Listening

Jessica's Class Reunion 1

Jessica is 35 years old.

She graduated from middle school 20 years ago.

This year her middle school class had its 20-year class reunion(团圆). 

All of her classmates and teachers were invited to attend.

It was going to be at a hotel near where their school used to be. 

Like many other buildings, the school had been torn down.

It had been replaced by some apartment buildings.

At first she wasn't sure if she could go to the reunion.

One reason was that there wasn't anyone in particular that she wanted to see. 

Another reason was that she was very busy.

She was a working mother, with a boy 8 years old and a husband who was rarely at home.

Going to the reunion meant that she would have to arrange for someone to take care of things while she was away. 

That wouldn't be easy.

She didn't want to take her boy with her, and her husband wouldn't take time off from work. 

Then she got a message from Sharon, one of her old classmates.

Sharon was contacting people from their class and urging everyone to come.

In their school days, Sharon was class monitor, and now she was helping to organize the reunion

They exchanged messages, and Jessica said she couldn't make it. 

Then Sharon gave her a call and they talked for almost an hour.

Sharon really wanted her to come, and so did a couple of Jessica‘s' old friends.

 They were all wondering how she was doing.

None of them had seen or heard from her since graduation.

They were especially curious since she hadn't gone to their first reunion 10 years before.

Jessica's Class Reunion 2

Jessica decided to arrange things so that she could go.

Her husband finally agreed to take care of things while she was away.

He agreed to do it because her mother had offered to come and stay for a while so Jessica could attend the reunion.

Since he and her mother didn't get along, he decided to change his schedule and work from home for a few days. 

He really didn't want her mother to come, though he didn't say so.

Once she got to the reunion, she was shocked.

Everyone had aged so much, and many were out of shape.

Some who used to be good-looking had lost their looks completely and others looked much better than before. 

It was strange how time had changed people in such different ways.

Anyway, she decided that since she was there, she would try to enjoy it.

Vocabulary

Actions anf Change 

To replace something means to put something else in its place.

When something gets old and begins to break down, it may need to be replaced.

The person who replaces someone is the person's replacement.

To tear something down means to break it apart.

To tear a person down means to hurt them by saying negative things about them.

It may take a long time to tear down a big building.

To construct something means to build it or put it together.

Large construction projects include buildings, bridges and organizations. 

The opposite of constructive is destructive.

To be constructive means to help build an idea or process by contributing something helpful, such as positive feedback.

To organize something means to arrange things in an orderly logical way.

An organization is something that has logical structure such as a well-managed company.

Some people are poorly organized, so they have a hard time finding things. 

They are too disorganized to get anything done on time.

An event or party can be well organized, poorly organized or completely disorganized.

When things are not arranged well, you need to organize.

To support something such as an idea is to help add strength to it. 

The opposite of support is to undermine or weaken.

If you support someone, it means you are trying to help them succeed.

To work against someone means to undermine them, or make them less effective.

Types of Information

Public information is available to anyone who wants to know it. 

If a store is open to the public, it means anyone can come in.

A public company makes its shares available for purchase by any investor. 

Many people make money by investing in public companies.

Anyone can invest in a public company by buying its shares.

Information about one's secret hopes and dreams is usually private.

Private information is not open to everyone, but is only available to trusted friends or family.

You had better keep information about your passwords private or you may lose a lot. 

The password to your bank account is private information.

Most people keep their personal information private.

Confidential information is secret information.

Confidential information is not supposed to be shared with others.

Revealing confidential(机密) information may be illegal.

Gossip is information that is often exchanged because it's exciting or fun, even though it may not be true. 

Office gossip is often entertaining, but it can also be damaging.

When people gossip, they may hurt someone by spreading false or embarrassing information.

Opinions are what people think or feel about something as opposed to factual information. 

Factual information is based on facts or evidence, but opinions are what people think or feel.

Someone's opinion is what they think or feel about something.

Opinions often differ, and when they do people may argue.

Dialogue

A Customer Compliant

M：Is this the Ace service center? 

W：Yes, it is, sir. May I help you?

M：Yes, I'm calling to complain about your service.

W：Certainly, sir. I'm sorry to hear that. Let me see if there is something I can do to help you. Please tell me what happened.

M：I ordered a new washing machine on your website. It was more than a week ago.

W：Before you go on, may I have your order number please? 

M：Sure, it's ABC1005.

W：And may I have the last four digits of your social security number? 

M：I don't have a social security number. I'm an illegal alien.

W：Very funny sir. OK, then, what is your first pet's name? 

M：Mister Kitty.

W：OK. I see your order information. Now, what's the problem?

M：I ordered a washing machine and paid for it. Then I chose a delivery date from a set of choices. It was supposed to be delivery today, but it's still not here.

W：Did anyone contact you?

M：No, I haven't received any messages. 

W：I'm sorry to hear that, sir.

W：I see here that the washing machine you ordered hasn't arrived in our warehouse yet. It can't be delivery until next week.

M：You don't even have it yet? Why haven't I been notified? I took time off from work to be at home today.

W：You should have been notified, by phone or email.

M：I wasn't. I haven't received any notification. This is very upsetting. 

W：I understand, sir. I'm really sorry for this.

M：Being sorry isn't enough. I'm really upset. This is no way to do business. 

W：Yes, sir. I understand.

W：I can send you a 50 dollar gift coupon as a way to express our appreciation for your patience.

M：I don't care about the money. I don't blame you of course. But I want you to know how disappointed I am with ACE. I expected a much better service.

W：I'm really sorry, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you? 

M：Yes, there is. I'd like to cancel the order and get the refund.

W：I'm sorry to hear that, sir. But I understand. I'll see to what you get your refund.

M：How long will it take before I get the refund?

W：You should see the credit on your credit card billing statement. 

M：Thanks for your help.

W：You're welcome, sir. And once again, please accept my apologies.