Welcome to LIVE CONVERSATIONS “PRAGUE: Lesson 6!” 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: I think there’s a saint’s name for all 365 days. And so when it changes like you could say, you know, “February 11th” is St. Augustine Day.

Matt: Well, in Prague, I don’t know if they do that here, they have “name day.”

Mark: Yes, they do that here. [Meaning: In Ukraine where Mark lives.]

Matt: Do they do that here?

Mark: Here meaning in Sevastopol.

Matt: And it’s like a birthday. You party, you know you get… your friends take you out. I could be wrong but I think that’s what it is.

Mark: And what about this building? Do you remember seeing this one?

Matt: I’ve seen that building. But I don’t remember where it is.

Mark: That’s on that same square.

Matt: Yeah?

Mark: It’s in this Old Town Square or not far from it.

Matt: I’m trying to think of what section. Do you remember?

Mark: I think if you’re looking at the clock, this is off to the left. And there’s a pizzeria just below that street sign I believe…

Matt: Okay! Then I know where… yeah, then that would be going south towards Nove Mesto. I don’t know enough about that building to sit and talk about it.

Mark: I know nothing about it, but I only…I put it as one of the pictures because damn (= in this case damn is emphasizing the following words) it’s beautiful!

Matt: It is. I mean, and you see things like that.

Mark: The whole town is like art!

Matt: It’s like a sculpture. The whole city is one big piece of art.

Mark: I don’t know if that’s bas-relief (= bas relief is an artistic style, pronounced “base relief” and also “bah relief”) or however that’s pronounced. Is it “bass” or “base”? Bas relief.

Matt: You know I’ve always made that same mistake. “Base or bas relief?” “Bass relief” sounds almost like some sort of concert for fish, you know? The Bass-relief. So anyway…

Mark: But it looks like that. And it’s just…I chose this picture just because it’s so representative of the city of Prague.

Matt: Oh yeah! Especially even the light in the foregound. That light fixture, the street lamps lend, you know, to the atmosphere.

Mark: Yeah!

Matt: …absolutely!

Mark: Have you been inside…This is the Palladium mall.

Matt: That’s Palladium. Yeah, I’ve stayed right next to it actually outside.

Mark: It’s a beautiful mall.

Matt: Mmm-hmm.

Mark: And it was like surprisingly modern and just kind of well done. You know, this is coming from Ukraine. You don’t get quite that quality. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Czech Republic, you go, “Wow! That’s an excellent mall!” With top-scale…

Matt: Oh yeah!

Mark: You know, everything is top of the line.

Matt: Yup, it is. And it’s right dead center of town.

Mark: Which is where our hotel, the AXA—I’m not even sure how to pronounce that—but that was our hotel, and just a two-minute walk. No, we were almost across the street from that so…

Matt: The AX… What was your hotel called?

Mark: I think it was…we were the AXA: “Ah-ha” or whatever.

Matt: If you walked out the front of that mall…
…which way did you go to get to your hotel?

Mark: Oh Dasha’s good with is very good at doing ____ this! I’m bad, but I think to the left. Away from, away from town.

Matt: Okay. Because that’s the way to get to like the Marriott Hotel is right around the corner from there. Kovna restaurant is right there too. But um…Yeah, this mall is really a nice mall.

Mark: But you’ve never been in and gone shopping?

Matt: I’ve been in there. Yeah I’ve been in there shopping. I don’t know what I… I think I bought a toaster there. Actually, because I blew-up (= to accidentally break a machine or electrical device) Eric and Elena’s toaster at their flat (= flat common British English: flat = apartment).

Mark: How’d that happen?

Matt: I don’t know. I plugged it in and stayed down too long and burned it. The smoke started to come out.

Mark: It was like, I was taking a bath and I wanted some toast…

Matt: I wanted some toast while I was bathing.

Mark: The next thing you know…

Matt: Yeah, the next thing, I’m in the burn ward and there’s no more toaster.

Mark: For you, a mall is nothing special, you’re coming from U.S. But I, having been living now for many years in Ukraine, you know, good malls are tough to come by. So, hey, when we find a good one…

Matt: Sure! “Let’s go!”

Mark: Yeah, let’s go. It’s cool for us to look at that. (new photo) Have you been here?

Matt: I don’t think so. I don’t recognize this.

Mark: The key to this picture, if you could figure what that—there’s a lady on the far right, by kind of that dark geometric shape. If you can figure out what she might be doing… this is the post office.

Matt: Oh, okay. Then I’ve not been in…

Mark: Now…

Matt: …the post office in Prague.

Mark: Now what a post office! I mean, that’s got that same kind of beautiful bas-relief or whatever you know, design. Façade. But we’re inside of course. And I think that almost looks like sculptures there and just compare that to the Tempe, Arizona post office.

Matt: Exactly! Yeah, go to a post office in Mesa.

Mark: Yeah, so what a, what a _____ really is a beautiful place!

Matt: Absolutely! Is this like the main, central post office in Prague?

Mark: I believe so.

Matt: I wouldn’t have an occasion (= opportunity)…Were you’re mailing a postcard?

Mark: Yeah, I was mailing out postcards.

Matt: I’ve not had the occasion to go in there.

Mark: And so, just another thing that’s like… They even took the time to make the post office look great.

Matt: Yeah!

Mark: You know what I mean?

Matt: Exactly!

Mark: So I found that cool.

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lends to = helps to create; contributes to

The dark lighting helps to create the spooky mood.
The dark lighting lends to the spooky mood.

The red peppers help to create the Spanish flavor.
The red peppers lend to the Spanish flavor.

The sound of the stream helps to create the peaceful feeling of the cottage.
The sound of the stream lends to the peaceful feeling of the cottage.

The street lamps helps to create the atmosphere.
The street lamps lend to the atmosphere.

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top of the line = the highest quality
Remember, the 2nd version (using “top of the line”) is how a native speaker will probably say these sentences.

Mercedes S Class is their highest quality model.
Mercedes S Class is their top of the line model.

I just need a watch…it doesn’t need to be the highest quality.
I just need a watch…it doesn’t need to be top of the line.

This new laptop is the highest quality.
This new laptop is top of the line.

Everything in that mall is the highest quality.
Everything in that mall is top of the line.

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tough to come by = not very common

During the war, things like butter and eggs were not very common.
During the war, things like butter and eggs were tough to come by.

Size 18 sneakers are not very common.
Size 18 sneakers are tough to come by.

In Manhattan, cheap parking is not very common.
In Manhattan, cheap parking is tough to come by.

In Ukraine, good malls are not very common.
In Ukraine, good malls are tough to come by.

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What a _____ ! = This is a great example of a _____ !

You fixed my car? This is a great example of a friend!
You fixed my car? What a friend!

I couldn’t stop reading Stephen King’s The Stand. This is a great example of a book!
I couldn’t stop reading Stephen King’s The Stand. What a book!

This morning I got a raise at work, and this evening I asked my girlfriend to marry me. (And she said yes.) This is a great example of a day!
This morning I got a raise at work, and this evening I asked my girlfriend to marry me. (And she said yes.) What a day!

This is a great example of a post office!
What a post office!

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to find something ______ = to think something is _____

I hope you’ll think this book is funny.
I hope you’ll find this book funny.

I think it is weird that you eat marshmallows with ketchup.
I find it weird that you eat marshmallows with ketchup.

There are so many homeless people in this city I think it is sad.
There are so many homeless people in this city I find it sad.

So I thought that was cool.
So I found that cool.

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Easy: The dark lighting helps to create the spooky mood.

Advanced: The dark lighting ____ __ the spooky mood.

Easy: Mercedes S Class is their highest quality model.
Advanced: Mercedes S Class is their ___ __ ___ ____ model.

Easy: During the war, things like butter and eggs were not very common.
Advanced: During the war, things like butter and eggs were ____ __ ____ __ .

Easy: I couldn’t stop reading Stephen King’s The Stand. This is a great example of a book!
Advanced: I couldn’t stop reading Stephen King’s The Stand. ____ __ book!

Easy: I hope you’ll think this book is funny.
Advanced: I hope you’ll ____ this book funny.

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