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Giving Gifts
简体
Giving Gifts
送礼

Learn the Unreal Past Tense

Date: Aug 19 2011

Themes: Friend

Grammar: The Unreal Past

Intro

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“It’s the thought that counts.” That’s what we say when someone gives us a gift that we don’t want or that doesn’t suit us. It’s a nice way of saying, “I appreciate you, even though I don’t really appreciate this gift.”

But how much does the thought really count? It can’t count as much as an awesome present would count, right?

It depends on who you talk to. Some people think presents aren’t very important, or get stressed out trying to pick out gifts for their friends. But others believe that giving gifts shows how much you care. They look for presents that are special and personal, and they might get hurt if their friends don’t do the same. Hear Amy and Ella talk about giving gifts.

“礼轻情意重”,这是我们收到不想要或者不适合的礼物时常说的一句话。这是一种委婉的表达方式,言外之意是“非常感谢你送我礼物,但是我确实无法对这个礼物心动。”
但是,这份心意到底有多重呢?它和一份称心如意的好礼物传递的心意一样重吗?
对于这个问题,每个人都有自己不同的理解。一些人认为礼物并不非常重要,或者为朋友挑选礼物时感到压力重重。但是,另一些人则认为送礼可以显示你对对方的关心程度。他们为朋友搜寻独特且充满个性的礼物,而如果朋友未能同样慎重地为他们挑选礼物的话,他们可能会感觉心灵受伤了。请听艾米和艾拉谈论送礼物这个话题。

Dialog

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

Amy

Amy

Ella

Ella

Amy:  Are you a good gift giver, Ella?

Ella:  Actually, I think I’m a very gifted gift giver.

Amy:  Really?

Ella:  Yes. I wish it was Christmas all the time so I could buy presents for people. It’s so fun.

Amy:  But how do you know, like, what they would like or, you know, what they need? I get so stressed out about buying presents, I…I don’t know, how do you do it?

Ella:  I do a lot of inside joke presents, things that make people laugh. Or I just go for the expensive things that are like “Oh yeah, I could use those.” I feel like earrings always work out for a girl.

Amy:  I just feel like some people really value gift giving, and to me it’s just not that important. If you want to give me a gift that’s great, but I’m not going to feel bad if you don’t give me a gift. So I sometimes get into trouble because not everyone has that casual attitude toward gift giving that I do.

Ella:  Yeah. I like to give gifts but for me personally, I’d rather have someone give me a trip or take me somewhere.

Amy:  Totally. Yeah, you know, you can never go wrong with a great dinner, right? A great fancy dinner or something?

Ella:  Exactly.

Amy:  Well, I’m gonna remember all of your tips, because I have an important friend’s birthday coming up, and I don’t want to disappoint her.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Ella loves to buy people gifts. She likes to give her friends expensive gifts, or gifts that make them laugh. She thinks that earrings are usually a good gift for a girl.

Amy has a more difficult time finding gifts for people. It’s hard for her to find gifts she knows her friends will like, and she often worries about disappointing people with her gifts.

Gifts aren’t very important to Amy. She says she doesn’t feel hurt when others don’t give her gifts. Ella agrees. She would rather go out to a nice dinner or take a trip with someone than receive a big gift.

Do you like giving gifts? Do you find it easy or hard to find gifts your friends will like? What is the best gift you have ever received?

 

Comments

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alzhbeta

alzhbeta

Belarus

i like to give gifts. especcialy to invent some unusually ways to get it. 


04:13 PM Aug 19 2011 |

lama2

Syrian Arab Republic

i like giving gifts and receive ones too very much.

03:55 PM Aug 19 2011 |

MUHAMMAD92

MUHAMMAD92

Saudi Arabia

i like giving gift to my friends.

03:25 PM Aug 19 2011 |

Carlie

China

Actually I seldom gave my friends or my family gift before. But now I want to change because I think that giving gift is good way to keep the relationship.And my best friend’s birthday is coming. I want to give her a surprise.

03:08 PM Aug 19 2011 |

happysmilesunny

China

Well, Two days ago, my friend bought a bag for me, but as I told him, do not buy the gift like bag for me, I laready have seven, there is no need more. So in the end, I didn’t tell him that I like that one or I dislike that one, I just say, pls do not do that again~


 

01:42 PM Aug 19 2011 |

Bluma

Bluma

China

i have never given any of my friends any gifts, for i don’t know how to pick up one. and they  don’t mind.

12:43 PM Aug 19 2011 |

liaojingmei

China

In most cases, I don’t give a shit about gifts because people treat it wrong.Gift will never be counted,what we care most is whether you treat me right in my life. If you were,even a cheapest gift will surely hit the spot. If not,no matter what you do,it just make no sense. Thus, what make thought counted I thought is your daily behavior.

09:42 AM Aug 19 2011 |

jiahui.lei

jiahui.lei

China

well,i don’t like giving gifts, cuz it’s really hard to find a “suitble” gift,

09:18 AM Aug 19 2011 |

Talia Do

Talia Do

Viet Nam

Giving gifts is a surprisingly complex and important part of human interaction, helping to define relationships and strengthen bonds with family and friends. It is often the giver, rather than the recipient, who reaps the biggest psychological gains from a gift.


Since giving to others reinforces our feelings for them and makes us feel effective and caring so I love giving gifts. And I am more concerned about giving and receiving gifts with emotional significance rather than price-conscious and practical when it comes to the gifts I give and get.


I often choose the images of people that I care about on special occasions and turn them into pictures with water colors. It shows that a lot of the pleasure is in the giving, knowing I’ve taken care of someone. And all the recipients express their feelings in a way that definitely make my day.

08:28 AM Aug 19 2011 |

tanyach1Super Member!

Israel

It means that it’s  not important a gift, but it’s important yours attention to me.

08:14 AM Aug 19 2011 |

Nylia

Nylia

Philippines

Yes I really like giving gifts to my friends and to those people near to  my heart like my family but for rare occasions.Sometimes, I feel exhausted to  pick it up and it should made me hesitate because I’m not really sure if what present they like it…but it feels me warmth if I give gift though..


The best gift that I have recieved recently is when I was birth my first baby boy he give me so much happiness and a lot changes of my life now!

07:31 AM Aug 19 2011 |

wspwzb

China

I really don’t care about giving gifts. I like all the gifts that people give me and I hope people will like the gifts that Igive them. Of course we should give different people different gifts because of their own personalities. I like the gifts that my family gave me better. That’s quite special for me and meaningful. I can feel the love the gifts carry.

07:10 AM Aug 19 2011 |

Talissida

France

I really like giving gifts to my friends and members of my family. It’s often hard to find the personal present which will be appreciated by the relevant person. It’s easier to give a gift to a close relative or friend, a person whose we know its hobbies, likes…


The best gift ever received is unquestionably the fact to meet my wife ! This a present from the life ! 

06:21 AM Aug 19 2011 |

Jasmine Nilar

Myanmar

it is something that always makes me happy …..

06:07 AM Aug 19 2011 |

Big baby

Big baby

Russian Federation

I did not undestand what “It is the thought that counts” means reading the text twice. Could anyone explane?

04:56 AM Aug 19 2011 |

misael181Super Member!

Mexico

My better gift is to awake all mornings !!!

03:40 AM Aug 19 2011 |

wwongsapun

wwongsapun

Thailand

Yes, I like giving gifts to my friends. It depends on situation or special days.
Um, I would like give surprise gifts to person that me care. The presents aren’t important for me, I look toward intention and care with to give gift to me. Recently, I received the best gift card from my son so show me that he try to write important word in card “I love Mom”

03:33 AM Aug 19 2011 |

Ryo

Ryo

Saudi Arabia

i  love  the most   in gifet also  the Form  and  the way of the envelope and gift wrapping

01:32 AM Aug 19 2011 |

Joy900

Joy900

Japan

BasetWink


Nothing’s as mean as giving us something useful at Ebaby.

01:28 AM Aug 19 2011 |

The Last Joke

Yemen















I ALWAYS LIKE GIVING GIFTS FOR ANYONE !






So ,Flowers have their own way of expressing my feelings & actions (love and care). Therefore, when I want to say most, I say with flowers.It is so easy : I can arrange for anybody some beautiful flowers and give it to him / her ( no matter if i like her/him or not ).







What is the best gift I have ever received?



I’m unable to ignore the gift that



Ebaby’s teachers gave me, so I’m going to Say :


 


Ebaby





is a gift you can learn , study again and again.


01:22 AM Aug 19 2011 |

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