Unit  4       Going to a Party

Part  A                           

Communicative Function           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.

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.

       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

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?

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?

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.      

Useful Expressions for Controlling and Changing a Conversation

Controlling a Conversation

l  I see.

l  Yeah.

l  Yes.

l  Hmm.

l  Well…

l  Sure.

l  Really.

l  No kidding!

l  Imagine that!

l  Like what?

l  Don’t you think so?

l  Well, let me see…

l  Let me think for a minute.

Changing a Conversation

l  By the way…

l  Come to think of it…

l  Speaking of…

l  And another thing …

l  Something else I’d like to know is…

l  This may sound like a dumb question, but I’d like to know…

l  To get back to our talk…

Notes

1.        Expressions such as “yeah; yes; hmm…” 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

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.

1.         Once a week.

2.         Twice a week .

3.         Daily. .

4.         Every other day .

5.         Four nights a week .

6.         Never .

Script:

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?                                                                                 

Part  B                            

Pre-listening Task

Questions for Discussion

You are going to talk about your experience of going to parties. Read the following questions and discuss them with your partner.

1.         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?

Demo:

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.

Language Focus

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

l  I like / love going to parties.

l  I don't care for parties. They're too noisy.

l  Parties are great fun. There are always a lot of interesting things to do.

l  I love meeting new people and making new friends at parties.

l  I always worry about what clothes to wear.

l  I'm worried that there might be a lot of people I don't know / that others might think I'm boring.

l  I never know what to say to people I don't know.

l  I'm too shy to approach somebody I don't know.

l  I never worry about anything so I always have a good time.

l  We may use small talk to approach someone we don’t know at a party.

l  Small talk usually covers topics of general interest, such as the weather, new movies, TV shows, headline news, local events, or school.

l  These topics are very good conversation starters.

Listening Tasks

A Conversation                  Small Talk Is Easy

Word  Bank

       super         a.  wonderful  极好的

       coach         v.   to teach, to advise  指导，辅导

       tip           n.   advice; suggestion  提示，忠告

       relax         v.   to feel less worried  放松，别紧张

       serious       a.    not joking  当真的，不是开玩笑的

       Guess what?         used before you tell sb. sth. that will surprise them. 你知

道吗？(在打算告诉别人一件事时说)

Script

Small Talk Is Easy

A: Mike, guess what?

B: What?

A: Carol just invited me to a party at her house on Saturday.

B: Carol? You mean the pretty girl in your economics class?

A: Yeah.

B: Great! I’m sure you’ll have a super time.

A: I’m not so sure.

B: What do you mean, John? I thought you really liked Carol.

A: I do. But I don’t know her friends very well.

B: So get to know them.

A: But I’m no good at small talk.

B: Small talk is easy. You can learn.

A: By Friday?

B: Sure. I’ll coach you. You just have to remember a few simple sentences.

A: I don’t know. I have trouble remembering things. Especially when I meet people. I get nervous.

B: Don’t worry, John. You can do it. You just need a few tips.

A: But what if I say something stupid?

B: Relax. You won’t. But even if you do, it’s all right. Everyone makes mistakes.

A: Yeah, especially me! What if I’m boring? No one wants to listen to a bore.

B: Hey, you're not giving a speech. You're just having a conversation. So just talk about something you know they are interested in.

A: That's the problem. I don't know what Carol's friends are interested in.

B: Let them tell you. If you let people talk about themselves, they'll think you're interesting.

A: You mean something like, "So, tell me what you're interested in."

B: Well, you don't have to be that direct. For example, you can talk about the weather.

A: You can't be serious. The weather's boring.

B: It's a good excuse to find out what they like to do. On a rainy day, you say, "What do you do in such terrible weather?"

A: What if they just stayed home and read a book?

B: Then ask them about the book. You can ask if it was good. Ask if they liked it and why. Then talk about a book you really liked.

A: So that’s what small talk is about, is it? Well, I’ll give it a try. Thanks for the tips, Mike.

B: You’re welcome. Have a good time at the party.

Language and Culture Notes

1. small talk  Light conversations on unimportant or non-serious subjects such as the weather or TV programs that you saw last night, or little compliments on what people are wearing.  In a social gathering where a lot of guests are strangers to one another, small talk can be very useful to make them feel at ease.

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.

Exercise 1:  Listening for general understanding 

Listen to the recording once and choose the right answers to the questions you hear.

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.

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.

3.    What is Mike doing?

a. Showing sympathy.         b. Expressing opinions.

c. Offering comments.         d. Giving advice.

Exercise 2: Listening for details

Listen to the recording again and write down answers to 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 the party or not.

3. What is his problem?

   He’s not good at small talk.

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.

Speaking   Tasks

Pair Work

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

A:    My American friend has invited me to a 1) weekend 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.

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.

Substitution

Conversation  2

(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

Part C     Additional 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.

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.

Movie Time

View a video clip. After viewing it, choose the right answer to each of the following questions.

Word Bank

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）

Script

Doctor: Aren't you supposed to be playing Santa down at the orphanage?

Walter: I can't go through with that.

Doctor: Why not?

Walter: Watch this. Ho, ho.

Doctor: Let's talk.

Doctor: Walter, when I saw you last week. You were so excited about playing Santa for those kids at the orphanage. What happened?

Walter: Doc, the kids are gonna hate me.

Doctor: Now, why should they hate you?

Walter: Same reason everybody hates me. I make people uncomfortable. Look at you. You're fidgeting.

Doctor: I'm not fidgeting. Okay, now, Walter, what's the one thing in your life that bothers you the most?

Walter: Those little subscription cards that fall out of magazines.

Doctor: Walter.

Walter: Being alone.

Doctor: Yes. And don't you think those kids at the orphanage are lonely, too?

Walter: Yeah, but I don't know how to talk to kids, Doc.

Doctor: Well, relax. Just be yourself. You'll know what to say.

Walter: Well, I've been kicking around a few things.

Doctor: Good. Imagine you've just come into the orphanage ... and you're surrounded by all those happy little faces ... and what do you say?

Walter: "To whom it may concern ..." it has come to my attention that tomorrow is Christmas.  "Consequently, I bring items in conjunction with ..."

Doctor: Walter, I wonder if, as an accountant, you might have a tendency to be ...

Walter: I know, I know. Too formal.

Doctor: Walter, I don't know that that much talk is expected of Santa. I might just go with something more traditional. You know, like, "Ho! Ho! Ho! Boy, do I have gifts for you!"

Walter: You have obviously worked with children.

Doctor: Come on, Walter. You'll be fine.

Walter: Oh, Doc, I don't even know if I brought the right gifts.

Doctor: You can't go wrong with kids. They love gifts. See what you got here. Ground beef?

Walter: Go ahead. Say it. I should've bought pork.

Doctor: Well, that's a close call, Walter. Come on. What else have you got? Tupperware.

Walter: Sure, I thought it goes with the beef. You know, they'll use it to mix up some Swedish meatballs or ... The gifts are wrong. Doc, I wanna give these kids something that's gonna make them happy ... but I don't know what to bring.

Doctor: Walter, I'm gonna throw out something kind of crazy now. Toys.

Walter: Toys?

Doctor: Toys.

Walter: Doc, that is so crazy, that just might work.

Doctor: Here.

Questions

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.

Script

Are You Calling About the Party?

Laura:   Hello. This is Laura David speaking.

Simon:   Oh, hello, Laura. This is Simon here, Simon Williams.

Laura:   Oh, Simon. How nice to hear from you. Are you calling about the party? You did get the invitation, didn’t you?

Simon:   Yes, thanks, I did. That’s just it, I’m afraid. You see, I’m already tied up that evening.

Laura:    Oh, really? That’s a pity.

Simon:   Yes. I’m afraid it’s been planned for ages. You see, some friends of mine are coming from Scotland to see me. I haven’t seen them for a long time, and you know … well … I managed to get some tickets for the opera, and I promised to take them out to dinner afterwards. I can’t get out of it, unfortunately. I wish I could.

Laura:    Oh, what a shame! We were looking forward to seeing you. Still, if you drop in later with your friends, we’d love to see you.

Simon:   Thanks. Well, I’ll certainly try, but I don’t think there’s much chance. Actually I’ve sent you an e-mail to say that I can’t come.

Laura:    Oh, have you? That’s very kind, thanks. Well, keep in touch, Simon.

Simon:   I will. Regards to James. And I hope the party goes well. Bye!

Laura:    Thanks. Bye.

Time to Talk

Look at these pictures and describe them one by one.

Hints:

  1. An outdoor Party:

many students and teachers;

say hello, talk, drink, walk around;

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 in chairs, 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

Demos:

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.

Part  D                            

Test Your Listening        

Short Conversations

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

1.  a. Mary.  

b. Joe.

c. John.

d. Ann,

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.

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. 

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.

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.

Script

1. W:      Hi, John. You know Ann has invited me to her house for Joe’s birthday?

M:       Yes, I know. But, Mary, you haven’t forgotten my dinner party next weekend, have you?

Q:       Who has a birthday party?

2. W:      Robert wants to know if he can go with us to Paul’s wedding party.

M:       That’s strange. This morning he said he wanted to go by himself.

Q:       What do we learn about Robert?

3. W:   David is planning a party on New Year’s Eve. Have you got the invitation?

M:  Yes, I have. But you see I’m already tied up that evening.

Q:   What does the man mean?

4. W:      Did you enjoy yourself at Paul’s birthday party?

M:   Oh, it was fun to meet so many friends though normally I don’t care much for parties.

Q:       What do you know about the man?

5. W:      Do you like going to parties?

M:       I guess parties are great fun but very often I don’t know what to say to strangers.

Q:       What can you learn from the man’s reply?