剑桥国际英语教程第四册Uint1Uint5听力.docx

剑桥国际英语教程第四册Uint1Uint5听力Luis:Well, I guess the biggest change in my life over the last five years is that I got married. I used to be single, and now Im not! I used to enjoy going out with friends every weekend- I liked to stay at home, watch TV- that kind of thing. Its not so bad. I guess you could say that I grew up- I was tired of going out all the time and ready to settle down and start a family. Celine: for me the change has been with my work. I used to work in a large company. I worked in their corporate headquarters downtown in the accounting department. It was a great job- good money, decent benefits. When I first started at that company, I was very young and very ambitions. But after a while, I got tired of it. I was so unhappy there, and the commute was killing me! But one evening two years ago, I attended a seminar on working for yourself-you know, being self-employed and starting your own company. So I quit my job and gave it a try. It was scary at first, but after a little while I could see it was going to work out just fine for me. I couldnt be happier. Diana: Gosh, five years ago I was a completely different person. You wouldnt have recognized me if youd seen me then! I talk a lot now, but I was more reserved then. And I hardly exercised at all. I never played any sports and rarely spent time outside. I was in terrible shape and worried about my health. But all that changed when I met my friend Judy. See, she convinced me to start slowly, you know, by walking every morning before work and swimming twice a week. Well, now I spend most of my free time outside- hiking, swimming when the weathers good, playing tennis or racquetball- those kinds of things. Im in pretty good shape now and feeling wonderful. Luis: Well, my wife is always saying that Im not very good with money, not practical at all. Shes always teasing me about spending habits, but shes right. When I see something I want, I just go and buy it, even if it is something I dont really need. I guess I waste a lot of our money. Were expecting our first child in December, and now that theres going to be three of us, well , I think I do need to be more careful. Celine: working at home has been a real struggle. Its been a lot harder than I imagined. I need to be more organized, thats for sure. So, Ive decide to hire at a part-time secretary- you know, someone who can come in couple of times a week and help out with me phones, the filing, and just clean up in general. Im so busy that sometimes I kind of let things get out of hand- the office gets really messy! I sure could use some help. Diana: Well, I started mountain climbing a year and a half ago, and I just love it. Well, the next step for me is to concentrate on that sport and see where I can go with it. Id love to someday- say, five or ten years form now- go mountain climbing in the Himalayas. They have some of the highest and most beautiful mountains in the world. That would be a real adventure! But before I do anything like that, I have to practice, practice, practice! And I have to get stronger mentally as well as physically. Paul: So, Andrea, you going home for the holidays? Andrea: I sure am. Ive booked a fight for tomorrow afternoon and I cant wait! Paul: That sounds great. Andrea: What about you? Going home, too? Paul: I havent decide yet. I m still debating Andrea: Havent decide? Oh, youre never going to get a flight out of there. Im sure all the seats have been reserved by now. Its the holiday season, after all! Paul: Well, its not such a big deal for me. My family only lives about a hundred and fifty miles from here. I usually drive or take the train. Its a short trip. Andrea: You dont sound very excited about it. Paul: Well, we are not really a very close-knit family. I have three brothers, and theyre spread out all over the place. One lives on the East Coast and the other on the West Coast. I even have a brother in Montreal! Andrea: oh, wow! What does he do? Paul: Translation work! Its kind of strange, but we rarely get together as family anymore. Andrea: Well, I try to get home as much as possible. Were a big family- there are six of us children- so its always a lot of fun. Paul: Six children? Andrea: Yep! And were all really close. You should see it- most of us are married, too, so it makes for a very crowded house over the holidays. Paul: I can imagine. Andrea: of course. There are too many people to cook dinner for. Its a real headache for my parents. So we end up going out to dinner a lot. Its pretty crazy. Paul: Well, at my house my mother loves to cook. So, when all of us do get home- which isnt that often- she always cooks big, homemade meals. We have leftovers for days!