Category: Boston

Boston Lesson 1 Part 2

Posted by meg - October 3, 2013 - Boston

Boston Lesson 1 Part 2

Try the fluency building exercises below.

I’d like to show you how to do these fluency building exercises. This is not easy. You have to listen, think, and speak. It might take many times before you can do these easily. So, download them and practice them as much as you can. Don’t just listen. Say them out loud. This is how you will become fluent!

1. We’re headed to the ____ .

Example: gym – We’re headed to the gym.

+Click to reveal

We’re headed to the ____ .
gym
movies
stadium
grocery store

2. He’s kind of ____ .

Example: strange – He’s kind of strange.

+Click to reveal

He’s kind of ____ .
strange
lazy
tired
hungry

3. I didn’t think the ____ was all that ____ .

Example: concert / good – I didn’t think the concert was all that good.

+Click to reveal

I didn’t think the ____ was all that ____ .
concert / good
movie / funny
book / interesting
food / good

4. My favorite movies? ____ is up there.

Example: TERMINATOR – My favorite movies? TERMINATOR is up there.

+Click to reveal

My favorite movies? ____ is up there.
TERMINATOR
JAWS
ALIENS
PULP FICTION

5. They could well be ____ .

Example: lying – They could well be lying.

+Click to reveal

They could well be ____ .
lying
famous one day
home by now
her only friends

Here are the advanced expressions you learned in this lesson. DO NOT go to the next lesson until you remember these, and have practiced the Fluency Building Exercises many times. If you have any questions, contact your coach who can help you. Your homework is: Tomorrow, listen to all the audio files and practice with your flashcards, until you can say all of the drills quickly.
1. to head	2. kind of	3. not all that _____ (adjective)
4. to pop up	5. to be up there	6. could well be

Boston Lesson 1 Movie Script PDF

Boston Lesson 1 Movie Audio zip

Boston Lesson 1 Fluency Builder Exercises Audios zip

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Boston Lesson 1

Posted by meg - October 3, 2013 - Boston

Welcome to LIVE CONVERSATIONS “BOSTON: Lesson 1!” 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!

+Click to reveal Movie Script

Greg: Boston.

Greg: Ok, so this is Boston, Mark. Is that right?

Mark: Yes, this is Boston, Massachusetts.

Greg: And, why did you go to Boston?

Mark: Dasha and I left New York and headed north to Boston, to see my brother. His name is Eric, but we just call him Rick…And his wife, Margery and their kids. They—they don’t actually live in Boston. They live in Cambridge, which is just…well…a suburb of Boston.

Greg: Is this the whole skyline? Because it actually looks like kind of a small city. I actually kinda (kind of) imagined Boston as a big place. But this from the skyline, it doesn’t actually look all that big.

Mark: Yeah, I know. That’s a good question. I don’t know the population of Boston, but I’d be surprised if it was in the top ten, you know, cities, population-wise. What are they? It’s like: New York, L.A, Chicago, D.C. You know, I don’t think it pops up in those first…I think Phoenix and San Diego are bigger than Boston, so…

Greg: Yeah, definitely. Phoenix is up there I think at number four or six—no, it’s not four, but like six now. It’s pretty huge.

Mark: Yeah. So, Boston’s probably ten or even more than that. So, yeah that could well be it. That’s—that’s the skyline I remember, you know?

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: “we are going”). The 2nd one is what native speakers say, (“we are heading”). Listen one more time, and then go to Step #3.

+Click to reveal #1

to head = to go

Remember, in these four groups of sentences below, a native speaker will usually use the 2nd version. So, “headed” is the advanced word we want to learn.

Where are you going?

Where are you headed?

We’re going to the movies.

We’re headed to the movies.

Are you going to the store?

Are you headed to the store?

Dasha and I left New York and went north to Boston.

Dasha and I left New York and headed north to Boston.

step3

Make a study card. (Also called 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.

+Click to reveal #2

kind of = somewhat (of)

Remember, the 2nd version (using “kind of”) is how a native speaker will probably say these sentences.

I had breakfast about five hours ago, so I’m somewhat hungry.

I had breakfast about five hours ago, so I’m kind of hungry.

He’s somewhat lazy.

He’s kind of lazy.

She’s somewhat tired.

She’s kind of tired.

Boston actually looks like somewhat of a small city.

Boston actually looks like kind of a small city.

+Click to reveal #3

not all that _____ (adjective) = not very ______ (adjective)

NOTE: The word “not” will often be part of a contraction earlier in the sentence.

I didn’t think the movie was very funny.

I didn’t think the movie was all that funny.

Billy isn’t very smart.

Billy isn’t all that smart.

She didn’t think the book was very interesting.

She didn’t think the book was all that interesting.

Boston doesn’t actually look very big.

Boston doesn’t actually look all that big.

+Click to reveal #4

to pop up = to be mentioned

In political debates, taxes are mentioned a lot.

In political debates, taxes pop up a lot.

In our talks, money is mentioned a lot.

In our talks, money pops up a lot.

Religion is always mentioned pops up when he talks.

Religion always pops up when he talks.

I don’t think Boston is mentioned in the list of the biggest cities.

I don’t think Boston pops up in the list of the biggest cities.

+Click to reveal #5

to be up there = to be ranked (high)

Yale is ranked with the best Universities in the country.

Yale is up there with the best Universities in the country.

My favorite movies? TERMINATOR is ranked high.

My favorite movies? TERMINATOR is up there.

Nadal is ranked with the best tennis players in history.

Nadal is up there with the best tennis players in history.

Phoenix is ranked at number 4 or 5, I think.

Phoenix is up there at number 4 or 5, I think.

+Click to reveal #6

could well be = probably is/are

They are probably home by now.

They could well be home by now.

He is probably lying.

He could well be lying.

He is probably the best boxer ever.

He could well be the best boxer ever.

That is probably the reason.

That could well be the reason.

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: Where are you going?

Advanced: Where are you _____ ?

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 had breakfast about five hours ago, so I’m somewhat hungry.
Advanced: I had breakfast about five hours ago, so I’m ___ ___ hungry.

Easy: I didn’t think the movie was very funny.
Advanced: I didn’t think the movie was ___ ___ funny.

Easy: In political debates, taxes are mentioned a lot.
Advanced: In political debates, taxes ___ ___ a lot.

Easy: Yale is ranked with the best Universities in the country.
Advanced: Yale is ___ ___ with the best Universities in the country.

Easy: He is probably the best boxer ever.
Advanced: He ___ ___ ___ the best boxer ever.

Fill in the blanks

Directions: Type the Advanced Expression in the blank. Click REVEAL to show the answer.

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