Welcome to LIVE CONVERSATIONS “NEW ZEALAND: Lesson 5!” Any questions or comments? Please write us at: support@realenglishnow.com

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: Was it just a pronunciation thing of a word you did know? Or was it literally a word you didn’t know, or an idiomatic phrase that you did not know?

Greg: It was ninety percent a pronunciation issue, I think. But the bus tour, of course….This guy who was giving the bus tour, he was a sheep herder or sheep farmer or whatever, before he was the bus tour guide. And he was telling us that, you know, telling everybody what he did. And then he was, of course, talking about the things along the tour, and he was a really funny guy, which all tour guides probably should be to keep it interesting and fun. And I was the only guy laughing. I think what…What happened was, I know my mother and my stepfather, being from the United States, I don’t think they understood a lot of what he said. And, the reason I could understand what he said is, having been in Japan as long I have been, my ear is very well-tuned to not native…native United States speech. So I can hear…So, I could understand him, I think much more than my parents could and much more than Megumi could, of course, and much more than a lot of the other tourists. So I was laughing. He was a very funny guy. But, I guess that makes the point about the language. It was a very strong accent for a person from the United States, and to the point (degree) that I don’t think my parents actually understood a lot of what he said.

Greg: Ok, I wanted to show this. It’s not the most interesting picture in the world, but this was along the bus tour, so you can see how we went from deep green forest and rivers to wide-open plains and mountains. So it was…In eight hours we covered a lot of interesting terrain.

Mark: I would’ve expected to see like, I don’t know, sheep here or something. Grazing, you know?

Greg: Yeah, I think this is probably too far and isolated. But, there were definitely sheep and that kind of stuff closer to town.

Mark: I see. Nice picture of you two together. Same area, obviously.

Greg: Yes. And the point about this picture, the very important thing in this picture, is my hat. I got that hat in New Zealand. I had always….I have wanted a hat like that for the longest time. An all leather, you know, pure leather….One of those kind of outdoorsy, rough, rough and tough looking hats. And I could never find one, or never saw one. But I was thinking even before I came on this trip. I was like, “You know what? I bet New Zealand is going to have a hat like that!” And sure enough they did. And I was…And it fit perfectly, so I love that hat. It’s my favorite.

Mark: I am seeing a boat called The Pride of Milford. I’m assuming you took a ride on this puppy.

Greg: Yes. That was to get us from Queenstown to Milford Sound, which is a postcard kind of place, and that’s a big tourist spot in New Zealand. So what we did is we took a ferry…ferry boat tour around Milford Sound. It was very beautiful. A lot of greenery (green plants, etc) waterfalls. Just really pretty. And again, the prehistoric feel, you know? If you look at that with the clouds, the clouds on the mountain, and all of that. So, it was really pretty.

Mark: It is. And cool looking seals on those rocks.

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1.

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or whatever = something like that
Remember, in these four groups of sentences below, a native speaker will usually use the 2nd version. So, “or whatever” is the advanced phrase we want to learn.

We are going to go to a club or something like that tonight.
We are going to go to a club or whatever tonight.

He’s a computer consultant or something like that.
He’s a computer consultant or whatever.

They went to McDonald’s or something like that.
They went to McDonald’s or whatever.

He was a sheep herder or sheep farmer, something like that.
He was a sheep herder or sheep farmer, or whatever.

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2.

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well-tuned = sensitive

A shark’s nose is sensitive to smell blood in the water.
A shark’s nose is well-tuned to smell blood in the water.

He has sensitive senses like a good hunter.
He has well-tuned senses like a good hunter.

The hawk’s eyes are very sensitive to see mice.
The hawk’s eyes are very well-tuned to see mice.

Because I live in Japan, my ear is very sensitive to non-native English.
Because I live in Japan, my ear is very well-tuned to non-native English.

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3.

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for the longest time = for a long time

For a long time I thought her name was Daniella.
For the longest time I thought her name was Daniella.

For a long time I thought she was your wife.
For the longest time, I thought she was your wife.

I’ve wanted an iPad for a long time.
I’ve wanted an iPad for the longest time.

I have wanted a hat like that for a long time.
I have wanted a hat like that for the longest time.

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4.

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puppy = thing (slang)

Look at that new BMW! Man, I’d like to have one of those things!
Look at that new BMW! Man, I’d like to have one of those puppies!

Nice bike! Where did you get that thing?
Nice bike! Where did you get that puppy?

You see that yacht? I wonder what that thing costs!
You see that yacht? I wonder what that puppy costs!

Did you take a ride on this thing?
Did you take a ride on this puppy?

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5.

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all of that = and things like that

Put these books next to the ones about art and things like that.
Put these books next to the ones about art and drawing and all of that.

She likes poetry and things like that.
She likes poetry and all of that.

My parents like to go hiking and things like that.
My parents like to go hiking and all of that.

If you look at that photo with the clouds on the mountain, and things like that.
If you look at that photo with the clouds on the mountain, and all of that.

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Easy: We are going to go to a club or something like that tonight.

Advanced: We are going to go to a club or _______ tonight.

Easy: A shark’s nose is sensitive to smell blood in the water.
Advanced: A shark’s nose is ___-_____ to smell blood in the water.

Easy: For a long time I thought her name was Daniella.

Advanced: ___ ___ _______ ____ I thought her name was Daniella.

Easy: Look at that new BMW! Man, I’d like to have one of those things!

Advanced: Look at that new BMW! Man, I’d like to have one of those _______!

Easy: She likes poetry and things like that.

Advanced: She likes poetry and ___ __ ____.