Listening

At Jessica's Reunion Party 1 

Jessica's 20-year class reunion was held at a fancy hotel. 

When she arrived, she wasn't sure she was in the right place. 

At first she didn't recognize anyone.

She felt a bit awkward(尴尬) and out of place.

But it wasn't long before a strange man came up to her.

He was already losing his hair, and he was wearing thick glasses. 

"Don't you remember me?" he asked.

When he said who he was, she barely remembered him, especially since he had changed so much. 

Then he told her that he had always had a crash on her.

He said she looked beautiful and he immediately took a selfie(自拍) of them, with his arm tight around her waist. 

This made her feel a bit strange.

She smiled at him and pretended to be happy to see him.

But in fact, she wasn't sure how to react, though he seemed nice.

She finally excused herself and went to the ladies room. 

She was beginning to regret having come to the reunion. 

She had always been shy, and she still was.

When she returned to the party, Sharon invited her to sit at her table.

Dinner was going to be served soon, and some of the classmates were going to give speeches.

Sharon asked Jessica to say a few words too, because people were curious.

This was a surprise.

Jessica had never been very popular and she didn't think anyone had noticed her. 

She had always felt like an outsider, with only a couple of close friends.

Still, she had been one of the best students, and people remembered her.

At Jessica's Reunion Party 2

As the evening wore on, Jessica began to really enjoy herself.

She talked with her old friends and was amazed by how some others had changed. 

For example, Tommy used to be good-looking and athletic.

He was one of the most popular students and a star basketball player. 

His one problem was math.

He had had a hard time in math, especially in geometry(几何). 

This was because he wasn't a logical thinker.

Except for basketball, he didn't want to do anything unless it was easy.

Tom was no longer good looking.

His nose, which had always been large, had grown even larger. 

He had also gained a lot of weight.

His wife had left him, so for the first time ever, he was alone. 

He looked lonely and depressed, not at all like he used to be.

Steven was a nobody in middle school. 

People hardly noticed him.

He was small, quiet, and a bit ugly, with crooked(歪) teeth. 

What he was good at was English.

His English was even better than their teacher's.

After graduating, he went to a low-ranked university and eventually dropped out.

For a while he worked as a tour guide.

Then, 10 years ago, he and some friends started a little company which is now a great success. 

In fact, he had become a rich, generous man.

He had a nice, warm smile and his success hadn't gone to his head. 

It was a pleasure to be around him.

His success hadn't gone to his head means that his success didn't make him think he was better than others.

Betty used to be the most beautiful girl in school. 

She wasn't very smart, but she was a great singer. 

She made a video of her singing, and it went viral.

She became famous overnight, but it only lasted for about two years. 

After that, her fans lost interest in her.

She tried to become an actress, but she failed.

She had been too stiff and nervous in front of the camera.

Betty had a nice husband who seemed to adore her.

The one tragedy(悲剧) in her life happened about 5 years ago, when she lost her daughter to a rare form of cancer. 

Because of that, her hair had begun to turn grey.

Jessica couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

Betty had had such high hopes and tremendous(巨大的) energy as a girl, but things didn't work out.

And then there was John.

John used to be the school bully. 

He had been big, strong and mean. 

He hadn't been nice to anybody.

It seemed that he was always angry and ready to hit someone.

After graduating, he joined the army and went overseas to fight in a war. 

He saw many people die and he grew to hate fighting of any kind.

Then one day he was nearly killed when the helicopter he was in was shot down. 

He survived the crash, but he lost a leg and was hospitalized for nearly a year.

Now he had completely changed.

He had gentle, kind eyes, and a beautiful smile.

He was working for an organization that provides support for elderly people.

From Jessica's point of view, John had turned out to be a wonderful surprise.

In the end, Jessica was glad she went to her reunion.

It was interesting to see how people had changed through the years.

Still, she was happy to get home and appreciate everything that she had.

Vocabulary

Language of Love  

A broken heart is what happens when a love relationship is broken off.

Someone with a broken heart is usually depressed, which means they feel awful and don't enjoy life.

She broke his heart when she told him their relationship was over.

To fall in love with someone can be a wonderful experience, with powerful emotions. 

People in love often share their deepest feelings and emotions, which is intimacy(亲密关系).

The emotions of love have inspired poets throughout history. 

To find someone attractive usually means there is a physical desire to be with them.

Physical attraction may sometimes lead to love, but in many cases it may only lead to a short-term sexual relationship.

Physically attractive people attract people of the opposite or same sex, depending on their sexual orientation. 

Many women use makeup to make themselves more physically attractive.

To flirt(调情) with someone means to let him or her know that you want to be approached. 

Some people use their eyes or a smile to flirt.

The skill of flirting is something that comes naturally to some people, but for many people, they just act awkwardly.

Jealousy(妒忌) is what often happens when two people compete for the love of the same person. 

The one who loses may be very jealous of the other and try to break things up.

Feelings of jealousy may last for a long time and can destroy friendships.

Reactions to News

Some people can remain calm even when everyone else is confused and upset. 

When you are calm, you can think clearly and make good decisions.

Sometimes it's best to control your emotions and be calm rather than react in anger. 

People react to disappointing news in different ways. 

Sometimes they get discouraged and lose their confidence.

Sometimes they get depressed and begin to cry or even get drunk.

When disappointed, be calm, think clearly and act constructively.

People are furious(狂怒) when they are extremely angry.

People who are furious at each other may end up fighting or trying to hurt each other. 

When people are furious at each other they often yell and insult each other.

To be excited is usually a good thing.

People can become excited while watching a soccer match and seeing their team score a goal. 

The opposite of "exciting" is "dull" or "boring".

Everyone was excited when they heard that their favorite team had won the game. 

Someone is terrified if they are extremely afraid and shaking with fear.

Terrified people will often scream and run away from whatever is threatening them.

Being in the earthquake was a terrifying experience, especially for the children.

Dialogue

Office Gossip

W1：What are you so excited about?

W2：Have you heard? John and Sylvia are getting a divorce.

W1：No, I haven't. But I'm not surprised. To be honest, I never expected their marriage to last very long. She's so aggressive(好斗) and bossy(专横).

W2：Well, I think John had an affair. He met someone on a business trip. 

W1：Really? How did you find THAT out?

W2：Sherry told me a few minutes ago.

W1：Oh, Sherry. She is such a gossip. I wouldn't believe anything she says.

W2：No, really. This time I think we can trust her. I don't think she's making it up.

W1：Wow, this IS news. What about their baby?

W2：I don't know. I haven't heard anything about that.

W1：Well, that's too bad. Even though I don't like either one of them, I feel sorry for them. It's so sad when this happens, especially for the child.

W2：Ya, right. It's easy to get caught up in all the gossip and forget to think about the serious consequences.

W1：Still, I can't say I'm surprised. Can you imagine living with someone like that? 

W2：No, I can't. She is so self-centered.

W1：And what about him?

W2：I don't know him well, but he seems nice.

W1：I think so too. I'm not sure how he ever fell for her.

W2：Are you kidding? Hommors. You have to admit that she's physically attractive. He probably couldn't help himself. And now it seems he has fallen for someone else.

W1：I guess he can't control himself. I've heard he has a drinking problem too. 

W2：Oh I wasn't aware of that. Well, what's new, right? Something's never change. 

W1：That's for sure. Hey, what about lunch?

W2：No, thanks. I'd better get back to work.