1

Do you mind if I borrow your dictionary?

No, not at all. Go ahead.

AWould you mind answering the phone for me?

BOh, no. No problem.

AWould you mind closing that door?

BNo, not at all.

ADo you mind if I take off my shoes?

BNo. Go right ahead.

ADo you mind if I use your laptop for a minute?

BNo problem.

AWould you mind handing me the potato salad?

BOh, no. Not at all. Here you are.

AWould you mind playing that song again?

BI'd be happy to.

ADo you mind if I eat the last piece of apple pie?
BNot at all. Go ahead.

ADo you mind if I turn on the news for a minute?

BNo, not at all.

AWould you mind turning down the music a little?

BNo problem.
MotherRudy, do you have a minute?
RudySure. What's the matter?
MotherWell, your grandparents are on their way, and the house is a mess. Could you please
clean your room before they get here?
RudyOK. I can do it now.
MotherOh, and would you mind taking your weight-training things out of the living room?
RudySure. No problem. But do you mind if I do it after I clean my room?
MotherNo, of course not. Actually, I should probably call your grandparents to make sure
they're not lost. Where's my phone?
RudyUm, I don't know.
MotherHmm. Can I borrow your phone for a minute?
RudySure, go ahead. 
MotherWhere is it?
RudyUh . . . I don't know. I think it's here somewhere. . .

1.
I feel sleepy. Would you mind making some coffee? No, not at all. How you do like it?

Do you mind if we watch the soccer game tonight?  No, not at all. What time does it start?

I feel hot. Could I get a glass of water?  Sure. Do you want ice in it?

Can I borrow your phone? I need to call my sister.  Go ahead. It's on the table next to the

sofa.

Sorry, I can't hear you. Would you mind turning down the music a little?  No problem. Is that

better?

Can we listen to some music?  OK. Do you like hip hop?

 7

I feel a little hungry. Do you mind if I take an apple?  No problem. Would you like a drink,

too?

Could I borrow a sweater? I feel a little cold.  Sure. Do you want me to turn the heat on?

Use your own ideas. Here are some examples.

I feel sleepy. Would you mind making some coffee?

No, not at all. How you do like it? With or without milk?
Do you mind if we watch the soccer game tonight?
No, not at all. What time does it start? Who's playing?
I feel hot. Could I get a glass of water?
Sure. Do you want ice in it?
Can I borrow your phone? I need to call my sister.
Sure. Go ahead. Do you want to go into another room?
Sorry, I can't hear you. Would you mind turning down the music a little?
No problem. Is that better?
Can we listen to some music?
OK. What kind of music do you like? Do you like hip-hop?
I feel a little hungry. Do you mind if I take an apple?
No problem. Would you like a drink, too?
Could I borrow a sweater? I feel a little cold.
Sure. Do you want me to turn the heat on?

All aboard, furry neighbors! 

  
Have you ever lived next door to a boat? How about a boat full of cats? 
  
Amsterdam, the largest city in the Netherlands, is full of canals. There are many different kinds of
boats on the canals. Some of them carry people and goods, some have shops or restaurants on
them, while others are houseboats – boats that people live on. But not only people live on these
houseboats. Cats do too, at least on two of them. 
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It all began in 1966 with a stray cat, her kittens, and a kind woman named Henriette van Weelde.
One rainy night, Henriette heard a cat crying outside her house. She opened the door and saw a
wet mother cat trying to protect her kittens from the rain. Henriette felt sorry for the poor
animals, so she let them live with her. Soon another stray cat joined them, and then more.
Henriette quickly became known as the "cat lady." 
  
Before long, the cats filled Henriette's house. Then they filled her garden. And the cats kept
coming. What could she do with them all? She saw the answer to her problem floating on the
canal – a houseboat. People could live on houseboats, so why couldn't cats? In 1968, Henriette
bought her first "cat boat." 
  
Soon, even more stray cats moved in, and then came people who wanted to help – the first
volunteers. But after just three years, the houseboat was full of cats. So Henriette bought another
boat! More people were visiting, not just to bring cats in, but also to adopt a pet or just to look.
After all, a houseboat for cats is not a common sight! 
  
Today, Henriette's two cat boats are still in the same place on the canal. And the Cat Boat
Foundation that Henriette started years ago is not only an official Dutch charity but also an
international tourist attraction!

houseboat:  People live on this boat

"cat boat": Cats live on this boat

stray cat:  This cat is lost or has no home

"cat lady":  This is a woman with a lot of cats

What are boats used for on Amsterdam's canals?

Boats are used as homes.

Why did Henriette van Weelde take in the first stray cat?
It was raining, and she felt sorry for the cat and her kittens.

What did Henriette do when her house and garden filled with cats?
She bought a houseboat.

Who helped Henriette take care of the cats? Volunteers helped her.
What are two reasons people visit Henriette's cat boats? People want to see the cat boats. 
and 
People want to adopt a cat.
 1

First , Danny wakes up around noon on Sunday

He sleeps for thirty or so minutes more before he gets out of bed.

Then, he takes a quick shower, gets dressed, and goes downstairs.

Next, he goes into the kitchen and makes a huge breakfast.

While he's eating breakfast, he reads the sports section of the paper.

He checks his email when he finishes his breakfast.

He watches football on TV as soon as he's off the computer.

He usually falls asleep once or twice during the game.

After the game is over, Danny goes upstairs and takes a long nap.

 Alison gets up at 8:30 a.m. on Sundays.

 First, she takes a shower.
 Then, she eats breakfast.
 After breakfast, she takes a bus downtown.
 When she arrives, she goes to her dance class.
 Next, she has another class – a singing class.
 After her second class, she has lunch.
 Before she goes home, she does some shopping.
 As soon as she gets back home, she starts to practice her violin.

 Use your own ideas. Here is an example.

 On Sundays, I never get up as soon as I wake up! I love to sleep
late so it's usually noon before I finally get up. My Sunday routine is
often the same. First, I watch the news on TV while I make coffee.
Next, I take a quick shower and then I check my messages and
drink my coffee before I leave the house. I always meet a friend for
lunch at a local restaurant, and I usually walk there. During lunch,
we chat about our week. Then, after lunch if it's a nice day, we go
 for a walk in the park. If it's cold or raining, we often go to see a
movie. I really enjoy Sundays, especially Sunday afternoons.

BenHello! Come on in.

JessicaThese are for you, Ben. Are the others here yet?

BenOh, thank you. No, not yet. So just make yourself at home. Can I take your coat? 

JessicaSure. Thanks. This is a great apartment! Do you mind if I look around? 

BenNo, go ahead.

JessicaOh, I love this antique table.

BenYeah, it's great, but it's not really mine. It's my mother's.

JessicaIt's beautiful.

BenYeah, thanks. Listen, I hate to ask this, but would you mind helping me in the kitchen? I'm

running a bit late.

JessicaNo, not at all. What can I do? 

BenWell . . . could you chop the onions? 

JessicaNo problem. I'm happy to help.

JessicaSo, which knife should I use? This sharp one?

BenUm . . . yeah, that's fine. Thanks. . . .
JessicaOh, the onions! I'm crying! Can you pass me the tissues?
BenOK. Here you go. That's funny. I never cry when I chop onions.
JessicaYou don't? Oh, you're lucky. OK, so what else can I do?
BenWell, uh . . . could you make the salad?
JessicaSure. What do you have?
BenUm, some tomatoes and some . . . oh, no, I forgot the lettuce. Listen, would you mind
watching the stove while I run to the store?
JessicaNo, not at all. Um, can you get some peppers, too?
BenOK. Good idea.
JessicaUh, do you mind if I get a drink of water or something?
BenNo. Go right ahead. There's some juice in the refrigerator.
JessicaUm, Ben. I don't see any juice. . . .
BenReally? OK, so I need juice, lettuce, peppers, anything else? It's a good thing you came
early, Jessica. Do you mind if I borrow your car?

 Why is Jessica crying? It's because of the onions.

 What does Ben need to do before the others arrive? He needs to go to the store.
 How does Ben feel about Jessica arriving early? He's glad.

"Can you pass me

the tissues?"

"Could you make

2 the salad?"

"Would you mind

watching the
3 stove?"

"Can you get some

4 peppers, too?"

"Do you mind if I

get a drink of
5 water?"

"Do you mind if I

6 borrow your car?"

A friend and I were running in the park, and this guy was riding behind us. We didn't hear
him because we were listening to music. Anyway, we decided to stop because I was tired,
and the guy ran right into me. And then he just rode away!

An embarrassing thing happened when I was studying singing at the university. At my first

concert, I was on the stage, and I saw a concert hall full of people. I got so scared that I
completely forgot the words to my song. So I just stood on the stage, and I said, "Thank you."
After that, I walked off and went home.
I was telling my friends a funny story about my brother and he walked in.

I was doing my laundry, and I heard a noise. My phone was in the washing machine.

My dad deleted my music files when he was trying to fix my computer.

A friend and I were having lunch when our server spilled coffee all over us.

My mom and dad saw one of their neighbors on the same plane when they were flying to
Beijing.

My teacher was talking on her cell phone and she ran right into me in the hallway.

A guy was having his lunch in the park. He was reading, and he wasn't paying attention to
his sandwich. Suddenly a big dog came along and ate the guy's sandwich.

A guy was riding his bike in the park when he saw a pretty girl on the sidewalk. He raninto a
tree and damaged his bike. The girl stopped and asked, "Are you all right?"

When I was eating dinner a couple of nights ago, 

I spilled spaghetti sauce on my favorite T-shirt.

Last weekend, my friend called me when I was making a cake, and I burned it!

I was writing an email one night when my favorite TV show came on. I didn't finish the
email.

Last week, I was going to class, and I missed my bus. I had to wait 45 minutes.

Last weekend, I was visiting the coast when I ran into an old friend.

Yesterday, I was talking to a friend, and he told me he's getting married.

Use your own ideas. Here are some examples.

When I was eating dinner a couple of nights ago, I spilled spaghetti sauce on my
favorite T-shirt.
Last weekend, my friend called me when I was making a cake, and I burned it!
I was doing my homework one night when my friend called and said she had free
tickets to a concert.
Last week, I was going to class and I missed my bus. I had to wait 45 minutes.
Last weekend, I was walking around the mall, when a woman came up to interview me
for the local TV news.
Yesterday, I was talking to a friend and he told me that he's getting married.

1
H
2
FACE
3
O A W
4
S HO U LDE R
5
E T I
6
L NO S E
7 8
B ACK E T
O H C
9 10
W E A NKL E
S R E
11
THUMB G
Across
Down
 1

 I can't move. I hurt my  back 

 It's hard to walk. I broke my leg.
 I got a bruise on my face. It hurts to smile.
 I sprained my wrist, so it's hard to write.
 It hurts to walk. I broke my toe.
 I got a black eye. I can't see clearly.
 I can't bend my arm. I hurt my elbow.
  It's hard to wash dishes. I cut my hand.
 I hurt my neck. I can't turn my head.
 I broke my nose. It's hard to breathe.

AHow did your sister hurt her hand?

BOh, she burned herself when she was making tea.

AAre you OK? Did you hurt your ankle?

BYeah. I fell when I was jogging. I didn't hurt myself.

AWhat happened to your brothers?

BOh, they hurt themselves when they were moving to a new apartment.

AHow did your father cut himself?

BHe was chopping vegetables for dinner.

MomHi, honey. How was your day?

AliciaWell, I hurt myself. I kicked a ball, and it hit me on the head.
MomOh, no! What were you doing?
AliciaWell, I was playing soccer with some friends. I was looking in the other direction.
MomWhy were you looking in the other direction?
AliciaWell, I was looking at a guy. I guess I wasn't paying attention.
MomWho were you looking at? 
AliciaThis really cute guy named Jason.
MomWas he playing soccer with you?
AliciaNo, he wasn't playing with us. He was just standing there.
MomWhere was he standing?
AliciaIn front of the field. He was talking on the phone. Anyway, I kicked the ball, the ball hit
Jason, and then it hit me.
MomThat's terrible!
AliciaNot really. Now I have a date with him on Saturday.

 You won't believe what I did last week. I was riding my bike with a friend in City
Park.
 Oh, that's a beautiful park.
 Yeah, it is. Anyway, my friend and I were talking about going to Australia.
 Australia? That sounds like a fun trip.
 Yeah. But anyway, I wasn't paying attention and ran right into a woman in front
of me.
 Oh no! I bet she wasn't too happy!
 Guess what I did? I woke up late this morning, and it was after 10:30.
 You're kidding! That late?
 Yeah. So I jumped out of bed, got dressed, and ran all the way to school.
 The whole way? I bet you were exhausted!
 Yeah, I was. And when I got to class, I saw that I was wearing two different
sneakers. One blue and one black! But anyway, everyone was studying for a test.
So I just sat at the back.
 I bet no one even noticed.

 Do you remember my cousin, Courtney? Well, one day last summer she was out
riding when her horse fell.
 Oh, my gosh! That's awful.
 I know. The horse fell right on top of her, and she couldn't get up. But my father
was there.
 That was lucky!
 Yeah, it was. My dad took her to the hospital, and she's OK now.
 Thank goodness

 I was looking around in the mall the other day, and I walked right into a glass door! I
was so embarrassed.
I bet no one even noticed.

 My sister wasn't paying attention when she left home for work this morning, and she
locked herself out of her apartment.
Oh no, I bet she was upset.

 My little sister borrowed my new laptop last night, and she dropped it! So now it's not
working.
I bet you were really mad.
 I went to a concert with some friends last weekend, but I was so bored that I fell asleep!
I bet your friends weren't too happy with you.
 I went to the car wash yesterday and forgot to close the car window. I got so wet!
I bet you were embarrassed.
  Guess what? I just won a trip to Miami in a radio contest!
Wow! I bet you're really happy.

AI was walking to work one morning, and I thought I saw my old friend from middle school
across the street. So I ran after him and called his name. Anyway, he turned around and it
wasn't my friend at all. 
BOh, that's funny. I bet the guy thought you were crazy.

AI was taking a taxi once, and I was in a hurry. I wanted to pay with my credit card, but I
couldn't find my card. I didn't have any cash either. The driver was a nice guy. He took my
address, and called by later to pick up the money. 
BReally? That was kind of him. I bet you were really embarrassed.

ALast year, none of my friends called to wish me Happy Birthday. I thought, "Maybe they just
forgot." Well, when I got home, I opened the door and it was all dark. Then suddenly the lights
went on. My friends were shouting "Surprise!" and giving me presents. 
BWow! That's really nice. I bet you were surprised.

AMy brother was driving my dad's car in a bad storm one night. It was difficult to see, so he
stopped under a tree until the rain stopped. A big branch fell from the tree and hit the top of
the car. My brother was OK, but the car wasn't.
BYou're kidding! That's lucky! I bet you're glad he wasn't hurt.

1. I was walking to work one morning, and I thought I saw my old friend from middle
school across the street. So I ran after him and called his name. Anyway, he turned
around and it wasn't my friend at all.
 
2. I was taking a taxi once, and I was in a hurry. I wanted to pay with my credit card,
but I couldn't find my card. I didn't have any cash either. The driver was a nice guy. He
took my address, and called by later to pick up the money.
 
3. Last year, none of my friends called to wish me Happy Birthday. I thought, "Maybe
they just forgot." Well, when I got home, I opened the door and it was all dark. Then
suddenly the lights went on. My friends were shouting "Surprise!" and giving me
presents.
 
4. My brother was driving my dad's car in a bad storm one night. It was difficult to see,
so he stopped under a tree until the rain stopped. A big branch fell from the tree and
hit the top of the car. My brother was OK, but the car wasn't.

I was walking to work one morning, and I thought I saw my old friend from
middle school across the street. So I ran after him and called his name. Anyway,
he turned around and it wasn't my friend at all.
Oh, that's funny. I bet the guy thought you were crazy.
I was taking a taxi once, and I was in a hurry. I wanted to pay with my credit
card, but I couldn't find my card. I didn't have any cash either. The driver was a
nice guy. He took my address, and called by later to pick up the money.
Really? That was kind of him. I bet you were really embarrassed.
Last year, none of my friends called to wish me Happy Birthday. I thought,
"Maybe they just forgot." Well, when I got home, I opened the door and it was all
dark. Then suddenly the lights went on. My friends were shouting "Surprise!"
and giving me presents.
Wow! That's really nice. I bet you were surprised.
My brother was driving my dad's car in a bad storm one night. It was difficult to
see, so he stopped under a tree until the rain stopped. A big branch fell from the
tree and hit the top of the car. My brother was OK, but the car wasn't.
You're kidding! That's lucky! I bet he was scared.

Around Town by Nelson Hunter 

 
A few weeks ago, I was walking to my car in the parking lot, when someone came up to me
and said he enjoyed reading my weekly column. "But," he said, "you always write about
everyone's bad experiences. Why don't you ask people to talk about their good experiences,
too?"
 
So I asked readers to write in and tell me about all the good things that happened to them
recently. I got hundreds of replies. Here are three of them:
 
 
When I was shopping at the mall last week, I lost my wallet with all my money and credit cards
in it. I spent a long time looking for it with no luck. I was really upset because it had my spare
house key and my address in it, too. Anyway, later that day after I got home, my doorbell rang.
It was a young man, and he had my wallet. Apparently, he saw it on the ground when he was
walking into the mall. He drove all the way to my house to give it to me! I couldn't believe it! I
was so lucky!
– Andrea Keane
 
I was coming home from a party really late at night, and I missed the last train home. I didn't
have enough money for a cab, and I didn't want to walk home in the dark. I was standing
outside the train station, and I guess I looked worried because a woman came up and asked
me if I needed any help. She offered to share a cab with me and to pay for it! She said she
didn't like being by herself at night, either. I was so grateful.
– Abby Walters
 
After class each week, I often go to the local donut shop and get some coffee before I go
home. When I was leaving the store last week, the owner gave me a bag of donuts from the
day before to take home for free. She said I was a good customer, and she didn't want to throw
them out. When I got home, I shared them with my roommates!
– John Jones
 
So, thank you for all the letters. For next week, I want to hear about any funny stories you
have. What funny things happened to you recently?

Who is Nelson Hunter? a journalist

2

 Who found Andrea's wallet? a young man

 How did Abby get home? in a cab
What did John get? a free bag of donuts

Around Town by Nelson Hunter 

 
A few weeks ago, I was walking to my car in the parking lot, when someone came up to
me and said he enjoyed reading my weekly column. "But," he said, "you always write
about everyone's bad experiences. Why don't you ask people to talk about their good
experiences, too?"
 
So I asked readers to write in and tell me about all the good things that happened to
them recently. I got hundreds of replies. Here are three of them:
 
 When I was shopping at the mall last week, I lost my wallet with all my money and credit
cards in it. I spent a long time looking for it with no luck. I was really upset because it had
my spare house key and my address in it, too. Anyway, later that day after I got home, my
doorbell rang. It was a young man, and he had my wallet. Apparently, he saw it on the
ground when he was walking into the mall. He drove all the way to my house to give it to
me! I couldn't believe it! I was so lucky!
– Andrea Keane
 
I was coming home from a party really late at night, and I missed the last train home. I
didn't have enough money for a cab, and I didn't want to walk home in the dark. I was
standing outside the train station, and I guess I looked worried because a woman came
up and asked me if I needed any help. She offered to share a cab with me and to pay for
it! She said she didn't like being by herself at night, either. I was so grateful.
– Abby Walters
 
 
After class each week, I often go to the local donut shop and get some coffee before I go
home. When I was leaving the store last week, the owner gave me a bag of donuts from
the day before to take home for free. She said I was a good customer, and she didn't
want to throw them out. When I got home, I shared them with my roommates!
– John Jones
 
So, thank you for all the letters. For next week, I want to hear about any funny stories you
have. What funny things happened to you recently?

Nelson Hunter
usually writes about
bad things that
happen to people.

Abby Walters had to

pay for a cab home
2
when she missed
her train.

Andrea was worried

because if someone
3 found her wallet,
they could get into
her house.

A young man found

Andrea's wallet
4
when he was
leaving the mall.

John ate the bag of

5
donuts by himself.
 Years ago, when my friend and I were in middle school, we decided to write our
names on a one-dollar bill for fun. We spent the money and forgot about it. Then, one
night about 20 years later, while I was waiting for a bus, I saw a dollar bill on the
street. I picked it up, and my name was on it. It was the same bill we wrote on! When I
think of it now, I'm amazed!
               – Ken Leonard, Los Angeles

I had a strange experience a couple of months ago. It happened one night while I was
sleeping. It was probably about two in the morning when I woke up to loud
music. When I looked around, I saw that the radio was on. I clearly remember turning
it off when I went to bed.
               – Lisa Lee, Hong Kong

 My brother bought tickets for a concert as a surprise for my birthday.

 It took about four hours to drive to the concert from our town.
 When we arrived, we joined everyone waiting to get into the concert.
 While we were waiting, we started talking to some people.
 When they said it took them four hours to get to the concert, we asked where
they were from.
 As soon as they said the name of our town, I recognized one of the girls.
 She was the sister of an old school friend, and my friend was coming to the
concert too.
 I couldn't believe it! I met a friend from school in a crowd of 15,000 people!
 Last weekend, I went to a concert with some of my friends. It took a couple of hours
to drive to the concert. It was pretty far. While we were waiting in line to get in, we
started talking to some people. I thought one of the girls looked familiar. But I
wasn’t sure. But when she said she was from the same town, I asked her “Which
school do you go to?” It was the same school as my brother, and I realized she was
one of my brother’s friends. I couldn’t believe it! It’s amazing that you can meet
someone in a crowd of 15,000 people like that. It’s a small world!

MattI was making Mexican food for a bunch of people one time. . . .
EmilyOh, I love Mexican. 
MattAnyway, everything was ready, and I picked up this big pot of rice, and I burned
myself, and I dropped it right in the middle of the floor upside down!
EmilyOh, no. 
MattI freaked!
EmilyOh, I bet. 
MattSo anyway, I just ran out to the restaurant down the street, bought some rice, put
 it in a bowl, and served dinner.
EmilyI bet no one even noticed. 
MattThey didn't. I was only gone for five minutes.
EmilyThat's really funny.

Emily was making dinner for her friends

Emily ruined the dessert
Emily's sister thought the dessert was delicious

EmilyYou know, I did something like that one time.

MattReally? What happened?
EmilyWell, I was helping my sister cook dinner for some friends. We were making
Korean food.
MattYum! Korean food's great.
EmilyUh-huh. So, anyway, I was making sweet rice cakes for dessert. I was really
happy because I was doing it myself, but it was a lot of work.
MattMmm. . . . I bet they were good.
EmilyWell, . . . we were eating dinner and enjoying ourselves, and, um . . . I forgot
about the rice cakes on the stove. When I went in the kitchen, they were ruined. I was
so upset.
MattI bet. So, what did you do?
EmilyWell, just like you, I ran out to a store and bought some!
MattYou're kidding! Did anyone notice?
EmilyNo, no one did. And when I served them, my sister said, "These rice cakes are
amazing! Emily made them herself." So anyway, I just smiled and didn't say anything.
MattThat's funny!

Emily was helping

her mother cook
dinner.

Matt likes Korean

2 food.

Emily was making

sweet rice cakes
3 for dessert.

Emily served the

rice cakes she
4 made.

5 Emily's sister
thought Emily
made the rice
 cakes herself.

Emily told
everyone the rice
6 cakes were from
the store.