[img]2012q1/ct_etoefm_etoefspeakc_0776_20121[/img] [originaltext]M: Gina, how’s

M: Gina, how’s your European history paper going?
W: You won’t believe what’s happened. I lent my copy of the research
  materials to Daniel.You know, my friend from the class?
M: Yeah, I think I met him once.
W: Well, now Daniel’s gone to stay with his parents in Vermont for the
  weekend!
M: What, and he’s taken the materials with him? What are you gonna
  do?
W: I don’t know! I’m starting to panic. The paper’s due on Monday
  morning.
M: Well, is there any way you could go up to Vermont to collect the
  papers? Like, perhaps you could meet Daniel halfway there.
W: I guess that’s possible. But neither of us has a car, so it’s going to
  be hard to coordinate. Besides, their house is 5 hours from here, so
  even if we met halfway, I’d still be traveling for ages.
M: Yeah, that sounds really inconvenient. In that case, why don’t you ask
  your professor for a new copy of the materials?
W: I don’t want to make him mad. We’ve had two months to write this
  paper. It doesn’t look good if I ask him for a copy of the research
  materials two days out from the due date.
M: I guess not, but it’s far easier than traveling halfway to Vermont.
W: Yeah, that’s true.