| Level: | Topic: | Speakers: | Length: |
| easy | everyday activities | man and woman | 01:20 |
Pre-Listening Exercise
Idioms
“burn the candle at both ends” = work to excess that affects your physical and emotional well-being
“It’s just not wise to burn the candle at both ends; it’s just impossible to work full time, go to school, and spend time with family.”
“work one’s tail off” = work very hard
“I have to work my tail off just to pay my rent.”
Listening Exercise
A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.
What time does the man get up?
Man: Well, I usually get up around 5:00 a.m. and work on the computer until 6:00 a.m.
What time does he get to work?
Man: Well, I have to leave home at twenty to seven (6:40 a.m.) so I can catch a bus at 7:00 o'clock . It takes me about twenty minutes to walk to the bus stop from my house. Uh, my bus takes about an hour to get there, but it stops right in front of my office.
What does he do with his family around 6:30 p.m.?
Man: Uh, around 5:00 o'clock. Then, we eat dinner around 6:30, and my wife and I read and play with the kids until 8:00 or so.
What do the man and his wife do after the kids go to bed?
Man: Well, my wife and I often watch TV or talk until 10:00 o'clock. She then often reads while I work on my site, and I sometimes stay up until the early hours of the morning, but I try to finish everything by one or two.
What is one thing the man does NOT say about his wife?
Man: But I think my wife has the toughest job. She spends her whole day taking care of our family . . . taking the kids to school, working in the garden, buying groceries, taking the kids to piano lessons . . . [Wow!] It's a full-time job, but she enjoys what she does.
Vocabulary Practice
Do the vocabulary quizzes using the words from the conversation for more practice:
Post-Listening Exercise
Online Investigation
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