DICTATION LISTENING_WORKBOOK_ANSWER KEYS

UNIT 1: Immigration Statistics

Dictation

1. Since the founding of the U.S., more than (1) 55 million immigrants from every (2)
continent have settled here.

2. (3) During the 1990s an average of more than (4) one million immigrants, legal and (5)
illegal, settled in the U.S. each year.

3. Legal immigration fluctuates between (6) 700,000 and 900,000 each year, and the INS
estimates that 420,000 illegal (7) aliens settle here each year.

4. (8) Since 1970 more than 26 million immigrants have settled here, representing about (9) one-
third of all people (10) ever to come.

5. The largest number of legal immigrants to come in the (11) 70s and (12) 80s came from
(13) Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Haiti.

6. Of the immigrant groups, there are (14) 30 million Latinos, now the (15) largest minority, (16)
outnumbering African-Americans.

7. In California, home to over (17) 4 million Asia-Americans, (18) 75% of all Californians are
working for (19) Asian-owned businesses or paying rent to an Asian (20) landlord.

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 UNIT 2: Three little words
Dictation

When you think about it, we’ve all raised our kids using a minimum of three exclamatory
sentences: No! Don’t! and Stop! Used unsparingly, they can take a parent through 20 or 30 years
of living. No television until you’ve done your homework. No dessert until you’ve cleaned up
your plate. No hurry because you’re not going. No way. No dishes, no movie. No time for your
mother? No more arguing with your brother. No! And that’s the last time I say it.

Just when you think there are no more ways to say “No,” along comes “Don’t.” Don’t screw
up. Don’t forget your sweater. Don’t do as I do, do as I say. Don’t forget to say thank you. Don’t
you hear what I’m saying? Don’t make me say it again.

For sheer drama, there is nothing like “Stop!” Stop humming. Stop driving me crazy. Stop
dating that creep. Stop acting like you’re a big shot. Stop trying to be something you’re not. Stop
being so negative.

They are all familiar. We couldn’t have survived without them. But wouldn’t it be sad if No!
Don’t! and Stop! were the only things they learned from us… and those three little words shaped
their lives.

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 UNIT 3: Election Day in the USA
I. Introduction
1. C 2. B 3. C

II. Dictation
In the United States, presidential elections are held every four years. They are always held
on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in the month of November. In most states, Election
Day is not a holiday from work or school. The President and the Vice-President are elected for
four years. Only natural born citizens of the United States are allowed to be President. Presidents
are required to be at least thirty-five years old.
There are two major political parties, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The
vice presidential candidates are selected by the presidential candidates. Both people are
nominated by their political parties at a national convention several months before Election Day.
On Election Day, millions of Americans go to the polls to vote. Polls are located in schools,
churches, and public buildings. Polls are open from early in the morning until 7:00 or 8:00 in the
evening. Most polls use a voting machine. People always vote by secret ballot.
Today, all United States citizens 18 and older can vote if they want to. In presidential
elections, about 75% of Americans vote. On election night the votes are tabulated by computer,
and the winner is usually announced by midnight.

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 UNIT 4: The Olympic Games
Dictation

The Ancient Games

Ancient Greece gave birth to the Olympics more than 2000 years ago in 776 B.C. The
Games ended in 394 A.D. During those 1000 years, the Ancient Games were festivals to
honor the many gods that Greeks worshiped. Olympia, the town where the most powerful
god, Zeus, was worshiped, held the first Olympics. The first Olympic Games consisted of
no more than one foot race, but as the Games became more popular, other events were
added, such as horse racing, boxing, chariot racing, and wrestling.

Young men of wealth dominated the early Games, but later, as other sports festivals
became more and more popular and offered big cash prizes to winners, men of all classes
of society could make sports a full-time career. The Olympic Games never offered cash
prizes; it was the glory of winning that meant everything to young men ages 12-17.

The Modern Games

The Olympics were revived in 1896 and were held every four years. The Modern
Games were later divided into the Winter and Summer Games. Now the Winter and
Summer Games alternate every two years. Fewer countries and sports are represented at
the Winter Games because fewer athletes come from countries with high mountains and
snow fields. The Summer Games attract thousands of athletes from over 200 countries
and include many more types of sports, such as swimming and running. Many Olympic
athletes today think of the Olympics as more than just winning the gold, silver, or bronze
medal. They believe that doing your personal best brings respect and understanding for
all athletes playing the same game for peace and humanity.

Teacher’s Note: John Lennon’s “Imagine” is a good song to play for this unit.

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 UNIT 5: Birthdays around the World

Dictation

Germany. Germans take birthdays seriously, sometimes receiving a half-day vacation from
work. Flowers and wine are common gifts.
Japan. The birthday child wears entirely new clothes to mark the occasion. Certain birth
days are more important than others. For example, usually only the birthdays of 60, 70, 79, 88
and 99 rate gifts.
United States. A cake is made, and candles are put on top, based on how old the person is.
After everyone sings the "happy birthday" song, the person makes a wish and blows out the
candles. If they blow them all out with one blow, their birthday wish will come true.
Denmark. A flag is flown outside a window to designate that someone who lives in that
house is having a birthday. Presents are placed around the child's bed while they are sleeping so
they will see them immediately upon awakening.
England. When you reach 80, 90, or 100 years of age, you receive a telegram from the
Queen. (In the U.S., when you reach 100, you receive a letter from the President.)
China. Age 30 is considered becoming an adult, and there is usually quite a celebration.
Birthdays are traditionally celebrated for adults who have reached at least 60 years of age. Lo
mein noodles are often served.
Mexico. The pinata, usually made out of paper mache’ and in the form of an animal, is filled
with goodies and hung from the ceiling. Children take turns hitting the pinata so candy and small
toys spill out for everyone to share. Also, when a daughter is 15, the birthday is celebrated with a
special mass in her honor. A party is then given to introduce her to everyone as a young woman.
The father dances a waltz with her.
Ireland. The birthday child is lifted upside down and "bumped" on the floor for good luck.
The number of bumps given is the age of the child plus one for extra good luck.

Note: Check out this site: http://www.kidsparties.com/traditions.htm

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 UNIT 6: Want to stay warm in the winter? Think COLD
Dictation

Winter in many places means ice skating, sledding and snowball fights. But unless someone
is prepared, outdoor fun can also mean frostbite and hypothermia. Today we talk about how to
stay warm, dry and safe.
Frostbite is damage that happens when skin is exposed to extreme cold for too long. It
happens mainly on the hands, feet, nose and ears.
People with minor cases of frostbite that affect only the skin may not suffer any permanent
damage. But if deeper tissue is affected, a person is likely to feel pain every time the area gets
cold.
If blood vessels are damaged, people can suffer an infection, gangrene. Sometimes, doctors
have to remove frostbitten areas like fingers and toes.
Hypothermia happens when the body cannot produce as much heat as it releases. The
condition comes on slowly. Signs include uncontrollable shaking, unusually slow breathing and
difficulty thinking clearly. If not treated, hypothermia can be deadly.
The best way to avoid cold-related injuries is to be prepared for the outdoors. Here is a
simple way to remember four basic steps to stay warm. Think of COLD -- C.O.L.D.
The C stands for Cover. Wear a hat and scarf to keep heat from escaping through the head,
neck and ears. And wear mittens instead of gloves. Gloves may not keep hands as warm because
they separate the fingers.
The O stands for Overexertion. Avoid activities that will make you sweaty. Wet clothes and
cold weather are a bad mix.
L is for Layers. Wearing loose, lightweight clothes, one layer on top of another, is better
than a single heavy layer of clothing. Also, make sure outerwear is made of water resistant and
tightly knit material.
Can you guess what the D in COLD stands for? D is for Dry. In other words, stay as dry as
possible. Pay attention to the places where snow can enter, like the tops of boots, the necks of
coats and the wrist areas of mittens.
And a couple of other things to keep in mind, one for children and the other for adults.
Eating snow might be fun but it lowers the body's temperature. And drinking alcohol might make
a person feel warm, but what it really does is weaken the body’s ability to hold heat.
And that’s the VOA Special English Report, written by Caty Weaver. For more health news,
along with transcripts and MP3s of our reports, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Faith Lapidus.

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 UNIT 7: Hold the Pickles, Hold the Lettuce
Dictation

What is perhaps most astonishing about America's fast food business is just how successful it has
become: what began in the 1940s as a handful of hot dog and hamburger stands in Southern
California has spread like kudzu across the land to become a $110 billion industry. According to
Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation, Americans now spend more on fast food than
they spend on higher education, personal computers, computer software, or new cars, or on
movies, books, videos, and recorded music combined.
Mr. Schlosser writes that on any given day in the United States about one quarter of the adult
population visits a fast food restaurant, and that the typical American now consumes
approximately three hamburgers and four orders of French fries every week. "An estimated one
of every eight workers in the United States has at some time been employed by McDonald's," he
adds, and the company hires more people than any other American organization, public or
private.
As fast food franchises from McDonald's, to Pizza Hut to Kentucky Fried Chicken go global, this
dynamic has assumed international flavor. In Brazil, Mr. Schlosser reports, McDonald's has
become the nation's largest private employer. Classes at McDonald's Hamburger University in
Oak Park, Illinois, are now taught in 20 different languages, and a Chinese anthropologist notes
that all the children in a primary school in Beijing recognized an image of Ronald McDonald.
For the Chinese, the anthropologist noted, McDonald's represents" Americana and the promise of
modernization."

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 UNIT 8:
Words and Stories: Expressions with Numbers
Dictation

Now, the VOA Special English program ‘Words and Their Stories’.

Last week, I told about the number one. Today, I will tell about expressions using other
numbers.

Some problems are difficult to solve. But there are a lot of number expressions that can help. For
example, if we put two and two together, we might come up with the right answer. We know that
two heads are better than one. It is always better to work with another person to solve a
problem.

Sometimes there are no two ways about it. Some problems have only one solution. You cannot be
of two minds over this.

But with any luck, we could solve the problem in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. We could have
our answers quickly and easily.

Sometimes we can kill two birds with one stone. That is, we can complete two goals with only one
effort or action. But we must remember that two wrongs don’t make a right. If someone does
something bad to you, you should not do the same to him.

If you are going out with your girlfriend, or boyfriend, you do not want another friend to go
along on your date. You can just say to your friend: two’s company, three’s a crowd.

When I was a young child in school, I had to learn the three R’s. These important skills are
reading, writing and arithmetic. These three words do not all start with the letter “R.” But they
have the sound of “R.” My teachers used to give three cheers when I did well in math. They
gave praise and approval for a job well done.

Some of my friends were confused and did not understand their schoolwork. They were at sixes
and sevens. In fact, they did not care if they finished high school. They saw little difference
between the two choices. Six of one, half a dozen the other – that was their position. But they
were really happy when they completed their studies and graduated from high school. They were in
seventh heaven. They were on cloud nine.

Nine times out of ten, students who do well in school find good jobs. Some work in an office
doing the same things every day at nine-to-five jobs. You do not have to dress to the nines, or
wear your best clothes, for this kind of work.

Last year, one of my friends applied for a better job at her office. I did not think she would get it.
I thought she had a hundred to one shot at the job. Other people at her office thought her chances
were a million to one. One reason was that she had been caught catching forty winks at the office.
She slept at her desk for short periods during the day. But her supervisor appointed her to the new
job at the eleventh hour -- at the very last minute. I guess her lucky number came up.

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill
Moss. I’m Faith Lapidus.
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 UNIT 9: Writing College Papers

Dictation

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Today in our Foreign Student Series we discuss writing college papers. Writing a term
paper, research paper or essay for a college class is a kind of academic writing. Academic
writing among professionals is a way to create new knowledge.
A professor assigns students to write a paper. The students examine an issue, review what is
already known, think about what they have learned and come to some conclusion.
This means that each student-writer must present information and also take a position. The
student might support an idea, question it or even disprove it. Or the writer could show how the
subject may be understood better or in a different way than it has been. And the student must
support the position with evidence.
Cultural differences may interfere when international students try to write this way. Writing
teachers say students in many countries have learned to write beautiful descriptions about
something without ever stating the main idea. American college students are expected to state
their main idea at the beginning of the paper.
In other cultures, paragraphs may be organized to build toward the main idea, which is
revealed at the end. But in the United States, the main idea of each paragraph should be in the
first sentence. Another difference is about writing style. Other cultures may use lots of
descriptive words. But American English values short, strong sentences.
Teachers at the writing center at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana work with
students to improve their writing. Graduate tutor Lars Soderlund says non-native English
speakers generally have some trouble with English grammar.
He says their sentences may be too long. Or they incorrectly use articles such as "a", "an"
and "the." He also says non-native speakers generally use too much emotional language and
give too many details before getting to the main idea.
The associate director of the writing center, Tammi Conard-Salvo, says international
students should look online for materials that explain the kind of writing they will be required to
do. They should ask their professors for help. Most colleges have a writing center where they can
get free individual help with their work.
Links to writing center materials can be found on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. And
that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Jim Tedder.