General Listening Quiz

Listen to the recording and read along with the conversation. Review the key vocabulary and the sample sentences.

Girl: Dad, can I go to a movie with Sharon?

Dad: Yeah, sure, but wait. Weren’t you supposed to get a report card sometime this past week?

Girl: Well, yeah. Can I call Sharon now?

Dad: Uh-hum. You didn’t answer my question. Did you receive it or not?

Girl: I love you, Dad! You’re the best!

Dad: Don’t try to butter me up. I can guess that your answer means that you didn’t do well in some of your classes?

Girl: Well, my English teacher’s soooo boring, and he blows up every time someone talks.

Dad: In other words, you’re not doing so well?

Girl: Uh, a C . . . minus.

Dad: Oh. Well, how are you doing in your Spanish class? You said you liked that one.

Girl: Well, I do, but I forgot to turn in a couple of assignments, and I had problems on the last test. All those verbs tripped me up. I get them all mixed up in my head!

Dad: Okay, and what about algebra?

Girl: Ah, I’m acing that class. No sweat.

Dad: Oh!

Girl: Can I go now?

Dad: And how are you doing in history?

Girl: Oh, that’s my favorite class. Mr. Jones is always passing out candy if you know the answers to his questions.

Dad: Great. Now, I have a bright daughter with tooth decay.

Girl: Ah, Dad. Can I go now?

Dad: You can go if you answer my history question. How old am I?

Girl: Uh, fifty-five?

Dad: Fifty-five! You just failed a math and history test at the same time!

Girl: Dad . . .

Dad: Well, okay, but you need to come straight home from the movie, and you need to practice your clarinet.

Girl: Oh, I forgot about that grade.

Dad: What?

Girl: Gotta run, Dad.

• suppose (verb): do what you should do based on rules or expectations 
  – I was supposed to turn in my homework today, but I forgot to bring it.
• butter up (verb): to flatter with the purpose of getting something 
  – It is no use trying to butter her up. She won’t forget that YOU forgot to call her on her birthday last week.
• blow up (verb): to get angry suddenly 
  – My dad blew up when he found out I failed two classes.
• trip up (verb): to cause to make mistakes 
  – The first question on the test tripped me up, and I lost my concentration on the rest of the test.
• ace (verb): do very well on an assignment or test 
  – I can’t believe she aced the test because she didn’t study much last night.
• no sweat (idiom): no problem, something that is easy to do 
  – I’ll get a perfect score on the chemistry test. No sweat.
• pass out (phrasal verb): give something to each member of a group 
  – The teacher passed out the assignment at the end of class.
• bright (adjective): smart or intelligent 
  – There are plenty of bright straight A students in that class.
• tooth decay (noun): the gradual process of the tooth going bad, sometimes caused by poor dental care and eating habits 
  – Eating too many sweets and not brushing your teeth will cause tooth decay.
• straight (adverb): immediately or directly 
  – I usually go straight home after work to have dinner with my family.