Trash and Recycling

Rajid: What are you doing?

Nicole: I’m putting my garbage into the garbage can. Why?

Rajid: Don’t you recycle? You’re supposed to separate out your recyclables and put them in a separate bin.

Nicole: I know, I know, but who has the time? I don’t have that much trash anyway.

Rajid: Oh, yeah? The dump is full of food containers that aren’t biodegradable from people who didn’t have the time.

Nicole: Come on. Don’t blow things out of proportion. It’s not like I’m going to save the environment all by myself.

Rajid: No, you’re not, but if everybody thinks the same way you do, we’re going to use up all of our natural resources.

Nicole: When did you turn into an ecologist? I don’t see you conserving energy. You have your lights on all night. I can see them through your window.

Rajid: I use energy-efficient bulbs. Besides, I take my recyclables to the recycling center, I have energy-efficient appliances, and I turn down my thermostat.

Nicole: I’m just saying that you’re not doing everything you can to save the environment. Okay, okay. Put your money where your mouth is and help me separate out my recyclables.

Rajid: Me? You want me to help you sort through your garbage?

Nicole: Since you’re the expert, I need you to show me how.

(From ESL Podcast 393.)

5. Listen to the monologue “Garage Sales” and commentaries coming after it. Give English definitions to the words and expressions in bold print. Answer the questions.

Garage Sales

One of the things I like to do on the weekends is go to garage sales. I’m a bargain hunter and collector, so garage sales are good places for me. I look in the newspapers or just follow homemade signs to find the sales in my neighborhood. Whether it’s because people are doing spring cleaning or getting ready to move, there are always plenty of sales in my area.

After going to a lot of garage sales, I’ve learned a few things about getting what I want at the price I want. Bargaining on price is par for the course at any garage sale. If you don’t want to get ripped off, you’ll try to get the sellers to lower their price. I’m an early bird and I usually get to the sales before other people to get the best items. But to get the best prices, be sure to go back right before the sale ends. Most people are desperate to sell so that they don’t have to store those things again or to lug them to a charityoffice to give them away. That’s when people are ready to slash their prices. It’s true that there is a lot of junk and knickknacksat garage sales. But one person’s trash is another person’s treasure!

(From ESL Podcast 277.)

· Who are garage sales a good place for?

· How can you find sales in the neighborhood?

· When are there plenty of sales in the area?

· How can you get what you want at a reasonable price?

· When can you get the best items at a sale?

· When can you get the best prices at a sale?

· What don’t most people want to do?

· What are garage sales normally filled with?

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 785