General Listening Quiz

Listen to the recording on house cleaning and read along with the conversation. Review the key vocabulary and the sample sentences.

Son: Dad. Can I go outside to play?

Dad: Well, did you get your Saturday’s work done?

Son: Ah, Dad. Do I have to?

Dad: Well, you know the rules. No playing until the work is done.

Son: So, what is my work?

Dad: Well, first you have to clean the bathroom including the toilet. And don’t forget to scrub the bathtub.

Son: No, I want to do the family room.

Dad: Well, okay, but you have to vacuum the family room and the hall, and be sure to dust everything. Oh, and don’t forget to wipe the walls and clean the baseboards. [Okay.] And after that. [Oh, no.] Next, sweep and mop the kitchen floor and be sure to polish the table in the living room.

Son: Okay. Okay.

Dad: And make your bed and pick up all your toys and put them away. And . . .

Son: More?

Dad: Yeah. And then, how about going out for lunch and getting a big milkshake, but . . . yeah . . . you probably don’t want to do that.

Son: No, No. I want to.

Dad: Okay. While you’re doing your work, I’ll be out in the yard raking leaves and pulling weeds.

• scrub (verb): clean thoroughly by rubbing hard
  – You’ll need to scrub really hard to remove that stain from the table.
• dust (verb): to remove small pieces of dirt
  – Please dust all the furniture in the front room.
• baseboards (noun): a piece of wood or molding attached along the bottom of a wall where it touches the floor; also called “skirting board” in Britain and Australia
  – We need to remove the baseboards to put down new tile on the floor.
• sweep (verb): to clean a floor by using a broom or brush to collect dirt
  – Be sure to sweep the floor before you mop it.
• rake (verb): to gather with a garden tool with a row of plastic or metal teeth at the head
  – I spent all yesterday raking the leaves in my backyard.