| Level: | Topic: | Speakers: | Length: |
| intermediate | college textbooks | man – woman | 01:51 |
Pre-Listening Exercise
What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying new or used books for school? Do you pay for your own books or do your parents pay for them? Do you pay cash or do you buy them using a credit card?
Idioms
“bookworm” = a person who spends a lot of time reading
“She’s a real bookworm, and she spends most of her free time reading.”
“hit the books” = study very hard
“You’d better hit the books hard tonight because the final test won’t be easy.”
Listening Exercise
A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.
The man is selling his science book, Today's World, for ____.
Carl: Well, let's see. I have a science book called, Today's World, and I'm selling it for thirty dollars.
The woman is surprised by the price because _____.
Ashley: Thirty? That's a little expensive for a beat-up book like that.
Which book does the woman NOT buy?
Ashley: Psh. I'll take the English book and the novel. I need both of those for sure.
The man's textbook on marriage is called, Finding the Perfect ____.
Ashley: Wait, wait, wait. Finding Your Perfect Someone. You're selling it for forty dollars? What's, what's this all about? And the price?
The man wants to study cooking because he ____.
Carl: Well, um, I have a friend who's into cooking, and she's [She?] . . . I mean, my friend's taking the class. I mean, ugh, does it really matter?
Vocabulary Practice
Do the vocabulary quizzes with the words from the conversation for more practice:
Post-Listening Exercise
What is your favorite Website for buying books? Do you think companies charge students too much for textbooks? If so, what other things can students do to save money on school books . . . besides just copying them.
Online Investigation
Think of a book you want to buy. Search for it using two or more Web sites that sell new or used books. Then answer these questions:
- How much does the book cost, new and/or used?
- How much is shipping and handling?
- Do you have to pay any form of sales tax, and if so, how much?
- What is the company’s return policy?
- Can you find an online review for the company, and if so, what does it reveal about its service?
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