The art of Conversation

1. What makes it easy to talk to someone?
2. What traits do you look for in a conversation partner?
3. Tell about your favorite types of conversations to have
4. What do you talk about?
5. How do you know the other person?
6. Who is the best conversationalist that you have ever met?
7. Why are they such a great conversationalist?
8. Have you ever had a great conversation with a complete stranger?
9. What made it so great?
10. What did you talk about?
11. Where were you?
12. What is your role in a conversation?
13. Do you dominate?
14. Do you subordinate?
15. What percent of a conversation do you spend talking?
16. Have you ever tried to consciously change your conversational style?
17. What did you change?
18. What are some good habits you have in conversation?
19. What are some bad traits you have in conversations?
20. Who communicates better: men or women?
21. What makes their style better?
22. What makes it worse?
23. Do you like to flirt?
24. How do you flirt?
25. What do you say?
26. On a scale of 1-10, how do you rate your conversational skill with the opposite sex? Explain.
27. How do conversations between men and women differ?
28. Do you like to argue?
29. What do you like to argue about?
30. Do you always want to be right?
31. What types of arguments do you hate to lose?
32. What topics should you avoid when talking to a stranger?
33. To a Swiss person?
34. To a Japanese?
35. To an American?
36. What topics are taboos for your culture?
37. What topics are taboo for you personally?
38. Why do people like to learn swear words in another language?
39. What do people do that drives you crazy in a conversation?
40. How do you feel about talking on the phone? Why?
41. Do you think that some conversations are easier to have on the phone? 
    Face to face?
42. What types of conversations, and why?
43. What are some topics that you can't stand to talk about? Why?
44. Do you have better conversations when you are drinking?
45. How do your conversations change after you have been drinking?
46. Have you ever said something to someone that you wish you hadn't said?
47. What was it? Explain.
48. If you could relive any conversation of your life, what would it be? Why? Explain.
49. How do you feel about being frank? Explain.
50. How do you feel about blunt people?
51. Is there such a thing as being too honest? Explain.
52. In your experience, which country's people are the easiest to talk to? Explain.
53. Which country's people are difficult to talk to? Explain.
54. If you could have the voice of any famous person, whose voice would you want? Why?
55. How do you feel about conversations with people older than yourself?
56. Are there any older people who you have conversations with regularly?
57. Who are they?
58. Some people like to talk about things, and some people like to do things. What kind of person are you? Explain.
59. If you could have a conversation with any famous living person, who would you talk to?
60. What would you talk about?
61. Why would you want to talk about that? Explain.
62. If you could have a conversation with a famous deceased person, who would you talk to?
63. What would you talk about, and why?
64. Do you like to eavesdrop on other people's conversations?
65. What kind of questions do you like to overhear? Where do you listen?
66. Have you ever spied on anyone?
67. Have you ever recorded a phone call or conversation? Why?
68. Would you ever do it? Explain.
69. If you had to choose, would you rather marry a partner who is handsome/beautiful and sexy, but who is a terrible conversationalist, or a partner who is a wonderful conversationalist, but who is less-attractive-than-average? Explain.
70. What was a difficult conversation you had to have in your life?
71. How did it turn out?
72. What made it hard? Explain.
73. Would you like to be a salesman, a teacher, a reporter?
74. Would you like to have a career that requires you to talk to a lot of people? Why
75. Which career?
76. How can you improve your conversation skills? Explain.

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1. Traits - traços
2. Conversationalist - conversador
3. role - papel
4. Consciously
5. flirt - flertar, paquerar
6. rate - avaliar
7. avoid - evitar
8. swear words - palavrões
9. stand - suportar
10. relive - reviver, recordar
11. frank - franco , honesto
12. be blunt - ser bruto, grosseiro
13. deceased - falecido
14. eavesdrop - interceptar, ouvir clandestinamente ( Dilma and Lula had their conversation eavesdropped by the justice )
15. Would rather - preferir
16. less attractive than average - menos atraente do que as pessoas daquela idade
17. turn out - acabar, se sair

Accidents at Home

1. What is the most dangerous thing in your home? How can your home be made less dangerous?
2. What is the most dangerous thing in your home for a child? How can it be made less dangerous?
3. What is the most dangerous thing in your home for an elderly person? How can it be made less dangerous?
4. What dangers can be found in the kitchen that can cause accidents?
5. What can be done to prevent kitchen accidents?
6. What can a parent do to childproof a kitchen?
7. What dangers can be found in bathrooms that can cause accidents?
8. What can be done to prevent bathroom accidents?
9. What can a parent do to childproof a bathroom?
10. What dangers can be found outside the home in the yard that can cause accidents?
11. What can be done to prevent yard accidents?
12. What can a parent do to childproof the yard?
13. What other dangers can be found in a home in bedrooms, laundry rooms, garages, and living areas?
14. What can be done throughout the house to prevent accidents?
15. What can a parent do to childproof the different rooms of the home?

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Valentine's Day

Story of St. Valentine

"The story of Valentine's Day begins in the third century with an oppressive Roman emperor and a humble Christian Martyr.   The emperor was Claudius II.   The Christian was Valentinus.

Claudius had ordered all Romans to worship twelve gods, and had made it a crime punishable by death to associate with Christians.   But Valentinus was dedicated to the ideals of Christ; not even the threat of death could keep him from practicing his beliefs.   He was arrested and imprisoned.

During the last weeks of Valentinus's life a remarkable thing happened.   Seeing that he was a man of learning, the jailer asked whether his daughter, Julia, might be brought to Valentinus for lessons.   She had been blind since birth.   Julia was a pretty young girl with a quick mind.   Valentinus read stories of Rome's history to her.   He described the world of nature to her.   He taught her arithmetic and told her about God.  She saw the world through his eyes, trusted his wisdom, and found comfort in his quiet strength.

"Valentinus, does God really hear our prayers?" Julia asked one day.

"Yes, my child, He hears each one."

"Do you know what I pray for every morning and every night?  I pray that I might see.   I want so much to see everything you've told me about!"

"God does what is best for us if we will only believe in Him," Valentinus said.

"Oh, Valentinus, I do believe! I do!"  She knelt and grasped his hand.

They sat quietly together, each praying.   Suddenly there was a brilliant light in the prison cell.   Radiant, Julia screamed, "Valentinus, I can see!  I can see!"

"Praise be to God!"  Valentinus exclaimed, and he knelt in prayer.

On the eve of his death Valentinus wrote a last note to Julia, urging her to stay close to God.   He signed it, "From your Valentine."  His sentence was carried out the next day, February 14, 270 A.D., near a gate that was later named Porta Valentini in his memory.   He was buried at what is now the Church of Praxedes in Rome.   It is said that Julia planted a pink-blossomed almond tree near his grave.   Today, the almond tree remains a symbol of abiding love and friendship.   On each February 14, Saint Valentine's Day, messages of affection, love, and devotion are exchanged around the world."

A pink-blossomed almond tree

Obama's new house

President Barack Obama and his family will be moving to a mansion in Washington, D.C. after his term in office ends next January.

Obama, his wife, Michelle, and their two daughters plan to live in a nine-bedroom house in Kalorama, one of Washington’s trendiest neighborhoods. The house is just three kilometers from the White House, where they now live.

The Obamas already own a home in Chicago, Illinois. The president and first lady announced earlier this year that they planned to stay in Washington until their younger daughter, Sasha, completes high school.

Sasha attends the private Sidwell Friends School. Her older sister, Malia, will begraduating from the school in June. Malia plans to attend Harvard University in September of 2017.

Kalorama is near Washington’s Embassy Row, where many countries have embassies and other diplomatic offices. It also is close to the official home of U.S. vice presidents.

The Obama administration has yet to make an official statement on the planned move. People close to the Obamas say that they will be renting the mansion, which is worth an estimated $5 million. How much they will pay is not yet known. Real estate experts say the average rate for similar properties is about $22,000 a month.

Obama's Kalorama House

The new Obama home was built in 1928 and is made of red brick. The mansion has large rooms, with 2,500 square meters of space. It has eight and one-half bathrooms and three fireplaces. The property has a large terrace with formal gardens. The house also has enough parking space for up to 10 cars.

President Obama once said that he is looking forward to the day when he can have the privacy and freedom he enjoyed before becoming president. With a house in Kalorama, he might just be able to do that!

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Words in This Story

mansion – n. a large and impressive house : the large house of a wealthy person

trendiest – adj. currently popular or fashionable

terrace – n. a flat area next to a building where people can sit and relax

Embassy Row:

 Embassy Row is the informal name for the section of Massachusetts Avenue,  between Scott Circle and the North side of the United States Naval Observatory, in which embassies, diplomatic missions, and other diplomatic representations are concentrated. 

Real State = A firm that sells or rents houses or properties
Average rate - average value

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Words in This Story

mansion – n. a large and impressive house : the large house of a wealthy person

trendiest – adj. currently popular or fashionable

terrace – n. a flat area next to a building where people can sit and relax

People watching

Conversation

Anna: Hello! People from all over the world come to Washington, D.C. When I’m at work, I love eating lunch outside. I like to watch people walking by. They all look very different. Today, my friend Ashley is eating lunch with me.

Anna: Ashley, today the weather is beautiful, isn’t it?

Ashley: Yes, it is. Ahh. (looks at her watch) Ooh, we have to return to work!

Anna: No, we have time! Let’s people-watch a little more.

Ashley: Okay.

Anna: Oh, I know her. She works in my office! Keyana, hi! Come and join us!

Keyana: Hi Anna, how are you?

Anna: I’m doing great! Keyana, this is my friend Ashley.

Keyana: Hi, Ashley!

Anna: We need to return. But the weather is beautiful and people-watching is fun!

Keyana: I love people-watching too!

Anna: Well, have a seat! It is fun to see how people are different or the same.

Keyana: It is. For example, Anna, you are tall. But Ashley and I are short.

Anna: And Keyana, you and Ashley have brown eyes; I have blue eyes.

Keyana: You two have light skin and I have dark skin.

Anna: Ashley, you have straight hair. Keyana and I have curly hair.

Ashley: You have very curly hair, Anna.

Keyana: I need to return to work. See you, Anna! Nice to meet you Ashley!

Ashley: Bye, Keyana!

Ashley: Anna, I have to go, too. Are you returning to work?

Anna: I still have time. And this sun feels so good!

Ashley: Um, Anna, what does your boss look like?

Anna: She is short. She has straight, light hair.

Ashley: Does she wear glasses?

Anna: Yes. Yes, she does.

Ashley: Is she wearing a blue sweater today?

Anna: How do you know that?

Ashley: She’s coming this way.

Anna: Oh no! Hide me!

Ashley: Um, bye Anna. Call me later.

Anna: Bye, Ashley! Talk to you later!

Caty: Anna? Is that you?

Anna: Ms. Weaver! Hi!

Caty: What are you doing behind that bench?

Anna: I am looking for my, my … stick. Here it is.

Anna: (sheepishly) I am people-watching. (looks at watch) Oh! But it’s time to return to work!

Caty: No need to hurry. I love people-watching too! Let’s sit!

Anna: Sure! Ahh.

Caty: It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?

Anna: Yes. Yes, it is, Ms. Weaver.

Anna: People-watching in D.C. is fun. It makes me forget the time!

Anna: Until next time! Ahh.