General Listening Quiz

Listen to the recording on social media Web sites and read along with the conversation. Review the key vocabulary and the sample sentences.

Stephanie: Hi, this is Stephanie. I can’t answer the phone right now. I’m away, but feel free to call, leave a message, or text. Alright. Bye.

Ronald: Uh, hello, uh yeah. Hi, Stephanie, or Steffi. Uh, I can’t do this? Oh yeah. Uh. Yes, Stephanie, my name is Ronald, but my friends call me Ron. My parents call me, well, forget about that. Uh, I’m originally from Canada, but I grew up in Texas.

I’m 24 years old, and uh, I graduated from high school about five years ago, and I’m the manager of an exotic pet shop. We carry all kinds of birds, and snakes, and spiders, and fish. We even have one snake that is about four meters long, but I keep him at home. And oh, yeah. Um, my hobbies. I fish, hunt, and ride horses in my free time. My favorite foods are beef, beef, and beef. I don’t eat many vegetables, except potatoes with my beef. And, oh yeah, I sometimes eat apples and beef sometimes.

I have two brothers. Both of them live with me because they don’t have jobs, and my mom lives with me, and I have three dogs: Brutus, Charlie, and Samantha. Oh, and one more thing. This might seem strange, but I enjoy reading poetry. So, that’s about it. I hope to hear from you. You can call me if you want. The number is 789-1350. Yeah, uh, right. Catch later, alligator. Oh, oh, that’s so stupid. Uh, oh, Good-bye.

• originally (adverb): in the beginning 
  – I originally wanted to study computer science, but I switched to engineering.
• graduate (verb): finish or complete 
  – My sister is going to graduate in December, and I want to graduate in the spring.
• exotic (adjective): unusual and interesting often used when talking about different places and countries 
  – Some students are from very exotic cultures.
• carry (verb): have something for sale 
  – Excuse me. Do you carry iPads or iPhones?
• hobby (noun): an activity people like to do for fun or pleasure in their free time 
  – His favorite hobby is playing tennis, but he isn’t very good at it.
• strange (adjective): unusual or different 
  – That man is a little strange, but he is very kind.