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: Yes.
Matt: If they somehow drop me off on the southwest outskirts, I’d be…. However, the center of the big, main city, I’m very kinda comfortable with.
Mark: And you’re comfortable in the metro and…?
Matt: Yeah, and have and just not worrying about going up to ask somebody a question about whatever. Yeah, you know, just having to…I’ve spent a lot of time by myself in Prague and I never had any problems.
Mark: For you to be drawn there that many times, it must be an awesome city so you would recommend it for people like trying to maybe go slightly off the beaten path.
Matt: Yeah.
Mark: Not London or Paris all the time. But maybe, try Prague!
Matt: Absolutely! Now if you go to Prague, Prague has kind of feral (= wild, untamed) streak to it.
Mark: Uh-huh. What does that mean? Wild..feral means like wild cats.
Matt: There’s a lot of wild… You’re going to walk down… it’s got a seedy element. It lends to the…
Mark: The charm.
Matt: The charm, the personality of the city. So you can’t… if you’re easily offended by a seedy element. I don’t know. Go to Ottumwa, Iowa or something.
Mark: Sometimes you use the word Bohemian.
Matt: Yeah. It’s Bohemian. So you’re going to… the attitudes there are more lax about lots of sexual mores. Everybody smokes and drinks there. There are casinos there, intertwined with all this old, ancient, beautiful architecture.
Mark: Do you feel for (= Are you concerned about) your safety…?
Matt: Oh, I have asked lots and lots of different Czechs who live there. The worst thing you have to really worry about is getting your wallet lifted (= stolen). Violent crime…
Mark: Which happened to us by the way since you mentioned that that did happen on New Year’s Eve.
Matt: In Prague?
Mark: Yeah, New Year’s eve, well Dasha got…
Matt: Oh, it did.
Mark: Yeah, … got lost her wallet. Not lost. Someone stole it out of her purse.
Matt: Where were…Did you figure out where you were when it happened?
Mark: Central Square…you know…
Matt: Oh, you were right where…Oh, they’re (= referring to criminals who are trying to steal wallets) out at New Year’s Eve, you have… those guys are out in droves on New Year’s Eve.
Mark: Yeah and so, that was unfortunate but…
Matt: I didn’t know that. Wow.
Mark: Yeah, um see, I thought I told you so.
Matt: No.
Mark: That was like I think a 800 Euro she had in that, too, and that’s a… that’s an ouch! But you know, you can’t point the finger at Prague. It’s going to happen anywhere.
Matt: No, not and they’re. Prague’s got a reputation for that.
Mark: So, bring a money belt.
Matt: Bring a money belt. Keep your wallet in your… I’m always having my….sticking (= Putting) my hands in my front pockets to keep them on my wallet.
Mark: And even then keep it low…a little money in there. Keep your real money and passports (in your belt.)
Matt: Yeah! And don’t look like a mark (= a person that criminals are likely to target). Don’t look so brazenly (= obviously) tourist-like. You know, kind of… gauge what the Pragues are you know doing, kind of have that expression on your face like you know where you’re going; not looking around, lost.
Mark: I want to call them Prague-lodytes (= Prague-lodytes rhymes with Trogladytes which were cave-men from pre-historic times. Prague-lodytes isn’t a word in English, but Mark and Matt both thought of the word because the ending -dytes indicates a type of person, or a person from a place. In this case the meaning would be “a person from Prague” and the words rhyme, so the idea occurred to them both).
Matt: I do too. I’ve said that. I was thinking that the other day.
Mark: I just made that up!
Matt: “Prague-lodyte.” Yes, I was thinking about that because they are Praguers, but I thought, “Well, why not Prague-lodytes?” I was thinking the same thing last week.
Mark: Oh, let’s end on that. That was a great talk!
Matt: Yup, no problem.
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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.
| 1. |
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seedy = unpleasant and unsafe (due to the presence of sex, drugs and/or crime)
The drug dealers on the streets, the sex shops and the people selling stolen goods all made New York’s Times Square a very unpleasant and unsafe place in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
The drug dealers on the streets, the sex shops and the people selling stolen goods all made New York’s Times Square a very seedy place in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
Parts of New Orleans, especially late at night, feel unpleasant and unsafe.
Parts of New Orleans, especially late at night, feel seedy.
Downtown Las Vegas can be a fun place for adults, but it’s too unpleasant and unsafe for children.
Downtown Las Vegas can be a fun place for adults, but it’s too seedy for children.
Prague has a unpleasant and unsafe element.
Prague has a seedy element.
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| 2. |
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lax = casual and not very concerned
Remember, the 2nd version (using “lax”) is how a native speaker will probably say these sentences.
In Russia they are very casual and not very concerned about car safety. Few people wear seat belts and children do not ride in car seats.
In Russia they are very lax about car safety. Few people wear seat belts and children do not ride in car seats.
That teacher is too casual and not very concerned about kids talking in class.
That teacher is too lax about kids talking in class.
This country is very casual and not very concerned about prostitution.
This country is very lax about prostitution.
The attitudes in Prague are more casual and not very concerned about sex and drugs.
The attitudes in Prague are more lax about sex and drugs.
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| 3. |
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intertwined = mixed in
The DIE HARD movies have great comedy mixed in with the action.
The DIE HARD movies have great comedy intertwined with the action.
His art has geometric shapes mixed in with curving lines.
His art has geometric shapes intertwined with curving lines.
Grandpa’s stories mix in fact and fiction.
Grandpa’s stories intertwine fact and fiction.
There are casinos there, mixed in with all this old, beautiful architecture.
There are casinos there, intertwined with all this old, beautiful architecture.
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| 4. |
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in droves = in large numbers
An offer of free hot dogs brought people out in large numbers to the carnival.
An offer of free hot dogs brought people out in droves to the carnival.
Fans came in large numbers to meet Beyonce in person.
Fans came in droves to meet Beyonce in person.
When Prince Henry finally presented his newborn son to the public, the photographers came in large numbers.
When Prince Henry finally presented his newborn son to the public, the photographers came in droves.
Thieves and pickpockets are out in large numbers on New Years in Prague’s Old Town Square.
Thieves and pickpockets are out in droves on New Years in Prague’s Old Town Square.
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point the finger at = blame
Don’t blame me. I didn’t take your wallet.
Don’t point the finger at me. I didn’t take your wallet.
For all the problems with health care in the U.S. I blame politicians.
For all the problems with health care in the U.S. I point the finger at politicians.
The Yankees can’t blame the umpire. They lost the game due to their own mistakes.
The Yankees can’t point the finger at the umpire. They lost the game due to their own mistakes.
You can’t blame Prague.
You can’t point the finger at Prague.
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| 6. |
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to gauge = to observe and think about
On a sailboat you need to carefully observe and think about the wind.
On a sailboat you need to carefully gauge the wind.
As a policeman you need to carefully observe and think about the person you’re confronting.
As a policeman you need to carefully gauge the person you’re confronting.
The teacher is good at observing and thinking about how her students are doing in class.
The teacher is good at gauging how her students are doing in class.
You need to observe and think about how people in Prague dress and act.
You need to gauge how people in Prague dress and act.
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Easy: Parts of New Orleans, especially late at night, feel unpleasant and unsafe.
Advanced: Parts of New Orleans, especially late at night, feel _____.
Easy: In Russia they are very casual and not very concerned about car safety. Few people wear seat belts and children do not ride in car seats.
Advanced: In Russia they are very ___ about car safety. Few people wear seat belts and children do not ride in car seats.
Easy: The DIE HARD movies have great comedy mixed in with the action.
Advanced: The DIE HARD movies have great comedy ________ with the action.
Easy: An offer of free hot dogs brought people out in large numbers to the carnival.
Advanced: An offer of free hot dogs brought people out __ _____ to the carnival.
Easy: Don’t blame me. I didn’t take your wallet.
Advanced: Don’t ____ ____ ______ __ me. I didn’t take your wallet.
Easy: On a sailboat you need to carefully observe and think about the wind.
Advanced: On a sailboat you need to carefully _____ the wind.
