Green Life. Class 109
Tom: Hello! Sue! It’s nice to see you today! You seem to always be chatting on the
internet. Every time that I log onto my favorite chat sites I see that you are
already logged on normally and chatting away to others.
Sue: It’s good to see you too Tom! Yes, I have finished my senior middle school’s study now, so I have a lot of free time to relax myself in. I think the weather is so unusual these days. It’s only the sixth month of this year, but already the temperature has increased to 35 degrees. It’s so hot and uncomfortable outside so I’m staying inside where it’s air-conditioned.
Tom: Yes! Now I often operate the electric fan for the whole night after I hop into bed of an evening. I really can’t stand this weather. Sometimes, I even think I will go to pieces if it keeps up. I don’t know what I can do for the next two months in regard to outdoor activities. Do you know the reason for this change in the weather Sue?
Sue: Um…. We have failed in our duty to nature in my opinion I think! That is the main reason. We are over
consuming and making too many demands on the environment. Now we are
causing it to break down and this is causing this strange weather.
Tom: Our duty? No! No! No! I can’t believe that we are the cause of this strange
weather!
Sue: But it’s the truth. We have made this trouble for ourselves through overuse of the natural environment that used to surround us. Trees are very useful for this earth for instance. They can take in carbon and release oxygen. But people cut down so many trees to build houses and so on. So the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is gradually becoming more and more. Also the trees are no longer there to shade the earth.
Tom: Oh, yes now I remember, I listened to my teacher talking about that before. He said that increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air can lead to conditions becoming hotter on earth.
Sue: Not only trees, but also many other things are having an effect on the climate. They have all lead to this situation together.
Tom: For example?
Sue: Well for instance people often throw rubbish and household liquid wastes into rivers. So such activities affect rivers as they become dirtier and contain less oxygen. This results in the death of fish and wildlife. Secondly, some factories release lots of carbon into the air from employing poor technology. They are just two reasons.
Tom: Oh, it’s too bad! But what can we do to fix such problems?
Sue: We should do things with more consideration to the environment. First off, we should be conscientious in doing things the right way. Second, we should do what we can to protect the environment in our daily life.
Tom: But how can we protect the environment?
Sue: Oh! It’s so easy. Don’t throw rubbish on the ground. And prevent others from
doing such things. Don’t overeat or build a house bigger than you need as these
activities overtax the environment..
Tom: Yes! I will try my best to protect the environment in the future.
Sue: Our government is trying its best to protect the environment also. It is carrying out many policies to clean up the problems that have been made.
Tom: I think our earth will be more beautiful in the future by the sound of things.
Sue: Yes. We can have a green life if we change our outlook towards nature. I have
some things to do now Tom! So goodbye..
Tom: Goodbye, Sue!
Borrow Now, Suffer Later. Story by Andrew Davison.
Jill: Wow, Sid what made you buy such an expensive car?
Sid: Oh, no reason really! I just bought it because I’ve always wanted a
flash car, that’s all!
Jill: How on earth could you afford to buy it?
Sid: Huh. easy, I got a loan from the bank!
Jill: You’ll be paying high interest on a car loan, right?
Sid: Its okay, I’ve got a part time job as well as my normal job!
Jill: You won’t have any time spare to drive it if you’re working two jobs!
Sid: I’ve got the weekends free!
Jill: You should have saved the money first instead of having to pay lots
of interest on it to the bank.
Sid: That’s what dad said! He told me that I should’ve got an old car first
off until I could afford a new car but I couldn’t wait after seeing the car in
the showroom. I just had to have it now!
Six months later.
Jill: Hi Sid, how’s your flash car going?
Sid: It’s gone the bank repossessed it!
Jill: How come, couldn’t you keep up the payments?
Sid: No I couldn’t cause the company I was working for went broke so
they had to close the factory! No job, no money, car bye, bye!
Jill: Oh that’s tough having to say bye, bye to your new flash car huh?
Sid: Yes, my old boss gave me a good job reference but theirs lots
looking for a job these days!
Jill: Gee I hope you find a job soon!
Sid: I think I’ve got one but I won’t know until next Monday.
Jill: I suppose you’ll be back to the bank for a new car loan soon then!
Sid: Hey cut it out! I’ve learned my lesson. I won’t be getting another car
on credit after the last loan experience besides I still have to pay the bank
some money to make up the difference on what I owed them and what
they sold the car for.
Jill: Wow, hard lesson huh?
Sid: Yep, it certainly was! I don’t fancy having to keep paying the bank
money for a car that I don’t have anymore!
Jill: My dad won’t have anything to do with banks. He says they’re only
nice to you when you’ve got money; the same as a bad friend.
Sid: At least a bad friend will leave you alone when you’re broke but my
bank keeps sending me nasty letters non stop.
Jill: Sounds like you’re going to become like my dad!
Sid: You’re right there!
City Life. By Tom.
1. Tom: I thought that I would like living in a big city, but I don’t!
2. Sue: Oh, I’d like to try life in a place like Shanghai where you are now. I’ve never
experienced downtown life in the centre of a big city up till now!
3. Tom: Well, It’s all rush, rush, rush, most of the time. I’m finding it very stressful. Oh.
and everything is so expensive. You know stuff like accommodation, food,
eating out, plus getting about if you are in a hurry to get somewhere! Nope, I’m
a home town boy these days! You can have the city life all to yourself Sue!
4. Sue: But life in the country isn’t exciting at all. I don’t know where I can go to
here in Funing with my friends!
5. Tom: Well it’s even worse in a big city. There isn’t anywhere close to where I live to
go except a few parks. Here at least there are some interesting small country
towns nearby, that you can get to cheaply by bus.
6. Sue: I’ve had a dream to go to Disneyland in Hong Kong for some time! I think it
would be an interesting place to visit!
7. Tom: Yes, but those types of places are expensive to visit and after you’ve seen them
you are back to everyday life in a big city!
8. Sue: Can you tell me Tom why you came to China? Like, do you enjoy living here?
9. Tom: Yes, people are very friendly and family life is much stronger here, than it is in
the West nowadays! People are getting selfish, I mean self centered, they
only think of themselves and not of others back home in Australia these days
10. Sue: You are right, Chinese people are always very friendly, I think! In addition
Chinese food is very delicious. I think it tastes much better than stuff like
hamburgers from KFC.
11. Tom: Yuck, I agree, Western fast food is terrible for your health! However here in
China they put MSG into everything along with other chemicals. I can’t eat too
much at restaurants here as I get sick from the chemicals they add to improve
the taste of the food!
12. Sue: I’m trying to eat less and less now that I’ve finished my college examinations!
Also I’ve put aside snacking on chocolate and ice-cream! But it’s so, so
difficult, as I love to snack!
13. Tom: You can eat lots of green vegetables plus lots of other kinds of vegetables and
not put on weight. High starch foods like the different types of potatoes are not
good if you are trying to loose weight however! Sugar, grains like rice, and
meat plus fats and oils are all high calorie foods. But eating just a little meat,
fish or a couple of small eggs a day is okay, as you need some quality
protein and vitamin B12 to stay healthy.
14. Sue: I know but I don’t like vegetables at all! Now however, I’m learning to dance
with my girlfriends, I think it does me good, as it makes me strong and healthy.
15. Tom: You seem to spend a lot of time in your office at work. Most evenings you
seem to be working overtime and staying up late!
16. Sue: That’s true!
16. Tom: Why? Is your work so enjoyable?
17. Sue: Not at all, I’m afraid! I hate having to work overtime! I hate my dull, boring
boss who never pays my work friends and me anything for our overtime that
he makes us do!
18. Tom: That’s terrible! Why don’t you talk with him and stand up for your rights to get
paid for your overtime?
19. Sue: It’s impossible! First off he wouldn’t listen to me. Once I went to his office to
ask for a salary raise. He just stared at me and said in a loud voice “No Way”!
20. Tom: Your boss is a mean terrible man by the sound of things!
21. Sue: Yes, that’s the kind of person he is! Secondly I could’ve even been dismissed
when I asked for a raise as he has done that to other staff members before
when he has had an outbreak of anger. Although I don’t like my boss, I still
want to stay with the company. Actually I don’t know where I could get a
better job locally!
22. Tom: I think I’m luckier than you! I enjoy life on campus. I’ll get my master’s degree
soon.
23. Sue: Congratulations!
24. Tom: Thanks!
25. Sue: Have you got any plans for your life in the future?
26. Tom: Not yet! But I believe I’m going to have a great career!
27. Sue: Ha, a great career, are you planning to be a business manager?
28. Tom: A good idea just occurred to me! How about setting up a company with me?
My father has already told me that he would support me to open up a business!
29. Sue: Sounds great! Besides I’m tired of being stuck where I am as you already
