中高级篇第九册课文文本

LESSON 1 THIS STORY ISN'T BIG ENOUGH TO HELP MY CAREER.
TEXT
Jake: Good morning, Steven. Are you all right?
Steven: Hi, Jake. Yes, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired.
Jake: Late night last night, huh? Party? Dancing? What was it?
Steven: The baby. He wakes up every three hours--at eleven, two, and five. When the alarm clock goes off at seven, I'm too tired to get up.
Jake: Every three hours? Why?
Steven: Because he's hungry.
Jake: Can't you just leave a bottle of milk next to his bed?
Steven: Peter isn't old enough to feed himself. He's only two months old.
Jake: When will he be old enough to feed himself?
Steven: In a few years.
Jake: A few years! Can't you just tell him to wait until morning?
Steven: He isn't old enough to understand what people say.
Jake: Poor Steven. You need to drink lots of coffee.
Steven: Usually I rush to work without any breakfast at all. Anne and I are too busy to eat regular meals. We're even too busy to go grocery shopping.
Jake: You must be glad to come to the office, where it's quiet.
Steven: Oh, no. I hate to leave the baby for more than a few hours.
Jake: Oh, Steven, by the way, I forgot--I have a gift for Peter.
Steven: You do?
Jake: Yeah. Wait here. I'll get it.
Jake: Open it, Steven. It's the perfect gift for a baby boy.
Steven: This is nice of you, Jake.
Steven: It's a book. . . about baseball?
Jake: Isn't it great? He'll learn all about baseball. We can take him to the park and practice.
Steven: It's a great gift, Jake. But Peter. . . is too young to read. And he's too young to play baseball. He isn't even old enough to crawl.
Jake: When will he be old enough to play baseball?
Steven: In a few years.
Jake: Show him the book anyway. Tell me what he says when he sees it.
Steven: Jake, Peter isn't old enough to talk. He's a baby. You know about the news, Jake, but there's a lot you need to learn about babies.
Jake: OK, Maria, I understand. Our next feature story is about the Stamford Museum and Nature Center. . . Maria, are you sure this story is interesting enough to be on "Hello America"?
Maria : We got a lot of letters and phone calls about our first story on the Nature Center.
Jake: OK. Fine. Goodbye, Maria.
Jake: Farm life? Baby pigs? This story isn't big enough to help my career. I want to cover world events.

I want to do another story on Abbott Larkin. A story on farm life is really too boring to spend my time on.
I have an idea. I think have a very good idea.
Jake: Hi, Connie. How are you?
Connie : Hi, Jake. I'm fine. This sandwich is too big to finish. Would you like half?
Jake: No, thanks, Connie. Maria wants a story on New England farm life in the late 1700s.
Connie : Farm life! What a great story! I'd like to do a story about a farm.
Jake: You would?
Connie : I grew up on a farm. I love farms.
Jake: Well. . .
Connie : Too bad I'm working on a story about hotels. I'm too busy to help you with this farm story.
Jake: It isn't too late to talk to Maria. If it's OK with her, would you like to work on the farm story?
Connie : The story isn't big enough to have two reporters working on it, Jake.
Jake: But it sounds perfect for you, Connie.
Connie : No, it's your story. Besides, I have a story.
Jake: Connie, when was the last time you were on a farm?
Connie : A long time ago. Too long ago to remember. It could be fun.
Jake: Well, tomorrow you're going to the farm. I'm going to talk to Maria.
Connie : OK. I'll go. Now I am too busy to sit here. I have to go and do some research. Goodbye, Jake.
Jake: Bye, Connie.
Jake: Well, that was too easy to be true, but Connie really is happy to do the farm story. Great. Now I'm free to do another interview with Abbott Larkin. No baby pigs for me.

LESSON 2 I HOPE I DIDN'T MAKE A MISTAKE.

Mike: I have some nice pictures here to show you.
Connie : What's wrong? Is it the TV or the video camera?
Mike: Maybe I forgot to put film in the camera.
Connie : Mike, you'd never make a mistake like that.
Mike: There's always a first time. . . Ah! Here's the problem.
Connie : Oh, look! I'm homesick already.
Mike: Tell me, Connie, how was it, growing up on a farm? Was it fun?
Connie : Fun? Mostly it was a lot of work. Our days started very early. My mother made breakfast before the sun came up.
My brother and sister and I always did chores before we left for school.
Mike: What chores did you do in the morning?
Connie : We had to make our beds as soon as we got up. We also had to feed the animals.
Mike: So your mother made breakfast for you, and you made breakfast for the animals?
Connie : Right.
Mike: Did your whole family work on the farm?
Connie : Yes. Everyone pitched in. My father did most of the heavy work. He did the plowing. My mother did the housework. She also did the yard work. She took care of the garden.
Mike: Did your family make a good living on the farm?
Connie : We didn't make a lot of money, but we did well enough. We had to do without a lot of things, like a TV.
Mike: What did you do at night?
Connie : My brother and I did the dishes in the evening. Then we did our homework. It was a quiet life. I miss it sometimes.
Mike: Well, then, come on. Let's get to that farm.
Mike: I wonder how they lived on farms years ago. How did they do the laundry without washing machines?
Connie : How did they do the ironing without electricity?
Mike: How did they make phone calls without telephones?
Connie : Come on. Let's find out. I made an appointment to interview someone at three.
Jake: A good journalist always does his homework. I've been reading all the newspapers. I've been making phone calls all day.
I'm doing my best to find out about Abbott Larkin. I'm giving it my best shot, but so far I haven't made any progress.
I did a good job with the story about the merger of International Computer and NIT. . . I'd like to make an appointment to speak with Abbott Larkin. . . Hmmm. . . Connie's been at the farm a long time.
I passed up that story. . . I hope I didn't make a mistake. . . I hope I did the right thing.

LESSON 3 DO YOUR FAMILY A FAVOR THIS WEEKEND?


Connie : I'm Connie Swift, and today "Hello America" is visiting a restored New England farm. A few years ago, this old barn was falling apart.
The question? What to do about it? Many people thought the barn was too old to restore. Others thought it wasn't important enough to save.
The Stamford Nature Center thought the barn was too important to lose, and they did a good job of restoring it.
Brad Burnham is Assistant Director here. I can see you did your best to keep the original features.
Brad: Yes, we did.
Connie : Why did you save the barn?
Brad: It was too good to lose.
Connie : It looks wonderful.
Brad: We did our best to restore it. I think we did a good job fixing it.
Connie : Life on this farm two hundred years ago was difficult. The men did the farm work. They did the plowing.
The women did the housework. They did the cooking. They did the cleaning. They made the clothes. If the children were big enough to work, they fed the animals.
Connie : In the summer, the women did the laundry in the pool. But in the winter, it was too cold to do the laundry there. They had to heat water over a fire.
Connie : To do the ironing, they heated an iron over a fire. To make meals, they made a fire inside an iron stove.
The men and the women had to do all their work before sunset. After the sun went down, it was too dark to do farm work or housework.
Connie : They used oil lamps. And that's how the children did their homework. They did their compositions with ink pens.
If they made a mistake, they had to do their homework all over again. Life wasn't easy then, was it? Do your family a favor this weekend.
Visit the farm! You don't need to make reservations. You don't need to make an appointment, just make a phone call to check the opening and closing times. This is Connie Swift reporting for WEFL.
Steven: Connie, you did a good job on that farm story.
Connie : I'm making plans to go back to the Center this weekend on my day off. Maybe you and Anne would like to come with me. You can bring the baby.
Steven: No. The baby isn't old enough to go to the farm. And Anne and I are too busy to go.
Connie : Too busy to take a Saturday afternoon off?
Steven: If we go out on Saturday afternoon, when will we do the grocery shopping? When will I do my exercises?
Connie : Come on. Just a couple of hours.
Steven: We also have to make appointments to interview baby-sitters. And when will we make dinner and do the dishes?
Connie : I'm sorry, Steven. I think you are too busy to take an afternoon off.

LESSON 4 TODAY, STAMFORD IS A CORPORATE CENTER. . .
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Jake: Steven, I'm sorry I woke you up.
Steven: Before the baby was born, I used to work all day without feeling sleepy. I didn't use to take a nap at lunchtime.
Jake: I'm going jogging during my lunch break. Come with me.
Steven: I used to jog, but I don't anymore.
Jake: Why don't you bring your running shoes tomorrow ? We'll take a run.
Steven: I will. What did you leave on my desk?
Jake: An idea for a business story on Abbott Larkin.
Steven: Jake, there's a business story Maria and I would like you to do.
Jake: There is?
Steven: It's about Stamford. It's a corporate center now, but it didn't use to be. It used to be a farm village. After that, many companies built their factories here.
Jake: But most of the factories aren't here anymore.
Steven: Exactly. Find out which companies used to have their factories here and which companies still do.
Jake: It sounds interesting, but I'd like to do another story on Abbott Larkin.
Steven: I know, Jake. But do this story first.
Jake: OK. I'll get started right away.
Steven: I'll bring my running shoes tomorrow. Let's meet for a jog at noon. OK?
Jake: Great. And I'll have something for you tomorrow.
Jake: Today, Stamford is a corporate center with lots of skyscrapers and modern office buildings.
But it didn't use to be. At one time it used to be a farm village. Later it became an industrial city.
Maria : Yes, Jake, I know. But how did it become an industrial city?
Jake: In 1869 the Yale & Towne lock factory opened in Stamford. And the Yale factory changed Stamford overnight.
Maria : Why?
Jake: Because almost everyone in Stamford used to work at the Yale factory.
Did you know that people used to call Stamford "The Lock City"? That's because Yale had its factories here.
Maria : Does Yale still have a factory in Stamford?
Jake: No, not anymore.
Maria : Does Yale still make locks?
Jake: Yes, but not in Stamford.
Maria : What other companies used to have factories in Stamford?
Jake: Blickensderfer. They used to make typewriters, but they don't anymore.
Maria : I know there's a company that used to make pianos.
Jake: Right. Davenport, and also Kroeger used to make pianos.
Maria : Do they still make pianos?
Jake: No, not anymore. They both went out of business.
Maria : Did any of the factories use to make clothes?
Jake: No clothes, but shoes. T. B. Smart used to make shoes .
Maria : What about Pitney Bowes? They used to be in Stamford.
Jake: No. Pitney Bowes is still in Stamford. You can see the office building from here.
Maria : What does Pitney Bowes make?
Jake: Post office machines.
Maria : What's this, Jake?
Jake: These are glassblowers at the Machlett Laboratories.
Maria : What are they making?
Jake: Glass tubes . This used to be a big business in Stamford.
Maria : Glassblowers used to make each tube by hand? One at a time?
Jake: That's right. It was hot. And they didn't use to have air-conditioning in these factories in those days.
Maria : Tell me, does Machlett still have a factory in Stamford?
Jake: No, not anymore.
Maria : Hmm. So we can't film any factories, can we?
Jake: No, but the Stamford Historical Museum has exhibits about industrial Stamford. We can film there.
Maria : We can? Fantastic! You've done a great job, Jake.

LESSON 5 WE COULD MAKE THOUSANDS OF LOCKS A DAY. . .
TEXT
Steven: A few months ago, I could jog without any problem.
Jake: How long ago? A few months or a few years?
Steven: When I was in college, I used to be on the track team. I could run a mile in five minutes.
Jake: Oh, come on. I bet you couldn't.
Steven: Oh, yes, I could. When I was in college, I could swim ten miles.
Jake: Steven, what happened to you?
Steven: Well, in those days I could stay up all night, but now I can't.
Jake: Come on. By the end of the month, you'll be in great shape again. You, ready?
Steven: Give me another minute. Were you an athlete?
Jake: Yeah. I used to play football.
Steven: Football! Where?
Jake: At University of Ohio. I could throw a football pretty well back then.
Steven: How far?
Jake: Maybe forty yards. I could kick the ball fifty yards. Yeah, but I hurt my shoulder and I can't play football anymore.
Steven: You can still play. You look great.
Jake: No. I broke my shoulder three times. I can't throw the ball anymore. I don't like to talk about it.
Steven: How's the story on Stamford's economy coming?
Jake: Fine. Jim Stuart is interviewing some retired people for me today. Some of them worked in the factories here.
Steven: Sounds interesting.
Jim: What could Yale & Towne produce at the factory in Stamford?
Man: Yale & Towne could, uh, produce locks, hardw are, door closers, and pumps .
Jim: How many locks could you make in a day?
Man: We could make thousands of locks a day in, uh, Yale & Towne.
Jim: And what did you do for entertainment? How much did things cost?
Woman: Well, I think. . . we could go to a movie for about a dime. And Saturday they used to have all these, you know, The Goddess and Pearl White.
Man: Right. Marx Brothers and all these different groups that you could really enjoy yourself.
Woman: Well, there wasn't too much to do, but we used to go down and watch the circus unload.

LESSON 6 I WONDER THAT HAPPENED TO YOU THIS WEEK, JAKE.
TEXT
Jake: Good morning. I'm Jake Seltzer, and this is "Hello America." Today, Stamford is a city of big office buildings. It didn't use to be. Fifty years ago, it was a city of factories.
Jake: At the Stamford Historical Museum, we looked at all the products that Stamford factories used to make.
Jake: People used to call Stamford "The Lock City" because this company--Yale & Towne Lock--had its factories here.
Yale used to employ four out of five people in this town. . . The company could produce hundreds of locks in a day. . They could produce millions in a year.
Jake: You can't find a typewriter like this anymore, but it used to be the most popular typewriter in the world. And a Stamford company used to make it.
Jake: This is a postage meter. Pitney Bowes made the first one in 1919. A postage meter can stamp mail automatically.
But before 1919, it didn't use to be so easy. They used to stamp letters by hand in those days.
Now they use postage meters. Postal workers could stamp about a dozen letters in a minute with this machine.
Jake: Shaving didn't use to be so easy. Back then, men used to shave by hand. They couldn't shave in a hurry. . . .
Then, Jacob Schick invented the electric razor. Today, men use electric razors, and they can shave quickly and easily.
The Schick factories used to be in Stamford, but they aren't here anymore.
Jake: Stamford workers used to make most of the world's glass tubes. At Machlett Laboratories, glassblowers used to make thousands of them every day.
A good glassblower could make a glass tube like this one in fifteen minutes. But he couldn't work for more than three or four hours without a break.
It was too hot. Now most X-ray tubes are made by machines.
Jake: Stamford factory workers used to make all these products. Stamford used to be a factory town.
Today, it is a corporate city with offices instead of factories.
Jake: We hope you enjoyed our feature today. Please tune in tomorrow. I'm Jake Seltzer and this is"Hello Amer ica. "
Mike: What's wrong, Jake? We're done. You can get up.
Jake: It's strange. During my report, I couldn't read the teleprompter. I didn't use to have trouble reading it.
Mike: Maybe you need glasses.
Jake: Glasses! Last week I could read without glasses.
Mike: Hmm. I wonder what happened to you this week, Jake.

LESSON 7 I'D RATHER WORK IN TELEVISION. . . .


Steven: Hello.
Connie : Hi, Steven. Do you have a minute?
Steven: Well, not really. What's up?
Connie : Can I talk to you about something? I'd rather not wait.
Steven: Sure, Connie. Come in.
Steven: So tell me, what's up?
Connie : Well, I know you're not completely happy here at WEFL.
Steven: I'm happy working with everyone here, but I need to make more money.
Connie : A friend of mine works at a station in Hartford. She told me they're looking for a producer for their weekend news show. The money is good. I thought you might be interested.
Steven: Hartford? That's one and a half hours away. I'd rather not drive that far to get to work. I'd rather live near the office.
Connie : Maybe you could move to Hartford.
Steven: I'd rather not move right now. Also, this job is for a weekend news show ? Probably the producer has to work on the weekends, right?
Connie : Right. Would you rather get a new job or have your weekends free?
Steven: I'd rather have my weekends free. You know, with the baby and all. . . I read about a job not far from Stamford. Producer of a radio show.
Connie : Would you rather work in television or radio?
Steven: I'd rather work in television. . . I read about another job for a journalism teacher in Stamford.
Connie : Do you want to teach?
Steven: Teachers have long summer vacations. That's nice. I'd rather not make a big career change now. I like what I'm doing.
Connie : Steven, do you want to stay here or would you rather make more money?
Steven: I'd rather make more money. No, I need to make more money.
Connie : Sorry I can't help more.
Steven: Thank you for trying. Listen, Connie, Anne and I want you to come to our house sometime. She wants to meet you.
Connie : I'd love to see you and Anne sometime, but I know you're busy with the baby.
Steven: We're much more organized than we were before. Why don't you come to lunch on Sunday? Are you free this weekend? Or would you rather come to dinner on Saturday night?
Connie : Lunch on Sunday sounds great. I'm busy on Saturday night.
Steven: I'll call Anne and make sure that it's all right with her.
Connie : Great.
Steven: Hi. It's me. . . How's everything there?
Anne: We're fine. The baby's sleeping. I'm doing the laundry. How's everything there?
Steven: Fine. I called to ask you a question. Is it OK if Connie comes to lunch on Sunday, or would you rather spend the day alone?
Anne: I'd love to have Connie to lunch on Sunday. Do you think she's free?
Steven: I know she's free. I've already invited her.
Anne: Thanks for asking me first. Can you pick up some groceries on your way home from work?
Steven: What should I buy? Would you rather have chicken or fish?
Anne: I think I'd rather have chicken.
Steven: OK. Chicken sounds good to me too.
Anne: And we can have salad and a vegetable. Peas or green beans?
Steven: Umm, green beans. Would you rather have potatoes or rice? We had rice last night. I'll buy some potatoes.
Anne: And for dessert? Ice cream or cake?
Steven: Ice cream or cake? I'd rather have both.

LESSON 8 I THINK THIS MEETING WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT.

Jake: Mr. Larkin! How are you? I'm Jake Seltzer from WEFL. I interviewed you in Dallas about the merger.
Larkin : Yes, of course, Jake. I remember. How are you?
Jake: I'm fine. I'm glad you remember me. Are you in town for the computer meeting?
Larkin : Yes, I am. I'm glad you're here. I think this meeting will be very important. I hope you'll do a story about it.
Jake: That's why I'm here. I'm interested in doing a story on International Computer. I know you're thinking of introducing a new line of computers.
Larkin : Very good, Jake. I see you've done your homework.
Jake: I guess you don't have time now, but I'd like to interview you on television tomorrow?
Larkin : Thank you for asking. I think I'll have some important things to say. I think I should have some time tomorrow at ten o'clock, before my speech. Sorry, I have to go.
Jake: I look forward to talking with you tomorrow at ten.
Larkin : And I look forward to seeing you. I think this meeting will be very important.
Jake: I think this meeting will be very important too.
Steven: Hi, Connie. Come on in.
Connie : Sorry. I think I'm a few minutes late. Traffic was heavy.
Steven: No, no. You're right on time. Anne's putting the baby to bed.
Connie : These are for you and Anne. And the baby too, of course.
Steven: Thank you, Connie. They're very nice. Here, let me take your coat.
Anne: What beautiful flowers! Hi, Connie. I'm Anne. I'm glad to meet you.
Connie : It's nice to meet you too. I've heard so much about you from Steven.
Steven: I'll get us all a drink. Connie, can I get you something? We have white wine. Or would you rather have a soft drink? We have seltzer or ginger ale.
Connie : A glass of seltzer would be nice.
Anne: I'll have the same, Steven. Why don't you come with me, Connie? We'll put these beautiful flowers in some water.
Steven: Cheers.
Anne & Connie: Cheers.
Connie : You have a lovely home.
Anne: Thank you. With the baby, it's difficult to keep it neat all the time.
Steven: I'm sorry the baby is asleep. I wanted you to see him, Connie.
Annie : I'm not sorry the baby is asleep. Will you excuse me for a minute? I think the food is almost ready.
Connie : Can I help you, Anne?
Anne: No, thanks, Connie. I'll only be a minute.
Connie : Those are beautiful paintings. Who did them?
Steven: Anne's the painter in the family.
Connie : I think they're very good.
Connie : Anne, it looks delicious.
Anne: Thanks, I hope you like it.
Anne: Would you like another cup of coffee or another piece of cake?
Connie : No, thanks. I really should be going. I have to get up early tomorrow.
Steven: We have a busy day tomorrow, don't we?
Connie : Yes. I think Jake's going to interview Abbott Larkin.
Steven: I want to see that interview.
Connie : Well, I really should go. I had a wonderful time. Lunch was delicious. Thanks for inviting me.
Anne: Thanks for coming. We hope you'll come again.
Connie : Thanks, but next time I hope you'll plan on coming to my house. I look forward to seeing you soon, Anne.

LESSON 9 THANK YOU FOR THINKING OF ME.



Jake: Good morning. This is "Hello America." I'm Jake Seltzer. Today we'll be talking with Abbott Larkin, President of International Computer.


Jake: Mr. Larkin, your company is the largest computer manufacturer in the country. Is that right?
Larkin : Yes, that's right.
Jake: Mr. Larkin, what is the most important development in the computer business today?
Larkin : That's a god question, Jake. But I'd rather not talk about today. I'd rather talk about tomorrow.
Jake: The future of the business world.
Larkin : Exactly. I think American business will be stronger in the future.
Jake: What do you think will make business stronger?
Larkin : I believe that computers will be the next big industry. And I believe International Computer will be a leader.
Jake: How will the computer industry make American business stronger?
Larkin : I think more and more people will use computers. Every American home will have a computer. That's what I expect.
Larkin : I go to schools and offices all over the country. I talk to many people. Frankly, people would rather not use typewriters anymore. Especially office workers.
Jake: What about students?
Larkin : Students would rather not do their homework by hand. They'd rather use computers.
Jake: Mr. Larkin, do you use a computer?
Larkin : Yes, I do. Even for personal letters, I'd rather use a computer than write by hand.
Jake: International Computer has a new announcement coming up today. Is that right?
Larkin : I'd rather wait until the meeting to make the announcement. But I will say right now we're introducing a very important new computer.
Jake: What is it?
Larkin : Well, I guess your viewers will hear it first. It's a new personal computer that has twice as much memory as the competition. That all I can say right now.
Jake: Thank you for talking with us today, Mr. Larkin. We look forward to Computer's newest computer.
Jake: We just spoke with Abbott Larkin, President of International Computer. He thinks American business will be stronger in the future. Stronger than ever. And he also believes that computers will be America's next big industry.
He thinks more and more people will use computers every year. He believes every family will have a computer in the future.
And he hopes International Computer will continue to be a leader in the computer industry.
That's our report today from the annual meeting of the Computer Manufacturers of America. This is Jake Seltzer for WEFL.
Mike: Cut.
Jake: Mr. Larkin, thanks for speaking with me.
Larkin : Jake, I think you cover the business world very well.
Jake: Thank you, Mr. Larkin. I hope our viewers agree with you.
Larkin : Are you happy at WEFL, Jake?
Jake: Well, I enjoy reporting.
Larkin : Would you rather stay at WEFL or try for a job in New York City?
Jake: I'd rather try for a job in New York City, of course.
Larkin : The President of WBIG is a friend of mine. I know he wants some goo new business reporters.
Jake: Really?
Larkin : If you're interested in talking to him, I could call him for you. Or you could call him yourself.
Jake: I'm very interested. Thank you for thinking of me. I think I'd rather call him myself.
Larkin : I hope you'll use my name when you call him. . . You can reach him at this telephone number.
Jake: Thank you, Mr. Larkin.
Larkin : I look forward to hearing about your interview at WBIG.
Jake: I look forward to talking with you again.

LESSON 10  MARIA, I WOULDN'T BE WORRIED ABOUT IT IF I WERE YOU.
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TEXT
Maria : Hi, Sam. You wanted to see me?
Sam: Yes, Maria. Let me pull up a chair for you.
Sam: Maria, I want to ask you a few questions.
Maria : Yes?
Sam: If you had a million dollars to spend on "Hello America." what changes would you make?
Maria : A million dollars?
Maria : New furniture? No. We just bought these chairs last year. Even if I had a million dollars, I wouldn't change them. I like these chairs.
Sam: Who selected them?
Maria : I did.
Sam: How about the colors? Would you change the colors of the set?
Maria : The colors. I wouldn't change the colors. These colors are good for Jake and Connie. We chose these colors on purpose.
Sam: How about the carpeting?
Maria : If I were making changes , I wouldn't spend money on new carpeting. No one really sees it. If I had a million dollars, I'd give everyone on the staff a raise.
Sam: You're a good producer, Maria. You've done a very good job with "Hello America." I really enjoy working with you.
Maria : Thanks, Sam. I like working with you too.
Sam: Maria, I want to ask you for some advice.
Maria : Yes?
Sam: Remember that station in California I told you about?
Maria : Sure.
Sam: Well, the owner called me yesterday. He's ready to sell.
Maria : Great.
Sam: Yes, but his price is very high. Maria, do you think I should buy that station?
Maria : Yes, I do. But if I were you, I'd make a lower offer.
Sam: I don't think he'll accept a lower offer.
Maria : Then if I were you, I'd pay his price. It's a very good station. In a few years, it'll be very big. I wouldn't miss his chance to buy it.
Sam: Have you seen their news show ? Do you think it's a good show ?
Maria : Yes, I think it's very good.
Sam: If I bought this station, how could I improve the show?
Maria : If I were you, I wouldn't make any changes at first. I'd wait a few months.
Sam: You would?
Maria : Yes. I'd spend some time at the station. I'd follow the ratings. Then, after I learned everything about the show, I'd think about changes.
Sam: Would you hire new people?
Maria : No, I wouldn't hire new people at first. I wouldn't fire anyone. I'd wait.
Sam: Good advice, Maria. So, if you were me, you would buy the new station.
Maria : Right. But Sam, I have a question for you. What's going to happen to WEFL?
Sam: I have to sell my share of WEFL so I can buy the California station.
Maria : Sell it?
Sam: I just talked to a business friend of mine. He wants to buy it. You're the first to hear the news.
Maria : You're selling WEFL and moving to California?
Sam: Maria, I wouldn't be worried about it if I were you.
Maria : I'll miss you, Sam. I'd be happier if California weren't so far away.
Sam: Well, this is my last question for you. Will you come to my new station and be the producer?
Maria : California? A new station?
Sam: Think about it for a day or two. Can you give me an answer by Wednesday.
Maria : By Wednesday? I'll try.
Sam: On Thursday morning, the new owner and I want to tell the staff about the sale of WEFL. We want to tell them before Jake finds out and does a big story on it.
Maria : Yes, If Jake found out, the story would be in the news immediately. Who's the new owner, Sam? Will he be a good boss? He won't fire anyone, will he?
Sam: No, no. Don't worry about him. Just think about California.
Maria : I need to know more about the station, and about the news show, and about everything.
Sam: Come on, let's go to dinner and I'll tell you everything.