
Learn English with this sharks English lesson
Date: Jul 17 2013
Grammar: Comparatives and Superlatives
Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
We’ve all seen the movie. Two people, sitting on a lifeboat, many days at sea. Hot, thirsty, hungry, and delirious. Suddenly, one of them shouts “Shark!” and they reach for each other. Is it a hallucination, or is it real? Did they just survive a shipwreck to be eaten by the most terrifying predator in the ocean?
People enjoy being scared by sharks. There’s no other way to explain our love of movies like Jaws and Open Water. Somehow it’s exciting to know that there’s a chance that we’re swimming with dangerous, deadly creatures. Some of us get a kick out of knowing our lives are at risk.
What’s your opinion? Devan and Jeff share theirs in this lesson about sharks.
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.
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Devan: So, did you catch “Shark Week”?
Jeff: I don’t own a TV.
Devan: It’s my favorite week of television! Sharks are so exciting.
Jeff: I hear that from a lot of people.
Devan: Do you not like them? Are you scared of them?
Jeff: I’d say I have a pretty somewhat reasonable fear of them. Just surfing, and stuff, and hearing those kinds of stories first-hand from people. At the same time, I also see people swimming with certain types of sharks.
Devan: I mean, they are deadly creatures. Do you fear all predators or are those the scariest to you?
Jeff: I think it’s only natural to feel fear when you know something can eat you. So, yes.
Devan: That’s true. And they are kind of at the top of the food chain. At least, in the ocean.
Jeff: I think it’s important to respect that. You know, once you do that, you can go from there.
Devan: So, I take it you won’t be cage diving with sharks anytime soon.
Jeff: I would totally do that. Yeah.
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Discussion
Devan is really excited because “Shark Week” was just on TV. It’s her favorite week of television all year because it only shows programs about sharks. Devan shares her enthusiasm with Jeff, but his response isn’t what she was expecting. It turns out that Jeff is afraid of sharks.
Jeff’s argument is a good one: Sharks attack surfers. Sharks can eat you. Sharks are at the top of the food chain. It’s reasonable to be afraid of sharks. Devan still finds them exciting, though. It sounds like sharks are her favorite animal even though they’re dangerous. Perhaps because they’re dangerous!
Jeff may say he’s scared of sharks, but when Devan asks if he would like to dive with sharks, he says yes. What’s up with that? Jeff sounds like he has a “love-hate relationship” with sharks. He can’t decide if they’re incredible or terrifying.
Why are people so interested in something so deadly? Do you think sharks are exciting? Would you go cage diving with them? Have you ever seen one up close?
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