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Weddings

Weddings

Date: Jul 21 2009

Themes: Family, Romance

Grammar: Modal Verbs

Intro

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

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Weddings are a $40 billion industry in the US. And most of that money gets spent in the summer. June and August are the most popular months for weddings.

At a traditional American wedding, the father of the bride walks his daughter down the aisle and gives her away. Then the bride and groom exchange rings and vows. Finally, after the ceremony, everyone goes to a reception, where they eat, drink, dance, and let their hair down.

Once you reach a certain age, around 26 or 27 in the US, suddenly everyone you know starts getting married. Devan and Marni both find their summer calendars filled with weddings. Find out why they aren’t too happy about that.

Dialog

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

Marni

Marni

Devan

Devan

Marni:  So Devan, is your summer calendar just filled with weddings?

Devan:  Unfortunately, yes.

Marni:  Ugh, wow.

Devan:  It’s pretty much like getting slapped in the face over and over. One, you have to spend all this money to buy them presents. Two, it just reminds you that you’re still not married. Or, if you’re me, you’re not even in a relationship and you don’t see any future of getting married.

Marni:  It’s so depressing, I know. Well, I mean, are you in any of them? Are you in the wedding party? Maid of honor, anything like that?

Devan:  No, I’m just…I just have to go and eat free food and give them a present and watch my friend’s dad give away the bride.

Marni:  I think some of it…Some of the tradition’s really nice, and it is fun, but boy, you start going to wedding after wedding and you’re like, “Wow, this person’s getting hitched, that person’s getting hitched.” It just goes on and on.

Devan:  Yeah. I never enjoy the actual ceremony, but I’m always down with going to the reception.

Marni:  The reception is the fun part. It’s the party, that’s what everybody wants to go to.

Devan:  I’m never gonna get married!

Marni:  Don’t say that. It’s gonna happen for us. I just know it.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Both Marni and Devan have a lot of weddings to go to this summer. Neither of them is looking forward to it. Devan points out that going to weddings is expensive, because you have to buy a gift. But the worst part is being reminded that you’re still single.

Marni asks Devan if she is going to be a maid of honor or a part of the wedding party at any of the weddings she’s attending this summer. Devan says no. The wedding party is all the people who take part in the ceremony. It includes the bridesmaids and maid of honor, who help the bride; the groomsmen, who help the groom; and the father of the bride, who walks the bride down the aisle and gives her away.

Devan is worried that she’s never going to get married. But Marni tells her not to worry. It may be depressing going to all those weddings, but at least you get lots of free food and drinks at the receptions.

Do you enjoy going to weddings? What is your dream wedding?

 

Comments

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zhangxiaomie

China

when i was 18 .i wanted to marry. all of my friends thought that's a crazy idea. now.i'm 20years old.i have no boyfriend and boys have never liked me. I think it's my sorrow. but i would like have a child. may be she/he can call me dad. oh```that's crazy

12:51 AM Jul 21 2009 |

Ray81191837

China

wedding party has more free food..aha

But  presents  which send to them always spend my more time…Anyway,just for happy…

12:13 AM Jul 21 2009 |

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