Listen to a conversation between two students.
(man) Hey, Kerri, what's the matter?
(woman) Well, you know I'm in the choir, right? And we have a concert in an hour, just an hour from now?
(man) I know, I'm going, really looking forward to hearing you sing. What's the trouble?
(woman) Well, we're all supposed to wear white shirts and black pants at the concert. You know, so we all look the same.(man) Right?
(woman) Well, I wore my white shirt to dinner and I spilt spaghetti sauce all over it.
(man) Oh, no!
(woman) Yeah, there's a huge red stein on it. I can't wear it for the concert now. It's the only white shirt I have and there's no time to go to the store to buy another one.
(man) Wow! What are you gonna do?
(woman) Well, I just called the choir director and he's obviously unhappy about all this. But I told him about another shirt I have, it's not exactly white, not white like the others, sort of off white, sort of cream-colored? And he says it’s OK for me to wear it, but…
(man) But it’s not exactly the same color as the others.
(woman) Right. I’ll feel kind of funny. Some people in the audience would probably be able to tell.
(man) Hmmm. Don’t any of the other choir members have an extra white shirt you could borrow?
(woman) No, I’ve already asked around. But my roommate has one.
(man) Great, use hers.
(woman) Well, the thing is, she’s out of town. I’ve tried calling her but haven’t been able to reach her. She probably wouldn’t mind, but, you know, I’ve never borrowed her stuff before and I really don’t like taking things without asking.
Briefly summarize the problem the speakers are discussing. Then state which solution you would recommend. Explain the reasons for your recommendation.
Well the woman's problem is that she is supposed to wear the white shirt to stay the same with her choir members, however she could not wear her only white shirt because of a huge stain on it, and there is no time for her to buy a new one. Accordingly there are two solutions: first, the woman tries to replace her shirt by a similar colored one, and second, the man suggests she borrow one from her roommate. Well, I guess her roommate for help would be a better option, simply because what a choir needs for concert is not only perfect performance of their instruments but also perfect costumes, and obviously a similar colored shirt will ruin all that visual perfection. Second, since white shirts are common and simple outfits for students, and her roommate wouldn't mind, the woman really has nothing to concern about. After all she is in an emergency, which is quite understandable as well. In a nut shell, I believe the woman should ask her roommate for help. (166 words)
