Advanced English Conversations (2) - Robert Allans, Matt Edie, A. Mustafaoglu 2020

Set 81 - Yeah, that would be a good happy medium

Emma: What do you think you’ll do when you finish college?

Kim: Oh, it’s still up in the air. But, I’ll probably stay in the city and look for work here. Then I’ll go back home on holidays.

Emma: I love that idea, but I’ll probably go closer to home to get a job.

I like being surrounded by my family and old friends. Still, life in the big city is certainly tempting! There’s always something to do in your leisure.

Kim: Well, maybe you could split the difference and find a job in a big city closer to home.

Emma: Yeah, that would be a good happy medium.

Kim: On the other hand, since you like to travel, you could possibly get a job in another country—do something exotic.

Emma: You’re right. I might get really bored just doing the same old thing. I’d learn a lot overseas — make new friends and even pick up another language.

Kim: Well, I guess we have plenty of time to make up our minds, since we’re still in our freshman year!

Vocabulary;

up in the air: uncertain; subject to change.

surrounded (by/with): to be everywhere around.

tempting: (adjective) enticing; appealing; inviting; you want to do or have it.

split the difference: o find and agree upon the point halfway or nearly halfway between two amounts of something, (especially money).

happy medium: a satisfactory compromise; mid-way point.

exotic: (Adjective) foreign; non-native; tropical; imported; alien.

the same old thing: The same thing that is always done or that always happens. It often implies that such a thing is boring or monotonous.

make friends: to form a new friendship.

make up one’s mind: to make a decision; decide.

freshman year: the first year at an educational institution.

Exercise;

Fill in the gaps with the appropriate phrases or words;

1. Because the whole town protested plans to build a new shopping center, that proposal is now up in the ..........

2. To break the monotony, I've made .......... with one of the guys who works in my department.

3. We always sit around and do the same .......... thing on Fridays. Let's go out this week.

4. Ray's preoccupation for completing a college education turned out to be prophetic, as he was injured in his...................................................................... year.

5. He made up his .......... to attend the wedding after he got the invitation.

6. Wherever does he get the money from to go on all these .......... journeys?

7. We must strive to strike a happy .......... between bland meal budgeting and over-the-top culinary creations.

8. It's .......... to blame video games for violent behaviour in young men.

9. The employees in their turn had demanded an extra million from the communications and works ministry, but after negotiations, it was decided to .......... the difference.

10. Mystery still .......... the exact circumstances of Stalin's death.

1. air 2. friends 3. old 4. freshman 5. mind 6. exotic 7. medium 8. tempting 9. split 10. surrounds