分类： Let’s Learn English (Level 2)

Conversation

Anna: Wow. Did you know that bees are dying?

Kaveh: That is bad news. If all the bees died, there would be no food. Bees are very important.

(buzz sound)

Anna: Yes, they are. Speaking of bees, one of our little friends is here now.

Kaveh: You know, Anna, if you ignore it, it will fly away. But if you swat it, it might sting you.

Anna: I’ll ignore it. I can ignore it. See, I’m ignoring it. (she is swatting at the bee)

Kaveh: Anna, are you afraid of bees?

Anna: What makes you say that?

Kaveh: Anna, you should call my friend, Caroline. She is a beekeeper and a bee educator. If you talk to her, she’ll probably help you get over your fear of bees.

Anna: I am not afraid of bees.

Kaveh: Here’s her card.

Anna: Ahhh!

Prof. Bot: In this lesson, you can learn about conditionals. They have “if” and “will” or “would.” There are two kinds of conditional sentences in this lesson.

Type 1 conditionals have a real event, and a result that probably will happen. Chances are good. Here is the pattern:

If +present tense verb … will + future tense verb.

Kaveh uses this when he says: “If you ignore it, it will fly away.”

Type 2 conditionals have a possible event and a result that may or may not happen. We don’t know. Here is the pattern:

If + past tense verb …would + infinitive verb.

Kaveh uses this pattern when he says, “If all the bees died, there would be no food.”

Look for the “if” in a sentence to find more conditionals in today’s lesson. I’ll color them, too!

Anna: I think I’m at the wrong address. This does not look like a place where bees are kept. ?(knocks on door)

Anna: Oh, sorry to bother you. I’m looking for beekeeper Caroline. I’m here to take her “Learn to Love Bees!” class.

Caroline: You’re in the right place! I’m Caroline!

Anna: Oh, nice to meet you! Um, Caroline, I thought this class used real bees and real hives.

Caroline: It does! If you look in my backyard, you will see my bees! I’m a home beekeeper!

Anna: What? You live with bees? That is really amazing! And at the same time really scary.

Caroline: It’s not scary. If you come, I’ll show you.

Anna: Caroline, how many bees are in that hive?

Caroline: About thirty thousand (30,000) in each.

Anna: What? That’s amazing! But, aren’t you afraid that they are gonna come out and kill you?

Caroline: No, not at all, Anna. Even my children help me. Tell me, why are you afraid of bees?

Anna: I don’t know. Well, when I was a little girl my mom ran out of honey. And I really wanted honey for my pancakes. So, I climbed high into a tree and hit a beehive with a stick … several times. Then I reached inside with my bare hands to pull the honey out. That’s when I got stung … a lot.

Anna: Caroline, if you hit a beehive with a stick and reach inside, you might get stung.

Caroline: No, Anna. If you do those things, you will get stung.

Anna: Yes. I did.

Caroline: And you know that it was your fault you got stung, don’t you?

Anna: Yes. I did.

Caroline: Bees know your feelings. And if you stay calm, the bees will be calm. If you’re nervous, the bees will be nervous. And if bees are nervous, they may sting. So, please be calm.

Anna: I will be calm. I am calm. Okay, I’m ready. I’m ready

Caroline: Great. Let’s get our equipment on.

Anna: Wait! Wait! I’m not ready! I’m nervous! Give me a minute to be calm.

Prof. Bot: Are you ready for one more conditional sentence?

If you are not afraid, you will join us next time to learn more about bees!

Conversation

Kelly: Hi, Anna. Why do you have all this weather stuff?

Anna: I love weather.

Kelly: Me too! Weather is so important.

Anna: It is. It affects people’s lives!

Kelly: Have you ever reported on a big weather event?

Anna: I have. I’ve reported on a blizzard.

Kelly: Do mean the one last weekend?

Anna: Yes! I had been waiting for that blizzard for years. When it came, I was ready.

Prof. Bot: Welcome to our most perfect lesson! Why is it perfect? Today we are reviewing the present perfect and past perfect verb tenses. These show that an action is completed.

Kelly uses the present perfect when she says,

Kelly: Have you ever reported on a big weather event?

Anna uses the past perfect when she says,

Anna: I had been waiting for that blizzard for years.

Listen for “have” or “had” and the past participle to find more sentences with the perfect tense. I’ll color those words to help you.

Anna: I have wanted to report on a big weather event my whole life.

Kelly: Who hasn’t? Did you report all weekend … by yourself?

Anna: No, no. I volunteered Pete to help me.

Pete: Why am I here on a Saturday? Why are you carrying things? Why? Why?

Anna: Pete, these are my supplies – food, a blanket; warm clothing. Where are your supplies?

Anna: Pete, Pete, Pete. This could be the “blizzard of the century.”

Pete: It’ll be fine.

Kelly: How else had you prepared?

Anna: Well, I had just bought the latest weather forecasting software. So, I brought it!

Kelly: Do you mean The Weather Genie Pro?

Anna: You know it. Pete thought it was pretty great too.

Pete: Do you have any games on that thing?

Anna: Yes! I have the best weather survival game. Boom!

Pete: Sounds fun.

Anna: It is. But right now, Pete, this computer is a work tool. It will give us the temperature, wind speed, wind direction and amount of snowfall … in real time! Boom, boom!

Pete: I can’t wait.

Anna: Pete, we need a name for this blizzard.

Pete: No, we don’t.

Anna: All the great storms have names.

Pete: No, they don’t.

Anna: I know — “The Big Snow!”

Pete: I am not saying “The Big Snow.”

Pete: Welcome to “The Big Snow.”

Kelly: The Big Snow broke all kinds of records, didn’t it?

Anna: Yes it did. And every time a record was broken, we celebrated!

Anna: So far, in Washington, D.C. 29 inches of snow has fallen. That, my dear listeners, is a record! (Honks horn)

Anna: We just broke the wind speed record! (Honks horn)

Anna: Snow has been falling for 30 hours straight! That’s another record! (Honks horn. Pete comes into room and breaks the horn.)

Kelly: By Saturday night, stores and restaurants had closed. Did you bring enough food?

Anna: I thought I had brought enough food. But I ran out.

Anna: Hey, Pete, where is my bag of popcorn?

Pete: Maybe you ate it already.

Anna: No, I didn’t.

Pete: I haven’t seen it. (Pete has popcorn in his beard. Anna tries to hit him.)

Anna: We had reported together for 48 hours straight!

Kelly: Wow. That must have been a great team-building exercise for you and Pete.

Anna: Yeah. You – you could say that.

Prof. Bot: I hope you found all the sentences with perfect tenses. Learn more on our website!

Conversation

Bruna: Hi, Anna!

Anna: Hi, Bruna! What’s up?

Bruna: I thought we could meet for lunch today.

Anna: I wish I could, but I can’t. I have to research Peru for a story.

Bruna: How’s it going?

Anna: Not so good. I’ve been reading about Peru and listening to Peruvian music. I really want to understand Peru. I hope it’s enough.

Bruna: You should visit Peru.

Anna: I wish!

Bruna: You can!

Anna: Bruna, I don’t have the money or time to go to Peru. My deadline is tomorrow!

Bruna: No, I don’t mean to really go there. The museum where I work is having a Peruvian festival today! …. Anna? Anna? Anna, are you there?

Prof. Bot: Hello again! Professor Bot here. Today we will hear about wishes and hopes. Bruna asked Anna to go to lunch, but she answered,

I wish I could, but I can’t. Listen for more hope and wish sentences.

Bruna: Hi, Anna!

Anna: Hi, Bruna! Thanks for telling me about this event.

Bruna: Sure! It’s much better than staring at your computer. I hope it helps with your story.

Anna: I’m sure it will. So, what should we see first?

Bruna: Dance and music are very important to Peruvian culture, so let’s watch the dancers.

Anna: Great! Let’s go!

Bruna: There’s this very special Peruvian dance called Marinera Norte?a.

Anna: I love the Marinera Nortina… !

Bruna: Marinera Norte?a.

Anna: Marinera Norten… ?

Bruna: No. Marinera Norte?a.

Anna: I love the … marriage dance!

Anna: Bruna, I read about this dance. But it is much more romantic in person!

Bruna: The dancers are giving lessons after their performance. You should try it!

Anna: I’d love to. But I’m not ready to get married. I mean, one day I hope to meet the right guy. We’ll buy matching motorcycles and ride into the sunset — the wind blowing through our hair!

Bruna: Anna, the dance just shows the courtship tradition. It doesn’t mean you will get married.

Anna: Oh. Well, I’ll try anyway.

Bruna: Don’t forget. This festival also shows Peruvian art!

Anna: I hope I have time to see everything!

Bruna: Anna, I wish I could join you. But I have some work to do.

Anna: Of course, of course. You go back to work. I’ll check out the art.

Bruna: Okay, I’m hoping to finish in about an hour. Let’s meet then.

Anna: Great. See you then!

Bruna: See ya!

Prof. Bot: Did you notice any sentences with hope or wish?

Anna says, “One day I hope to meet the right guy.” That’s an example of using “hope” with an infinitive to talk about doing something in the future. Keep watching!

Anna: Oh, wow! I can make my own Peruvian art!

Bruna: Anna, how’s it going?

Anna: Hi, Bruna!

Bruna: You know you’re in the kid’s section, right?

Anna: I’m in the art making section.

Bruna: I see that. Your art is very nice. I wish I could do art like that.

Anna: Oh, this one’s not mine. This is mine.

Bruna: Wow! Really? That’s really nice!

Anna: Thanks! And thanks for telling me about this festival. I learned so much about Peru. Ooh, we still have time!

Bruna: Time for what?

Anna: Time for Marinera Norte?a!

Prof. Bot: Do you remember what Anna said? “I really want to understand Peru.” I hope you understand Peru a little better now, too. And I wish I could talk with you more about grammar, but that’s all the time we have today! Go to the website to learn more!