Please watch the video below. Remember: Don’t write anything. Just watch and listen. By the end of the lesson you will understand everything!
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Mark: Here we are at the Brooklyn Bridge, which is more or less the southern tip of Manhattan. (It) leads you into the next borough. New York has 5 boroughs, and Brooklyn is one of them. “Borough” is just a fancy word for neighborhood, I guess, but a big-ass (very big) note: strong slang – only use among close friends) neighborhood. And—
Greg: Would you call it a suburb, you think?
Mark: I guess “suburb” gives the feeling of—
Greg: …houses, maybe.
Mark: Yes, houses, exactly. And so this is definitely just more of the city but it’s…I guess it has its own geographic kind of isolation. Because of the river, in this case. And so each is pretty (very) clearly defined. You can look on a map and say, “Its logical the way they broke this up.”
Greg: Right.
Mark: And so… I’ve walked — I’m sorry—I’ve walked the Brooklyn Bridge many times, but in this case, we only walked about halfway. Because then you can get a great picture of, you know, the southern tip of Manhattan from the bridge. But we didn’t walk the whole thing.
Greg: Well, when we went by, I did see it. We were on a double decker (two level) tour bus kind of thing. Because we don’t—we didn’t know the city, so we just figured we’ll let someone show us the city on the tour bus. And, you know, it was cool. But we didn’t get out and enjoy the bridge, as you two seem to have done.
Mark: Yeah, I’ve walked it enough times (many times, enough, no more is needed) But let’s go to the next picture. Brighton Beach, here, is in Brooklyn, although we did not walk to it. To get to Brighton Beach is pretty far, so we took the subway the rest of the way. And if you can…You know, if you look closely at the sign, you’re going to see a lot of Russian. So this is the Russian—this is actually the—I believe it’s the largest collection, or neighborhood, of Russians and Russian expatriates outside, of course, of Russia. There must be about a hundred thousand or so living in Brighton Beach.
Greg: Really?
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Listening before reading is very important. Please, DO NOT read the text yet. If you don’t understand the audio, that’s okay. Listen now, at least two times.
| 1. |
Click below (where it says, ‘Click to reveal #1’) and compare the sentences. See the highlighted phrases? They both have the same meaning. But the 1st one is what students of English say. (For example: “approximately”). The 2nd one is what native speakers say, (“more or less”). Listen one more time, and then go to Step #3.
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more or less = approximately
Remember, in these four groups of sentences below, a native speaker will usually use the 2nd version. So, “more or less” is the advanced phrase we want to learn.
These two words have approximately the same meaning.
These two words have more or less the same meaning.
That’s everything I asked for, approximately.
That’s everything I asked for, more or less.
We got home at noon, approximately.
We got home at noon, more or less.
We are at the Brooklyn Bridge, which is approximately the southern tip of Manhattan.
We are at the Brooklyn Bridge, which is more or less the southern tip of Manhattan.
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Make a flashcard. Write one of the example sentences on your card, and underline the new word. On the other side of the card, write the translation in your first language. Please make these flashcards now, as you go through the lesson. Then repeat Steps 1 – 3 for each word below.
| 2. |
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in this case = in this situation
Remember, the 2nd version (using “in this case”) is how a native speaker will probably say these sentences.
In this situation we decided to wait.
In this case we decided to wait.
Calling them, in this situation, was the best decision.
Calling them, in this case, was the best decision.
In this situation I was wrong.
In this case I was wrong.
The river, in this situation, is what makes it a borough.
The river, in this case, is what makes it a borough.
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| 3. |
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kind of thing = or something very much like that
I bought a home security system or something very much like that.
I bought a home security system kind of thing.
They have a salad bar, or something very much like that, at the restaurant.
They have a salad bar kind of thing at the restaurant.
This is a “home gym” or something very much like that.
This is a “home gym” kind of thing.
We were on a double-decker tour bus or something very much like that.
We were on a double-decker tour bus kind of thing.
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| 4. |
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to figure = to think
I thought you might be hungry, so I made lunch.
I figured you might be hungry, so I made lunch.
I thought you might be tired.
I figured you might be tired.
I thought this was yours.
I figured this was yours.
We didn’t know the city, so we thought it was better to take a guided tour.
We didn’t know the city, so we figured it was better to take a guided tour.
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| 5. |
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the rest of the way = the remaining distance
We went the remaining distance on foot.
We went the rest of the way on foot.
We didn’t stop the remaining distance.
We didn’t stop the rest of the way.
It’s all downhill the remaining distance.
It’s all downhill the rest of the way.
Brighton Beach is very far, so we took the subway the remaining distance.
Brighton Beach is very far, so we took the subway the rest of the way.
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| 6. |
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or so = approximately
We waited for thirty minutes, approximately.
We waited for thirty minutes or so.
We were there for a week, approximately.
We were there for a week or so.
We slept for an hour, approximately.
We slept for an hour or so.
There must be 100,000 Russians, approximately, living in Brighton Beach.
There must be 100,000 or so Russians living in Brighton Beach.
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Easy: These two words have approximately the same meaning.
Advanced: These two words have ___ ___ ___ the same meaning.
Easy: In this situation we decided to wait.
Advanced: ___ ___ ___ we decided to wait.
Easy: I bought a home security system or something very much like that.
Advanced: I bought a home security system ___ ___ ___ .
Easy: I thought you might be hungry, so I made lunch.
Advanced: I ____ you might be hungry, so I made lunch.
Easy: We went the remaining distance on foot.
Advanced: We went ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ on foot.
Easy: We waited for thirty minutes, approximately.
Advanced: We waited for thirty minutes ___ ___ .
Directions: Type the Advanced Expression in the blank. Click REVEAL to show the answer.
