General Listening Quiz

Listen to the recording on a professional babysitting service and read along with the conversation. Review the key vocabulary and the sample sentences.

Kelly: Hi, Mr. Adams?

Mr. Adams: Ah, Yes. You must be Kelly. Thanks for coming.

Kelly: Here’s my card.

Mr. Adams: Oh, the entrepreneurial spirit. It’s hard to find a good babysitter on a Friday night.

Kelly: Well, I like watching kids, and I need the extra money.

Mr. Adams: Well, I heard you were one of the best and most affordable babysitters in this area, and . . .

Kelly: Uh, well, I’d like to talk to you about my new rate increases.

Mr. Adams: Rate increases?

Kelly: You see, Mr. Adams. I’ve consulted with my financial advisor [What?]. My mother, and she says I should charge more per child since I do cook and clean your house while you’re away.

Mr. Adams: Oh, I see. So, what do you have in mind?

Kelly: Well, as I see it, I’d like to ask a dollar more per child per hour, and overtime after midnight. Based on my calculations, that’s only 10.23% above the going market, and I’m now a certified babysitter with training in CPR.

Mr. Adams: Oh, I never knew there were courses and certifications in babysitting.

Kelly: Times are changing, Mr. Adams. I have to figure in expenses for a benefits package to cover college tuition, retirement, and my stock portfolio. Well, I tell my dad what to do.

Mr. Adams: Ah now, you’re pulling my leg. I mean, how old are you anyway?

Kelly: Old enough to be a tough negotiator.

• entrepreneurial (adjective); also entrepreneur (noun): a description of a person who decides to take certain risks to start their own business for profit or gain 
  – To become a successful entrepreneur, you need a good business model, money, and connections.
• affordable (adjective): a fair price, reasonable 
  – I wish that buying a home was more affordable.
• market (noun): the business environment where goods and services are traded, bought, or sold
  – Many businesses in this area are experiencing decreases in the market for new orders.
• tuition (noun): money paid for education
  – I had to take out a loan to pay for college tuition.
• you’re pulling my leg (idiom): try to persuade or convince someone to believe something that is not true 
  – He was just pulling your leg when he said he was getting married.
• CPR (noun) or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: a medical procedure used to restart the heart and breathing again in emergency situations 
  – Although the man suffered a serious accident, emergency personnel were able to revive him using CPR.