A conversation between two students (2)
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Narrator
Listen to a conversation between two students.
David: Whew! That's the last one!
Rachel: Hi, David. Sit down. The last what?
D: My last exam. That's it for me for this term!
R: Lucky guy! I've still got one exam left tomorrow.
D: Which one?
R: Microeconomics. And I'm dreading it.
D: Yeah? How come? Couldn't be that hard for you. You're an Economics major, aren't you, Rachel?
R: Yeah. It shouldn't be, I know, but somehow- I'm just not getting a handle on it. Too much math, I guess. I'm more of a theoretician. (laughs)
D: (laughs) Yeah, you and John Maynard Keynes. Rachelian Economics- where supply and demand are not inversely related.
R: (laughs) Anyway, I've just barely squeaked by all of her quizzes- and I only got sixty-nine percent on the midterm.
D: Oy! You'd better burn some midnight oil tonight, then.
R: Don't worry- I'm planning to. Want coffee?
D: No thanks. I gotta run in a minute.
R: How come? I thought you were all done.
D: I am. I want to pick up the tickets for the Homecoming game.
R: Haven't you done that yet? I thought you were all gung-ho for Homecoming. I hope there're still some left.
D: No problem. They're already bought and paid for. I just have to pick them up at the frat house. Zeta Tau always buys a block of seats so we can 'command a presence'- and make fools of ourselves.
R: (laughs) Well, that should be easy.
D: (laughs) Yeah, our reputation's not so hot, is it? But this year's officers have been trying to untarnish our image. Get us off our slippery slope to utter degradation.
R: (laughs) Good luck. Gotta date?
D: Huh? Uh...erm...well...I just thought you, uh, would....
R: Come with you? And get beer and catsup splattered all over me? And get both eardrums shattered? You gotta be kidding. You're on your own for this one, David.
D: Aw, c'mon, Rachel. It'll be fun! I'll buy you a big chrysanthemum!
R: Tempting, but...no. I've gotta get packed, anyway.
D: Packed?
R: I'm going home for the break- and I leave real early the next morning.
D: Oh. OK. Well, I guess I'll just batch it, then. That means I can drink more and make a bigger idiot of myself without you there.
R: Yeah, look at it that way. How'd you do on your finals, anyway?
D: Oh, pretty good overall, I think. I'm not too sanguine about my chances of passing Biometrics, but the others have been fine. I should get an A in Genetics, and either As or Bs in Cell Biology and Animal Behavior. Biometrics- that's been awful. It's all statistics and probabilities and variances and things. All, um, higher math!
R: Ha! Well, I empathize. That's my Achilles' heel, too. Numbers just don't like me.
D: Or you just don't like numbers. Y'know, I actually liked arithmetic when I was little. It was so logical. And algebra, geometry- I enjoyed those. No grey areas, I guess.
R: You probably liked playing with your compass and protractor, didn't you?
D: Ha! Funny you should say that. I actually impaled myself on my compass one time- horsing around at school, and I ran it right through my finger! The school nurse had to pull it out for me. Gross!
R: Ack! That gives me the shivers! I didn't know mathematics could be so dangerous.
D: Yeah. Anyway, when I got to calculus in high school, the wheels suddenly came off. I hit a brick wall, just suddenly could not understand what in heck was going on. That's the point where math and me came to a parting of the ways.
R: Sounds like my story- except for the puncture wound! I guess we should just keep sharp objects out of your hands, eh?
D: Yeah, that would be safest. How about your finals?
R: Oh. Yeah, they'll be all right. Micro tomorrow is my only real worry. World Economies is good- I should ace that. And maybe ace Political Systems, too- I think Dr West likes me.
D: Huh?! What do you mean, "likes" you?
R: No, no- I just mean that he thinks I'm an eager student, so he'll give me the, the benefit of the doubt, maybe, on my final grade. If there is any. I wrote him a real nice mid-term essay.
D: That thing on "the joys of capitalism"?
R: Right.
D: Didn't you just copy that out of Wikipedia?
R: Hey, hey!- I did research, yes!- and I cited every single source, thank you!
D: Sure you did. Oh! Gotta go. I told them I'd be stopping by at three.
R: OK.
D: Sure you don't want to come?
R: I'll pass.
D: OK then. ...I wonder... that nice blonde in my Behavior class....
R: Watch your mouth, buster!
D: (laughs) OK, OK. Next time, then.
R: Maybe. Bye.
D: Bye.
Which best describes the thrust of this conversation?
Where does this conversation most likely take place?
Why does the young woman exclaim that math can be dangerous?
Why does the young man say this: "You'd better burn some midnight oil tonight, then"?
What will the young man most probably do next?
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