Make use of TV programs to practice listening

1. One short piece
2. Watch it several times, take notes
3. (Turn on subtitles later)
4. Understand main ideas, key words
5. Try to use key words – Retell the story

Don’t try to understand every word!

For your reference

Beauty and the Beast Prologue

Some words in the prologue:
prologue - the introduction to a play or a long poem
spoiled - rude and behaves badly because they have been given whatever they want
beggar - sb who lives by asking for $ or food
repulsed - disgusted
sneer - to smile or speak in a very unkind way that shows you have no respect for someone or something
deceive - to trick
dismiss - to tell someone that s/he can go
reveal - to make known something that was previously unknown
enchantress - a witch
hideous - extremely ugly
a powerful spell - a piece of powerful magic
enchanted - changed by magic
petal of a flower

Self-Study Practice: Unit 16

Task 1: baccbb
Task 2:
A. bbc
B. (1) F; (2) Unknown; (3) T; (4) T; (5) T; (6) Unknown

Self-Study Practice: Unit 15

Task 1: abcaac
Task 2:
A. cac
B. (1) 4pm; (2) City Plaza; (3) Yes; (4) leather bag; (5) Yes; (6) tall, bearded, dark brown hair

For your reference

Who do you admire?
Matt talks about two people he admires, an athlete and an actor.

Favorite Actor
Kate talks about her favorite movie actor.

Describing People's Personalities (eslpod)

Self-Study Practice: Unit 14

Task 1: abccab
Task 2:
A. cbc
B.
1. Debbie, sister
2. Mr. McNeil, boss
3. Sally, cousin
4. Simon, husband

Announcement

Final Test
Date: 9/15 (Wednesday)
Units 9, 10, 11, 13, 14
The final test will start at 10:05. Please be on time.

The format is similar to the previous two quizzes.
The final includes:
True/False (one dialogue, 5 questions)
Listening for main ideas (7 multiple-choice questions)
Listening and responding (8 multiple-choice questions)
One section to check what you hear

- Everything will be played only once.
- Be sure to get familiar with the vocabulary and read the scripts again~

Reminder: The final test accounts for 40% of your final grade.
Happy Studying~~

For your reference

Protect Your Identity
The holiday season is a prime time for identity theft. Frank Abagnale, one of the most sought-after identity theft experts, gives advice.

Some words in the news:
resourceful, prevalent, desperate, chronicle, hit movie, glamorize, portrait, pull off (to succeed in doing sth difficult ), truncation, leave the signature intact, redeposit, uniball pen, pigment ink, water-based ink, dye-based ink, micro-cut shredder, liability

Stupid Move, Easy Arrest

Extreme Sports: The Birdmen

Chilean Miners Trapped One Month (Search for: Chilean miners)

Some words in the news:
video conference, boost morale, rugby players, Uruguay, the Andes Mountains, shaft (a passage which goes down through a building or down into the ground, so that someone or something can get in or out), humanity, poles, cots, bore (to make a deep round hole in a hard surface), rescue tunnel, underway

Words in Task 5:

dropout: someone who leaves school or college before they have finished

vacation: to go somewhere for a holiday

ransom: an amount of money paid to free someone who is held as a hostage

embassy: a building where a group of officials who represent their government in a foreign country

abduct: to take someone away by force [= kidnap]

pirate: someone who sails on the seas, attacking other boats and stealing things from them

poll: the process of finding out what people think about something by asking many people the same question, or the record of the result


Words related to crime
crime, criminal (person), verb
theft, thief, steal
robbery, robber, rob
burglary, burglar, burgle/break into
shoplifting, shoplifter, shoplift
murder, murderer, murder
manslaughter, - , -
rape, rapist, rape

from English Vocabulary in Use (pre-intermedite & intermediate)

Unit 13 Assignment

Germany's biggest cash robbery script
Due: 9/10, Friday

Self-Study Practice: Unit 13

Task 1: abbacc
Task 2:
A. 5 Weather; 4 Sports news; 3 Local news
2 Economic news; 1 International news

Self-Study Practice: Unit 12

Task 1: ccbcca
Task 2:
A. abb
B. adg

For your reference

Quiet in the Backyard, Please
Neighbors make noise complaints about young girls playing in their pool

Some words in the news:
shush, opinionated, rally behind, file the complaint, merriment, nuisance, put up a fence/hedge, menace, piercing, squeal, curse, shriek, excessive, outrageous, toddler, discipline, circus, ridiculous

Self-Study Practice: Unit 11

Task 1: baaaba
Task 2:
A. bbb
B.
1. Her neighbor smokes.
2. Move apartment.
3. His neighbor's dog barks all night long.
4. Talk to the neighbor.
5. His neighbor has noisy parties.
6. Join the party.

Unit 11 Assignment

How to Stop Snoring (If you can't watch the video below, click on the title!) script
Due date: 9/7, Tuesday



Vocabulary:
sedative
antihistamine
vibration
obstruct
airflow
lubricate
throat tissue
culprit
dilate
regulate sleep patterns
muscle tone
clog the throat
sleep apnea (睡眠呼吸中止症)

Self-Study Practice: Unit 10

Task 1: acbaca
Task 2:
A. bab
B. (1) a doctor; (2) math and science; (3) languages

Self-Study Practice: Unit 9

Task 1: bacbca
Task 2:
A. Unknown, T, F, T, F, Unknown
B.
Music: any
Movies: comedy
Sports: jogging, cycling
Yes
gentle, kind, intelligent
not important

For your reference

Back to School Smarts - 5 ways to keep kids safe and healthy as they head back to school (abc news)

Extra PE offered after school
Would you stay in school for extra PE?

Unit 10 Assignment

First Day of Class
Dute Date: 9/1, Wednesday

For your reference

First Date
The script and the movie rating poster have been sent to your mailbox~

Speed Dating

Speed dating on a fast train

Announcement

Quiz 2 (Units 5-8)
Date: 8/24 (Tuesday)
- The format will be like the first quiz.
10 T/F questions (2 dialogues)
15 multiple-choice quesitons (5 main idea questions, 5 detail questions, 5 listening and responding questions)

- Everything will be played only once.
- Be sure to get familiar with the vocabulary and read the scripts again~

Happy Studying~~

For your reference

Science of Stress (NGC)
Does stress play only a negative role in your life? Is stress a psychological (mental) or physiological (physical) thing? Watch the video and find out!

Office Chair Yoga stretches - wrist stretch

Yoga for neck pain

Yoga for stiff shoulders

The Mom Song

Self-Study Practice: Unit 8

Task 1: babcca
Task 2:
A. acc
B. (1) Running, Tennis; (2) Music, Yoga; (3) Fish, Vegetables; (4) Sometimes; (5) Never; (6) 9:00-10:30

Unit 8 Assignment

Yoga School script
Due date: 8/23, Monday
You'll need to download the video to watch it.

Announcement

We'll meet in Lab 201 at 1:10-2:00pm this Thursday (8/19) to make up the class!

For your reference

Frozen Grand Central

Welcome to New York City - City Guide

A Trip to New York City (esl pod)

New York New York (Frank Sinatra)

Self-Study Practice: Unit 7

Task 1: abbcca
Task 2:
A. bcb
B. 1, 2, 4, 3

For your reference

Ethical Travel (bbc)
When was the last time you traveled to some place? Was your trip beneficial to the local people? BBC's Ethical Travel gives us something new to think about~

Staycasions (bbc)
If you can't afford the time to travel, maybe you can consider this kind of vacation!

Listen to Jeff talk about his trip to the Amazon: (elllo)
The Plan (Part 1)
The Road (Part 2)
The River (Part 3)
The Shore (Part 4)


Big, Bigger, Biggest (NGC)
Skyscaper
(Check your e-mail for the script!)

Self-Study Practice: Unit 6

Task 1: cbacba
Task 2:
A. (1)F; (2)F; (3)T; (4)T; (5)T; (6)Unknown
B. Melbourne > Alice Springs > Cairns > Cape York

For your reference

Air Travel Vocabulary
Air Travel Vocabulary 2

Boston Logan Internaitional Airport
Airport Wayfinder

Landing in London

Wind Beneath My Wings

Unit 5 Assignment

Immigration and Customs
Dute Date: 8/11, Wednesday

Self-Study Practice: Unit 5

Task 1: cabbbc
Task 2:
A. ccb
B. (1) UA675, (2) Tokyo, (3) Johnstone, (4) 2, (5) 555-4325, (6) Princess Hotel

Announcement

Quiz 1 - Units 1~4
(Thursday, 8/5)
The quiz starts at 10:05. Please come on time~

- The quiz includes: (about 12 minutes)
5 true/false questions
15 multiple-choice quesitons (only 1 answer to each question)
1 section that you have to check the informtion you hear

- You will be listening for main ideas and key details and choosing the best response.
- You will be listening to the passages only once.
- Remember to get familiar with the vocabulary in each unit so that you can respond faster when you hear the words.
- Be sure to read the scripts again.

Happy Studying!!

How do you say street numbers in English?

One- and two-digit numbers
Say the number (6=number six) or (97=ninety-seven).

Three-digit numbers 
Say the first digit by itself followed by the two-digit number (923=nine twenty-three).

If there’s a zero in the middle 
Say the first digit, then oh, then the last digit (101=one oh one).

Four digits or more 
Better to just say each digit (3763=three seven six three) or break it into two-digit numbers (thirty-seven sixty-three).

Use “oh” if the third digit is zero 
(3703=three seven oh three) or (thirty-seven oh three).

For more than four digits 
Just say each digit (90210=nine oh two one oh).

For your reference

Mexican Food
Listen and find out the difference between Mexican food in Mexico and in London!

Healthy Menus Cause Unhealthy Decisions? (Moment of science)
When you go to a fastfood restaurant, would you simply order "junk food?" Or something healthier?

Chicken Chow Mein by Jamie Oliver
Interested in cooking? Jamie Oliver, the famous British chef, is going to teach you how to make chicken chow mein! Watch this step-by-step video~

Healthy Chinese Take-Out Guide (abc news)
Let's see how many tips you can get!
After listening several times, you'll find out you actually understand all the main points, even though the speakers are talking so fast!!

Words you will hear in this news:
tasty, economical, fortune cookies, appetizer, poached, broiled, roasted, BBQ, dough, carbohydrate, high in calories, low in fat, entrée, cut back on calories, fattening, chopsticks, hot and sour soup, gooey sauce, sugary sauce, black bean sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce (Cantonese: seafood sauce), mustard sauce, corn starch, lo mein, white rice, brown rice, fiber

Self-Study Practice: Unit 4

Task 1: bcaaac
Task 2:
A. bcc
B.
red roast pork: 1
honey-glazed chicken: 3
barbecued duck: 3
fried rice: 4
stir-fried vegetables: 2

Unit 4 Assignment

College Health Watch script
Due date: 8/5 (Thursday)



It's too easy just answering the questions? Here's a challenge for you:
Imagine you are a reporter who needs to take notes for the interviews when you listen.
Have fun!!

For your reference

Dirty Jobs: Zoo Keeper (Discovery Channel)

Some words in the video:
From carp to crap, the cycle of life, cages, pan, preferece, consistency, poo, hose, roof, urine, dam, natural course, iceberg, ice block, poo truck driver, wheel barrel, dump, master (v.)

Other unusual jobs mentioned in class~
window washer, body parts model, team mascot, human mannequin,
pet masseur(m)/masseuse(f), ice cream taster, wine taster

What's the difference between job and work? Find out~
Job vs Work (bbc)

Listen to Jeff talking about one of his oddest jobs.
Would you be interested in doing such a job in another country?
Odd Job (elllo)

Unit 3 Assignment

Taxi Script
Due date: 7/29, Thursday

Learn something about the most difficult job in London!

Some words in Unit 3

wage: money you earn that is paid according to the number of hours, days, or weeks that you work

salary: the money that is paid to you every month

proven sales record: past sales record showing how good the performance is

dignitary: someone who has an important official position

oversee: be in charge of a group

Self-Study Practice: Unit 3

Task 1: abacbc
Task 2:
A. cab
B. 1.a, 2.bc, 3.b, 4.a, 5.No

Some words in Unit 2

throw in sth. (=throw sth. in): to add something to what you are selling, without increasing the price

stuff: (informal) It is used when you talk about some things, but it’s not important to say exactly what they are

genuine: real, not fake

For your reference

Bargain Hunting

Listen again for Karen's advice on shopping.

Some words in the listening:
slash: (=cut) to greatly reduce an amount, price etc - used especially in newspapers and advertising

wardrobe: a wooden cupboard where you keep your clothes

hideous: extremely ugly

frantically: extremely hurried

sale rail: a rail or stand in a shop which has reduced price clothes on it

pantaloons: loose-fitting usually shorter than ankle-length trousers, old-fashioned

polka dotted: a pattern with lots of dots or spots

impulse: a sudden desire


The Art of Haggling (abc news)

Some words in the news
age-old, shopping technique, malls, chain stores, plasma TV, retailers, fixed prices, give in, discounts

give in: to finally agree to do or accept something that you had at first opposed, especially because someone has forced or persuaded you to

Consumers are finding a potential silver lining around the sagging economy.
(Every cloud has a silver lining: used to say that there is something good even in a situation that seems very sad or difficult)
(sagging: to become weak)

BestBuy, Circuit City, and Home Depot are big chain stores in the U.S.

There's room for negotiation. (= It can be discussed.)

They need a little coaching. (= They need some lessons. They need to learn the skills.)

Many still find the mere thought of bargaining devastatingly embarrassing.

Questions to think about:
1. Do you feel comfortable bargaining in a store?
2. What are some good ideas to get a bargain?

Self-Study Practice: Unit 2

Task 1: cacbac
Task 2:
A. 1. shopping; 2. $12; 3. party
B. d

Unit 2 Assignment

Portobello Road script
Due date: 7/26, Monday

For your reference

Renting an Apartment (ESL Pod)

Some words in Unit 1

real estate : property in the form of land or buildings
estate agency (UK)
= real estate office (US)
= realty office (US)
estate agent (UK)
= real estate agent (US)
= realtor (US)

penthouse: a very expensive and comfortable apartment or set of rooms on the top floor of a building

condominium (condo) : an apartment building in which each apartment is owned separately by the people living in it, but also containing shared areas

studio: one-room apartment

ensuite: a bathroom that is joined onto a bedroom, especially in a hotel

mansion: a huge, expensive house

story = storey (Br.)
a level of a building
This is a two-story house.

If you want to know how big a house is in square meters...
How big is the house in square meters?
How many square meters is the house?

renovations: improvements that put a building back into good shape

interior: the inside of sth.

servant: someone, especially in the past, who was paid to do household chores and who often lived in the house

property: a building

prestigious address: an address in a successful, admired neighborhood

Note: Most of the definitions used in class are from Longman Comtemporary Dictionary of English. So I highly recommend using those online dictionaries for definitions.

Self-Study Practice: Unit 1

Answer Key:
Task 1: abccba
Task 2:
A: 1.T 2.F 3.Un 4.T 5.T 6.Un
B: c

Unit 1 Assignment

No Place Like Home
Due date: 7/19, Monday



*Note: There are some sentences missing in the conversation. So don't worry about the following sentence:
Ann: Well, I'd like to share an apartment with one or two roommates within walking distance to school.

The worksheet has been sent to you by e-mail.
You can:
1. print out the worksheet, write your answers, and hand in the hard copy. (preferred)
or
2. type your answers on the worksheet, print it out, and hand in the hard copy.
or
3. type your answers on the worksheet, save the file, and send back the file to me.
*Be sure to write your name on the worksheet!!

Have fun~

First Day of Class

Hope you'll have fun while improving your English listening here!
First, make sure you have Real Player and Media Player on your computer.

Useful Online Dictionaries:
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (http://www.ldoceonline.com/)
Cambridge Dictionaries Online (http://dictionary.cambridge.org)
Merriam-Webster Online (http://www.m-w.com/)
Encarta (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/dictionaryhome.aspx)
Live ABC (http://www.liveabc.com/site/online_store/resource/p_dictionary/dict_dex.asp)
Language Guide (http://www.languageguide.org/english/tw/)
Howjsay.com (http://howjsay.com/)