Cultural notes

All telephone numbers in the U.S. have 10 digits--a 3 digit area code, plus a 7 digit local telephone number. Each state has at least one area code; some states have more than one. Consult your local telephone directory for specific area codes. When giving phone numbers, Americans normally list each digit individually (i.e., 2-2-3-4-7-4-6, for 223-4746).

You can dial directly over 150 countries from most U.S. telephones. To direct dial, simply:

** Dial the hotel access code (check with the hotel operator; this number is usually 8 or 9)

** Dial 011, the international access code

** Dial the country code

** Dial the city code

** Dial the local number

To call Paris, France, for example, you would dial:

011-33-1-local number in Paris

Remember the time difference between various parts of the U.S. and your home. The U.S. itself has four times zones, Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific. When it is 9 a.m. in New York City, it's 6 a.m. in Los Angeles, California.

When staying at a hotel, you can charge a call to your room and pay for it when you check out. However, sometimes hotels will impose a surcharge, and it is cheaper to use a telephone credit card. Check with your hotel operator about this.

Action

SWITCHBOARD OPERATOR: How may I help you?

YOU: I'd like to make an international call, please.

SWITCHBOARD OPERATOR: You can dial directly from your room if you like.

YOU: I'm sorry, I don't understand what to do.

SWITCHBOARD OPERATOR: Just hang up, then dial 011, your country and city codes, and your number.

YOU: O.K. Thanks for your help.

SWITCHBOARD OPERATOR: You're welcome. Would you like to charge the call to your room or pay with a credit card?

YOU: To my room.

SWITCHBOARD OPERATOR: All right. I'll take care of it for you. Have a nice evening.

NARRATOR: You dial the correct number and wait several seconds until your call goes through.

Lesson 6 «At a Restaurant»

Vocabulary

air conditioned (adj.)

The machine that produces "cool air" or "air conditioning" is the "air conditioner." A machine that "warms" an environment is a "heater" or "furnace."

back (adv.)

Another useful expression is "to be right back," meaning "to return right away." It is used only in the future tense.

be serving, I'll (to serve, fut. prog.)

better (adv.)

bread (noun)

bring! (imp., to bring)

"Bring" means to carry or lead to the place thought of as "here," or where the speaker will be. You can bring a person or an object to a place.

cake (noun)

came, it (to come, past)

cheese (noun as adj.)

chocolate (noun as adj.)

cool off (inf., to cool off)

"Cool off" not only refers to relaxing in an air-conditioned environment after being outside during a hot day. "To cool off" can also refer to "calming down" after a "heated argument" (as in "I couldn't deal with my anger, so I went outside to cool off").

delicious (adj.)

dessert (noun)

A more traditional request for a dessert in the U.S. would be to ask for a slice of "apple pie a la mode" ("apple pie" with a "scoop of ice cream").

diet (noun)

There are many ways to express that you are on a diet. You can say that you're "watching your figure" ("weight" or "diet"). You can also say you're "counting calories." The word "diet" can also refer to one's food intake, regardless of the quantity, or lack thereof.

drink (inf., to drink)

everything (pron.)

explore (inf., to explore)

feel (inf., to feel)

fine (adv.)

finish, you (to finish)

glad (adj.)

Common synonyms of "glad" include "happy," "content," "delighted," and "pleased."

glass (noun)

A "glass" not only refers to the object from which one drinks, but also to the material from which a "glass glass" (as opposed to a "plastic glass") is composed. There are different types of "glasses" for different drinks. A "cup" or "mug" is used for "coffee," "tea" and "hot chocolate." A "tall glass" is used for cold beverages such as "soda" or "iced-tea." "Wine" is served in a "wine glass," "Champagne" in a "Champagne glass" and "beer" in a "glass," "mug" or "stein."

hands, he (to hand)

Another way to express that "the waiter hands you a menu" is to simply say that "the waiter gives you a menu."

having (pres. part., to have)

In "Hi, will you be having lunch?" this is an example of the future progressive tense which you will study in Chapter 13.

hear about (inf., to hear about)

hostess (noun)

hot (adj.)

The opposite of “hot” is “cold”, sometimes “cool”. Besides referring to temperature, “hot” and “cool” can also be used to describe something or someone which (who) is of great popularity or in style ("Your shoes are really hot." (i.e. "fashionable"); "Ms. Jackson is really cool." (i.e. "chic," "intriguing," etc.)).

house (noun as adj.)

The word "house" in the context of the dialogue does not refer to the building or structure where one lives, but rather "particular to" or "of a certain restaurant or bar," as in a "house wine," a "house specialty," a "house drink," or a "house salad dressing."

hungry (adj.)

There are many ways to say that you are hungry. You can say "I'm starved," "I'm dying of hunger." "I'm famished." "I could eat a horse." "I'm ravenous."

ice (noun)

July (noun)

kind (noun)

Besides meaning "type" or "sort," "kind" (as an adj.) refers to someone who is "sympathetic," "friendly," or "cordial."

know, I (to know)

later (adv.)

lunch (noun)

meal (noun)

mean, you (to mean)

menu (noun)

moment (noun)

morning (noun)

name (noun)

newspaper (noun)

next (adj.)

order (inf., to order)

prepare, you (to prepare)

quite (adv.)

read, you (to read)

restaurant (noun)

returns, he (to return)

right (adv.)

Besides meaning "correct," "right" can also mean "directly" or "immediately" as in "I'll be right back with your wine."

salad (noun)

scorcher (noun)

seeing (pres. part., to see)

sights (noun, pl.)

something (noun)

specials (noun, pl.)

"Specials" in the course of the dialogue refer to a restaurant's "specialties" that may or may not appear on a menu.

start, you (to start)

table (noun)

television (noun)

People commonly refer to television as the "TV," or the "tube" or "boob tube" (both slang).

think, I (to think)

One way to agree or to answer a question affirmatively is to say "I think so." Its counterpart is "I don't think so."

today (adv.)

too (adv.)

There are three words in English that are pronounced the same but have different meanings: "to" (a preposition, as in "I'm speaking to her"), "too" (which means "also"), and the number "two."

tray (noun)

used to, I'm (to be used to)

One expression that can easily confuse is "to be used to (something or someone)." Not only is the word "used" different in meaning from the verb "to use," it's also pronounced differently. "To be used to something" means "to be accustomed" to it.

waiter (noun)

The female counterpart of "waiter" is "waitress." Another term, "server," applies to both male and female restaurant employees. To get your server's attention, you may address a waitress as "ma'am" or "miss," a waiter as "sir."

wake up, you (to wake up)

"To wake up" means to open one's eyes after sleeping. "To get up" means to actually rise out of bed to begin one's day.

watch, you (to watch)

"To watch" usually implies following an image that is moving with your eyes. One normally "sees" or "looks at" a static image such as a picture.

water (noun)

weather (noun)

Americans, like people almost anywhere, love to talk (complain) about the weather. Here are some useful weather expressions: "It's hot" ("It's a scorcher" = slang for "extremely hot"), "It's warm," "It's mild," "It's cool," "It's cold," "It's freezing," "It's raining," "It's snowing," "It's windy," "It's sunny," "It's cloudy," etc.

white (adj.)

wine (noun)

Story

You wake up the next morning and order your continental breakfast. Twenty minutes later your breakfast arrives. You watch some television, and then read the newspaper that came with your breakfast tray. Finally, you decide to explore downtown Atlanta. It's July, and it's hot outside. After seeing some of the downtown sights, you look for a restaurant where you can cool off.