English, baby!

Fourth of July

Date: Jul 03 2009

Themes: Food, Holidays, Party

Grammar: You're vs. Your

Go Super!

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

Go Super to Listen

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Go Super to Listen

Once again, it’s time to celebrate the birth of our nation. Don’t forget the beer!

Each year on the Fourth of July, Americans watch fireworks displays, have potlucks and barbecues, and eat foods like hamburgers, watermelon, potato salad, and apple pie. For many people, Independence Day is more about kicking back and having fun than remembering the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. But it seems like the founding fathers were pretty cool guys. So maybe they would have wanted it that way.

Listen to Ella explain to Mason why she loves the Fourth.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Ella

Mason

Ella: I’ve gotta say, Fourth of July is my favorite holiday.

Mason: Really?

Ella: I don’t know, the fireworks are just so awesome, and everyone’s just happy.

Mason: I gotta say, I crossed that threshold at some point in the last few years where, like, the fireworks stopped being awesome and started just being loud. And I was like, “I need these ears.” So, I’m just a grumpy old grouch about that aspect of Fourth of July.

Ella: Well, one of the fireworks displays I went to, it actually started a forest fire.

Mason: Really?

Ella: So, you know, I’ve seen the bad side of things. But it was kind of exciting at the same time, you know?

Mason: So as someone who’s into the holiday, do you feel that it’s more about the fireworks and the hot dogs and the potato salad, and it’s been abstracted from the anniversary of the founding of our nation?

Ella: Yeah, it kind of is distracting, but I feel like it brings everyone together too. ‘Cause it’s not a holiday where you have to fly out and try to meet the family. It’s just like you’re with your friends, you’re enjoying the time, eating food, potlucks, cook outs. It’s just like you’re all together.

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "You're vs. Your" from this lesson

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3

Go Super to Ask Ebaby! teachers your questions!

The iTEP^® test

Sponsored by

Schedule an iTEP^® test and take the official English Practice Test.
Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen

Mason is surprised to learn that the Fourth of July is Ella’s favorite holiday. She loves it because it brings people together and makes people feel good. She also enjoys the fireworks. But Mason doesn’t like fireworks anymore. He thinks they’re too noisy and he’s worried about losing his hearing.

Ella admits that the way we celebrate the Fourth of July doesn’t have a lot to do with the anniversary of the founding of the country. But a lot of holidays are like that. The way we celebrate them doesn’t always reflect the true meaning of the day.

Do you have a national holiday like the Fourth of July? How do you celebrate it?

Comments

1 through 20 of 56
Next >
1 2 3

phn_uk

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

As I have never visited the United States and I don’t have any idea about all kinds of celebrations they do on the 4th of July except the things I hear or see on TV, the one thing that comes to my mind when we get closer to this date is that a blockbuster movies is coming to theatres, something big, franchise, something which is going to make lots of money in cinemas around the United States. And this year it was the sequel of Transformers. But the odd thing this time was that it was pretty quiet and less people went to cinema to watch their favorite actors. I don’t why???

Tiramisu99

China

In china,the most important holiday is the spring festival,almost people will go back home wherever they are. To welcoming the new year, we enjoy a reunion dinner with our family or go outing with best friend.We also light firecrackers, tying spring festival couplets and handing money to children an so on.

sealejo

Colombia

Yes we also have a holiday to celebrate de independence day, here in colombia we celebrate that on july 20, and there's a lots of parades that day in order to honored the people who gave us the freedom of the spanish invasion. but one of the differences is that we don't have any picnic or special lunch that day, fireworks also are present on many important buildings in capital cities. bye

Dni24

Venezuela

Yeas, we have, but i don't want to talk about it.. ;)

Nice, lesson :P

jupiter1986

China

Happy birthday to USA!

For Americans, it's very excited.

ciberd7

Brazil

Yes we have. I´m Brazilian and we celebrate the "Independence day" in 7th September.

It´s like in USA. We watch marching bands on the street, sing our national anthem and we remember who difficult were to conquest the independence of our country. Portugal were the country which dominated Brazil, but our folk won the battle for a free country and it´s so good to celebrate such a VICTORY. I´m proud of ´em.

ruki21

Congo, Democratic Republic Of The

Very nice!!!

Jane_

Azerbaijan

Congratulations America!

nana_mulan

Morocco

that make me really excited… i guess it's so coool and by the way thanks for the information that will increase my cultural knowledges

boriszl

China

just like Labor Day, we did kick back with family and friends to celebrate the Labor Day

Hoang Thanh Thuy

Viet Nam

I very like Fourth of July !!!

Elle shing

China

oh yeah ,I do believe it is kind kickback more than a serious fesitival to declare the independence of the nation or remembering the past and honor. But I do not mean it is random as it seems like,I think people still treat this day partly seriously ,maybe for elders.

I just happened to join the independence day in 2009 in america, and it was really cool.

I live in fargo but the firework took place in morhead,that means we have to drive to morhead in order to enjoy that show.I thought american would like to watch the show through the tv or something,but actually not,for the most ppl here.They may drive or walk to the very place,and to be frank,that was really a big party,I never saw that many people in fargo,sitting at a playground before,I mean in fargo /morhead because they are small town.Anyway,I was having fun last night and somehow shocked by the firework,because there they got some amazing firework with extrordinary shapes,square or within a star in the middle.

Dragon25

China

our National Day is coming! i desire to see how that big day will be!

lala0220

Taiwan

hraza

Pakistan

Happy Birthey Day USA.

4th of July is the biggest day in American history..

Sriratna

India

I pray Almighty to provide peace and happines to Americans.

joaco

Argentina

USA celebrates their independence day while they keep other countrys around the world working for their economic interests. I think is important that north-american people realize what they are doing to the world, because most of them just ignore this….

glassy heart

Saudi Arabia

happy national day american with anew presedent.OBAMA THE BEST PRESEDENCE

HOP UR adverstiment and life becom better usa..

yes we have national day her in ksa,we enjoy it by going out have fun , watching guyswith their fantazy cars colored with green and wearing green clothes ,children hold the ksa flag enjoyeing their time. friends ,firwall and alot of fun….....