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Telephone conversations to help improve your listening skills. Here are some more crank calls those funny telephone calls that are designed to wind people up. Have fun listening to these two. (US English spelling).
Crank Call I - Car For Sale
For this call we put a classified ad in the local newspaper advertising our car for sale (see ad). It didn’t take long for the phones to start ringing. This is the conversation we had with one of the callers. Listen to the conversation and answer this question: What are the two main problems with the car?
Victim: Oh, hello, I was phoning about the car. I saw an ad…
Hot: Oh, yes, the car. Yes, it’s for sale.
Victim: How many miles does it have on the clock?
Hot: About 200,000.
Victim: And what sort of condition is it in?
Hot: It’s looking pretty good, apart from the wheels falling off this morning.
Victim: The wheels?
Hot: Yes, it must have been the glue I used.
Victim: Glue?
Hot: Yes, one of the wheels just fell off and I put it back on with glue.
Victim: You’re kidding. Has the car got air conditioning?
Hot: Erm, sort of. You know, since I took the doors, took off the doors there’s a nice through draught.
Victim: Get out of here!
Hot: You are very rude, if I may say so.
Victim: Yeah, right.
Hot: Oh, right, bye!
Crank Call II - The Music Teacher
For this call we answered an advert that we found in a local paper offering work as a music teacher in a local school. Listen to the conversation and answer this question: In your opinion, why wasn’t the school impressed with us?
School: Hello, the Isaac Newton Grammar School, how can I help?
Hot: Hi, this is Brian and I saw your ad in the paper for a new music teacher.
School: Oh, very good. What sort of experience do you have?
Hot: Yes, I have some experience.
School: Well, what experience do you have?
Hot: I played in an orchestra for three years.
School: Oh, very interesting. Which one?
Hot: Erm, I’ve forgotten.
School: Well, what instruments do you play?
Hot: I’ve been learning the electronic organ.
School: The electric organ?
Hot: Yes, I can play it really well. Listen. (sound of organ being played, badly)
School: Well, that wasn’t really the standard of musical knowledge that we were looking for…
Hot: Oh, please, I really need the job… listen, I can play “Happy Birthday” too…
School: No, I was… (hangs up)
Glossary
to wind someone up phr vb to irritate someone and make them angry
bodywork n the outside part of a car
MOT n a test to see if your car is legally acceptable to go on the road
ONO abbr this means: Or Nearest Offer. So, in the advert, it means 500 pounds, more or less
a classified ad n some text you put in a newspaper offering to buy or sell something
a local newspaper n a newspaper from the area you are referring to a caller n a person who telephones you
on the clock exp recorded in the car
pretty good exp quite good
wheels n the four round objects that a car travels on
glue n a substance used to stick things together usually paper
you're kidding exp this expressions means: you are joking
a through draught n a current of air that makes a place cold. |
