世博英语

Conversation

ANNOUNCER: When last we saw Anna, she had made a new friend. And they had been talking about superheroes for a while when suddenly Anna became Lightning Bolt Lady!

ANNOUNCER: She tried to find her superpowers. But it did not go well.

ANNOUNCER: She can’t fly, become invisible or create a force field. And she really cannot walk through walls. Ouch, Lightning Bolt Lady.

ANNOUNCER: She had been walking into that wall for about 15 minutes when she had a great idea.

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: I just had a great idea!

ANNOUNCER: I can’t wait to hear this one! But first, let’s talk about grammar.

ANNOUNCER: Professor Bot is on vacation this week. I’m the announcer. So, I’m going to tell you about the past perfect continuous.

ANNOUNCER: We use this verb tense to show that an action started in the past and continued to another time or action in the past.

ANNOUNCER: For example, I said, “She had been walking into that wall for about 15 minutes when she had a great idea.”

ANNOUNCER: Had been walking is the past perfect continuous of the verb walk. It’s had been plus the -ing form of the verb.

ANNOUNCER: You’ll hear me use this verb tense a few more times today.

ANNOUNCER: Now, what am I forgetting? Oh right! Lightning Bolt Lady’s great idea.

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: If I want to know my superpowers, I’ll need to learn about lightning!

ANNOUNCER: So, she read many books about lightning.

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Wow. A lightning strike usually lasts less than a second.

(She tells this to a person and he slowly moves away.)

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Lightning is really fast and I like speed walking. So, maybe one of my superpowers is super-speed walking! (to stranger) Bye!

(She begins to super-speed walk.)

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Check! Super-speed walking is definitely one of my superpowers.

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Lightning has millions of volts of electricity. Amazing!

(She puts her hand up and lightning bolts shoot from her fingers.)

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Wow! I can charge a lot of batteries with this superpower!

ANNOUNCER: She had been looking for hours for someone to help when she found her chance.

WOMAN: Hello? Hello? I’m sorry. I’m going to have to call you back. My phone is dying.

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Excuse me, I can charge your phone.

WOMAN: Really? Thanks!

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: I’m Lightning Bolt Lady!

(She takes the woman’s phone and shoots it with a lightning bolt. But it turns into ashes. Then, she gives the woman lots of money and smiles and says goodbye.)

ANNOUNCER: She had been practicing her superpowers all day. Suddenly, she heard a terrible sound – a child’s disappointment.

ANNOUNCER: These children tried to light a fire for over an hour. But then, they gave up.

PARENT: Hey kids, that wood will never burn. It’is too wet.

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Small humans, what is wrong?

CHILD: Stranger danger!

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: I’m Lightning Bolt Lady!

YOUNG MAN: Oh no. It’s you.

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: (to YOUNG MAN:) We meet again. And guess what: I found my superpowers.

CHILD: Well, we need a fire to toast the marshmallows to make S’mores.

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: I can help.

YOUNG MAN: We don’t need a super-speed walker but thanks!

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Super-speed walking is just one of my superpowers. I can also do this!

(She tries to use her lightning bolts but it doesn’t go well.)

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Sorry! Let me do it again.

(She lights the fire with her lightning bolts.)

CHILDREN: Thanks, Lightning Bolt Lady!

YOUNG MAN: Lightning Bolt Lady

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: You’re welcome. But you don’t have enough firewood. Using my super-speed walking, I will get more.

(She super-speed walks around to get firewood.)

PARENT: Lightning Bolt Lady, come back! A lightning storm is coming!

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Not a chance! There’s not a cloud in the …

CHILD: Lightning Bolt Lady, are you okay?

CHILD: Where’s your super-suit?

ANNA: Oh no! I’ve lost my superpowers!

YOUNG MAN: It’s starting to rain. Do you want to go inside and eat some S’mores?

ANNA: You read my mind.

ANNA: You know, I thought mind reading would be one of my superpowers. But it wasn’t.

CHILD: That’d be a cool superpower.

CHILD: But I’d rather be able to talk to animals.

Conversation

ANNA: Hi! I see you like superhero culture. Me too.

ANNA: In fact, tonight I’m going to the big superhero convention. Are you going?

YOUNG MAN: Um, I don’t know.

ANNA: Well, you’d better decide soon. Last year, it sold out.

ANNA: So, since we’re talking about superheroes: would you rather become a superhero by accident, like Spiderman, or be born a superhero, like Wonder Woman?

ANNA: Take your time. It’s a big question. I thought about it for days –

YOUNG MAN: Okay. If I had to choose, I’d rather be born a superhero.

ANNA: I’d rather become a superhero by an unexpected accident!

YOUNG MAN: Aren’t all accidents unexpected?

ANNA: Well, yeah.

YOUNG MAN: What was that!? Are you okay?

ANNA: I’m better than okay. I feel super!

PROF. BOT: Oh No! Anna was just hit by lightning. She had better get help.

PROF. BOT: We use had better to give advice. It is very informal and stronger than should and ought to. For example, Anna says: “You’d better decide soon. Last year, it sold out.”

PROF. BOT: When we use had better, we usually shorten the word had for personal pronouns.

PROF. BOT: We use would rather to say what we or someone else prefers to do or have. For example, the boy says: “Okay. If I had to choose, I’d rather be born a superhero.

PROF. BOT: With would rather, we also shorten the word would when used with personal pronouns. Keep watching and listen for had better and would rather.

YOUNG MAN: You’d better see a doctor.

ANNA: I’ve never felt better!

YOUNG MAN: You were just struck by lightning!! And what happened to your hair and your clothes?

ANNA: I don’t know. Wait, I do know. This is my super suit! And this is my origin story.

YOUNG MAN: What are you talking about?

ANNA: An origin story tells the beginning of a superhero. You should know that.

YOUNG MAN: You’re not making any sense, lady.

ANNA: I would rather be called Lightning Bolt Lady! It’ll sound great in a theme song: Lightning Bolt Lady!

ANNA: Now, I need to find my superpowers —

YOUNG MAN: Um, I really think —

ANNA: Wait. Don’t tell me. I’ll read your mind. You are thinking you’d like to be my super helper.

YOUNG MAN: I was not thinking that.

ANNA: … that you’d like to live in a treehouse.

YOUNG MAN: No.

ANNA: … that you should eat more vegetables.

YOUNG MAN: Please, stop talking. You really should get some help.

ANNA: Mind reading is not my superpower. Maybe I can become invisible. I … am … invisible!

ANNA: You can’t see me. Who am I? I’m not here. You can’t see me.

YOUNG MAN: I can see you and so can everybody else.

ANNA: No power of invisibility. Maybe I can create a force field. I feel it working. Nothing can hurt –

(Someone throws a piece of paper and it hits her head.)

ANNA: Ow, that wasn’t very nice. I see I have a lot of work to do. Well, goodbye, non-super person!

YOUNG MAN: Wait. I’d better go with you. You might get worse…if that’s even possible.

ANNA: That’s very nice of you, ordinary human. But I’d rather go by myself. This is a quest.

YOUNG MAN: Every time you speak, I get more confused.

ANNA: A quest is a part of all superhero stories. You really need to work on your superhero studies. Now, stand back. I’ve never flown before.

YOUNG MAN: And you’re not flying now.

ANNA: Flying is also not my superpower. That’s too bad. It’s going to be expensive to Uber everywhere. You know, I’d rather walk. It’s a nice day. Goodbye, non-super person.

YOUNG MAN: I am not talking to strangers again.

ANNOUNCER: Will Lightning Bolt Lady find her superpowers … ever? Ouch! Did that brick wall hurt? Will the young man ever talk to a stranger again?

ANNOUNCER: Find out on the next episode of Let’s Learn English!

Conversation

Anna: Hello?

Ms. Weaver: Anna, this is Ms. Weaver.

Anna: Ms. Weaver!

Ms. Weaver: Tomorrow, you’ll be interviewing musician Emma G.

(Anna is very excited. She loves Emma G’s music.)

Anna: Emma G?! I will be talking to Emma G?!

Ms. Weaver: Anna? Anna, are you there?

Professor Bot: Anna and Ms. Weaver used the future continuous verb tense to talk about the interview.

Prof. Bot: We use future continuous to talk about actions that will be in progress at or around a time in the future.

Prof. Bot: For example, Ms. Weaver says, “Tomorrow, you’ll be interviewing musician Emma G.”

Prof. Bot: There are two options for future continuous. The first is: will be + the -ing form of the verb

Prof. Bot: And the second is: be + going to be + the -ing form of the verb. Keep watching for more!

Anna: Hello and welcome to The Music! Today, musician Emma G will be joining us here!

Anna: She is a wonderful songwriter and an amazing singer. And I love her! Let’s give a warm welcome to Emma G!

Anna: Hi. Thank you for coming on the show, Emma G.

Emma G: Of course. It’s great to be here.

Anna: Well, we can’t wait to hear you sing. I listen to your music a lot. So, I feel like I know you. Is that strange?

Emma G: Anna, listening to music can be a very personal experience. So, no, that’s not strange.

Anna: Good because I made something for you — a video scrapbook of our friendship.

Anna: I took photos of you and added myself. I worked on it all weekend.

Emma G: Well, that — that’s strange. Is that even — is that even legal?

Anna: Now, Emma, let’s talk about your schedule. Tell me … I mean, tell us exactly where you will be and when. Exactly.

Emma G: Sure. Well, in early June, I’ll be performing at several venues across Austin, Texas.

Anna: That’s my vacation week. I can meet you there! We can tour the city. We can have lunch.

Emma G: Um, yeah maybe. Then in mid-July, I’m going to be teaching at a music camp in Chicago.

Anna: I’ll be visiting my sister then. She only lives about six hours from Chicago! I could drive over. We could hang out.

Emma G: Yeah, uh maybe. You know, maybe now is a good time for some music.

Anna: That’s a great idea. Now, let’s hear a song from Emma G.!

Emma G: I wrote this song a couple of years ago. It’s called “Wary.”

Emma G: Do you believe in happy endings?

Anna: Endings…

Emma G: Do you really believe that we could be…

Anna: Be…

Emma G: I think something is wrong. I hear a voice in the background.

Anna: Sorry. Sorry, Emma. That was me. I’m just so excited.

Emma G: No problem. I’m glad you like the song.

Anna: You go ahead. You go ahead.

Emma G: Okay. Do you believe in happy endings?

(She hears a tambourine playing and looks at Anna.)

Emma G: Anna, there’s no tambourine in this.

Anna: I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, Emma. See, I’ve always wanted to sing with you.

Emma G: Well, come on over then and we can sing a song together first.

Anna: No, I couldn’t.

Emma G: Come on. It’ll be fun.

Anna: Okay! Here. I brought my favorite song.

Emma G: Oh, uh okay. Actually, I like this song. Um, are you ready?

Anna: Yes! Yes!

Emma G: Okay.

Emma G / Anna together:

Every breath you take*
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I’ll be watching you …
I’ll be watching you…
I’ll be watching you…

*From “Every Breath You Take” by The Police