20 - Senior Class Act - Dialogue Listening C1

Daughter: Thanks, Mom and Dad, for the tea and cake. It’s nice to have time to talk with you without the kids around but I have to pick them up soon.
Mother: You’re welcome, dear, and don’t forget you are all coming tomorrow for dinner.
Daughter: Oh, we are looking forward to it as always. Also, I was wondering if you could baby-sit for us Thursday night?
Father: No, sorry. We’re busy every Thursday for a while.
Daughter: Oh, okay. I guess we could put it off until Saturday. Can I bring the kids here for the day on Saturday?
Mother: Oh, no, no. We won’t be home all day Saturday. We are going into the city to the art gallery and dinner.
Daughter: What’s up with you two? How come you are so busy all of a sudden? You’re retired now; it’s time to slow down.
Mother: Well, we have discovered Third Age Learning and are really excited and enthused by the whole concept.
Daughter: Third Age Learning, what’s that? I’ve never heard of it.
Father: It comes from the idea that people’s lives are divided into 4 stages. The first stage is young people in full-time education; the second is financial independence along with family and work commitments. The third is retirement and independence without the responsibilities of raising children or keeping jobs, and the fourth is dependency again as you become very elderly and need care.
Daughter: I still don’t understand why you want to be learning new things at your age.
Mother: What do you mean our age? We’ve just retired; we are in our early 60’s, healthy and fit and need to be busy. I’m not going to just sit for the next 30 years of my life. I’m going to participate in an intellectually invigorating lifestyle to keep in shape.
Father: Also, we intend to become more physically active to keep both mind and body in tip top shape. Use it or lose it refers to the muscle in the head as well as in the body, you know.
Daughter: What on earth do you want to learn?
Father: Pretty much everything. Don’t forget, I haven’t had any opportunity to go back to school since I left when I was 18 and started my factory job. Working, raising you kids, taking care of the house and garden took most of my time.
Mother: Yes, and I dreamed of being an artist when I was young but my father said to get a real job so I became a secretary. However, my love for art has never died; I just didn’t have time for it after all you children were born. And now, I do.
Father: We just decided to look into our future with optimism instead of fear or boredom. We’re excited about this new stage in our lives.
Daughter: I’m speechless. So, what are you doing?
Mother: We'd seen these community posters and brochures advertising Third Age Learning at the university so I called for more information.
Father: Turns out, they have courses running in 8 week terms on all kinds of subjects and activities: like history, literature, language, computers, gardening, social studies, philosophy, yoga, walking clubs, book clubs ……
Daughter: Whoa, I get the picture. So when do these classes take place?
Mother: Most are during the day as that's when most seniors like to go out but some special ones are in the evening like our Thursday night "Archaeology of the New World" course. It’s really interesting and we’re going to go on a real dig next month!
Father: We are also participating in a current events group where we meet to discuss issues in the world which we sometimes don’t fully understand. Frequently, it opens our eyes to opposing points of view and helps us appreciate all sides so that we are not so quick to judge others.
Mother: This one requires research so that’s where the computer is essential. Oh, by the way, did we tell you that we bought a computer and are now using the Internet?
Father: We’re gonna have to give you our e-mail address.
Daughter: I’m just blown away by this news, Mom and Dad. How did you know what kind of computer to buy and how to use the Internet and why do you really need one?
Father: We went to a one-session seminar about purchasing a computer, went out and bought it one afternoon, signed up with a cable company and just like that, we’re surfing!
Mother: The reason for it is that with your brother living at the opposite end of the country, we need to communicate with our grandchildren there. I bought a web-cam and can now talk to and see the children everyday. It’s wonderful.
Father: Besides, with your children learning computers so well, we need to keep up and not be left behind technologically.
Father: I am taking computer courses on-line right now and I’m learning more everyday. I’m going to create a family web page so that we can all interact on-line.
Daughter: Oh, my gosh, I never dreamed of you two being wired.
Mother: And next Saturday, we are taking a bus trip with my art class to the art gallery for a guided tour. I am finally indulging my passion for art by taking a painting class and next spring, a sculpture class. I’m in seventh heaven.