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Talking on the Phone
简体
Talking on the Phone
电话沟通

Learn about Gerunds and Infinitives

Date: Feb 27 2012

Themes: Friend, Tech

Grammar: Gerunds vs. Infinitives

Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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These days, your phone probably doesn’t ring as often as it used to. But that doesn’t mean you have fewer friends. It’s just that they’d all rather text than call.

Wouldn’t you? Sending a text just seems so convenient. You don’t have to waste time talking about things that don’t matter, like how you’re doing and what you’ve been up to. You can get straight to the point.

But not everyone agrees. Some people still appreciate a good old fashioned phone call. Hear Marni and Mason discuss talking on the phone.

这些天,你的电话铃声可能不像以前那样频繁响起。但这并不意味着你的朋友少了。只是他们全都改发短信而不打电话了。
你为什不呢?发送短信似乎更加方便。你不需要浪费大量时间聊那些不重要的事情,比如你正在做什么和一直在做什么之类。你可以开门见山。
但不是每个人都喜欢用短信联系。有些人依旧很喜欢惬意、老套地打电话。听听玛尼和梅森关于电话沟通的讨论。

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Mason

Marni

Marni

Mason:  Have you noticed that as our phones get fancier we talk on them less as phones?

Marni:  Yes, I have noticed that, and I have to say, texting on smart phones has revolutionized our way that we have conversations with people.

Mason:  Right. It’s like I don’t really want to talk to anybody anymore.

Marni:  Right. I just wanna write you this quick message and get my point across, and there you go.

Mason:  And not hear all the totally irrelevant things that you have to say, right?

Marni:  Exactly.

Mason:  Don’t you, though, have like family members or whatever that, you know, are from the older generations, and they keep wanting to actually call and talk to you?

Marni:  Well, yes. My parents live out of state, so I do keep in touch with them. I use Skype a lot, but sometimes we just talk on the phone, and I actually still have a land line for that purpose.

Mason:  What!

Marni:  Because when I do talk to people, I want to talk to them, and I hate talking on cell phones.

Mason:  Honestly, I’m imagining just the sound of an old telephone, and that’s so weird to me, because I only have mine on vibrate. Like, I would be really upset if there was a phone ringing off the hook in my house now. That would bother me.

Marni:  Yeah. It’s sort of this…it’s kind of fascinating. It’s sort of like a relic of the past. But our ringer’s only on…it only rings three times. And I have to tell you, it doesn’t ring all that often.

 

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Discussion

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Mason says that he doesn’t talk on his phone very much anymore. He uses it to send text messages or go on the Internet instead.

Marni agrees that it is more convenient to send a text message than to call someone. In a text message, you can get straight to the point and not waste time. But sometimes, Marni still likes to talk on the phone. She likes to keep in touch with her parents, who live in a different state, by talking on the phone.

Marni doesn’t like talking on cell phones. So she keeps a land line in her house for having longer phone conversations. Mason is impressed that she still has a land line, because to most people, land lines are old fashioned. But Marni says she doesn’t use hers very much anymore.

Do you like talking on the phone, or do you prefer to text? Do you think talking on the phone is an old fashioned way to keep in touch?

 

Comments

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elsapo

elsapo

Dominica

now a day nobody likes to talk on the phone, the black berry gots everyone texting. and texting

12:07 AM Feb 28 2012 |

cheer manal

Morocco

Lately my cell phone seldom rings. my friends and i when we can´t get the chance to meet up,mostly we are just texting to keep in touch. i only receive calls when it comes to something important a courtsey or something urgent. but with family,as we have a land line we call each other all the time, we speak for hours even just saying silly things…i go for listening to the voice of people i know ,and have a warm moment than just settling for text messages.

11:12 PM Feb 27 2012 |

MUHAMMAD92

MUHAMMAD92

Saudi Arabia

i agree with marni.

10:52 PM Feb 27 2012 |

Fernandinha

Brazil

I talk on the phone when I want to hear the voice of the other person, or when I’m in a hurry. It’s faster to call than to text. It’s my strategy, specially at work.

08:56 PM Feb 27 2012 |

m.ania

m.ania

Poland

I can’t send  text message to my mum , it will be strange to her !


but sms to my friends why not?


07:21 PM Feb 27 2012 |

jouana

Lebanon

I don’t like to talk on phone too much but sometimes i need to talk to my friends and my family backhome i usually use skype more than i use phone but i hate to text because some people use it just for show off and i hate it more when you visit someone and all the time looking on the phone and texting .

07:17 PM Feb 27 2012 |

whipiry

whipiry

South Korea

For me, texting is handier to me. keeping the land line is useful at home , too. It’ less harmful to health cause its eletronic wave.

06:30 PM Feb 27 2012 |

i love life

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

Actually It.s depend on the topic if there is an necessity to talk why not .



I think now we prefer use text message more than conversation phone call .



mostly of people like anything cheap we aren’t  looking to the quality sometimes for me I prefer use text message I feel free when I use my phone by messages .



often I think someone is listening to me when I talk during phone .



We are seeking to the privacy , I love use phone made from nokia company there are a lot of specification if you want to use .



Really these days the phone has became a part of our lives .



We should thank Globalization   for everything is easy to use these days 

06:24 PM Feb 27 2012 |

ana karnia

ana karnia

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Well,if I want to ask about my homework or s.th like that I will send a SMS to my friends.But sometimes you need to talk to someone or you miss s.b I think in that way we need to hear that person`s voice.Usually messages don`t transfer feelings like voice.So it is not an old fashioned way to keep in touch.

05:52 PM Feb 27 2012 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

Yes, thanks! Taylor Swift. Ok, gotta run a few errands :) It was a nice chat.


Have a nice day!

03:33 PM Feb 27 2012 |

1 person likes this

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Taylor Swift


I’ve seen street performers that were funnier than Downey’s show  an  act supposedly written by so called best writers, now you see how shallow hollywood has become


: )


 

03:31 PM Feb 27 2012 |

1 person likes this

ola33

ola33

Japan

Snoopy, you mean Kayneys’ comment coming from heart about what’s-her- face blond singer with curly hair. When she was getting an award and he said that Beyonce was the best singer ever. Well, that’s a spontaneous remark. I can’t blame that, but he ruined the party, true. Couldn’t control himself.


With Downey and Gweneth at Oscar—all is a set up and has been written by supposedly the best from the best writers. And it wasn’t funny at all.

03:25 PM Feb 27 2012 |

1 person likes this

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

now back to phones and texting and social websites : )

03:18 PM Feb 27 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

How many Oscars ceremonies does Hollywood have a year?


And how many times have we seen those staged dramatic moments?


I’m tired of actors turning these ceremonies into broadway shows or somekind of comedy skits.


: )


(well, it that were true, Downey had really  made Kanye look like a saint : )

03:16 PM Feb 27 2012 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

Julito,  Robert Downey cut off Gwyneth Paltrow yesterday at Oscars.


http://news.softpedia.com/news/Oscars-2012-Robert-Downey-Jr-Cuts-Off-Gwyneth-Paltrow-255159.shtml


 

03:07 PM Feb 27 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Most people use noise cancelling headphones when they’re on public transits for that purpose you state , Julito and as far as I know it’s legit

03:06 PM Feb 27 2012 |

1 person likes this

 julito

julito

Argentina

Some people are so abusive  by  talking loudly on the cell phone that someone came up with a device  that were sold online that enables you to cut off the communication of that person.I don’t know ifis still on the market because  it  was ruled   unlawful to do this.

03:01 PM Feb 27 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Or you text first you do the dishes


: )

02:53 PM Feb 27 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

> Beatrice, i like this game.


: )

02:51 PM Feb 27 2012 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

I agree with Snoopyboy, that smartphones and all those gadgets turn us into zombies with the not-saying-anything look that always fixated on the screen no matter what you do. It’s addiction. All things that occupy your mind are those text messages. You stop reading books, get interested in the news and other stuff. Your whole world is so closed revolving around your facebook friends. It’s socializing of nowadays. We used to talk to each other while hanging out in the playground, nowadays it’s all confined to a “solitary” room with another “fellow” - smartphone.


I used to talk on the phone a lot. Now, not  that much. Only a couple of words with friends who always busy too. Funny, the other day I also was telling the recepies to my Mom. I think it will work. Anyway, I’m much old fashioned to the point of meeting people and talking to them rather then socializing over the phone and let alone texting. But, paradoxically, I like forum’s socilizing media. I think it kills many birds - you learn sth, you share sth, you socialize and it’s anonymous.

02:44 PM Feb 27 2012 |

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