Exercise 1 – Apologizing, giving excuses
Listen. Who does Allie apologize to? Why?
Answers
To Mark. Because she sent a personal email to everyone in the office (She pressed ‘Reply to all’ by mistake.)
Audioscripts
M = Mark, A = Allie, N = Nicole
M Mark Ryder.
A Mark, can you come in?
M Sure.
A Thanks for the sales report.
M I think there’s something more important to talk about right now.
A What do you mean?
M That message you sent me. You hit ‘reply to all’. You sent it to everyone in the office.
A Oh no. You’re joking. Oh, Mark. I’m so sorry. I did it without thinking.
M It’s all right, Allie. It’s an easy mistake to make.
A How could I be so stupid? I just wasn’t concentrating.
M Allie…
A I’m really sorry.
M Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t matter. But I think we should talk to the others.
A Yes, you’re right. I’ll do it. It was my fault. Listen everybody. I just want to say that I’m terribly sorry. I haven’t been honest with you. Erm, we… Mark and I…
N That’s OK, Allie. We had already guessed. It wasn’t really a surprise.
Exercise 2 – A walk by the Seine
A. Listen. How does the story end?
B. Listen again and answer the questions.
1 According to Allie, how did the people in the office discover their secret?
2 Does Mark agree with her?
3 Is Mark sorry everybody knows? Why (not)?
4 Why doesn’t Allie hear what Mark’s saying?
5 What’s the last thing Mark asks Allie to do?
Answers
A
Mark asks Allie to marry him. She says yes.
B
1 She thinks Mark said something to the people in the office (He’s bad at keeping secrets.).
2 No. He thinks they guessed (because the French are experts on love affairs).
3 No, because now they don’t have to pretend any more.
4 Because a boat on the river makes a noise (a boat horn).
5 He asks her to send him her answer in an email (He’s joking.).
Audioscripts
A = Allie, M = Mark
A I still can’t work out how they knew about us. I was always really careful not to treat you differently.
M You were really hard on me.
A Mark, I wasn’t.
M Oh, you were just being fair and very British.
A So if it wasn’t me, it must have been you.
M What?
A I’ve got my own office. You’re with them all the time. You must have said something. You’re hopeless at keeping secrets!
M Don’t blame me. This wasn’t my fault. They probably just guessed.
A How?
M You know the French, they’re experts on love affairs.
A Maybe.
M Actually, I think it’s great that everyone knows. Now we don’t have to pretend any more.
A Yeah. That’s true.
M Allie, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you for a long time… I just haven’t said anything. But… it’s now or never.
M Allie, will you marry me?
A Sorry, Mark. I didn’t hear a word you said.
M I said… Will you marry me?
A Yes, I will.
M Was that a ‘yes’?
A Yes!
M Can you confirm that in an email for me? Just don’t send it to everyone in the office this time.
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