TOEFL Conversation 11 (Listen and Read)

Oh hi, Marlon. I didn't hear you come in.

Shower's too loud? Boy, you sure take long ones.

Doesn't your mother complain?

Every time. She says I double the water bill.

I can believe it.

But a shower doesn't use nearly as much water as taking a bath does.

'Course, you wouldn't know- you don't use either one.

Haw! You'd know if I didn't.

You wouldn't be able to breathe in here right now.

What's the occasion?

It's Rush Week, my man.

I've got a fraternity to check out tonight. Omega Theta.

Omega Theta? Really?

They rushed you?

That's a feather in your cap. Everybody says they're really cool.

Yeah, they are. But they've also got a good reputation for academics, too.

They've got the highest GPA on Fraternity Row.

Hmm, that means you're gonna have to keep up your average, too.

Yeah, but I figure that'll be easier to do with a little help from some Omega Theta friends.

You've got friends there?

I will if I join.

They've got a pretty strict study regimen:

everyone gets assigned a tutor, an upper-class brother, kind of an academic buddy system.

They say it works good.

Sounds good if you need that.

And I do. I'm not a self-starter at all.

Left to myself, I tend to fiddle around and get nothing done.

Me too, I guess,

if I go to the library or the coffee shop to study, I do better,

but if I sit around here, I just dawdle.

I listen to music or pick at the guitar or, uh, anything to avoid getting down to my assignments.

That's why I think Omega Theta is a good idea.

But what about the really important stuff?

Huh? What's that?

Their parties!

They don't have much of a rep as a party house.

No, they don't.

Well? Isn't that the main reason for joining a fraternity- to party and meet girls?

Haha, for some guys, I guess so, yes.

I like to party too, but not every weekend like the Delta Taus do.

Now, that's a real animal house, talk about reputation!

Yeah, probably a little much for me, too, when I think about it.

We gotta stay a bit serious, after all, we gotta find jobs when we leave here!

Anyway, Omega Theta does throw a good party or two along the way,

just before Christmas and Easter break, and at Halloween, of course.

Oh boy! I hope you'll invite me to that one! I love Halloween parties!

Sure, if I can, but I haven't been invited to join yet.

Oh yeah, I forgot.

Well, I want to hear how it goes tonight.

You bet. Reception's at six-thirty, dinner's at seven.

There'll be some talking and a tour of the house and some one-on-one.

No alcohol, I think.

So I should be back here by 9:30 or 10 at the latest.

Then I'll spill all.

Hey! I just thought of something!

If you join Omega Theta and move into their house,

what am I gonna do for a roommate?

No, no, you're stuck with me for a while yet in any case.

They don't have freshman residents, just upper classmen, and not a lot of those.

It's not a big house.

How many are staying there anyway?

I don't know, about a dozen or so, I think.

I think they've got five or six bedrooms.

Everybody else is in the dorms or off campus.

But they've got a big hall that'll hold thirty or forty brothers for meetings and cram sessions and things.

Huh! Well, I don't want to hold you up. It's almost six o'clock now.

What? Yipes! I gotta get dressed and get outta here!

I'll leave you to it.

I'm going over to the Campus Club and see if there's a good movie on.

Don't you have anything better to do?

Naw. No one's rushing me tonight.

Maybe it's the garlic I ate at lunch.

Couldn't be your personality, could it?

Thanks. You're my pal, too. Lock the door when you leave, will you?

Yep. See you about 10?

If the movie's over. If there is one.

Otherwise, I'll just be hanging out back here.

OK. See you later.

See you. Have fun!