New York 2 Lesson 3

Welcome to LIVE CONVERSATIONS “New York City, Part 2: Lesson 3!” 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 mean mind you, I spoke Russian quite well even back then but it was just fun for her to just feel totally at home. It was great. We had borsht and we went to a, you know, a “gastronom” (a Russian grocery store) and she was buying chocolate candies and she was having a ball. It was great.

Greg: Wow. Cool.

Mark: Oh, yeah!

Greg: What…Why do you guess—What…What’s the attraction to Brighton Beach? Like, why did a Russian community gather there, and why did it become the biggest in the world?

Mark: Excellent question. I suppose it’s just one of those things. Like, I bet, you know, some extended family once moved there. Once they tell their friends, now you have twice the reason to go to that…You know, if you’re a Russian guy and you know about that, you have twice the reason to go. And then now you have four times the reason. I bet it just kind of, you know, builds upon itself. “Steam rolls,” (to gradually increase in size or number) I guess I would say. (NOTE: Better word would have been “snowballs”)

Greg: Right.

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Mark: So in this picture you’re seeing Dasha again from behind as she takes a picture of my sister on the left…

Greg: Yeah, I was going to say…Isn’t that your sister?

Mark: Yes, that’s my sister, Sandy and her husband Mike. They live in Richmond, Virginia which is a solid 8 hours to….south of Manhattan. But they came up (northward) to see us—to see the city with us, and then to drive us back to Virginia with them.

So here we are in Rockefeller Plaza just taking a nice picture. And then what we did that day, is…if you go to the next picture…We went to a modern art museum. And this picture is not in any way, you know, photoshopped (changed, like with the Photoshop program) or anything. This was the actual painting in the museum. I think this is called the MOMA: The Museum of Modern Art. There’s two modern art museums in Manhattan. The other one is the famous Guggenheim with that circular—its just one, big, circle…spiral, I should say. This is not that Guggenheim. This is just the Museum of Modern Art, which I don’t think I’d ever been to, and based on the quality of this work, I am not sure I would go back. But what’s your interpretation, Greg, of this painting?

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Step 1

Listen to Audio #1 below.
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.

step2

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: “I want you to understand”). The 2nd one is what native speakers say, (“mind you”). Listen one more time, and then go to Step #3.

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mind you = I want you to understand

Remember, in these four groups of sentences below, a native speaker will usually use the 2nd version. So, "mind you" is the advanced phrase we want to learn.

I was only twelve when I drew this, I want you to understand.
I was only twelve when I drew this, mind you.

I want you to understand, I’ve had no training.
Mind you, I’ve had no training.

This is a loan, I want you to understand. It’s not a gift.
This is a loan, mind you. It’s not a gift.

I want you to understand, I spoke Russian quite well, even back then.
Mind you, I spoke Russian quite well, even back then.

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step3

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.

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to feel at home = to feel confident and happy

Remember, the 2nd version (using "to feel at home") is how a native speaker will probably say these sentences.

I’ve always loved acting, so I feel confident and happy when I’m on stage.
I’ve always loved acting, so I feel at home when I’m on stage.

I really feel confident and happy in this company.
I really feel at home in this company.

We really feel confident and happy in Montana.
We really feel at home in Montana.

Dasha really felt confident and happy in Brighton Beach.
Dasha really felt at home in Brighton Beach.

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to have a ball = to have a great time

We had a great time in Las Vegas. It was so fun!
We had a ball in Las Vegas. It was so fun!

We had a great time on the ship.
We had a ball on the ship.

I hope you guys had a great time!
I hope you guys had a ball!

Dasha was having a great time in Brighton Beach.
Dasha was having a ball in Brighton Beach.

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it’s one of those things = it happens without planning
NOTE: Often with "just": It’s just one of those things…

The success of Facebook happened without planning.
The success of Facebook was just one of those things.

Our relationship happened without planning.
Our relationship was just one of those things.

Love happens without planning.
Love is just one of those things.

The Russian community in Brighton Beach happened without planning. Some family moves there, then their friends, and their friends…
The Russian community in Brighton Beach is one of those things. Some family moves there, then their friends, and their friends…

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to be a solid _____ = to be at least _____

The book WAR & PEACE is at least 1,000 pages.
The book WAR & PEACE is a solid 1,000 pages.

That car is at least forty thousand dollars.
That car is a solid forty thousand dollars.

That building is at least fifty stories high.
That building is a solid fifty stories high.

Richmond is at least eight hours south of New York City.
Richmond is a solid eight hours south of New York City.

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in any way = at all

That was not funny at all.
That was not in any way funny.

That was not my fault at all.
That was not in any way my fault.

That was not expected at all.
That was not in any way expected.

This picture is not photoshopped at all.
This picture is not in any wayphotoshopped.

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Step 1.

First, read the “Easy” sentence. Then, try to think of the advanced expression that we learned which has the same meaning as the highlighted expression.

Easy: I was only twelve when I drew this, I want you to understand.

Advanced: I was only twelve when I drew this, ___ ___ .

Step 2.

Play the audio file to check your answer.

Step 3.

Play the audio again, and repeat, until you can say it from memory.

Step 4.

Repeat Steps 1 – 3 for each set below.

Easy: I’ve always loved acting, so I feel confident and happy when I’m on stage.
Advanced: I’ve always loved acting, so I ___ ___ ___ when I’m on stage.