Listening Practice Through Dictation Level 2 – Topic: Leisure and Entertainment

M:   It’s nice to see you, Karen. How have you been?
W:   I’ve been very well, thank you. How are you, Dan?
M:   I’m fine, thanks. I went to the movies Saturday night. I wanted to invite you, but you weren’t home.
W:   That’s right, I went karaoke singing with some friends on Saturday night.
M:   Really? I’ve never sung karaoke. What’s it like?
W:   I had never gone karaoke singing before either, but I had a great time. My friends were experienced karaoke singers, so they showed me what to do.
M:   Did you have to sing in front of a lot of strangers?
W:   No, the place we went to rented out small private rooms. Nobody else could hear us. They even gave us free sodas!
M:   Cool! What kind of music did they have?
W:   They had hundreds of different songs to choose from. They had both new songs and old songs. They had songs in English and songs in several other languages, too. It was really fun!
M:   I think I’ll go karaoke singing next weekend!

W:   Did you watch the latest episode of that new reality show last night?
M:   There are so many of those reality shows these days. Which one are you talking about?
W:   It’s called “Good Fences,” and it’s all about neighbors. This reality show is the only one I like, because you’re right, the others are just silly.
M:   I never watch reality shows at all. I prefer to watch shows that teach me about something, like science and nature programs, and travel shows.
W:   Oh, I like travel shows, too. My favorite travel show is the one with that chef from England. He travels, cooks, and eats all the time!
M:   I like that one, too. He really makes me laugh. He has a good sense of humor.
W:   Let’s watch it together this week. It’s on Thursday at eight o’clock, right?
M:   That’s right, but where shall we watch it?
W:   Well, I have a big-screen TV and a comfortable sofa.
M:   OK, we’ll watch it at your place then, and I’ll bring some snacks. See you then!

W:   OK, great, we’ll meet you in an hour. Bye.
M:   Who was that on the phone, Jane?
W:   That was Amy. She wants to meet us in front of her apartment building in an hour.
M:   Why are we meeting her there?
W:   Because her apartment is close to the bus stop. We’re going to go downtown and watch a movie, so hurry up and get ready.
M:   Oh, I honestly don’t think I should watch a movie tonight. I’m studying for an important test on Tuesday, so I really don’t have time to have fun!
W:   You have been studying for several days, Joe. You don’t need to study anymore. You need to have some fun because you’re too tired to study, anyway.
M:   I don’t know, maybe you’re right. Is it just Amy and us going?
W:   Lily is coming along, too.
M:   Really? I need time to take a shower and get dressed!
W:   Don’t worry, you have time.
M:   It will be fun to see Lily and fun to watch a movie together.
W:   I told you so!

W:   You won’t believe this, but I have some great news! I’ve got two tickets to the baseball game next Saturday.
M:   Did I hear you correctly? You have two tickets to the baseball game? How did you get those? I thought it was impossible to get tickets because they were all sold out last month!
W:   It was easy, actually. My colleague and her husband have to go to London that week, so they’ll miss the game. They offered me their tickets, and of course I was happy to accept.
M:   You’re so lucky! Who are you going to take with you?
W:   I was thinking that maybe you would like to go. Otherwise, I might take my brother instead.
M:   Don’t do that, I would love to watch the game with you!
W:   I was just joking. I know you really want to go. Where shall we meet on Saturday?
M:   Well, the game starts at nine o’clock in the morning, right?
W:   Yes, shall we meet here at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday?
M:   Good idea. I can’t wait!

B :   Comic book heroes have been popular for many years. One hero has the strength of one hundred men. This hero also has the speed of lightning. This hero cannot be killed. If you think this hero is Superman, you are wrong! This hero is Wonder Woman!
A man called William Marston created Wonder Woman in 1941. He was a graduate of Harvard University. He used a false name on his comics. He did not want his colleagues to know that he wrote comics. The false name was Charles Moulton.
Mr. Marston wanted to make a strong female hero for little girls. Of course, he hoped that little boys would like Wonder Woman, too. Wonder Woman was not very popular at first. Then, World War II began in 1941.
Wonder Woman became a role model for children around the world. She was both strong and beautiful. She always tried to do what was right. Today, she is still one of the most popular heroes of all time.