English Recordings

If Nick asks Talia out, she'll say yes.
If we leave now, we'll catch Tony. If we don't leave now, we're going to miss Tony.
If we leave now, we might see Amy. If we see Amy, we can tell her what happened.
Tony will still be at the office if we go now.

If Talia does a good job, she'll become a reporter.
Dean may go to jail if people learn the truth.
Talia is going to play the tape for Amy if she's in the office.
If Talia and Nick finish dinner, they might not catch Tony at the office.
Nick will ask Talia out if he has the chance.
If Nick asks Talia out, she won't say no.

It was 8:30. Jackie and Dean had left Valentino's.
Nick and Talia already knew each other. They'd taken classes together in college.
My boyfriend and I had split up by the middle of the semester.
Dean and Jackie had left the restaurant by the time Nick and Talia ordered dessert.
By the time Talia studied for the exam with Nick, she had already broken up with her boyfriend.
Nick had decided not to ask Talia out as soon as he heard that she had a boyfriend.

A: Did you watch Newsline last night?
B: No. It had already ended by the time I got home.
A: What did you do last night?
B: I went to sleep as soon as I'd finished dinner.
A: When did you get started in the news business?
B: It was in 1988. It's funny, but I'd never given any thought to journalism when I was in college.
A: Had you worked at all before then?
B: Not much. I 'd just graduated.
A: Dean is a great athlete, isn't he?
B: Yes. By his last year in high school, he 'd already won some awards.
A: Have you seen John this morning?
B: No. He 'd left on an assignment before I got here
***
A: You're a casting director. Can you explain what you do?
B: It's simple. I hire actors to work in movies.
A: Did you start out as a casting director?
B: Oh, no! I was an actor! But after five years, I still hadn’t gotten any good acting roles, and I wanted to stay in the business.
A: How did you get your first casting job?
B: I didn't get a part! At that time, I hadn’t given up on acting yet, and I was still looking for roles. The casting director said, "I don't want to hire you to act, but why not do casting with me?"
A: So that's when you changed careers?
B: Yes. I really hadn’t thought about casting until she suggested it, but it sounded like a great idea.
A: How important is luck for a new actor?
B: Preparation is more important than luck. A few years ago, I hired someone who is now very famous. When I hired him, he hadn’t taken many acting classes, so he was lucky to get the job. But by the time I offered him his second job, he had studied a lot more. That preparation made him successful.

He found it difficult to ask her out because he was very shy.
They're in a serious relationship. They've been dating for two years.
When you're on the rebound, it's easy to make bad decisions, so be careful!
Padam is still seeing Margo. They've been on two dates this week.
Hiro fixed his co-worker up with his best friend.
I went on a blind date, and I was pretty nervous about going out with someone I hadn't even met.
I had a terrible crush on Mark Hill when I was in high school.
Mary seems unfriendly, but she's just playing hard to get.
Renato loved playing the field; he tried to see as many girls as possible.
Glenda and Keith were always arguing, so they finally decided to split up.

Kenji asked Nobuko out.
Paulo and Astrid were in a serious relationship.
Bridget was on the rebound.
Adrienne was seeing someone.
Jorge just fixed his best friend up with a woman from the office.
Stephanie has never gone out on a blind date.
My teenage neighbor has a crush on Britney Spears.
Martin played the field when he was in college.
Young-Sun played hard to get.
Marina and Sergei split up after seeing each other for three years.

It was a big surprise when Morty and Anna split up after being together for such a long time.
Trish, my wife's best friend, was in town, so we fixed her up with my brother Jerry.
Loretta dated lots of guys last summer; in fact, she really played the field.
Every guy in the office wanted a date with Sophie, but she refused all their invitations. She always played hard to get.
It was a long time before I had the courage, but I finally asked her out, and tonight is our first date.
I think Mariko is seeing somebody. Whenever I see her at parties, this guy is with her.
Do you think Arturo and Linda are going to get married? It looks like a serious relationship to me.
Steve just has a crush. High school boys often feel that way about rock stars.
Goran is on the rebound, and he's been very depressed since his girlfriend left him.
Do you think Bill would like it if we arranged a blind date for him? I know a nice woman at work that he's never met.

1. This is a tool for opening cans/tins.
2. This tool is used for making/cutting holes.
3. This is a knife for carving meat.
4. I can't bear his/him not writing to you.
5. I don't understand Susan/ Susan's leaving him.
6. I don't enjoy your teasing.
7. I can't stop/prevent him from spending his money.
8 This is a gadget for opening bottles.
9. This is a case for keeping cassettes.
10. I detest your speaking like this.
11. They risk having an accident on the way.
12. Imagine not having anything to do all day.
13. They contemplate pulling the whole building down.
14. I admit arriving late at night.
15. I detest speaking in public.
16. I can't understand your coming so late.
17. I suggest going early in the morning.
18. That means getting up very early.
19. I don't want to hear you say that again.
20. I dislike answering silly questions.
21. I can't stand his speaking to me like this.
22. She can't forget my leaving her.
23. The grass needs cutting.
24. Those boys need encouraging.
25. This car needs servicing.
26. I dislike them spending so much money.
27. I don't mind you/your going out with her.
28. The whole house needs painting.
29. I can't prevent him from doing that.
30. I can't help laughing when I see him.
31. You can't risk getting there late.
32. We often go skiing in winter.
33. Sometimes we go fishing on Sundays.
34. We never go climbing.
35. My friend sometimes goes horse riding.
36. I regret having said that.
37. I hate the children saying those things.
38. It is not worth coming so early.
39. It is a building for slaughtering animals.
40. Imagine not having tickets for the concert!

1. His inventions were to change humanity.
2. The train is due to leave at five.
3. I'm afraid that it's going to rain tonight.
4. I'm going to practise the piano for a while.
5. The plane was due at four.
6. You are to deliver the flowers tonight.
7. You are not to tell anybody.
8 These pills are to be taken three times a day.
9. We are lost. I'll stop to ask the way.
10. I'm coming home late tonight.
11. We'll all be dead by the year 2100.
12. I think we have a puncture. I'll stop the car and see.
13. Have you got a puncture? I'll help you to change the tyre.
14. He is going to be a doctor when he grows up.
15. I think you're about to get a surprise.
16. You are to be at Mr. Smith's office at four sharp.
17. Mr and Mrs Brown are about to leave.
18. There is somebody at the door. I'll go and see who it is.
19. Little did we know that we were to meet again.
20. I'm going to change into something more comfortable.
21. Mrs Green was about to have a baby.
22. You are not to tell him anything.
23. You are to deliver this letter in person.
24. I'm having lunch with my boss today.
25. I'll soon have been working for 20 years for/in that company.
26. I suppose they'll have finished by tomorrow.
27. They are just about to give out the prizes.
28. He was about to finish it.
29. Little did we suspect what was going to happen.
30. They are going to get divorced I'm afraid.
31. You are to finish this job by tomorrow.
32. They were to get married in November.
33. I suppose they'll have finished by Sunday.
34. The Prime Minister is to meet the President in June.
35. I'm working late tonight.
36. I am to meet him tonight at nine.
37. You are to report to the captain at eight.
38. The coach is due to leave at four.
39. It will soon be our fourth anniversary.
40. Soon we'll have been married for 20 years.

Are you a queen?

Are you a pirate?

Are you a goat?

Are you a rabbit?

Are you a dog?

Are you a fish?

Are you a zebra?

Are you a tiger?

If you are a Japanese language learner, what kind of Japanese do you want to learn?

The other day, I came across a woman who comes from Osaka, and we had a small chat.
The conversation moved naturally to the methods of teaching Japanese because we both are interested in teaching.

As everybody here knows, the dialect in Osaka and also the adjacent places, which we call Kansai-ben, has special kinds of accents and words. So, I came to be curious about whether she will teach Kansai-ben or try to teach standard Japanese if she teaches Japanese to foreign people.

She answered that she would teach Kansai-ben.

I actually live in the southern part of Japan, and in this region we also have different kinds of thick accents. I use it when I talk with people whose hometown is the same as mine. Nonetheless, when I talk with people from other prefectures, I tend to use standard Japanese. I actually don't try to change it, but nature takes care of it, just like I speak English when someone talks to me in English.

Anyway, I was a bit surprised to hear her answer, but maybe I shouldn't have been?

I think it's just my own style that when I teach Japanese, I teach standard Japanese. It's just because I want to.

Although Japan is a small country, we have many different kinds of dialects in each place. I bet you can enjoy them when you come to Japan! （＾＾）

THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF TECHNOLOGY

. Its excessive use leads to addiction and to a decrease in self-confidence.
. Technology can be used for ill, to build weapons, to spread viruses and to threaten others.
. There’s been a simplification of daily tasks, which are easier, quicker and more efficient.
. It’s time saver.
. Its adoption at work leads to joblessness..
.Living standards have improved.
. Robots and machines are working accurately, helping people make fewer mistakes.
. Computers provide information in a simple way.
. It can damage your health.
. It can lead teenagers, without the proper supervision, to surf pornographic sites.
. The Internet has changed the way of communication, making it faster and allowing surfers to share and access worldwide information instantaneously.
. Students can learn at a global scale without leaving the classroom.
. It makes people lazier.
. It consumes a lot of energy, polluting the environment.
. It produces motivating learning tools.
. It’s possible to reach anywhere quickly, because transports have reduced distances.
. Advances in medicine have allowed the cure for some diseases, increasing life expectancy.