Sunday, December 17, 2017

Lesson 14: Made for Each Other

Summary Pete and Ashley have found perfect partners. Anna says she has a new boyfriend but Pete and Ashley don't believe her. Is he real or not?   Conversation Anna: Hello! What are you guys looking at? Pete: I’m showing Ashley pictures of my girlfriend. We have so much in common -- even small things. She can’t whistle and I can’t either. Ashley: (to Pete) And here’s a picture of my boyfriend. (sighs) Ashley: My family is big and so is his. I don’t like ball sports and he doesn’t either! (sighs) We are made for each other ... Pete: … and so are we. (sighs) Anna: Uh… you have found perfect partners … and so have I! Professor Bot: Pete and Ashley are talking about people they love. They are putting two ideas together with connectors. Let’s start with these two sentences: She can’t whistle. Pete can’t whistle. How do you put them together? Pete says,  "She can’t whistle and I can’t either." You can see we just add the conjunction “either” and take away the verb “whistle.” And Ashley says: "I don’t like ball sports and he doesn’t either!" Keep looking for connectors! Ashley: You met someone, Anna? That’s great! What’s his name? Anna: His name? His name is uh… (stalling, looks around, sees a bus)  Bus … ter.  (stalling, looks around, sees a car)  Car … ter. Ashley: (says it like Anna did) Bus...ter Car...ter?  Anna: It’s just Buster Carter, Ashley. I like him and he likes me. We’re a great couple. Ashley: Hey, let’s all get dinner tonight, together. You can bring Buster. Pete: (laughing) Yeah, I can’t wait to meet him.  Anna: Thanks, Ashley, but he’s really busy tonight with his uh, (looks around, sees squirrel) squirrel collection. Bye, guys! Gotta go! Ashley: Squirrel collection? Pete: You know, she made all that up. Ashley: That’s so sad. She needs to meet someone. Hey, do you know anyone who she might... Pete: No. Anna: (to herself) Anna, Anna, you lied! You lied! Now, they think you have a boyfriend - with a squirrel collection. Here, squirrel. (throws food) Well, you need to tell them the truth. You don’t have a boyfriend. Man: Excuse me, is this seat taken? (Anna shyly shakes head “no”) Anna: Ashley, Pete, I need to talk to you. This morning, I lied.  Pete: Let me guess. There’s no Buster Carter. What a surprise! Anna: I’m sorry. But later I really did meet someone and we have a lot in common! He’s good at flying kites and so am I. He likes to read comics and so do I. I can play the ukulele and so can he. Ashley: He sounds perfect for you, Anna. Can he come tonight? Anna: That’s the sad part. You see, he just got a job as a spy, and tonight he leaves on assignment. Pete: Of course he does. Anna: But that's okay, because now I know that there is someone out there made for me. (looks at the time) Oh, it’s late! I have to see him off at the train station. Bye, you guys! Ashley: Bye Anna! Oh dear, she’s worse than we thought. Pete: She’s lost her mind. Ashley: What should we do? Pete: (happy, excited) Let’s tell her! (Pete goes to leave but Ashley pulls him back.)   Ashley: No, Pete. Mr. Right may not be real but he makes her really happy.  Professor Bot: Did you find any other connectors? Notice how the words are in a different order in the part after “so.”  "I am" becomes "am I"  and "he can" becomes "can he."  "He’s good at flying kites and so am I. I can play the ukulele and so can he."   New Words boyfriend - n. a man that someone is having a romantic or sexual relationship with collection - n. a group of interesting or beautiful objects brought together in order to show or study them or as a hobby couple- n.  two people who are married or who have a romantic or sexual relationship girlfriend - n.  a woman that someone is having a romantic or sexual relationship with in common - expression. people who have something in common share interests, beliefs, attitudes, or opinions kite  - n.  a toy that is made of a light frame covered with cloth, paper, or plastic and that is flown in the air at the end of a long string lie - v.  to say or write something that is not true in order to deceive someone make (something) up - phrasal verb. created from the imagination or not true or real Mr. Right - expression. the ideal future husband partner - n. someone's husband or wife or the person someone has sexual relations with squirrel - n.  a small animal with a long tail and soft fur that lives in trees see (someone) off - phrasal verb. to go to an airport, train station with (someone who is leaving) in order to say goodbye truth - n.   the real facts about something whistle - v.  to make a high sound by blowing air through your lips or teeth   Learning Strategy The learning strategy for this lesson is self-evaluate. That means to think about how well you are learning. And to think about how your strategies for learning are working. Do your strategies help you learn more easily? In this lesson, Anna self-evaluates when she thinks about lying to her friends Ashley and Pete. She knows it was wrong to lie. After she self-evaluates, she goes back to tell Ashley and Pete the truth.  How about you? How do you evaluate yourself when you are learning or using English? Do you check your progress by quizzing yourself or taking a test? Or do you think about a recent conversation in English and ask yourself how well you did?  Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email.   Listening Quiz See how well you understand this lesson by taking a listening quiz. Play each short video, then choose the best answer. ​ Free Materials Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. For Teachers Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar focus: Connectors: And ... Either So, But, Either (note that there are two different pronunciations of "either" in this conversation: /ˈiːðɚ/ and /ˈaɪðə/ . Both can be used in American English.​ Topics: ​Discussing Feelings; Relationships Learning Strategy: Self-evaluate​   Comments Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.

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