unit 4 going to a party. unit 4 going to a party parta_1 controlling a conversation in daily...

UNIT 4Going to a Party

Unit 4 Going to a Party

Controlling a Conversation In daily communication we often use different techniques to control a conversation. We need to know how to show attention or surprise, how to agree or disagree, how to break in, how to change the subject, and how to bring other people into a conversation. In this part you’ll learn some of the ways we use to control a conversation. Listen to the conversations and supply the missing words in the blanks.

Communicative Function Listening Strategy NotesUseful Expressions


1. M: Great party, isn’t it?W: Yeah, super. Everyone seems to be having a good time.M: They do, don’t they? By the way, do you know that girl talking to Jack?W: Who? Oh, that’s Mary. She lives in our dormitory.

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M: She’s pretty. Don’t you think so?W: Yes, and clever too. One of the best students in

her class, I believe.M: Do you know her well?W: Quite well, shall I introduce you to her?M: That’d be nice.

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2. M: When are you leaving for Australia, Diana?W: In just two weeks. And I’m so excited. But there are still one or two things I need to do before I go. M: Like what? W: Like going to the travel agent and figuring out what

to do with my apartment while I’m gone.M: Your apartment? Perhaps you could sublet it.W: Yeah, but who to?

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M: Hmm, let me think. Oh, I know just the person. An old

friend of mine, Peter Jones, is coming here to do some

research this summer, from June through August.

W: That’s exactly when I’ll be away. Sounds ideal. When

could you talk to him about it?

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M: Well, I’ll be calling him later this week, anyway. I’ll

mention it to him then.W: Thanks a lot. Come to think of it, Michael, shall

we have a get together with Tom and Catherine this weekend?M: Good idea! Let’s do that.

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Identifying Adverbials of Frequency Expressions like “once a week”, “twice a month”, etc. are used to denote how often you do something. Now listen to the recording and write down short answers to the questions.

Communicative Function NotesListening Strategy Useful Expressions


1. Once a week._________________



2. Twice a week._________________



3. Daily._________________



4. Every other day._________________



5. Four nights a week._________________



6. Never._________________




1. M: How often do you read China Daily? W: I seldom read it. I only read it once a week. Q: How often?



2. W: Do you play tennis very often? M: Not very. About twice a week. Q: How often?



3. M: Do you often clean your bedroom? W: We clean it everyday. Q: How often?



4. W: How often do you listen to English broadcasts?

M: Quite often. I listen every other day, I guess.

Q: How often?



5. M: Does Jenny work in the lab very often? W: Four nights a week. Q: How often?



6. W: Do you watch sports programs on Saturday nights?

M: No. I enjoy going dancing and meeting friends at weekends.

Q: How often?


Communicative Function Notes

Useful Expressions for Controlling and Changing a

ConversationControlling a Conversation1. I see.2. Yeah.3. Yes. 4. Hmm. 5. Well … 6. Sure.

Listening Strategy Useful Expressions


7. Really.8. No kidding!9. Imagine that!10.Like what? 11.Don’t you think so? 12.Well, let me see …13.Let me think for a minute.



Changing a Conversation1. By the way …2. Come to think of it …3. Speaking of …4. And another thing …5. Something else I’d like to know is …6. This may sound like a dumb question, but I’d

like to know …7. To get back to our talk …



Communicative Function

1. Expressions such as “yeah”, “yes”, “humm” help control a conversation, indicating that you are listening and you want the other person to continue the conversation. The expressions “Really?”, “No kidding!”, “Imagine that!”, etc. can do the same job, but indicate surprise.

2. “By the way …” and “Come to think of it …” are expressions we use when we try to change the subject of a conversation.

Listening Strategy NotesUseful Expressions


Here are some useful sentences and structures that you might find handy in discussing the questions in Pair Work:

• I like / love going to parties.• I don’t care for parties. They’re too noisy.• Parties are great fun. There are always a lot of interesting things to do. • I love meeting new people and making new friends at parties.

Pre-listening Tasks Listening Tasks Speaking Tasks

Pair WorkLanguage Focus


• I always worry about what clothes to wear.• I’m worried that there might be a lot of people I don’t know / that others might think I’m boring.• I never know what to say to people I don’t know.• I’m too shy to approach somebody I don’t know.• I never worry about anything so I always have a good time.• We may use small talk to approach someone we don’t know at a party.




• Small talk usually covers topics of general interest, such as the weather, new movies, TV shows, headline news, local events, or school.• These topics are very good conversation starters.




Questions for Discussion1. Do you like going to parties? Why or why not?2. When was the last time you were invited to a

party? What was it like?3. Do you worry about anything before going to a

party? (e.g. What to wear? Who to go with?)4. Would you like to talk to people you don’t know

at a party? Why or why not?5. What is small talk? Are you good at it?




2. When was the last time you were invited to a party? What was it like? I was invited to a Christmas party last month by a group of foreign teachers. They had prepared some drinks, candies and cakes. The party room had been decorated with a Christmas tree with some shining sparkling articles hanging down from the top. After we entered the room, we exchanged some small talks with foreigners and then we sang Christmas songs together. The atmosphere was light and friendly.






5. What is small talk? Are you good at it? Small talk is a light conversation on unimportant or non-serious subjects. I used to think that small talk is meaningless and a waste of time, so I didn’t bother to learn how to handle small talk. Now I have a different view of small talk. I find it quite useful for the purpose of communication, especially in social gatherings. That’s why I’m trying to improve my skill at small talk.


1. super a. wonderful 极好的2. coach v. to teach, to advise 指导，辅导3. tip n. advice; suggestion 提示，忠告 4. relax v. to feel less worried 放松，别紧张5. serious a. not joking 当真的，不是开玩笑的6. Guess what? used before you tell sb. sth. that will s

urprise them. 你知道吗？ ( 在打算告诉别人一件事时说 )


Exercise 1 Exercise 2Word Bank Language and Cultural Notes


1. small talk Light conversations on unimportant or non-serioussubjects such as the weather or TV programs that yousaw last night, or little compliments on what peopleare wearing. In a social gathering where a lot of guestsare strangers to one another, small talk can be veryuseful to make them feel at ease.

Word Bank Language and Cultural Notes


Exercise 1 Exercise 2


2. Carol just invited me to a party Carol has just invited me to a party. In informal speech, Americans very often use the past tense instead of the present perfect tense. You will often hear “Did you have lunch?” rather than “Have you had lunch?”3. But what if I say something stupid? But what will happen if I say something uninteresting, boring, or unsuitable for the occasion? What if = what Will / would happen if?





4. you can talk about the weather In many countries, the weather is an appropriate topic to strike up a conversation with someone, even with a stranger. However, people normally add some kind of personal evaluation to the description of the weather. For example, they would say “It’s raining terribly hard today, isn’t it?” Here, “terribly hard” shows the speaker’s feelings about the weather.





Listen to the recording once and choose the rightanswers to the questions. 1. What are the two speakers talking about?

a. How to interest people at a party.b. How to give speeches to people at a party.c. How to engage in small talk with people at a party.d. How to find out what people are interested in at a

party.

Exercise 1Language and Cultural NotesWord Bank


Exercise 2


2. What do you learn about John from the conversation?

a. He sounds nervous and unsociable. b. He sounds boring and stupid. c. He sounds forgetful and nervous. d. He sounds humorous and interesting.



Exercise 2


3. What is Mike doing? a. Showing sympathy. b. Expressing opinions. c. Offering comments. d. Giving advice.



Exercise 2



Listen to the recording again and write down answersto the following questions. 1. Where and when will the party be held? At Carol’s house on Saturday.2. What is John uncertain about? He’s uncertain whether he can have a good time at t

he party or not.3. What is his problem? He’s not good at small talk.

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Language and Cultural NotesWord Bank



4. In order to avoid being a boring person, what should one talk about at a party according to Mike?

One should talk about something other people are interested in.

5. How can one find out what other people are interested in?

By getting them to talk about themselves._______________________________________________

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Exercise 1 Exercise 2Language and Cultural NotesWord Bank



Exercise 2Exercise 1Language and Cultural NotesWord Bank



Listen to the conversations and repeat after the recording. Practise the conversations with your partner, playing the role of A or B. Then work with your partner to create your own conversations by replacing the underlined parts with your own words.


Conversation 1 Conversation 2Pair Work


A:My American friend has invited me to a 1) weekend party at his apartment.

B: 2) That’s great.A:But I’ve 3) never been to a party given by a

foreigner. I’m afraid 4) I won’t know how to act. B: Relax. Just be yourself and act naturally.A: I know. 5) But it’s easier said than done.B:Well, let me tell you. First you should arrive there

on time or a few minutes later, but not earlier.

Conversation 2Pair Work Conversation 1



A: Shall I bring him something?B: Sure. It’s nice to give him a small gift, but

nothing too expensive.A: Like what?B:6) A bottle of wine or a small box of chocolates

will do.




A:But I don’t know his American friends. 7) What should I say to them?

B:8) Why don’t you get them to talk about themselves? Won’t it be 9) a super chance for you to practice your conversation skills?

A:10) I guess you’re right. Thanks. B: You’re welcome. Have a good time at the

party.




Substitution1) birthday / farewell party2) That’s nice. / That’s wonderful. / Sounds nice.3) never been invited to a foreigner’s party / never attended a party thrown by a foreigner4) I won’t know what to do. / I would be at a loss.5) It’s easy to say but hard to do.6) A tin of Chinese tea or some Chinese hand-made artwork




7) What should I talk about? / What can I tell them?8) What about making them talk about themselves? / Why don’t you ask them about their impressions of China?9) a very good chance for you to practice your spoken English / a good opportunity to practice your English communication skills with native speakers of English10) I think you’re right. / I think you have a point there.




(At a party)A:That’s 1) a beautiful song they are playing, isn’t

it?B: Yeah, it’s 2) cool.A: Do you like 3) pop music? B: 4) Oh, yeah. What about you?A: Me, too. How do you like 5) rap?




B:6) It’s all right, but I’m not really crazy about it.A: Neither am I. 7) Do you often go to those big

concerts?B:8) Sometimes. I like 9) listening to CDs. 10) I

can’t stand crowds of pushing people.A: Yeah.11) I know what you mean.




Substitution 1) pleasant music they are playing / fantastic dance music they are playing2) excellent / super3) pop songs / classical music4) Yes. / Sure.5) blues / jazz6) It’s OK, but I’m not really into it. / It’s not bad, but I’m not a fan.




7) Do you often go to live performances?8) Occasionally. / Seldom.9) watching concerts on TV / listening to a

recording better 10) I don’t like to be surrounded by so many

people pushing one another. / I hate to be among crowds of pushing people.

11) I know exactly what you mean. / I understand.




Movie Time Time to TalkAdditional Listening

A Conversation Are You Calling About the Party? Listen to the conversation and answer the following questions.


1. Why does Simon make this call? He calls because he can’t attend Laura’s party.

2. Who will come to see Simon? Some of his friends are coming from Scotland to

see him.

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3. After going to the opera, what will Simon do? He will take his friends out to dinner.

4. What does Laura say that Simon can do later? She says that Simon can drop in later with his

friends.

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Movie Time

New Words Exercise

Additional Listening

Movie

Time to Talk


orphanage n. 孤儿院fidget v. 坐立不安，狂躁To whom it may concern. （商务信件的称呼语，意为

“致相关负责人”）in conjunction with 与……同心协力accountant n. 会计ground beef 已绞好的碎牛肉Tupperware 特百惠（美国一塑料制品品牌）

New Words ExerciseMovie

Movie TimeAdditional Listening Time to Talk


1. When did the story probably happen? a. On Christmas. b. On the Children’s Day. c. On New Year’s Day. d. On a child’s birthday.




2. What might be the man’s job (the man who was talking to Walter)?

a. The head of orphanage. b. An accountant. c. A psychologist. d. A toy salesman.




3. Why did Walter feel upset?a. He was not welcomed by the kids in orphanage. b. He was not satisfied with the Christmas gifts he received.c. He often brought troubles to people around him.

d. He wasted money on buying things unnecessary.




4. What kind of person do you think Walter was?a. He didn’t like staying with children at parties. b. He preferred to be alone on Christmas parties.

c. He was not good at communicating with children.d. He liked to play Santa Clause.




5. What might Walter do after talking with the man?a. He might buy more gifts for the children. b. He might return home. c. He might bring beef and cups to the orphanage.

d. He might give children toys they liked.




ExerciseNew WordsMovie



PicturesLook at these pictures and describe them one by one.



1. An outdoor Party:many students and teachers;say hello, talk, drink, walkaround;it seems there’s little food;a good chance to meet people and get information



2. A music band ( 乐队 ): an outdoor theater, a student band performs music;different musical instruments — guitar( 吉

它 ), drum ( 鼓 ), etc.;audience ( 听众 ), sit inchairs, on the floor, stand



3. Get together with classmates:have a good time;different games — chess ( 国际象棋 ), cards, pool ( 台球 ), etc.; watch other people play, chat with classmates, have fun




1. An outdoor party is being held on the university sports ground. Many students and teachers say hello and talk to one another. They drink while walking around. It seems there’s little food available at the party, but it provides a good chance to meet people and get information. That’s probably the main purpose of holding the party.



2. Many people like going to the outdoor theater and this is an outdoor music performance given by a student band. You can see different musical instruments, such as guitar, drum, etc. The audience, mostly students, sit casually in chairs, on the floor, or simply stand there. They seem to enjoy the performance.



3. Students like recreation. This recreation center opens in the evening. Some students are playing games, like chess, cards and pool, etc. Others are just watching, or chatting with classmates. All of them are having a good time there after hours of studying.


Short ConversationsListen to the short conversations and choose the right answers to the questions you hear.

Test Your Listening


1. a. Mary.b. Joe.c. John.d. Ann.

Test Your Listening


2. a. He doesn’t want to go to the wedding party.b. He’s rather strange.c. He never keeps his promise.d. He has changed his mind.

Test Your Listening


3. a. He has got another party to attend.b. He’s not interested in parties.c. He won’t be available on New Year’s Day.d. He has something else to do that evening.

Test Your Listening


4. a. He’s not interested in parties at all.b. He doesn’t have many friends.c. He had a good time at Paul’s birthday party.d. He did not care for the people at Paul’s

birthday party.

Test Your Listening


5. a. He doesn’t enjoy himself at parties.b. He likes going to parties.c. He is too shy to speak to strangers.d. He doesn’t know how to get along with

others.

Test Your Listening


Test Your Listening

unit 4 going to a party. unit 4 going to a party parta_1 controlling a conversation in daily...

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