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Learn how to talk about crime and the legal system in English. Jeff reads a newspaper story about a student arrested for burglary and assault. Dialogue/Story I was reading the newspaper this morning and saw a story about a university student arrested and charged with burglary and assault. Last Monday, this student hit a security guard over the head, broke into his professor's office and stole the professor's computer. He wasn't doing well in the class and thought that he could steal the exam. When he was arraigned in court, the prosecutor said that the charges were very serious felonies, and not simple misdemeanors. He also said that because the student was a flight risk, the bail should be set at $2 million dollars. The judge agreed. If the student is found guilty of all the charges, he could be sentenced to up to 15 years in jail. When I read this story, I thought, wouldn't it have been easier for him to just study?

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Learn how to talk about going out to a dance club. Andrea and Sabrina wait in line, get in, and run into a friend on the dance floor. Dialogue/Story My friend Sabrina and I decided to go out dancing last weekend. We went to a club called the Fine Line and when we got there, there was a long line outside. That's one thing I hate about L.A. clubs. The hottest ones have long lines and it's hard to get in unless you're on the VIP list. Sometimes, the bouncer will pick cute girls out of line and let them in. Sabrina always gets attention when we go out together and the bouncer noticed her right away. We paid the cover charge and got our wristbands. The first thing we did was to head over to the bar. Andrea: The music is pretty good. Hey, is that Jeff on the dance floor over there? He's so hot. Sabrina: Where? Over there by the stage? Let's go see. Jeff: Hey, did you guys just get here? Sabrina: Yeah. Who are you here with? Jeff: The DJ is a friend of mine. I came with him and some of his friends. We have a private room in back. Do you guys want to come check it out? Andrea: Sure. Sabrina: Definitely.

Learn how to talk about shopping for jewelry. Jeff looks for a special birthday gift for his wife and chooses among bracelets, rings, and necklaces. Dialogue/Story My wife's birthday was coming up and I wanted to get her a special present. She always tells me not to splurge on gifts for her, but for once, I decided to pull out all the stops. I went to the jewelry store and began looking at all of the display cases. I started by looking at the bracelets. The sales clerk asked me if I was looking for a bangle or a chain bracelet. I told her that I wasn't sure, and she showed me some in yellow gold, white gold, and platinum. None of them seemed like my wife's style, so I moved on to the rings. The clerk asked me if my wife liked diamonds, and I told her that she did but that she also liked other stones, like emeralds, rubies, or sapphires. I looked at a lot of anniversary bands, but none really fit the bill. Finally, I walked over to the display case with the necklaces. There was a pearl necklace with a really beautiful clasp. I had never seen anything like it before and I was sure my wife was going to like it. I told the clerk that I would take it. The clerk placed the necklace in its box and gift wrapped it. I have to say that when I left the store, I felt pretty proud of myself. I knew my wife would like the present, and I picked it out all by myself. Now, I can't wait to see the look on her face when she opens it!

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Learn how to talk about problems with noisy neighbors. Jeff's quiet street changes when a new renter starts playing loud music late at night. Dialogue/Story I live in a quiet neighborhood. At least that's what I thought until last week. I live in a cul-de-sac in a residential neighborhood in Los Angeles. There is a nice retired couple that lives kitty-corner from me. They have always been very friendly and we have gotten along very well. About three months ago, they decided to renovate their garage and turn it into a guesthouse. Since they don't have a lot of money, they wanted to rent out the unit to help make ends meet. A new renter moved in about three weeks ago, and that's when the trouble began. She was a student at the local university and she liked to invite her friends over. The trouble was they kept very late hours, and they liked to play loud music. My neighbors were at their wits' end. They talked to their tenant several times about the noise, but nothing worked. Finally, they asked her to move out. Fortunately, she was on a month-to-month lease and they didn't have any problems. Now that my neighbors have learned their lesson, their new tenant is a nice widow with two cats. I'm so glad that everything worked out in the end!

Learn how to talk about going to the doctor for a check-up. Jeff makes an appointment, waits, and finally sees the doctor for his annual physical. Dialogue/Story Going to the doctor is never particularly pleasant for me. But I couldn't put it off any longer. It was time for my annual physical, and there was no getting around it. So I picked up the phone and called for an appointment. “I'd like to see Dr. Shimoya next week, please, if that's possible,” I said. Of course, it wasn't possible. The doctor was booked until next month, the receptionist told me. “Okay,” I said, “Let's schedule it for next month.” When the day arrived, I drove over to the doctor and checked in at the receptionist's desk. I had to present my HMO card and pay the co-pay of $15.00. The receptionist instructed me to go to waiting room B, down the hall, first door on the right. So I went there and took a seat to wait. And I waited, and waited. Finally, my name was called and I went in to see the doctor. The nurse weighed me, took my temperature and blood pressure, and asked me why I was there. I told her it was time for my yearly checkup. She told me to follow her to the examination room and then to strip down to my underwear. Now I was sitting on the exam table, half-freezing, waiting for the doctor to show up. Finally, he walked in, looked at my chart, and began his examination. “Breathe,” he said, as he placed the stethoscope on my chest. “Breathe in and out slowly,” he said. I did so. Then he checked my throat and had me lie down to check my abdomen. Finally, he ordered a blood test and said, “Well, you're good for another year, Mr. McQuillan.” Thank goodness, I thought to myself, and got dressed to leave.

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