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Shed Some Light

Learn English with this emergency English lesson

Date: Jan 15 2013

Themes: Soap Opera

Grammar: Direct vs. Reported Speech

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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

If you don’t have all the information about something, it can feel like you’re in the dark. Your eyes are open, but you just can’t see. If someone gives you some helpful information, you can say they shed some light on the situation.

When someone sheds light on something, they reveal something about it or help you see it more clearly. For instance, during a trial, new evidence can shed some light on the case and help everyone discover the truth.

Jeff was having a conversation with Greta when suddenly the lights went out because of a big storm outside. Learn English and find out if Jeff stays in the dark in this English lesson.

3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.

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.

Greta: Finally, the phone company shed some light on the situation. They said, “The call is coming from inside the house!”

Mason: Whoa, dude. Whoa. Whoa!

Jeff: Amanda must have found the backup generator.

Amanda: No thanks to you guys.

Mason: It is scary out there!

Jeff: Let’s see what’s going out there.

Greta: Thanks for shedding some light on the situation, Amanda.

Jeff: Man, look at that.

Greta: Look at all the water in the streets…

Jeff: Yeah, the drains are clogged. The streets are flooding. That car is stuck right there. There’s no pressure out there. Look at these clouds, look how dark they are.

Greta: Really? You think so?

Jeff: Yeah. There’s another stuck car. It’s not safe to go out there. I think we’re gonna be stuck here all night, maybe all weekend.

Greta: No, we can’t! I have appointments. Where are we gonna sleep? What are we gonna eat? Are we going to have to eat each other!?

Amanda: Jeff, thanks for shedding some light on the situation with the storm. That’s top notch.

Jeff: Not a problem. I’m an amateur climatologist.

Amanda: OK. I think that’s enough.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

Go Super to Listen

Greta is just finishing up a scary story, when the lights suddenly come on. Amanda found the backup energy source. She’s not very pleased that no one helped her do it.

Jeff and Greta take a look at the weather. The streets are full of water, and cars are stuck everywhere. The clouds are dark. Jeff thinks that they’ll be stuck at the office overnight, and maybe all weekend.

This news freaks Greta out. What will they eat? Where will they sleep? Will they become cannibals? Amanda tries to take control of the situation. She thanks Jeff for the information, but realizes that he might also be making people panic.

Have you ever been caught in an emergency situation like the one at the office? Were there any particular individuals who tried to shed some light on the situation? Do you tend to be a leader in an emergency?