Everyday English for Speaking

It's not okay to cheat. What's going on, Alex? You look so worried. Well, the three best students in the entire grade are eligible to do some program in biology next month. But I am the fourth in my class, so I won't be able to make it into the program. Oh, sorry you didn't make it. But maybe you'll have a better chance next year. I recently found out that two of the top three students have been cheating all year long. So now that I have definitive evidence of them cheating, I might be able to make it into the program. Really? That's great news. So are you going to report your classmates? Well, that's the problem. I'm not sure what to do. Would it be okay to report them? They're cheaters who ruin prospects for those who actually put in the work. It wouldn't be fair to let it slide. Yeah, but everyone will call me a snitch if I report them. That comes from people who believe cheating is fine if you don't get caught. The two cheaters did not do the work, so why should they get the reward at your expense? Their cheating actually steals a reward from other people who actually did the work to earn it. Whatever happens to them is because they cheated, not because you reported it. You're right. But I'd rather talk to them first and give them the chance to come clean and make things right. If they refuse to do so, I will report them. Yeah, that seems fair. A lot of work needs to be done. This place is a mess. A lot of work needs to be done before we move in. You can say that again. Let's make a list. First, the walls need painting. And we need to get rid of this old wallpaper. It looks awful. Yes, it does. Then those old ugly curtains need to come down, and the windows need to be washed both inside and out. The kitchen window is jammed shut. I can't open it anymore. You should take a look at it. I'll give it a little silicone spray lubricant to loosen it up. So what else should we add on the list? We need to replace that broken mirror glass. That will be easy to fix. Another problem is the floor. It's really damaged and needs to be repaired. It has large cracks and wide holes. Add the carpets to your list. We need to buy two carpets for the bedroom and living room. Okay, I've added them to the list. The garage and the yard also need a good cleanup. And what shall we do with the doors? They look so old and worn out. Should we replace them? No, we can give them a makeover. They can be completely transformed with just a little trim, paint, and creativity. Yeah, I haven't thought about that. I guess we could try to repair them instead of buying new doors. We also need to change the light bulb out front. It keeps flickering and it's going to go out. Okay, what about all this old furniture? Shall we throw it out? No way. It's very beautiful even if it's so old. We can have it restored. I think it will look incredible. That's definitely a lot of work to do. We'd better get started right away. Don't hurry to grow up. How many jobs did you have before becoming a health and safety supervisor, Grandpa? I didn't have any other job before that. So you only had one job all your life? How come? Well, it was a very rewarding job. I had a great team and colleagues, and I worked in a friendly and flexible atmosphere. It was an exciting time. Do you regret that you had to retire? Is your life boring now? Not at all. I'm fortunate to be a healthy man so I can do a lot of activities. I can go out a lot. I'm just taking up golf, you know. It's a wonderful sport for an old man like me, and it's very relaxing. I also go hiking and camping with my friends once in a while. Oh, you have an active and exciting life, Grandpa. Yeah, and I also travel a lot. Yes, I know. You went to visit your sister in Canada, and you've just come back from a cruise around the Mediterranean. That's right. I had a lovely time. I visited a lot of countries. Well, I think you have more fun than I do. My life is so boring. All I do is go to school and study. I can't wait to grow up, earn my own money, and be able to do what I want with my life. Being an adult must be so cool and fun. Oh, Monica, don't hurry to grow up and try to make the most of this phase. It's the most amazing part of your life. Believe me. You're 15. Once you reach adulthood, you'll spend all your time wishing you could go back. Never lie to me again. What do you want to talk to me about, Mr. Patrick? Is there a problem? Austin, you asked me for the day off yesterday because you said you were sick. That's right. I was feeling under the weather and dizzy, but I'm okay now. Well, Emily said that she saw you in a cafe with someone yesterday and you seemed perfectly fine. Why did you lie to me? Paul had also called in sick yesterday, so work was very difficult for me with two people off. Um, I'm truly sorry about lying to you, Mr. Patrick. That's right. I wasn't sick. I just needed to see my brother because he's gotten himself in some trouble. He got into a hit and run accident and he needed my help. He fled the scene because he didn't have insurance and panicked. I didn't tell you the truth because I was afraid you might not let me take the day off. I do apologize about that. I would have understood it was an emergency. I know your family is very important to you. So next time this happens, please tell me the truth and never lie to me again. I'll let it go this time. I will. I've learned my lesson. I will never lie to you again. Thanks for being so understanding. You're always bringing work home. Are you still working, Rob? It's Friday evening. Shouldn't you rather spend time with your family? Sorry, Violet. I have an important project that I need to finish by Monday. How long is this going to take you then? I should easily be finished by 10 o'clock. 10 o'clock? Oh, for goodness sake. That's what I hate most about your job. You're always bringing work home. You've hardly spent any time with the children recently. You're blowing this out of proportion. Am I? Last month, you missed Lily's birthday party. And last Saturday, your boss called you right in the middle of Matthew's game. You completely missed the most important moments of the game. It never used to be like this. You used to get everything done at the office and never came home late. But I need to get promoted. That's why I'm working so much. I will get a salary increase, and I'll be able to buy the kids so many wonderful things. We'll be able to live a more comfortable lifestyle. But our lifestyle is okay as it is now. We don't need more. Spending time with your family is more important than satisfying their material needs. Okay, you've made your point. How about we go ice skating tomorrow and spend some quality time together? We could go over to Wollman Rink in Central Park. Then we can go to a movie and have dinner somewhere in the city after that. Now you're talking. The kids will be thrilled. I can't wait to tell them. Making Complaints Hello? I'd like to make a complaint. Sure. What seems to be the problem? Well, last week I came in here and bought a few things for the house. The delivery van came yesterday, and after I unpacked everything, I noticed that several pieces were damaged. The couch on the showroom floor was awesome. The one they gave me was not built the same. You could feel the wood and the metal from the reclining ends through the cushions. So I want it replaced if possible. Do you have the receipt? Sure. Here it is. Okay, what other problems were there? I bought a dining table for over $800, and it is very bad. It has scratches and stains on it. I see. Well, I do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. And there's more. The carpet I ordered was gray, but I was delivered a brown carpet. I am willing to keep it if you can offer me a discount for it. I'm really sorry, but I'm afraid we can't offer you a discount, as the brown carpet that was delivered to you is a better grade than the one you selected. Well, I don't know if it's a better grade or not. It is still not the gray color I selected in the store. Don't worry. Naturally, we will replace all the damaged items and the wrong carpet. And please accept my sincere apologies. Okay. I really hope this time I'll get the right items. You're going dressed like that? Paul, where are you going? I'm going out with Oliver and Sam. We're going to the movie theater. And you're going dressed like that? Dressed like what, Mom? You know, T-shirt that isn't ironed, jeans with holes in them, and your sneakers look so strange. What did you do to them? I painted my sneakers to make them look more trendy. Do you like them? I guess they look interesting. That's the style that I like, and I feel comfortable this way. I don't think I'm different than the other teenagers in my school. It's really important to me not to look different, not to stand out, you know? Yes, I suppose so. I guess I was the same way when I was your age.