Using English at Work：55 Socializing with Coworkers(1)

You're listening to ESLPod.com's "Using English at Work" lesson 10. I'm your host, Dr¹. Jeff McQuillan, from the Center for Educational Development.

In the ninth lesson of "Using English at Work," we learned² vocabulary related³ to leaving the office at the end of the day.

In this 10th and final lesson, we're going to talk about socializing with coworkers.

We'll get started by listening to our story first at a slow speed.

When I walk past Van's desk on my way out of the office, I see that he's talking to a group of people.

He stops me and asks if I want to go with them to happy hour at the restaurant and bar down the street.

It has been a busy week and I need to blow off some steam.

On top of that, I don't have any big plans for the evening, so I say, "yes."

Eight of us walk down the street to Steve's Cantina.

We find a table in the back of the bar and look at the drinks menu.

Happy hour is from 4 to 7 p.m., and the drinks are half price.

We order our drinks and I go to get some snacks and appetizers⁴.

I look at the food that's available and I see a lot of deep-fried foods and chips and dip, so I load up and go back to the table.

One of the guys, Brian, starts to grumble⁵ about work and to bad-mouth the boss.

I'm in no mood to talk about work, so I change the subject.

I ask everybody what his or her plans are for the weekend.

Diana says that she's planning to kick back and relax.

Rodrigo said he has a hot date.

Van tells us a funny story about the last date he went on that didn't go very well. We have a good laugh over it.

We all have a great time at happy hour and it's a good way to kick off the weekend!

1 Dr   

n.医生，大夫；博士(缩)（= Doctor）

参考例句：

• Dr.Williams instructs us in botany.威廉博士教我们植物学。
• The ward of the hospital is in the charge of Dr.Green.医院的这间病房由格林医生负责。

2 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

3 related   

adj.有关系的，有关联的，叙述的，讲述的

参考例句：

• I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。

4 appetizers   

n.开胃品( appetizer的名词复数 )；促进食欲的活动；刺激欲望的东西；吊胃口的东西

参考例句：

• Here is the egg drop and appetizers to follow. 这是您要的蛋花汤和开胃品。 来自互联网
• Would you like appetizers or a salad to go with that? 你要不要小菜或色拉？ 来自互联网

5 grumble   

vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声

参考例句：

• I don't want to hear another grumble from you.我不愿再听到你的抱怨。
• He could do nothing but grumble over the situation.他除了埋怨局势之外别无他法。