Learn English meaning of ‘leave one in the dust’

Date: Sep 26 2017

Themes: Soap Opera

Grammar: Comparing Quality

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Intro

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

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cooler
tube

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

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It’s 1872, and you’re riding horses with your posse in the American West. It’s hot and dusty. You feel like you need a bath. There’s a sudden noise. Weird. Maybe, it’s a gunshot? Your posse decides to run from the noise. Your horse starts bucking, and you go flying through the air. You land on the ground with a crack. The running horses create a huge cloud of dust, and you are left behind. You have been left in the dust. You know you will never catch up with them, and your happiness starts sinking.

Perhaps you recognize this scene from American western movies. When you are left in the dust, this means that you have been left far behind. The people you were traveling with are very far ahead of you. They are so far ahead of you, you will never catch up! This can happen when you are bike riding, running, or floating down the river on a flotation device.

Andy had plans to spend the day with his friends, but it looks like they left him in the dust! Watch as Andy tries to catch up.

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.

Andy_H

Andy_H: Hello? Dominique? Can you hear me? Strange. Did they leave me in the dust? This is just like my dream. Except, I feel like that tree was right over there. Hey, this is exactly like my dream. Weird. Well, if they did leave me in the dust, maybe, I’ll just try to catch up with them. At least, I have my good flotation device. The water is a little cold. It was warmer in my dream. What’s that noise? I do recognize that noise. Oh, no! Oh, no! My flotation device! From my dream! It’s happening again! Ahhh! I’m sinking!!! My cooler! My tube! Ahhh! Not again! Ahhh!!! Oh, oh, oh. Oh, OK, OK. Ahh! Look at the time! I bet they’ve left me in the dust for sure!!!

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Andy arrives at the river to meet his friends. He calls out to them, but no one answers. He wonders if they left him in the dust. He also thinks it’s weird that the river looks exactly like his dream. Hmmm…. He gets in the water with his cooler and his flotation device.

Suddenly, he hears a weird noise. His tube is deflating! He starts sinking and screaming like a true hero. Then his phone rings, and he wakes up to find himself at home. He realizes that he was dreaming, and he is going to be late to meet his friends. They might leave him in the dust!

Have you ever been left in the dust? What did you do to catch up?