Pre-Listening Exercise
How are school grades determined at different levels of education in your country (e.g., test, quizzes, reports, participation, etc.)? How are grades listed on report cards? In the USA, letters are often used to indicate performance (A, A-, B+, etc.).
Idioms
“hand in” = turn in or give an assignment to a teacher
“Don’t forget to hand in your homework at the end of class.”
“at the end of your rope” = no longer have the ability or patience to do something
“To be honest, I’m at the end of my rope. I’ve told these students repeatedly not to copy their assignments, but they don’t listen. I guess I’ll have to fail them.”
Listening Exercise
A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.
Girl: Dad, can I go to a movie with Sharon?
Dad: Yeah, sure, but wait. Weren’t you supposed to get a report card sometime this past week?
Girl: Well, oh yeah. Can I call Sharon now?
Dad: Uh-hum. You didn’t answer my question. Did you receive it or not?
Girl: I love you Dad! You’re the best!
Dad: Don’t try to butter me up. I can guess that your answer means that you didn’t do well in some of your classes?
Girl: Well, my English teacher is soooo boring, and he blows up every time someone talks.
Dad: In other words, you’re not doing so well?
Girl: Uh, a C . . . minus.
Dad: Oh. Well, how are you doing in your Spanish class? You said you liked that one.
Girl: Well, I do, but I forgot to turn in a couple of assignments, and I had problems on the last test. All those verbs tripped me up. I get them all mixed up in my head!
Dad: Okay, and what about algebra?
Girl: Ah, I’m acing that class. No sweat.
Dad: Oh!
Girl: Can I go now?
Dad: And how are you doing in history?
Girl: Oh, that’s my favorite class. Mr. Jones is always passing out candy if you know the answers to his questions.
Dad: Great. Now, I have a bright daughter with tooth decay.
Girl: Ah, Dad. Can I go now?
Dad: You can go if you answer my history question. How old am I?
Girl: Uh, fifty-five?
Dad: Fifty-five! You just failed a math and history test at the same time!
Girl: Dad . . .
Dad: Well, okay, but you need to come straight home from the movie, and you need to practice your clarinet.
Girl: Oh, I forgot about that grade?
Dad: What?
Girl: Gotta run, Dad.
Vocabulary and Sample Sentences
- suppose (verb): do what you should do based on rules or expectations
– I was supposed to turn in my homework today, but I forgot to bring it. - butter up (verb): to flatter with the purpose of getting something
– It is no use trying to butter her up. She won’t forget that YOU forgot to call her on her birthday last week. - blow up (verb): to get angry suddenly
– My dad blew up when he found out I failed two classes. - trip up (verb): to cause to make mistakes
– The first question on the test tripped me up, and I lost my concentration on the rest of the test. - ace (verb): do very well on an assignment or test
– I can’t believe she aced the test because she didn’t study much last night. - no sweat (idiom): no problem, something that is easy to do
– I’ll get a perfect score on the chemistry test. No sweat. - pass out (phrasal verb): give something to each member of a group
– The teacher passed out the assignment at the end of class. - bright (adjective): smart or intelligent
– There are plenty of bright straight A students in that class. - tooth decay (noun): the gradual process of the tooth going bad, sometimes caused by poor dental care and eating habits
– Eating too many sweets and not brushing your teeth will cause tooth decay. - straight (adverb): immediately or directly
– I usually go straight home after work to have dinner with my family.