Pre-Listening Exercise
What are some of the questions you would ask or be asked when ordering a pizza by phone?
Idioms
“dig in” = let’s eat
“Okay. We have plenty of pizza, so dig in.”
“sing for your supper” = do some form of service in return for something in return
“I wanted my dad to pay for the movie tickets, but he said I had to sing for my supper by cleaning the garage.”
Listening Exercise
A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.
Employee: Hello. Can I take your order?
Customer: Yes. I’d like a large pepperoni pizza with mushrooms and green peppers.
Employee: Would you like anything else?
Customer: Well, wait. Uh, can I make that a half-and-half pizza?
Employee: Sure. What would you like on each half?
Customer: Uh, what toppings do you have?
Employee: Well, we have Italian sausage, ham, mushrooms, onions, pineapple, black olives, green peppers, bacon, tomatoes, shrimp, clams, and squid.
Customer: Shrimp, clams, and squid!? What kind of pizza is that?
Employee: Uh, the manager spent some time overseas [Oh.], and thinks his new seafood pizza will be a hit with customers, but to be honest, the “Swimmer’s Special,” as he calls it, is an acquired taste.
Customer: Uh, I’ll pass on the “Sink or Swim” special, but I’ll have pepperoni and mushrooms on one half and green peppers and Italian sausage on the other. Oh, and could I get extra cheese on that pizza?
Employee: Alright. Would you care for any bread sticks or beverage with your order? [Well . . . I don’t know.] Actually, we have a Friday night special going on right now [Oh!], and if you order any large pizza and drink, we’ll throw in a free order of breadsticks, plus a three dollar coupon for use with your next pizza order.
Customer: Huh, sure, why not. And what drink comes with the pizza?
Employee: Either apple or orange juice.
Customer: I’ll take orange juice.
Employee: Okay. Your total comes to fifteen nineteen, which includes tax. [Okay.] And could I have your name?
Customer: Uh, yeah, Jay Han.
Employee: Huh? Did you say “Jay Hand”?
Customer: No, it’s “Han.” Actually, it’s a Korean name, but many people have difficulty making it out. Hey, maybe I SHOULD change my name to “Hand.”
Employee: Ah, names are important; don’t change it. [Okay.] Oh, and your address and telephone number?
Customer: It’s 1340 South 16 East, and the phone number is 340-1870 (three-four-zero-eighteen, seventy).
Employee: Okay. Let me repeat your order. A large half-and-half pizza. [Okay.] One half with pepperoni [Yeah.] and mushrooms and the other with Italian sausage and green peppers. [Yeah.] Orange juice and your free order of breadsticks. Jan “Han,” not “Hand,” [Yeah, that’s right.] at 1340 South 16 East, 340-1817. Is that correct?
Customer: Everything except for the phone number. It’s 1870, not 1817.
Employee: Alright. Thanks for your order. It should arrive at your doorstep in 30 minutes or less, or you’ll receive a free small pizza with your next order.
Customer: Great. Thanks.
Vocabulary and Sample Sentences
- pepperoni (noun): a pork and beef sausage, sliced thinly for pizza
– My students ordered a pepperoni pizza for lunch. - be a hit (verb): be popular
– Ordering pizza for the party was a hit. - care for (verb): have a preference or liking for something
– Would you care for anything else today? - acquired taste (expression): a taste that takes time to get used to
– Some people say that learning to like sushi is an acquired taste. - beverage (noun): drink
– What kinds of beverages do you want to serve at the party? - throw in (verb): add
– That pizza shop always throws in a free drink with every order. - coupon (noun): a certificate used to receive money off on purchases
– Let’s use the pizza coupon that came in the mail. - make something out (idiom): understand or figure out
– I couldn’t make out what the customer ordered because of the poor telephone connection.