B1 · Product Comparison and Purchase Decisions
Repairing an Old Laptop or Buying New
- CEFR level:
- B1
- Sentences:
- 12
- Duration:
- 1 min
- Speakers:
- Tom & Emma
"Repairing an Old Laptop or Buying New" is a B1-level English conversation about product comparison and purchase decisions, 12 lines long (about 1 minute) between Tom & Emma. Read the full script below with the translation next to each line, then try speaking one of the roles out loud.
Dialogue script
Each entry shows the English sentence first, with the translation on the line below it. To practise speaking, cover the translation and repeat after the audio.
- Line 1Tom 0:00
My old laptop keeps freezing, and repair quotes are surprisingly high.
- Line 2Emma 0:04
What's failing exactly, storage, battery, or motherboard issues?
- Line 3Tom 0:09
Battery is weak and SSD health dropped, plus fan noise increased.
- Line 4Emma 0:14
Multiple aging parts suggest recurring costs after one repair.
- Line 5Tom 0:19
I hoped one repair would buy me two more years.
- Line 6Emma 0:22
Maybe, but hidden failures often appear under heavy workloads.
- Line 7Tom 0:27
Option one is replacing battery and SSD for short-term stability.
- Line 8Emma 0:32
Option two is buying a mid-range new model with warranty.
- Line 9Tom 0:36
I'll compare two-year total cost, including downtime risk.
- Line 10Emma 0:40
Good, and include resale value of your current device.
- Line 11Tom 0:44
If totals are close, I'll pick new for reliability.
- Line 12Emma 0:48
Sensible choice. Predictable performance saves hidden stress.
Native audio, line-by-line recording and pronunciation scoring for this dialogue are in the EngTalk app.
Key vocabulary
Content words from this dialogue, ranked by the CEFR level at which they appear across the whole 500-dialogue library. Function words and proper nouns are excluded.
- failing /ˈfeɪlɪŋ/ verb
not succeeding or meeting a standard
- weak /wik/ adjective
not strong in power, body, or quality
- increased /ɪnˈkrist/ verb form/adjective
became or was made larger
- hidden /ˈhɪdən/ adjective
not seen or not easy to find
- failures /ˈfeɪljɚz/ plural noun
unsuccessful results or breakdowns
- replacing /rɪˈpleɪsɪŋ/ verb
putting something new in place of another
- short-term /ˌʃɔrt ˈtɜrm/ adjective
lasting for a brief time
- cost /kɔst/ noun
the amount paid for something
- value /ˈvælju/ noun
worth, importance, or usefulness
- device /dɪˈvaɪs/ noun
a piece of equipment made for a purpose
- reliability /rɪˌlaɪəˈbɪləti/ noun
the quality of being dependable
- sensible /ˈsɛnsəbəl/ adjective
showing good judgment