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Wife and Husband |
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Wife and Husband |
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STEP 3 |
Listening and Checking with transcription |
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In this last step, listen to the conversation again while you read the transcription. Finally, read the glossary information and notes at the bottom. This step also means good practice for your reading comprehension skills. |
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This man has been probably fired from his job. There is a list of different emotional responses in their conversation: defensive, angry and hurt for the husband; scared and accusing for the wife. Let's listen to them... |
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Click on PLAY |
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WIFE |
And you didn't say anything? |
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HUSBAND |
No.
It wasn't worth it. |
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WIFE |
Why
not? |
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HUSBAND |
The
damage had been done. I couldn't do anything about it. |
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WIFE |
You
could have complained. |
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HUSBAND |
But
it was already done. And anyway, it was late and I was tired... |
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WIFE |
And
so you let them get
away with it. |
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HUSBAND |
It's not a matter of getting away with
anything... |
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WIFE |
Well,
they did. |
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HUSBAND |
I
don't think they actually planned it. |
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WIFE |
You
don’t have to plan it to get away with it. |
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HUSBAND |
"Getting
away with something" implies an intention to deceive. |
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WIFE |
Look,
don't play lawyer with me. They cheated
you and you let
it go by. |
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HUSBAND |
I
did not let it “go by”... and they did not cheat me. There was no
intent to cheat and there was no cheating. |
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WIFE |
You didn't get what you should have... |
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HUSBAND |
... might have. |
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WIFE |
Should
have.
And instead of insisting on your rights you just walk away. |
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HUSBAND |
Look... |
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WIFE |
And
then have the nerve to play lawyer with
me... Well? |
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HUSBAND |
Well,
what? |
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WIFE |
Well,
aren't you going to say something? Or are you just going to sit there? |
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HUSBAND |
You're
paranoid. |
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WIFE |
Paranoid? |
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HUSBAND |
You
think... |
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WIFE |
Me
paranoid? Me? |
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HUSBAND |
You
think that just bec... |
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WIFE |
Me ... paranoid. |
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HUSBAND |
You think that every misfunction is directed against you. That people are trying to cheat you. |
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WIFE |
Not
me ... you. And not trying to... but doing it. |
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HUSBAND |
Not
cheating. A mistake which you call cheating because it bothers
you. |
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WIFE |
And
not you. |
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HUSBAND |
It
bothers me too, but I realize these
things happen and I don't take them as personal attacks. |
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WIFE |
Maybe
not personal attacks, but mistakes which affect me directly... and I
just get angry when you don't say anything. You just let them get away
with it. |
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GLOSSARY & NOTES |
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fired = dismissed |
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defensive: Attempting to justify or defend; being "on the defensive". |
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scared = made afraid, frightened |
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accusing = incriminating |
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get away with: to be successful in avoiding punishment or repayment for something done; to avoid discovery of a questionable or evil deed. |
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play lawyer: behave as if he was a lawyer. |
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cheated you: betrayed you; deprived you of something by deceit. |
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let it go by: not to make an issue of it; not to notice or complain about it. |
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should have: Notice how the meanings of the auxiliaries should and might correspond to the difference in attitude: should implies an obligation, whereas might indicates a neutral possibility. |
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paranoid: afflicted with paranoia, a psychological disorder characterized by delusions of persecution. |
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misfunction: malfunction. Fail to function or function improperly. |
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bothers: annoys, causes disturbance. |
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Source: English Teaching Forum - Authors: Kathleen Seley & Lewis Barnett |
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OM PERSONAL MULTIMEDIA ENGLISH: Desde 1999 en
Internet © Orlando Moure - Todos los Derechos Reservados |
