Lesson 1 · Listening

Hey, Lisa! I haven't seen you here in ages. Do you come to this gym often? Hi Tom! I've been coming three times a week for about six months now. I usually go on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. That's impressive. I only started last month. I mostly use the treadmill. Have you tried any classes? Yes, I love the yoga class on Wednesday evenings. They changed the instructor recently — the new one is much stricter. Really? I was thinking of joining a class. Maybe something less intense, like stretching. Does this gym have that? They do, but it's only available on weekend mornings. The Saturday session starts at nine. You should try it — it's really good for beginners. Saturday at nine… that might be tricky. I usually go for a run on Saturday mornings with my dog. Oh, that's sweet. Is it a big dog? Pretty big — he's a Labrador. Very energetic. We usually run for about forty minutes. Well, maybe you could come to the Sunday session instead. I think it starts at ten. That sounds more doable. Thanks for the tip, Lisa!

Maria had been looking for a new job for three months. She had applied to twelve companies but had only heard back from two. The morning of her interview at a tech firm, she woke up an hour early, even though she hadn't set an extra alarm. She ironed her jacket carefully, rehearsed her answers in front of the mirror, and left the house thirty minutes before she needed to. On the train, she reviewed her notes but kept looking at the door every time it opened. When she arrived at the office building, she sat in the lobby for fifteen minutes before asking the receptionist for directions to the interview room. The interviewer, a woman named Dr. Park, started the meeting by saying that the role had attracted over two hundred applicants. Maria's hands felt cold. During the interview, she answered all the questions, but at one point she apologised and asked Dr. Park to repeat the question. Afterwards, walking to the train station, Maria called her sister. "How did it go?" her sister asked. Maria paused for a few seconds before answering.