Boston Lesson 3

Welcome to LIVE CONVERSATIONS “BOSTON: 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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Greg: Wow. When I went to ASU, there were forty thousand back then. It’s probably even more. It’s probably sixty or seventy now, I guess but.

Mark: Yeah. ASU’s, you know, third or fourth largest university in the nation. Harvard is obviously a little bit more elite. But, yeah. And when we were there, it was like, I…I felt it was orientation day (the day when new students get a tour of the campus), I think. So, there was also a lot of parents there with the kids, getting a feel for the campus.

Greg: Right. Okay, so it’s safe to assume that all…Let’s see. I see: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven people. These eleven people are highly intelligent, is that right?

Mark: You would assume. I hate—I hate to play on stereotypes but I, you know, maybe it—maybe it was just luck of that particular moment, but I ran into a lot of Asian kids. You know, if I—I won’t show you all of the pictures, but a lot of them had, you know, groups of Asian kids sitting there. That’s a stereotype in the U.S. that the Asian kids are the smart ones, but in my pictures of Harvard, most of them were Asian.

Greg: Okay, so…You mentioned the Harvard library in the last picture, and—

Mark: Yep

Greg: — I’m assuming this is it.

Mark: This is indeed it. And what struck me is: Man! For a pretty small school, what a massive-looking building! You know? I know that the Harvard library is one of the—one of the most, you know, well stocked libraries — collegiate libraries — and probably just overall libraries in the world. So, it’s a mammoth structure.

Greg: So, could you go in? I’m assuming you could go in, but maybe you can’t check out books as a non-student.

Mark: Right. Yeah, and we did not go in. My brother was pretty much giving us the whirlwind tour of the Harvard campus. So, it was…He was already moving on and she’s like, “No, no wait! I want my picture here! This is…What a great library!” So that’s all we managed to get. If you look past Dasha, you can see…you can kind of see those are parents sitting next to their kid, because it was, again, Orientation Day, so…

Greg: Right.

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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: “to become familiar with”). The 2nd one is what native speakers say, (“to get a feel for”). Listen one more time, and then go to Step #3.

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to get a feel for = to become familiar with

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

I’ve never driven a truck, so I’ll need some time to become familiar with it.
I’ve never driven a truck, so I’ll need some time to get a feel for it.

Are you familiar with how this works?
Do you have a feel for how this works?

Is John familiar with the city?
Does John have a feel for the city?

There were a lot of parents there with the kids, becoming familiar with the campus.
There were a lot of parents there with the kids, getting a feel for the campus.

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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.

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to play on = to use

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

Stephen King’s stories use our darkest fears.
Stephen King’s stories play on our darkest fears.

His speeches use people’s greed.
His speeches play on people’s greed.

Her songs use strong emotions.
Her songs play on strong emotions.

I hate to use stereotypes.
I hate to play on stereotypes.

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indeed = as was mentioned

I was, as mentioned, at home when you called.
I was indeed at home when you called.

This is, as I mentioned, a photo of Grandpa.
This is indeed a photo of Grandpa.

We are, as I mentioned, moving to Hawaii.
We are indeed moving to Hawaii.

This is as was mentioned the Harvard library.
This is indeed the Harvard library.

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to be struck by = to be amazed by

I was amazed by how generous my Russian friends were.
I was struck by how generous my Russian friends were.

We were amazed by the high prices.
We were struck by the high prices.

I was amazed by how many people smoke.
I was struck by how many people smoke.

What amazed me is how big Harvard’s library is.
What struck me is how big Harvard’s library is.

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mammoth – extremely large

The Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg is extremely large.
The Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg is mammoth.

JFK is an extremely large airport.
JFK is a mammoth airport.

St. Peter’s is an extremely large cathedral.
St. Peter’s is a mammoth cathedral.

The Harvard library is an extremely large structure.
The Harvard library is a mammoth structure.

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to move on = to continue

My friends are continuing to college and I’m still working at McDonald’s.
My friends are moving on to college and I’m still working at McDonald’s.

Let’s continue to the science museum.
Let’s move on to the science museum.

In school, we’re continuing to geometry.
In school, we’re moving on to geometry.

We were by the library for a moment, and my brother was already continuing.
We were by the library for a moment, and my brother was already moving on.

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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’ve never driven a truck, so I’ll need some time to become familiar with it.

Advanced: I’ve never driven a truck, so I’ll need some time ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ it.

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: Stephen King’s stories use our darkest fears.
Advanced: Stephen King’s stories ___ ___ our darkest fears.

Easy: I was, as mentioned, at home when you called.
Advanced: I was _____ at home when you called.

Easy: I was amazed by how generous my Russian friends were.
Advanced: I was ____ by how generous my Russian friends were.

Easy: The Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg is extremely large.
Advanced: The Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg is _____.

Easy: My friends are continuing to college and I’m still working at McDonald’s
Advanced: My friends are ___ ___ to college and I’m still working at McDonald’s