General Listening Quiz

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

Daughter: Dad, can I go to a movie this week with Shannon?

Father: Here. Try this. It’s called a book. [Ah, Dad!] Moby Dick. An American classic. [Dad!] Okay. Let me look at the schedule here. Hmm. When are you thinking about going to the movie?

Daughter: Uh, we’re thinking about seeing the movie on Wednesday after school.

Father: Well, that’s not gonna work. You have piano lessons after school and then you have to babysit for the neighbors until 9:00.

Daughter: What about Monday?

Father: Monday’s out. You haven’t practiced your clarinet at all . . . for an entire month, so you have to catch up on that. And, don’t you have an essay due in your English class on Tuesday?

Daughter: Oh, I forgot about that [Yeah], and anyway, I was gonna finish that during [the] first period at school. [Great. I’ve never heard of a three-sentence essay.] So, what about Tuesday?

Father: Uh, you have soccer practice from 4:00 until 5:30, and after that, you have to do your homework.

Daughter: Ah, you can help me with that. Oh, I forgot you don’t know how to do geometry. So, can I see the movie on Thursday?

Father: Well, remember the science fair is at school on Friday, right? Is, is your project finished yet?

Daughter: Umm, what about Friday night? I checked the paper, and there’s a midnight showing.

Father: Uh-uh. Forget that idea.

Daughter: And Saturday?

Father: Well, you have to do your chores in the morning before noon. [You can help me with that.] Oh no. And then, we have to clean out the garage. You said you’d help. [No, you volunteered me.] Well, that should only take a couple of hours. [Dad, you’re ruining my social life.] And then, after that, we can go to the movie.

Daughter: We?

Father: Yeah, We. Mom and I and you and Shannon.

Daughter: Uh, Dad, actually. We weren’t planning on company.

Father: Now, let me check the paper for showtimes. [The movie plays at three oh five, five, seven fifteen, and nine.] You’ve already checked, I see.

Daughter: Yeah. So is it okay? Can I go see the nine O’clock showing?

Father: The five o’clock showing!

Daughter: How about the seven o’clock showing?

Father: And why are you so concerned about the show time?

Daughter: Well, I don’t know if I’ll get all of my chores and homework done before then.

Father: Sorry, but I want you to get to bed earlier that night, and so, I can drop you off at the movie theater about 4:30 so you’ll have time to get tickets.

Daughter: Uh, Dad. Can I have money for the movie?

Father: Sure, just go into the family bank vault behind a secret mirror in the hall and take a few hundred. [Dad!]. Look. I can only spare a few dollars, so you’ll have to come up with the rest, okay?

Daughter: Okay. Thanks, Dad.

• catch up (verb): reach a point where one should be
  – I need to catch up on my sleep. I’ve been very tired recently.
• geometry (noun): math of lines, points, and shapes
  – My daughter is taking geometry in junior high school now.
• uh-uh (verb): informal for no
  – Uh-uh. I don’t like to do housework at all.
• chores (noun): housework
  – If you do your chores quickly, I’ll take you shopping.
• ruin (verb): destroy or damage
  – My dad asked me to babysit tonight, so that ruined my plans to go out with friends to a movie.
• vault (noun): a room or space, often made of steel, for safekeeping valuables like money or important documents
  – The millionaire kept all his valuable coins, paintings, and jewelry in a secret vault in his house.
• spare (verb): give up carefully
  – My son needed money to fix his care, but I could only spare $200 since I didn’t have much money either.