大城市小世界 Series 1 Episode 10 - You'll be a shoo-in!

　　Before you listen

　　We suggest you do the vocabulary activity below before you listen. Then listen to the episode 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. workmate

　　2. plaster

　　3. busy

　　4. punctual

　　5. otherwise

　　6. interview

　　Definitions:

　　a. A hardened material used to cover broken bones in order to help them heal

　　b. A meeting where you are asked questions to find out if you are the right person for a job

　　c. Arriving on time

　　d. A person who you work with

　　e. Under other circumstances

　　f. Having a lot of things to do

　　Audio script

　　Olivia: How’s the leg Johnny?

　　Johnny: A bit better thanks...I’ve got the plaster off it now, but I still need the crutch¹.

　　Olivia: Good to hear...

　　Johnny: Your nephew young Joe didn’t help...he’s not here today is he? I need to recover!

　　Olivia: No, don’t worry...I’m not looking after him today. He’s with my sister.

　　Harry²: Hello there!

　　Olivia: Hi Harry!

　　Johnny: Hi there workmate!

　　Olivia: How’s it going, Harry?

　　Harry: Erm...not bad...

　　Olivia: You don’t sound so sure...

　　Harry: No, really, everything’s fine...

　　Johnny: Everything ok at work? I don’t get to see you much...

　　Harry: Well, I’m always busy, you know...

　　Johnny: Oh yeah, I know...busy busy busy. That’s me, too! Got to go right now...just to the doctor’s though, he’s having another look at my leg, making sure it’s ok...

　　Olivia: Bye then Johnny! Hope it goes well!

　　Johnny: Me too! Whoops³.......Magda! Watch out!

　　Magda: Oh, sorry Johnny!

　　Johnny: Owwww!

　　All: Oh no!

　　Magda: Oh! I stepped on your toe!

　　Johnny: Don’t worry...never mind...nothing serious...I’ll get better! Good job I’m going to the doctor’s right now! Bye!

　　Magda: Oh no! I feel so bad!

　　Harry: Don’t worry about it, he’s not really that bad! He hasn’t broken any bones or anything.

　　Olivia: He’s just a bit of an actor, that’s all...

　　Harry: Tell me about it...he’s terrible at work! I try and avoid him...

　　Olivia: Oh no! Why?

　　Harry: He just talks about his work all the time, about how important he is, and how rich he’s going to be...it gets boring...

　　Olivia: But are you getting on with him ok, otherwise?

　　Harry: Yeah, I guess so...they really make me work hard for my money though...

　　Olivia: Do you think you’ll stay with that job?

　　Harry: For a bit, I guess. I’ll have to see how it goes, long term...

　　Magda: Isn’t anyone going to ask about my interview?!

　　Olivia: Oh yes...sorry! Of course..so, how did it go?

　　Magda: I’m not sure...ok I think...it’s difficult to say...

　　Harry: What questions did they ask you?

　　Magda: The usual ones...why I want this job, what I can bring to their company...

　　Olivia: Did you answer all the questions?

　　Magda: Sure...yes.

　　Harry: Did you ask a question?

　　Magda: Yes...I only got a chance to ask one, so I asked them how far I’d be free to follow my own projects as part of the job.

　　Olivia: Good question.

　　Harry: What did you wear?

　　Magda: A suit, like Johnny told me to! Black jacket, trousers...

　　Olivia: Did you arrive on time?

　　Magda: I was perfectly⁴ punctual!

　　Harry: You’ll be a shoo-in!

　　Magda: Sorry? A what?

　　Harry: A shoo-in! It means you’re certain to get the job!

　　Magda: Well, I hope so.......Oh no! It’s them...they’ll be calling to tell me if I got the job or not....

　　Comprehension Task

　　Decide whether these statements are true or false.

　　1. Johnny doesn’t need to use a crutch now

　　2. Joe is with his mother

　　3. Johnny is going to see his doctor

　　4. Harry thinks Johnny is important

　　5. Magda asked a question at her interview

　　6. Magda arrived late for her interview

　　Vocabulary

　　Common Expressions:

　　Match the two parts of these common expressions.

　　1.Don’t

　　a. it going?

　　2.Hello

　　b. serious!

　　3.How’s

　　c. worry!

　　4.Me

　　d. mind!

　　5.Never

　　e. there!

　　6.Nothing

　　f. too!

　　Grammar 1

　　Prepositions:

　　Complete the sentences with a preposition from the box.

　　You will need to use some prepositions twice.

　　1. I’m not looking _________ my nephew today.

　　2. I’ll see you later _________ work.

　　3. The doctor is having a look _________ his leg.

　　4. She accidentally stepped _________ his toe!

　　5. He talks _________ work all the time, it’s boring

　　6. Are you going to ask _________ the interview?

　　7. She arrived _________ time for the interview.

　　at

　　after

　　about

　　on

　　Grammar 2

　　Gerunds and infinitives⁵:

　　Choose the correct option.

　　1. I need _________ from my operation. a. to recover

　　b. recover

　　c. recovering

　　2. I don’t get _________ you much. a. to see

　　b. see

　　c. seeing

　　3. They make me _________ hard. a. to work

　　b. work

　　c. working

　　4. It’s difficult _________ how the interview went. a. to say

　　b. say

　　c. saying

　　Grammar 3

　　Word order

　　Put the word in bold in the correct place in the sentence.

　　1.still

　　I need to use the crutch.

　　2.much

　　I don’t get to see you.

　　3.right

　　I’m going to the doctor’s now.

　　4.only

　　I got a chance to ask one question.

　　Answers

1 crutch   

n.T字形拐杖；支持，依靠，精神支柱

参考例句：

• Her religion was a crutch to her when John died.约翰死后，她在精神上依靠宗教信仰支撑住自己。
• He uses his wife as a kind of crutch because of his lack of confidence.他缺乏自信心，总把妻子当作主心骨。

2 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。

3 whoops   

int.呼喊声

参考例句：

• Whoops! Careful, you almost spilt coffee everywhere. 哎哟！小心点，你差点把咖啡洒得到处都是。
• We were awakened by the whoops of the sick baby. 生病婴儿的喘息声把我们弄醒了。

4 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

5 infinitives   

n.（动词）不定式( infinitive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Her litmus test for good breeding is whether you split infinitives. 她测试别人是否具有良好教养的标准是看对方是否在不定式的动词前加修饰副词。 来自互联网
• Nouns, adjectives and infinitives can be used as objective complements. 名词，形容词及不定式可用作补语。 来自互联网