Learn English meaning of ‘tall order’

Date: May 22 2018

Themes: Alternative, Friend, Soap Opera

Grammar: Count and Noncount Nouns

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Intro

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

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There are many things in life that are worth a shot, even if we feel like they might fail. If you want a career as a singer because you love singing, it might be worth a shot to try. If you’re still not sure about your romantic partner but love them anyways, it might be worth a shot to marry them. Yet, there are other times when the risk is very high. It could be too tall of an order.

A tall order is when something is very difficult to do or complete. Maybe, the entertainment industry is too competitive for you to try a career in singing. Maybe, you don’t want to get married because you don’t want to experience a divorce. Sometimes, it is not worth a shot, and the cost of trying is too high.

In today’s English soap opera, Andy is trying out some magic tricks. Watch to see if it’s worth a shot for him to try.

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

Nestor

Kelsey

Andy_H: All right, everyone! Andy here, and it’s time for a magic trick and dessert.

Nestor: What’s supposed to happen?

Andy_H: The fork will bend. Just give it a second.

Nestor: Maybe, it’s too tall of an order.

Andy_H: I don’t understand. It always works.

Kelsey: Isn’t it supposed to be a spoon? Isn’t that the magic trick… spoon-bending?

Andy_H: It shouldn’t matter.

Kelsey: It’s worth a shot.

Andy_H: OK, here we go.

Nestor: Maybe, it’s too much pressure with us watching.

Andy_H: I don’t understand. It always works.

Kelsey: I’ve got a magic trick I can do. I can make some of those brownies disappear.

Nestor: I can do the same trick!

Andy_H: All right. Just give me a second. It’s clearly a bad batch for magic. We can try again in a second. Enjoy the brownies.

Kelsey: I just want this square here. You can have the rest.

Nestor: A tall order, but one I’m happy to attempt.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Andy says it’s time for a magic trick and dessert. He will make the fork bend for his first trick. Nestor suggests that maybe this is too tall of an order. Kelsey points out that magicians usually bend spoons, not forks. It’s worth a shot. Andy tries this, but he feels like the pressure of Nestor and Kelsey watching is too much.

Andy’s magic tricks have failed, but Kelsey has a trick she can do. She can make the entire batch of brownies in front of them disappear. Nestor can do the exact same trick. Andy says that he’ll try his tricks later, it’s clearly a bad batch for magic. Kelsey makes one square of brownie disappear, Nestor has to eat the rest. A tall order, but he’s happy to try!

What have you done recently that’s a tall order? Was it worth the shot?