Congratulations! | Today is your day.| You are off to Great Places!| You have brains in your head.| You have feet in your shoes.| You can steer yourself any direction you choose.| You are on your own and you know what you know. And you are the guy wholl decide where to go.||
Youll look up and down the streets| Look them over with care.| About some you will say: I dont choose to go there. With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet you are too smart to go down not so good street. And you may not find any youll want to go down.| In that case, of course, you head straight out of town.||
Its opener here in the wide open air.| Out there things can happen| and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you. And when things start to happen dont worry. Dont stew. Just go right along. Youll start happening too. OH! THE PLACES YOULL GO! ||
Youll be on your way up! Youll be seeing great sights. Youll join the high fliers who soar to high heights. You wont lag behind because youll have the speed. Youll pass the whole gang and youll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly youll be the best. Wherever you go youll top all the rest.
Except when you dont.| Because sometimes you wont. Im sorry to say, but sadly its true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you. You can get all hang-ups in a prickly perch. And your gang will fly on. Youll be left in a Lurch. Youll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump and the chances are then that youll be in a Slump and when you are in a slump youre not in much fun.| Un-slumming yourself is not easily done.||
You will come to a place where streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted but mostly they are darkened. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin.| Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? | How much can you loose? How much can you win? And if you go in should you turn left or right| or right and three quarters? Or may be not quite?| Or go around back and sneak in from behind?| Simple its not | Im afraid you will find for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.|
You can get so confused that youll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space headed I fear a most useless place.| The Waiting Place.|
for people just waiting. Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come or a plane to go or the mail to come or the rain to go or the phone to ring or the snow to snow or waiting around for a yes or no or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for a wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for the Uncle Jack or a pot to boil or a Better Break or a string of pearls or a wig with curls or Another Chance. || Everyone is just waiting.||
NO! Thats not for you.| Somehow youll escape all that waiting and staying. Youll find the bright place where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping once more youll ride high|| Ready for anything in the sky.|| Ready because you are that kind of a guy!
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Oh, places youll go! Theres fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical thing you can do with that ball will make you the wining-est winner of all. Fame. Youll be famous as famous could be with the wide world watching your win on TV.
Except when you dont. Because sometimes you wont. Im afraid that sometimes youll play lonely games too. Games you cant win cause youll play against you. All Alone. Whether you like it or not. Alone will be something youll be quite a lot. And when you are along theres a very good chance youll meet things that scare you right out of pants. There are some down the road between hither and yon that can scare you so much you wont want to go on.
But on you will go though the weather be foul.| On you will go though your enemies prowl.|| On you will go though the Hakken-kracks howl.|| Onwards up many a frightening creek,| though your arms will get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike and I know youll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.
Youll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. Youll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.|| So, be sure when you step.| Step with care and great tact. And remember that Lifes a Great Balancing act.| Just never forget to be dexterous and deft and never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?| Yes!| You will indeed!| (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.) KID, YOULL LOVE MOUNTAINS! So be you name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen OShea youll be off to Great Places!| Today is your day!| YOUR MOUNTAIN IS WAITING! SO, GET ON YOUR WAY!
Stress time
Introduction
Stress Time consists of 50 dialogues, suitable for upper-intermediate and advanced learners, in which the main rhythmical patterns of spoken English are presented first individually, then in pairs, then in larger combinations. The dialogues are dramatic, and can be used for listening comprehension at the same time as giving pronunciation practice.
The rhythm of English
English is a 'stress-timed' language. That is to say the beats or stress pulses in connected speech follow each other at roughly equal intervals of time:
One Two Three Four
This means that if there are any unstressed syllables between stresses, these have to be fitted in without delaying the regular beat of the stress pulses (printed in bold type throughout):
One Two Three Four
One and Two and Three and Four
One and a Two and a Three and a Four
One and then a Two and then a Three- and then a Four
The more unstressed syllables there are after a stress, the quicker they must be said in order to' catch' the next pulse:
. .,...
Yes, that was probably necessary, John
Sometimes a stress pulse is silent (indicated by a)
A
Yes Yes a Yes
| 1 /. A /One/One/One/One. B /Two/Two/Two/Two. A /One/One. B /Two/Two. A /Two B /Two. A /Hm! B /Thanks. | 2 /. a /Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes. B /No/No/No/No. a /Go!/Go! B /No/No. A /Yes!/Yes!/Yes!/Yes! B /No/No/No/No. a /Oh. |
| 5 /.. a /Jimmy! /Jimmy! B /Jenny!/Jenny! A /Missed you, /Jimmy! B /Missed you, / Jenny! A /Like me, / Jimmy? B /Love you, /Jenny! | 6 /.. A /Dinner's / ready. / Come and / get it. B /Whats for /dinner? A /Something /special. B /Something /special? A /Chicken / curry. / Don't you / like it? B /Yes, I / love it. / What's for / pudding? A /Wait and / see. |
| 7 /. /٨ A /Jimmy! /Jimmy! B /Coming! / Coming! a /Jimmy! /٨/Jimmy! B /Coming! / ٨/٨/٨/Coming! A /٨ / Jimmy's / coming. / ٨/٨/٨/Jimmy's/come! | 8 /... A /Carolyn. B /Christopher. A / Where are my/spectacles? B / Here are your / spectacles. A / Where were you / hiding them? B / Hiding them? A / Hiding them. B / I wasn't / hiding them. A / Where's my new / pullover? B / Find it your / self. |
| 9 /... A / This is the / furniture. B / Isn't it / terrible? A / Terrible? B / Terrible. A / This is Aunt / Agatha's / furniture, / Margery! B / She doesn't /need it and /neither do we. | 10 /... /٨ A /When are you/bringing it? B /Saturday, / probably. A /Saturday. B / ٨ / Probably. / ٨ / When can you / pay for it? A /Saturday. B / ٨/ ٨/ Saturday. A /٨/ Probably. B /٨ /٨ /٨ /Mm |
| 11 /. A /Jonathan's an / irritating / fellow, but he's / necessary. B /Irritating? A /Irritating. B /Necessary? A /Necessary. B /Certainly he's / useful, but I / wonder if he's / necessary? | 12 /. a /Will it be in / January? B /Possibly in / January, / possibly in / February. a /February's / difficult, but / January's / possible, I'll / come if it's in /January. / Can't it be in / January? B /Probablyin / January. A /Er.../m... B / Certainly in/ January. A /Admirable. |
| 13 /. /٨ a /Pendlebury! /٨ /Pendlebury! / ٨ /٨ / ٨ / PENDLEBURY!!! B / ٨ / Pendelbury / Isn't in the / office on a / Saturday, and - A /Pendlebury / isn't in the / office on a /Monday and a / Tuesday and a / Wednesday and a / Thursday and a / Friday, and so / Pendlebury's B /Fired? | 14 /. /.. A /One/single, /please. B /One/single/where? A /One / single / home. B /Where's/home? A /Where the/train/stops. B /Twenty / pounds, / please. A /Twenty / pounds! / Does it / only / stop / once? B /Only/once. /Why? a /Oh, / nothing. |
| 15 /. /٨ /.. a /No, / Jimmy. B /Yes, /Jenny. A /No, /Jimmy. /No. B /٨/ Yes,/Jenny./Yes. a /٨/Jimmy! /٨/ No, /Jimmy! b /Jenny. /٨ / Yes, / Jenny. A /No! /٨/No! /٨/No, /Jimmy! / ٨/٨/٨/٨/Oh! | 16 /. /... A /Well, / Anthony, / how was the / trip? B /Fine, /Valerie. /Fine. A /Good. B /Valerie, / when did you / buy that new ~ A /How do you / like it, my /love? b /Where did you/buy it my/love? A /Anthony. / Thats what I / wanted to / tell you a/bout, B /What did it/cost me, my/sweet? |
| 17 /. /٨/... a /Now, / Julia / Listen to / me! B /Yes, Uncle /Willy, of I course, A /٨ /Julia - B /Yes? A /Oh! / This is a / difficult / thing to dis/cuss! B /Why should you / want to dis/cuss it at / all? A /Why? B /Yes. / ٨ / Why don't you / buy me a / whisky in/stead? | 18 /. /. a /Vegetables? B /No / vegetables, / please. A /No / vegetables ' B /Just / chicken and a / little of the / pudding over / there, a /Separately. B /No. A /Pudding with the/meat? B /Naturally. A /Certainly, Ma/dame. |
| 19 /./٨/. A /Pendlebury's / coming in a / minute if he / can. B /Coming in a /minute if he /can! A /٨ / Pendlebury / seems to be en/gaged. B /Tell / Pendlebury, /٨ / tell him from his / boss, /٨ / tell him that he's / fired! A /Permanently? B /Permanently, / definitely, / positively / fired! A /Poor? / Pendlebury. B /Hah! | 20 /.. /... A /Mr / Boddington! B /Mrs /Bottomley! a /Why have you / beaten / Billy? B /Billy's a / nuisance. a /Mr / Boddington, / please a/pologise! B /Sorry. A /Thank you. B /Sorry, but / Billy's / more than a/ nuisance, / Billy's a - A /Mr/Boddington!! |
| 21 /.. /٨/... a /This is a / question for / Doctor / Carrington, B /What's the /question? A / ٨ /٨ / Here's the / question. /٨ / ٨ / Let's i/magine that /you are the /only / person / left in the / world ex/cept for / one other / person. B /٨ /Splendid, /٨ /Interesting/question. a /Who would you /choose, Doctor /Carrington? B /٨ / ٨ /٨ / ٨ / Is my / wife in the / audience? | 22 /../. A /Come and/see us at our/new a/partment. ,. B /Where's your / new a/partment? / Is it in a/nother / district? a /No, it's / very / close to the a/partment that I / used to / live in. /Come and / see us. B /How about to/morrow? a /Round about / seven? We're at / home by / seven. / Come and have some/dinner with us, /Janet. B /John, you / haven't / actually / told me / yet who / us is! |
| 23 /../٨/. A /Is it /٨/ /January? B /No, it's / February. A /Is it /٨/Monday? B /No, it's / Tuesday. A /Is it /٨/morning? B /No, the / middle of the / after/noon, and it'll / soon be / time for an im/portant / visitor to / come and / see you - your / wife is / coming. A /٨/٨/ /Betty, /٨/٨/ /That's her /name- it's Betty. B /٨/Erm... | 24 /.../. A /Why was he / trying to em/barrass me? B /Probably he / wanted you to / notice him. A /Why was he / rude to me? B /Probably he's / planning to / marry you. A /Why is he / talking to that / stupid little / Alison? B /Why are you / letting him? |
| 25 /... /٨ /. A /Certainly. / ٨ / Definitely, /٨ /٨/ Definitely. /٨ /٨/ Ready by /January, / definitely. / ٨ / ٨ / Terribly / sorry a/bout the de/lay, but I / promise de/livery in / January. /٨ / ٨ / Thank you for / waiting so/patiently. B I ٨ / ٨ /٨ / Why did you / tell him you'll de/liver in / January? / ٨ / Probably it /won't be com/pleted by /February. /٨/Probably- A /Probably it / won't be com/pleted at / all. | 26 /. /.. /... A /Please, / where's the / hospital? B /Well, there are / two /hospitals / here. / Which do you / want? A /Either will / do. B /Well, the / Fever /Hospital - A /Not the/Fever/Hospital. B /Didn't you/say that/either will/do? A /Where's the / other?/ Quickly,/ please. B /Well, the / General / Hospital - A /Yes, the / General / Hospital! B /Now, / Where's the / General / Hospital? / Er... |
| 27 /... /٨ /../... A /One, / two, / three, / four / men. B /٨ / Thirteen, / fourteen, / fifteen, / sixteen / women. a /٨ /One/man to/four/women. B /٨ / Four / women to / one / man. A /٨ /Splendid i/dea! B /٨ /Hm! / ٨ /Terrible! | 28 /./.../. A /Mike, /how shall I/send it to you? B /Give it to Yvonne. A /Is she re/liable? B /Perfectly re/liable - she'll / give it to me. A /After she's/read it I sup/pose |
| 29 /./٨ /.../. A /Yes. /٨ /Certainly. / ٨/ Definitely. B /٨/٨/٨/ Ben... /٨ / Isn't it a / fact that you / say, / " Certainly, /٨ /Definitely /٨ / each time you / talk to a / customer? A /٨ /٨ /Possibly, /dear. B /Definitely, /dear. | 30 /./../.../. A /Well, /Sammy, /when will you /do it for me? B /Will to/morrow/do? A /Yes, to/morrow will be/admirable. B /When do I/get my/money? a /When you've / done it, / Sammy. '.. B /How do I/know I'll/get it? A /How will I /know you've / done it? /You and /I must / trust each /other, / Sammy. B /Mm. / Yes. / Yes, I sup/pose there's / no al/ternative. |
| 33 /٨../. A /٨/ Is it/there? B /٨/ Is it/where? a /٨/ On the / chair. B / ٨/ On the/chair? a / ٨/ the / door. B / ٨/ By the / door? a / ٨/ On the / floor. B / ٨/ On the/floor? a /٨/ On the / bed. B /٨ /٨/ a On your / head! | 34 /٨/. A /٨/ She was a / nice / girl, / Mike. B /٨/ She was a / fool! A /٨/ She was a/fool? /Why? B / ٨/ Because she / lied. a / ٨/ And so she / died. B /٨/And so she / died, / Sam. A /٨/ ٨/ But you can / trust / me, / Mike. /٨/ Mike! /٨ /٨/ Mike!! B /٨/٨/٨/ ٨/٨/٨/٨/ You were a / nice / guy, / Sam. /٨/ But... |
| 35 /٨../.. A /٨/ It's /winning! / ٨ / ٨/ It's/ winning!! / ٨ its winning / /Willy! B / ٨ /٨ The / winner! /٨ The / winner!! /٨ /٨ Ter/rific!!! A /٨/ ٨/ ٨/ ٨/ ٨/ ٨/ ٨/ Its/won me-/٨ /its / won me- /٨/ ٨٨ It's / won me - /٨ a / hundred / dollars! B / ٨It's/won me-/٨ /٨ a {thousand I dollars. A / ٨ / thousand? /٨ But / didn't you / bet the / same a/mount as me? B /٨ I/didn't. A /٨/Oh. | 36 /٨../.. A /٨ There's a /woman, /٨ In my /office, / ٨And she/ says she / wants to / see you. B /٨But I'm /busy. a / ٨Well she /says she /wants to /see you. B /٨ ButI'm/busy! A /٨ But she's / sure you'll / want to / see her, B / ٨ is she/pretty? A / ٨ In a / sort of/ way she's / pretty. / ٨ But you're / busy. B /٨ In a/sort of/way, I'm/busy, /٨ But per/naps I/ought to... |
| 37 /٨/. B /٨ You had a / party. A I ٨ It was / lovely. / ٨ It was a / lovely / party. / ٨ There was a /lovely / crowd of / people. / ٨ It was a / lovely / party. / ٨ But I'm a/little/late for B /٨ It's in the / oven. / a It was ex/tremely / nice at / seven. / ٨ But at e/leven A /٨ It'll be / lovely, / darling. /٨ It'll be /lovely | 38 /٨./.. A / ٨It's/probably/someone for/Dorothy. B / ٨He's / knocking a/gain, Mrs / Wellington. /٨ I'll /open the /curtains and / see who it - /٨ Po/lice! The po/lice! Mrs./ Wellington! / ٨ We / haven't done / anything / wrong, Mrs. / Wellington. / ٨They've / probably / made a mis/take, and we / ought to in/form them that - /٨/٨/ ٨/ Well, / where have you / gone, Mrs. /Wellington? |
| 39 /٨../... A / ٨t's a / wonderful / bargain, I / promise you. B / ٨ But it / seems a bit / rusty, and / look at the / engine, the / en - A / ٨ It's in / perfect con/dition, I / promise you. B / ٨/ ٨ / ٨If I'm / interested, / ٨/ ٨ I shall / bring my me/chanic to /look at it. A / ٨/Er,.. / ٨AsI/ say, it's in / perfect con/dition but - / ٨/ ٨/ probably / this is more / suitable. B / ٨ / Mm// ٨ And in/perfect con/dition? a /Certainly. | 40 /٨/. A / ٨He was a / wonderful / treasurer. B / ٨ He was a / marvellous / treasurer. A / ٨He was con/siderate. B / ٨ He was a/ gentle man. A / ٨ And he was / humorous. B / ٨He was a / comical / fellow, and / none of us / ever sus/pected that / something pe/culiar was / happening. A / ٨ And that the/joke was on/us! |
| 41 /٨./. a / ٨ She's /irritating! B / ٨ ln/furiating! A / ٨ Un/reasonable! B / ٨ Ex / asperating! A / ٨ / An / irritating, / ٨ in/furiating - B / ٨ Un/reasonable, / ٨ ex / asperating A /Beautiful and - B /Captivating / woman | 42 /٨../. A / ٨/ Is there /sugar in it? B / ٨/ You pre/fer it with / sugar in it. A / ٨/ Yes, I / usually / do, but it's /recently been / making me a / bit /sick. B / ٨/ Are you comfortable? A /Reasonably. B / ٨/ Do you / think it'll be / born on the e/leventh, as you / said? A / ٨/ He'll be / born on the e/leventh at e/leven, as I / said. / ٨/ Punctually! |
| 43 /٨././٨./. a / ٨/ You/did! B / ٨/ I/didn't! A / ٨/ You/did! B / ٨/ I/didn't! A / ٨/ You/did! / ٨/ You/did! B /No, I/didn't! a / ٨/ Ouch! / ٨/ You/ hit me! B / ٨/ ٨/ l/did! | 44 /٨././.. A / ٨/ He's / quite / handsome. B / ٨/ I/think he's/ugly, A / ٨/ He's /rather / clever. B / ٨/ He's / vain. / ٨/ Con/ceited. a / ٨/ He's/rich. B / ٨/ He/knows it! A / ٨/ ٨/ ٨/ He / thinks you're / pretty. B / ٨/ ٨/ He/didn't say that. A / ٨/ ٨/ He/did. |
| 45 /٨././٨.././.. A / ٨/ Some / eggs, / ٨/ and a / small / cabbage. B / ٨/ small/cabbage. / ٨/ And the/eggs? / ٨/ A dozen? A / ٨/ Are they/fresh? B / ٨/ Are they / fresh? / ٨/ ٨/ Of / course they're / fresh. A / ٨/ The/last/eggs I/bought, / ٨/ ٨/ they were/bad. B / ٨/ Did you/buy them/here? A / ٨/ I / don't re/member. / ٨/ ٨/ Per/haps I / did. / ٨/ ٨/ /Per/haps I /didn't. B / ٨/ ٨/ Take/half a/dozen, then | 46 /٨./../٨../.../. A / ٨/ / On / Monday, / ٨/ you were / going to / mend it. B / ٨/ I / couldn't, / ٨/ I was / busy on / Monday. A / ٨/ Well,/Peter, / ٨/ will you/do it this/evening? B / ٨/ I'm / sorry, / ٨/ but I'm /off to a / meeting. / ٨/ I/promise you, / ٨/ I'll re/pair it to/morrow. / Where are you / going? A / ٨/ For the / tools. B /Why? A / ٨/ For/get it. / ٨/ ٨/ I will re/pair it my/self. |
| 47 /٨./../٨../.../. a / ٨/ The / smell of it! / ٨/ It's the / smell of it, / Gladys! b / ٨/ But it's I nice if you /taste it. a / ٨/ It's the/smell of it! B / ٨/ It's / marvellous, / ٨/ It's a / wonderful / flavour, / ٨/ ٨/ It was / rather ex/pensive, / Charlie. a / ٨/ You can / eat it / for me, / can't you? B / ٨/ I sup/pose I can / eat it. A / ٨/ Well en /joy it. / ٨/ And I'll / meet you out/side. | 48 /٨.././٨.../.. A / ٨/ It's a/boy./a And it's a/big one. B / ٨/ And my /wife? A / ٨/ She was a / marvel. / ٨/ And she's / fine. B / ٨/ Can I/see her? A / ٨/ You can/see them/both at about/six B / ٨/ Well, I'm ex/tremely / grateful, / Sister. / ٨/ And I'll / see you later. / ٨/ ٨/ ٨/ l'm a/father! / ٨/ And it's a/boy! / ٨/ I must /do some/shopping / quickly. / ٨/ I must / buy some / flowers. / ٨/ ٨/ And a /train. |
| 49 /٨../.../٨.../. A / ٨/ And you're/fond of him? B / ٨/ Well, I'm in/love with him. A / ٨/ You were in / love with the /architect. / ٨/ And the so/llcitor. / ٨/ And the / fellow with the / wife and the in/numerable / children. B / ٨/ But / this is / different, I can / promise you. A / ٨/ And they were / hopeless at / golf, I re/member. B / ٨/ Hes the / regional / champion. A / ٨/ ٨/ You see you / never have a / sense of pro/ portion, / Marilyn. | 50 Combination plus A / ٨/ So in the /case of / syllable-/ timed / languages, / ٨/ it's the /syllables that are i/sochronous. / ٨/ But in / English, / ٨/ it's the /sentence / stresses that arc i/sochronous, / ٨/ And it's ex/tremely im/portant to / try to get the / rhythm of the / language / right. B / ٨ ٨/ Any / questions? A Why - is - it - im - por - tant, - and - what - do - you - mean -by i - so - chro nous? A / ٨/ Why is it im/portant, and / What do I / mean by i/sochronous? / ٨/ Well, I ll / tell you. / ٨/ But it'd be a / pity to / change that ex/tremely/charming pronunci/ation, you / know! |
Small talk
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Unit 1 Greetings.
| Item 1. Hi, how are you? -Hi, how are you? -Fine, how are you? -Hi, how are you? -Fine, how are you? -Hi, how are you? /3 -Fine, how are you? | Item 2. How's Jack? -Hi, how are you? -Fine, how are you? -I'm fine. How's Bill? -He's fine. -Hows Marry? -Shes fine. -How are the children? -They are fine. -How's the job? -Its fine. -How's Jack? -He's sick. -Oh, no |
| Item 3. Hello, howve you been? -Hello, how've you been? It's so good to see you. -It's good to see you. How've you been? -Just fine. -Hello, how've you been? /3 -Just fine. /2 -It's so good to see you. /2 -Its good to see you. How've you been? -Just fine. | Item 5. Jack, you are back? -Jack, you are back? I havent seen you for a long time. How've you been? -Just fine. Its been a long time. -How've you been? -Just fine. Its been a long time. -Im so glad you are back, Jack. -So am I. -I'm so glad you are back, Jack. -So am I. -I'm so glad you are back /3 Jack. -So am I. -I havent seen you for a long time. |
| Item 4. Hello, Hello. -Hello, Hello -Hi Sue, this is Bill -Bill? Bill who? -Bill Brown -Oh hi, how are you? |
