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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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lalind_lanna

Thailand

i like talking on the phone.. because the flavor of emotions in speech than writing.. especialy when i talk to mom or close friends.. ^^


and i like so much when someone who i love calling me..Kiss

02:30 PM Feb 27 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

> Mason we use them less as phones because they look less like phones.


Let me share with you those following lines… a story I’ll entitle



A Hell of a Phone



     Last time I met with my sister she saw my cell phone and started to laugh and teased me, “How do you turn this thing on? Does it have a crank on it somewhere?” “Haha!!” I sarcastically replied. She reached into her pocket and pulled out one sleek-looking phone, zigzagged her finger across its screen and turned it on. We didn’t have too much interaction after that; she just couldn’t keep her sight off that phone. I didn’t recognize her, not because I spent over 5 years without seeing her, in fact, she’d barely changed in appearance, but her behavior was different. My sister used to piggyback me at least twice a day; she’d give me a friendly punch each time we’d walk by one another, not anymore. Well, she did bump into me on some occasions during our last encounter, but it wasn’t done playfully, it was only because her head was buried in her cell phone screen. “Hey zombie, watch where you’re going” after I said that she looked up, smiled…oh by the way, that also didn’t change, then she punched me ; “ You punch like a girl” I joked although it hurt, she ignored me, bumped into a wall, her eyes still locked on her phone. I would owl-follow her, hoping to strike up a conversation when she let go of her “eye magnet gadget”, but that opportunity never showed, that was rather irritating. I always had a mean look for her boyfriends, but for that device I only had sheer hatred.



     The morning after, I woke up rather abruptly after I felt something vibrating its way into my ear. Through my fuzzy vision I could see her naughty grinning face and her middle finger waving at me, so I mushed her face with a pillow, then we both laughed it off. “What’s that smell? You fixed breakfast! I’m shocked “I asked. “It WAS breakfast, how do you manage to sleep for so long?, it’s passed noon!” she wondered.
I chuckled and joked “Let’s see what mess you made in that kitchen, shall we?”
“Aren’t you going to brush your teeth? Yikes!” she asked sticking her tongue out in disgust.
“It’s passed noon like you said, my teeth have to wait another day” I replied.
     We sat around the table, all three of us; her, myself and…well, not my brother he had already left for work; so it was her, myself, and her cell phone ,with a nice pitcher of orange juice as centerpiece. She barely touched her pasta marinara. I wanted to yank that phone off her palm and smash it over the wall, but instead I asked: “Walk me through some of the features that ‘special phone’ has, I might treat myself to one too”. I didn’t have to ask twice, her face lit up like a Christmas tree at my request. She quickly pushed her plate to the side and sat her phone in its place and said “Scoot over, you’ll love it, this phone has everything, it’s so addicting…” I slid closer to her and she just couldn’t stop talking. “My favorite is this feature…” she went on and on “My second favorite feature is …” She really knew that phone in and out, like she created the blueprint herself. She was right, that phone could do everything but walking your dog and fixing you coffee, I was amazed and wouldn’t mind having one. Her fingers we all jittery over the phone, her lips couldn’t stop moving. I glued around the table for hours listening to her comparing her phone to any other phone on earth, every now and then she’d take a brief pause to send out a quick text message, and then she’d go on drilling a hole in my head with her unceasing praises for her phone. Suddenly her phone rang and interrupted her raving; she excused herself left the table her cell phone pressed over her ear. I sat at the table and asked myself what had happened to the sisterly love and attention I used to get. We didn’t share a word for the rest of the day.


     The next morning I woke up even later than the morning before, maybe because there wasn’t a wet finger down my ear to disturb my peaceful sleep anymore. I picked up my beeping phone and read a text message, it was from her: “Goodbye, I didn’t want to wake you up, see you soon”. She had already left and I rue I didn’t get the chance to see her off at the airport. It came to my realization that she and I didn’t make the best out of our meeting, the only highlight we had was the time we spent talking about her phone.


So I guess I should be grateful to technology for allowing me to salvage a conversation out of my sister, maybe I should thank her phone for bringing her and I closer around that table that day, right?



     I’m sorry Smartphone this is not the kind of relationship I used to have with my beloved sister. The closeness you brought us was not the kind we grew up with, the conversation we had revolved solely around you. I couldn’t sink the sight of her eyes in because they were fixed on you. What I saw wasn’t my sister although it looked strikingly liked her; it was just a humanoid version of her, another soul you’ve zombified. My sister would never texted me goodbye; No! That can’t be her; my real sister would have hugged me; she would have punched my shoulder and say “Goodbye, I love you little brother”.


     It’s a shame to see how everybody from all ages and walks of life idolize those phones; it’s a matter of time before those electronic devices squeezes their ways in our family portraits. When you rely on Facebook to notify you of your friend’s birthday, when your followers on Twitter know more about you than your parents, when you only show your true face through Youtube videos, when you text your feelings to a loved one, when your grandparents can only see you through Skype, you have to think how close are you really to those people. Are those social networks making you any more sociable? Like I said in one of my previous post I think technology had made it very convenient to disconnect to traditional interface, it had made okay to be away. Sure we’ll keep in touch but without touching each other.


Awkward scenario:
“Give Grandma a kiss”
—“Daddy, I’m only kissing a screen”


     Saturday morning, to my most surprise my mother texted me “hey!” So instead of texting her back I called her and we stayed on the phone for hours, she helped me fixed breakfast, I burned a couple of pancakes and told her “Mom, those are the worst pancakes ever, thank goodness I had some good syrup” we laughed. I even heard my younger siblings laughing too; it was like I was among them. I didn’t get off the phone until late. Now tell me, if I could get that same family experience through texting, No! Call me old fashioned but I choose talking on the phone over texting


Tongue out 


 

02:21 PM Feb 27 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

@ Ola33 > : )

02:04 PM Feb 27 2012 |

Magna

Magna

Brazil

I think is more practice to keep in touch through text because when we do a phone call we end to spend, a desnecessary, time talking about unimportant things.

01:36 PM Feb 27 2012 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

Julito, I was sitting in a cafe one day and one woman was talking so loud and she said that sth was “itchy”. Wow, I thought what was that might be. At the same time it was gross and ruined my beautiful moment of talking to my tea… silently! But that woman was talking so loud. Turn it down, turn it down.. people’s got ears and we don’t need to hear that…

01:20 PM Feb 27 2012 |

Defang

Defang

France

Generally when I want to know something about someone like, to know what the person is going to do in the evening, it requires just a short answers so I much prefer to text.


If I want to speak more I prefer talk with the person face to face.


In fact, phone call is just boring, when someone calls me I’m always doing something else at the same time, so that disturbs me.

01:11 PM Feb 27 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

I  agree with Beatrice that  people should be discreet  at certain places  not to talk  loudly ,it might be that others  are not interested  in hearing  all  the chit chat     hehehe

01:10 PM Feb 27 2012 |

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

SMS can be convenient sometimes, but cell phones and ordinary phones have been invented to talk to each other using your voices. 


Talking on the phone will never be old-fashioned. I have got a land line in my house and most of all I use it with my parents.  I use my cell phone with my parents, friends, family etc. too I use Skype like a “video-phone” as well. 


All ways of the communication are good. 


As for me, I prefer to talk by voice, of course. To type symbols through the cell phone is boring :( Despite of the high speed of my typing, SMS usually  takes long time  to write.


I’m very talkative person in real life. I spend hours and hours during the talks with my mother through the phone (cellphone). My mother lives 1500km away from me and I miss her and her voice so much. We talk about silly things too. We talk about everything we enjoy to talk. There is nothing bad in that, I think.


When my mother and I are together we also talk, talk and talk.


I love talkative women and I love talkative men. I understand such people much better than silent people.


I can be  less talkative with people. I’m sensible with the duration and quality of the talk when I’m in the formal surroundings.


We all must see the situation : where to talk and where do not talk. Wink

nfrtary

nfrtary

Egypt

well , i am mody person sometimes i couldn`t listn to any body or listen my ring phone so i was texting my friends to tell them that`s i am good and how about them or if i need any important thing from them but th other time i want to talk alot with my friends so i call them and we keep talking for hours so i think the both are important it`s depended …


you know sometime i was working or studing and my friend called me i know if i answer her i`ll talk with her for an hour at least and i didn`t have time so i cancelled her and text her ( hi friend sry i haven`t time now so we can talk soon) it`s esasy and convenint in order  not  to lose your time. but some times you need to talk with your friends and say whatever you want it`s good for you

12:24 PM Feb 27 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

I have a land.line at home and  a pre.paid cell phone  to receive calls,  for me is very convenient and cheaper  to text  and I do most of the times. Both are necessary .  

11:50 AM Feb 27 2012 |

1 person likes this

lynn xu sanya

China

to my parent,i like talking in the phone every night,because when you are listening to them ,you know whether they are happy or healthy in fact.but to my friend i would prefer keeping in touch with them by messages ,because it wouldn’t distrub them.

11:48 AM Feb 27 2012 |

1 person likes this

Ashkan01

Ashkan01

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i like both of them,because sometimes you cant send text for example when you drive with car,and i think sometimes messages are usefull forexamplefor short ask about feels or something like that and text more cheaper than call in iran!


so i use both of them and i dont think call is an old fashion just is a kind of cominucation with friends and family.

11:38 AM Feb 27 2012 |

1 person likes this

sanitta

sanitta

Morocco

for me i prefer text messages,but sometimes i use d land line to talk longer with my friends or family nd get things in details :)

11:32 AM Feb 27 2012 |

1 person likes this

eagle 3ye

eagle 3ye

Pakistan

i like both, because both have his value, sometime i don’t want to talk someone then i have to use text, but some time call is more important than text then i used it both have their own value, 


if we talk about learning English then call make us fluent and enhance our speaking ability, on the other hand text enhance our writing ability and make us more conscious about our spelling.


Friend what you thing about my opinion???


 

10:04 AM Feb 27 2012 |

1 person likes this

nahar2001sa

Saudi Arabia

text better phone no controls on ur word

08:58 AM Feb 27 2012 |

FUN777

FUN777

Egypt

Actually, i don’t like talking on the phone at all, i always end my phone calls quickly. I don’t like texting too unless in important things or congratulations and courtesies, i prefer more getting together and meet personally in my opinion this is what keeping in touch means.

08:42 AM Feb 27 2012 |

tutorheatherSuper Member!

United States

I have never liked talking on the phone.


Well, let me take that back...


I suppose I did as a young teenager, but there was a lot to chat about back then. Homework, boys, shopping, music, boys…oh, and did I say boys? :-)  Each time the phone rang, my parents would assume it was for me and it drove them crazy. So, they set a curfew to restrict my phone time. I could only recieve calls between 6:30 PM and 8:00PM, but ONLY if my homework and chores were done. They were strict, but I am glad they were. It helped me to learn discipline and how to prioritize tasks.


But, I no longer like talking on the phone. Like many of you, I text, but my parents are in their 70s so they still use landlines. Other than with them, I don’t speak much on the phone. I work with my students through email and on Skype.


We are very lucky to have cell phones, though. In an emergency, they make the difference between being stranded and in danger and finding help. I feel safe when I have my cell phone in my pocket. I went for a long walk the other night (yes, it was freezing cold) and I started to have an asthma attack. I became really concerned when I noticed I had left my cell phone at home. Thankfully, I was right around the corner from my house and made it home in enough time to use my asthma inhaler so I didn’t have to call 911.  What a dunce I was to leave my phone (and my inhaler) at home!


I certainly learned my lesson that evening!


:)


Heather

08:35 AM Feb 27 2012 |

parsamary

parsamary

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I do’nt think talking on landline is oldfashioned :D I prefer calling my close friends rather than texting and we usually talk a lot as we don’t see each other often so… I prefer using a landline :))

08:30 AM Feb 27 2012 |

valanyang

China

I like taling to my friends or my parents or relatives on the phone. Because


 I can hear their sound and i like chatting。when i talk to them on the phone,i can release press and feel peaceful。

08:16 AM Feb 27 2012 |

Monaya

Monaya

Saudi Arabia

In fact, i don’t like to talk on the phone , but i keep in touch with my parents and my friends. Usually i talk on the phone if something happened or something imoprtant. But i think  phone it’s very important in our live especially now .


Thank you ^^

06:23 AM Feb 27 2012 |

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