Keys to Conversation - **The 5 Ws & H**

To have a conversation you should ask some questions! So we should start with the question words and examples!

Who
1. Who are you?
2. Who may I ask you are?
3. Who do you think is right?
When
 1. When did you get here?
2. When was your flight?
3. When will you be leaving?
Where
 1. Where have you been?
2. Where was your last trip?
3. Where do you come from?
How
 1. How are you doing?
2. How you been?
3. How's it been?
What
 1. What's up?
2. What's going on?
3. What's happening?
Why
 1. Why are you here?
2. Why did you do that?
3. Why?

Conversation 1

(It's my first day in China and just getting off the plane I've already met my friend, who was here to pick me up. It's been a long plane ride I need to tell him about the excruciating trip or I'm gonna kill myself. So my friend Jeff gets the lucky chance to be my psychiatrist for the moment)

A: Hey, How you been stranger?
B: A little tired it's been a long plane ride. I had to transfer at Chicago.
A: Why? Shouldn't it only be 13 hour plane ride?
B: Yeah I know but you didn't count the waiting and my carrier screwed up the ticket.
A: What happened?
B: They printed out the wrong ticket for me, I was gonna head to Belgium instead. Thank God they found out in time had another plane to China at Chicago.
A: I bet they fired the guy that screwed up (messed up/made the mistake).
B: Maybe, but the worst isn't over, you would've never guessed who I met on the plane.
A: Who was it?
B: My ex-girlfriend!!
A: That's a killer.
B: Tell me about it.
A: How was it? I would've faked a heart attack, to get off the plane.
B: I would too, but I'm not sure they would let me travel for free again.
A: Yeah, you never get a chance like that often.
B: So the whole trip took close to (around) 25 hours.
A: Enough about that, what do you wanna eat? Steak?
B: Man, now you're talking! Nothing like real meat. I'm sick of all that microwaved food they serve on the plane.
A: You're telling me, I hate plane food, I only fly because of the stewardesses. But never mind that there's a delicious steak house nearby, they serve the juiciest steak you'll ever eat.
B: Cool, let's go!

Key points

Getting off
Usage: get off the plane/train/car/bike
get on the plane/train/bike   get in the car

Pick sb. Up
Examples: pick Chris up at the airport
pick up Chris at the airport

Stranger
Examples:
Don't talk to strangers (n).
He's stranger than Chris (adj).

Long plane ride
Usage: long boat/ship/car/horse/camel/train/bus ride

Faked a heart attack
Meaning: fake an illness

Cool
Example: the weather is a little cool.
Cool car/hat/shoes/bike etc.

Wanna/Gotta
Examples: I wanna (want to) go to sleep.
I gotta (got to) go to school.

Conversation 2


(I’ve been in China for just a week and college is starting, so I have to go to the admissions office to register my new student ID and get the curriculum schedule for the new school year. During my visit the department office I got a nice surprise prepared by my dad. Anything inside the parentheses will be my thoughts from now on, so readers can get a nice detailed view of my thoughts.)
A: Excuse me sir, is this the admissions office of the journalism department?
P: Who may I ask you are?
A: I’m here to register my student ID and get the curriculum schedule.
P: So you’re our department’s student, the admissions teacher is on lunch break now, you might have to wait a bit.
A: Thank you sir, can I wait here? (Oh man, I hope it’s not long I got nowhere to go)
P: Of course, you don’t have to call me sir. You can address me as Dr. Lee. What’s your name son?
A: My name is Chris, is good to meet you Dr. Lee, and how was your vacation sir? (Better talk about something I don’t like awkward silences)
P: My summer vacation was really meaningful my wife and I visited to ShanDong. Did you know our school is organizing the staff to buy retirement housing their? You should convince your father to buy a house as well.
A: You know my father, Dr. Lee? (I got a bad feeling about this)
P: Yes of course we studied under the same Doctorial mentor.
A: But my father studied law and you are in the media and communications field.
P: Yes I know Chris, but I mainly focus on media regulation and guidelines. At first he studied international communication regulations then he decided to change his study direction to nuclear environmental law.
A: I never knew my father did this in the past. (I really don’t care…, I just hope the admissions teacher come back soon)
P: Well I know, your father is a pretty secretive person. But he told me a lot about you, young man.
A: I hope is good sir? (I don’t like where this conversation is heading)
P: Haha, of course he told me that you’re interested in becoming my assistant, is that true?
A: Yes of course it would be an honor if you agreed sir (my father planning my future again).
P: Good to hear that, you’ll have to come three times a week, each time will be around three hours, any problems?
A: No problems sir, I can start on Monday (Oh, this is gonna be “fun”, just what I needed, backbreaking cheap labor, I hope there is actual pay).
P: The admissions teacher just came in you can go see her now.
A: Okay, thank you Dr. Lee I guess I’ll see you on Monday (How can I get outta of this job).
P: You are welcome. Oh, I almost forgot you’ll be paid 800RMB per month for helping me.
A: That’s very kind of you sir, see you then (At least I’m paid. I guess it’s not that bad).

Vocabulary


Excruciating
Psychiatrist
Transfer
Carrier
Ticket
Do sth in time
Fire
Sick of sth
Stewardess
Delicious
Juiciest
Admission
Register
ID
Curriculum schedule
Surprise
Parentheses
Detailed
Journalism department
Break
Address
Vacation
Awkward silence
Meaningful
Organizing
Staff
Retirement housing
Doctorial mentor
Media and communications
International communication regulations
Nuclear environmental law
Secretive
Assistant
Backbreaking

Twist your tongue


Can you can a can like a canner can can a can?

Chinese Idiom story


不入虎穴，焉得虎子
You must enter the tiger’s ten to catch its cubs

Similar English idioms
No pain no gain
No guts no glory

Ban Chao（班超 32 – 102  A.D.）Han dynasty
The emperor of the Han dynasty sent Ban Chao on an expedition to the western regions of China. During his visit in the Shan Shan kingdom, he was treated warmly by the king, until the envoy from the Xiongnu arrived. The King began to ignore and show disrespect for Ban Chao’s presence in his kingdom.
Realizing the Xiongnu’s presence may threaten his mission and life, Ban Chao devised a drastic plan to ambush the Xiongnu envoy.  Many of Ban Chao’s subordinates realized that this may be a suicide mission and became reluctant to carry out his plan.  At that moment Ban Chao stated “You must enter the tiger’s den to catch its cubs”, the men became motivated.  They burned and eliminated the Xiongnu encampment and their envoy.