. Goodbye.

Husband：He's there，isn't he？

Waiter：Yes，he's there and he's been waiting for half an hour.

Husband：Oh，no！He's at Joe's Pub！Is there a taxi nearby？

Waiter：Yes，on the corner opposite the church.

Husband：Let's go！

Wife：I wish you had brought those directions！