Learn Real

Giao trinh DVD2-VOL 1, xem thu truoc 255/ 511 trang
DVD 2 - Vol 1
LEARN REAL ENGLISH
at mua sach tai : http://xmen1903.com (Dt : 0937 31 88 55)
at mua sach tai : http://xmen1903.com (Dt : 0937 31 88 55)

DVD 2. LEARN REAL ENGLISH
TABLE OF CONTENTS
VOLUME 1
Pages
Introduction
01
Welcome Guide
02
01. Earthquakes Conversation
06
Earthquakes MS
09
Earthquakes POV
26
Earthquakes Vocabulary
30
02. Trip To Washington Conversation
40
Trip To Washington MS
45
Trip To Washington POV
62
Trip To Washington Vocabulary
65
03. The Wedding Conversation
77
The Wedding MS
82
The Wedding POV
98
The Wedding Vocabulary
101
04. Grateful Dead Conversation
112
Grateful Dead MS
117
Grateful Dead POV
134
Grateful Dead Vocabulary
137
05. Grandmother Conversation
146
Grandmother MS
150
Grandmother POV
168
Grandmother Vocabulary
171
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06. Hitchhiking In Europe Conversation
Hitchhiking In Europe MS
182
188
Hitchhiking In Europe POV
205
Hitchhiking In Europe Vocabulary
208
07. Moving As A Child Part 1 Conversation
221
Moving As A Child Part 1 MS
224
Moving As A Child Part 1 POV
240
Moving As A Child Part 1 Vocabulary
243
08. Moving As A Child Part 2 Conversation
252
Moving As A Child Part 2 MS
256
Moving As A Child Part 2 POV
277
Moving As A Child Part 2 Vocabulary
280
09. Parents Conversation
293
Parents MS
296
Parents POV
313
Parents Vocabulary
316
10. Burning Man Conversation
326
Burning Man MS
330
Burning Man POV
348
Burning Man Vocabulary
351
11. Ticket On The Train Conversation
364
Ticket On The Train MS
367
Ticket On The Train POV
382
Ticket On The Train Vocabulary
385
12. New School Year Conversation
397
New School Year MS
400
New School Year POV
419
New School Year Vocabulary
422
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13. Music Festival Part 1 Conversation
430
Music Festival Part 1 MS
434
Music Festival Part 1 POV
450
Music Festival Part 1 Vocabulary
453
14. Music Festival Part 2 Conversation
465
Music Festival Part 2 MS
469
Music Festival Part 2 POV
487
Music Festival Part 2 Vocabulary
490
VOLUME 2
15. Assisted Living Conversation
501
Assisted Living MS
503
Assisted Living POV
522
Assisted Living Vocabulary
525
16. Visit To San Francisco Part 1 Conversation
536
Visit To San Francisco Part 1 MS
539
Visit To San Francisco Part 1 POV
555
Visit To San Francisco Part 1 Vocabulary
557
17. Visit To San Francisco Part 2 Conversation
567
Visit To San Francisco Part 2 MS
570
Visit To San Francisco Part 2 POV
588
Visit To San Francisco Part 2 Vocabulary
591
18. Las Vegas Part 1 Conversation
600
Las Vegas Part 1 MS
603
Las Vegas Part 1 POV
620
Las Vegas Part 1 Vocabulary
623
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19. Las Vegas Part 2 Conversation
630
Las Vegas Part 2 MS
635
Las Vegas Part 2 POV
655
Las Vegas Part 2 Vocabulary
658
20. Chile Conversation
668
Chile MS
672
Chile POV
689
Chile Vocabulary
692
21. Nepal Part 1 Conversation
698
Nepal Part 1 MS
702
Nepal Part 1 POV
718
Nepal Part 1 Vocabulary
721
22. Nepal Part 2 Conversation
731
Nepal Part 2 MS
735
Nepal Part 2 POV
751
Nepal Part 2 Vocabulary
754
23. Dating Conversation
767
Dating MS
772
Dating POV
787
Dating Vocabulary
788
24. Drunk Driving Conversation
801
Drunk Driving MS
805
Drunk Driving POV
821
Drunk Driving Vocabulary
824
25. Teaching-Teacher 1 Conversation
834
Teaching-Teacher 1 MS
838
Teaching-Teacher 1 POV
847
Teaching-Teacher 1 Vocabulary
850
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26. Teaching-Teacher 2 Conversation
856
Teaching-Teacher 2 MS
861
Teaching-Teacher 2 POV
872
Teaching-Teacher 2 Vocabulary
875
27. Lookout Mountain Conversation
878
Lookout Mountain MS
883
Lookout Mountain POV
889
Lookout Mountain Vocabulary
892
28. Vegetarian Conversation
896
Vegetarian MS
900
Vegetarian POV
907
Vegetarian Vocabulary
910
29. Vegan Conversation
917
Vegan MS
921
Vegan POV
928
Vegan Vocabulary
931
30. Health Care Conversation
939
Health Care MS
943
Health care POV
950
Health Care Vocabulary
952
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Introduction
Hello. This is Kristin and this is Joe ... we wanted to take a moment to welcome you to the Learn Real
English Family and to tell you a little about the lessons.
Now these lessons are based on real, authentic English conversations that Joe and I have had with each
other and our friends... and also with my mom. These are actual conversations that weve had so you will
become familiar, more familiar, with real spoken English.
So you'll hear Kristin and I in the conversations and also doing the lessons. You'll also hear our friend AJ
Hoge from Effortless English. He's done some of the lessons as well.
Okay, so now a little bit about the lessons . . . Each lesson set has a conversation, a vocabulary lesson and a
mini-story lesson for you to listen to. And we've also included the text for each of these, in case you want to
read along as you listen.
The key to Learn Real English is deep learning. The best way to use these lessons is to listen to one lesson
set at a time. You should spend at least one week on each lesson set. Now remember one lesson set has
a conversation, a vocabulary lesson and a mini-story lesson in it. So listen to the lesson set every day for at
least one week before moving on to the next set. Even if the lesson set is easy, you should still continue for
one week. And if after a week the lesson set is difficult, continue listening until you have a basic
understanding. Also, you want to be sure that you do the lesson sets in order because the ones at the end
are more difficult.
We've included a welcome guide that has more instructions. So please read it before you start listening to
the lessons. And if you have any questions or comments about the lessons you can go to our discussion
board. Its at www.EffortlessEnglishForums.com.
Okay, so now youre ready to start. Thanks for joining the Learn Real English family. And good luck with the
lessons. But most importantly, make sure you have fun. Bye.
Copyright 2008: Learn Real English, LLC
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Welcome Guide
Getting Started:
1. Go to the Forums and Register now: http://www.EffortlessEnglishForums.com
Click Register
Create a Username and Password
Introduce yourself to other members. Ask questions.
2. Download the first lesson set.
3. Read How To Use The Lessons below:
How To Use The Lessons:
Welcome To Learn Real English! You now have a link to the download page. Save the email and link. Do
not lose it. It is the only way you can download each lesson set. You are only able to click on the link up to 9
times. Therefore, try to download all of the lessons at one time and then save them on your computer. That
way you will always have them.
Each lesson set has a real conversation, a vocabulary lesson and a mini-story lesson for you to listen to. And
we've also included the text for each of these, in case you want to read along as you listen. All lessons in a
set have the same name. These lessons go together. Every day, listen to all the lessons in ONE lesson SET
(all the lessons with the same name). You will listen to only one set for a week or more. This is very
important. You will only improve quickly if you follow this method-- one lesson set everyday-- the same
lesson set every day for a week (or more).
What kind of lessons are in each set, and how should you use them?
*A Text Article (Adobe .pdf file)
Read the article. Do not study it. Dont try to memorize it. Just read it a
couple of times each day and review new words. Use a dictionary to translate
difficult words, if necessary.
*Vocabulary Lesson (MP3)
Just listen. Dont try to memorize the words.
*Mini-Story Lesson (MP3)
This is the most powerful lesson. First time, just listen. Then, listen and pause
after each question. Answer each question loudly in English, then play
again. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Dont worry about
mistakes.
www.LearnRealEnglish.com
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Welcome Guide
In the Mini-Story, Joe & AJ will do only three things:

1. They will make a statement. After a statement, just say, Ahhhh or Ohhhh.
2. They will ask a question that you know the answer to. Just answer the
question. You don't need to answer with a sentence. You can answer with
only one or two words.
3. They will ask a question that you dont know the answer to. Guess. Yell a
guess immediately.
4. Again, you can guess with just one (or a few) words. Saying a correct and
exact answer is not important. The most important thing is speed. Try to
answer very quickly (remember, one word is fine). Speed is your goal. You
want short fast answers, not long answers! In the beginning, this may be
difficult. That's OK. Use your pause button. Listen to this lesson many times
every day for at least a week. The Mini-Story is the MOST IMPORTANT
LESSON in the Learn Real English system. Listen to these lessons the most.
Authentic Audio Conversation (MP3):
*Just listen. Relax and enjoy. Listen to it several times each day for at least a
week. Your goal is to understand 100% instantly and automatically.
Suggested Lesson Order (Every Day Using The Same Set):
1. First, read the Conversation Text article. Read and review it, do not study it.
Don't try to memorize it.
2. Listen to the Conversation a few times.
3. Listen to the Vocabulary Lesson several times.
4. Listen to the Mini-Story a few times.
Learning Schedule:
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Welcome Guide
Learn Real English is a deep learning system. You will learn each lesson very well. You will relax, go slowly
and learn to speak English easily and automatically.
The best study schedule is as follows:
*Study one lesson set for a week or more. Thats right, only one set for at least
a week. If you get bored, make a game with the Mini-Story lessons - Try to
answer each question faster and faster.
*Everyday, listen to all of the lessons in the lesson set. Try to listen to each
lesson (in the set) at least two times every day.
*Listen at least one hour every day. Two hours every day is best. Its OK to
divide your time during the day. For example, you might listen 30 minutes in
the morning, 30 minutes going to work, 30 minutes during lunch, 30 minutes
going home, and 30 minutes before going to sleep. In fact, this is an excellent
way to learn.
*Relax :) Do not think about grammar rules. Just listen to the lessons and
enjoy them.
*Start with the first lessons (at the top of the list).
Even if the lessons seem easy, listen to only one set for a full week. You
might know the words very well, but you need them to go deep into your
brain. You need a lot of repetition and a lot of answering questions.
If the lessons seem easy, try to answer the questions very quickly - make it a
game. If the lessons seem difficult - just relax. You can listen to one lesson
set for 4 weeks or 10 weeks if necessary. Don't worry about doing a lot of
lesson sets. This is not important. Relax and focus on understanding. Go
slowly. You will improve a lot, even if you listen to only one lesson set for 10
weeks!
The Learn Real English Forum (part of the Effortless English Club Forum):
Meet your new family! As a user of The Learn Real English System, you can join our Forum. The Forum is a
place to meet other members (as well as members from Effortless English Club). This is a bonus for users of
The Learn Real English System.
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Welcome Guide
**Go to the Forum at: http://www.EffortlessEnglishForums.com
Use the Forum to meet other English speakers from all over the world. Schedule Skype discussions with
other members. Share opinions, suggestions, and information. Make new friends.
**You will be asked to login.
Click Register and create an account.
Later, you will login with the username and password you created.
Good luck and enjoy The Learn Real English System,

Kristin Dodds & Joe Weiss
Directors of Learn Real English, LLC
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1.EARTHQUAKES
Earthquakes Conversation
check this out: listen to
this
Joe: Hey, check this out. Yknow what Eric asked me when I got into work this
morning?
I have no idea: I do not

know
Kristin: I have no idea, whatd he ask you?

Joe: He asked me if I felt the earthquake last night.
youve gotta be kidding:

you cannot be serious
Kristin: Earthquake? Youve gotta be kidding, I didnt feel an earthquake.

Joe: I know, thats what I said. He told me it actually woke him up last night.
Yknow
Kristin: What?
pullin my leg: making a

joke by lying to someone
and pretending the lie is
true
far-fetched: unbelievable
Joe: yeah, it was like, it went, it happened at like, uh, 4:42 in the morning. So we
mustve been sleeping. But I mean, its possible that, yknow, even if we had been
awake we might not have felt it because, yknow, maybe it, uh, wasnt felt, yknow,
this far north. But, uh, I, I mean I thought he was pullin my leg when he first talked
about it.
Kristin: Well, I guess its not so far-fetched considering we live on a major fault line
here.
Joe: Yeah, but actually I think this earthquake was, uh, on a different fault line, um,
because, yknow, Eric lives, uh, just, uh, south of San Jose
Kristin: Yeah.
due east: exactly east of

someplace
epicenter: the middle of
an earthquake
all of a sudden: right

away with no warning
Joe: and, uh, the earthquake he said was due east of San Jose, so he was
obviously a lot closer to the epicenter than we were. So, I d-, Im not even sure it
was felt here.
Kristin: Yeah, that makes sense. Well, yknow, Ive experienced quite a few
earthquakes in the past several years but Ive been living here a little over two years,
Ive, I think Ive only experienced one here. It was really strange, too, I was, um,
each, I should say each earthquake has been a completely different experience. But
the one I, the one I felt here, I was standing outside a restaurant talking to AJ and
another friend and all of a sudden it just felt like, this shift. Its really hard to explain,
but it made me think of, like, a cartoon, like how, in the cartoon, like buildings might
just shift to the right and then shift right back.
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Joe: Yeah, without falling.
Kristin: Yeah, without falling. And I, I had no idea what was going on for a few
minutes afterwards. And then I realized, oh that must have been an earthquake.
Joe: Yeah, you know what I usually notice, the times that Ive been at home, here
Kristin: Yeah.
Joe: and, uh, theres been an earthquake? Its almost as if theres this really big
train, or like a gigantic Mack truck going by. And, uh, suddenly I start to hear the
heater shaking. And, um, its like, the noise is like, uh, is loud for like a second and
then its gone, so
Kristin: Thats so
Joe: its really weird, yknow, its almost like the first couplea times I felt it, I wasnt
even aware it was an earthquake while it was happening.
aftershock: an
earthquake that happens
right after another
earthquake
it dawned on me: I
remembered; I realized
Kristin: Well, thats so funny you say that because one that I experienced in
Bangkok, it actually was after the tsunami and so later I found out that it was, it was,
um, aftershock from the tsunami. But anyway, I was in a building up on the ninth
floor and suddenly, uh, there was all this rattling. And Im thinking to myself, it, it just,
it, it was so irrational. Im thinking to myself, god, theres like a train going by and I
cant believe that this building is shaking so much from the train [laugh]. It And of
course a train wouldnt have made a building, or at least me up on the ninth floor, feel
something to that effect. And I think it happened about two times. And it That one
wasnt until several days later when I was talking to people and they were like, Oh
didja feel the earthquake?. Then it dawned on me, oh, that was an earthquake. It
was
Joe: Yeah, I know. Its, uh, its crazy how when youre not used to feeling them you
can think its something else.
totally: definitely
Kristin: Yeah, yeah totally.
a while: a long time

its a given: there is no
doubt
Joe: I mean, Ive been livin here for a while now and Ive definitely felt my share of
earthquakes. I mean, yknow, when you live here its a given that youre gonna
experience earthquakes. You just hope that youre not gonna be here for the big one,
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yknow
Kristin: [laugh] Yeah, right.
perspective: what
someone thinks about
something
World Series: the

championship games in
American baseball
taking place: happening
cut out: no longer was
able to be seen
rundown: information
weed through: to look or
dig through
Joe: When I first moved here, it was, uh, about five years after the Loma Prieta
earthquake, which was a very big earthquake here. And, um, there are a lot of
people who lived here who I met who had actually been living in the area when the
earthquake hit. So it was interesting to get their perspective
Kristin: Oh.
Joe: and, uh, it also like made me remember where I was when I heard about the
Loma Prieta earthquake. I was watching the World Series on TV. And, uh, yknow,
it was, uh, taking place in San Francisco. So, uh, as Im watching it suddenly the
announcer starts, uh, uh, saying, Wow, I think were feeling an earthquake here..
And the cameras started shaking. And, uh, all of a sudden the TV coverage cut out.
So, uh, yknow, I wanted to get a rundown on what happened. So I turned to the
news station and, uh, within a few minutes they were discussing this gigantic
earthquake that had hit San Francisco. And they started showing pictures, uh, maybe
thirty minutes later, of these people who were, uh, trying to weed through the rubble
of these buildings that had been, like, coming down. So, I mean, it was
Kristin: Oh, wow.
Ill tell you what: that is

for sure
Joe: it was pretty scary, Ill tell you what

Kristin: Yeah.
Joe: yknow.
a dime a dozen: very

common
surreal: unreal
Kristin: Yeah, well, um, you know the three months I was living in Japan I
experienced two. Both of those were very different, uh, very different from the one Id
experienced here and also very different from the one in Bangkok. But one of em, I
was actually up in my apartment, which was on the fifth floor of a building. And I was
woken up at about 5 oclock in the morning to the building swaying. And because, uh,
earthquakes are like a dime a dozen in Japan, they, theyve built a lot of their
buildings to absorb the shock. So thats why it was swaying, it was really, it was a
very surreal feel.
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Earthquakes Mini-Story Lesson

Hello, welcome to the mini-story lesson for the conversation titled Earthquakes. Lets get started with the
story.
*
Luke lives in San Francisco.

Luke can eat fifty eggs in one hour. Luke told his friend George. George thought this seemed
far-fetched. He thought that Luke was pulling his leg.
Youve gotta be kidding, he said to Luke.
So Luke bet George $100 that he can eat fifty eggs in one hour.
Luke ate fifteen eggs in the first ten minutes then all of a sudden the ground started to shake. There
was an earthquake due east of San Francisco. Luke was not surprised because earthquakes are a
dime a dozen in San Francisco.
When you live in San Francisco, its a given that you will feel an earthquake, said Luke.
Totally, said George.
Then Luke ate the rest of the eggs in twenty-two minutes so George had to give him $100.
*
Okay, so thats our story. Now I will start at the beginning of the story and as I read the story I will ask
questions and as always, please answer the questions out loud. If you need a little more time then you can
pause your iPod or your mp3 player and take as much time as you need to answer the questions. Of course,
if you just feel like listening to the questions and not answering them, thats fine as well.
Okay, so here we go.
*

Does Luke live in San Francisco?
Yes, he does. Luke lives in San Francisco.
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Who lives in San Francisco?
Luke. Luke lives in San Francisco.
Does Larry or Luke live in San Francisco?
Luke does. Luke lives in San Francisco.
Does Larry live in San Francisco?
No, Larry doesnt live in San Francisco.
Where does Luke live?
San Francisco. Luke lives in San Francisco.
Does Luke live in New York or San Francisco?
San Francisco. He lives in San Francisco.
Does Luke live in New York?
No, Luke doesnt live in New York.
Does Luke live in San Francisco?
Yes, yes, thats correct. Luke lives in San Francisco.
Luke can eat fifty eggs in one hour.

Can Luke eat fifty eggs in one hour?
Yes, he can. I mean that sounds like a lot of eggs but he can do it. He can eat fifty eggs in one hour.
What can Luke do?
Well, he can eat fifty eggs in one hour.
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Can Luke eat fifty eggs in one hour or read a book in one week?
He can eat fifty eggs in one hour.
Can Luke read a book in one week?
No, no, Lukes not reading a book in one week.
Who can eat fifty eggs in one hour?
Luke. Luke can eat fifty eggs in one hour.
Can Lukes brother Stanley eat fifty eggs in one hour?
No, no, Stanley.
Yes, he can. Luke can eat fifty eggs in one hour.
What can Luke eat in one hour? Can he eat fifty eggs or two pieces of bread?
Fifty eggs, he can eat fifty eggs in one hour.
How many eggs can Luke eat in one hour?
Well, he can eat fifty. He can eat fifty eggs in one hour.
Can he eat fifty or sixty eggs in one hour?
Fifty, he can eat fifty eggs in one hour.
How much time does it take Luke to eat fifty eggs?
Well, it takes him one hour. He can eat fifty eggs in one hour.
Can Luke eat fifty eggs in one hour or ten minutes?
One hour. He can eat fifty eggs in one hour.
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Yes, he can. Luke can eat fifty eggs in one hour.
Luke told his friend George.

Did Luke tell his friend George?
He certainly did. Luke told his friend George.
What did Luke do?
Thats right, he told his friend George.
Did Luke eat some eggs or tell his friend George?
He told his friend George.
Who told his friend George? Did Lukes brother Stanley tell George?
No, it wasnt Stanley.
Did Luke tell George?
Yes, he did. Luke told George.
Who did Luke tell? Did he tell his mother?
No, he didnt tell his mother.
Did he tell George?
Yes, yes, thats correct. He told George.
What did Luke tell George? Did he tell him the score of the football game?
No, thats not what he told him.
Did he tell him that he can eat fifty eggs in one hour?
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He certainly did, thats what he told him.
Did Luke tell George that he can eat fifty eggs in one hour?
Yes, he did. Thats what he told his friend George.
George thought this seemed far-fetched.

Did George think this seemed far-fetched?
Yes, he did. George thought this seemed far-fetched.
What did George think? Did he think that it was going to rain?
No, George didnt think that it was going to rain.
Did he think that it seemed far-fetched?
Yes, yes, he did. He thought it seemed far-fetched.
Did he think that it seemed believable?
No, he didnt think that it seemed believable. Far-fetched does not mean believable.
Did he think that it seemed unbelievable?
Yes, yes, he did. George thought that this seemed far-fetched, which is the same thing as saying that he
thought that it seemed unbelievable.
What did George think was far-fetched? Did he think that Luke being able to eat fifty eggs in one hour was
far-fetched?
Yes, yes, thats correct. Thats what he thought was far-fetched or unbelievable.
Did George think that Luke could eat fifty eggs in one hour?
No, he didnt. He thought that it seemed far-fetched or unbelievable.
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Who thought that it seemed far-fetched? Did Luke think that it seemed far-fetched?
No, Luke didnt think that it seemed far-fetched.
Did George think that it seemed far-fetched?
Yes, yes, he did. George thought this seemed far-fetched.
Did George think that it seemed unbelievable?
Yes, he did. He thought it seemed far-fetched or he thought it seemed unbelievable. Far-fetched means
unbelievable.
He thought that Luke was pulling his leg,

Did he think that Luke was pulling his leg?
Yes, he did. He thought that Luke was pulling his leg.
What did he think Luke was doing?
Pulling his leg, he thought that Luke was pulling his leg.
Did he think that Luke was pulling his leg or biting his hand?
Pulling his leg, he thought that Luke was pulling his leg.
Yes, he did. He thought that Luke was pulling his leg.
Did he think that Luke was making a joke by lying to him and pretending that the lie was true?
Yes, yes, he did. When someone is said to be pulling your leg, that person is making a joke by lying to you
and pretending that the lie was true. So thats what he thought Luke was doing.
Who thought that Luke was pulling his leg? Did George or Leo think that Luke was pulling his leg?
George. George thought that Luke was pulling his leg.
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Did George think that Luke was pulling his leg?
Yes, he did, he thought that Luke was pulling his leg.
Who did he think was pulling his leg? Did he think that Lukes mother was pulling his leg?
No, he didnt think Lukes mother was doing it.
Yes, Luke, he thought Luke was pulling his leg.
Did George think that Luke was making a joke by lying to him and pretending that the lie was true?
Yes, he did. He thought that Luke was making a joke by lying to him and pretending that the lie was true,
which is the same as saying he thought that Luke was pulling his leg.

Did he tell Luke that hes gotta be kidding?
Yes, yes, thats exactly what he said. He said to Luke Youve gotta be kidding.
Did he tell Luke that he cannot be serious?
Yes, yes, he did. He said, Youve gotta be kidding, which is the same thing as saying you cannot be
serious.
Who told Luke hes gotta be kidding? Did Stanley tell him?
No, it wasnt Stanley.
Did George tell Luke hes gotta be kidding?
Yes, thats correct. George told Luke hes gotta be kidding.
Did George tell Luke that he cannot be serious?
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Yes, he did. Remember youve got to be kidding is the same thing as saying you cant be serious.
Why does George think that Luke has gotta be kidding?
Well, he does not think that George can eat fifty eggs in one hour.
Does George think that Luke can eat fifty eggs in one hour?
No, no, he doesnt. He said to him Youve gotta be kidding, which means he did not think that what Luke
said was true. And Luke had told him that he can eat fifty eggs in one hour. And then thats when George
said, Youve gotta be kidding.
So Luke bet George $100 that he can eat fifty eggs in one hour.
Did Luke bet George $100 that he can eat fifty eggs in one hour?
Yes, he did. Luke bet George $100 that he can eat fifty eggs in one hour.
Okay, so what did Luke do?
Well, he bet George $100 that he can eat fifty eggs in one hour.
Who bet George $100? Did Luke or Stanley bet George?
Luke did. Luke bet George.
Did Stanley bet George?
No, Stanley didnt bet George.
Did Luke bet George?
Yes, he did. Luke bet George, he bet him $100.
How much money did Luke bet George?
One hundred dollars, he bet him $100.
Did Luke bet George $500?
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No, he didnt bet him that much money.
Did Luke bet George $100?
Yes, thats correct. He bet him $100.
Who did Luke bet? Did Luke bet George or Stanley?
Well, he bet George. He made a $100 bet with George.
What did Luke bet George? Did he bet him that he can bake a cake?
No, he didnt bet him that he can bake a cake.
Did Luke bet him that he can eat fifty eggs in one hour?
Yes, he did. Thats what he bet him. He bet him that he can eat fifty eggs in one hour.
How many eggs does Luke have to eat to win the bet? Does he have to eat fifty eggs or one hundred eggs?
Fifty eggs, he has to eat fifty eggs in order to win the bet.
How much time does Luke have to eat the fifty eggs? Does he have one hour or one day to eat the eggs?
Well, he has one hour to eat the eggs.
If Luke eats twenty eggs in one hour, does he win the bet?
No, he doesnt. He has to eat fifty eggs in one hour in order to win the bet.
If Luke eats twenty eggs in one hour, does George win the bet?
Yes, he does. If Luke eats twenty eggs in one hour, that means that Luke loses the bet and George wins the
bet.
Luke ate fifteen eggs in the first ten minutes

Did Luke eat fifteen eggs in the first ten minutes?
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Yes, he did. He ate fifteen eggs in the first ten minutes.
What did Luke do in the first ten minutes?
Well, he ate fifteen eggs.
Did Luke eat ten pieces of bread or fifteen eggs?
Fifteen eggs, he ate fifteen eggs.
Did Luke eat ten pieces of bread?
No, he didnt eat any bread.
Did Luke eat fifteen eggs?
Yes, he did. He ate fifteen eggs.
Who ate fifteen eggs in the first ten minutes?
Luke did. Luke ate fifteen eggs in the first ten minutes.
Did George or Luke eat fifteen eggs in the first ten minutes?
Luke did. Luke ate fifteen eggs in the first ten minutes.
Did Will Smith eat fifteen eggs in the first ten minutes?
No, it wasnt Will Smith.
Did Luke eat fifteen eggs in the first ten minutes?
Yes, thats correct. Luke ate fifteen eggs in the first ten minutes.
How much time did it take Luke to eat fifteen eggs? Did it take him thirty minutes?
No, it didnt take him that long.
Did it take Luke ten minutes to eat fifteen eggs?
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Yes, thats correct. It took him ten minutes. Luke ate fifteen eggs in the first ten minutes.
then all of a sudden the ground started to shake.

Did the ground start to shake all of a sudden?
Yes, yes, it did. All of a sudden the ground started to shake.
What happened?
Well, the ground started to shake all of a sudden.
Did the ground start to shake or a tree start to fall?
The ground started to shake.
Did a tree start to fall?
No, a tree didnt start to fall.
Yes, thats correct. The ground started to shake all of a sudden.
Did the ground start to shake right away?
Well, yes, it did, because it started to shake all of a sudden.
Did the ground start to shake without any warning?
Yes, yes, it did. It started to shake all of a sudden, which is the same as saying it started to shake right away
and without any warning.
Yes, yes, it did. All of a sudden the ground started to shake.
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There was an earthquake due east of San Francisco.
Was there an earthquake due east of San Francisco?
Yes, there was. There was an earthquake due east of San Francisco.
What was there? Was there an earthquake or a rainstorm?
An earthquake, there was an earthquake.
Where was the earthquake?
Due east of San Francisco, the earthquake was due east of San Francisco.
Was the earthquake east of San Francisco?
Well, yes, yes, it was. It was due east of San Francisco which is the same thing as saying it was east of San
Francisco.
Was there an earthquake due east of San Francisco?
Yes, there was. There was an earthquake due east of San Francisco.
Luke was not surprised

So was Luke surprised?
No, he wasnt. He was not surprised.
Who was not surprised? Was Will Smith not surprised?
No, were not talking about Will Smith here.
Was Luke not surprised?
Yes, thats correct. Luke was not surprised.
What was Luke not surprised about? Was he not surprised that gas prices increased?
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No, thats not it.
Was he not surprised that there was an earthquake?
Yes, thats correct. He was not surprised. He was not surprised that there was an earthquake.
because earthquakes are a dime a dozen in San Francisco.

Are earthquakes a dime a dozen in San Francisco?
Yes, they are. Earthquakes are a dime a dozen in San Francisco.
Okay, so what are a dime a dozen in San Francisco? Are red cars or earthquakes a dime a dozen in San
Francisco?
Earthquakes are. Earthquakes are a dime a dozen in San Francisco.
Are red cars a dime a dozen in San Francisco?
No, not red cars.
Are earthquakes a dime a dozen in San Francisco?
Yes, they are. Earthquakes are a dime a dozen in San Francisco.
Are earthquakes very common in San Francisco?
Yes, thats correct. Earthquakes are a dime a dozen in San Francisco, which is the same thing as saying
earthquakes are very common in San Francisco. A dime a dozen means very common.
Why was Luke not surprised? Was he not surprised because earthquakes are a dime a dozen in San
Francisco?
Yes, yes, thats true. He was not surprised because earthquakes are a dime a dozen in San Francisco.
Was Luke not surprised because earthquakes are very common in San Francisco?
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Yes, thats true, thats why. Luke knew that earthquakes are a dime a dozen in San Francisco so he wasnt
surprised when he felt an earthquake, because he knows earthquakes are a dime a dozen or that
earthquakes are very common in San Francisco.
Is it a given that you will feel an earthquake when you live in San Francisco?
Yes, it is, thats what Luke has said.
Is it doubtful that you will feel an earthquake when you live in San Francisco?
No, its not doubtful, its a given and when something is a given that means that there is no doubt about it.
Is there any doubt that you will feel an earthquake when you live in San Francisco?
No, there isnt. There is no doubt, its a given. Its a given means that there is no doubt.
Is it a given that you will feel an earthquake if you live in New York?
No, not New York, were talking about San Francisco.
Is it a given that you will feel an earthquake if you live in San Francisco?
Yes, thats correct. Its a given that you will feel an earthquake when you live in San Francisco.
What is a given when you live in San Francisco? Is seeing a red car or feeling an earthquake a given when
you live in San Francisco?
Well, feeling an earthquake is. Its a given that you will feel an earthquake when you live in San Francisco.
Does Luke believe that you will feel an earthquake if you live in San Francisco?
Yes, he does. He said its a given that you will feel an earthquake.
Does Luke have any doubt that you will feel an earthquake when you live in San Francisco?
No, he has no doubt. He says its a given that you will feel an earthquake.
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Does George think that what Luke said is true?
Yes, yes, he does. George said, Totally, which means definitely, so he was agreeing with what Luke said.
Does George agree with what Luke said?
Yes, he did. He said, Totally, which means definitely, I definitely think what you said is true is what he
meant.
Does George think that it is a given that you will feel an earthquake when you live in San Francisco?
Yes, yes, he did. He definitely agrees with Luke and Luke said that its a given that you will feel an
earthquake when you live in San Francisco so that means George also thinks that.
Then Luke ate the rest of the eggs in twenty-two minutes

Did Luke eat the rest of the eggs in twenty-two minutes?
Yes, he did, thats what he did. Luke ate the rest of the eggs in twenty-two minutes.
So what did Luke do?
He ate the rest of the eggs in twenty-two minutes.
Did Luke eat the rest of the eggs or watch the football game?
He ate the rest of the eggs.
Did Luke watch the football game?
No, he didnt watch the football game.
Did Luke eat the rest of the eggs?
He certainly did. He ate the rest of the eggs.
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Who ate the rest of the eggs?
Luke did. Luke ate the rest of the eggs.
Did George eat the rest of the eggs?
No, George didnt eat the rest of the eggs?
How much time did it take Luke to eat the rest of the eggs?
Twenty-two minutes. Luke ate the rest of the eggs in twenty-two minutes.
Did it take him fifteen minutes or twenty-two minutes?
Twenty-two minutes. It took him twenty-two minutes to eat the rest of the eggs.
so George had to give him $100.

Did George have to give him $100?
He certainly did. George had to give him $100.
What did George have to do?
Well, he had to give him $100.
Did George have to eat fifty eggs or give him $100?
Give him $100. He had to give him $100.
Who did George have to give $100 to?
Luke, he had to give $100 to Luke.
Did George have to give $100 to Bill Clinton or Luke?
Luke, he had to give $100 to Luke.
Did Luke have to give $100 to George?
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No, he didnt have to give him $100. George had to give Luke $100.
How much money did George have to give to him?
One hundred dollars, he had to give him $100.
Did he have to give him $100 or $700?
One hundred dollars.
Why did George have to give him $100?
Well, he had to give him $100 because Luke ate all fifty of the eggs in less than one hour.
Did George lose the bet?
Yes, yes, he did. George lost the bet because Luke ate all fifty of the eggs in less than one hour.
Did Luke win the bet?
Yes, he did. Luke won the bet because he ate all fifty eggs in less than one hour.
*
Okay, that brings us to the end of our story which means we have come to the end of the mini-story lesson for
the conversation Earthquakes. Now its your turn to tell the story by yourself. Remember you do not have
to memorize every word in the story but you should use the idioms that we went over. The idioms that we
used were far-fetched, pulling his leg, youve got to be kidding, all of a sudden, due east, a dime a
dozen, its a given, and totally. Okay, so now tell the story on your own and remember, if you need to
listen to this lesson more times, you can do that.
Okay, thanks a lot and well see you next time.
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Earthquakes POV Lesson

Hello and welcome to the point of view stories for Earthquakes. I'm going to tell the same story from the
Earthquakes mini-story lesson in a number of different ways. Each time I tell the story Ill change the time in
which the story is being told or I will change the person who is telling the story. So well hear it from a
different point of view. Lets start by telling the story as if it is happening right now, or as we say, in the
present. Okay.
*

Luke can eat fifty eggs in one hour. Luke tells his friend George. George thinks this seems
far-fetched. He thinks that Luke is pulling his leg.
Youve gotta be kidding, he says to Luke.
So Luke bets George $100 that he can eat fifty eggs in one hour.
Luke eats fifteen eggs in the first ten minutes then all of a sudden the ground starts to shake. There
is an earthquake due east of San Francisco. Luke is not surprised because earthquakes are a dime a
dozen in San Francisco.
When you live in San Francisco, its a given that you will feel an earthquake, Luke says.
Totally, George says.
Then Luke eats the rest of the eggs in twenty-two minutes so George has to give him $100.
*
Okay, so that ends the story being told as if it is happening right now. Next lets hear the story as if it
happened seven months ago.
*
Seven months ago Luke lived in San Francisco.

Luke could eat fifty eggs in one hour. Luke told his friend George. George thought this seemed
far-fetched. He thought that Luke was pulling his leg.
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So Luke bet George $100 that he could eat fifty eggs in one hour.
Luke ate fifteen eggs in the first fifteen minutes then all of a sudden the ground started to shake.
There was an earthquake due east of San Francisco. Luke was not surprised because earthquakes
are a dime a dozen in San Francisco.
Then Luke ate the rest of the eggs in twenty-two minutes so George had to give him $100.
*
Okay, so that is the story as if it's happening in the past or its already happened. Now lets tell the story as if
it is happening in the future. So we think of the story happening, say, four years from now. Okay, here we
go.
*
In four years Lukes going to be living in San Francisco.

Luke will be able to eat fifty eggs in one hour. Lukes gonna tell his friend George. Georgell think
this seems far-fetched. Hell think that Luke is pulling his leg.
Youve gotta be kidding, hell say to Luke.
So Lukes gonna bet George $100 that hell be able to eat fifty eggs in one hour.
Lukes gonna eat fifteen eggs in the first ten minutes then all of a sudden the ground will start to
shake. There is going to be an earthquake due east of San Francisco. Lukell not be surprised
because earthquakes are a dime a dozen in San Francisco.
When you live in San Francisco, its a given that you will feel an earthquake, Luke will say.
Totally, Georgell say.
Then Luke will eat the rest of the eggs in twenty-two minutes so Georgell have to give him $100.
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*
Okay so thats the end of this version of the story, the version in which the story is in the future, where we talk
about events that are going to happen or events that will happen. Now, Id like you to notice that instead of
saying something like, George will think. we shorten it in normal conversation by saying, Georgell think.
Basically we combine the words George and will into Georgell. This is more like how we would say it
using spoken English. But, say, in a text book you would be more likely to say / to see George will instead
of seeing Georgell. You also probably noticed that when we convert the word can into the future we
usually say is able to. For example, Luke can eat fifty eggs. is changed to, Luke will be able to eat fifty
eggs.
Alright now lets hear the story from Lukes point of view. So this is the story thats gonna be told by Luke.
Okay, here we go.
*
I used to live in San Francisco.

I could eat fifty eggs in one hour. I told my friend George. George thought that this seemed
far-fetched. He thought that I was pulling his leg.
Youve gotta be kidding, he said to me.
So I bet George $100 that I could eat fifty eggs in one hour.
I ate fifteen eggs in the first ten minutes then all of a sudden the ground started to shake. There was
an earthquake due east of San Francisco. I wasnt surprised because earthquakes are a dime a dozen
in San Francisco.
When you live in San Francisco, its a given that you will feel an earthquake, I said.
Then I ate the rest of the eggs in twenty-two minutes so George had to give me $100.
*
Okay, so thats our last story. Now, please listen to each version again and then after you listen to a version,
try to tell the story to yourself. If you cant do it, its okay. Just relax, go back, listen to it again and then make
another attempt to tell yourself the story. Remember, you can listen to this every day until you feel
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comfortable. Okay, thats all for our point of view stories for Earthquakes. Well see ya next time.
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Earthquakes Vocabulary Lesson

Hi. Welcome to the vocabulary lesson for the conversation Earthquakes. In this conversation Joe and I are
talking about different earthquakes that weve both experienced.
So lets start with the conversation.
*
Joe starts off by saying, Hey...

Now, hey. This is just a filler word. It really has no meaning here except for Joe trying to get my attention.
Joe goes on to say, check this out.
Check this out. Check this out means listen to this. Check this out. An example of check this out would be:
Scott said, Check this out. I got two free tickets to the Rolling Stones concert. Check this out.
And Joe goes on to say, Yknow what Eric asked me when I got into work this morning?
Yknow. This is short for you know. You wont see this in written English but you will hear it in conversational
English. Yknow.
And then I say, I have no idea, whatd he ask?
I have no idea, or have no idea. It means do not know. I do not know. For example: I have no idea how Im
going to make time each day to exercise. Have no idea.
And then Joe says, He asked me if I felt the earthquake last night.
Earthquake. This is when the ground shakes from natural causes.
And then I say, Earthquake? Youve gotta be kidding, I didnt feel an earthquake.
Youve gotta be kidding. Now gotta is short for got to. Youve got to be kidding. This is something else youll
hear in conversational English but you wont see it in written English. Youve gotta be kidding. What this
means is you cannot be serious. Youve gotta be kidding. For example: When I told my mother that I had
won $2 million, she said, Youve gotta be kidding.
And then Joe says, I know, thats what I said. He told me it actually woke him up last night.
Actually here is just really filler. It has no meaning. Its not even needed in this sentence.
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And then Joe goes on to say, Yknow... And then I say, What? And Joe says, yeah...
Yeah is casual or informal for yes.
And Joe goes on to say, it was like...
Like is just filler here. It also has no meaning. Its not even needed in this sentence.
And Joe says, it went, it happened at like, uh...
Uh. This is filler as well. It has no meaning.
And he goes on to say, 4:42 in the morning. So we mustve been sleeping. But I mean...
I mean. This is filler so it also has no meaning. Its not needed in this sentence.
And Joe goes on to say, its possible that, yknow, even if we had been awake we might not have felt
it because, yknow, maybe it, uh, wasnt felt, yknow, this far north. But, uh, I, I mean I thought he was
pullin my leg when he first talked about it.
Pullin my leg. First of all, pullin is short for pulling. So you wont see pullin in written English but you would
hear it more in conversational English. Pullin my leg. Now this means making a joke by lying to someone
and pretending the lie is true. Pullin my leg. For example: When Chris said that he won $200,000 in Las
Vegas, I thought he was pullin my leg. Pullin my leg.
And then I go on to say, Well...
Well is just filler. Its a filler word. It doesnt have any meaning.
And then I say, I guess its not so far-fetched
Far-fetched. This means unbelievable. Far-fetched. For example: When Chris said that he won $200,000 in
Las Vegas, I thought it sounded far-fetched. Far-fetched.
And I go on to say, considering
Considering meaning since.
we live on a major fault line here.
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Major fault line. A fault line is an area where a lot of earthquakes happen.
Then Joe says, Yeah, but actually I think this earthquake was, uh, on a different fault line, um,
because, yknow, Eric lives, uh, just, uh, south of San Jose...
Now when I say um, youll hear um in a lot of conversations. But its not something that you would ever see
in written English. But youll hear um, uh, a lot in conversations. San Jose. This is a city south of San
Francisco.
And then I go on to say, Yeah. And then Joe says, and, uh, the earthquake he said was due east of
San Jose...
Due east. This is exactly east of someplace. Due east. For example: Sacramento is a city that is due east
of San Francisco. Due east.
And Joe goes on to say, so he was obviously
Or he was definitely.
a lot closer to the epicenter than we were.
Epicenter. This is the middle of an earthquake. Epicenter. An example of epicenter would be: The
epicenter of the earthquake was Los Angeles. So there was a lot of damage in that city. Epicenter.
And Joe goes on to say, So, I d-, Im not even sure it was felt here. And I say, Yeah, that makes
sense. Well, yknow, Ive experienced quite a few earthquakes in the past several years but Ive been
living here a little over two years...
Or a little more than two years.
And I say, Ive, I think Ive only experienced one here. It was really strange, too, I was, um, each, I
should say each earthquake has been a completely different experience. But the one I, the one I felt
here, I was standing outside a restaurant talking to AJ and another friend and all of a sudden it just
felt like...
All of a sudden. This is right away with no warning. All of a sudden. For example: I was driving my car
when all of a sudden someone hit me. It happened so fast. All of a sudden.
So I say,"all of a sudden it just felt like this shift.
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Or change.
Its really hard to explain, but it made me think of, like, a cartoon...
A cartoon is just animation.
And I go on to say, like how, in the cartoon, like buildings might just shift to the right and then shift
right back. And Joe says, Yeah, without falling. And I say, Yeah, without falling. And I, I had no
idea what was going on for a few minutes afterwards. And then I realized...
Or I understood.
oh that must have been an earthquake. And Joe says, Yeah, you know what I usually notice...
Or hes saying what I normally see.
the times that Ive been at home, here... And I say, Yeah. And Joe says, and, uh, theres been an
earthquake. Its almost as if theres this really big train, or like a gigantic Mack truck going by.
Gigantic means very big or large. And Mack truck This is just a kind of truck.
And Joe goes on to say, And, uh, suddenly
Or right away.
I start to hear the heater shaking. And, um, its like, the noise is like, uh, is loud for like a second
A second is a short time. 60 seconds makes one minute so its a very short time.
And Joe says, and then its gone, so... And then I say, Thats so... And Joe says, its really
weird...
Weird, or strange.
He goes on to say, yknow, its almost like the first couplea times I felt it...
Couplea. This is short for couple of. So you wont see this in written English but youll hear it in
conversational English. Couplea. Couple meaning two.
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So Joes saying, "the first couplea times I felt it, I wasnt even aware it was an earthquake while it
was happening.
So hes saying, I wasnt even aware. I didnt even know it was an earthquake while it was happening.
And then I say, Well, thats so funny
Now when I say thats so funny, Im not saying its really funny. Im saying this because something Joe said
was the same experience that I had. And that experience being not knowing there was an earthquake while it
was happening. He experienced that and I experienced it. So Im saying wow, thats so funny. Like thats so
funny we both experienced this.
And I go on to say, thats so funny you say that because one that I experienced in Bangkok, it
actually was after the tsunami
And Im talking about the tsunami that hit Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, southeast India in December 2004.
And I go on to say, and so later I found out that it was...
So. Here this is a filler word. It has no meaning.
And I say, it was, um, aftershock from the tsunami.
Aftershock. This is an earthquake that happens right after another earthquake. Aftershock. An example of
aftershock would be: When I felt the aftershock of the earthquake, I ran outside. Aftershock.
And I go on to say, But anyway, I was in a building up on the ninth floor and suddenly, uh, there was
all this rattling.
Rattling is a kind of noise.
And I go on to say, And Im thinking to myself, it, it just, it, it was so irrational.
Irrational. Im saying, it wasnt clear.
And I go on to say, Im thinking to myself, god...
God is just showing emotion like I dont believe. I dont believe Im hearing this.
And I say, theres like a train going by and I cant believe that this building is shaking so much from
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the train. And I laugh, It... And of course a train wouldnt have made a building, or at least me up
on the ninth floor, feel something to that effect.
Or feel something that much.
And I go on to say, And I think it happened about two times. And it... That one wasnt until
several
Several or many.
several days later when I was talking to people and they were like, oh didja feel the earthquake?
Didja. This is something you will hear in conversational English. Its short for did you. You wont see that in
written English though.
And I go on to say, Then it dawned on me, oh, that was an earthquake. It was...
It dawned on me. This means I remembered or I realized. It dawned on me.
And then Joe says, Yeah, I know. Its, uh, its crazy
Or hes saying its unbelievable.
how when youre not used to feeling them you can think its something else. And I say, Yeah,
yeah totally.
Totally here means definitely. For example: Sonia said that she totally felt the earthquake last night. Totally.
And then Joe says, I mean, Ive been livin here for a while now
Livin. This is short for living. Again, you wont see livin in written English but youll hear it in conversational
English. So he says, Ive been livin here for a while now. A while means a long time. A while. An example
of a while is: I have been an English teacher for a while. A while.
And Joe goes on to say, and Ive definitely felt my share of earthquakes.
So he is saying I definitely felt a lot of earthquakes.
And Joe says, I mean, yknow, when you live here its a given
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Its a given. This means there is no doubt. Its a given. For example, when you walk or live in downtown
New York, its a given that you will hear a lot of noise. Its a given.
So he goes on to say, "its a given that youre gonna experience earthquakes.
Gonna. This is short for going to. Youll hear gonna in conversations but you wont see it in written English.
And then Joe goes on to say, You just hope that youre not gonna be here for the big one, yknow...
The big one. What hes talking about is, you hope that youre not gonna be here, or around, for a really big
earthquake that might hurt or kill a lot of people.
And then I laugh and say, Yeah, right.
So Im saying, yeah, I know. Or Im just agreeing with Joe.
And Joe says, When I first moved here, it was, uh, about five years after the Loma Prieta
earthquake
Loma Prieta. This is the name of a mountain, where this earthquake hes talking about that happened five
years before he moved to San Francisco The Loma Prieta mountain was at the epicenter or the middle of
the earthquake.
So he says, "about five years after the Loma Prieta earthquake, which was a very big earthquake
here. And, um, there are a lot of people who lived here who I met who had actually been living in the
area when the earthquake hit.
Or when the earthquake happened.
So it was interesting to get their perspective...
Perspective. What Joe is saying here is what someone thinks about something. Perspective. An example of
perspective is: I like to speak with my mother when I have a problem. She always has a different perspective
than me. Perspective.
And then I say, Oh.
Oh, here is really just filler. It has no meaning. I didnt even have to say that but I just say it. Oh.
And then Joe says, and, uh, it also like made me remember where I was when I heard about the
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Loma Prieta earthquake. I was watching the World Series on TV.
World Series. This is the championship games in American baseball. World Series. For example: Joe really
likes baseball. One year he went to the World Series even though the tickets were expensive. World Series.
And Joe goes on to say, And, uh, yknow, it was, uh, taking place in San Francisco.
Taking place. This means happening. Happening in San Francisco. Taking place. For example: I
remember the Winter Olympics taking place in Japan when I was younger. Taking place.
And then Joe says, So, uh, as Im watching it suddenly the announcer starts, uh, uh, saying, Wow...
Announcer. This is a person who talks throughout a sports game about whats happening. Wow. This is just
showing emotion such as, I dont believe it.
And Joe goes on to say, I think were feeling an earthquake here. And the cameras started
shaking.
The TV cameras.
And Joe goes on to say, And, uh, all of a sudden the TV coverage
The TV coverage of the game.
cut out.
Now. cut out Here cut out means no longer was able to be seen. The TV coverage of the game cut out. It
was no longer able to be seen. For example: The television station cut out during the big rain storm. Cut
out.
And then Joe says, So, uh, yknow, I wanted to get a rundown on what happened.
Rundown. This is information. He wanted to get information on what happened. Rundown. An example of
rundown would be: I called my mother to get a rundown on how my father was doing. Rundown.
And Joe goes on to say, So I turned to the news station
Or I changed to the news station.
and, uh, within a few minutes
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Few meaning three or more.
they were discussing...
Discussing or talking.
"they were discussing this gigantic earthquake that had hit San Francisco. And they started showing
pictures, uh, maybe thirty minutes later, of these people who were, uh, trying to weed through the
rubble of these buildings that had been, like, coming down.
Weed through. This means to look or dig through. Weed through. An example of weed through is: I had to
weed through a lot of papers when I did my yearly income taxes for the government. Weed through. So hes
saying there were people trying to weed through the rubble of these buildings. Rubble means parts. The
parts of these buildings that had been like coming down or falling down.
And Joe says, so, I mean, it was... And I say, Oh, wow. And Joe says, it was pretty scary...
Pretty means very here.
And Joe says, Ill tell you what...
Ill tell you what. That means that is for sure. Ill tell you what. An example of Ill tell you what in this situation
would be: Ill tell you what, I really enjoyed the Thai food we had today. Ill tell you what.
And I say, Yeah. And Joe says, yknow. And then I say, Yeah, well, um, you know the three
months I was living in Japan I experienced two. Both of those were very different, uh, very different
from the one Id experienced here and also very different from the one in Bangkok. But one of em...
Em is just short for them. This is something that youll hear in conversational English but not see it in written
English.
So I say, "But one of em, I was actually up in my apartment which was on the fifth floor of a building.
And I was woken up at about 5 oclock in the morning to the building swaying.
Swaying means moving from one side to the other side.
And I go on to say, And because, uh, earthquakes are like a dime a dozen in Japan...
A dime a dozen. This means very common. A dime a dozen. An example of a dime a dozen would be: I
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remember when no one had a cell phone. But today they are a dime a dozen. A dime a dozen.
And then I say, they, theyve built a lot of their buildings to absorb the shock.
So what Im saying here... To absorb the shock means the buildings take the shaking from an earthquake
much easier. They make their buildings to take the shaking from the earthquake easier. Absorb the shock.
And then I say, So thats why it was swaying, it was really, it was a very surreal feel.
Surreal. This means unreal. Surreal. For example: I looked at the sky and it was purple. It looked surreal.
*
Okay, so that is the end of the conversation and this is the end of the vocabulary lesson for the conversation
Earthquakes. So if you need to, go back and listen to this until you have a basic understanding of the
vocabulary. And when you feel ready, go to the mini-story.
Alright, bye bye. See you next time.
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2.TRIP TO WASHINGTON
Trip To Washington Conversation

Joe: Hello?
Eric: Hey, Joe, this is Eric.
Joe: Oh hey Eric, hows it goin?
Eric: Its goin well. How bout yourself?
Joe: Yeah, Im doin really well.
Eric: Great.
Joe: How was your trip up to Washington this weekend?
over the top: very good
Eric: Oh, it was just over the top.

Joe: Nice, nice. I
Eric: Yeah, it was
Joe: really wish I could have joined you guys.
Eric: Yeah, well, you should really try next year.
on my list of things to
do: something that I
want to do
Joe: Yeah, no, its, its definitely on my list of things to do, for sure.
Eric: Good.
Joe: Yeah, how was, did you, did you make it up there, uh, as you expected? I mean
how was your, how was your trip up there?
fed up: upset
Eric: Oh man, I am just fed up with the airlines.

Joe: [laugh]
whats new?: means

that you are not
surprised
if its not one thing, its
another: more than one
bad thing has happened
Eric: [laugh]
Joe: Whats new?
Eric: If its not one thing, its another. I mean we, we got up there and, uh, and the
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3. THE WEDDING
The Wedding Conversation

Joe: Hey, Will, hows it goin?
Will: Hey, whats goin on? Not a lot.
Joe: Man, I dont, you know what, now that I see you right here, I dont think Ive
seen you in probably like six weeks.
Will: Yeah.
where you been hidin?:
said when you have not
seen someone in a long
time
long time no see: it has
been a long time since we
have seen each other
Joe: Where you been hidin?

Will: I dont know, long time no see though.
Joe: [laugh] Yeah.
Will: How, how have you been?
Joe: Yeah, Im doin really well. I, I dont th-you know what, I havent seen you
since your wedding.
you didnt make it: you

were not able to be there
super bummed: to be
very upset
Will: I know. I know, I want to, uh, I want to tell you all about it. I cant believe you
didnt make it.
Joe: Yeah, you know what, I told you the only reason I didnt make it is because my
uncle was getting married back east. So, yknow, I was gone the entire week. But I
was super bummed about it.
Will: Well you missed a good one.
Joe: Yeah, yeah, I know. I mean I was bummed that I couldnt be there with all our
friends. And, yknow, Id never had a chance to meet Isabelles family. So, yknow,
Im really bummed that I missed that, too.
Will: Yeah, yeah, it was really nice having everybody out here from Spain.
Joe: Yeah.
Will: And, we had a good time.
Joe: How long had you, how long were you and Isabelle together before you guys
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got married?
Will: Two years.
time flies: to be surprised
about how much time has
gone by
Joe: Wow, oh my god, time flies.

Will: Yeah.
Joe: I remember that, yknow, when she first, uh, answered the ad you had for a
roommate, so
Will: [laugh]
the golden rule: the most

important thing about
something
Joe: you guys broke the golden rule, yknow, as far as roommates go, which is
dont sleep with your roommates when they move in.
sleep with: to have sex

with
Will: Thats right.
its all worked out: it

ended well
Joe: [laugh] But its all worked out.
it was worth it: said

when you are glad to
have done something
Will: It was worth it. It was worth it this time.

Joe: Yeah, its all worked out. So Im glad to see that, yknow.
Will: Absolutely.
Joe: Yeah. So, uh, yknow, youll have to give me some details on, yknow, I, I
havent seen any of the pictures or anything, I dont, maybe you didnt get them back
yet from the photographer.
do-it-yourself: doing
something without paying
others to help
Will: Well I cant wait to, uh, show you the pictures, of course, but, uh, yeah, do you
have a second? Ill tell you about the wedding.
City Hall: government

building
Joe: Yeah, yeah, totally. I wanna hear about it.
Stern Grove: a place in

San Francisco that has a
lot of trees
Will: Alright, well, we had kind of a, uh, do-it-yourself wedding. We, um, got
married at, uh, City Hall which was easy. And then we had our real ceremony at
Stern Grove. You know where that is?
Joe: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, right on 19th.
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Will: Here in San Francisco.
Joe: Yeah.
Will: Underneath the redwood trees.
Joe: Oh, it must have been beautiful.
Will: It was very nice.
Did the weather
cooperate?: was the
weather nice
Joe: Did the weather cooperate?

Will: Actually we, uh, had a really beautiful day which is very unusual for
summertime in, uh, San Francisco.
Joe: Yeah.
Will: As you well know.
Joe: Totally.
Will: We were planning on fog but we had really nice weather.
made it in: arrived
Joe: Oh thats great. So everyone made it in okay? Because I know that, uh, her
family had a long way to come.
Will: Yeah. They, uh, they all made it. Her mom and dad, uh, their friend, uh, her
brother and sister, of course, and, uh, her best friend from Spain came to represent
all her, all her friends Were gonna go there, uh, soon and were gonna see her,
uh, family and friends, yknow, th-, who couldnt make it. But it was nice to have a
group of her family and friends here in San Francisco for the wedding.
Joe: Oh thats great. How, what, where is she from in Spain?
Will: Um, shes from Bilbao.
Joe: Oh yeah, yknow, she told me that before but I cant say that, yknow, I could
recall the actual town cause Id never heard of it before.
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Will: Yeah, its actually a very large city. Uh, its an industrial city. And its, uh, got
uh, a new museum so its become more famous. But, uh, its been there a long time.
And its a big city. But its not one of the most, um, uh, known cities in Spain
perhaps
Joe: Yeah.
Will: like Madrid and Barcelona.
Joe: Yeah.
medieval: time period
from long ago
Will: So, uh, yeah. But they were all there and, uh, her brother, uh, read a medieval
Spanish love poem, uh. And, uh, that was really nice. And, uh, parts of our wedding
were in Spanish, uh, for the people, um, you know our friends here who, uh, um,
speak Spanish and also, uh, yknow, for her friends and family from Spain, yeah.
Joe: Sure, yeah thats great. I know that youve been trying to learn a lot of Spanish
lately.
Will: Yes I have, yes I havewell, yknow, I learned a lot of Spanish when I was in
Chili but Im learning a lot more with her now.
pretty much: almost
Joe: Oh thats great. Yeah, because the only way youre gonna really, uh, yknow,
get more fluent in it is to use it pretty much every day.
Will: Absolutely. Yeah.
made an honest woman

of her: got married to her
Joe: So, uh, I bet her father was happy to see that you made an honest woman of
her.
Will: [laugh] I guess, I guess so, yeah.
old-fashioned: ideas or
things that are from a long
time ago
into the church
wedding: wanted to have
a wedding in a church
Joe: I would imagine that, uh, maybe her, was her family pretty traditional and
old-fashioned? Or
Will: Uh, no actually theyre more, um, uh, progressive in a way than, uh, Americans
are. Americans actually, it seems, uh, are more into the church wedding and
everything. We had a, uh, um, we had a very, uh, European wedding. Theyre not
as, uh, religious as people think. Americans are pretty religious.
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Joe: Thats true.
Will: Yes. So, uh, they, uh, they loved everything we did and, uh, it was a really
good time. Yeah.
Joe: Thats great.
I gotta run: I to have to
go
Will: Yeah, so, uh, I gotta run.
get together: meet
Joe: Okay, well, uh, Will lets get together for drinks sometime soon, its been too
long.
Will: Sounds good.
Joe: Alright, Ill talk to you soon.
ciao: Italian word for

goodbye
Will: Alright, ciao.

Joe: Bye.
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The Wedding Mini-Story Lesson

Hi. Welcome to the mini-story lesson for the conversation The Wedding.
Lets get started with the story.
*
Freddie the fork and Sara the spoon lived together in New York. Freddie and Sara are getting
married.
Pretty much all of Saras friends came to the wedding. But her Aunt Patti didnt make it.
Two days before the wedding, Saras mother and father flew to New York from London. Their flight
made it in on time.
Saras father is old-fashioned. He did not want Sara to live with Freddie before they got married.
Freddie and Sara did not have a lot of money so they had a do-it-yourself wedding. Freddie and Sara
cooked all of the food and Saras mother made the wedding dress. It was a lot of work but it was
worth it.
Freddie and Sara got married at the beach. They were worried it was going to rain but the weather
cooperated.
After they got married, Saras father was happy because Freddie had made an honest woman of her.
*
Okay, so thats our story. Now I will read the story again and I will ask questions as Im reading it. If you
want you can answer the questions out loud. If you need a little more time to answer the questions then feel
free to pause your player and, of course, if you just want to sit back and listen, thats okay also.
Okay, now lets get started.
*
Freddie the fork and Sara the spoon lived together in New York.
Did Freddie the fork and Sara the spoon live together in New York?
Yes, they do. They live together in New York.
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What do Freddie the fork and Sara the spoon do? Do they live together in New York or travel in Los
Angeles?
They live together in New York.
Did Freddie the fork and Sara the spoon travel in Los Angeles?
No, they didnt travel in Los Angeles.
Do they live together in New York?
Yes, thats correct. They live together in New York.
Who lives together in New York?
Freddie the fork and Sara the spoon, they live together in New York.
Do Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie live together in New York?
No, not Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
Do Freddie the fork and Sara the spoon live together in New York?
Yes, they do. Freddie the fork and Sara the spoon live together in New York.
What is Freddie? Is he a spoon or a fork?
A fork, Freddie is a fork. Freddie the fork.
What is Sara? Is she a spoon or a fork?
A spoon, Sara the spoon.
Is Sara a fork?
No, Sara is not a fork.
Is Freddie a fork?
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Yes, he is. Freddie is a fork, Freddie the fork.
Where do Freddie the fork and Sara the spoon live? Do they live in New York or Los Angeles?
New York, they live together in New York.
Do Freddie and Sara live together?
Yes, they do. They live together.
Do Freddie the fork and Sara the spoon live together in New York?
Yes, yes, thats correct. Freddie the fork and Sara the spoon live together in New York.
Freddie and Sara are getting married.

Are Freddie and Sara getting married?
Yes, they are, thats what theyre doing, theyre getting married.
What are Freddie and Sara doing?
Well, theyre getting married.
Are they ordering a wedding present for Samantha or getting married?
Getting married, theyre getting married.
Are they baking a cake?
No, theyre not baking a cake, theyre getting married.
Are they getting married?
Yes, yes, they are. Freddie and Sara are getting married.
Who is getting married? Are Brad and Angelina getting married?
No, Brad and Angelina arent getting married.
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Are Freddie and Sara getting married?
Yes, they are. Freddie and Sara are getting married.
Pretty much all of Saras friends came to the wedding.

Did pretty much all of Saras friends come to the wedding?
Yes, yes, thats true. Pretty much all of Saras friends came to the wedding.
Did only one of Saras friends come to the wedding?
No, not just one, unless she only has one friend.
Did almost all of Saras friends come to the wedding?
Yes, yes, thats correct. Pretty much all of Saras friends came to the wedding which means almost all of
Saras friends came to the wedding. Pretty much means almost so if you say pretty much its the same as
saying almost.
What did almost all of Saras friends do? Did they buy her a camera to take pictures or come to her
wedding?
Come to her wedding, pretty much all of her friends came to her wedding.
Who came to the wedding? Pretty much all of Saras friends, or Freddies friends?
Pretty much all of Saras friends, not Freddies friends.
Where did pretty much all of Saras friends come? Did they come to the library or the wedding?
The wedding, they came to the wedding.
Did almost all of Saras friends come to the wedding?
Yes, thats true. Pretty much all of her friends came to the wedding which is the same as saying almost all of
her friends came to the wedding.
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But her Aunt Patti didnt make it.
Did her Aunt Patti make it?
No, no, she did not. Her Aunt Patti did not make it.
Was her Aunt Patti able to make it?
No, she was unable to make it.
Was her Aunt Patti unable to be there?
Yes, yes, thats true. She didnt make it which means that she was unable to be there.
Who didnt make it? Saras Uncle Pedro or Saras Aunt Patti?
Well, Saras Aunt Patti. Saras Aunt Patti didnt make it.
Was Saras Aunt Patti able to be there?
No, no, she wasnt. Her Aunt Patti didnt make it so she was unable to be there, she was not able to be there.
Was Saras Aunt Patti able to be at the wedding?
No, she was not able to make it, she didnt make it. She didnt make it to the wedding.
Two days before the wedding, Saras mother and father flew to New York from London.
Did Saras mother and father fly to New York from London two days before the wedding?
Yes, yes, they did. They flew to New York two days before the wedding and they flew from London.
What did Saras mother and father do? Did they fly to New York or drive to London?
They flew to New York.
Did Saras mother and father drive to London?
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No, they didnt drive to London.
How did Saras mother and father get to New York? Did they take a train?
No, they didnt take a train.
Did they fly to New York?
Yes, yes, thats correct. They flew to New York.
Who flew to New York two days before the wedding? Did Saras Aunt Patti fly to New York two days before
the wedding?
No, Saras Aunt Patti definitely did not fly to New York two days before the wedding because she couldnt
make it so she did not go to the wedding.
Did Saras mother fly to New York two days before the wedding?
Yes, yes, she did. She flew to New York two days before the wedding.
Did Saras father fly to New York two days before the wedding?
Yes, thats true also. Two days before the wedding Saras mother and father flew to New York from London.
When did Saras mother and father fly to New York?
Two days before the wedding, they flew to New York two days before the wedding.
Did they fly to New York one week before the wedding or two days before the wedding?
Two days before the wedding, they flew to New York two days before the wedding.
How many days before the wedding did they fly to New York? Was it two days or seven days before the
wedding?
It was two days, two days before the wedding Saras mother and father flew to New York.
Where did they fly from? Did they fly from Paris?
No, they didnt fly from Paris.
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Did they fly from London?
Yes, thats correct, they flew from London.
Did Saras mother and father fly to New York from London two days before the wedding?
Yes, they did. Two days before the wedding Saras mother and father flew to New York from London.
Their flight made it in on time.

Did their flight make it in on time?
Yes, it did. Their flight made it in on time.
What made it in on time?
Their flight, their flight made it in on time.
Did their flight arrive on time?
Yes, it did. It arrived on time or it made it in on time, these are both the same thing. When you say made it
in, youre saying arrived.
Did their boat or their plane arrive on time?
Their plane, they flew to New York from London. They flew on an airplane.
Whose flight arrived on time? Did Saras flight arrive on time?
No, it wasnt Saras. Sara lives in New York, she didnt have to fly to New York.
Did Saras parents flight arrive on time?
Yes, it did. It was Saras parents flight that arrived on time.
Did Saras parents flight arrive late?
No, it didnt. It arrived on time which means it did not arrive late and it did not arrive early, it arrived on time.
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Saras father is old-fashioned.

Is Saras father old-fashioned?
Yes, yes, he is. Saras father is old-fashioned.
What is Saras father? Is he old or old-fashioned?
He is old-fashioned. Saras father is old-fashioned.
Does he have ideas that have not changed in a long time?
Well, yes, he does, thats what old-fashioned means. Old-fashioned means that you have ideas that have not
changed in a long time and that you still believe in those ideas and you dont think that they should change.
So when we say he is old-fashioned, that is to say that he has ideas that have not changed in a long time.
Does Saras father like things to change?
No, he doesnt. Hes old-fashioned. He likes things to remain the same. He likes things that are old ideas.
Who is old-fashioned? Is Freddie old-fashioned?
No, were not talking about Freddie being old-fashioned.
Is Saras father old-fashioned?
Yes, thats correct. Saras father is old-fashioned.
He did not want Sara to live with Freddie before they got married.
Did he want Sara to live with Freddie before they got married?
No, no he did not. Remember, hes old-fashioned and if youre old-fashioned that probably means if you
have a daughter you do not want her to live with her boyfriend before they get married.
What did he want? Did he want Sara to not live with Freddie before they got married?
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Yes, thats correct. He wanted Sara to not live with Freddie before they got married. He did not want them to
live together before they got married.
Who didnt want Sara and Freddie to live together? Did Saras brother or Saras father?
Saras father, Saras father did not want Sara to live with Freddie before they got married.
When did he not want them to live together?
Well, he did not want them to live together before they got married.
Did he want Sara to live with Freddie before they got married?
No, he did not. Remember, he is old-fashioned.
Freddie and Sara did not have a lot of money

Did Freddie and Sara have a lot of money?
No, they did not. They did not have a lot of money.
What didnt Freddie and Sara have?
A lot of money, they didnt have a lot of money.
Who didnt have a lot of money? Freddie and Sara or Saras parents?
Freddie and Sara, Freddie and Sara didnt have a lot of money.
Were Freddie and Sara rich?
No, they were not. If they were rich, then they would have a lot of money and they did not have a lot of
money.
so they had a do-it-yourself wedding.

Did they have a do-it-yourself wedding?
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Yes, thats exactly what they did. They had a do-it-yourself wedding.
What did they have? Did they have a baby or did they have a do-it-yourself wedding?
A do-it-yourself wedding, they had a do-it-yourself wedding.
Who had a do-it-yourself wedding? Did Saras mother and father or Freddie and Sara have a do-it-yourself
wedding?
Freddie and Sara did. Freddie and Sara had a do-it-yourself wedding.
What type of wedding did they have?
A do-it-yourself wedding, they had a do-it-yourself wedding.
Did they pay people money to help with their wedding?
No, they didnt. They had a do-it-yourself wedding which means that they did not pay people to help. Thats
what do-it-yourself means, it means doing it without paying other people to help.
Why did they have a do-it-yourself wedding?
Well, they had a do-it-yourself wedding because they did not have a lot of money.
Freddie and Sara cooked all of the food

Did Freddie and Sara cook all of the food?
Yes, they did. They cooked all of the food.
What did Freddie and Sara do? Did they cut the grass or cook all of the food?
Cooked all of the food, they cooked all of the food.
Who cooked all of the food? Did Saras mother or Freddie and Sara cook all of the food?
Freddie and Sara did. Freddie and Sara cooked all of the food.
Did Freddie and Sara cook some of the food?
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No, they didnt cook just some of the food, they cooked all of the food.
Did Freddie and Sara hire someone to cook the food?
No, they didnt. They had a do-it-yourself wedding. They ended up cooking all of the food.
and Saras mother made the wedding dress.

Did Saras mother make the wedding dress?
Yes, she did. Saras mother made the wedding dress.
What did Saras mother do?
She made the wedding dress.
Did Saras mother clean the house or make the wedding dress?
Make the wedding dress, she made the wedding dress.
Did she clean the house?
No, she didnt clean the house.
Did she make the wedding dress?
Yes, she did. She made the wedding dress.
Who did Saras mother make a wedding dress for? Did she make a dress for Freddie or for Sara?
She made it for Sara. She definitely didnt make it for Freddie. Freddie is not going to wear a dress to the
wedding.
It was a lot of work but it was worth it.

Was it a lot of work?
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Yes, it was. It was a lot of work.
How much work was it? Was it just a little or a lot of work?
A lot of work, it was a lot of work.
Was it worth it?
Yes, it was. It was a lot of work but it was worth it.
Were they glad to have done it?
Yes, yes, they were. It was worth it, which means that they were glad to have done it. If you say something
was worth it, then you are saying that you are glad that you did it.
Were Freddie and Sara glad to have cooked the food?
Yes, yes, they were. It was worth it, so they were glad to have done it. They were glad to have cooked the
food.
Was Saras mother glad to have made the wedding dress?
Yes, she was. It was worth it. It was worth it to make the wedding dress so she was glad to have made the
wedding dress.
Freddie and Sara got married at the beach.

Did Freddie and Sara get married at the beach?
Yes, they did. Freddie and Sara got married at the beach.
What did Freddie and Sara do? Did they swim at the beach or get married at the beach?
They got married at the beach. Freddie and Sara got married at the beach.
Did Sara and Freddie swim at the beach?
No, they didnt swim at the beach. They were probably all dressed up. Sara was dressed up in a dress,
Freddie probably had nice clothes on also, so they did not swim while they were at the beach.
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Who got married at the beach? Did Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt get married at the beach?
No Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie didnt get married at the beach.
Did Sara and Freddie get married at the beach?
Yes, thats correct. They got married at the beach. Sara and Freddie got married at the beach.
Where did Freddie and Sara get married?
At the beach, they got married at the beach.
Did Freddie and Sara get married at the church?
No, they didnt get married at the church.
Did Freddie and Sara get married at the beach?
Yes, yes, thats correct. Freddie and Sara got married at the beach.
They were worried it was going to rain but the weather cooperated.
Were they worried it was going to rain?
Yes, they were. They were worried it was going to rain.
What were they worried about?
Well, they were worried about rain. They were worried it was going to rain.
Were they worried about the weather or the football game?
The weather, they were worried about the weather, they were worried it was going to rain.
Who was worried? Were Saras parents worried?
No, not Saras parents.
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Were Freddie and Sara worried?
Yes, yes, they were. Freddie and Sara were worried.
Were Freddie and Sara worried it was going to rain?
Yes, they were. They were worried it was going to rain.
Did the weather cooperate?
Yes, it did. The weather cooperated.
Was the weather nice?
Well, yes, it was. The weather cooperated, which means that the weather was nice.
Did it rain?
No, no, it did not rain. The weather cooperated which means that it was nice which means it did not rain.
After they got married, Saras father was happy

Was Saras father happy after they got married?
Yes, he was. He was happy.
Was Saras father upset after they got married?
No, he wasnt upset. He was happy.
Who got married? Did Sara and Freddie get married?
Yes, thats correct. Sara and Freddie got married.
Was Saras father happy after Saras brother got married?
No, Saras brother didnt get married.
When was Saras father happy? Was he happy after he ate dinner?
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No, not after he ate dinner.
Was Saras father happy after Sara and Freddie got married?
Yes, thats correct. After they got married, Saras father was happy.
because Freddie had made an honest woman of her.

Had Freddie made an honest woman of her?
Yes, he had. Freddie had made an honest woman of her.
What did Freddie do? Did he make her a hamburger or make an honest woman of her?
He made an honest woman of her.
Who did he make an honest woman of? Saras mom?
No, not Saras mom. Saras mom is married to Saras dad.
Did he make an honest woman of Sara?
Yes, he did. He made an honest woman of Sara.
Did he get married to Sara?
Yes, yes, he did. He made an honest woman of Sara which is the same thing as saying he got married to
Sara. When you make an honest woman of someone, that means that you get married to that woman.
Why was Saras father happy? Was he happy because he liked the food?
No, thats not why he was happy.
Was he happy because Freddie made an honest woman of Sara?
Yes, yes, thats correct. Thats why he was happy. He was happy because Freddie made an honest woman
of Sara.
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Was he happy because Freddie got married to Sara?
Yes, he was. Freddie made an honest woman of Sara which means Freddie got married to Sara so he was
happy because Freddie got married to Sara, or you could say he was happy because Freddie made an
honest woman of Sara.
*
Okay, we have reached the end of our story. Now its time for you to tell the story all by yourself. Remember
you do not have to memorize every word in the story, but you do need to use the idioms and vocabulary
words that we used. Here are some of the ones that we discussed: old-fashioned, made it in, pretty
much, didnt make it, do-it-yourself, it was worth it, the weather cooperated, and made an honest
woman of her. So please try to tell the story on your own, using these idioms now. Remember you can
listen to this lesson as many times as you need to.
Okay, good luck and well see you next time.
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The Wedding POV Lesson

Hi. Welcome to the point of view stories for The Wedding. Today were gonna hear the same story from
The Wedding mini-story lesson and were gonna hear it in four different points of view this time. Ok, lets
get started.
*
Freddie the fork and Sara the spoon live together in New York. Freddie and Sara are getting married.
Pretty much all of Saras friends come to the wedding. But her Aunt Patti doesnt make it.
Two days before the wedding, Saras mother and father fly to New York from London. Their flight
makes it in on time.
Saras father is old-fashioned. He doesnt want Sara to live with Freddie before they get married.
Freddie and Sara do not have a lot of money so they have a do-it-yourself wedding. Freddie and Sara
cook all of the food and Saras mother makes the wedding dress. It is a lot of work but it is worth it.
Freddie and Sara get married at the beach. They are worried it is going to rain but the weather
cooperates.
After they get married, Saras father is happy because Freddie has made an honest woman of her.
*
Okay, so as you can see we just heard the story told as if it is happening right now, or in the present as we
say. Now lets tell the story as if it has already happened two years ago. Okay, here we go.
*
Two years ago Freddie the fork and Sara the spoon lived together in New York. Freddie and Sara got
married.
Pretty much all of Saras friends came to the wedding. But her Aunt Patti didnt make it.
Two days before the wedding, Saras mother and father flew to New York from London. Their flight
made it in on time.
Saras father was old-fashioned. He did not want Sara to live with Freddie before they got married.
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Freddie and Sara did not have a lot of money so they had a do-it-yourself wedding. Freddie and Sara
cooked all of the food and Saras mom made the wedding dress. It was a lot of work but it was worth
it.
Freddie and Sara got married at the beach. They were worried it was going to rain but the weather
cooperated.
After they got married, Saras father was happy because Freddie had made an honest woman of her.
*
Okay, so we just heard the story told as if it happened two years ago. Now were going to tell the story as if it
is happening in the future. So we will think of the story two years from now. Here we go.
*
Two years from now Freddie the fork and Sara the spoon will live together in New York. Freddie and
Sara will get married.
Pretty much all of Saras friends will come to the wedding. But her Aunt Patti will not make it.
Two days before the wedding, Saras mother and father are gonna fly to New York from London.
Their flight will make it in on time.
Saras father is going to be old-fashioned. He will not want Sara to live with Freddie before they get
married.
Freddie and Sara will not have a lot of money so theyll have a do-it-yourself wedding. Freddie and
Sara are going to cook all of the food and Saras mother is gonna make the wedding dress. Its gonna
be a lot of work but it will be worth it.
Freddie and Sara are going to get married at the beach. Theyll worry it is going to rain but the
weather will cooperate.
After getting married, Saras father is going to be happy because Freddie will have made an honest
woman of her.
*
Okay so thats the end of this version of the story, the version in which the story is in the future. Notice that
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instead of saying something like, they will worry we can shorten it by saying, theyll worry. This is more
like what we would say in spoken conversation, but in a text book youre more likely to see, "they will instead
of, theyll. You also probably notice that sometimes instead of saying, going to we might say, gonna
which is more like spoken English as well.
Alright, lets hear the story from Saras point of view now. So this will be the story as it would be told if Sara
was actually telling it. Here we go.
*
Freddie the fork and I live in New York. Freddie and I got married.
Pretty much all of my friends came to the wedding. But my Aunt Patti didnt make it.
Two days before the wedding, my mother and father flew to New York from London. Their flight made
it in on time.
My father was old-fashioned. He did not want me to live with Freddie before we got married.
Freddie and I did not have a lot of money so we had a do-it-yourself wedding. Freddie and I cooked
all of the food and my mother made the wedding dress. It was a lot of work but it was worth it.
Freddie and I got married at the beach. We were worried it was going to rain but the weather
cooperated.
After we got married, my father was happy because Freddie had made an honest woman of me.
*
Alright so that is the end of the point of view stories for the lesson The Wedding. Now its time to listen to
each version again. After you listen to one version then try to tell the story yourself. If you cant it's okay, just
relax, go back, listen to it again and then see if you can tell the story. You can listen to it as many times as
you need to until you feel comfortable. Just relax, take your time and learn the stories deeply. Okay, thats
all for now. See ya next time.
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The Wedding Vocabulary Lesson

Hi and welcome to the vocabulary lesson for the conversation The Wedding. In this conversation Joe is
speaking with one of our friends named Will. They are speaking about Wills wedding.
Okay, lets begin with the conversation.
*
Joe first says, Hey, Will, hows it goin?

Hows it going, or hows it goin. This is short for how is it going. So you wouldnt see hows it goin in written
English, but you would definitely hear hows it goin in conversational English. It also means how are you.
Will says, Hey, whats goin on?
Whats goin on. This is short for what is going on. And thats what you would see in written English, but in
conversational English you would hear whats goin on. It also means what are you doing.
Then Will says, Not a lot.
Now this is kind of funny. Because this would have been an answer that Joe would have given to Will when
Will said, hey Joe whats goin on. And then Will says not a lot. So really that would have been an answer
Joe would have said. Not a lot. But, for some reason, I dont really know why, Will says not a lot. Okay
moving along.
Then Joe says, Man, I dont, you know what, now that I see you right here...
Or now that I see you here.
I dont think Ive seen you in probably
Or in about.
like six weeks. And Will says, Yeah.
Just agreeing with Joe.
And Joe says, Where you been hidin?
Now, where you been hidin... The way that you would see this in written English would be where have you
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been hiding? But, Joe just speaking normal conversation, hes making it shorter. Where you been hidin?
And what this means is not its not really asking Will if hes been hiding from Joe. But its saying... Or Joe
is saying this like, I havent seen you in a long time. So if someone says where have you been hiding, theyre
just saying it when they havent seen that person in a long time. Where you been hidin. For example: I had
not seen my friend Susan in a long time. So when I saw her I said, Hey, where you been hiding?
And then Will answers, I dont know, long time no see though.
Long time no see. This means it has been a long time since we have seen each other. For example: I had
not seen my friend Susan in a long time. So when I saw her I said, Long time no see.
And Joe laughs and says, Yeah. Then Will says, How, how have you been?
So hes saying how have you been doing? How is everything?
And Joe says, Yeah, Im doin really well.
Doin, just being short for doing.
And Joe says, I, I dont th-...you know what, I havent seen you since your wedding.
Now a wedding. This is a marriage ceremony. Or its when two people get married.
And Will says, I know. I know, I want to, uh, I want to tell you all about it. I cant believe you didnt
make it.
You didnt make it. What Will is saying here is you were not able to be there. I cant believe you were not
able to be there. You didnt make it. An example of this would be: Its too bad you didnt make it to my party.
We all had a lot of fun. You didnt make it.
And Joe says, Yeah, you know what, I told you the only reason I didnt make it is because my uncle
was getting married back east.
What Joe is talking about here... Back east is the eastern side of America. So he has family that lives on the
eastern side of America. Thats where his uncle was getting married, in a state on the eastern side.
And Joe goes on to say, So, yknow, I was gone the entire week.
Or hes saying, I was gone the whole week. All of the week.
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And then Joe says, But I was super bummed about it.
Super bummed. This means to be very upset. So Joe is saying he was super bummed or he was very upset
to not make it to Wills wedding. Super bummed. For example: I was super bummed to miss your party. I
wish I could have gone. Super bummed.
And then Will says, Well you missed a good one.
So, a good one. Hes talking about his wedding. You missed a good wedding. You missed a good one.
And Joe says, Yeah, yeah, I know. I mean
Or Joe is saying, what Im trying to say is.
I was bummed that I couldnt be there with all our friends. And, yknow, Id never had a chance
Or Id never had an opportunity.
to meet Isabelles family. So, yknow, Im really bummed that I missed that, too.
Isabelle. This is Wills wife.
And Will says, Yeah, yeah, it was really nice having everybody out here from Spain.
When he says out here, hes talking about in San Francisco. So Isabelle, his wife, is from Spain. Her family,
or some of her family, came from Spain to San Francisco for the wedding.
And Joe says, Yeah.
So hes just agreeing with Will. Yeah being slang or casual or informal for yes.
And then Will says, And, we had a good time. And Joe says, How long had you, how long were
you and Isabelle together
Or dating, is what that means.
before you guys got married?
Now guys. A lot of times it means men or boys. But it can also mean a mix of men and women or boys and
girls. So what guys means here, what Joe is saying, how long had you and Isabelle been dating or been
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together before you guys got married Hes saying before you both, before you guys, before you both got
married.
And Will says, Two years. And then Joe says, Wow, oh my god...
Like, I dont believe it.
time flies.
Time flies. This means to be surprised about how much time has gone by. An example of time flies would
be: Time flies when you are having fun. Time flies.
And then Will says, Yeah.
And Joe says, I remember that, yknow, when she first, uh, answered the ad you had for a roommate,
so...
What Joe is talking about here is I remember, Will, when you put an advertisement in the newspaper needing
a roommate. Or needing someone to live with you to help pay the rent. I remember when you put this
advertisement in the newspaper. And then Isabelle saw the advertisement and called you.
And then Will just laughs. And Joe says, you guys broke the golden rule...
So what hes saying is you both, you guys, you both broke, or you ignored or didnt pay attention to the
golden rule. Golden rule. This means the most important thing about something. The golden rule. An
example of golden rule would be: Joe believes that the golden rule of life is to treat people as you would like
them to treat you. The golden rule.
And then Joe goes on to say, yknow, as far as roommates go, which is dont sleep with your
roommates when they move in.
Sleep with. This means to have sex with. Sleep with. So hes saying you broke this rule. This rule that
youre not supposed to have sex with your roommate or roommates when they move in.
And Will says, Thats right. And Joe just laughs and says, But its all worked out.
Its all worked out. This means it ended well. Its all worked out. For example: Even though I lost my job it
all worked out because I found another job. Its all worked out.
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And Will says, It was worth it. It was worth it this time.
It was worth it. What Will is saying is hes glad to have done something. Or you say this in general when you
are glad to have done something. It was worth it. For example: I did not enjoy going to school when I was
younger but it was worth it in the end because I learned a lot. It was worth it.
And then Joe says, Yeah, its all worked out. So Im glad
Or Im happy.
to see that, yknow. And Will says, Absolutely.
What he is saying here is definitely or for sure. Hes agreeing with Joe.
And Joe says, Yeah. So, uh, yknow, youll have to give me some details on...
Or what Joe is saying is youll have to tell me about.
yknow, I, I havent seen any of the pictures or anything, I dont, maybe you didnt get them back yet
from the photographer.
A photographer is a person who takes pictures.
And Will says, Well I cant wait to...
Or what he is saying is I would like to.
uh, show you the pictures, of course, but, uh, yeah, do you have a second?
So Will is asking, do you have some time? Do you have a second?
And then Will says, Ill tell you about the wedding. And Joe says, Yeah, yeah, totally.
And what Joe is saying here is, yes. Yes, sure... I do have time.
And then Joe says, I wanna hear about it.
Or I want to. Wanna is short for want to.
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And then Will says, Alright...
Or okay.
well, we had kind of a, uh, do-it-yourself wedding.
Do-it-yourself. This means doing something without paying others to help. So Will and Isabelle did
everything or most of the things themselves for the wedding, probably to save money. For example: They
had a do-it-yourself dinner party. They cooked all of the food themselves. Do-it-yourself.
And then Will goes on to say, We, um, got married at, uh, City Hall which was easy.
Now City Hall. This is a government building.
And then Will goes on to say, And then we had our real ceremony
Or our real wedding.
at Stern Grove.
Stern Grove is a place in San Francisco that has a lot of trees. Its really pretty there. So hes saying thats
where the real wedding was. The legal part or the government part was at City Hall, the government building.
But the real ceremony, the real wedding with our friends and family was at Stern Grove.
And then Will goes on to say, You know where that is? And Joe says, Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, right
on 19th.
So hes saying oh yes. Its on 19th Street.
And Will says, Here in San Francisco. And Joe says, Yeah. And Will says, Underneath the
redwood trees.
So there are a lot of redwood trees in Stern Grove. Redwood trees are actually... Theyre a reddish color
and they can get really big. So at this place, Stern Grove, theres a lot of these really big red looking trees.
And hes saying yeah, we got married underneath these redwood trees. Under the redwood trees.
And Joe says, Oh, it must have been beautiful. And Will says, It was very nice. And then Joe
says, Did the weather cooperate?
So what Joe is asking here is, was the weather nice? An example of did the weather cooperate would be:
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We hoped that the weather would cooperate for the party we planned to have in the park. We did not want it
to rain. Did the weather cooperate, or in this example, hoped that the weather would cooperate.
And then Will says, Actually we, uh, had a really beautiful day which is very unusual
Or hes saying its not common or not normal.
for summertime in, uh, San Francisco. And Joe says, Yeah.
Just agreeing with him.
And Will says, As you well know.
So Will is saying as you already know. You already know the weather is not good normally in the
summertime in San Francisco.
And Joe says, Totally.
So what Joe is saying is, yeah. I know. I know what youre saying. I agree with you.
And then Will says, We were planning on fog
Fog is just low clouds. San Francsico has a lot of fog in the summer as well as other times of the year, which
can make the weather cool or a little cold.
So Will says, We were planning on fog but we had really nice weather. And Joe says, Oh thats
great. So everyone made it in okay?
Made it in. What Joe is saying is, everyone arrived okay? An example would be: My parents' flight made it
in late. Made it in.
And Joe says, Because I know that, uh, her family had a long way to come.
Remember her family was coming from Spain.
And Will says, Yeah. They, uh, they all made it. Her mom and dad, uh, their friend, uh, her brother
and sister, of course, and, uh, her best friend from Spain came to represent all her, all her friends
Represent. What Will is saying here is that Isabelles best friend came from Spain and since her other friends
could not come, the best friend was coming for all of them. She was coming in their place. She was coming
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for all of the friends.
And then Will goes on to say, were gonna go there...
Gonna being short for going to.
were gonna go there, uh, soon and were gonna see her, uh, family and friends, yknow, th-, who
couldnt make it. But it was nice to have a group of her family and friends here in San Francisco for
the wedding. And Joe says, Oh thats great. How, what, where is she from in Spain? And Will
says, Um, shes from Bilbao. And Joe says, Oh yeah, yknow, she told me that before but I cant
say that, yknow, I could recall
Or I could remember.
the actual town cause Id never heard of it before.
Cause is short for because.
And then Will says, Yeah, its actually a very large city. Uh, its an industrial city.
Industrial meaning it has a lot of factories.
And then Will says, And its, uh, got uh, a new museum so its become more famous.
Or more well-known.
And then Will says, But, uh, its been there a long time. And its a big city. But its not one of the
most, um, uh, known cities in Spain perhaps...
Or hes saying its not one of the best known cities in Spain maybe.
And Joe says, Yeah.
Agreeing with him.
And then Will says, like Madrid and Barcelona.
Madrid and Barcelona. These are cities in Spain that are more famous or more known than Bilbao.
And then Joe says, Yeah. And Will says, So, uh, yeah. But they were all there and, uh, her
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brother, uh, read a medieval Spanish love poem...
Now medieval. This is a time period from long ago. So he read a Spanish love poem from a time long ago.
And then Will goes on to say, uh. And, uh, that was really nice. And, uh, parts of our wedding were
in Spanish, uh, for the people, um, you know our friends here who, uh, um, speak Spanish and also,
uh, yknow, for her friends and family from Spain, yeah. And then Joe says, Sure, yeah thats great.
I know that youve been trying to learn a lot of Spanish lately. And Will says, Yes I have, yes I
have...well, yknow, I learned a lot of Spanish when I was in Chile but Im learning a lot more with her
now. And Joe says, Oh thats great. Yeah, because the only way youre gonna really...
Gonna being short for going to.
the only way youre gonna really, uh, yknow, get more fluent in it is to use it pretty much every day.
So, get more fluent... This is just being able to speak better or to speak more in a language, in this situation,
Spanish. So get more fluent in it is to use it pretty much every day. Pretty much. Here pretty just means
very. Very much or almost every day. For example: I go to the park pretty much every Saturday. Pretty
much.
And then Will says, Absolutely. Yeah. And Joe says, So, uh, I bet her father was happy to see that
you made an honest woman of her.
Made an honest woman of her. What Joe is saying here is, Im sure her father was happy to see that you got
married to her. Made an honest woman of her. An example of this: Sara and Sam had been living together
for two years before they got married. So her dad was glad that he finally made an honest woman of her.
And then Will laughs and says, I guess, I guess so, yeah. And Joe says, I would imagine that, uh,
maybe her, was her family pretty traditional
So Joe is saying, was her family very traditional?
and old-fashioned?
Old-fashioned. This means ideas or things that are from a long time ago. Old-fashioned. For example:
Kims parents are old-fashioned. They think that a woman should not live with a man until she gets married.
Old-fashioned. Traditional also is basically the same as old-fashioned. Ideas or things from a long time ago.
And then Will says, Uh, no actually theyre more, um, uh, progressive in a way
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Progressive means able to change thoughts or ideas. So Will is saying yeah theyre more progressive in a
way.
than, uh, Americans are. Americans actually, it seems, uh, are more into the church wedding and
everything.
Into the church wedding. What Will is saying here is Americans want to have a wedding in a church. Theyre
into. They want. Into the church wedding.
And then Will goes on to say, We had a, uh, um, we had a very, uh, European wedding. Theyre not
as, uh, religious as people think. Americans are pretty religious.
Or hes saying Americans are very religious. Religious just means strong beliefs in a religion, a religion such
as Christianity. Christianity is a dominant or its probably the main religion in America.
And then Joe says, Thats true.
So hes saying youre correct. I agree with you.
And then Will says, Yes. So, uh, they, uh, they loved everything we did
So when he says they loved hes saying, they really liked everything we did.
And then Will says, and, uh, it was a really good time. Yeah. And Joe says, Thats great. And
Will says, Yeah, so, uh, I gotta run.
I gotta run. Now what Will is saying here is not really that he has to go and run somewhere. Hes saying I
have to go or I need to go now. So for example: I gotta run to the store to buy some bread. I need to go to
the store to buy some bread. I gotta run.
And then Joe says, Okay, well, uh, Will lets get together for drinks sometime soon...
Lets get together. Joe is saying lets meet for drinks sometime soon. For example: Karen and I are going to
get together for coffee tomorrow morning. Get together.
And then Joe says, its been too long. And Will says, Sounds good. And then Joe says,
Alright...
Or hes saying, okay.
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Ill talk to you soon. And then Will says, Alright, ciao.
Now ciao. This is an Italian word for goodbye. Ciao.
And then Joe says, Bye.
* * * * *
Okay, thats the end of the conversation and its the end of the vocabulary lesson for the conversation The
Wedding. So as always, make sure before you go on to the mini-story that you have a basic understanding
of the vocabulary. And then when you feel ready, listen to the mini-story next.
Alright. Take care. See you next time, goodbye.
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4. GRATEFUL DEAD
Grateful Dead Conversation

while I was out: when I
was not there
Joe: Hey, did Tim call while I was out?

Kristin: No, he didnt, why?
wanted to run by me:

wanted to tell me about
Joe: Well, he told me he had an idea he wanted to run by me. So, uh, I figured he
mightve called.
Kristin: What, whats the idea?
on the road: traveling

Grateful Dead: an
American rock and roll
band
Im all ears: I am
listening
look back on: to think
about something that has
happened
Joe: Uh, well, hes actually thinking about writing a book about, uh, the time he spent
on the road with the Grateful Dead.
Kristin: Oh, that would be a great topic for a book. You know, whenever you speak
to me about the Grateful Dead, Im all ears.
Joe: Yeah, I mean, I, when I look back on the years I spent following them around,
jeez, I, I followed em all over the place. But, I mean, that was some of the most fun
Ive ever had in my life I think.
Kristin: I can imagine.
Joe: I mean, yknow, first off, yknow, theyre my favorite band.
Kristin: Right.
drew (me) to the scene:

made me interested in
something
Joe: And, uh, second, the other thing that really drew me to the scene was the fact
that there was just this traveling, uh, group of people that followed them everywhere.
It was like, almost like a bazaar sort of
Kristin: Mm-huh
Joe: yknow
Kristin: mm-huh
subculture: small part of

a large group
cult: a group of people
who has strong beliefs
about something
Joe: and
Kristin: Well, its definitely a subculture of America.
Joe: Oh yeah, yeah, I mean some people even called it a cult [laugh] yknow
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5. GRANDMOTHER
Grandmother Conversation
Kristin: Hey, how's it goin? Im home.
Joe: Hey, yeah, Im in here.
Kristin: Oh. Okay.
Joe: How are you doin?
out and about: going
from place to place
Kristin: Pretty good.

Joe: Nice. Where you comin from?
The Mission: short for

The Mission District; a
neighborhood in San
Francisco
Kristin: I have just been out and about doin some shopping. I was, uh, here in The
Mission and then I went to Haight Street, just goin to some secondhand stores.
Haight Street: a street in

San Francisco
Joe: Oh, okay.
secondhand stores:
stores where used
clothing is sold
Kristin: One of my favorite things to do.

Joe: Yeah, cool.
Kristin: So who are you just ge-, gettin off the phone with?
Joe: Oh, I was speakin to my grandmother.
Kristin: Hows she doing?
feelin under the

weather: sick
alright: okay or good
Joe: Yeah, shes doin okay. She was actually feelin under the weather last week
but, uh, now shes alright.
have a cold: to be sick
Kristin: Oh, did she just have a cold or somethin?
somethin goin around:

people you know are sick
Joe: Yeah, she said that there was somethin goin around. Uh, my aunt had it
and my niece had it. So she might have caught it from one of them.
caught it: got sick
Kristin: Oh, okay.

Joe: Yeah. Yknow, speaking with my grandmother on the phone, sometimes I feel
like Im a little kid again
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Kristin: Yeah, why is that?
transported: taken
a stones throw away:
very close
Joe: I get like transported back to the time when we used to live close together
and, uh, yknow, and I was a kid. I mean my grandparents, when I was growin up,
they lived just like a stones throw away from us. Maybe like, I dont know, two
miles or somethin. So we used to
Kristin: Wow.
Joe: see them all the time.
Kristin: Yeah.
awesome: very good;

great
Joe: Yeah, it was awesome. I mean, yknow, when youre a kid one of your favorite
things is to see your grandparents.
Kristin: Yeah.
escape: to get away
Joe: Yknow, its like you get to escape the discipline of your parents for a little bit.
discipline: punishment
a little bit: a small
amount
Kristin: Right.
shower you with

attention: give you a lot
of attention
Joe: And, yknow, your grandparents, theyll always shower you with attention.
And, yknow, my grandmother would always, yknow, make us some sweets. And,
yknow, and she was just always like, uh, always really, uh, uh, happy to see us,
yknow?
sweets: cookies, cake,

candy
luxury: good opportunity
fortunate: lucky
Kristin: Uh-huh. Yeah, I never had the luxury of even, uh, being around one set of
grandparents. My dads parents died before I was born so I never even met them.
And then my, uh, moms parents, we lived close to them but not as close as, as you
to your grandparents. Id say it was like a twenty to thirty minute drive. And that was
only until I was eight, coz then we moved away from Michigan to Georgia. So then it
would be seein them once a year.
Joe: Yeah, I mean, my brothers and I were really fortunate to have both sets of
grandparents around.
Kristin: Yeah, you were.
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bummer: something that
is not good
around us: close to us
Joe: Uh, and, uh, I mean, my, my fathers parents moved down to Florida when we
were like eight years old. And, yknow, that, that was a bummer for us at the time,
uh. But at least my moms parents lived around us, yknow, until we were
teenagers
Kristin: Mm-hm.
Joe: and we moved to Pennsylvania.
Kristin: Mm-hm.
generations before us:

people in your family that
are older than you
Joe: But its uncommon these days. I mean the generations before us always had
their family right near them.
Kristin: Right.
block: part of a street
Joe: I mean, I hear these stories from my grandmother. She says that her entire
family lived in like one, yknow, on one block. And that wasnt uncommon. I mean, a
lot of the times they would, uh, the whole family would live in the same house.
Usually people didnt leave until they got married. And even if they did leave and get
married, they lived just down the block.
Kristin: Well, speaking of the same block That, that, uh, made me think of my
brother. My younger brother, when he was in high school, dated this girl and her
whole family lived on the same street. And I can remember thinkin how strange that
was.
Joe: Yeah, I mean, now it is.
Kristin: Yeah.
reminiscing:
remembering something
that happened in the past
Joe: But back then it wasnt at all.
church: a place to go to
pray
Joe: Yeah. Oh, when I was talkin to my grandmother, as we do a lot of the times, I
was reminiscing with her about when I was younger. And, yknow, um, yknow,
we. Not only did we live very close to my grandparents, we all went to the same
church. So, yknow, every Sunday afternoon wed see them at church and wed sit
near them. And, uh, then after church was over Id always like beg my parents to let
beg: to ask for

something you really
want
Kristin: Yeah, right.
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us go over to my grandparents house. And, yknow, wed go over there and eat
dinner. And Id watch baseball games with my grandfather. So that was always a lot
of fun, yknow.
Kristin: Uh-huh.
Joe: It was just, yknow, just spending time with them, yknow.
Kristin: Yeah, was it
Joe: We just had a great time.
Kristin: Was it like a big Sunday dinner?
amazing: great
Joe: Oh yeah, and my grandmother would cook a huge meal. And, my grandmother
was an amazing cook. She would always cook like some amazing Italian dinner
Kristin: Mmmmm.
Joe: and, yknow, we just loved goin over there for that reason as well.
Kristin: Oh, thats great.
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Grandmother Mini-Story Lesson

Hello and welcome to the mini-story lesson for the conversation Grandmother.
Lets get started with the story now.
*
Carlos never ate anything but sweets. He lived just a stones throw away from a bakery. There was
also an ice cream store one block from his house. His mother used to beg him to eat vegetables but
he would only eat sweets.
One day Carlos was out and about with his girlfriend Marta. First they went to a secondhand store.
Then they went to a restaurant. Marta ate a salad. Carlos ate seven pieces of cake and two bowls of
ice cream.
Later that day he started feeling under the weather. He thought that there was something going
around so he went to the doctor.
Getting sick is a bummer, he said.
You are sick because you only eat sweets, said the doctor.
Then the doctor told him that he must eat vegetables. So he started to eat vegetables every day.
His body got stronger and he never got sick again.
*
Okay, so thats our story. Now, as always, I will read the story again and this time I will ask you questions as
Im reading the story. Please answer the questions out loud. If you need a little more time then you can
pause your mp3 player, your iPod or your computer, and then you can play again when youre ready to
answer the question, or after youve answered the question. And, of course, if you do not feel like answering
the question out loud then you can just listen if you wish.
Okay, lets get started.
*
Carlos never ate anything but sweets.

Did Carlos ever eat anything other than sweets?
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No, he didnt. He never ate anything but sweets so he never ate anything other than sweets.
Did Carlos ever eat bananas?
No, Carlos did not ever eat bananas. Bananas are not sweets.
Did Carlos only eat sweets?
Yes, thats true. He never ate anything but sweets, which means he only ate sweets.
Did Carlos eat cake?
Yes, he probably did. When you say sweets you mean food that has a lot of sugar in it like cake and candy
and ice cream, things like that, so when you ask did Carlos eat cake, we can say yes, he probably did eat
cake.
Did Carlos eat candy?
Yes, he probably ate candy. When you say sweets, that includes candy.
Who only ate sweets? Did Carlos or Kenny only eat sweets?
Carlos, Carlos only ate sweets. Carlos never ate anything but sweets.
What did Carlos eat? Did he eat rice?
No, he didnt eat rice. Rice is not something you would call a sweet.
Did he eat bread?
No, again, bread is not something that you would consider something that is sweet.
Did he eat sweets?
Yes, he did. He ate sweets. He never ate anything but sweets.
Did Carlos eat cake and candy?
Yes, he did. Sweets includes cake and candy so you could say that Carlos ate cake and candy.
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He lived just a stones throw away from a bakery.

Did he live just a stones throw away from a bakery?
Yes, he did. He lived just a stones throw away from a bakery.
Did he live very close to a bakery?
Yes, yes, he did. He lived just a stones throw away. When you say something is a stones throw away, that
means that its very close. A stones throw away means very close to.
Did he live close to a place to buy cake and cookies?
Yes, yes, he did. He lived just a stones throw away from a bakery and you can buy cake and cookies at a
bakery, so he lived very close to a place to buy cake and cookies.
Who lived just a stones throw away from a bakery? Did Carlos or Charlie live just a stones throw away from
a bakery?
Carlos, Carlos lived just a stones throw away from a bakery.
Did Charlie live just a stones throw away from a bakery?
No, it wasnt Charlie.
Did Carlos live very close to a bakery?
Yes, Carlos lived very close to a bakery. He lived just a stones throw away from a bakery.
What did he live a stones throw away from? A bakery or a movie theatre?
A bakery, he lived just a stones throw away from a bakery.
Did he live close to a bakery?
Yes, he did. He lived just a stones throw away from a bakery, which is the same as saying he lived close to
a bakery. A stones throw away means close to, or very close to.
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There was also an ice cream store one block from his house.
Was there an ice cream store one block from his house?
Yes, there was. There was also an ice cream store one block from his house.
What was one block from his house? Was there a caf or an ice cream store one block from his house?
An ice cream store, there was an ice cream store one block from his house.
Was there an ice cream store one street from his house?
Yes, there was. There was an ice cream store one block from his house, which is the same thing as saying
there was an ice cream store one street from his house. A block refers to a street or even part of a street.
Where was the ice cream store? Was it one mile or one block from his house?
One block, it was one block from his house.
Was the ice cream store one street from his house?
Yes, it was. It was one block from his house, which is the same thing as saying it was one street from his
house.
Was the ice cream store one block from the library?
No, it wasnt one block from the library.
Was the ice cream store one block from his house?
Yes, it was. It was one block from his house.
Was the ice cream store one street from his house?
Yes, yes, it was. It was one block from his house, which is the same thing as saying it was one street from
his house. A block is the same thing as a street or a part of a street.
His mother used to beg him to eat vegetables
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Did his mother beg him to eat vegetables?
Yes, she did. She begged him to eat vegetables.
What did his mother used to do? Did she used to clean the kitchen or beg him to eat vegetables?
Beg him to eat vegetables, she used to beg him to eat vegetables.
Did she used to beg him to eat vegetables?
Yes, she did. She used to beg him to eat vegetables.
Did she used to ask him to eat vegetables?
Yes, thats true, if you beg someone that means you are asking him.
Did she really want him to eat vegetables?
Yes, she did. If you beg someone to do something that means you really want them to do something so his
mother used to beg him to eat vegetables, which means she used to ask him to eat vegetables because she
really wanted him to eat vegetables. To beg someone means to ask them to do something that you really
want them to do.
Who used to beg him? Did his sister or his mother used to beg him?
His mother, his mother used to beg him.
Who did his mother used to beg? Did she used to beg Carlos or Charlie?
Carlos, she used to beg Carlos.
What did she beg him to do? Did she beg him to take a shower or eat vegetables?
Eat vegetables, she begged him to eat vegetables.
What did his mother beg him to eat? Did she beg him to eat rice?
No, she didnt beg him to eat rice.
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Did his mother beg him to eat vegetables?
Yes, she did. His mother used to beg him to eat vegetables, which means she begged him to eat vegetables.
Did his mother ask him to eat vegetables?
Yes, she did. If she begged him that means that she asked him to eat vegetables.
Did his mother really want him to eat vegetables?
Yes, she did. She begged him, which means that she asked him to do something that she really wanted him
to do. She wanted him to eat vegetables so she begged him to do it.
but he would only eat sweets.

Would he only eat sweets?
Yes, he would only eat sweets.
Would he eat things that were not sweets?
No, he wouldnt. He would only eat sweets.
Would he eat carrots?
No, he would not eat carrots. You would not call carrots a sweet.
Would he eat chicken?
No, he wouldnt. Chicken is not a sweet.
Would he eat cake?
Yes, he would. Cake is a sweet, so he would eat cake.
Who would only eat sweets? Would Carlos only eat sweets?
Yes, thats correct, Carlos. Carlos would only eat sweets.
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Would Carlos eat candy?
Yes, he would. Candy is a sweet and he would only eat sweets so he would eat candy. He would also eat
cake but he would not eat chicken, he would not eat carrots, he would eat ice cream also, because thats a
sweet also.
One day Carlos was out and about with his girlfriend Marta.
Was Carlos out and about with his girlfriend Marta?
Yes, he was. He was out and about with his girlfriend Marta.
What was Carlos doing? Was he out and about with his girlfriend or watching television at home?
He was out and about with his girlfriend. He was not at home watching television.
Was he going from place to place with his girlfriend?
Yes, yes, he was. He was out and about with his girlfriend, which is the same thing as saying he was going
place to place with his girlfriend. When you are out and about, that means you are going place to place.
Who was out and about with his girlfriend? Was Carlos or Charlie out and about with his girlfriend?
Carlos, Carlos was out and about with his girlfriend.
Was Carlos going place to place with his girlfriend?
Yes, he was. He was out and about with his girlfriend, which means he was going place to place with his
girlfriend.
Who was Carlos out and about with? His girlfriend or his sister?
His girlfriend, he was out and about with his girlfriend.
What is Carlos girlfriends name? Is it Sara or Marta?
Marta, his girlfriends name is Marta.
Was Carlos out and about with Marta?
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Yes, thats true. Carlos was out and about with Marta.
Was Carlos going place to place with Marta?
Yes, yes, he was. He was out and about with Marta, which means he was going place to place with Marta.
Out and about means going place to place.
First they went to a secondhand store.

Did they go to a secondhand store?
Yes, they did. They went to a secondhand store.
What did they do? Did they drive to the beach or go to a secondhand store?
They went to a secondhand store. They didnt drive to the beach
Who went to a secondhand store? Did Carlos mom go to a secondhand store?
No, Carlos mom didnt go.
Did Carlos and Marta go to a secondhand store?
Yes, they did. Carlos and Marta went to a secondhand store.
Did Carlos and Marta go to a store that sells used clothing?
Yes, they did. They went to a secondhand store and a secondhand store is a store that sells used clothing.
Secondhand stores also sometimes sell other used items.
Where did they go? Did they go to the library or a secondhand store?
A secondhand store, they went to a secondhand store.
Did they go to a store that sells used clothing?
Yes, they did. They went to a secondhand store and a secondhand store sells used clothing. It also sells
other used items.
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Then they went to a restaurant.

Did they go to a restaurant?
Yes, yes, they did. They went to a restaurant.
What did they do?
They went to a restaurant.
Who went to a restaurant?
Carlos and Marta, Carlos and Marta went to a restaurant.
Did Carlos and Marta go to the beach?
No, they didnt go to the beach.
Where did they go? Did they go to a restaurant or a church?
A restaurant, they went to a restaurant.
Marta ate a salad.

Did Marta eat a salad?
Yes, she did. Marta ate a salad.
What did Marta do?
She ate a salad. Marta ate a salad.
Did she take a shower or eat a salad?
Eat a salad, she ate a salad.
Who ate a salad? Did Will Smith eat a salad?
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No, Will Smith did not eat a salad.
Did Marta eat a salad?
What did Marta eat? Did she eat a piece of bread?
No, she didnt eat a piece of bread.
Did she eat a salad?
Carlos ate seven pieces of cake and two bowls of ice cream.
Did Carlos eat seven pieces of cake and two bowls of ice cream?
Yes, he did. Carlos ate seven pieces of cake and two bowls of ice cream.
What did Carlos do?
Well, he ate. He ate seven pieces of cake and two bowls of ice cream.
Who ate? Did Carlos or his mother eat?
Carlos did. Carlos ate.
What did Carlos eat? Did he eat two bowls of soup?
No, he didnt eat two bowls of soup.
Did he eat seven pieces of cake?
Yes, he did. He ate seven pieces of cake.
Did he eat two bowls of ice cream?
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Yes, he also ate two bowls of ice cream.
How many pieces of cake did he eat? Did he eat seven or eleven?
Seven, he ate seven pieces of cake.
How many bowls of ice cream did he eat? Did he eat two or four?
Two, he ate two bowls of ice cream.
Did Carlos only eat sweets?
Yes, he did. He ate seven pieces of cake and two bowls of ice cream and both cake and ice cream are
sweets.
Did Carlos eat a lot of sweets?
Yes, he definitely ate a lot of sweets. Seven pieces of cake and two bowls of ice cream, I would say that that
is a lot of sweets.
Later that day he started feeling under the weather.

Did he start feeling under the weather later that day?
Yes, he did. Later that day he started feeling under the weather.
How did he feel later that day? Did he feel under the weather?
Yes, yes, he did. He started feeling under the weather.
Did he feel sick?
Yes, he did. He felt under the weather, which is the same thing as saying he felt sick. Feeling under the
weather means to be sick.
Who felt under the weather? Did Carlos or Marta feel under the weather?
Carlos, Carlos felt under the weather.
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Did Carlos feel sick?
Yes, he did. When youre feeling under the weather, that means that you are feeling sick.
When did he feel under the weather? Did he feel under the weather later that day or later that week?
Later that day, later that day he started feeling under the weather.
Did he feel sick later that day?
Yes, yes, he did. He was feeling under the weather which is the same thing as saying he was feeling sick.
He thought that there was something going around

Did he think that something was going around?
Yes, he did. He thought that there was something going around.
What did he think? Did he think that something was going around or that his brother was going to school?
He thought that something was going around.
Did he think that people he knew were sick?
Yes, thats correct. He thought that there was something going around, which is the same thing as saying he
thought that people he knew were sick. If you say something is going around, that means that the people you
know are sick or you know people who are sick.
Who thought that there was something going around? Did Carlos or Clint think that there was something
going around?
Carlos, Carlos thought that there was something going around.
Did Carlos think that there was something going around?
Yes, he did. Carlos thought that there was something going around.
Did Carlos think that people he knew were sick?
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Yes, Carlos thought that he knew people who were sick, which is the same thing as saying something was
going around. Something going around means that you know people who are sick.
so he went to the doctor.

Did he go to the doctor?
Yes, he did. He went to the doctor.
What did he do? Did he eat more cake or go to the doctor?
Go to the doctor, he went to the doctor.
Where did he go? Did he go to a football game?
No, he didnt go to a football game.
Did he go to Paris?
No, he didnt go to Paris.
Did he go to the doctor?
Yes, thats correct. He went to the doctor.
Getting sick is a bummer, he said.

Did he say that getting sick is a bummer?
Yes, he did. He said that getting sick is a bummer.
Did he say that getting sick is something that is not good?
Yes, yes, thats correct. He said that getting sick is a bummer, which is the same thing as saying getting sick
is something that is not good. A bummer is something that is not good.
Did he say that getting sick is bad?
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Yes, he did. He said that it is a bummer, which is the same thing as saying that getting sick is bad.
Who said, Getting sick is a bummer? Did Carlos or the doctor say that getting sick is a bummer?
Carlos did. Carlos said, Getting sick is a bummer.
What is a bummer? Is eating cake or getting sick a bummer?
Getting sick, getting sick is a bummer.
Does Carlos like getting sick?
No, he doesnt. He said, Getting sick is a bummer, which means he does not like getting sick.
Did the doctor say You are sick because you only eat sweets?
Yes, he did. The doctor said, You are sick because you only eat sweets.
Who was the doctor talking to? Was he talking to Carlos or Charlie?
Carlos, he was talking to Carlos.
Is Carlos sick because he only eats sweets?
Yes, he is. The doctor told him that he was sick because he only eats sweets.
Who was sick? Is Carlos mother sick?
No, its not Carlos mother.
Is Carlos sick?
Yes, Carlos is sick.
Why is Carlos sick? Is he sick because something is going around?
No, thats what he thought, but thats not why hes sick.
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Is he sick because people he knows are sick?
No, thats not why. Thats the same thing as asking if he is sick because something is going around, and hes
not sick because something is going around, so then hes not sick because he knows people who are sick.
Is he sick because he only eats sweets?
Yes, yes, thats correct. The doctor told him that he is sick because he only eats sweets.
Then the doctor told him that he must eat vegetables.

Did the doctor tell him that he must eat vegetables?
Yes, he did. The doctor told him that he must eat vegetables.
What did the doctor tell him? Did he tell him to exercise?
No, he didnt tell him to exercise.
Did he tell him that he must eat vegetables?
Yes, thats what he told him, he told him that he must eat vegetables.
Who told him that he must eat vegetables?
The doctor, the doctor told him that he must eat vegetables.
Did the doctor or Marta tell him that he must eat vegetables?
The doctor, the doctor told him that he must eat vegetables.
Who did the doctor tell? Did the doctor tell Carlos or Charlie?
Carlos, the doctor told Carlos.
What must he eat? Must he eat sweets or vegetables?
Vegetables, he must eat vegetables.
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Why did the doctor tell Carlos that he must eat vegetables?
Well, Carlos was sick because he only eats sweets, so the doctor wants him to eat vegetables.
So he started to eat vegetables every day.

Did he start to eat vegetables every day?
Yes, he did. He started to eat vegetables every day.
What did he start to do?
To eat vegetables every day.
Who started to eat vegetables every day? Did Carlos or the doctor start to eat vegetables every day?
Carlos, Carlos did. Carlos started to eat vegetables every day.
What did he start to eat? Did he start to eat sweets or vegetables every day?
Vegetables, he started to eat vegetables every day.
Did he start to eat bread every day?
No, not bread.
How often did he eat vegetables? Did he eat them only on Saturdays?
No, he ate them more often than that.
Did he eat them every day?
Yes, yes, he did. He ate them every day.
Why did he start to eat vegetables?
Well, he started to eat vegetables because the doctor told him that he must eat vegetables.
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His body got stronger and he never got sick again.
Did his body get stronger?
Yes, it did. His body got stronger.
Did his body get weaker?
No, it didnt get weaker.
Did he ever get sick again?
No, he didnt. He never got sick again.
Whose body got stronger? Did the doctors or Carlos body get stronger?
Carlos, Carlos body got stronger.
How many more times did he get sick?
Well, he never got sick again so you could say that he did not ever get sick again so zero times.
Who never got sick again? Did Carlos never get sick again?
Yes, thats correct. Carlos never got sick again.
Why did he never get sick again? Was it because he started to eat vegetables and his body got stronger?
Yes, thats why. His body got stronger and he never got sick again and his body got stronger because he
started to eat vegetables every day.
*
Okay, so that brings us to the end of our story, which means we are now at the end of the mini-story lesson
for the conversation Grandmother. Now, please tell the story all by yourself. You do not need to memorize
every word, but you should use the idioms and vocabulary words that we discussed. These are the ones we
discussed: sweet, beg, a stones throw away, block, out and about, secondhand stores, feeling
under the weather, something going around, and bummer. So now please tell the story on your own
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using these idioms and vocabulary words. And remember, if you need to listen to this lesson more times,
please do so. Listen to it as many times as you need to.
Okay, thanks a lot and well see you later.
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Grandmother POV Lesson

Hi. You are listening to the point of view stories for Grandmother. I'll be telling three different versions of
the story from the mini-story lesson Grandmother. Each story will either be told from a different point in time
or told by a different person. Alright, lets get started by telling the story as if it is happening right now, or in
the present.
*
Carlos never eats anything but sweets. He lives just a stones throw away from a bakery. There's
also an ice cream store one block from his house. His mother begs him to eat vegetables but he only
eats sweets.
One day Carlos is out and about with his girlfriend Marta. First they go to a secondhand store. Then
they go to a restaurant. Marta eats a salad. Carlos eats seven pieces of cake and two bowls of ice
cream.
Later that night he starts feeling under the weather. He thinks that there is something going around
so he goes to the doctor.
Getting sick is a bummer, he says.
You are sick because you only eat sweets, the doctor says.
Then the doctor tells him that he must eat vegetables. So he starts to eat vegetables every day.
His body gets stronger and he never gets sick again.
*
Okay, so that is the story told as if it is happening right now. Now lets hear the story as if it will happen in the
future. So we will think of the story happening, say, one year from now. Okay.
*
One year from now Carlosll never eat anything but sweets. Hes gonna live just a stones throw away
from a bakery. Therell also be an ice cream store one block from his house. His mother is gonna
beg him to eat vegetables but hell only eat sweets.
One day Carlos will be out and about with his girlfriend Marta. First theyll go to a secondhand store.
Then theyll go to a restaurant. Marta is gonna eat a salad. Carlos is gonna eat seven pieces of cake
and two bowls of ice cream.
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Later that day hes gonna start to feel under the weather. Hes gonna think that there is something
going around so hell go to the doctor.
Getting sick is a bummer, hell say.
You are sick because you only eat sweets, the doctorll say.
Then the doctors going to tell him that he must eat vegetables. So hes gonna start to eat vegetables
every day.
His body will get stronger and he will never get sick again.
*
Okay so thats the end of the story where we talk about the events that are going to happen, going to happen
in the future. Now lets hear the story from Carlos point of view. So in this version Carlos is actually the one
telling the story. Here goes.
*
I never ate anything but sweets. I lived just a stones throw away from a bakery. There was also an
ice cream store one block from my house. My mother used to beg me to eat vegetables but I would
only eat sweets.
One day I was out and about with my girlfriend Marta. First we went to a secondhand store. Then we
went to a restaurant. Marta ate a salad. I ate seven pieces of cake and two bowls of ice cream.
Later that day I started feeling under the weather. I thought that there was something going around
so I went to the doctor.
Getting sick is a bummer, I said.
Then the doctor told me that I must eat vegetables. So I started to eat vegetables every day.
My body got stronger and I never got sick again.
*
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Okay, that brings us to the end of the point of view stories for Grandmother. So now please go back and
listen to each of these stories many times. Listen to them until you really feel like you know them. After that,
then try to tell each story on your own. Take your time. Relax. Remember you want to learn things deeply.
When you learn things deeply then you are able to speak English effortlessly. Okay, thats all for now. See
ya next time.
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Grandmother Vocabulary Lesson

Hello and welcome to the vocabulary lesson for the conversation Grandmother. Now in this conversation
Joe has just gotten off the telephone with his grandmother. So hes just telling me about their conversation,
what they what they spoke about.
Okay, lets begin.
*
I first start off saying, Hey, how's it goin?

Now hows... This is short for how is. As Ive said in many, many lessons you wont see this really in written
English. Its more something that you would hear in conversational English. And goin is short for going.
Again, you wouldnt see this in written English but you would hear it in conversational English. Anytime
something is shortened, you wont really see that in written, formal English. But youll definitely hear people
when theyre speaking making something short, or shorter.
So I say, "Hey, hows it goin?"
What Im saying here is, hi, how are you doing?
And then I go on to say, Im home.
So Ive just come in the apartment. Ive just gotten home.
And Joe says, Hey, yeah, Im in here.
Yeah. This is slang or casual or informal for yes. And when he says, Im in here... Hes just telling me what
room of the apartment hes in. I think he was in the living room actually.
And then I say, Oh. Okay.
Now oh here. Thats just a filler. Its not really needed.
And then Joe says, How are you doin?
Doin, Doin is short for doing.
And I say, Pretty good.
Now pretty here means very good.
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And then Joe says, Nice. Where you comin from?
Comin. This is short for coming. What Joe is saying here is, where are you coming from?
And then I say, I have just been out and about doin some shopping.
Out and about. This means going from place to place. Out and about. For example: I was out and about
shopping downtown. Out and about.
And then I go on to say, I was, uh...
Uh is just filler here. Its not really needed.
And I go on to say, here in The Mission and then I went to Haight Street...
Now The Mission... This is short for the Mission District. The Mission District is just a neighborhood in San
Francisco. The Mission. For example: Joe and I live in The Mission. We live in the Mission District. The
Mission. And when I say that I went to Haight Street Haight Street is a street in San Francisco. For
example: I like to go to the bars on Haight Street. I really like the atmosphere of the bars on Haight Street.
And then I go on to say, just goin to some secondhand stores.
Just. In this situation, just is just filler. Its not really needed. Secondhand stores. Secondhand stores are
stores where used clothing is sold. Secondhand stores. I like to shop at secondhand stores because the
clothes are so cheap. Secondhand stores.
And then Joe says, Oh, okay. And I say, One of my favorite things to do.
So Im saying I really like shopping at secondhand stores. Its one of my favorite things to do.
And Joe says, Yeah, cool.
Cool meaning good.
And then I say, So who are you just ge-, gettin off the phone with?
Gettin is short for getting.
And Joe says, Oh, I was speakin to my grandmother.
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Speakin or talking to my grandmother. Speakin is short for speaking.
And then I say, Hows she doing? And Joe says, Yeah, shes doin okay. She was actually feelin
under the weather last week but, uh, now shes alright.
Actually is just filler here. Its not really needed. She was actually feeling under the weather. Feeling under
the weather. Now feelin is short for feeling. Feeling under the weather. That just means being sick. For
example: Ben was feeling under the weather. I could hear him coughing. Feeling under the weather. And
then when Joe says now shes alright. Alright just means okay or good. Alright.
And then I go on to say, Oh, did she just have a cold or somethin?
Have a cold. This means to be sick. Have a cold. For example: I do not like to leave the house when I have
a cold. Have a cold. And when I say somethin This is short for something.
And then Joe says, Yeah, she said that there was somethin goin around.
Something going around. This is when people you know are sick. Something going around. An example of
this would be: My mother told me that she and my father are both sick. She said that there must be
something going around.
And then Joe goes on to say, Uh, my aunt had it and my niece had it. So she might have caught it
from one of them.
Might have just means maybe. Now caught it... Caught it means got sick. Caught it. For example: David is
sick. I think that he caught it from his wife because she was sick last week. Caught it.
And then I say, Oh, okay. And Joe says, Yeah. Yknow...
Yknow is short for you know.
And Joe goes on to say, speaking with my grandmother on the phone, sometimes I feel like Im a
little kid again...
Or sometimes I feel like Im a child again.
And I say, Yeah, why is that? And Joe says, I get like
Like here is just filler. Its not really needed.
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So Joe says, I get like transported back
Transported means... Transported here means taken. I get transported back. I get taken back. For
example: When I was looking at old family pictures, it felt like I was transported back to when I was a child.
Transported.
And Joe goes on to say, transported back to the time when we used to live close together and, uh,
yknow, and I was a kid. I mean
Or hes saying, what Im trying to say is that...
my grandparents, when I was growin up...
Growin is short for growing. And growing up just means getting older.
And Joe goes on to say, they lived just like a stones throw away from us.
Now stones throw away... This means very close. A stones throw away. For example: Joe and I go to the
park a lot because its just a stones throw away from our apartment. Stones throw away.
And Joe goes on to say, Maybe like, I dont know, two miles or somethin. So we used to... And
then I say, Wow.
And Im just showing emotion such as, I cant believe it. I cant believe you lived so close to your
grandparents.
And Joe says, see them all the time.
So hes saying, so we used to see them all the time. Or we used to visit them all the time.
And I say, Yeah. And Joe says, Yeah, it was awesome.
Awesome means very good or great. Awesome. For example: Robbie is an awesome guitar player.
Awesome.
And Joe says, I mean, yknow, when youre a kid one of your favorite things is to see your
grandparents. And I say, Yeah.
Agreeing with Joe.
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And Joe says, Yknow, its like you get to escape the discipline of your parents for a little bit.
Escape. This means to get away from. Escape. For example: The prisoner escaped from jail. Escape.
And discipline... This means punishment. Discipline. For example: When I was a child my parents always
disciplined me whenever I did something wrong. Discipline, or in this example, disciplined. And when Joe
says a little bit... A little bit means a small amount. Here specifically it means a small amount of time. A little
bit. Lets say I want to go to a music festival but I have a lot of work to do. I might tell my friends, I can meet
you at the festival but I can only stay for a little bit. A little bit.
And then I say, Right.
Im just agreeing with Joe, saying, yeah. Youre correct. Thats right.
And then Joe says, And...
And here is filler. Its not really needed.
And Joe goes on to say, yknow, your grandparents, theyll always shower you with attention.
Shower you with attention. This means give you a lot of attention. Shower you with attention. For example:
My grandparents always showered me with attention. So shower you with attention, or in this example,
showered me with attention.
And Joe goes on to say, And, yknow, my grandmother would always, yknow, make us some
sweets.
Now sweets. This means food that has a lot of sugar like cookies, cake, candy, ice cream. Sweets. For
example: I really like to eat sweets even though I know its not very healthy. Or I know its not very good for
me. Sweets.
And Joe goes on to say, And, yknow she was just always like, uh, always really, uh, uh, happy to
see us, yknow?
So hes saying she was always... She was always very happy to see us.
And then I say, Uh-huh.
And Im just agreeing with Joe, saying, yeah, uh-huh.
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And then I say, Yeah, I never had the luxury of even...
Even here is just filler. Its not really needed. And luxury. This is a good opportunity. So Im saying, I never
had the good opportunity or the opportunity of...
uh, being around one set of grandparents.
One set of grandparents. What Im talking about here... Im speaking about my fathers parents. So my
fathers parents would be one set of grandparents. And then my mothers parents would be the other set of
grandparents.
And I go on to say, My dads parents died before I was born so I never even met them. And then my,
uh, moms parents, we lived close to them but not as close as, as you to your grandparents. Id say it
was like a twenty to thirty minute drive. And that was only until I was eight...
Or Im saying that was only until I was eight years old.
And I go on to say, 'coz
Coz is short for because.
coz then we moved away from Michigan to Georgia.
Michigan is a northern state in America. And Georgia is a southeastern state of America.
And I go on to say, So then it would be seein them once a year.
Seein is short for seeing. What Im saying here is, I would only visit them I would only visit my
grandparents one time a year after we moved from Michigan to Georgia.
And Joe says, Yeah, I mean, my brothers and I were really
Or we were very.
fortunate to have both sets of grandparents around.
Or hes saying to have both sets of grandparents living close by. Fortunate. Fortunate means lucky.
Fortunate. For example: I was fortunate to remember to take an umbrella with me because it rained today.
Fortunate.
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And then I say, Yeah, you were. And Joe says, Uh, and, uh, I mean, my, my fathers parents moved
down to Florida when we were like eight years old.
Now Florida... This is a southeastern state of America.
And Joe goes on to say, And, yknow, that, that was a bummer for us at the time...
Bummer. Bummer means something that is not good. Its kind of a slang word. Bummer. For example: Its
a bummer that San Francisco has so much fog fog being low clouds. Bummer.
And Joe goes on to say, uh. But at least
Or hes saying, but its good that...
my moms parents lived around us, yknow, until we were teenagers...
Around us. Around us means close to us. Around us. For example: When I was a child my grandparents
did not live around us. Around us. And when he says until we were teenagers... Until means up to the time
when we became teenagers. And teenagers... This word means anywhere from 13 years old to 19 years
old. So Joe actually moved away from his grandparents when he was about 13.
And then I say, Mm-hm.
And Joe says, and we moved to Pennsylvania.
So hes saying, my moms parents lived around us until we were teenagers and we moved to Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania is a state in the northeast the northeast of America.
Again just agreeing with Joe.
And Joe says, But its uncommon these days.
Or hes saying, its not normal or its unusual now.
And then he goes on to say, I mean the generations before us always had their family right near
them.
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Or they always had their family living close by or close to them. Generations before us. This means people
in your family that are older than you. Generations before us.
So Im basically just saying yes. Im agreeing with Joe again.
And then Joe says, I mean, I hear these stories from my grandmother. She says that her entire
family
Or hes saying, her whole family...
lived in like one, yknow, on one block.
Now block. This is a street or part of a street. Block. For example: My friend Kim lives eight blocks away
from my apartment. Block, or in this example, blocks.
And Joe goes on to say, And that wasnt uncommon.
Or that hes saying, that wasnt unusual.
And then he says, I mean, a lot of the times they would, uh, the whole family would live in the same
house. Usually
Or most of the time.
people didnt leave
Or hes saying people didnt move out of the house.
until they got married. And even if they did leave and get married, they lived just down the block.
Or hes saying they moved just down the block.
And then I say, Well, speaking of the same block... That, that, uh, made me think of my brother. My
younger brother, when he was in high school...
Now high school is a secondary school or school that prepares you for university.
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So Im saying when my brother was in high school, he dated this girl and her whole family lived on
the same street. And I can remember thinkin
Thinkin is short for thinking.
And I go on to say, how strange
Or Im saying how different.
that was. And then Joe says, Yeah, I mean, now it is. And I say, Yeah.
And Joe says, But back then it wasnt at all.
So hes saying, back when our grandparents were younger it wasnt strange or it wasnt different.
And then I say, Yeah, right.
Again, Im just agreeing with him.
And then Joe says, Yeah. Oh, when I was talkin
Talkin is short for talking.
when I was talkin to my grandmother, as we do a lot of the times, I was reminiscing with her about
when I was younger.
Now reminiscing. This means remembering something that happened in the past. Reminiscing. I can
remember the last time I saw my mother we were reminiscing about when I was a child. Reminiscing.
And Joe goes on to say, was reminiscing with her about when I was younger. And, yknow, um...
And um is just a filler word here. Its not really needed.
He says, yknow, we... Not only did we live very close to my grandparents, we all went to the same
church.
Now church. This is a place to go to pray. Mainly a place for Christians to go to pray. Church. An example
of church would be: When I was a child my family and I did not go to church. Church.
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And then Joe goes on to say, So, yknow, every Sunday afternoon wed see them at church and wed
sit near them.
Or wed sit close to them.
And, uh, then after church was over
Or when church was finished.
Id always like beg my parents to let us go over to my grandparents house.
Now beg. This means to ask for something you really want. Beg. For example: When I was 15 years old I
had to beg my parents to let me come home after 11:00 at night. Beg. When Joe says go over to my
grandparents house... Over in this situation is really just filler. Its not even really needed.
And then Joe goes on to say, And, yknow, wed go over there and eat dinner. And Id watch
baseball games with my grandfather. So that was always a lot of fun, yknow. And then I say, Uhhuh.
Just agreeing with him or saying, yeah, I understand.
And then Joe says, It was just, yknow, just spending time with them, yknow. And I say, Yeah,
was it... And then Joe says, We just had a great time. And then I say, Was it like a big Sunday
dinner? And Joe says, Oh yeah, and my grandmother would cook a huge meal.
Or hes saying, my grandmother would make a lot of food.
And he goes on to say, And, my grandmother was an amazing cook.
Now cook, here, means someone who prepares food for eating.
And then Joe goes on to say, She would always cook like some amazing Italian dinner...
Joes grandmother would make Italian food because his grandmother is actually Italian American. Now
amazing. When Joe says shes an amazing cook. Amazing means great. Amazing. For example: I had an
amazing time at the concert. Amazing.
And then I say, Mmmmm.
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And Im just making this noise because the thought of eating a dinner that Joes grandmother has made is
making me hungry because I know shes a good cook.
And then Joe says, and, yknow, we just loved
Or hes saying we really liked...
goin over there for that reason as well.
So when hes saying for that reason hes saying we really liked going over to my grandmothers for eating
dinner. And also for other things like just spending time with my grandmother and grandfather. And watching
baseball with my grandfather. When Joe says as well, at the end of the sentence... As well. Its just filler.
Its not really needed. You could take it away and the sentence would still make sense.
And then I finish the conversation by saying, Oh, thats great.
*
Okay, this is the end of the vocabulary lesson for the conversation Grandmother. So if you need to, go back
and listen to this as many times until you have a basic understanding of the vocabulary. And then when
you feel ready, move on to Joes mini-story.
Alright, see you next time. Bye bye.
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6. HITCHHIKING IN EUROPE
Hitchhiking In Europe Conversation

ran into: to unexpectedly
see someone
Joe: Hey, you know I ran into John today and hes gonna actually be doin some
travelin in Europe. Hes, uh, he says hes gonna spend a lot of time in Prague.
David: Oh, Pragues awesome. Ah . . . did I tell you I lived there?
get out of here: are you

serious?
Joe: No, get out of here. You never told me that.

David: Yeah, I lived in Prague about 15 years ago.
Joe: Oh, whoa, du-, what were you doing there?
end up: to go to a place

last
David: Well, I was traveling. I didnt actually know that I would end up in Prague. I
was just gonna do whatever came along.
Joe: Wait, whered you start out traveling?
David: I got a one way ticket to Amsterdam.
Joe: [laugh] Oh, nice.
chick: girl or woman

go out with: date
look her up: contact her
David: And one of the only people that I knew in Europe was this chick that I used to
go out with. So I figured Id look her up. I knew she had another boyfriend at that
point. But she said she could get me a place to stay and she was in Prague. So I
figured Id go there for a few weeks and see how it went.
Joe: She was from Prague? Or
David: No, she was American, but she was over there teaching English.
Joe: Oh, nice, nice.
David: Yeah.
sick of it: no longer

interested in it
hitching: hitchhiking;
traveling by getting a free
ride in a car with
someone you do not
know
Joe: So wait, how long did you spend in Amsterdam?

David: I only spent about four days in Amsterdam before I got kind of sick of it.
Joe: So you were just goin, you were just basically like, uh, travelin through.
David: Yeah, and then I started hitching.
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7. MOVING AS A CHILD
(PART 1)
Moving As A Child Part 1 Conversation
Kristin: Hey, I was on the phone with my mom earlier today. I had a nice long
conversation with her.
Joe: Oh, hows she doin?
by the way: in addition to
but less important
Kristin: Yeah, shes doin good. She said to tell you hello, by the way.
Joe: Oh, nice.
out of the blue: sudden

and unexpected
Kristin: Yeah, I thought this kind of came out of the blue. Id never heard it before.
But she was tellin me how my nephew moved.
Joe: Oh, he just moved?
Kristin: Yeah, um, they had been living in the city limits and now theyre living in the
county. So that means hes no longer gonna be going to the city schools. Hell be
going to a county school. Hes changed school districts.
traumatic: difficult and

upsetting
Joe: Oh, wow, that can actually be pretty traumatic to do something like that as a
kid. I mean
Kristin: Yeah, and theyve just started back to school. So Im wondering how hes
doing at a completely new schoolnew, new kids, everything being new.
educational standpoint:
describing education
settled in: adjusted or
used to
little league sports:
group of sports teams for
children
Joe: Well, at least he didnt have to move, like, mi-, in the middle of the school year.
I mean, that can be really difficult from an educational standpoint. And, yknow, its
really tough to get settled in. Yknow, especially when you do it mid-year, um
Kristin: Thats true. And although, yknow, hes still in the same area, hes close
enough to still be participating in the same, uh, little league sports. Like, I think hes
still gonna be on the same baseball team. So hell still see those same kids.
transition: change
Joe: Oh, thats good. Thatll make the transition easier.
fortunate: lucky
Kristin: Right.
army brats: children of

parents who are in the
military who usually move
a lot
Joe: Wow, eh- Man. Yknow what? That just made me remember the time when
I moved as a kid. Yknow, I was pretty fortunate. I only moved one time. And,
yknow, some kids have to move a lot. Like, I mean, like army brats, for example.
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Kristin: Yeah.
comes a point: comes a
time
teenager: a person
between 13 and 19 years
old
Joe: I mean, Ive had some friends whose parents were in the Army and they moved
a lot. But, yknow, I, I guess its easier when youre younger. But there comes a
point where, yknow, it gets really difficult. Like when youre a teenager. Like
Kristin: Oh, yeah, I, Ive
Joe: When I moved I was just about a teenager, so I know.
Kristin: Well, I, Ive only moved once, too, when I was a child and I was eight. And
that was pretty tough for me.
Pennsylvania: a state in
America
Joe: Yeah, well you cant imagine how difficult it must have been for me. I mean, I
moved from New York where I had lived my entire life. My whole family was there.
Uh, yknow, Id, I had never moved before so all my friends lived there. And then I
moved to Pennsylvania, rural Pennsylvania. I mean, it was a complete
rural: area where there is

a lot of farm land
Kristin: Oh gosh.
culture shock: feeling

uncomfortable when you
move to another place
and the people are
different than the place
you lived before
Joe: culture shock.
I bet: I agree
Kristin: Yeah, I bet.

Joe: And, yknow, whats worse is, uh, not only did it seem different to me, I seemed
totally different to all the kids there
Kristin: [laugh]
accent: the way it sounds

when someone speaks
Joe: because, I mean first off I had this really thick New York accent
Kristin: [laugh]
right off the bat: right

away; immediately
Joe: so right off the bat, yknow, they knew right away that I was not from there.
Kristin: [laugh] Right.
new kid on the block:

new to the area
Joe: Yknow, it was obvious I was the new kid on the block.
Kristin: Uh-huh.
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style: fashion
Joe: And I looked different also because the style in New York was much different
than it was in Pennsylvania.
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Moving As A Child Part 1 Mini-Story Lesson

Hello and welcome to the mini-story lesson for the conversation Moving As A Child Part 1.
*
Alex is twelve years old. He is an army brat. His dad joined the Army before he was born.
Alex and his parents had lived on the moon for two years. Then, out of the blue, they moved to
America.
Right off the bat, he hated it. The town they moved to was rural, so it was a culture shock after living
on the moon. Everyone at school knew he was the new kid on the block. He did not have any friends.
He really missed living on the moon.
After one month, Alex started to play little league sports. Then he made some friends. Soon he was
feeling settled in.
Now Alex really likes living in America and he does not miss living on the moon anymore.
*
Okay, so thats the end of the story. Now Im going to read the story again and this time I will ask you some
questions. You can answer the questions out loud and you can always pause your computer or iPod if you
feel like you need a little more time to think before you answer the questions and if you just feel like listening
and not answering the questions, well thats fine as well.
Okay lets get started.
*
Alex is twelve years old.

How old is Alex?
Twelve years old, Alex is twelve years old.
Who is twelve years old?
Alex, Alex is twelve years old.
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Is Alex or Andy twelve years old?
Alex is. Alex is twelve years old.
How many years old is Alex? Is he twelve or fifteen years old?
Twelve, Alex is twelve years old.
He is an army brat.
What is he?
An army brat, he is an army brat.
Is he an army brat or a plumber?
An army brat, he is an army brat.
Who is an army brat? Is Alex an army brat?
Yes, he is. Alex is an army brat.
Are his parents in the military?
Yes, yes, they are. He is an army brat which means that his parents are in the military and by the military; we
mean the Army, or the Navy, or the Air Force, or the Marines.
Does his family move a lot because they are in the military?
Yes, they do. He is an army brat and to be an army brat means that your parents are in the military and you
move around a lot and that you are a child or that you are younger, lets say. So when we say he is an army
brat that means he has parents who are in the military and that they move around a lot as a result of them
being in the military.
His dad joined the Army before he was born.

Did his dad join the Army before he was born?
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Yes, he did. His dad joined the Army before he was born.
What did his dad do?
He joined the Army, his dad joined the Army.
Did his dad join the Army or go to college?
He joined the Army. His dad joined the Army.
Who joined the Army?
His dad, his dad joined the Army.
Did Alex join the Army?
No, Alex didnt join the Army; hes only twelve years old. He cant join the Army yet.
Did his dad join the Army?
Yes, he did. His dad joined the Army.
Whose dad joined the Army?
Alexs, Alexs dad joined the Army.
Did Alexs dad or Alexs mom join the Army?
His dad, his dad joined the Army.
What did his dad join? Did he join the Navy or the Army?
The Army, he joined the Army.
When did he join the Army?
Well, he did it before Alex was born. He joined the Army before Alex was born.
Did he join the Army last week?
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No, not last week, he joined it before Alex was born.
Did he join the Army before Alex was born?
Yes, he did. He joined the Army before Alex was born.
Alex and his parents had lived on the moon for two years.
Had Alex and his parents lived on the moon for two years?
Yes, yes, they did. Alex and his parents had lived on the moon for two years.
Who had lived on the moon? Had Alexs grandmother lived on the moon?
No, it wasnt Alexs grandmother.
Had Alex lived on the moon?
Yes, he had. Alex had lived on the moon.
Had Alexs father lived on the moon?
Yes, he had, too.
Had Alexs mother lived on the moon?
Yes, she did. Alex and his parents had lived on the moon, so his mother had lived on the moon, his father
had lived on the moon and Alex as well had lived on the moon.
Where had they lived?
On they moon; they had lived on the moon.
Had they lived on a farm?
No, not a farm.
Had they lived on the moon?
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Yes, they had lived on the moon.
How long had they lived on the moon?
Two years, they had lived on the moon for two years.
Had they lived on the moon two years or eleven days?
Two years, they had lived on the moon for two years.
Had they lived on the moon for two or seven years?
Two, they had lived on the moon for two years.
Had Alex and his parents lived on the moon for two years?
Yes, they had. Alex and his parents had lived on the moon for two years.
Then, out of the blue, they moved to America.

Did they move to America out of the blue?
Yes, they did. Out of the blue, they moved to America.
Did they move to America suddenly?
Yes, they moved to America out of the blue, which means that they moved to America suddenly.
Did they move to America unexpectedly?
Yes, yes, they did. They moved to America out of the blue and out of the blue means suddenly and
unexpectedly.
Did they expect to move to America?
No, no, they did not. It was out of the blue, which means they did not expect to move.
Who moved to America?
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Alex and his parents, Alex and his parents moved to America.
Did Alex and his parents move to America out of the blue?
Yes, they did. They moved to America out of the blue.
Did Alex and his parents move to America suddenly and unexpectedly?
Yes, they moved to America out of the blue, which is the same as saying they moved to America suddenly
and unexpectedly. Out of the blue means suddenly and unexpectedly.
Where did they move?
To America, they moved to America.
Did they move to France?
No, they didnt move to France.
Did they move to America?
Yes, they did. They moved to America.
Did they move to America out of the blue?
Yes, yes, they did. They moved to America out of the blue. They moved to America suddenly and
unexpectedly.
Right off the bat, he hated it.

Did he hate it right off the bat?
Yes, he did. He hated it right off the bat.
Did he hate it right away?
Yes, yes, he did. He hated it right off the bat, which is the same thing as saying he hated it right away. Right
off the bat means right away.
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Did he hate it immediately?
Yes, he did. He hated it right off the bat, which is the same as saying he hated it immediately. Right off the
bat means right away or immediately.
Who hated it?
Alex, Alex hated it.
Did Alex or Andy hate it right off the bat?
Alex, Alex hated it right off the bat.
Did Alex hate it immediately?
Yes, he did. He hated it right off the bat, which is the same as saying he hated it immediately.
What did he hate? Did he hate living in America or flying to the moon?
Living in America, he hated living in America.
Did Alex hate living in America right off the bat?
Yes, he did. Right off the bat, he hated it. He hated living in America right off the bat.
Did Alex hate living in America right away?
Yes, he did. He hated it right off the bat, which is the same as saying he hated it right away.
The town they moved to was rural,

Did they move to a town that was rural?
Yes, yes, they did. They moved to a town that was rural.
What was rural?
Well, the town they moved to. They town they moved to was rural.
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Was the town that they moved to rural?
Yes, yes, it was. The town that they moved to was rural.
Did the town that they moved to have a lot of farmland?
Yes, it did. It was rural, which is the same thing as saying it had a lot of farmland. Rural means it had a lot of
farmland.
Did they move to a city?
No, they didnt move to a city. A city doesnt have a lot of farmland. A city is not rural.
What was rural? Was New York rural?
No, New York is definitely not rural, it is a big city.
Was the town that they moved to rural?
Yes, it was. The town that they moved to was rural.
Did the town that they moved to have a lot of farmland?
Yes, it did. The town that they moved to was rural, which is the same thing as saying the town that they
moved to had a lot of farmland. Rural means it has a lot of farmland.
so it was a culture shock after living on the moon.

Was it a culture shock?
Yes, it was. It was a culture shock.
Was it uncomfortable?
Yes, yes, it was uncomfortable for them. It was a culture shock, which means that it was not comfortable.
Was it a culture shock for him because the people were different than the people who live on the moon?
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Yes, yes, it was. It was a culture shock, which means that it was uncomfortable when he went to another
place because the people were different than the people from where he came from, which was the moon. So
it was a culture shock, it was uncomfortable for him because the people were different than the people that he
used to know on the moon.
What was a culture shock? Was living in a rural town a culture shock?
Yes, yes, it was. Living in a rural town was a culture shock and probably living in America was a culture
shock after living on the moon.
Did living in a rural town make them feel uncomfortable?
Yes, it did. It was a culture shock which means that they were uncomfortable.
Did living in a town that had a lot of farmland make them feel uncomfortable?
Well, they said that they moved to a rural town so it was like a culture shock. So they were uncomfortable
living in a rural area and a rural area has a lot of farmland, so living in a town that had a lot of farmland made
them feel uncomfortable or made them feel like it was culture shock.
Everyone at school knew he was the new kid on the block.

Did everyone at school know that he was the new kid on the block?
Yes, they did. Everyone at school knew that he was the new kid on the block.
Did everyone at school know that he was new to the area?
Yes, thats correct. They knew that he was the new kind on the block which means that they knew he was
new to the area or he was new to the school. When youre the new kid on the block, that means that you are
new and you have not been there before. So he was new to the area or he was new to the school. He was
the new kid on the block.
What did everyone at school know?
Well, they knew that he was the new kid on the block.
Who knew?
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Everyone at school, everyone at school knew.
Who was the new kid on the block?
Alex, Alex was the new kid on the block.
Was Alex the new kid on the block?
Yes, yes, he was. Alex was the new kid on the block.
Was Alex new to the school?
Yes, he was. He was the new kid on the block. He was new to the school, being the new kid on the block
means that you are new to the area or, in this case, new to the school.
Did only some people at school know that Alex was the new kid on the block?
No, everyone knew, not just some people. Everyone at school knew that he was the new kid on the block.
He did not have any friends.

Did he have any friends?
No, no, he didnt. He did not have any friends.
How many friends did he have?
Well, he did not have any friends, so that means he had zero friends, he had none.
Who did not have any friends?
Alex, Alex did not have any friends.
Did he not have any friends or not have a bicycle?
Friends, he did not have any friends.
Did Alex have any friends?
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No, no, he did not. He did not have any friends.

Did he really miss living on the moon?
Yes, he did. He really missed living on the moon.
Who really missed living on the moon?
Alex, Alex really missed living on the moon.
Did Alex or his mother really miss living on the moon?
Alex, Alex really missed living on the moon.
What did he miss?
Well, he missed living on the moon.
Did he miss his grandmother or living on the moon?
Living on the moon, he missed living on the moon.
Where did he miss living, on the moon or on a farm?
On the moon, he missed living on the moon.
After one month, Alex started to play little league sports.

Did Alex start to play little league sports?
Yes, he did. Alex started to play little league sports.
What did Alex start to do?
To play little league sports, he started to play little league sports.
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Did he start to ride his bicycle or start to play little league sports?
Play little league sports, he started to play little league sports.
Did he start to play sports on a team with other children?
Yes, yes, he did. He started to play little league sports, which is the same thing as saying he started to play
sports on a team with other children. little league sports are a group of sports teams for children.
Who started to play little league sports?
Alex, Alex started to play little league sports.
When did he start to play little league sports?
After one month. After one month, Alex started to play little league sports.
Did he start to play after one year or one month?
One month, after one month.
After how many months did he start to play?
One, after one month.
Did he start to play little league sports after one or three months?
One, after one month.
Did he start to play sports on a team with other children after one month?
Yes, he did. After one month, he started to play little league sports and little league sports are a group of
sports teams for children, so he started to play sports on a team with other children after one month.
Then he made some friends.

Did he make some friends?
Yes, he did. He made some friends.
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What did he do?
He made some friends.
Did he ride his bicycle or make some friends?
Make some friends, he made some friends.
Who made some friends?
Alex, Alex made some friends.
Did Alex or his mother make some friends?
Alex did. Alex made some friends.
Did Alex make a cake or make some friends?
He made some friends. Alex made some friends.
Soon he was feeling settled in.

How was he feeling?
Settled in, soon he was feeling settled in.
Was he feeling settled in?
Yes, he was. He was feeling settled in.
Was he feeling adjusted to living there?
Yes, yes, he was. He was feeling settled in, which is the same thing as saying he was feeling adjusted to
living there, settled in means being adjusted to.
Was he feeling uncomfortable living there?
No, he was feeling settled in. Settled in does not mean uncomfortable.
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Who was feeling settled in?
Alex, Alex was feeling settled in.
Was Alex or Andy feeling settled in?
Alex, Alex was feeling settled in.
Was Alex feeling used to living there?
Yes, yes, he was. He was feeling settled in, which means he was feeling used to living there or he had felt
adjusted to living there, settled in means being used to or being adjusted to.
Now Alex really likes living in America

Does Alex really like living in America?
Yes, yes, he does. He really likes living in America.
Does Alex hate living in America?
No, he doesnt hate it. He really likes it.
Who really likes living in America?
Alex, Alex really likes living in America.
Does Alex like living in America just a little?
No, he really likes living in America, which means he likes it a lot.
Does Alex like living in America a lot?
Yes, he does. He really likes living in America. He likes it a lot.
Where does Alex really like to live?
In America, he really likes living in America.
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Does Alex really like to live in Paris?
No, not Paris.
Does Alex really like to live in America?
Yes, he does. Alex really likes living in America. He really likes to live in America.
and he does not miss living on the moon anymore.

Does he miss living on the moon?
No, he does not miss living on the moon anymore.
Who doesnt miss living on the moon?
Alex, Alex does not miss living on the moon.
What does he not miss?
Living on the moon, he does not miss living on the moon.
Does Alex still wish he lived on the moon?
No, no, he doesnt. He doesnt miss it anymore.
Why doesnt Alex miss living on the moon?
Well, because he really likes living in America now so he no longer misses living on the moon.
*
Okay, so weve come to the end of our story and that means we are now at the end of the mini-story lesson
for the conversation Moving As A Child Part 1. Now it is your turn to tell the story by yourself. Remember
you do not need to memorize every word. But you should use the idioms and the vocabulary words that we
went over in the story. So those are: army brat, out of the blue, right off the bat, rural, culture shock,
new kind on the block, little league sports, and settled in. Now remember, you can listen to this lesson
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as many times as you need to in order to feel that you know the idioms and the vocabulary words well
enough. So now please tell the story by yourself.
Thanks a lot. Well see you next time.
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Moving As A Child Part 1 POV Lesson

Hi. Welcome to the point of view stories for Moving As A Child Part 1. Today we are going to hear four
different versions of the story from the mini-story lesson Moving As A Child Part 1. Each time I tell the story
I'm going to change the time in which the story is being told or Im gonna change the person who is telling the
story. So lets start by telling the story as if it's happening right now, or in the present. Okay, here we go.
*
Alex is twelve years old. He is an army brat. His dad joins the Army before he is born.
Alex and his parents live on the moon for two years. Then, out of the blue, they move to America.
Right off the bat, he hates it. The town they move to is rural, so it is a culture shock after living on the
moon. Everyone at school knows he is the new kid on the block. He does not have any friends. He
really misses living on the moon.
After one month, Alex starts to play little league sports. Then he makes some friends. Soon he is
feeling settled in.
Now Alex really likes living in America and he does not miss living on the moon anymore.
*
Okay, so thats the end of the story being told as if it is happening right now. Next lets hear the story as if it
happened last year.
*
Last year, Alex was twelve years old. He was an army brat. His dad joined the Army before he was
born.
Alex and his parents lived on the moon for two years. Then, out of the blue, they moved to America.
Right off the bat, he hated it. The town they moved to was rural, so it was a culture shock after living
on the moon. Everyone at school knew he was the new kid on the block. He did not have any friends.
After one month, Alex started to play little league sports. Then he made some friends. Soon he felt
settled in.
Alex really liked living in America and he did not miss living on the moon anymore.
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*
Okay, so that is the story as if it is happening in the past; as if it has already happened. Now lets hear the
story as if it is happening in the future. So we will think of the story happening four years from now or, say, in
four years. Okay, here we go.
*
In four years Alexll be twelve years old. Hell be an army brat. His dad will join the Army.
Alex and his parents are gonna live on the moon for two years. Then, out of the blue, theyll move to
America.
Right off the bat, hell hate it. The town they move to will be rural, so itll be a culture shock after
living on the moon. Everyone at school is going to know he is the new kid on the block. He wont
have any friends. He is really going to miss living on the moon.
After one month, Alex is going to start to play little league sports. Then hes gonna make some
friends. Soon hell be feeling settled in.
Then Alex will really like living in America and he wont miss living on the moon anymore.
*
Okay so thats the end of this version of the story, where we have the events take place four years from now.
Notice that instead of saying something like, he will not miss we shorten it by saying, he wont miss. Wont
is really the same thing as will not. It's probably more likely to be heard in spoken English than to be seen in
written English.
Alright now lets hear the story from Alexs point of view. So in this version Alex is going to be telling the
story. Here we go.
*
I am twelve years old. I am an army brat. My dad joined the Army before I was born.
My parents and I lived on the moon for two years. Then, out of the blue, we moved to America.
Right off the bat, I hated it. The town we moved to is rural, so it is a culture shock after living on the
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moon. Everyone at school knows that I am the new kid on the block. I do not have any friends. I
really miss living on the moon.
After one month, I started to play little league sports. Then I made some friends. Soon I was feeling
settled in.
Now I really like living in America and I do not miss living on the moon anymore.
*
Alright so that is the end of the point of view stories for the lesson Moving As A Child Part 1. Now please go
back and listen to each version of the story again. Then when you feel like you understand one of the stories
go back and tell that story on your own. Do this for each of the stories. And if youre having a little trouble,
dont worry, just relax. Take your time. And then when youre able to tell each of the stories on your own
then go to the next lesson. Okay, thanks and well see you next time.
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Moving As A Child Part 1 Vocabulary Lesson

Hello. Welcome back. This is the vocabulary lesson for the conversation Moving As A Child Part 1. This is
a two part conversation. Now in this first conversation, I am talking with Joe about my nephew moving. Then
Joe and I start talking about how we each moved when we were younger.
*
I start out by saying, Hey...

Hey is just Im just trying to get Joes attention here.
So I say, Hey, I was on the phone with my mom earlier today. I had a nice long conversation with
her. And Joe says, Oh, hows she doin?
Now oh here This is just filler. Its not really needed. You could take it away from the sentence and the
sentence would still make sense. Hows she doin. Hows is short for how is. And doin is short for doing.
Now as I say in every lesson, you will hear words that are shortened and you wont really see these
shortened words in written English. Youll definitely hear them though in conversational English.
Okay, moving along And then I say, Yeah...
Yeah is just slang or informal or casual for yes.
And I go on to say, shes doin good. And then I say, She said to tell you hello, by the way.
Now by the way This means in addition to but its less important. Its not as important as what I had been
talking about. By the way. An example of this would be if Lets say Joe and I were talking about a trip that
were going to be taking to Africa at the end of the year. So were talking about this trip to Africa. And then I
say, Oh, by the way, Im going to eat dinner with AJ tonight. Thats an example of by the way.
Okay and then getting back to the conversation Joe says, Oh, nice. And then I say, Yeah, I
thought this kind of came out of the blue.
Kind of is just filler here. Its not really needed. Out of the blue. Out of the blue means sudden and
unexpected. Out of the blue. For example: Out of the blue, my mother told me today that my cousin just had
a baby. I didnt even know that she was pregnant. Out of the blue.
And I go on to say, Id never heard it before. But she was tellin me how my nephew moved.
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Tellin. This is short for telling.
And then Joe says, Oh, he just moved?
Now just This is really filler here. You could take it away and this sentence would still make sense.
And I say, Yeah, um...
Um is just filler.
And I go on to say, they had been living in the city limits
Or I am saying they had been living inside the city.
And then I say, and now theyre living in the county.
Now a county This is a large area that has a city or cities within it. For example: You have a city or cities
and then you have a county that has the city or cities within it. And then a state has counties in it, within it.
And I go on to say, So that means hes no longer gonna be going to the city schools.
Now gonna This is just slang for going to.
And I go on to say, Hell be going to a county school. Hes changed school districts.
Or hes changed schools. So basically what Im saying here is my nephew has been living in a city called
Gainesville. Its in the state of Georgia. And he and his family have moved out from out of the city, moved
into the county. So hes changing schools. He wont be going to a Gainesville city school anymore. Hell be
going to a school thats in the county, in the area thats outside of the city.
And then Joe says, Oh, wow...
Now here hes just showing emotion such as, wow, I feel sorry for him.
And Joe goes on to say, that can actually be pretty traumatic
Now actually is just filler here. Its not really needed. And pretty here is very, very traumatic. Traumatic.
This means something that is difficult and upsetting. Traumatic. For example: When Kim was a child, she
was in the car when her mother crashed the car. It was a traumatic experience. Traumatic.
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Okay so getting back to the conversation Joe is saying, can actually be pretty traumatic to do
something like that as a kid.
To do something such as that as a kid, or child.
And Joe says, I mean...
So Joe is starting to say, what Im trying to say...
And then I say, Yeah, and theyve just started back to school.
So Im saying, theyve just started the new school year.
And then I say, So Im wondering
Or Im saying, Ive been thinking about him.
And I go on to say, how hes doing at a completely new school...new, new kids, everything being
new. And Joe says, Well...
Well is just filler here. Its not really needed.
Joe says, at least
Or hes saying, its good.
he didnt have to move, like, mi-, in the middle of the school year. I mean, that can be really
difficult
Or that can be very difficult.
from an educational standpoint.
Now educational standpoint This is describing education. For example: When I was a child and my family
moved, we moved to an area that had much better schools. So I would say that moving was good from an
educational standpoint. Educational standpoint.
And Joe goes on to say, And, yknow...
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And Joe says, its really tough
Or hes saying, its very difficult.
to get settled in.
Settled in. This means adjusted or used to. Settled in. For example: I can remember the flight to Thailand
being twenty hours long. It was so long. Because it was so long it took me a day to get settled in. Settled in.
And then Joe goes on to say, Yknow, especially
Or hes saying most importantly.
when you do it mid-year, um...
Now mid-year This means in the middle of the year.
And then I say, Thats true. And although...
Or Im saying even though.
yknow, hes still in the same area, hes close enough to still be participating in
Or hes close enough to be still playing in.
the same, uh, little league sports.
Now uh is just filler. Its not really needed. Little league sports. This is a group of sports teams for children.
Little league sports. An example of little league sports would be: Joe played little league sports when he was
a child. He loved to play baseball. Little league sports.
And then I go on to say, Like...
And like is just filler here.
Like, I think hes still gonna be on the same baseball team. So hell still see those same kids.
Or hell still be around those same kinds.
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And Joe says, Oh, thats good. Thatll make the transition easier.
Transition. This is change. Transition. For example: When Joe moved at the age of twelve it was a difficult
transition. He missed his friends in New York. Transition.
So Im just saying, yes. Im agreeing with Joe.
And then Joe says, Wow, eh- Man.
Now, hes just showing emotion here.
And Joe goes on to say, Yknow what? That just made me remember the time when I moved as a
kid. Yknow, I was pretty fortunate.
Fortunate. This means lucky. Fortunate. An example of fortunate is: Harry is very fortunate. One day he
was walking home from work and he found $100. Fortunate.
And then Joe goes on to say, I only moved one time. And, yknow, some kids have to move a lot.
Like, I mean, like army brats, for example.
Army brats. These are children of parents who are in the military who usually move a lot. Now military
The military is the Army, or the Navy, or the Air Force, or the Marines. Thats what military is or means. An
example of army brats would be: When I was younger I knew a girl named Katie. She was an army brat.
Her family moved five times in six years. Army brat, or in this example army brats. And continuing with the
conversation.
I then say, Yeah.
And then Joe says, I mean, Ive had some friends whose parents were in the Army and they moved a
lot. But, yknow, I, I guess its easier when youre younger. But there comes a point where...
Now comes a point... This means comes a time. There comes a time. For example: There comes a point
when most Americans leave their parents home or homes, to go to college, to start working or to start a
family. Comes a point.
And Joe goes on to say, yknow, it gets really difficult. Like when youre a teenager. Like...
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Now teenager This is a person between thirteen and nineteen years old. Teenager. An example of
teenager would be: In America teenagers are not allowed to drink alcohol. You have to be twenty-one years
old. Teenager.
And then I say, Oh, yeah, I, Ive... And Joe says, When I moved I was just about a teenager, so I
know.
So Joe is saying I was just about a teenager. I was almost a teenager.
And then I say, Well, I, Ive only moved once, too...
Or Im saying Ive only moved once also.
And I go on to say, when I was a child and I was eight.
So Im saying I was eight years old.
And I go on to say, And that was pretty tough for me. And Joe says, Yeah, well you cant
imagine
Or hes saying you cant even think.
how difficult it must have been for me. I mean, I moved from New York where I had lived my entire
life.
Or hes saying I had lived my whole life.
And then he says, My whole family was there.
Now what hes talking about is his grandparents, his aunts, his uncles, his cousins. So that would be his
extended family. His immediate family would be his mother, his father, his brothers, his sisters. So hes
saying his whole family was there his whole extended family, his grandparents, his aunts, his uncles, his
cousins.
And then Joe goes on to say, Uh, yknow, Id, I had never moved before so all my friends lived there.
And then I moved to Pennsylvania...
Now Pennsylvania This is a northeastern state in America. Pennsylvania.
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And Joe goes on to say, rural Pennsylvania.
Rural. This is an area where there is farmland. Rural. An example of rural would be: Joe moved from New
York to a rural part of the country. He had never lived near a farm before that time. Rural. Its the opposite
of city.
And then Joe goes on to say, I mean, it was a complete...
Or hes starting to say here, it was a total...
And I say, Oh gosh.
Im just showing emotion, like I dont believe it.
And then Joe finishes by saying, culture shock.
It was a complete or total culture shock. Culture shock. This is a feeling, or this is when you feel
uncomfortable when you move to another place and the people are different than the place you lived before.
So feeling uncomfortable when you move to another place and the people are different than the place you
lived before. Thats culture shock. For example: I can remember when I moved to Korea. It was a culture
shock. I had never been to an Asian country before. It was very different from America. Culture shock.
And then I say, Yeah, I bet.
I bet means I agree. I bet.
And... And here is just filler. Its not really needed.
Joe goes on to say, yknow, whats worse is, uh, not only did it seem different to me, I seemed
totally
Or hes saying, I seemed completely or very...
different to all the kids there... And then I just laugh. And Joe says, because, I mean first off
Or hes saying, first.
And he goes on to say, I had this really thick
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Or hes saying, I had this very strong...
New York accent...
Now accent This is the way it sounds when someone speaks. Accent. For example: The people in the
southern part of America have a strong accent. Accent.
And then I just laugh. And Joe says, so right off the bat...
Or hes saying right away, immediately, right off the bat. For example, an example of right off the bat: I found
a job right off the bat when I moved to San Francisco. Right off the bat.
And Joe goes on to say, yknow, they knew right away that I was not from there. And then I laugh
again and I say, Right.
And Joe says, Yknow, it was obvious
Or hes saying, everyone knew.
I was the new kid on the block.
New kid on the block. This means new to an area or new person to an area. New kid on the block. For
example: When I first moved to San Francisco I really felt like the new kid on the block. I did not even know
where a grocery store was located. New kid on the block.
And then Joe says, And I looked different also because the style in New York was much different
Or hes saying, was very different.
than it was in Pennsylvania.
Now style, style is fashion. Style. For example: I really liked the way the women in India were dressed when
I was there. They have a much different style than the women in America. Style.
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*
Okay, this is the end of the vocabulary lesson for the conversation Moving As A Child Part 1. If you feel that
you need to, go back and listen as many times as you need to, to make sure that you understand or have a
basic understanding of the vocabulary. And then when youre ready, move on to Joes mini-story.
Alright, see you for Moving as a Child Part 2. Bye bye.
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8. MOVING AS A CHILD
(PART 2)
Michigan: a state in
America
Midwestern states:
states in the middle of
America
accent: the way it sounds
when someone speaks
pop: a drink
Kristin: That makes me think, um, when we moved, I was, we were living in
Michigan. At the time we always considered it the North. But actually its the north
of the Midwestern states. But then moving to a southern state, I definitely had a
northern accent. And some of the words I used were different, too, like pop for,
for
soda: a drink; same as

pop
ridiculed: made a mean
joke about someone
affluent: rich
Kristin: soda. So I was, I was ridiculed by kids for my accent, for sure.
old clunkers: old cars

that have a lot of
problems and look bad
neighborhood: the area
where you live
brand new: completely
new
pretty obvious: really
easy to understand
turn a lot of heads: get a
lot of attention; make
people look
blue collar: the people
have jobs that do not
make a lot of money
Gremlin: the name of an
of American car that is no
longer made
designer clothes:
expensive clothes
keep up with the
Joneses: to try to own all
the same things as people
you know in order to
seem as good as them
stressful: makes you
worry
couldnt afford it: did not
have enough money
Joe: Soda.
Joe: Yeah, you know another difficult thing for me was that the area that we moved
to was affluent. And, I mean, we certainly were not rich. So, yknow, uh, and you
could see it from the clothes we wore to the cars that my parents drove. I mean
Kristin: [laugh]
Joe: yknow, we had these old clunkers and everyone else in the neighborhood
has these brand new cars, yknow. So it was pretty obvious, like, we would turn a
lot of heads driving past people.
Kristin: Oh my god, that sounds so much like, like my situation. We moved from a
very blue collar area - my, my parents being teachers, were very blue collar as well to a very affluent area, a lot of doctors and lawyers. And I can remember moving.
We [laugh] My mom drove this yellow and black Gremlin [laugh]
Joe: [laugh] Yeah, they dont make those anymore
Kristin: [laugh] No. I.
Joe: and theres a reason for it.
Kristin: [laugh] I would get dropped off at school from come in the Gremlin. I
would be so embarrassed. And then, yknow, we didnt have the designer clothes
that all the kids we went to school with wore. So, we w-, it just was very stressful
trying to keep up with the Joneses and buying these designer clothes. It was, uh,
very stressful for me and my brothers. But also we put a lot of pressure on our
parents to buy these. And they just couldnt afford it.
Joe: Yeah, that sounds familiar.
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9. PARENTS
Parents Conversation
Joe: Yknow, I dont think that people really appreciate their parents until they get
older. I mean, at least I can say that about myself. And I think its true of, yknow,
here in America.
culture: the way group of
people think and act
totally: definitely;
completely
looking back: to think of
a time in the past
sacrifice(s):
something(s) that causes
you to be unable to do
something else that you
would like to do
couldnt even tell: did
not know
method to his madness:
at the time you did not
know why he did
something but later you
were able to
understand
hang out: to casually
pass time
Kristin: Yeah, I was gonna say in this culture, anyway. Yeah I can totally agree
with that.
Joe: Yeah, I, eh, yknow, looking back, I think I only really came to, yknow, see all
the sacrifices my parents made, and appreciate those sacrifices, when I went away
to college.
Kristin: Mm-hm. Thats probably when I started appreciating my parents, too.
Joe: Yeah, I mean, yknow, now looking back I can see that my dad He was
always trying to teach me things. And at the time I, I couldnt even tell that it was
going on. But, yknow, now I see theres method to his madness, like
Kristin: Like, whats an example?
Joe: Alright, well, for example, like on Saturdays, yknow, what I liked to do was
probably what any, yknow, little boy used to do. I liked to go out, play with my
friends, yknow, play some baseball or some football or, yknow, just, just hang out
with my friends.
Kristin: Right.
he ran a tight ship: he is

strict or very controlling
Joe: Well, my dad on the other hand, yknow, he was really strict. And, uh, he ran a
tight ship. Im tellin ya. I mean, I, I think there was this unspoken motto that he
had which was my way or the highway.
Im tellin ya: I am not

joking; I am serious
Kristin: [laugh] I can see that.
motto: a word or group of

words that is important to
someone or something
Joe: So come Saturday morning, it was time to do some work, and
strict: controlling
my way or the highway:

do as I say or leave
Kristin: [laugh]
Joe: so it was time to spoil the fun I wanted to have.
Kristin: Right.
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Joe: So, hed say something like, Hey, yknow, uh, today we have to change the oil
on the car, Ill show you how to do it.
Kristin: Oh boy.
retain: to remember
Joe: Id be thinkin, yeah, Id be thinkin, oh that sounds like funyknow. Or like, uh,
yknow, another time hed say, Okay, uh, yknow, we have to change the brakes
today. And I think that, uh, Ill show you how to do it this time. And youll You can
do it next time. And Im sittin there, I, I must be eleven years old, Im thinkin to
myself, Im not gonna remember how to do this. Im not gonna retain any of it.
Kristin: Right.
sure enough: as
expected
Joe: But sure enough, he showed me how to do it. And, yknow, now looking back,
yknow, I can see that, yknow, it was, uh, probably something that he wanted to
make sure I knew how to do as I grew older
Kristin: Sure.
pay attention: listen to
basics: simple things

dread: to not want to do
something
long-winded: speaking
or writing that is very long
.
Joe: but I didnt really pay attention, yknow. I couldnt appreciate it at the time.
Kristin: Yeah, my, my dad, uh, taught me some things about the car, not as detailed
as changing the brakes or changing the oil. But he taught me basics like just
checking my fluids, like power steering fluid, um, brake fluid, the oil. At the time,
yknow, I would dread him teaching me. I wouldnt retain it. I would forget so he
would constantly be teaching me. And it would just I knew it would be this
long-winded lecture. When I would be wanting just to get in the car and leave, go
meet my friends.
Joe: Yeah, sure.
Kristin: But now I, I appreciate that he taught me those how to, uh check my
fluids actually. Its a useful thing to know.
Joe: Yeah, there, there were some things that my father would teach me, like, when
I
was younger, and I did appreciate it. And I mean like the one thing that stands out
stands out in my mind: I
in my mind is learning how to cook. Yknow, my dad was really good about allowing
remember it very well
us to be in the kitchen while he was cooking. Coz my dads an amazing cook, and
Kristin: Yeah, he is.
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growing up: getting
older; also refers to the
time when you were a
child
Joe: yknow, when we were growing up I remember like all my friends and, uh,
my moms side of the family, it was only the women who cooked. But
Kristin: Uh-huh.
Joe: from my dads side of the family, the men totally cooked. I mean, I just said
my dad was a great cook. He learned from his father, my grandfather, who was a
great cook. My grandfathers brother, my great-uncle
Kristin: Mm-hm.
gender specific trait:

something done only by a
male or only by a female
French toast: a
breakfast food
Joe: he was a great cook. So it really wasnt a gender specific trait in my family.
And I think as a result, uh, we werent afraid to be in the kitchen. And my father
allowed us to. So, uh, yknow And my dad was always good about teaching me
how to cook. I mean I remember this one time. . . I was a little kid. I must have been
six years old. I wake up on a Sunday morning. And I go downstairs and I say, uh,
Hey Dad, can you make me French toast for breakfast? And I remember him
saying something like, Okay, yeah, Ill make it for ya. Ill teach you how to make it
and then the next time you make it for me.
Kristin: [laugh] Thats great.
Joe: So I was thinkin this is great! Im gonna be able to make French toast for
myself whenever I want. And then, yknow, also I wanted to try and impress my dad,
uh, yknow. So I wanted to make it for him, too.
Kristin: Uh-huh.
bonding experience:
something that makes
people become closer
Joe: So, yknow, that was, yknow, that was something that was a bonding
experience with my father and I as well.
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Parents Mini-Story Lesson

Hi. Welcome to the mini-story for the conversation Parents.
*
Freddie the frog lives in the country of Frogland. When he was growing up his father ran a tight ship.
He made Freddie practice jumping ten hours every day. Freddie was always tired so he could not pay
attention in school. Sometimes he couldnt even tell what day it was.
Im telling you, I just want to chase flies with my friends, Freddie said to his dad.
Then his dad said, Its my way or the highway.
His dad always told him that he would be a jumping champion. Sure enough, when he was 18 years
old, he became the jumping champion of his country.
Now Freddie is 55 years old. He thinks about his dad a lot. Now he knows that there was method to
his dads madness.
*
Okay, so thats the end of our story. Now I will go back and read the story again and this time I will ask
questions as I read it. And you can answer the questions out loud and if you need a little more time to
answer the questions, then feel free to pause your iPod or your computer or whatever youre playing the
lesson on, and then play it again when you have had enough time to think about the question. And, of
course, if you just feel like listening, well thats okay, too.
Okay, lets start.
*
Freddie the frog lives in the country of Frogland.

Does Freddie the frog live in the country of Frogland?
Yes, he does. Freddie the frog lives in the country of Frogland.
Who lives in Frogland?
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Freddie the frog, Freddie the frog lives in Frogland.
Does Freddie the frog or Mary the lamb live in Frogland?
Freddie the frog, Freddie the frog lives in Frogland.
What type of animal is Freddie?
A frog, Freddie is a frog.
Is Freddie a frog or a rabbit?
A frog, Freddie is a frog. Hes not a rabbit.
Where does Freddie live?
In Frogland, Freddie lives in Frogland.
Does Freddie live in Canada or Frogland?
Frogland, Freddie lives in Frogland.
Does Freddie live in Canada?
No, Freddie doesnt live in Canada.
Does Freddie live in Frogland?
Yes, he does. Freddie lives in Frogland.
What is Frogland? Is Frogland a country?
Yes, it is. Frogland is a country. It is the country where Freddie the frog lives. Freddie the frog lives in the
country of Frogland.
When he was growing up his father ran a tight ship.

Did his father run a tight ship when he was growing up?
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Yes, he did. His father ran a tight ship when he was growing up.
What did his father do?
He ran a tight ship. His father ran a tight ship.
Did his father run a race or run a tight ship?
He ran a tight ship. He did not run a race.
Did his father own a boat?
No, his father did not own a boat.
Did his father run a tight ship?
Yes, he did. His father ran a tight ship.
Was his father strict?
Yes, yes, he was. He ran a tight ship, which is the same as saying he was strict. To run a tight ship means
to be strict.
Did his father control what he did?
Yes, he did. His father ran a tight ship, which is the same thing as saying his father was controlling, or that he
controlled what he did. So his father ran a tight ship, which is the same as saying his father was strict, or you
could say his father was controlling, his father controlled what he did, this is all the same thing.
Who ran a tight ship?
His father, his father ran a tight ship.
Did his mother or his father run a tight ship?
His father, his father ran a tight ship.
Whose father ran a tight ship?
Freddies, Freddies father ran a tight ship.
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Did Freddies father run a tight ship?
Yes, he did. Freddies father ran a tight ship.
Was Freddies father strict?
Yes, Freddies father was strict. Freddies father ran a tight ship.
Did Freddies father control what Freddie did?
Yes, he did. His father ran a tight ship. His father was controlling. His father was strict. These all mean the
same thing.
When did his father run a tight ship?
When he was growing, when Freddie was growing up his father ran a tight ship.
Did his father run a tight ship when Freddie was growing up?
Yes, he did. He ran a tight ship when Freddie was growing up.
Did his father run a tight ship when Freddie was an adult?
No, it was when he was growing up, not when he was an adult.
Did his father run a tight ship when Freddie was a child?
Yes, when Freddie was a child his father ran a tight ship. Or you could say when Freddie was growing up his
father ran a tight ship, its the same thing. When you are talking about growing up, you are talking about the
time when you are a child.
Was his father strict when Freddie was a child?
Yes, he was. He ran a tight ship when Freddie was growing up, which is the same thing as saying his father
was strict when he was a child.
He made Freddie practice jumping ten hours every day.
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Did he make Freddie practice jumping ten hours every day?
Yes, he did. He made Freddie practice jumping ten hours every day.
What did he make Freddie do?
Practice jumping, he made Freddie practice jumping.
Did he make Freddie practice jumping or clean the house?
Practice jumping, he made Freddie practice jumping.
Who made Freddie practice jumping?
His dad, his dad made him practice jumping.
Did Freddies Uncle Kenny make him practice jumping?
No, it wasnt his Uncle Kenny.
Did Freddies dad make him practice jumping?
Yes, he did. Freddies dad made him practice jumping.
Who had to practice?
Freddie, Freddie had to practice. His dad made him practice.
Did Freddie or his father have to practice?
Freddie did. Freddie had to practice. His father made him practice.
Did Freddie have to practice?
Yes, he did. Freddie had to practice. His father made him practice.
What did Freddie have to practice?
Jumping, he had to practice jumping.
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Did Freddie have to practice playing the guitar or jumping?
Jumping, he had to practice jumping.
How much time did Freddie have to practice?
Ten hours, he had to practice ten hours.
Did he have to practice for ten hours or seven minutes?
Ten hours, he had to practice for ten hours.
How many hours did he practice?
Ten, he practiced for ten hours.
Did he practice for six or ten hours?
Ten, he practiced for ten hours.
How often did he practice?
Every day, he had to practice every day.
Did he only practice on Tuesdays?
No, he practiced more than just on Tuesdays.
Did he practice every day?
Yes, he did. He practiced every day.
Did Freddies dad make him practice jumping every day?
Yes, he did. His dad made him practice jumping every day.
Freddie was always tired

Was Freddie always tired?
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Yes, he was. Freddie was always tired.
Who was tired?
Freddie, Freddie was tired.
Was Freddie or his father tired?
Freddie, Freddie was tired.
Was Freddie happy?
No, he wasnt happy.
Was Freddie tired only sometimes?
No, he wasnt tired only sometimes, he was tired more than that.
Was Freddie always tired?
Yes, he was. Freddie was always tired.
Why was Freddie always tired?
Well, it was because his father made him practice jumping for ten hours every day. Thats why he was tired.
so he could not pay attention in school.

Could Freddie pay attention in school?
No, he could not pay attention in school.
What was Freddie unable to do?
Pay attention in school, he could not pay attention in school.
Was Freddie unable to eat lunch or pay attention in school?
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Pay attention, he was unable to pay attention in school.
Was Freddie able to listen in school?
No, no, he wasnt. He was not able to pay attention in school which is the same thing as saying he was
unable to listen in school. To pay attention means to listen to.
Who could not pay attention in school?
Freddie, Freddie could not pay attention in school.
Was it Freddie or his sister who was unable to pay attention in school?
Freddie, it was Freddie. Freddie could not pay attention in school.
Was Freddie unable to listen to his schoolteachers?
Yes, yes, we can say that. He could not pay attention in school so he was unable to listen to his
schoolteachers.
Why was Freddie unable to pay attention in school?
Well, because he was too tired, thats why.
Sometimes he couldnt even tell what day it was.

Could he tell what day it was?
Well, sometimes he could not tell what day it was so, yeah, sometimes he could tell what day it was but not
always.
Who couldnt tell what day it was?
Freddie, Freddie couldnt even tell what day it was.
Did Freddie know what day it was?
Well, sometimes he did but sometimes he did not know what day it was. If you say that you couldnt even tell
what day it was, thats the same thing as saying you didnt even know what day it was.
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Did Freddie ever know what day it was?
Well, yes, it was only sometimes that he could not tell what day it was, which means that sometimes he did
not know what day it was. So sometimes he did know what day it was, but other times he did not know.
Did Freddie tell his dad he just wanted to chase flies?
Yes, he did. He said, I just want to chase flies.
Was Freddie joking?
No, no, he was not joking. When he said to his dad Im telling you, that means that he was not joking. Im
telling you means Im serious, Im not joking.
Was Freddie serious?
Yes, he was. He said, Im telling you, which means Im serious or it means Im not joking.
What did Freddie want to do?
Well, he wanted to chase flies with his friends.
Did Freddie want to go to school or chase flies?
He wanted to chase flies.
Who wanted to chase flies?
Freddie, Freddie wanted to chase flies.
Did Freddies dad want to chase flies?
No, it wasnt Freddies dad.
Did Freddie want to chase flies?
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Yes, he did. Freddie wanted to chase flies.
What did Freddie want to chase?
Flies, he wanted to chase flies.
Did he want to chase cars or flies?
Flies, he wanted to chase flies. He didnt want to chase cars.
Was Freddie joking when he said he wanted to chase flies?
No, he was not. He said, Im telling you, I just want to chase flies, which is the same thing as saying Im not
joking, I want to chase flies or I am serious, I want to chase flies.
Did Freddie really want to chase flies?
Well, yes, he did. He said he was serious or he was not joking and that he wanted to chase flies, so I guess
he really did want to chase flies.
Who did Freddie want to chase flies with?
His friends, he wanted to chase flies with his friends.
Did he want to chase flies with his dad?
No, he did not want to chase flies with his dad.
Did Freddie tell his dad he was serious?
Yes, he did. He said, Im telling you, which means Im serious.
Did Freddie tell his dad that he was not joking?
Yes, he did. He said, Im telling you, which means Im not joking.

Did his dad say Its my way or the highway?
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Yes, he did. Thats what his dad said. His dad said, Its my way or the highway.
What did his dad say?
Well, he said, Its my way or the highway.
Did his dad tell Freddie that he had to do what he said?
Well, yes, he told him Its my way or the highway, which means he was telling Freddie that he had to do
what he said.
Did his dad tell him to do as he told him or leave?
Yes, he did. His dad told him Its my way or the highway, which is the same thing as saying that he had to
do what his father told him or he had to leave. When someone says my way or the highway it means you
have to do what I am saying or you have to leave.
Who said, Its my way or the highway?
Freddies dad, Freddies dad said it.
Did Freddie say Its my way or the highway?
No, Freddie didnt say it.
Did Freddies dad say Its my way or the highway?
Yes, he did. It was Freddies dad who said, Its my way or the highway.
Who was his dad talking to?
Well, he was talking to Freddie.
Was he talking to Freddie or Freddies mom?
Freddie, he was talking to Freddie.
Did Freddies dad say that he had to leave if he did not do what he said?
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Yes, he did. Freddies dad said, Its my way or the highway, which is the same thing as saying Freddies
dad said that Freddie had to do what he said or he had to leave.
His dad always told him that he would be a jumping champion.

Did his dad always tell him that he would be a jumping champion?
Yes, he did. His dad always told him that he would be a jumping champion.
What did his dad tell him?
Well, he told him that he would be a jumping champion.
Did his dad tell him that he would be the best jumper?
Well, yeah, thats correct. He said he would be a jumping champion and if youre a jumping champion that
means that you must be the best jumper.
Who told him that he would be a jumping champion?
His dad, his dad told him that he would be a jumping champion.
Did Freddies dad tell him that he would be a jumping champion?
Yes, he did. Freddies dad told him that he would be a jumping champion.
Who would be a jumping champion? Would Freddie or his father be a jumping champion?
Freddie, Freddie would be a jumping champion.
What would Freddie be? Would he be a football player or a jumping champion?
A jumping champion, Freddie would be a jumping champion.
Sure enough, when he was 18 years old, he became the jumping champion of his country.
Did he become the jumping champion of his country when he was 18 years old?
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Yes, he did. He became the jumping champion of his country when he was 18 years old.
Did he become the champion sure enough?
Yes, sure enough, he became the champion.
Did he become the champion as expected?
Yes, he did. He became the champion sure enough, which is the same thing as saying he became the
champion as expected. Sure enough means as expected.
Was it expected that he would become the champion?
Yes, it was. Sure enough, he would become the champion, which is the same thing as saying it was
expected that he would become the champion.
Was it believed that he would become the champion?
Yes, it was. Sure enough, he would become champion, or it was believed that he would become the
champion.
Who became the jumping champion?
Freddie, Freddie became the jumping champion.
Did Freddie or his father become the jumping champion?
Freddie did. Freddie became the jumping champion.
What did Freddie become? Did he become the jumping champion?
Yes, he did. He became the jumping champion.
Did he become the jumping champion of his country?
Yes, he did. He became the jumping champion of his country.
What country did he become the jumping champion of? Did he become the jumping champion of France?
No, it wasnt France.
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Did he become the jumping champion of Frogland?
Yes, he did. He became the jumping champion of Frogland.
When did he become the jumping champion?
When he was 18 years old, when he was 18 years old he became the jumping champion.
How old was he when he became the jumping champion?
Eighteen years old, he was 18 years old when he became the jumping champion.
Was he 16 or 18 years old?
Eighteen, he was 18 years old.
Did Freddie become the champion sure enough?
Yes, he did. Sure enough, Freddie became the champion.
Did Freddie become the champion as expected?
Yes, he did. He became the champion sure enough, which is the same thing as saying he became the
champion as expected. Sure enough means as expected.
Now Freddie is 55 years old.

Is Freddie now 55 years old?
Yes, he is. Freddie is now 55 years old.
Who is now 55 years old?
Freddie, Freddie is now 55 years old.
Is Kenny or Freddie now 55 years old?
Freddie, Freddie is now 55 years old.
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How old is Freddie?
Fifty-five years old, Freddie is 55 years old.
Is he 55 years old or 25 months old?
Fifty-five years old, Freddie is 55 years old.
How many years old is Freddie?
Fifty-five, he is 55 years old.
Is he 55 or 63 years old?
Fifty-five, he is 55 years old now.
Was he 55 years old three years ago?
No, hes 55 years old now.
He thinks about his dad a lot.

Does he think about his dad a lot?
Yes, he does. He thinks about his dad a lot.
What does he do?
He thinks about his dad a lot.
Does he race cars or think about his dad a lot?
He thinks about his dad a lot. He doesnt race cars.
Who thinks about his dad a lot?
Freddie, Freddie thinks about his dad a lot.
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Does Roger the rabbit think about his dad a lot?
No, not Roger the rabbit.
Does Freddie the frog think about his dad a lot?
Yes, he does. Freddie the frog thinks about his dad a lot.
Who does he think about?
His dad, he thinks about his dad.
Does he think about his mother or his father?
His father, he thinks about his father a lot.
Does he think about his father just a little?
No, he thinks about his father more than just a little.
Does he think about his father a lot?
Yes, he does. He thinks about his father a lot.
Now he knows that there was method to his dads madness.

Does he now know that there was method to his dads madness?
Yes, he does. He now knows there was method to his dads madness.
What does he know?
Well, he knows that there was method to his dads madness.
When he was younger was Freddie able to understand why his father made him practice every day?
No, no, he was not able to understand why his father made him practice every day.
Does Freddie now know why his father made him practice every day?
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Yes, now he knows. He knows that there was method to his dads madness, which means he now
understands why his dad made him practice every day.
Who knows that there was method to his dads madness?
Freddie, Freddie knows that there was method to his dads madness.
Does Freddie or his mother now know that there was method to his dads madness?
Freddie, Freddie now knows that there was method to his dads madness.
Does Freddie now know that there was method to his dads madness?
Yes, he does. Freddie now knows that there was method to his dads madness.
Does Freddie now understand why his dad made him practice jumping?
Yes, he does. He understands now, he knows that there was method to his dads madness, so he didnt
understand back then why his father made him practice jumping, but now he does.
*
Okay, so we are now at the end of the story which means we are at the end of the mini-story lesson for the
conversation Parents. Now its your turn to tell this story on your own. Remember that you do not need to
memorize every word in the story, but that you do need to use the vocabulary words and idioms that we
discussed. Those are: growing up, ran a tight ship, pay attention, couldnt even tell, Im telling you,
my way or the highway, sure enough, method to his madness. Okay, so good luck telling the story and
remember you can listen to this lesson as many times as you need to.
Okay, see you next time.
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Parents POV Lesson

Hello and welcome to the point of view stories for Parents. Today we are going to hear four different
versions of the same story. Each version's gonna have a different time for the story or it will have a different
person telling the story. Okay, lets start now.
*
Freddie the frog lives in the country of Frogland. His father runs a tight ship. He makes Freddie
practice jumping ten hours every day. Freddie is always tired so he cannot pay attention in school.
Sometimes he cannot even tell what day it is.
Im telling you, I just wanna chase flies with my friends, Freddie says to his dad.
Then his dad says, Its my way or the highway.
His dad always tells him that he will be a jumping champion. Sure enough, when he is 18 years old,
he becomes the jumping champion of his country.
Now Freddie is 55 years old. He thinks about his dad a lot. Now he knows that there is method to his
dads madness.
*
Okay, so thats the end of the story being told as if it is happening right now. Next lets hear the story as if it
happened last year. Here we go.
*
Last year Freddie the frog lived in the country of Frogland. When he was growing up his father ran a
tight ship. He made Freddie practice jumping ten hours every day. Freddie was always tired so he
could not pay attention in school. Sometimes he couldnt even tell what day it was.
His dad always told him that he would be a jumping champion. Sure enough, when he was 18 years
old, he became the jumping champion of his country.
Freddie was 55 years old. He thought about his dad a lot. Then he knew that there was method to his
dads madness.
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Parents POV Lesson

*
Okay, so that is the story as if it happened last year. It has already happened. Now lets hear the story as if it
is happening in the future. So we will think of the story happening next year. Here we go.
Next year Freddie the frog will live in the country of Frogland. His father is gonna run a tight ship.
Hell make Freddie practice jumping ten hours every day. Freddiell always be tired so he will not be
able to pay attention in school. Sometimes he wont be able to even tell what day it is.
Im telling you, I just want to chase flies with my friends, Freddiell say to his dad.
Then his dadll say, Its my way or the highway.
His dad is always gonna tell him that he will be a jumping champion. Sure enough, when he is 18
years old, he will become the jumping champion of his country.
When Freddie is 55 years old hell think about his dad a lot. Hell know that there is method to his
dads madness.
*
Okay so thats the end of this version of the story, where the events that are taking place take place next
year. Now lets hear the story from Freddies point of view. So in this version Freddie is actually going to be
telling the story. So here he goes.
*
I lived in the country of Frogland. When I was growing up my father ran a tight ship. He made me
practice jumping ten hours every day. I was always tired so I could not pay attention in school.
Sometimes I couldnt even tell what day it was.
Im telling you, I just want to chase flies with my friends, I said to my dad.
Then my dad said, Its my way or the highway.
My dad always told me that I would be a jumping champion. Sure enough, when I was 18 years old, I
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Parents POV Lesson

became the jumping champion of my country.
I was 55 years old. I thought about my dad a lot. Then I knew that there was method to my dads
madness.
*
Alright so now we have finished the point of view stories for the lesson Parents. Now please go back and
listen to each version of the story again. Then when you feel like you understand the stories try to tell each
story yourself. Try your best and dont be upset if you're having any trouble. Just relax and listen to the story
again. This takes time. Listen to it until you feel comfortable telling the story on your own and then you can
move on. Okay, thats all for now. Well see ya next time.
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Parents Vocabulary Lesson

Hello and welcome to the vocabulary lesson for the conversation Parents. Now this is a conversation that
Joe and I are having together about our parents, mostly our fathers, and things that they taught us when we
were younger.
So lets begin with the conversation.
*
Joe starts off by saying, Yknow...

And now as Ive said in many, many lessons, yknow is short for you know.
And Joe goes on to say, I dont think that people really appreciate their parents until they get older.
What Joe is saying here is, I dont think people really appreciate - really admire their parents. Or really think
a lot of good things about their parents. Or think a lot of good thoughts about their parents, until they get
older.
And Joe goes on to say, I mean...
Or hes saying here, what Im trying to say...
And he goes on to say, at least
Or, in any case.
I can say that about myself. And I think its true of, yknow, here in America. And then I say,
Yeah...
And now yeah... This is slang or casual or informal for yes.
And I go on to say, I was gonna say
Gonna is short or slang for going to.
And I go on to say, in this culture, anyway.
Now anyway... This is just filler. Its not really needed in the sentence. Culture. Culture is the way a group
of people think and act. Culture. So in this sentence I was talking about the way things are here in America.
Culture.
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And I go on to say, Yeah I can totally agree with that.
Totally. Totally means definitely or completely. Totally. For example: When I was younger, my parents
would get totally angry with me whenever I came home late for dinner. Totally.
And then Joe says, Yeah, I, eh...
Now eh... This is just a filler word. Doesnt really mean anything.
Joe goes on to say, yknow, looking back...
Looking back. This means to think of a time in the past. Looking back. For example: When I look back on
the time I lived in Thailand, it makes me smile. Looking back.
And Joe goes on to say, I think I only really came to...
Really here is just filler. Its not really needed in this sentence. You could take it away and the sentence
would still make sense.
And then Joe goes on to say, yknow, see all the sacrifices my parents made...
Sacrifice or sacrifices. This is something that causes you to be unable or not able to do something else that
you would like to do. Sacrifices. For example: When I lived in Thailand, I had to make a sacrifice. I could
not take my cats with me. Sacrifices, or in this example, sacrifice.
And Joe goes on to say, and appreciate those sacrifices, when I went away to college.
Or he is saying, when I moved away to go to college.
So Im just making this noise agreeing with Joe.
And I go on to say, Thats probably
Or Im saying, thats about the time.
when I started appreciating my parents, too.
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Or Im saying, thats when I started appreciating my parents also.
And then Joe says, Yeah, I mean, yknow, now looking back
Or hes saying, now remembering.
I can see that my dad...
Or hes saying, I can understand that my dad.
And he goes on to say, He was always trying to teach me things. And at the time I, I couldnt even
tell that it was going on.
Or that it was happening. Now couldnt even tell... This means did not know. Couldnt even tell. For
example: I couldnt even tell that the cook put chili peppers in the soup. It did not taste spicy. Couldnt even
tell.
And then Joe says, But...
And but is just a filler word here. Its not really needed in the sentence.
And he goes on to say, yknow, now I see theres method to his madness, like...
Or hes saying, such as, or for example. Now method to his madness... This means at the time Joe did not
know why his father did something but later he was able to understand. So method to his madness At the
time you do not know why somebody is doing something but later you understand. Method to his madness.
For example: My friend Kim makes clothes. When she was ten years old she did not understand why her
mother wanted to teach her how to sew. But later Kim understood the method to her madness.
And then I say, Like, whats an example?
Like is a filler word here. Its not really needed.
And Joe says, Alright, well...
So hes saying, okay. And well... This is a filler word. Its not really needed.
And Joe goes on to say, for example, like on Saturdays, yknow, what I liked to do was probably
what any, yknow, little boy used to do. I liked to go out, play with my friends, yknow, play some
baseball or some football or, yknow, just, just hang out
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Just. This is a filler word. Its not really needed in the sentence.
So Joe is saying, hang out with my friends.
Now hang out... This means to casually pass time. Hang out. For example: I like to hang out at the park. It
is relaxing. Hang out.
So Im just agreeing with Joe here.
And then Joe says, Well, my dad on the other hand...
Or hes saying, my dad, though.
And Joe goes on to say, yknow, he was really strict.
Or he was very strict. Strict. This means controlling. Strict. For example: My parents were very strict when
I was younger. They would not let me date until I was 16 years old. Strict.
And Joe goes on to say, And, uh...
And uh is just a filler word. Its not really needed.
And Joe says, he ran a tight ship.
He ran a tight ship. What Joe is saying here is that his father was very strict or very controlling. He ran a
tight ship. For example: Joes father ran a tight ship. He made sure that Joe studied for school every night
or he could not watch TV. He ran a tight ship.
And then Joe says, Im tellin ya.
Now tellin... This is short for telling. And ya... This is short for you. Im tellin ya. This means I am not
joking. I am serious. For example: Im tellin ya, if I had one million dollars, Id travel for two years. Im tellin
ya.
And then Joe says, I mean, I, I think there was this unspoken motto
Or this not talked about motto. Now a motto... This is a word or a group of words that is important to
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someone or something. Motto. An example of motto would be: Joes motto is to treat people the way he
would want them to treat him. Motto. And Joe goes on to say So hes saying his father had this unspoken
or not talked about motto.
And then Joe says, that he had which was my way or the highway.
My way or the highway. This means do as I say or leave. My way or the highway. An example of my way or
the highway would be: The owner of the restaurant made sure that the cooks did what he said. Its my way
or the highway... hed say to them.
And then I just laugh and say, I can see that.
So what Im saying is, I can imagine or I can think about Joes dad being strict.
And then Joe says, So
And so is just a filler word here. Its not really needed.
And he goes on to say, come Saturday morning...
Or hes saying on Saturday morning.
it was time to do some work, and... And I just laughed. And Joe says, so it was time to spoil the
fun I wanted to have.
Or to ruin the fun I wanted to have. So what Joe is saying is his dad did not let him have the fun that he
wanted to have.
And then I say, Right. And Joe says, So, hed say something like, Hey...
And hey is just a filler word here.
So his dad would say, Hey, yknow, uh, today we have to change the oil on the car, Ill show you
how to do it.
Or I'll teach you how to do it. When Joes dad says to him change the oil on the car, what hes saying is we
have to put new oil in the car.
And I say, Oh boy.
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Im just showing emotion here like wow, that must not have been fun. Having to work like that on Saturdays.
And then Joe says, Id be thinkin...
And thinkin is short for thinking.
And Joe goes on to say, yeah, Id be thinkin, oh that sounds like fun...yknow.
Now when Joe says oh that sounds like fun, hes not being serious about changing the cars oil sounding like
fun. Hes not being serious about this. Hes joking. This is called sarcasm.
And Joe goes on to say, Or like, uh, yknow, another time hed say, Okay, uh, yknow, we have to
change the brakes today.
Now brakes are what help a car to stop. So Joes dad is talking about putting new brakes on their car.
And Joe goes on to say, And I think that, uh, Ill show you how to do it this time. And youll... You
can do it next time.
So Joe is just repeating what his father had said when he was younger. Today we have to change the
brakes. And Ill show, I'll show you or Ill teach you how to do it this time. And next time you can do it.
And then Joe says, And Im sittin here...
Sittin is short for sitting.
I, I must be eleven years old, Im thinkin to myself, Im not gonna remember how to do this. Im not
gonna retain any of it.
Retain. This means to remember. Retain. For example: I was unable to retain anything I learned in all of
my math classes. Retain.
And then I say, Right. And Joe says, But sure enough...
And sure enough means as expected. Sure enough. For example: Ken said that he would meet me at the
caf at 11:00. And sure enough he was there right at 11:00.
And Joe goes on to say, he showed me how to do it. And, yknow, now looking back, yknow, I can
see that, yknow, it was, uh, probably something that he wanted to make sure
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Or he wanted to be certain.
I knew how to do as I grew older... And I say, Sure.
And Joe goes on to say, but I didnt really pay attention...
Pay attention. This means listen to. Pay attention. For example: Sometimes it is difficult to get my students
to pay attention, especially when I teach a class for two hours. Pay attention.
And Joe goes on to say, yknow. I couldnt appreciate it at the time. And then I say, Yeah, my, my
dad, uh, taught me some things about the car, not as detailed
Or Im saying, not as many things.
as changing the brakes or changing the oil. But he taught me basics
Now basics... This means simple things or easy things. Basics. For example: I do not speak French well
but I know the basics. Basics.
And I go on to say, like just checking my fluids...
Or or liquids is what fluids means.
And I go on to say, like power steering fluid, um, brake fluid, the oil.
So power steering fluid, brake fluid, the oil What Im saying here is these are all fluids or liquids that are
needed in a car. And my dad taught me how to change these.
And then I go on to say, At the time, yknow, I would dread him teaching me.
Dread. This means to not want to do something. Dread. For example: I used to dread going to math class.
Dread.
And I go on to say, I wouldnt retain it. I would forget so he would constantly
Or Im saying, he would always.
be teaching me. And it would just... I knew it would be this long-winded lecture.
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Lecture is just a speech or explanation. Now long-winded... This means speaking or writing that is very long.
Long-winded. For example: My dad can be long-winded, especially when he talks about cars. Long-winded.
And then I go on to say, When I would be wanting to jus- or when I would be wanting just to get in
the car and leave, go meet my friends. And Joe says, Yeah, sure.
Agreeing with me.
And I say, But now I, I appreciate that he taught me those how to, uh check my fluids actually...
And actually is just a filler word here. Its not really needed.
And I go on to say, Its a useful
Or Im saying, its a helpful.
thing to know. And then Joe says, Yeah, there, there were some things that my father would teach
me, like, when I was younger, and I did appreciate it. And I mean like the one thing that stands out in
my mind is learning how to cook.
Or learning how to prepare or make food. Stands out in my mind. This means I remember it very well.
Stands out in my mind. For example: The food in Thailand really stands out in my mind. It was so spicy and
good. Stands out in my mind.
And Joe goes on to say, Yknow, my dad was really good about allowing
Or about letting.
us be in the kitchen while he was cooking. Coz
And coz is short for because.
Coz my dads an amazing cook...
Or what hes saying is my dads a very good cook.
and... And then I say, Yeah, he is. And Joe says, yknow, when we were growing up...
Now growing up... This means getting older. It also means its the time when you were a child getting
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older when you were a child. Its only really used when speaking about someone who is young. You would
not say this about your grandparents, for example. An example of growing up is: Joe liked to play baseball
when he was growing up. Growing up.
And then Joe goes on to say, I remember like all my friends and, uh, my moms side of the family, it
was only the women who cooked. But...
Now when Joe says my moms side of the family what hes saying is my moms relatives. For example,
Joes mothers mother so this would be his grandmother and Joes mothers sisters so these would be
his aunts, etc., etc.
So Im just agreeing with Joe and just letting him know Im listening.
And then Joe goes on to say, from my dads side of the family...
So Joe is talking about his dads relatives. For example: Joes fathers father, which would be his
grandfather... Which would be Joes grandfather. And Joes grandfathers brother, which would be Joes
great uncle, etc., etc.
Joe goes on to say, the men totally cooked. And Joe says, I mean, I just said my dad was a great
cook. He learned from his father, my grandfather, who was a great cook. My grandfathers brother,
my great-uncle... And I say, Mm-hm. And Joe says, he was a great cook. So it really wasnt a
gender specific trait in my family. And I think as a result...
Or Joe is saying, I think what happened from this. Now going back, gender specific trait... This is something
done only by a man or by men or only by a woman or by women. So something done only by a male or only
by a female. For example: Sewing is thought of as a gender specific trait. I do not know a lot of men who
can sew. Gender specific trait.
And then Joe goes on to say, uh, we werent afraid to be in the kitchen.
So hes saying, we werent worried about not knowing how to cook.
And then he goes on to say, And my father allowed us to. So, uh, yknow... And my dad was always
good about teaching me how to cook. I mean I remember this one time I was a little kid. I must
have been six years old. I wake up on a Sunday morning. And I go downstairs and I say, uh, Hey
Dad, can you make me French toast for breakfast?
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Now French toast... This is just a breakfast food. French toast.
And then Joe goes on to say, And I remember him saying something like, Okay, yeah, Ill make it for
ya.
Ya is just short for you.
And then Joe goes on to say, or his dad is saying, Ill teach you how to make it and then the next
time you make it for me. And I just laugh and say, Thats great. And then Joe says, So I was
thinkin this is great! Im gonna be able to make French toast for myself whenever I want. And then,
yknow, also I wanted to try and impress my dad...
Or hes saying, I wanted to show my dad I could make it.
And Joe says, uh, yknow. So I wanted to make it for him, too. And then I say, Uh-huh. And Joe
says, So, yknow, that was, yknow, that was something that was a bonding experience with my
father and I as well.
Or hes saying, with my father and I also. Now going back, bonding experience... This is something that
makes people become closer. Bonding experience. For example: When I was a child my mother used to
read to me. It was a bonding experience.
*
Okay, this is the end of the vocabulary lesson for the conversation Parents. So if you need to, go back and
keep listening until you have a basic understanding of the vocabulary. And when youre ready to move on, go
to the mini-story.
See you next time. Goodbye.
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10. BURNING MAN
Burning Man Conversation

Labor Day: American
holiday; the first Monday
in September
Burning Man: an
American festival that
takes place in the desert
fell through: to not
happen
Joe: Hey, Terence, so howd you spend your Labor Day weekend?
Terence: Um, I spent my Labor Day weekend not doing anything except wishing I
was at Burning Man. I had, uh, plans to go but they fell through.
Joe: Oh, man, that sucks, because I know that, uh, youve really enjoyed it in the
past.
quite a few: a lot
Terence: Yeah, Ive, Ive As you know, Ive gone quite a few years in a row. But
this year I couldnt make it. Um, yknow, but I guess that the, the saving grace about
it is that Im not in the heat. And I really cant stand the dust.
saving grace: something

you like about something
although you do not like
anything else about it
Joe: Oh yeah? I know. I hear that the heat and the dust can be overwhelming. Ive
had some friends who have gone in the past years and they didnt prepare enough.
And they said they were in over their heads.
that sucks: its

unfortunate
cant stand: do not like

in over their heads: to
be involved with
something that is too
difficult to do
Terence: Oh yeah, yeah, its definitely the kind of thing that, um, it helps to know
what youre getting into with the conditions and just what to expect. Because no
amount of description can really, really help with what youre gonna experience.
to know what youre

getting into: to know
what to expect
Joe: Yeah. I was talking with a friend of mine who lives in Canada and I mentioned
Burning Man and hed never heard it. And he was like, Well, yknow, whats it
about? And he wanted me to describe it. And I realized that, yknow, I wasnt
really Im not really able to describe it to him because Ive never been.
cant believe your eyes:

what you see is not
believable
Terence: Yeah, um, its, its one of those things, its kind of hard to describe. I mean
the first time you go you really cant you really cant believe your eyes. What you
see, I mean just all the people and all the effort they put into it, all the creativity. Its
really something to behold.
something to behold:
amazing
anything goes: you can

do anything you wish to
do
express yourself: show
something about yourself
outfits: clothes or a
costume
Joe: So, um, how would you describe it though, like

Terence: I would describe it just as a, just really large festival where basically
anything goes. Anything you wanna do is accepted. Um, any way you wanna
express yourself, its okay, whether its how you dress, what you say, um, the kind of
music you wanna play, anything.
Joe: Yeah, Ive heard theres some pretty wild outfits. People just dress up as, uh,
crazy as they possibly can.
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11. TICKET ON THE TRAIN
Ticket On The Train Conversation

Joe: So, uh, hows your day goin?
woke up on the wrong
side of the bed: to feel a
little angry at the start of
the day
running against the
clock: to be late
get down: to go to
catch the train: to get on
the train
pass: a ticket that allows

you to ride the train
ticket checkers: people
who make sure that you
paid to ride the train
Kristin: Oh, it could have started off better. Actually, I feel like I woke up on the
wrong side of the bed.
Joe: Why, what happened?
Kristin: Well, things were going okay. I mean Id gotten the e-mails done. Id gotten
all the dishes done. Took a shower. Got ready to go. Um, but as usual, I was
running against the clock, trying to, uh, get down and catch the train on time.
Joe: Yeah.
Kristin: So, I got on the train. I go in the back like I usually do because I have a
pass. Sit down, we go one stop. We, were actually coming up to 18th, yknow, just
the next stop. And I see the, the ticket checkers, for lack of a better word
Joe: Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, I know who youre talkin about.
Kristin: People who are always checking for passes
Joe: Right.
Kristin: theyre on and I thought, okay, great, yeah, Ive, yknow, Ive got my pass
on me. So one of them comes up to me asking to see my pass. I start looking in my
bag for the place that I always keep it, and its not there.
Joe: Oh, are you serious?
racking my brain:
thinking
it dawned on me: I
recalled; I remembered
whips her clipboard

out: took her clipboard
out
Kristin: So, yeah! Im looking, looking, thinking, oh where is it? Then suddenlyeh,
yknow, and this is after, too, I start checking my pants and just racking my brain
tryin to think of where, where my pass could be. Then suddenly it dawned on me
that I had left it in the pocket of a pair of pants that Id worn two days before to work.
Joe: Oh, and they were still at home, Im sure.
Kristin: Yes, they were still at home. So, I start explaining this to the woman. And,
she, um, she whips her clipboard out. And Im like, Yknow, I just got on. And
shes like, Oh right here? Coz, yknow, wed just gotten to 18th Street. And I was
like, No, no, no, no, I, I, um, I got on just one stop back at 20th. But I always have my
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on me: with me
pass on me and thats why I got on the back. Ive got money. I can go up and pay
right now. And shes like, Oh, just hold on a second. And she starts writing.
go out on a limb: to say

something that seems
unlikely
Joe: Let me guess. Im gonna go out on a limb here and say that she still gave you
the ticket.
citation: a ticket that

means you have to pay
money for doing
something wrong
Kristin: Yes. I still got the citation. So, but, I thought that there still might be hope.
So I keep trying to ask her questions, or And letting her know I can go and pay.
And shes like, Just, just hold on, let me, let me focus on this and well talk in a
minute when I get done writing. So then I start panicking, thinking, oh great, I am
getting it, for sure. And I remember back to somebody telling me that theyd gotten
one, a ticket once before on the train and, um, for not havin their pass, and it ended
up costing em like 250 bucks
just hold on: wait

bucks: dollars
Joe: Well, Ive gotten

Kristin: And you know with the
a pretty penny: a lot of
money
Joe: one of those tickets before. And, and I mean, I recall it cost a pretty penny.
But I dont remember it being that much.
Kristin: Well, eh, this is what Im thinking its gonna cost. And with the money that
were tryin to save for our trip I just, I almost started crying, thinkin I cant afford
this, yknow. So she finishes writing and hands it to me and it ends up being only 50
bucks.
cut down: to make

smaller
Joe: Oh, they must have cut down the fine then, because I remember I paid more
than that.
contest it: fight it
Kristin: Yeah, she had circled 50 bucks. Shes like Im assuming this is your first
offense. And I was like Yeah, it is. Shes like Okay, um, itll be 50 bucks. Now I
did write down here that you do, you claim you have a pass and you just left it in a
pair of pants back in your apartment. So what you can do is go here. And shes
showing me all this on the ticket. You can go here and contest it. So
total long shot: very

unlikely
Joe: Pffft. Yeah..yeah, go down there and contest it. That basically means youre
gonna spend, yknow, most of a day sitting in the courtroom waiting for the case to get
called. And then when it finally does get called, yknow, you gotta try and convince
the judge that you actually had a ticket. I mean, its a total long shot. I wouldnt, I
mean
first offense: the first

time you have been in
trouble for something
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Kristin: I know.
Joe: I dont even know, its a waste of time.
Kristin: Yeah, I agree. I was talkin to somebody here at work about it and they were
like, yknow, if you do that youre gonna be sitting there for a few hours at least
Joe: Yeah.
not worth it: it is not
important enough
Kristin: and its just not worth it.

Joe: No, I agree.
chip on my shoulder: to
be angry
Kristin: Yeah, so, Im tryin not to have a chip on my shoulder about it. I dont
wanna badmouth them. I know theyre just doin their job
badmouth: to speak
badly about
Joe: Pffft. Yeah, its, its

Kristin: yknow
water under the bridge:

something that has
happened and cannot be
changed
Joe: yeah, I mean its water under the bridge at this point, so, yknow, dont
Kristin: It is.
Joe: get upset about it.
bottom line: the final

thing
Kristin: Yeah, I. Bottom line is Im gonna be havin to pay 50 bucks, so

Joe: Yeah, yeah, that sucks. Im sure that was a great way to start the day, huh?
to top it off: in addition

to
Kristin: Well, to top it off then, I also realized that the pair of pants that my pass, I
left my pass in - the pocket that I left them in - I washed those pants last night.
Joe: [laugh] Oh, so the pass is probably shredded.
its probably done: its

probably destroyed
Kristin: So, its probably shredded, its probably done, yep.

Joe: Oh, yeah.
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Ticket On The Train Mini-Story Lesson

Hello there. Welcome to the mini-story lesson for the conversation Ticket On The Train.
*
Brian the dog has a chip on his shoulder. He just got fired from his job as a bus driver. Then, to top
it off, he locked his keys in his car.
He had been saving money because he wants to go to Thailand. It costs a pretty penny to buy a
plane ticket to Thailand. So hes been racking his brain trying to think of how to pay for the ticket.
Then his brother Frankie called him. He told him about a job. The job was working at a caf owned
by Carla the cat. Carla the cat did not like dogs. Brian thought that it was a total long shot but he
asked Carla about the job. Carla really liked Brian, so she offered him a job.
Later that week Brian had enough money to buy the plane ticket. He was no longer angry that he was
fired from his job as a bus driver. Its just water under the bridge now.
*
Okay, so that brings us to the end of the story. Now, as always, I will begin at the start of the story and I will
ask questions this time when I read the story. Please answer the questions out loud. If you need a little more
time then you can press pause on your computer or your mp3 player and then you can press play again when
youve had enough time. And, of course, if you just feel like listening and not answering the questions out
loud, well then thats fine, too.
*
Brian the dog has a chip on his shoulder.

Does Brian the dog have a chip on his shoulder?
Yes, he does. He has a chip on his shoulder.
Who has a chip on his shoulder? Does Freddie the frog or Brian the dog have a chip on his shoulder?
Brian the dog, Brian the dog has a chip on his shoulder.
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Does Freddie the frog have a chip on his shoulder?
No, its not Freddie the frog.
Does Brian the dog have a chip on his shoulder?
Yes, he does. Brian the dog has a chip on his shoulder.
Is Brian the dog happy?
No, no, hes not. He has a chip on his shoulder. That means he is not happy.
Is Brian the dog angry?
Yes, yes, he is. He has a chip on his shoulder which is the same thing as saying he is angry. If you have a
chip on your shoulder then you are angry.
What type of animal is Brian? Is he a cat or a dog?
A dog, Brian is a dog.
He just got fired from his job as a bus driver.

Did he just get fired from his job as a bus driver?
Yes, he did. He just got fired from his job as a bus driver.
What happened to him? Did he get fired from his job or set his house on fire?
He got fired from his job.
Did he set his house on fire?
No, he didnt set his house on fire.
Did he get fired from his job?
Yes, yes, he did. He got fired from his job.
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Who got fired from his job? Did Brians father get fired from his job?
No, it wasnt Brians father.
Did Brian get fired from his job?
Yes, yes, he did. Brian got fired from his job.
What was Brians job? Was his job an airplane pilot or a bus driver?
A bus driver, his job was a bus driver.
Did Brian get fired from his job as a bus driver?
Yes, he did. He got fired from his job as a bus driver.
Then, to top it off, he locked his keys in his car.

Did he lock his keys in his car?
Yes, he did. He locked his keys in his car.
What did he do? Did he lock his house?
No, he didnt lock his house.
Yes, thats what he did. He locked his keys in his car.
Did he lock his keys in his car in addition to being fired?
Yes, he did. He locked his keys in his car in addition to being fired. To top it off, he locked his keys in his car.
To top it off means in addition to.
Who locked his keys in his car? Did Brian lock his keys in his car?
Yes, yes, he did. Brian locked his keys in his car.
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Where were his keys? Where his keys in his car?
Yes, yes, they must have been in his car because he locked them in his car.
Yes, he did. He locked his keys in his car.
He had been saving money because he wants to go to Thailand.

Was he saving money because he wants to go to Thailand?
Yes, yes, he was. He had been saving money because he wants to go to Thailand.
What had he been doing?
Well, he had been saving money.
Had he been saving money?
Yes, yes, he did. He had been saving money.
Who had been saving money? Had Brian or Pablo been saving money?
Brian did, Brian had been saving money.
Why had he been saving money?
Because he wants to go to Thailand, thats why hes been saving money.
Had he been saving money because he wants to buy a car or go to Thailand?
Go to Thailand, hes been saving money because he wants to go to Thailand.
Where does he want to go? Does he want to go to Paris?
No, he doesnt want to go to Paris.
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Does he want to go to Thailand?
Yes, he wants to go to Thailand.
Had he been saving money because he wanted to go to Thailand?
Yes, thats exactly true. He had been saving money because he wants to go to Thailand.
It costs a pretty penny to buy a plane ticket to Thailand.

Does it cost a pretty penny to buy a plane ticket to Thailand?
Yes, it does. It costs a pretty penny to buy a plane ticket to Thailand.
What costs a pretty penny?
A plane ticket to Thailand, it costs a pretty penny to buy a plane ticket to Thailand.
Does a boat ride to Thailand cost a pretty penny?
No, were not talking about a boat ride here.
Does a plane ticket to Thailand cost a pretty penny?
Yes, yes, it does. It costs a pretty penny to buy a plane ticket to Thailand.
Does a plane ticket to Thailand cost a lot of money?
Yes, yes, it does. It costs a pretty penny, which is the same as saying it costs a lot of money because a
pretty penny means a lot of money.
Is it expensive to buy a plane ticket to Thailand?
Yes, yes, it is. It costs a pretty penny, which means it costs a lot of money, which is the same thing as saying
it is expensive.
Is a plane ticket to Thailand cheap?
No, its certainly not cheap. Its expensive. It costs a pretty penny. It costs a lot of money.
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Does a plane ticket to New York cost a pretty penny?
No, its not New York.
Does a plane ticket to Thailand cost a lot of money?
Yes, a plane ticket to Thailand costs a lot of money. A plane ticket to Thailand costs a pretty penny.
So hes been racking his brain trying to think of how to pay for the ticket.
Has he been racking his brain to think of how to pay for the ticket?
Yes, he has. Hes been racking his brain trying to think of how to pay for the ticket.
What has he been doing?
Well, hes been racking his brain.
Has he been thinking about how to pay for the ticket?
Yes, thats correct. Hes been racking his brain thinking of how to pay for the ticket which is the same thing
as saying hes been thinking about how to pay for the ticket. When you say racking his brain, its the same
thing as saying hes thinking about.
Who has been racking his brain? Has Brian or Frankie been racking his brain?
Brian has, Brian has been racking his brain.
What is he racking his brain about? Is he racking his brain about how to pay for the ticket or how to buy a
new car?
How to buy the ticket. Hes racking his brain trying to think of how to pay for the ticket.
Then his brother Frankie called him.

Did his brother Frankie call him?
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Yes, he did. His brother Frankie called him.
What did Frankie do?
He called him. Frankie called him.
Did Frankie watch a football game or call him?
He called him.
Who called him? Did Frankie or Pablo call him?
Frankie, Frankie called him.
Who did Frankie call? Did he call Pablo?
No, he didnt call Pablo.
Did he call Brian?
Yes, yes, thats correct. He called Brian.
What is Brians brothers name? Is Brians brothers name Pablo or Frankie?
Its Frankie, his brother is named Frankie.
Is Brians cousin named Frankie?
No, not his cousin.
Is Brians brother named Frankie?
Yes, he is. Brians brother is named Frankie.
He told him about a job.

Did he tell him about a job?
Yes, he did. He told him about a job.
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What did he do?
Well, he told him about a job.
Who told him about a job? Did Pablo tell him about a job?
No, it wasnt Pablo.
Did Frankie tell him about a job?
Yes, thats who it was. It was Frankie who told him about a job.
Who did he tell about a job? Did he tell Pablo about a job?
No, Frankie didnt tell Pablo about a job.
Did he tell Brian about a job?
Yes, yes, he did. He told Brian about a job.
What did Frankie tell Brian about? Did he tell him about a new car or a job?
A job, he told him about a job.
Did Frankie tell Brian about a job?
Yes, yes, he did. Frankie told Brian about a job.
The job was working at a caf owned by Carla the cat.

Was the job working at a caf owned by Carla the cat?
Yes, it was. The job was working at a caf owned by Carla the cat.
Where was the job? Was the job at a caf or a club?
A caf, the job was at a caf.
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Who owned the caf? Did Frankie own the caf?
No, Frankie did not own the caf.
Did Carla the cat own the caf?
Yes, she did. Carla the cat owned the caf.
What type of animal is Carla? Is she a cat or a dog?
She is a cat. Carla is a cat.
Did a cat own the caf?
Yes, a cat owned the caf. Carla the cat owned the caf.
Carla the cat did not like dogs.

Did Carla the cat like dogs?
No, she did not. Carla the cat did not like dogs.
Who did not like dogs? Did Freddies mother not like dogs?
No, its not Freddies mother.
Did Carla not like dogs?
Yes, thats correct. Carla did not like dogs.
What did Carla not like? Dogs or cats?
Dogs, she did not like dogs.
Did Carla the cat like dogs?
No, no, she did not. Carla the cat did not like dogs.
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Brian thought that it was a total long shot
Did Brian think it was a total long shot?
Yes, he did. He thought it was a total long shot.
Did Brian think it was very unlikely?
Yes, he thought it was a total long shot which is the same thing as saying he thought it was very unlikely. A
total long shot is something that is very unlikely.
Did Brian think that getting the job was a total long shot?
Yes, thats correct. Thats what Brian thought was a total long shot. He thought getting the job was a total
long shot.
Did Brian think that getting the job was very unlikely?
Yes, he did. He thought that it was a total long shot which means that he thought it was very unlikely. A total
long shot is something that is very unlikely.
Did Brian think he would get the job?
No, no, he did not. He thought it was a total long shot. He thought it was very unlikely that he would get the
job.
Did Brian think that Carla the cat would hire him for the job?
No, he didnt. He thought it was a total long shot. He thought it was very unlikely that she would hire him for
the job.
Who thought it was a long shot? Did Frankie or Brian think that it was a total long shot?
Brian did, Brian thought that it was a total long shot.
Why did Brian think that it was a total long shot?
Well, he knew that Carla the cat hates dogs and he is a dog, so he thought that she would not want to hire
him because he is a dog. So he thought it was a total long shot that she would hire him.
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but he asked Carla about the job.
Did he ask Carla about the job?
Yes, he did. He asked Carla about the job.
What did he do?
Well, he asked Carla about the job.
Did he drink some coffee or ask Carla about the job?
He asked Carla about the job.
Who asked Carla about the job? Did Freddie ask Carla about the job?
No, it wasnt Freddie who asked.
Did Brian ask Carla about the job?
Yes, yes, he did. Brian asked Carla about the job.
What did he ask her about?
The job, he asked her about the job.
Did he ask her about the weather or the job?
The job, he asked Carla about the job.
Carla really liked Brian,
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Did Carla really like Brian?
Yes, she did. She really liked Brian.
Did Cara dislike Brian?
No, she didnt dislike him, she really liked him.
Did Carla only like Brian a little bit?
No, she didnt like him only a little, she liked Brian a lot, she really liked Brian.
Did Carla like Brian a lot?
Yes, yes, she did. She really liked him, she liked him a lot.
Who really liked Brian? Did Freddie really like Brian?
No, its not Freddie were talking about.
Did Carla really like Brian?
Yes, thats correct. Carla really liked Brian.
Who did Carla really like? Did she really like Freddie or Brian?
Brian, she really liked Brian. Carla really liked Brian.
so she offered him a job.

Did she offer him a job?
Yes, she did. She offered him a job.
What did she do?
She offered him a job.
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Did she ask him to have dinner with her or offer him a job?
Offer him a job, she offered him a job.
Who offered him a job? Did Frankie offer him a job?
No, it wasnt Frankie.
Did Carla offer him a job?
Yes, thats correct. Carla offered him a job.
Who did Carla offer a job to? Did she offer a job to Pablo?
No, she didnt offer a job to Pablo.
Did she offer a job to Brian?
Yes, thats correct. She offered a job to Brian.
What did she offer him? Did she offer him some coffee or a job?
A job, she offered him a job.
Later that week Brian had enough money to buy the plane ticket.
Did Brian have enough money to buy the plane ticket?
Yes, he did. He had enough money to buy the plane ticket.
What did Brian have enough money to buy?
The plane ticket, he had enough money to buy the plane ticket.
Did he have enough money to buy a car or the plane ticket?
The plane ticket, he had enough money to buy the plane ticket.
Did he have enough money to buy a plane ticket to Paris?
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No, its not Paris.
Did he have enough money to buy a plane ticket to Thailand?
Yes, thats where he wanted to go. He wanted to go to Thailand so he wanted to buy a plane ticket to
Thailand.
Who had enough money to buy a plane ticket? Did Frankie or Brian have enough money to buy a plane
ticket?
Brian did, Brian had enough money to buy the plane ticket.
When did Brian have enough money to buy the plane ticket? Did he have enough money later that day?
No, it wasnt that soon, it wasnt later that day.
Did he have enough money later that week?
Yes, thats correct. Later that week he had enough money to buy the plane ticket.
Later that week did Brian have enough money to buy the plane ticket?
Yes, he did. Later that week Brian had enough money to buy the plane ticket, the plane ticket to Thailand.
He was no longer angry that he was fired from his job as a bus driver.
Was he still angry that he got fired from his job as a bus driver?
No, no, he wasnt. He was no longer angry that he was fired from his job as a bus driver.
Was Brian still angry?
No, no, he wasnt. He was no longer angry.
Did Brian still have a chip on his shoulder?
No, no, he didnt. He was no longer angry which means he didnt still have a chip on his shoulder.
Remember, to have a chip on your shoulder means to be angry.
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Was Brian ever angry about being fired from his job as a bus driver?
Yes, yes, he was. He had a chip on his shoulder at first which means he was angry but now he was no
longer angry which means he was angry but hes not angry anymore.
Its just water under the bridge now.

Is it just water under the bridge now?
Yes, it is. Its just water under the bridge now.
Is it something that happened and cannot be changed?
Yes, yes, thats correct. Its water under the bridge which means that it is something that has happened and
cannot be changed because water under the bridge means something that has happened and cannot be
changed.
What is water under the bridge now? Is Brian being fired from his job as a bus driver water under the bridge
now?
Yes, yes, thats whats water under the bridge now, Brian being fired from his job as a bus driver. Its now
water under the bridge. It happened and it cannot be changed.
Is Brian being fired from his job as a bus driver something that happened and cannot be changed?
Yes, it is. Its water under the bridge now, which means it is something that happened and cannot be
changed.
*
Okay, that brings us to the end of our story which means we have finished the mini-story lesson for the
conversation Ticket On The Train. Now its time for you to tell this story by yourself. Remember, you do not
need to memorize every single word but you should try to use all the idioms that we used. Okay, so here are
the idioms that were used in this story: chip on his shoulder, to top it off, a pretty penny, racking his
brain, total long shot, and water under the bridge. So remember to tell the story using these idioms now.
Okay, good luck and well see you next time.
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Ticket On The Train POV Lesson

Hey everyone. Welcome to the point of view stories for Ticket On The Train. Today were going to hear the
same story from the Ticket On The Train mini-story lesson but were going to tell it in four different points of
view. So well hear four different stories. Ok, lets get started.
*
Brian the dog has a chip on his shoulder. He gets fired from his job as a bus driver. Then, to top it
off, he locks his keys in his car.
He's saving money because he wants to go to Thailand. It costs a pretty penny to buy a plane ticket
to Thailand. So hes racking his brain trying to think of how to pay for the ticket.
Then his brother Frankie calls him. He tells him about a job. The job is working at a caf owned by
Carla the cat. Carla the cat does not like dogs. Brian thinks that it is a total long shot but he asks
Carla about the job. Carla really likes Brian, so she offers him a job.
Later that week Brian has enough money to buy the plane ticket. He is no longer angry that he was
fired from his job as a bus driver. Its just water under the bridge now.
*
Okay, so as you can see we just heard the story told as if it is happening right now. Now lets tell the story as
if it has already happened. So lets say it happened six months ago. Okay, lets start.
*
Six months ago Brian the dog had a chip on his shoulder. He just got fired from his job as a bus
driver. Then, to top it off, he locked his keys in his car.
He had been saving money because he wanted to go to Thailand. It costs a pretty penny to buy a
plane ticket to Thailand. So hes been racking his brain trying to think of how to pay for the ticket.
Then his brother Frankie called him. He told him about a job. The job was working at a caf owned
by Carla the cat. Carla the cat did not like dogs. Brian thought it was a total long shot but he asked
Carla about the job. Carla really liked Brian, so she offered him a job.
Later that week Brian had enough money to buy the plane ticket. He was no longer angry that he was
fired from his job as a bus driver. It was just water under the bridge now.
*
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Okay, so that was the story told as if it happened six months ago. Now lets tell the story as if its happening
in the future. So lets think of the story told two years from now, as if its happening two years from now.
*
Two years from now Brian the dog will have a chip on his shoulder. Hes going to get fired from his
job as a bus driver. Then, to top it off, hes gonna lock his keys in his car.
Hell be saving money because he wants to go to Thailand. It costs a pretty penny to buy a plane
ticket to Thailand. So hell be racking his brain trying to think of how to pay for the ticket.
Then his brother Frankie is gonna call him. He's going to tell him about a job. The jobll be working
at a caf owned by Carla the cat. Carla the cat isnt going to like dogs. Brian thinks that it will be a
total long shot but hell ask Carla about the job. Carla is really gonna like Brian, so shell offer him a
job.
Later that week Brianll have enough money to buy the plane ticket. Hell no longer be angry that he
was fired from his job as a bus driver. Itll just be water under the bridge.
*
Alright so thats the end of that story. Now lets hear the story from Brians point of view. So in this story
Brian is actually telling the story to us. Here we go.
*
I had a chip on my shoulder. I just got fired from my job as a bus driver. Then, to top it off, I locked
my keys in my car.
I had been saving money because I wanted to go to Thailand. It costs a pretty penny to buy a plane
ticket to Thailand. So I have been racking my brain trying to think of how to pay for the ticket.
Then my brother Frankie called me. He told me about a job. The job was working at a caf owned by
Carla the cat. Carla the cat did not like dogs. I thought that it was a total long shot but I asked Carla
about the job. Carla really liked me, so she offered me a job.
Later that week I had enough money to buy the plane ticket. I was no longer angry that I was fired
from my job as a bus driver. It was just water under the bridge now.
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*
Alright so that is the end of the point of view stories for the lesson Ticket On The Train. Now its time for you
to go back and listen to each version of the story again. Listen to it many times. And when you feel that you
know the story then try and tell the story on your own. And do this for each of the stories that we just heard in
this lesson. Okay, thats all for now. Bye bye.
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Ticket On The Train Vocabulary Lesson

Hello and welcome to the vocabulary lesson for the conversation Ticket on the Train. In this conversation
Joe and I are talking about how I got a ticket one day riding the train here in San Francisco. Now let me first
explain that there are two kinds of tickets, two different kinds of tickets. The first is a ticket that you can buy
to go to something like a concert or a play. Or a ticket you buy to ride a bus or a plane, airplane, or a train.
Thats the first kind of a ticket. The second kind of a ticket is one that you can get if you do something wrong,
which means that you then have to pay money to the government. So in this conversation, both kinds of
tickets are talked about. And I just wanted to clarify that before starting with the conversation so that it
wouldnt be too confusing.
*
Joe first says, So, uh, hows your day goin?

Now so, uh, at the beginning of the sentence These are two words that are just filler. Theyre not really
needed. They have no meaning in the sentence. And then when he says hows... Hows is short for how is.
So you wont really see that in written English but youll definitely hear it in conversational English.
"hows your day goin?"
Now, goin... This is short for going. Again you wont see that in written English but you will hear it in
conversational English.
And then I say, Oh, it could have started off better.
Now when I start off the sentence by saying oh... Here again, thats not really needed. Its just filler. It you
take it away from the sentence, the sentence will still make sense.
And then I say, Actually...
This is filler also. Its not really needed.
I go on to say, I feel like I woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
Woke up on the wrong side of the bed. This means to feel a little angry at the start of the day or the
beginning of the day. Woke up on the wrong side of the bed. For example: I can remember waking up one
morning and yelling at Joe for no reason. So I think that I woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning.
And then Joe says, Why, what happened? And I say, Well...
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And this is just a filler word. Its not needed.
And I go on to say, things were going okay. I mean
Or what Im trying to say is that...
Id gotten the e-mails done...
Done, as in finished.
Id gotten all the dishes done. Took a shower. Got ready to go. Um, but
And those are two filler words as well.
And I go on to say, as usual I was running against the clock...
Now running against the clock... This means to be late. Running against the clock. For example: I always
feel like Im running against the clock when I have to be somewhere early in the morning. Running against
the clock.
And then I go on to say, trying to, uh...
And uh is just a filler word. Its not really needed.
And I go on to say, get down and catch the train on time.
Now get down... What Im saying here is to go to. To go to the place where I would catch the train. Get
down. For example: I was running to get down to the train before I left. Get down. And when I say catch the
train... Catch the train on time. Catch the train. What Im saying here is to get on the train. Im not really
trying to catch it with my hands. Im just going... Im trying to get on the train. So catch the train. For
example: I usually try to catch the train near my house at 20th and Church Streets. Catch the train.
And Joe says, Yeah.
Now yeah is just casual or informal for yes. So hes just agreeing with me.
And then I say, So, I got on the train. I go in the back like I usually do because I have a pass.
Now pass here... This is a ticket that allows you to ride the train. Or allows a person to ride the train. So in
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this situation, me. Its my pass. I usually buy a pass that will last me for one month. So I buy a ticket and I
can ride the train for one month, as many times as I want. So thats pass. For example: I always try to get a
pass so I do not get in trouble for riding the train without paying. Pass.
So I go on to say, I sit down, we go one stop. We, were actually coming up to 18th...
And this is supposed to be 18th Street.
And then I say, yknow...
And I go on to say, just the next stop. And I see the, the ticket checkers, for lack of a better word...
Now Im saying for lack of a better word just because Im not sure exactly what theyre called, so They
probably have a certain name. But I just say ticket checkers because Im not sure what that name is. Ticket
checkers. These are people who make sure that you paid to ride the train. Ticket checkers. For example: I
saw the ticket checkers going up to everyone on the train, making sure they had a ticket or pass. Ticket
checkers.
And Joe says, Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, I know who youre talkin about.
And when he says talkin... This is short for talking.
And I say, People who are always checking for passes... And Joe says, Right.
Or hes saying correct. Hes just agreeing with me.
And then I say, theyre on and I thought, okay, great, yeah, Ive, yknow, Ive got my pass on me. So
one of them comes up to me asking to see my pass. I start looking in my bag for the place that I
always keep it, and its not there. And Joe says, Oh, are you serious?
So hes saying, oh no, really?
And I say, So, yeah! Im looking, looking, thinking, oh where is it? Then suddenly...
Or Im saying then right away.
eh, yknow, and this is after, too, I start checking my pants
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Or I start looking in my pants.
and just racking my brain
Now racking my brain. What this means is thinking. Thinking really hard about something. Thinking. For
example: I was racking my brain trying to remember the directions to the airport. Racking my brain.
And I go on to say, tryin
Tryin is just short for trying.
tryin to think of where, where my pass could be. Then suddenly it dawned on me
It dawned on me. This means I recalled or I remembered. It dawned on me. It dawned on me that I forgot to
turn off the oven before I left the house today. It dawned on me.
And I go on to say, it dawned on me that I had left it in the pocket of a pair of pants that Id worn two
days before to work.
Now pair of pants. We say this whenever we are talking about one pants. We just say a pair, even though
pair usually means two. Pair of pants.
And then Joe says, Oh, and they were still at home, Im sure.
So hes talking about my pair of pants that I wore two days earlier. Hes saying theyre probably still at home
because Im wearing a different pair of pants the day this happened.
And I say, Yes, they were still at home. So, I start explaining
Or I start telling.
this to the woman
The woman being the ticket checker.
and, she, um, she whips her clipboard out.
Now whips her clipboard out. This means she took her clipboard out. A clipboard is something to write on.
And I go on to say, And Im like...
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Now like here is just filler. Its not really needed.
Im like, 'yknow, I just got on.' And shes like, 'oh right here?' 'Coz...
And coz is short for because.
Coz, yknow, wed just gotten to 18th Street. And I was like, 'no, no, no, no...'
So Im telling her, no, no, no, no, no.
'I, I, um, I got on just one stop back at 20th Street. But I always have my pass on me'
Now on me... That means with me. I always have my pass with me or on me. For example: After I left the
house I realized that I did not have my wallet on me.
And then I go to say, 'and thats why I got on the back. Ive got money. I can go up and pay right
now.'
Im saying all of this to the woman but Im just repeating it to Joe.
And I go on to say, and shes like...
Or what this means is she said. The ticket checker said to me.
'Oh, just hold on a second...'
Or shes saying wait a minute.
And she starts writing. And then Joe says, Let me guess, Im gonna
And gonna is short for going.
Im gonna go out on a limb here and say that she still gave you the ticket.
Go out on a limb. This means to say something that seems unlikely. To say something that seems like it
didnt really happen. Unlikely. So Joe is actually joking when he says this because hes pretty sure, or hes
very sure, that she wrote me a ticket. Its called sarcasm... Him joking with me like this.
And then I say, Yes. I still got the citation.
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Now citation. This is a ticket that means you have to pay money for doing something wrong. This is the
second kind of ticket I explained at the beginning of the vocabulary lesson. An example of citation would be:
I got a citation because I did not pay before I got on the train. Thats citation.
And then I go on to say, So, but, I thought that there still might be hope.
Or what Im saying is, I thought that there still might be a chance that I wouldnt get the citation.
And then I say, So I keep trying to ask her questions, or... And letting her know I can go and pay.
And shes like...
Or what Im saying here is, she said. Shes like, she said. The ticket checker said.
Just, just hold on
Now what this means... First of all, just is a filler word. Its not really needed. But hold on means wait. I can
remember when my mom used to pick me up at school and she would honk the horn and then Id say, Just
hold on. Or hold on.
And I go on to say, Im telling Joe, the woman, - the ticket checker - is saying this to me let me, let
me focus on this
Or shes saying let me keep doing this.
and well talk in a minute when I get done writing. So then I start panicking...
Im telling Joe this. I start panicking. I start getting very worried.
thinking, oh great...
Or oh no.
I am getting it...
Meaning I know Im going to get the citation. I am going to get this ticket.
for sure. And then I say, And I remember back to somebody telling me that theyd gotten one, a
ticket once
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Or a citation. That theyd gotten this ticket once.
before on the train and, um, for not havin their pass...
Now havin is short for having.
And I go on to say, and it ended up costing em like 250 bucks...
Now when I say costing em... Em is short for them. And then when I say 250 bucks... Bucks means
dollars. Its just a slang word for dollars. So thats bucks. For example: The bread cost 2 bucks.
And then Joe says, Well, Ive gotten... And then I say, And you know with the... And Joe says,
one of those tickets before. And, and I mean, I recall.
Or hes saying I remember.
it cost a pretty penny.
Now pretty penny. This means a lot of money. A pretty penny. For example: I can remember a plane ticket
from San Francisco to Bangkok costing me a pretty penny. Pretty penny.
And then Joe goes on to say, But I dont remember it being that much. And then I say, Well, eh,
this is what Im thinking its gonna cost.
Gonna is short for going to.
And I go on to say, And with the money that were tryin to save for our trip...
Tryin is short for trying.
And I go on to say, I just, I almost started crying, thinkin
Now thinkin is short for thinking.
thinkin I cant afford this...
Or what Im saying is, I cant pay this because I dont have enough money.
And I say, yknow. So she finishes writing and hands it to me
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Or she gives it to me.
and it ends up being only 50 bucks. And Joe says, Oh, they must have cut down the fine then...
Now cut down. This means to make smaller. Cut down. I can remember when my father cut down the apple
tree in the back yard. Cut down. And when he says cut down the fine fine is an amount of money to be
paid for doing something wrong.
So Joe is saying, Oh, they must have cut down the fine then... And he goes on to say, because I
remember I paid more than that. And then I say, Yeah, she had circled 50 bucks.
So what Im saying is the woman, the ticket checker, put a circle around $50 that was written on the ticket. It
was already printed on the ticket, $50. And she just circled it with her pen.
And then I say, Shes like
Or here, like again means said. Shes like or she said.
'Im assuming'
Or Im thinking.
'this is your first offense.'
Now first offense... This means the first time you have been in trouble for something. First offense. I can
remember when a friend of mine, Chris, got a speeding ticket. But it was only his first offense for speeding.
First offense.
And then I go on to say, and I was like, 'yeah, it is.'
So Im telling the woman, yeah. It is my first offense.
Then I go on to say to Joe Shes like...
Or Im saying the ticket checker said.
'Okay, um, itll be 50 bucks. Now I did write down here that you do, you claim'
Claim meaning you say.
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'you claim you have a pass and you just left it in a pair of pants back in your apartment. So what you
can do is go here.' And shes showing me all this on the ticket. 'You can go here and contest it.'
Go here. What the ticket checker is telling me is to go to a specific government building called a courthouse.
And when she says contest it what shes talking about is I can go and fight it. I can go and tell them, look I
did have a pass. I left it in my apartment. I can go there and try to do this so I dont have to pay the 50
dollars. An example of contest it would be: Eric is going to contest the ticket that he got for speeding in his
car. Contest it.
And then I say, So... And Joe says, Pffft.
Now this is just a noise showing emotion.
And Joe goes on to say, Yeah..yeah, go down there
So hes saying, go to the courthouse.
and contest it. That basically means youre gonna spend, yknow, most of a day sitting in the
courtroom
Courtroom is a room in the courthouse. The government building I would have to go to to fight the ticket.
And Joe says, waiting for the case to get called.
So what hes saying here is, I would be spending a good part of my day, many hours probably, waiting for the
case to get called. Or waiting just to talk to someone about my ticket and not wanting to pay it.
And then Joe says, And then when it finally does get called, yknow, you gotta
Gotta is short for youve got to.
And Joe says, try and convince
Or youve got to try and convince.
"the judge..."
Or make the judge believe. The judge is a person who decides what will happen to someone when they have
done something wrong.
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And then Joe goes on to say you have to convince the judge that you actually
Or you really.
had a ticket. I mean, its a total long shot.
Now total long shot. This means very unlikely. Total long shot. Very unlikely that something will happen.
For example: My favorite basketball team is not very good. Its a total long shot that they will win more
games than they will lose. Total long shot.
And then Joe goes on to say, I wouldnt, I mean... And I say, I know.
Im just agreeing with him.
And Joe says, I dont even know, its a waste of time. And then I say, Yeah, I agree. I was
talkin
Talkin is short for talking.
I was talkin to somebody here at work about it and they were like, yknow, if you do that youre
gonna be sitting there for a few hours at least...
Few hours at least. This is saying three or more hours.
Joe says, Yeah.
Agreeing with me.
And I say, and its just not worth it.
So what Im saying is, its not important enough. Its not important enough to go sit all day. Waste one day to
go and try to talk to someone to not have to pay for 50 dollars. And it might not even I might still end up
having to pay.
And then Joe says, No, I agree. And then I say, Yeah, so, Im tryin not to have a chip on my
shoulder about it.
A chip on my shoulder. This means to be angry. A chip on my shoulder. For example: AJ had a chip on his
shoulder after getting a ticket for speeding [in his] on his motorcycle. A chip on my shoulder, or in this
example, a chip on his shoulder.
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And then I say, I dont wanna
And wanna is short for want to.
I dont wanna badmouth them. I know theyre just doin their job...
Doin is short for doing. Now badmouth... Badmouth means to speak badly about. Badmouth. I can
remember growing up my mother would always tell me that it was not nice to badmouth a person. Badmouth.
And then Joe says, Pffft. Yeah, its, its... And I say, yknow... And then Joe says, yeah, I mean
its water under the bridge at this point...
So hes saying its water under the bridge now. At this point. Now. Water under the bridge. This means
something that has happened and cannot be changed. Water under the bridge. For example: I started to
get angry after I got dirt on my white pants. But then I realized that it was just water under the bridge.
And then Joe goes on to say, so, yknow, dont... And I say, It is.
Im agreeing. It is water under the bridge.
And Joe says, get upset about it.
Upset just means angry or worried. Hes saying dont get upset about it. Dont get angry or worried about it.
And I say, Yeah, I. Bottom line
Bottom line means the final thing.
Bottom line is Im gonna be havin
Havin is short for having to.
Im gonna be havin to pay 50 bucks, so... And Joe says, Yeah, yeah, that sucks.
Sucks here means thats not good.
And Joe says, Im sure that was a great way to start the day, huh?
When he says huh, hes saying wasnt it? Im sure that was a great way to start the day wasnt it? What Joe
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means here is hes not being serious. Hes joking again. Once again this is called sarcasm. Hes not
being serious with me because obviously thats not a great way to start my day.
And then I say, Well, to top it off then...
To top it off. This means in addition to. For example: I can remember two weeks ago my day started off
badly. First I woke up late. Then I spilled coffee on my shirt. And to top it off I fell down and ripped my
pants. So thats to top it off.
And I go on to say, I also realized that the pair of pants that my pass, I left my pass in - the pocket
that I left them in - I washed those pants last night.
Or I cleaned those pants last night.
And Joe laughs. And he says, Oh, so the pass is probably shredded.
Shredded means torn into little pieces.
And I say, So, its probably shredded, its probably done, yep.
Now yep. This is just slang for yes. Its probably done. What Im saying here is, its probably destroyed. Its
probably done.
And Joe says, Oh, yeah.
*
Now this is the end of the conversation for Ticket On The Train. I hope it wasnt too confusing about the two
different kinds of tickets. The one ticket, like I said - that you can buy to go to a concert, some kind of show,
to ride on an airplane, to ride on a train, to ride on a bus - thats one kind of ticket. And then the second kind
of ticket is a ticket you get for doing something wrong. So, for example, from this conversation, the ticket
checker on the train writing me a ticket because I had not paid to ride the train. I did not have my pass.
Okay, if you need to, go back and listen to this conversation or this lesson again. Just to make sure that you
have a basic understanding of the vocabulary. And, as always, make sure that you are doing this in a relaxed
way, youre not getting too worried or stressed if youre not understanding. And then when youre ready, go
to the mini-story.
Alright, take care, bye bye. See you next time.
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12. NEW SCHOOL YEAR
New School Year Conversation

started it up: to begin
something
Joe: Hows the, uh, hows the new school year goin? I know you just started it up
again.
off to a rough start: a

difficult or challenging
beginning
Richard: Uh, yeah, its off to a rough start.

Joe: Really?
Richard: Yeah.
Joe: Why so?
prep: short for preparation
Richard: Uh, we have a new reading program, um.... It's called Readers
Workshop, um, and a new math program, Everyday Math, so a lot of prep work.
Yesterday I was at school from about 9, 9 until 2
Joe: Gosh.
launching: beginning;
starting
Richard: Yeah, getting stuff ready. Theres just a lot of preparation for launching
the math program.
starting from scratch: to

start at the beginning with
no preparation
Joe: It sounds like youre probably starting from scratch because

Richard: It is
Joe: youre used to teaching the
Richard: yeah
methodologies: a way of
doing something
Joe: same methodologies before.

Richard: Right, so, we, the last math series that we had, we had for, um, four years.
Joe: Uh-huh.
Richard: And, so, yknow, it was like easy to teach. Yknow, I didnt need to do any
prep stuff for it. Yknow
Joe: Right.
day to day: happens

every day or most days
Richard: I knew what I was going to do from day to day
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13. MUSIC FESTIVAL

(PART 1)
Music Festival Part 1 Conversation
festival: here it means a
music concert
Kristin: So, whatd ya think of the festival tonight?

Joe: Oh, I thought it was great. I had a great time the entire day, actually.
Kristin: Yeah, good, good, me too.
running late: late

boonies: an area where
there is not a lot of other
things like restaurants or
stores
Joe: Yknow, I thought it was a great idea for us all to meet over at Tims place. I
mean you and I were obviously running late because he lives out in the boonies.
But, uh, yknow, better late than never.
better late than never: it

is better to do something
late than not at all
Kristin: Yeah, I agree. When you get a group of people together to go to an event
like this, it just adds to the enjoyment, yknow, the fun. And its kind of like the saying
goes, the more the merrier.
the more the merrier:

the more people with you
the more fun you will
have
Joe: Yeah, I totally agree. And, yknow, I, I think it was really important that we all
went to the concert together in one group. Because, yknow, it was so large it would
have made it really difficult to find, uh, people in our group if we would have all gone
separately.
Kristin: Right. I mean a-
cost an arm and a leg:

costs a lot
Joe: It actually, it actually surprised me because, that the crowd was so large. I
mean the tickets cost an arm and a leg. So I was kinda thinkin that maybe the
crowd wouldnt be as big.
deter: prevent
Kristin: Yeah, but, price doesnt usually deter you from going to hear music, right?
Joe: No, its true. Youre right.
laid out: organized
Kristin: But, um, speaking of us staying together, it just was making me think of the
crowds. And I just didnt think that in general the, the festival was laid out that well.
Joe: Well, there were four different stages.
Kristin: No, there were six.
Joe: Oh there were six stages?
Kristin: Yeah.
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Joe: S-, see we only went to two of em.
Kristin: I know.
kind of: sort of
impractical: not useful
Joe: But, the, uh, stages were kind of far apart and yknow what the, the most
impractical, uh, design was? I thought that they, uh, they had very narrow walkways
between the stages.
Kristin: Yes.
tunnel: a place that goes

through or under a
blocked area
Joe: And sometimes you had to go through a little tunnel, like a foot tunnel
Kristin: Yep.
Joe: and, uh, thered be thousands of people trying to go through a space that
only maybe twenty people could go through at a time.
bottlenecked: unable to
move (because it is too
crowded)
Kristin: Oh, yeah. The crowd would get completely, completely bottlenecked.
Joe: Yeah, exactly. So tryin to go from one stage to the next was just, uh It took
a lot of time and effort.
Kristin: Yeah, I agree.
Joe: So that was one thing that was, yknow, just not properly planned for on their
part.
random: scattered
forge: to push through
hassle: inconvenience
Kristin: No! And then thered be all these random trails through the woods that
people were trying to forge their way through.
Joe: Yeah, true. Yknow, another thing that, uh, was a real hassle was tryin to get a
beer.
Kristin: Oh my god, yeah.
ID: short for identification
Joe: I mean, the wait, the line was like, yknow, a hundred and twenty people long.
Every time you wanted to go get a beer.
wristband: something
that you wear around
your wrist
Kristin: Yeah, well first you had to stand in line just for them to check your ID and
get the wristband.
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Joe: Yeah, and
Kristin: That was bad enough.
Joe: Oh, that was an even longer line.
Kristin: Yeah.
Joe: Yeah.
battling the lines:
waiting in a long line
Kristin: I mean once you had the wristband, though, then it was battling the lines
just to get a beer. Each time. Yeah, it was ridiculous.
Joe: Yeah, and if you wanted to go get a beer while the band was playing, you
basically had to decide whether you wanted to see the music
Kristin: Yep.
Joe: or you really wanted a beer. Which was more important to you?
Kristin: Right.
Joe: You had to make a choice, yknow?
pros and cons: the good

and bad points
Kristin: Yeah. Make a list of pros and cons [laugh].

Joe: Yeah, yeahhow thirsty am I versus how much do I want to hear this music.
And the lines to the bathroom were really long also.
Kristin: Yeah, the lines in general were just a hassle, I have to agree.
stadium: a large place

where they have sports or
music concerts
Joe: Yeah. I mean, I remember when we were leaving the event. It took us over an
hour just to get out of the, uh, the stadium.
Kristin: Oh god.
Joe: Remember, there were all these people who were startin to climb the fences
Kristin: Yeah.
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Joe: instead of going through the little, uh, tunnel. I mean
Kristin: Yes.
an accident waiting to
happen: dangerous
Hardly Strictly
Bluegrass: a music
festival in San Francisco
Joe: and the, the fence, it looked like it was gonna break. I mean it was totally an
accident waiting to happen.
Kristin: Right. That was something I didnt understand. Like, at Hardly Strictly
Bluegrass I never, I didnt remember seeing fences like that.
Joe: Well, yknow, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, that festival is free So, yknow, I dont
think
Kristin: Oh yeah
barriers: something used

to keep people or animals
from entering
Joe: they had to put up the barriers to, uh

Kristin: thats, okay
Joe: to entry.
what the deal was: what

was happening
Kristin: that makes sense. I was wondering what the deal was with the fences.
Joe: Yeah. S-
Kristin: Okay.
Joe: So thats why thats, yknow, thats why you never have that problem at that
festival.
Kristin: Right.
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Music Festival Part 1 Mini-Story Lesson

Hi and welcome to the mini-story lesson for the conversation Music Festival Part 1.
Okay, lets get started with the story.
*
It was Sam the spiders 30th birthday. None of his friends wished him a happy birthday.
My friends forgot my birthday, he said.
Tom and Melissa called Sam. They invited him to come to their house to watch a movie.
The more the merrier, said Tom.
Sam thought about the pros and cons of going to their house. It was a hassle because they lived ten
miles away from his house. A taxi ride to their house would cost an arm and a leg. But he did not
want to be alone on his birthday, so he decided to go.
He was running late because he had to spin some webs.
Better late than never, he said.
He arrived at Tom and Melissas house but no one was home. He wondered what the deal was. Then
he saw all of his friends.
Happy Birthday Sam! they yelled.
Now Sam was happy. It was the best birthday he had ever had.
*
Okay, so thats our story. Now I will read the story again and this time I will ask questions. You can answer
the questions out loud and if you need a little more time, feel free to pause your iPod or your computer and
then when you feel like youve had enough time to answer the question, then press play again. Of course, if
you just feel like listening as I ask the questions and not answering, well thats fine, too.
*
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It was Sam the spiders 30th birthday.
Was it Sams 30th birthday?
Yes, it was. It was Sams 30th birthday.
What day was it?
Well, it was Sams 30th birthday, thats what day it was.
Whose birthday was it?
Sams, it was Sams birthday.
Was it Bills birthday?
No, it wasnt Bills birthday.
Was it Sams birthday?
Yes, yes, it was. It was Sams birthday.
How old was Sam?
Thirty years old, he was 30 years old.
Was he 30 or 20 years old?
Thirty, he was 30 years old.
Is Sam a spider or a butterfly?
A spider, Sam is a spider.
Is Sam a spider?
Yes, he is. Sam is a spider.
None of his friends wished him a happy birthday.
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Did his friends wish him a happy birthday?
No, none of his friends wished him a happy birthday.
What did none of his friends do?
Wish him a happy birthday. None of his friends wished him a happy birthday.
None of whose friends wished him a happy birthday?
Sams, none of Sams friends wished him a happy birthday.
Did Sams friend Tom wish him a happy birthday?
No, no, none of Sams friends wished him a happy birthday, so that means Sams friend Tom did not wish
him a happy birthday.
My friends forgot my birthday, he said.

Did he say that his friends forgot his birthday?
Yes, he did. He said, My friends forgot my birthday.
Who forgot his birthday?
His friends, his friends forgot his birthday.
Did his parents forget his birthday?
No, not his parents.
Did his friends forget his birthday?
Yes, his friends, his friends forgot his birthday.
Whose birthday did they forget?
Sams, they forgot Sams birthday.
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Did they forget Toms birthday?
No, not Tom.
Did they forget Sams birthday?
Yes, they forgot Sams birthday. He said they forgot my birthday.
What did his friends forget?
Well, Sam said they forgot his birthday, so they forgot Sams birthday.
Tom and Melissa called Sam.

Did Tom and Melissa call Sam?
Yes, they did. Tom and Melissa called Sam.
What did Tom and Melissa do?
They called Sam. Tom and Melissa called Sam.
Did Tom and Melissa write him a letter or call him?
They called him. Tom and Melissa called him.
Who called Sam?
Tom and Melissa, Tom and Melissa called Sam.
Did Bill and Hillary call Sam?
No, not Bill and Hillary.
Did Tom and Melissa call Sam?
Yes, yes, they did. Tom and Melissa called Sam.
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Who did Tom and Melissa call?
Sam, they called Sam. Tom and Melissa called Sam.
They invited him to come to their house to watch a movie.

Did they invite him to come to their house to watch a movie?
Yes, they did. They invited him to come to their house to watch a movie.
What did they do?
Well, they invited him to come to their house to watch a movie.
Did they invite him to come to their house for dinner or for a movie?
A movie, they invited him to come to their house to watch a movie.
Who invited him to come to their house?
Tom and Melissa, Tom and Melissa invited him to come to their house.
Did Tom and Melissa invite him to come to their house?
Yes, they did. Tom and Melissa invited him to come to their house.
Who did they invite?
Sam, they invited Sam.
Did they invite Bill or Sam?
Sam, they invited Sam.
Why did they invite him to their house?
To watch a movie, they invited him to their house to watch a movie.
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The more the merrier, said Tom.
What did Tom say?
Well, he said, The more the merrier.
Did Tom say if there are more people with him then it will be more fun?
Yes, he did. He said, The more the merrier, which is the same thing as saying the more people that are
with him, then the more fun that it will be. The more the merrier means the more people that you are with, the
more fun that you will have.
Did Tom think that it would be more fun if Sam came to his house?
Yes, he did. He said, The more the merrier.
Sam thought about the pros and cons of going to their house.
Did Sam think about the pros and cons of going to their house?
Yes, he did. Thats what he did. He thought about the pros and cons of going to their house.
What did Sam think about?
The pros and cons of going to their house, he thought about the pros and cons of going to their house.
Did Sam think about the pros and cons of the weather?
No, it wasnt about the weather that he was thinking about the pros and cons.
Did Sam think about the good points and the bad points?
Yes, he did. He thought about the pros and cons, which is the same thing as saying he thought about the
good points and the bad points. The pros and cons are the good points and the bad points.
Who thought about the pros and cons?
Sam, Sam thought about the pros and cons.
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Did Sam or Tom think about the pros and cons?
Sam, Sam did. Sam thought about the pros and cons.
What did Sam think about the pros and cons of?
Going to their house, he thought about the pros and cons of going to their house.
Did Sam think about the pros and cons of going to Paris?
No, he didnt think of the pros and cons of going to Paris.
Did he think about the pros and cons of going to their house?
Yes, he did. He thought about the pros and cons of going to their house.
Did he think about the good and the bad points of going to their house?
Yes, he did. He thought about the pros and cons, which means that he thought about the good and the bad
points. The pros and cons are the good and the bad points of something.
It was a hassle because they lived ten miles away from his house.
Was it a hassle because they lived ten miles away from his house?
Yes, it was. It was a hassle because they lived ten miles away from his house.
What was a hassle? Was going to their house or making dinner a hassle?
Going to their house was a hassle, because they lived so far away.
Was going to their house inconvenient?
Yes, it was. Going to their house was a hassle, which is the same thing as saying going to their house was
inconvenient. Something that is a hassle is something that is inconvenient.
Why was it a hassle?
Well, it was a hassle because they lived ten miles away.
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Was it inconvenient because they lived ten miles away from his house?
Yes, it was. It was a hassle because they lived ten miles away from his house, which is the same thing as
saying it was inconvenient because they lived ten miles away from his house.
Who lived ten miles away from his house?
Tom and Melissa, Tom and Melissa lived ten miles away from his house.
Did Tom and Melissa live ten miles away from his house?
Yes, they did. Tom and Melissa lived ten miles away from his house.
Was it inconvenient to go to Tom and Melissas house?
Yes, it was. It was a hassle, which means that it was inconvenient.
How far away from his house did they live?
Ten miles, they lived ten miles away from his house.
Did they live ten miles or ten meters away from his house?
Ten miles, they lived ten miles away from his house.
How many miles away from his house did they live?
Ten, they lived ten miles away from his house.
Did Tom and Melissa live ten miles away from his house?
Yes, they did. They lived ten miles away from his house.
A taxi ride to their house would cost an arm and a leg.

Would a taxi ride to their house cost an arm and a leg?
Yes, it would. A taxi ride to their house would cost an arm and a leg.
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Would a taxi ride to their house be cheap?
No, it would not be cheap. It would cost an arm and a leg.
Would a taxi ride to their house cost a lot of money?
Yes, it would. It would cost an arm and a leg, which is the same thing as saying it would cost a lot of money.
An arm and a leg means a lot of money.
What would cost an arm and a leg?
A taxi ride to their house, a taxi ride to their house would cost an arm and a leg.
Would a taxi ride to their house or a loaf of bread cost an arm and a leg?
A taxi ride to their house, not an arm and a leg.
Would a taxi ride to their house be expensive?
Yes, it would. It would cost an arm and a leg, which is the same thing as saying it would cost a lot of money
or that it would be expensive. When something costs an arm and a leg it means that it is expensive.
But he did not want to be alone on his birthday,

Did he want to be alone on his birthday?
No, no, he did not. He did not want to be alone on his birthday.
What did he not want?
To be alone on his birthday, he did not want to be alone on his birthday.
Who did not want to be alone on his birthday?
Sam, Sam did not want to be alone on his birthday.
When did he not want to be alone?
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On his birthday, he did not want to be alone on his birthday.
so he decided to go.
Did he decide to go?
Yes, he did. He decided to go.
What did he decide?
To go, he decided to go.
Did he decide to stay or go?
Go, he decided to go.
Who decided to go?
Sam, Sam decided to go.
Did Tom or Sam decide to go?
Sam did. Sam decided to go.
Where did he decide to go?
To Tom and Melissas house, he decided to go to Tom and Melissas house.
Did he decide to go to Tom and Melissas house or to a dance club?
Tom and Melissas house, he decided to go to Tom and Melissas house.
Why did he decide to go?
Well, he decided to go because he did not want to be alone on his birthday.
He was running late because he had to spin some webs.
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Was he running late?
Yes, he was. He was running late.
Was he late?
Yes, yes, he was. He was running late which is the same thing as saying he was late. Running late means
to be late.
Who was running late?
Sam, Sam was running late.
Was Sam late?
Yes, he was. Sam was late, he was running late.
Did he have to spin some webs?
Yes, yes, he did. He had to spin some webs. To spin some webs here means he had to make some webs.
Spiders make webs to catch flies or bugs so Sam wanted to make some webs so he could catch some flies
or some bugs probably.
Who had to spin some webs?
Sam, Sam had to spin some webs.
Did Sam or Tom have to spin some webs?
Sam, Sam had to spin some webs.
Why was Sam late?
Well, he was late because he had to spin some webs.
Better late than never, he said.

Did he say Better late than never?
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Yes, he did. He said, Better late than never.
Did he say that it was better to go late than not at all?
Yes, he said, Better late than never. Better late than never means better to go late than not to go at all.
Who said, Better late than never?
Sam, Sam said, Better late than never.
Did Sam or Tom say Better late than never?
Sam did, Sam said, Better late than never.
Did Sam say that it was better to go late than not to go at all?
Yes, he did. Thats what he said. He said, Better late than never, which is the same thing as saying better
to go late than not to go at all. Better late than never means its better to go late than not to go at all.
He arrived at Tom and Melissas house but no one was home.

What did he do?
He arrived at Tom and Melissas house.
Did he arrive at the library or at Tom and Melissas house?
At Tom and Melissas house, he arrived at Tom and Melissas house.
Who arrived at Tom and Melissas house?
Sam, Sam arrived at Tom and Melissas house.
Did Sam or Nathan arrive at Tom and Melissas house?
Sam did, Sam arrived at Tom and Melissas house.
Whose house did he arrive at?
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Tom and Melissas, he arrived at Tom and Melissas house.
Did he arrive at his parents house?
No, he didnt arrive at his parents house.
Did he arrive at Tom and Melissas house?
Yes, yes, he did. He arrived at Tom and Melissas house.
Was anybody home?
No, there wasnt. There was no one home.
He wondered what the deal was.

Did he wonder what the deal was?
Yes, he did. He wondered what the deal was.
Did he wonder what was happening?
Yes, yes, he did. He wondered what the deal was, which is the same thing as saying he wondered what was
happening.
Who wondered what the deal was?
Sam, Sam wondered what the deal was.
Did Tom or Sam wonder what the deal was?
Sam did. Sam wondered what the deal was.
Did Sam wonder what was happening?
Yes, he did. He wondered what the deal was, which is the same thing as saying he wondered what was
happening. When you say what the deal was its the same thing as saying what was happening.
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Then he saw all of his friends.
Did he see all of his friends?
Yes, he did. He saw all of his friends.
Who saw all of his friends?
Sam, Sam did. Sam saw all of his friends.
Did Tom see all of his friends?
No, it wasnt Tom.
Did Sam see all of his friends?
Yes, he did. Sam did. Sam saw all of his friends.
What did he see?
All of his friends, he saw all of his friends.
Did he see a dog or all of his friends?
All of his friends, he saw all of his friends.
Happy Birthday Sam! they yelled.

Who yelled Happy Birthday Sam!?
His friends, Sams friends yelled Happy Birthday Sam!
Did his friends wish him a happy birthday?
Yes, they did. They yelled Happy Birthday Sam!, so they wished him a happy birthday.
Who did they wish a happy birthday?
Sam, they wished Sam a happy birthday.
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Now Sam was happy.

Was Sam angry?
No, he wasnt angry.
Was Sam happy?
Yes, he was. Sam was happy.
Who was happy?
Sam, Sam was happy.
Was Sam or Tom happy?
Sam, Sam was happy.
It was the best birthday he had ever had.

Was it the worst birthday he had ever had?
No, it wasnt the worst birthday he had ever had.
Was it the best birthday he had ever had?
Yes, it was. It was the best birthday he had ever had.
Had he ever had a better birthday?
No, no, he had not. It was the best birthday he had ever had.
Did Sam have a good birthday?
Yes, yes, he did. He had the best birthday he had ever had.
*
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Okay, so that is the end of our story which means we are the end of the mini-story lesson for the conversation
Music Festival Part 1. Now please tell the story on your own. Remember you do not need to remember
every single word in the story but you do need to use the idioms and the vocabulary words that we discussed,
and those were: the more the merrier, pros and cons, hassle, an arm and a leg, running late, better
late than never, and what the deal was. Okay, so now try to tell the story on your own. Remember that
you can listen to this mini-story lesson as many times as you need to, so if you need to listen to it a few more
times, then go ahead.
Okay, thats all for now. Thanks and well see you next time.
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Music Festival Part 1 POV Lesson

Hi, its me Joe. I hope youre doing well today. Were going to start now the point of view stories for "Music
Festival Part 1". Now in the original story from the mini-story lesson "Music Festival Part 1" the story is told
as if it has already happened. So today were gonna hear three other versions of the story. Well hear a
version where its happening right now. Well hear a version where its going to happen in the future. And
then well hear a version of the story where Sam actually tells the story. Okay, lets start by telling the story
as if it is happening right now. Here we go.
*
It is Sam the spiders 30th birthday. None of his friends wish him a happy birthday.
My friends forgot my birthday, he says.
Tom and Melissa call Sam. They invite him to come to their house to watch a movie.
The more the merrier, says Tom.
Sam thinks about the pros and cons of going to their house. Its a hassle because they live ten miles
away from his house. A taxi ride to their house costs an arm and a leg. But he does not want to be
alone on his birthday, so he decides to go.
He is running late because he has to spin some webs.
Better late than never, he says.
He arrives at Tom and Melissas house but no one is home. He wonders what the deal is. Then he
sees all of his friends.
Happy Birthday Sam! they yell.
Now Sam is happy. It is the best birthday he has ever had.
*
Okay, so thats the end of the story being told as if it is happening in the present, meaning as if it is happening
right now. Next lets hear the story as if it is going to happen next year. So here we go.
*
Next year it is going to be Sam the spiders 30th birthday. None of his friends are going to wish him a
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happy birthday.
My friends forgot my birthday, he will say.
Tom and Melissa are gonna call Sam. Theyll invite him to come to their house to watch a movie.
The more the merrier, Tomll say.
Sam is going to think about the pros and cons of going to their house. It will be a hassle because
they live ten miles away from his house. A taxi ride to their house will cost an arm and a leg. But he's
not going to want to be alone on his birthday, so hell decide to go.
Hell be running late because he's gonna have to spin some webs.
Better late than never, hell say.
He's gonna arrive at Tom and Melissas house but no onell be home. Hes gonna wonder what the
deal is. Then hes gonna see all of his friends.
Happy Birthday Sam! theyre gonna yell.
Then Sams going to be happy. Itll be the best birthday he has ever had.
*
Okay so thats the end of this version of the story, where the events are taking place next year. Now lets
hear the story from Sams point of view. So in this version we are about to hear Sam is going to be telling the
story himself. Here goes.
*
Its my 30th birthday. None of my friends wish me a happy birthday.

I say, My friends forgot my birthday.
Tom and Melissa call me. They invite me to come to their house to watch a movie.
The more the merrier, says Tom.
I think about the pros and cons of going to their house. Its a hassle because they live ten miles away
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from my house. A taxi ride to their house costs an arm and a leg. But I do not want to be alone on
my birthday, so I decide to go.
Im running late because I have to spin some webs.
Better late than never, I say.
I arrive at Tom and Melissas house but no one is home. I wonder what the deal is. Then I see all my
friends.
Happy Birthday Sam! they yell.
I'm happy. It's the best birthday I've ever had.
*
Alright so weve now reached the end of the point of view stories for the lesson "Music Festival Part 1". Now
its time for you to listen to each version again. Then when you feel like you understand the stories try to tell
the story yourself. Just try to do your best and dont be upset if youre having any sort of trouble. Just relax
and listen to it again and youll start to hear how each story changes. Listen until you feel comfortable telling
the story on your own. Okay, thats all for now. See you next time.
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Music Festival Part 1 Vocabulary Lesson

Hello and welcome to the vocabulary lesson for the conversation Music Festival Part 1. This is the first part
of a second part conversation and lesson. In this conversation Joe and I are talking about a big music festival
that we went to about a month and a half ago with many of our friends. The festival was in a really big park
here in San Francisco. The name of the park is Golden Gate Park.
*
I start off by saying, So...

And so is just a filler word here. Its not really needed.
I say, So, whatd ya think of the festival tonight?
Whatd is short for what did and ya is short for you. So Im saying, what did you - Im speaking to Joe - what
did you think of the festival tonight? Festival. Here it means a music concert. A festival can be different
events though or different things. But here it means a music concert. Festival. An example of festival would
be: I really enjoyed the music festival. My favorite band played there. Festival.
And then Joe says, Oh...
And oh is a filler word here. Its not really needed. You could take it out of the sentence and the sentence
would still make sense.
Joe goes on to say, I thought it was great.
So hes saying, I thought it was very good.
And then Joe goes on to say, I had a great time the entire day...
Or hes saying the whole day.
actually.
And actually... When Joe ends the sentence with actually, thats a filler word. Its not really needed.
And then I say, Yeah...
Yeah is casual or informal or slang for yes.
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And I go on to say, good, good, me too. And then Joe says, Yknow...
And yknow is short for you know. Yknow.
And Joe goes on to say, I thought it was a great idea for us all to meet over at Tims place. I mean...
And what Joe is saying here is, what Im trying to say is.
And he goes on to say, you and I were obviously running late...
Or hes saying, you and I were for sure running late. Running late. This means late. Running late. And
were not really running here. Running late. It just means late. For example: I was running late to work
because the train was not working. Running late.
And Joe goes on to say, running late because he lives out in the boonies.
Now boonies... This is an area where there is not a lot of other things like restaurants or stores. Boonies.
For example: Tim lives out in the boonies. The closest store is one mile away from his house. Boonies.
And Joe goes on to say, But, uh...
And uh is just a filler word here. Its not really needed.
And Joe says, yknow, better late than never.
Better late than never. This means it is better to do something late than not at all. Better late than never. For
example: Sometimes my students come to class late. But it is better late than never.
And then I say, Yeah, I agree. When you get a group of people together to go to an event like this...
Or Im saying to go to a festival like this or such as this.
it just adds to the enjoyment...
So Im saying or it makes it more of a good time.
And I go on to say, yknow, the fun. And its kind of like the saying goes, the more the merrier.
Now kind of... Kind of is just a filler here. Its not really needed. Kind of like the saying goes. Saying. A
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saying is a group of words with an important meaning. So its kind of like the saying goes, the more the
merrier. So the more the merrier... This is a saying. And what it means is the more people with you, the
more fun you will have. The more the merrier. For example: We went to the concert with ten people. We
had a great time. I always think the more the merrier. Okay, moving on with the conversation.
Joe goes on to say, Yeah, I totally agree.
So hes saying yeah, I completely agree.
And he goes on to say, And, yknow...
And is a filler word here. Its not needed.
And Joe says, I, I think it was really important...
Or hes saying I think it was very important.
that we all went to the concert together in one group. Because, yknow, it was so large...
Or hes saying it was very big.
And he goes on to say, it would have made it really difficult to find, uh, people in our group if we
would have all gone separately.
Or if we would have all gone by ourselves.
Right meaning yes. Im just agreeing with Joe.
And I go on to say, I mean a-... And Joe says, It actually...
Or hes saying it really.
it actually surprised me because, that the crowd was so large.
Crowd meaning all the people at the festival.
And Joe says, I mean the tickets cost an arm and a leg.
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An arm and a leg. What this means is the tickets cost a lot. Arm and a leg. It means costs a lot. For
example: It costs an arm and a leg to buy a new car. Now it doesnt really mean that youre paying an arm
and a leg for the car, obviously. It just means it costs a lot of money. An arm and a leg.
And then Joe goes on to say, So I was kinda thinkin...
Kinda is short for kind of. And thinkin is short for thinking.
And Joe says, that maybe the crowd wouldnt be as big.
Or hes saying, I was thinking the crowd wouldnt be so big.
And I say, Yeah, but, price doesnt usually deter you from going to hear music, right?
So Im saying, cost doesnt usually deter you from going to hear music or to listen to music, right? Does it?
Deter. Deter means prevent or to keep from. Or to keep someone from doing something, I should say.
Deter. For example: People can go to jail if they drive drunk. But this does not deter people from doing it.
Does not keep people from doing it. Deter.
And then Joe says, No, its true. Youre right. And I say, But, um...
Both of these are just filler words. Theyre not needed for what Im about to say.
Then I go on to say, speaking of us staying together...
Or talking of us staying together.
it just...
Just is a filler word here.
it just was making me think of the crowds. And I just didnt think that in general...
Or Im saying overall.
the, the festival was laid out that well.
Or Im saying it just didnt seem like overall the festival was laid out that well. Or it wasnt laid out very good.
Now laid out... This means organized. Laid out.
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And Joe says, Well...
And well is a filler word here.
And Joe goes on to say, there were four different stages.
Stages or a stage. This is something that bands play on or where actors or actresses perform plays. Its
usually made out of wood and is made higher than standing or sitting crowds of people, so that the people
performing on the stage can be seen from far away.
And then I say, No, there were six.
So Im saying no, there were six stages, not four.
And Joe says, Oh there were six stages? And I say, Yeah. And Joe says, S-, see we only went
to two of em.
Em here is short for them.
And I say, I know. And Joe says, But, the, uh, stages were kind of far apart...
Kind of here means sort of. Kind of. Kind of far apart. For example: I kind of like when it rains, though I like
sunshine better. Kind of.
And Joe goes on to say, and yknow what the, the most impractical, uh, design was?
Design. This means the layout or the organization of the festival. And impractical... Impractical means not
useful or helpful. Impractical. For example: I thought that some of my classes in college were impractical.
Impractical.
And Joe goes on to say, I thought that they, uh, they had very narrow walkways between the
stages.
Narrow walkways. This... What Joe is talking about here is places to walk between stages or from one stage
to another stage to another stage. Places to walk between stages that did not have a lot of space.
And then I say, Yes.
Agreeing with Joe.
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And is just a filler word here. Its not needed.
Joe goes on to say, sometimes you had to go through a little tunnel, like a foot tunnel...
Now tunnel... This is a place to walk that goes through or under a blocked area. So it lets you or it allows
you to walk through or under a blocked area. Tunnel.
And I say, Yep.
Yep is just slang for yes.
And Joe says, and, uh, thered be thousands of people trying to go through a space that only maybe
twenty people could go through at a time.
Or hes saying only twenty people could go through at one time.
And I say, Oh, yeah. The crowd would get completely, completely bottlenecked.
Bottlenecked. This means unable to move because it is too crowded. Bottlenecked. For example:
Everyone left at the end of the concert. There were so many people that we could not move. It was a
complete bottleneck. Bottlenecked or, in this example, bottleneck.
And then Joe says, Yeah, exactly.
Or hes saying yeah, for sure. Definitely.
And Joe goes on to say, So tryin...
Tryin is short for trying.
tryin to go from one stage to the next...
Or hes saying to go from one stage to another stage.
And he goes on to say, was just, uh... It took a lot of time and effort.
Or hes saying it took a lot of time and energy.
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And I say, Yeah, I agree. And Joe says, So that was one thing that was, yknow, just not properly
planned for...
Or hes saying it was not very well planned for.
And he goes on to say, on their part.
What he means here, on their part, hes saying, it wasnt very well planned for by the people who planned or
designed the festival. Or who organized the festival.
And I say, No!
So what Im saying here is no, not at all. Im agreeing with Joe. It wasnt very well planned.
And I go on to say, And then thered be all these random trails through the woods...
Now random means scattered. Random. And trails through the woods... These are walking paths through
areas with a lot of trees. Trails through the woods.
And I go on to say, that people were trying to forge their way through.
Forge means to push through. Forge.
And Joe says, Yeah, true. And he goes on to say, Yknow, another thing that, uh, was a real
hassle...
Or hes saying was a big hassle. And hassle is inconvenience. Hassle. For example: Flying is a hassle
because it takes so long to go through security. Hassle.
So Joe... Joe goes on to say, or he's saying it was a, a real hassle... "was tryin to get a beer. And I
say, Oh my god, yeah.
So Im just showing a lot of emotion while agreeing with Joe.
And then Joe says, I mean, the wait, the line was like...
And like here is a filler word.
And he goes on to say, yknow, a hundred and twenty people long.
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Now a line. This is people standing one behind another one, waiting to buy something or to do something.
And then Joe goes on to say, Every time you wanted to go get a beer. And I say, Yeah, well first
you had to stand in line just for them to check your ID...
And when I say them, I mean the people working at the festival. And Im saying to check or to look at your ID.
And ID... This is short for identification. So Im speaking about people working at the festival. They would
look at ID cards to make sure people wanting to drink beer were 21 years old or older. So they were 21 years
old. They were of the legal age to drink beer. 21 years or older. So Im saying these people were checking
IDs.
And then I go on to say, and get the wristband.
Wristband. This is something that you wear around your wrist. Wristband. So after these people at the
festival - working at the festival - would check your ID to make sure you were 21 years or older, then they
would give you this wristband - this thing to wear around your wrist.
And Joe says, Yeah, and... And then I say, That was bad enough.
So what Im saying here is, that was bad enough to stand in this long line to have your ID checked. It was
bad enough without having to wait in a second line then to buy beer.
And Joe says, Oh, that was an even longer line.
So hes saying there were more people in the line where festival workers were looking at ID cards for legal
ages to drink beer - that line was longer than the line to buy beer.
And I say, Yeah.
Agreeing with him.
And then Joe says, Yeah. And I say, I mean once you had the wristband, though, then it was
battling the lines just to get a beer.
Battling the lines. This means waiting in a long line. Battling the lines. For example: I hated battling the
lines each time I wanted to buy a beer. Battling the lines.
And then I go on to say, Each time.
So Im saying every time you wanted to buy a beer.
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And then I go on to say, Yeah, it was ridiculous.
Ridiculous meaning, it was a big inconvenience.
And Joe says, Yeah, and if you wanted to go get a beer while the band was playing, you basically...
Basically is just a filler word here. Its not really needed.
So Joe is saying, you basically had to decide...
Or you had to choose.
whether...
Or if.
you wanted to see the music... And I say, Yep. And Joe goes on to say, or you really wanted a
beer.
Really here... This is filler. Its not needed in the sentence.
And then Joe goes on to say, Which was more important to you?
So hes saying you had to decide: Was it more important to buy a beer or to listen to the music?
Agreeing with him.
And then Joe says, You had to make a choice, yknow? And I say, Yeah. And I go on to say,
Make a list...
Or Im saying you had to write down.
Make a list of pros and cons...
Now pros and cons... These are the good and bad points. Pros and cons. Now obviously, Im not at this
music festival writing down the good and the bad points about whether I wanted to choose to listen to music
or to choose to stand in a long line to buy beer. Im just saying this, kind of joking. Im not being serious.
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This is... This could be called sarcasm. Im joking. Im not being serious here. An example of pros and
cons: I thought about the pros and cons of going to college in the state of Florida. But I ended up going to
school in Georgia. Pros and cons.
And then Joe says, Yeah, yeah...how thirsty am I...
Or hes saying, how much do I want to drink? How thirsty am I?
versus...
Or compared to.
how much do I want to hear this music.
So hes just responding to me saying make a list of pros and cons.
And Joe goes on to say, And the lines to the bathroom were really long also. And then I say, Yeah,
the lines in general were just a hassle. I have to agree. And then Joe says, Yeah. I mean, I
remember when we were leaving the event. It took us over an hour...
Or hes saying it took us more than one hour.
And he goes on to say, just to get out of the, uh, the stadium.
Now stadium... This is a large place where they have sports or music concerts. A stadium is a building
where they have sports or music concerts. I dont know why Joe said stadium here. He really didnt mean
stadium because this music festival was just outside in a park. It wasnt in an actual stadium. But thats what
stadium means... A large place or a large building where they have sports or music concerts.
And then I say, Oh god.
Just showing emotion.
And Joe says, Remember, there were all these people who were startin...
Startin is short for starting.
there were all these people who were startin to climb the fences...
So there were all these people who were starting to go over the fences. A fence is something used to keep
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people or animals from entering... and, or from coming in, from entering, from coming in.
And I say, Yeah. And Joe says, instead of going through the little, uh, tunnel.
So hes saying, not going through the little tunnel. People were climbing over the fences. They werent going
through the tunnel.
And then Joe goes on to say, I mean... And then I say, Yes. And Joe says, and the, the fence, it
looked like it was gonna break.
Gonna. This is short or slang for going to. Gonna break. So the fence looked like it was gonna break or it
was gonna fall down. There were so many people going over it, climbing over it.
And then Joe goes on to say, I mean it was totally an accident waiting to happen.
An accident waiting to happen. This means dangerous, not safe. An accident waiting to happen. For
example: One of the steps to Tims house is broken. It is an accident waiting to happen.
And then I say, Right. That was something I didnt understand. Like, at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass I
never, I didnt remember seeing fences like that.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. This is a music festival in San Francisco. Its the name of the music festival.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.
And Joe says, Well, yknow, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, that festival is free...
Free. Meaning it doesnt cost any money.
And Joe goes on to say, So, yknow, I dont think... And then I say, Oh yeah...
Like Im remembering, oh yeah, its free. It doesnt cost money.
And then Joe says, they had to put up barriers to, uh...
So hes saying, the workers of the festival... I dont think they had to put up barriers. Now barriers... This is
something used to keep people or animals from entering, like fences. Barriers. Something used to keep
people or animals from entering or from coming in. So Joe is saying because this other music festival, Hardly
Strictly Bluegrass, is free, they dont put up fences for that because people dont pay. They can just go in
anywhere into the park. But the music festival that were speaking of that we'd just... that we had just gone
to, you did have to pay for that. So they had fences up everywhere. They had these barriers. These things
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to keep people from coming in who had not paid.
And then I say, thats, okay...
So Im saying this because its making sense to me now why there were fences for this festival and not
fences at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival.
And then Joe says, to entry.
So hes saying, y'know, they didnt have to put up these barriers to entry. Entry meaning the area or areas
where you would go into the festival.
And then I say, that makes sense.
Or that... Im saying thats understandable.
And I go on to say, I was wondering what the deal was with the fences.
So Im saying, I was wondering or I was asking myself what the deal was. What the deal was. This means
what was happening. What the deal was. For example: I went to the restaurant at 5:00 p.m. but it was
closed. I was wondering what the deal was. Then someone told me that the restaurant closes early on
Sundays. What the deal was.
And Joe says, Yeah. S-...
Starts to say something.
And I say, Okay. And then Joe says, So thats why thats, yknow, thats why you never have that
problem at that festival. And I say, Right.
Like okay. Yeah. I agree with you.
*
Okay, this is the end of the conversation for Music Festival Part 1. And its the end, also, of the vocabulary
lesson for the conversation Music Festival Part 1. So, as always, go back if you need to and listen, making
sure that youve got a basic understanding of the vocabulary before you move on to the mini-story. And then
after the mini-story, go on to Music Festival Part 2.
Alright, see you next time. Bye bye.
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14. MUSIC FESTIVAL (PART 2)

Joe: So I guess I need not ask who your favorite, uh, band was during the evening.
Radiohead: an English
music band
Kristin: Radiohead!!
Joe: Yeah, I figured it
Kristin: Of course.
the main attraction:

here it means the band
that everyone wanted to
see the most
Joe: would be them. They were the main attraction.
Kristin: Yeah, I mean, I, yknow, Im a fan of Beck, too. But I think that I was just
so Beck playing at a different stage than Radiohead and playing right before
Beck: the name of an
American musician
Radiohead. I was just so focused on getting back to the stage to get a good spot to
see Radiohead. I just couldnt fully, uh, get into Beck. And, yeah, it, its just, he, the
get into: enjoy
music
just wasnt resonating with me tonight, unfortunately. Coz thats the first time
resonating with me: it
was nothing special to me Ive ever seen Beck live.
live: in concert
Joe: Yeah, ysee, for me, it was totally different because I really, really enjoyed
Becks performance and, uh, yknow
Kristin: Y-, you, you missed half of it, goin to the bathroom, what are you talkin
about?
nature calls: have to go
to the bathroom
Joe: Well, yknow, sometime nature calls.

Kristin: [laugh]
a good vibe: a good

feeling
off the hook: excellent
Joe: But, uh, yknow, I, I also, I wasnt familiar with Radioheads music at all. I really
enjoyed it. And, uh, yknow, I, I would definitely go see them again. But I, Im more
familiar with Becks music so maybe that helped me to enjoy it. Plus, I, I just like that
style, Becks style of music, more than Radioheads, yknow? But I really did enjoy
the Radiohead music. I liked the fact that, uh, the crowd was really into them.
Yknow, like you looked out in the crowd and you saw everyone smiling. Yknow,
everyone seemed happy. And like some people were dancing. And, uh, a lot of
people were singing their songs. You could tell that they, they were very familiar with
the music. So, uh, yknow, it was just a good vibe. I, and I really enjoyed that part of
it.
Kristin: Oh, they were off the hook. I mean they sounded just as if I had put a CD
in the CD player.
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01. Earthquakes Conversation

02. Trip To Washington Conversation

Trip To Washington POV

Trip To Washington Vocabulary

03. The Wedding Conversation

The Wedding POV

The Wedding Vocabulary

04. Grateful Dead Conversation

Grateful Dead POV

Grateful Dead Vocabulary

05. Grandmother Conversation

Hitchhiking In Europe POV

Hitchhiking In Europe Vocabulary

07. Moving As A Child Part 1 Conversation

Moving As A Child Part 1 MS

Moving As A Child Part 1 POV

Moving As A Child Part 1 Vocabulary

08. Moving As A Child Part 2 Conversation

Moving As A Child Part 2 MS

Moving As A Child Part 2 POV

Moving As A Child Part 2 Vocabulary

09. Parents Conversation

10. Burning Man Conversation

Burning Man POV

Burning Man Vocabulary

11. Ticket On The Train Conversation

Ticket On The Train MS

Ticket On The Train POV

Ticket On The Train Vocabulary

12. New School Year Conversation

New School Year MS

New School Year POV

New School Year Vocabulary

Music Festival Part 1 MS

Music Festival Part 1 POV

Music Festival Part 1 Vocabulary

14. Music Festival Part 2 Conversation

Music Festival Part 2 MS

Music Festival Part 2 POV

Music Festival Part 2 Vocabulary

Assisted Living POV

Assisted Living Vocabulary

16. Visit To San Francisco Part 1 Conversation

Visit To San Francisco Part 1 MS

Visit To San Francisco Part 1 POV

Visit To San Francisco Part 1 Vocabulary

17. Visit To San Francisco Part 2 Conversation

Visit To San Francisco Part 2 MS

Visit To San Francisco Part 2 POV

Visit To San Francisco Part 2 Vocabulary

18. Las Vegas Part 1 Conversation

Las Vegas Part 1 MS

Las Vegas Part 1 POV

Las Vegas Part 1 Vocabulary

Las Vegas Part 2 MS

Las Vegas Part 2 POV

Las Vegas Part 2 Vocabulary